The Arkansas Center for the Book is pleased to share our Great Reads selection for Youth: Up Periscope! How Engineer Raye Montague Revolutionized Shipbuilding written by Jennifer Swanson and illustrated by Veronica Miller Jamison (New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2024). “Discover the hidden figure who created the first comprehensive computer program to design ships for the US Navy.”
Jennifer Swanson is the award-winning author of over 50 nonfiction books for children, mostly about science and technology. Jennifer encourages kids (of all ages) to engage their curiosity and discover the science all around them.
Veronica Miller Jamison is a picture-book illustrator who adores stories about discovery, creativity, and connection.
As part of the 2025 Library of Congress’s National Book Festival’s Festival Near You, explore Great Reads from Great Places selections chosen by various state affiliates of the Center for the Book. From the Ozarks to the Smokies, the bayous to the bluegrass: Great Reads for 2025 features authors Jennifer Swanson (Arkansas), Fran Borin (Kansas), Amanda Driscoll (Kentucky), Paul Siefken (Louisiana), Adib Khorram (Missouri), and Doan Phuong Nguyen (Tennessee) discussing their titles selected for the 2025 Great Reads from Great Places.
Running time: 38 minutes 19 seconds
Check out more Great Reads for Youth from around the states and territories, and track your reading with the National Book Festival Great Reads for Youth Checklist.
Views expressed by Great Reads authors do not necessarily reflect the views or official policies of the State of Arkansas, the Arkansas Department of Education, or the Arkansas State Library.