Find Where The Wind Goes: Moments From My Life [Hardcover]

Dr. Mae Jemison (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2001

As a young girl, Mae Jemison knew she wanted to travel to space‹and she refused to be discouraged. Through a lifelong dedication to her dream, she eventually made history when she blasted into orbit aboard the space shuttle Endeavor. Smart, and full of life, her anecdotal account is inspiring and entertaining.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

From majoring in chemical engineering at Stanford University (at the age of 16) to giggling with hairdressers in Nairobi (in Swahili) to orbiting the Earth as the first woman of color to travel in space (conducting experiments in life and material sciences and bone cell research as the mission's science specialist), Mae Jemison has never been one to sit and watch life pass her by. From childhood, Jemison knew she would be an astronaut--the fact that space travelers tended to be white men only meant one more obstacle she would gladly face. Her autobiography, sassy, confident, and witty, is full of anecdotes designed to empower young readers, even as they chuckle at her foibles and cheer her victories. Whether working as a Peace Corps medical officer, fiercely upholding her feminist stance in a sexist college class, or dancing her "fanny off," Jemison is an inspiration to every child who dreams big. (Ages 10 and older) --Emilie Coulter

From Publishers Weekly

In an accessible, conversational tone, first-time children's author Jemison offers insight into her remarkable life, from her announcement in kindergarten, in 1961, that she wanted "to be a scientist" to her realization of her dream as "the first woman of color in the world to travel into space." Jemison observes, "I'm struck by how the flow of life events is like the wind," and, as if sitting on a stoop, she gathers readers in as she recounts the "large, small and medium-sized moments that have carried me aloft to this place, this day." At times, the wind metaphor becomes overblown, and a few digressions lead the narrative astray (e.g., a passage about being hit on the head by a sibling; a brief treatise directed at readers, "Take the high school and college romance, boy/girl stuff, with a huge grain of salt..."). But the writing sings, for example, when Jemison recalls her blossoming interest in science, relating her work on a third grade report about "the evolution of life on planet Earth" and a high school sickle-cell anemia project (students could almost follow the process she outlines here as a blueprint for their own science fair projects). Another standout section is her account of a high school gang's attempt to draft her older brother; her parents' response to the situation, which speaks volumes about their unwavering commitment to their family and education, clearly influenced the author. Some readers may wish for more of the defining moments that made Jemison a hero. (The author glosses over her jump from the Peace Corps to NASA, for instance.) However, this inspiring autobiography is a testimony to the power of setting goals and the strength of character necessary to achieve them. Ages 10-up.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Press; 1 edition (April 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439131952
• ISBN-13: 978-0439131957
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #837,861 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for motivating young girls, October 15, 2002

By 

M. B. Fielder "micky-b" (Somerset, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Find Where The Wind Goes: Moments From My Life (Hardcover)

I read this book with girls ages 11-14 in a mentoring program that I am involved in. We had such a wonderful discussion. The girls could instantly relate to the challenges that Dr. Jemison faced as a young African American girl trying to excel in a non-traditional field of endeavor.

I highly recommend this book because Dr. Jemison is so warm, honest and down to earth in her story telling. She also lets you see the ordinary side of her and her family. It gives every little girl the realization that they too (with a little hard work) can achieve their dreams if they remain focused and true to themselves.

Dr. Jemison's life is filled with adventure and adversity and she often chooses the "road less traveled". It truly has made all the difference.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Dr. Mae Jemison's life, October 6, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Find Where The Wind Goes: Moments From My Life (Paperback)

Find Where the Wind Goes
Dr. Mae Jemison


Dr. Mae Jemison was a doctor and the she became an astronaut. She worked on the Endeavor Space Lab. I chose this book because it talked about space and the exploration or space. Working on the space lab was a tough job. It was a tough challenge for her like getting a perfect score on the SAT.

When she was little she was the only one in her class that wanted to be an astronaut. She had an older brother and sister that marginally supported her dream of being an astronaut. Her family had to move from Alabama to California for her dad's job when she was 13 years old. Her mother and the rest of her family were mad that they had to move because they loved Alabama.

When she started high school, it was very rough for Mae, she didn't know anybody. Mae failed her first trimester of science. She really wanted to be an astronaut and this may have stopped her chances. She tried really hard and the rest of the year she did well. Mae graduated from high school with honors. Mae attended college and had a few problems there. She worked hard and graduated with a doctorate in science.

Then, she signed up to be a part of NASA. When she turned in her application she didn't get a response for a year. The reason was that the Challenger had exploded in space and the space program was on hold. She didn't think she was good enough for NASA. One year later she received a letter that she had been accepted to the program. She had to train vigorously before her first mission. Her first mission was to set up a space lab. This lab had to be set up with the Endeavor. They spent a week in space experimenting with insects and their environment. When Mae came back to earth they were hoarded by a bunch or newscasters. She explained what they did in space and how it felt to be in space.

Mae learned that change is sometimes good. If it wasn't for her Dad and his job, she wouldn't have been in space then and she wouldn't have been there today. She knew that having a good education was important and necessary for that type of job.

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Just Ok, January 12, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Find Where The Wind Goes: Moments From My Life (Paperback)

When I started reading this book, I expected it to be full of inspiration and advice on how to acheive great things in life as Dr. Jemison did. While I respect her for her wonderful acheivements, ambition, and zeal, through out the book I could not help but think she was conceited and stuck on herself. This book was not inspirational or encouraging to me. Rather, it was just about how wonderful Dr. Jemison is. She told story after story after story about how she was so wonderful, and I felt, above other people. I also found editing errors in it which I felt was unacceptable. I am a sixteen year-old girl who wants to be a doctor when I grow up, so I thought reading this book would be worthwhile. I do admire her for following her dreams and "the wind" (which by the way became an overused metaphor), but I spent my time reading the book frustrated and wondering when she would stop tooting her own horn.