Thursday, November 23, 2017

Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code



You may have heard the following quote from Grace Hopper, well if you haven’t, I have and I love it: “It’s easier to ask forgiveness than to get permission.”  I’d imagine Grace Hopper didn’t really need to ask forgiveness often but she also didn’t waste time getting permission.  If you’ve ever heard of a computer “bug” that’s because Grace Hopper documented the first, a real moth that found it’s way into the system and wreaked some havoc!  Grace Hopper grew up taking things apart to see what made them tick (literally - it was a clock!).  The following are some new Grace Hopper quotes to add to my repertoire.  

If you’ve got a good idea, and you know it’s going to work, go ahead and do it. - Grace Hopper

The world will be a better place when all agree with me. - Grace Hopper

Every time you solve a problem, another one shows up behind it.  That’s the challenge. - Grace Hopper

One that I thought was Hopper is actually misattributed as The most dangerous phrase in the English language is that it’s always been done this way.  The real quote has more to do with people being allergic to change and stating things have always been done this way.  Either way it’s a good quote, but the actual words don’t roll off the tongue in quite the same way.

Grace is notable for more than just witty remarks, she devoted her life to solving problems and Laurie Wallmark makes her story engaging and fun for young readers.  Katy Wu shows the twinkle in Grace’s eye from her youth to her later years in the Navy.  The timeline, selected bibliography, and further reading will help keep kids digging deeper into reading about Grace and other women in STEM.


Title: Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code
Author: Laurie Wallmark
Illustrator: Katy Wu
Published 2017 by Sterling Children’s Books
ISBN: 978-1-4549-2000-7


This book was sent by the publisher for review purposes.

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