The Reading Public Schools November Book of the Month is “Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer.” This title is written by Traci Sorell (Cherokee Nation Citizen) and illustrated by Natasha Donovan (Mѐtis, Indigenous peoples of Canada.) This is a beautiful book about and by indigenous women – perfect for Indigenous Peoples Month (November.) Traci Sorell was coauthor of the middle-grade novel “Indian No More” and could be an interesting paired text. (Similarly, Donovan illustrated a graphic novel book centering indigenous stories appropriate for high school/upper grades.)
The subject of the book, Mary Gola Ross, is one of many of
the hidden figures of women in STEM/Aerospace work whose work went unrecognized
for many years. Woven throughout the book is how the Cherokee Nation
Values impacted how she maneuvered through various aspects of her life and
work.
As always, each of our schools preK-8 received a copy of this book along with a teacher guide to facilitate book conversations. Please visit Reading Public Library or Whitelam Books to inquire about this title!
