--- product_id: 319471258 title: "Counting On Katherine" price: "£18.60" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/319471258-counting-on-katherine store_origin: GB region: Great Britain --- # Counting On Katherine **Price:** £18.60 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Counting On Katherine - **How much does it cost?** £18.60 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/319471258-counting-on-katherine) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description desertcart.com: Counting On Katherine: 9781529005615: Helaine Becker: Books Review: "You can count on me." Read this aloud to your students for big conversations! - Easy to read aloud in the primary grades. Students will pick up on the repeating line, "You can count on me" which serves to reveal one of the main ideas in this book--that Katherine Johnson played a critical role in the success of NACA/NASA's early space exploration. I'd read this aloud to students for enjoyment and then read aloud again and pose questions for students to turn and discuss in small groups. Questions like - *How does the author show that Katherine Johnson was determined to become a professional mathematician? *What were obstacles Johnson (and her family) faced? How did she overcome those? *Would you describe Johnson as perseverant? Why? *How does the author's repeated use of the response "Count on me" help develop a big idea in this book? *How do the illustrations contribute to understanding the details in the text? ANOTHER STRENGTH of this book is the author's explanation of the kind of mathematics that Johnson did for NASA. I've read several books now about the "computers" at NASA, women who did mathematics for the agency (in its early days) and the authors frequently fail to explain the mathematics or the purpose of the mathematics (other than "it helped NASA") in a way that young children can understand. Young children may wonder why 2+2 is a big deal, you know? Becker, the author, and Phumiruk, the illustrator, have a great two page layout explaining very simply how and why math was helpful in sending a rocket into space. They use the analogy of throwing a ball up-- "But as it runs out, the ball's path curves back toward the ground. Where it lands depends on what angle it was thrown and how high and how fast it flew. Because math is a kind of language, Katherine could ask those questions--how high would the rocket ship go and how fast would it travel?--using numbers..." With Becker & Phumiruk's simple explanation and illustration, students in the primary grades can begin to grasp the value of Johnson's work. After reading aloud the book, reread just these two pages and use this as a jumping off point for a hands-on experiment as part of an integrated approach, using math and thinking about forces and motion. Lots of potential while learning about a very important person. Review: Historic and exciting book for my first grader - This is an outstanding book that should be in all primary school classrooms. This book has an accurate and exciting story for kids. The illustrations are fantastic - whole page color pictures. The story is a small slice of history with a huge impact. Katherine Johnson a hero, an African-American woman who dreamed big, and was an amazing mathematician. She was an integral part of space exploration and literally saved astronauts lives. Long for my first grader to read himself, just the right length for a first grader to listen to though. Very impressed how a non-fiction story was made into a fascinating story book for kids. Highly recommend. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #305,312 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) | | Customer Reviews | 4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars (1,550) | | Dimensions | 7.56 x 0.2 x 9.53 inches | | ISBN-10 | 1529005612 | | ISBN-13 | 978-1529005615 | | Item Weight | 2.31 pounds | | Language | English | | Print length | 40 pages | | Publication date | April 15, 2021 | | Publisher | Macmillan Children's Books | | Reading age | 5 - 8 years, from customers | ## Images ![Counting On Katherine - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41I2xEV98kL.jpg) ![Counting On Katherine - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41PrNYuZjfL.jpg) ![Counting On Katherine - Image 3](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41ZvpuR1dlL.jpg) ![Counting On Katherine - Image 4](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41absDDM6+L.jpg) ![Counting On Katherine - Image 5](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41b+RuvimaL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "You can count on me." Read this aloud to your students for big conversations! *by S***C on October 7, 2018* Easy to read aloud in the primary grades. Students will pick up on the repeating line, "You can count on me" which serves to reveal one of the main ideas in this book--that Katherine Johnson played a critical role in the success of NACA/NASA's early space exploration. I'd read this aloud to students for enjoyment and then read aloud again and pose questions for students to turn and discuss in small groups. Questions like - *How does the author show that Katherine Johnson was determined to become a professional mathematician? *What were obstacles Johnson (and her family) faced? How did she overcome those? *Would you describe Johnson as perseverant? Why? *How does the author's repeated use of the response "Count on me" help develop a big idea in this book? *How do the illustrations contribute to understanding the details in the text? ANOTHER STRENGTH of this book is the author's explanation of the kind of mathematics that Johnson did for NASA. I've read several books now about the "computers" at NASA, women who did mathematics for the agency (in its early days) and the authors frequently fail to explain the mathematics or the purpose of the mathematics (other than "it helped NASA") in a way that young children can understand. Young children may wonder why 2+2 is a big deal, you know? Becker, the author, and Phumiruk, the illustrator, have a great two page layout explaining very simply how and why math was helpful in sending a rocket into space. They use the analogy of throwing a ball up-- "But as it runs out, the ball's path curves back toward the ground. Where it lands depends on what angle it was thrown and how high and how fast it flew. Because math is a kind of language, Katherine could ask those questions--how high would the rocket ship go and how fast would it travel?--using numbers..." With Becker & Phumiruk's simple explanation and illustration, students in the primary grades can begin to grasp the value of Johnson's work. After reading aloud the book, reread just these two pages and use this as a jumping off point for a hands-on experiment as part of an integrated approach, using math and thinking about forces and motion. Lots of potential while learning about a very important person. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Historic and exciting book for my first grader *by A***G on December 31, 2019* This is an outstanding book that should be in all primary school classrooms. This book has an accurate and exciting story for kids. The illustrations are fantastic - whole page color pictures. The story is a small slice of history with a huge impact. Katherine Johnson a hero, an African-American woman who dreamed big, and was an amazing mathematician. She was an integral part of space exploration and literally saved astronauts lives. Long for my first grader to read himself, just the right length for a first grader to listen to though. Very impressed how a non-fiction story was made into a fascinating story book for kids. Highly recommend. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Favorite Katherine Johnson book! *by C***G on April 4, 2024* This is a wonderful book about the life of Katherine Johnson. It is written so young children can understand the story of her life with appropriate context. The illustrations are wonderful! I highly recommend this book! --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/319471258-counting-on-katherine](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/319471258-counting-on-katherine) --- *Product available on Desertcart Great Britain* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-04-28*