Sally Ride: Breaking Barriers and Defying Gravity

Gr 8 Up–Sally Ride was already many things before her historic flight as the first American woman in space in 1982—a Doctor of ­Physics from Stanford, a nearly professional tennis player, and a product of her time in so many ways, all of which is evidenced by this addition in the “Women Making ­History” series. Covering her many achievements at NASA and as a public figure for women in STEM, the focus remains on Ride being the most qualified for her various positions throughout her life, regardless of gender. The struggles of the fiercely private Ride as she was thrust into public life are given large swaths of the book, as well as how Ride’s experience gave credibility and weight to the Challenger explosion investigation. The revelation after her death of Ride’s partnership of 27 years with Tam O’Shaughnessy adds a new lens to this biography, giving possible insight into why Ride chose to never disclose her sexuality during her lifetime. Longer notes explain historical context, scientific processes, and various other tidbits to make the general flow of the book smoother. Back matter includes two appendices (one about women in aviation history and the other chronicling the NASA ­missions prior to Ride’s first flight), a transcript of the full interview Ride gave to the NASA Oral History Project, and an index.