Dancing through Space is the biography of Dr. Mae Jemison, who on September 12, 1992, blasted into space on the Space Shuttle Endeavour. Even as a child, Jemison was drawn to science and dance. As she grew, Jemison faced serious setbacks: a teacher who thought she should be a nurse rather than a scientist, a fear of the elevated train that took her to dance lessons, professors who belittled her, and classmates who scoffed at her ambitions.

Jemison could be deterred from her passions, however. She worked hard and graduated with honors from high school, studied chemical engineering at Stanford, and became a medical doctor, all while continuing with dance. Eventually, she was accepted into the NASA space program and made her dream of going to space a reality.

Lydia Lukidis has written a beautiful biography of this awe-inspiring woman. By emphasizing Jemison’s love of both art and science, Lukidis sends a subtle message that anything a child dreams is possible. We can only hope this book inspires a new generation to follow in Jemison’s footsteps.

(Review originally published on Manhattan Book Review and book donated to Maltby Food Bank.)