Young Trailblazers: The Book of Black Inventors and Scientists

By M.J. Fievre and Kim Balacuit

Discover Incredible Inventions by Black People (Ages 8-12)

#1 New Release in Children's Inventors Books

Young Trailblazers: The Book of Black Inventors and Scientists is a fun new book for children that teaches kids about inventions by Black people that have impacted the world through their ingenuity and trailblazing innovation. 

From Black Inventors to Black Scientists. Take your child on an adventure and travel through time to meet famous black inventors who changed the game. Countdown to liftoff with Katherine Johnson, who helped pioneer U.S. crewed space missions. Safely cross the street with Garrett Morgan, who invented the traffic signal—or even sing your heart out with James West’s invention of the microphone. All of these inventions by Black people have, in one way or another, shaped the past and present through trailblazing creativity and resilience; these stories are sure to inspire every child.

Experience an array of rich Black history. In this book, there are Black scientists and Black inventors we all know, such as Lewis Howard Latimer and Sarah Boone. There are also dozens of Black trailblazers that we don’t, all of whom have accomplished remarkable things in literature, entertainment, education, STEM, business, military and government services, politics and law, activism, sports, spirituality, and more. 

Inside this book of inventions by Black people, you’ll find:

• A fun and engaging introduction to Black inventors for kids
• Essential Black history for kids to learn about
• Interesting fun facts and beautiful illustrations

 

If you enjoyed Black Women in Science, Black Inventors, or Black Heroes, then you’ll love Young Trailblazers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Nov 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9781642506075

M.J. Fievre

Born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, M.J. Fievre moved to the United States in 2002. She currently writes from Miami. M.J.’s publishing career began as a teenager in Haiti. At nineteen years-old, she signed her first book contract with Hachette-Deschamps, in Haiti, for the publication of a Young Adult book titled La Statuette Maléfique. Since then, M.J. has authored nine books in French that are widely read in Europe and the French Antilles. In 2013, One Moore Book released M.J.’s first children’s book, I Am Riding, written in three languages: English, French, and Haitian Creole. In 2015, Beating Windward Press published M.J.’s memoir, A Sky the Color of Chaos, about her childhood in Haiti during the brutal regime of Jean-Bertrand Aristide. M.J. Fievre is the author of Happy, Okay? Poems about Anxiety, Depression, Hope, and Survival (Books & Books Press, 2019) and Badass Black Girl: Questions, Quotes, and Affirmations for Teens (Mango Publishing, 2020). She helps others write their way through trauma, build community and create social change. She works with veterans, disenfranchised youth, cancer patients and survivors, victims of domestic and sexual violence, minorities, the elderly, those with chronic illness or going through transition and any underserved population in need of writing as a form of therapy—even if they don’t realize that they need writing or therapy. A long-time educator and frequent keynote speaker (Tufts University, Massachusetts; Howard University, Washington, D.C.; the University of Miami, Florida; and Michael College, Vermont; and a panelist at the Association of Writers & Writing Programs Conference, AWP), M.J. is available for book club meetings, podcast presentations, interviews and other author events.

Book preview

Copyright © 2021 by M.J. Fievre and Kim Balacuit.

Published by DragonFruit, an imprint of Mango Publishing Group,

a division of Mango Media Inc.

Cover, illustration, and layout design: Kim Balacuit

Images used under license from Adobe Stock

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Young Trailblazers: The Book of Black Inventors and Scientists

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication number: 2021934939

ISBN: (print) 978-1-64250-606-8 (ebook) 978-1-64250-607-5

BISAC category code JNF007050, JUVENILE NONFICTION / Biography & Autobiography / Cultural, Ethnic & Regional

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

Introduction

Alexa Canady

Benjamin Banneker

Charles Drew

Daniel Hale Williams

Elijah McCoy

Flemmie Pansy Kittrell

Garrett Augustus Morgan

George Washington Carver

Henry Brown

Isaac R. Johnson

James Edward Maceo West

Katherine Johnson

Lewis Howard Latimer

Marie Van Brittan Brown

Norbert Rillieux

Osbourn Dorsey

Philip Emeagwali

Q is for Queens, New York

Robert Henry Lawrence Jr.

Shirley Ann Jackson

Thomas W. Stewart

Valerie Thomas

Pasi William Sachiti

Madam C.J. Walker

Betty X.

Yvonne Clark

Zora Neale Hurston

About the Author

About the Illustrator

Introduction

Becoming a Black scientist or inventor was next to impossible for many years because of laws that kept Black people and white people separate, and because enslaved Blacks were not allowed to read or write.

This book is filled with people who didn’t let anything stop them on their quests to becoming trailblazers in invention or science. Their stories are here to show you that nothing can stop you if you work hard and have faith in yourself, and to teach you all about the marvelous world of Black science and invention.

Along with their life stories, you’ll find interesting facts, words you should know, and quotations from these Black trailblazers in science and invention. Maybe you’ll find someone who inspires you to make a difference in the world!

