(2) YA Ada Byron Lovelace followed nineteenth-century conventions by marrying and bearing children yet still pursued scientific interests. Her friend Charles Babbage produced a mechanical tabulation machine, which Lovelace defined as a computer prototype; her resulting algorithm is often considered the first computer program. McCully clearly and systematically outlines mathematical concepts while painting Lovelace's life as one characterized both by spurts of brilliance and many challenges. Archival illustrations and photographs appear throughout. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2019

(4) 4-6 Pursued by the Society of Nobodies, George (the third Lord of Devonshire) and his friend Ada Byron escape in Ada's mechanical whale. Can they find the treasure George's grandfather hid in a cryptic map before the Society attacks the scientific convention known as C.R.U.M.P.E.T.S.? The byzantine plot is a bit abstruse, but the strong character relationships and far-flung settings will entertain readers hungry for action-adventure in this follow-up to The Inventors at No. 8.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) 4-6 When his manservant Frobisher is kidnapped, twelve-year-old George, Lord of Devonshire, sets out with his inventive neighbor Ada Lovelace to find a priceless heirloom with which to pay Frobisher's ransom. Meanwhile, the shadowy Organization tries to thwart them. George's risk-averse nature is a good foil for Ada's swagger, and though the plot is a bit convoluted, the pair's evolving partnership keeps the excitement humming.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Marjorie Priceman. This picture book biography covers the basics of computer programmer Lovelace's (1815–52) life: the conflict between her practical mother (a mathematician) and romantic father (poet Lord Byron); her pioneering work with Charles Babbage; etc. The book's layout mirrors Lovelace's own analytical and imaginative sides, with a clean Helvetica type carrying the straightforward text and Priceman's warmly curved gouache and ink illustrations creating colorful flights of fancy. Bib.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2018

(4) 4-6 Wollstonecraft Detective Agency series. Illustrated by Kelly Murphy. Though their detective agency has been forbidden from pursuing any more cases, nineteenth-century tweens Ada Byron (Lovelace) and Mary Godwin (Shelley) are enlisted to help Princess Alexandrina Victoria (future Queen Victoria) locate her special book of doll sketches, which has gone missing. The fourth installment once again reimagines history with humor, wit, and good-natured implausibility. Front- and back matter clarify the imagined events and relationships.

Reviewer: Grace Enriquez

(3) 4-6 Checkerboard Library: STEM Superstar Women series. Each volume provides a succinct overview of a trailblazing woman in STEM. The subjects' childhoods, education, numerous obstacles (many times because of their gender), and achievements are explained in readable prose. Archival photographs, sidebars, and fact boxes help to highlight each woman's importance in her field. Timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard Library: STEM Superstar Women titles: Grace Hopper, Hedy Lamarr, Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Katherine Johnson, Rosalind Franklin, and Ada Lovelace.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) 4-6 STEM Trailblazer Bios series. The continuation of the series, this time featuring all-female science and technology innovators from modern history, will tie in well with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics curriculum objectives. The inspiring profiles touch on childhood, education, and the subjects' breakthrough accomplishments. A colorful, easy-to-read format features photos and "tech talk" sidebars with quotes, mostly from the "trailblazers" themselves. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these STEM Trailblazer Bios titles: Nuclear Physicist Chien-Shiung Wu, Programming Pioneer Ada Lovelace, Animal Scientist and Activist Jane Goodall, Environmentalist Rachel Carson, Astronaut Mae Jemison, Mathematician and Computer Scientist Grace Hopper, Computer Scientist Jean Bartik, and Vaccine Innovators Pearl Kendrick and Grace Eldering.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(2) K-3 Daughter of a strait-laced mathematician mother and impetuous Romantic poet father (Lord Byron, whom she never knew), Ada "[found] her own sort of poetical expression...through math!" Robinson's writing is direct and deft (if exclamation point–heavy) and mostly accessible to readers. But what really steal the show are her whimsical illustrations: paper cutouts arranged in layers and photographed for a striking collage effect. Bib.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2017

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Jessie Hartland. Stanley emphasizes Lovelace's right- and left-brain pedigree (her father, whom she never knew, was poet Lord Byron; her mother, a scientist and mathematician). Multiple entry points--Lovelace as female mathematician, nineteenth-century woman balancing career and family, and visionary kept in the background by society--should attract a diverse readership. Hartland's gouache illustrations combine visual playfulness with concrete points in the narrative. Timeline. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2017

(4) 4-6 Wollstonecraft Detective Agency series. Illustrated by Kelly Murphy. In a reimagined nineteenth-century London, Mary Godwin, fourteen, and Ada Byron, eleven, form a secret agency to pursue the case of a missing jewel. Percy Shelley and Charles Dickens assist their efforts. The characters are entertaining, but the plot feels forced at times. Detailed bios of the real historical figures and an author's note addressing the liberties taken are included.

Reviewer: Grace Enriquez