Campbell Unclassified

Hidden Figures is about three women who defied all expectations. Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson were three Black women who worked for NASA during the time of racial segregation. These three women were the brains behind one of the greatest events in history: sending astronaut John Glenn to space. Their achievement restored America’s confidence and was a huge turning point for the world-wide Space Race.

When the element radium was discovered, it made headlines around the nation. It was the new wonder drug of the medical industry. Meanwhile, hundreds of girls work tirelessly in radium factories painting dials with radium dust. Their clothes glowed from the dust they used to paint with every day. They were the lucky ones — until girls started becoming mysteriously sick. Radium companies denied claims of the gruesome side effects of their new “wonder” substance. The girls’ courage to face adversity has changed the way we live and saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a book about Henrietta Lacks and how a part of her will live on forever. Henrietta was a poor tobacco farmer when she contracted cancer. While being treated, some of her cells were taken without her knowledge. These cells, when tested, became one of the most important tools in medicine. These cells were named HeLa cells after Henrietta and were the first “immortal” human cells grown in culture. They are still alive today even though she has been dead for more than sixty years. HeLa cells were vital in developing the polio vaccine and more. This book captures the beauty and drama of scientific discovery and its human consequences.