Alexa Canady

…somewhere in your life there has to be a passion. There has to be some desire to go forward. If not, why live?

Dr. Alexa Canady is the first Black American woman to become a neurosurgeon . A neurosurgeon is a doctor who performs operations on people’s brains. She was born in Lansing, Michigan , in 1951. She and her younger brother were the only two Black children in their entire school. It was very hard for her because she faced a lot of discrimination during her school years. One time, a teacher even switched her test grades with those of a white student to hide how smart young Alexa really was! But her parents taught her the importance of education, and she worked hard to overcome hardships and do well in school.

Words You Should Know

» Neurosurgeon : A neurosurgeon is a doctor who performs operations on people’s brains. They treat people with brain diseases and brain injuries.

» Zoology : Zoology is the study of animals. A zoologist is a scientist who studies animals, how they are built physically, and how they interact with their env ironments.

She graduated with honors from her high school and went to the University of Michigan. At first, she majored in mathematics, but she did not love her math classes and almost dropped out of college! She then discovered that she loved zoology, the study of animals. After she got her bachelor’s degree, Alexa learned that not many Black people were studying medicine, so she decided to go to the University of Michigan Medical School. While she was there, she discovered her passion for helping people with medical problems. She specialized in pediatric neurosurgery, which meant she performed operations on children who had brain diseases or injuries.

Her advisers discouraged her from a career in pediatric neurosurgery and she had trouble finding an internship, but she didn’t give up! Finally, she was accepted as an intern at Yale New Haven Hospital in 1975, where she was the first woman to join the program. After that, Alexa worked for many years as a pediatric neurosurgeon at Detroit’s Henry Ford Hospital. She retired and moved to Florida in 2001, but she didn’t stay retired for very long! After discovering there were no pediatric neurosurgeons working in her area, she went back to work part-time at Pensacola’s Sacred Heart Hospital.

Alexa has been quoted as saying, The greatest challenge I faced in becoming a neurosurgeon was believing it was possible. Alexa retired for a second time in 2012. She continues to encourage young women to go into medicine and neurosurgery.

A is for Alexa

Interesting Facts

Lansing, Michigan

Lansing, Michigan, was also home to Malcom X, the famous minister. His parents bought a home in the Westmont subdivision of the city and in 1929, they were sued because the city had laws in place that said Black families could not live there. There is a historical marker in Lansing that marks the site of Malcolm X’s childhood home.

Yale New Haven Hospital

During the Civil War, more than 25,000 US Army officers fighting for the Union were admitted to Yale New Haven Hospital, which temporarily changed its name during the war to the Knight US General Army Hospital.

Henry Ford

Henry Ford’s Ford Motor Company was once the leading employer of Blacks in the automotive industry. In 1923, he employed 2,500 Black employees. The wages Ford

Reviews for Young Trailblazers

[oldandnewbooksmell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World is a beautifully illustrated book filled with the celebration of 36 women from all over the world. There are well known women such as Frida Kahlo, Marie Curie, Katherine Dunham, and Toni Morrison. There are also less known women (at least to me) such as physical therapist and inventor, Bessie Blount Griffin, actress and inventor, Hedy Lamarr, organic chemist, Asima Chatterjee, and dancer and choreographer, Amalia Hernández.

I'm in my late twenties and I don't have children, but this book is so adorable and I'm glad I picked it up. I wish things like this were around when I was a kid. I picked it up because if I ever do have kids, or nieces and nephews, I know I will have books that show all kinds of women. This book talks about women in all fields of life; inventors, artists, dancers, scientists, writers, and educators.

I recommend this book to both adults and children alike to learn more about women throughout history. I can't wait to read more from Vashti Harrison.

[kristenl_69 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book contains 36 short (one page) biographies of a diverse assortment of successful female creators—both artists and scientists—intended for children. Each double page spread contains an illustration (created through Photoshop) of the featured woman and a biographical sketch. Following the biographies, there are a couple of paragraphs of an additional 18 women, with a single paragraph of information about them for further study.I am conflicted on how to rate this book. On the one hand, this book fills a big gap, not just in children’s literature, but in biographies in general, focusing on successful women, especially women of color. On the other hand, the interest level is probably 3rd through 6th grade, but I think the reading level is at least a 5th grade level, and it is not the most engaging writing style.The illustrations also create a dilemma for me. The colors are lush and beautiful and I think children will be drawn to them and like them. (I like them.) However, the faces are babyish, and I wonder if they leave an impression that these women are not to be taken seriously, especially for young boys. Despite my concerns, I will be purchasing a copy to keep in my classroom library.Note: I read the Kindle edition of this book on my iPad and do not recommend the Kindle edition. Each page displayed as a double-page spread, with the bio information on the right and the illustration on the left. The text was small, it could be enlarged slightly paragraph by paragraph, but was still small and difficult to read. It was impossible to read on my iPhone.