Path to the Stars: My Journey from Girl Scout to Rocket Scientist by Sylvia Acevedo is a memoir for young readers about a Latina rocket scientist whose early life was transformed by joining the Girl Scouts and who currently serves as CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA. A meningitis outbreak in their underprivileged neighborhood left Sylvia Acevedo’s family forever altered. As she struggled in the aftermath of loss, young Sylvia’s life transformed when she joined the Brownies. The Girl Scouts taught her how to take control of her world and nourished her love of numbers and science. With new confidence, Sylvia navigated shifting cultural expectations at school and at home, forging her own trail to become one of the first Latinx to graduate with a master's in engineering from Stanford University and going on to become a rocket scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Path to the Stars is a memoir that talks about family problems, and other issues that Sylvia faced in her life, but does not focus on them. Nor does it have a bragging tone to it, which sometimes happens. Insted, this is an honest and straightforward story of one person's life and how hard work and encouragement can make a difference. I was a Girl Scout myself, so I was very interested to see how something that played a role in my own life affected someone else, particularly someone with such amazing accomplishments. I was not disappointed with this read in any way. I liked the honest way she shared her childhood, laying no blame on her parents but sharing the way their family life and particularly her father's beliefs affected her. I liked seeing how she worked for changes in her own life, and her own future, that varied from the beliefs that she did not agree with. A good deal of the book focuses on those formative years, which makes sense since this book is aimed at the middle grade market, but I would love to see a later book for young adults, and new adults, that focuses more on the college years and later. I also have to say that I liked her not to the readers at the end of the book, and the information about the Girl Scouts that she included afterword. I also like the pictures that she included.

Path to the Stars is a wonderful memoir for middle grade readers, and everyone else.

Such a great book and interesting story! Great role model for girls to always follow their dreams and why working hard and persistence pays off!

I have been a member of Girl Scouts of 26 years - starting as a Browning and continuing today as a volunteer for my own daughter's troop. I've led many girls over the last 16 years and I often wonder what impact Girl Scouts has them. After reading Sylvia Acevedo's story, it is clear that the impact of her Girl Scout experience was deep and continues to this day - she has come full circle as the current CEO of GSUSA..

This autobiography tells Sylvia's story from a young girl through her first Brownie meeting and then through her teenage years. It looks at how Girl Scouts impacted not only her, but her mother and sister as well. It examines the lessons that were taught at home and the additional lessons taught through Girl Scouts - and how together they helped to shape her into the adult woman she has become. Sylvia doesn't sugarcoat the challenges she and her family faced - and there were many. She does however reflect on how they also shaped her and what she learned from them.

Overall, I found this to be a delightful read. While I had known that Sylvia Acevedo had been a Girl Scout as a child, I did not know just how important the organization was to her and what she feels it has given her. I truly enjoyed this autobiography and I look forward to sharing it with my own daughter once it is published.

This is a story every child should read because it shows the determination of a child to reach beyond her poor surrounding to achieve her goals. Sylvia Acevedo did not let her poverty, her culture or the fact that she was a female stop her from dreaming big and succeeding. I was left feeling that I want to know more about her life as an adult.

So inspirational! I was a Girl Scout leader for 5 years- Juniors and Cadetes- and can say all of my girls, now all long grown up (daughter included) have done pretty well in their lives, too! I think Ms. Acevedo's book should be on every shelf to inspire more girls to purse their dreams and interests. Girl Scouts has always offered so many opportunities for girls who may not always have options or exposure to ideas. Schools and family can only do so much. It's always nice to find positive role models who were also Girl Scouts! I hope some Scout troops find this book and maybe talk it up to their girls! Great book!