Ada Lovelace Cracks the Code, by Rebel Girls, Marina Muun (Illustrator), Jestine Ware (Editor)

 

Publication Jan.17,2023

First, About the Rebel Girls Chapter Book Series

"Meet extraordinary real-life heroines in the Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls chapter book series! Introducing stories based on the lives and times of extraordinary women in global history, each stunningly designed chapter book features beautiful illustrations from a female artist as well as bonus activities in the backmatter to encourage kids to explore the various fields in which each of these women thrived. The perfect gift to inspire any young reader!"

As I read, I realized how little I actually know about Ada Lovelace. I mean, early on, I found myself wondering, "She was Lord Byron's daughter? For real?" A side- excursion to Google answered that question for me, "Yes, she was his only legitimate daughter." She seems to have been an intriguing combo of her father's more poetic, imaginative side and her mother's more math, reality based soul, with the remarkable intellect of both magnified in her. Sadly, it seems she really never knew her father. Anyway....

Although this series seems to be aimed at middle-grader level, I found it an intriguing, thoughtful read. Although I don't share any of Lovelace's analytical math abilities, it was fascinating to read about the early days of what we now consider computers/calculators. She was lucky enough to have an excellent teacher, Miss Stamp, who encouraged both imagination and study, and later find a friend and mentor who encouraged her work. This was Charles Babbage, who she met in 1833 when she was still in her teens, a man who was devising a calculator, albeit far from the small tool we now think of as a calculator. 

With his encouragement and that of friends, Ada Lovelace learned to fly, metaphorically speaking, of course, although she would have dearly loved to have solved the question of human flight. Trust me, she tried. Bottom line, this was an interesting look at one of the pioneers of computer programming, beginning with her early days of asking questions for which there were no answers yet, learning to harness her energy and diverse interests, and, yes, even marrying while pursuing those interests. 

I definitely recommend this book (and surely the entire series) to both young and older readers, like me, who will find there is still much to learn. Thanks to #NetGalley and #RebelGirls for giving me a more thorough introduction to this incredible woman. I'll definitely be checking out others in the Rebel Girls series.