The Book:
HEDY LAMARR’S DOUBLE LIFE: HOLLYWOOD STAR AND BRILLIANT INVENTOR
Author/Illustrator: Laurie Wallmark, illustrations by Katy Wu
Publication Info.: Sterling, 2019
Ages/Grades: ages 5 and up
Category: narrative nonfiction, biography
Overview (from the publisher):
Movie star by day, ace inventor at night: learn about the hidden life of actress Hedy Lamarr!
“To her adoring public, Hedy Lamarr was a glamorous movie star, widely considered the most beautiful woman in the world. But in private, she was something more: a brilliant inventor. And for many years only her closest friends knew her secret. Now Laurie Wallmark and Katy Wu, who collaborated on Sterling’s critically acclaimed picture-book biography Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code, tell the inspiring story of how, during World War Two, Lamarr developed a groundbreaking communications system that still remains essential to the security of today’s technology.”
What’s noteworthy for authors and educators:
Often providing too much context in a biography would steer us off our story path. Here, Laurie Wallmark needed readers to understand the breadth and depth of Hedy Lamarr’s inventive nature. Instead of listing Hedy’s many inventions in the text, Katy Wu includes them in the illustrations (below). Perfect solution.
Additional Resources:
Laurie Wallmark’s site includes a curriculum guide and other activities. Click here.
Kirsten W. Larson 