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Friday, June 2, 2023

Sky-Watching with Maria


Her Eyes on the Stars: Maria Mitchell, Astronomer 
by Laurie Wallmark; illus. by Liz Wong 
40 pages; ages 8-12
‎Creston Books, 2023

theme: biography, Women in STEM, comets

Night after night, Maria and her father climbed the stairs to her magical world – their rooftop observatory.

This is a story about Maria Mitchell and how she fell in love with astronomy. At the age of 18 she took a job as a librarian – one of the few jobs open to women, writes Laurie. Eleven years later, Maria is the first American to discover a comet.

What I like about this book: I like the narrative style; Laurie seamlessly slides facts into the story, like details of how Maria determined that what she saw was really a comet. I like how the story shows Maria’s work opening up possibilities for women to study astronomy. And I love that back matter includes Maria’s Rules of Astronomical Observation – which are good rules for applying to any endeavor. There’s also a timeline, glossary, and handy information for observing solar eclipses.

After reading, I had One Question for Laurie:

Me: What made you want to write a book about Maria? 

Laurie: When I first started to research and write my book about Maria Mitchell, there was only one trade book published about her. And that book was closer to historical fiction based on her life rather than a true biography. I felt the need to tell a factual story about her life. Even forgetting her many achievements as an astronomer, maybe her biggest accomplishment was encouraging future generations of women to enter the field.

Sky-Watching Beyond the Books:

Watch a solar eclipse. An annular eclipse happens Oct. 14, 2023, and will be visible in the US from Oregon to Texas. Check out information here. The next total eclipse visible in the US will be April 8, 2024. You can read more about it and find maps for what cities lie in the path here

Planning to view an eclipse? Do it safely. Here’s how you can make a viewer from a cereal box.

Go comet hunting! You may have a chance to see a brand-new comet in October 2024. Check out this article from Earth Sky.

Laurie is a member of #STEAMTeam2023. She has written tons of biographies about women in STEM including these two which I have reviewed on this blog: Numbers in Motion and Code Breaker, Spy Hunter.

You can find out more about Laurie at her website, http://www.lauriewallmark.com/

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Because this book appeals to older kids, on Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copy provided by the author.

19 comments:

  1. I've loved all of Laurie's books, and have added this one to my TBR list.

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  2. Great review Sue of a magnificent STEM picture book on Maria Mitchell. Love the resource for comet hunting!

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    1. I'm going to be out comet-looking next year, for sure!

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  3. Wonderful review and practical tips for comet watching. Happy MMGM

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  4. What a cool book! My daughter is a little young for it yet, but I think she will really like this one. Happy MMGM!

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    1. think about reading it aloud in Oct 2024 when the comet comes by - and if you can go somewhere to see the comet, she might like that.

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  5. It's nice to see you, Sue! I read Wallmark's book Code Breaker, Spy Hunter 2 years ago for the Cybils, and it sounds like this is yet another strong PB biography. And I love that you included Wallmark's answer to one question! Thanks so much for the great review!

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  6. Sounds great, I hadn't heard of Maria Mitchell and it's great to see her get recognition! I also love the comet watching tips! Hopefully I will be able to see it from Ireland! Thanks for sharing!

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  7. I hadn't heard of Maria Mitchell. It's cool she was the first American to discover a comet.

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    1. It was a big deal, at the time. And that discovery led to opportunities for her that opened up astronomy to women.

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  8. I love almost anything Space-themed. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. You'll probably be joining us on the comet-hunt next year, right?

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  9. I'm another one who hadn't heard of this accomplished lady. I'll be finding a copy of the book to enjoy her story. Thanks also for the extra astronomy links.

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