PATH TO THE STARS: My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist, by Sylvia Acevedo, Clarion Books, Sept. 4, 2018, Hardcover, $17.99 (ages 10 and up)
Path to the Stars: My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist is a fascinating autobiography for middle-graders that even parents will enjoy.
A meningitis outbreak in their underprivileged neighborhood left Sylvia Acevedo’s family forever altered. As she struggled in the aftermath of loss, young Sylvia’s life transformed when she joined the Brownies. The Girl Scouts taught her how to take control of her world and nourished her love of numbers and science.
With new confidence, Sylvia navigated shifting cultural expectations at school and at home, forging her own trail to become one of the first Latinx to graduate with a master’s in engineering from Stanford University and going on to become a rocket scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. —Synopsis provided by Clarion Books
There are so many things to like about Path to the Stars. Sylvia Acevedo’s conversational writing makes this autobiography read like a novel. It’s quick-paced and fascinating.
Though her Mexican heritage may not be relatable to all readers, her experiences with the Girl Scouts are universal. Readers will also understand how family dynamics shape who we become.
Path to the Stars was published simultaneously in Spanish and English, and it’s a great resource for growing girls no matter which version they read.
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