Who Says Women Can't Be Computer Programmers?

This picture book biography tells the story of Ada Lovelace, a 19th century mathematician and writer who worked on early computing concepts. The narrative follows her from childhood through her collaboration with Charles Babbage on the Analytical Engine. The book documents Ada's unconventional education and her mother's insistence that she study mathematics rather than poetry like her famous father, Lord Byron. Through text and illustrations, readers see Ada's growing fascination with machines, numbers, and the possibilities of mechanical computation. Stone's work explores a significant figure in computer science history while highlighting women's contributions to STEM fields. The biographical format introduces young readers to concepts of programming and algorithms through the lens of Ada's discoveries and innovations.

Readers appreciate how this children's biography introduces kids to Ada Lovelace's contributions to computer science while keeping the story engaging and accessible. Parents and educators note the book helps spark discussions about women in STEM fields. Reviewers highlight the illustrations by Marjorie Priceman as colorful and dynamic, helping maintain young readers' interest. Several teachers mention successfully using it in elementary classrooms. Common criticisms include that some scientific concepts could be explained more clearly for the target age group. A few readers wanted more detail about Lovelace's mathematical work. Ratings: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (648 ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (95 ratings) Sample reader comments: "Perfect blend of history and inspiration for young minds" - Goodreads reviewer "The art style brings Ada's story to life" - Amazon reviewer "Could have done better explaining algorithms to kids" - School Library Journal review

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🔵 Grace Hopper, the subject of this book, created the first compiler in 1952, which translated human instructions into computer code—revolutionizing how we program computers today. 🔵 Before writing children's books, author Tanya Lee Stone worked as an editor in publishing for 13 years and has since written more than 100 books for young readers. 🔵 During World War II, Grace Hopper joined the Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) and was assigned to program the Mark I computer at Harvard University. 🔵 The term "computer bug" gained popularity after Grace Hopper discovered an actual moth causing problems in the Mark II computer in 1947—the moth was taped into the computer's logbook. 🔵 The programming language COBOL, which Grace Hopper helped develop in 1959, is still used in business, finance, and administrative systems today, processing millions of transactions daily.