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

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