Patricia's Vision: The Doctor Who Saved Sight (People Who Shaped Our World #7)

by Michelle Lord (Author) Alleanna Harris (Illustrator)

Patricia's Vision: The Doctor Who Saved Sight (People Who Shaped Our World #7)
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

The inspiring story of Dr. Patricia Bath, a groundbreaking ophthalmologist who pioneered laser surgery and gave her patients the gift of sight. Born in the 1940s, Patricia Bath dreamed of being an ophthalmologist at a time when becoming a doctor wasn't a career option for most women--especially African-American women.

This empowering biography follows Dr. Bath in her quest to save and restore sight to the blind, and her decision to "choose miracles" when everyone else had given up hope. Along the way, she cofounded the American Institute for the Prevention of Blindness, invented a specialized laser for removing cataracts, and became the first African-American woman doctor to receive a medical patent.

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School Library Journal

Gr 2-5--By the time she was six years old, Patricia Bath demonstrated a passion for all things scientific and medical. As a college student, she was hungry for knowledge despite being told that education was wasted on women. She enrolled in medical school, then completed a residency in ophthalmology (the first African American to do so) and immediately began to help the blind community in her Harlem neighborhood. Many treatments involved surgery to replace corneas, but she soon discovered that a thin membrane, or cataract, usually grew over the affected eyes, causing her patients to lose their sight once again. Bath wanted to use a laser beam to remove the tissue. She traveled to Europe to develop her invention, as that was where she could experiment with the best lasers. Her xenon fluoride laser proved to be the answer; her patent for the Laserphaco probe was approved in 1988. Bath pushed through many cultural and social barriers, becoming a "first" in numerous ways. She died in May 2019, but her legacy is invaluable. The text begs to be read aloud; the reader will find onomatopoeia, stylish repetition, and short sentences that add a zippy cadence to the story's rhythm. Harris's rich illustrations depict important moments in Bath's life and include interesting details: medical equipment, an eyeball or two, and a schematic of her invention. VERDICT An inspirational story of a woman who worked hard and never gave up on her dream to rid the world of blindness. A book all children should hear or read.--Maggie Chase, Boise State University, ID

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Michelle Lord
Michelle Lord has written several books for children, including A Song For Cambodia, Nature Recycles, and Animal School: What Class Are You?, which received a starred review from Kirkus.

Julia Blattman has worked as a visual development artist for animated feature films and Disney mobile games. This is her first picture book.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781454931379
Lexile Measure
710
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Union Square Kids
Publication date
January 07, 2020
Series
People Who Shaped Our World
BISAC categories
JNF018010 - Juvenile Nonfiction | People & Places | United States - African-American
JNF007090 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Science & Technology
JNF007120 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Women
JNF061010 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Technology | Inventions
JNF024020 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Health & Daily Living | Diseases, Illnesses & Injuries
Library of Congress categories
History
Biographies
African American women
Women inventors
Eye
Surgery
Ophthalmologists
Lasers in surgery
Bath, Patricia

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