Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: PG (19th century moral references); Violence: G.
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW
Ada Byron Lovelace was the daughter of Lord Byron, the English poet. Unfortunately, her mother left Lord Byron - taking Ada with her, so she never met her famous father. Ada had a very mathematical mind, and as she grew, tutors fed her education with French, deportment, music, math and culture. As an adult, her social circle included the educated and the elite, including Lady Mary Summerville - a mathematician and astronomer and Charles Babbage, inventor of the Difference Engine, a mechanical calculator of sorts. He also made automatons. She worked extensively with Babbage, refining and collaborating and is now known as one of the pioneers of the computer.
A fascinating read, well written and well researched with photographs of paintings and pictures of places and things. Lots of quotes from journals and letters gave this biography and authentic feel. The narrative, however contained a lot of old-fashioned words, making it a bit difficult even for an adult to read. I'm not sure today's high school students will be encouraged to finish, unless they have a particular interest in the subject.
Lisa Librarian
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