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Awards
OverviewMaria Mitchell’s curiosity about the night sky led her to spend hours studying the stars. She discovered a comet as a young woman, winning an award from the King of Denmark for being the first person to discover a new comet using a telescope. Now famous as “the lady astronomer,” Maria went on to become a professional astronomer, an unheard of achievement for a woman in the 19th century. She was the first woman to get any kind of government job when she was hired by the United States Naval Observatory. Then as the first woman astronomy professor in the world, Maria used her position at Vassar College to teach young women to set their sights on the sky, training new generations of female astronomers. Her story inspires all of us to reach for the stars. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Laurie Wallmark , Liz WongPublisher: Creston Books Imprint: Creston Books Dimensions: Width: 23.50cm , Height: 1.00cm , Length: 28.60cm Weight: 0.408kg ISBN: 9781954354135ISBN 10: 1954354134 Pages: 40 Publication Date: 02 May 2023 Recommended Age: From 8 to 9 years Audience: Children/juvenile , Primary & secondary/elementary & high school , Children / Juvenile , Educational: Primary & Secondary Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: In stock  We have confirmation that this item is in stock with the supplier. It will be ordered in for you and dispatched immediately. Table of ContentsReviewsAs a child, Maria Mitchell accompanied her father to their home's rooftop observatory, where they could view the night sky through a telescope. Born in 1818, she became fascinated by solar eclipses and adept at using and repairing the tools necessary for making astronomical measurements. Once, when her father was away, a whaling ship's captain relied on 13-year-old Maria to repair his marine chronometer, a vital tool for navigation, and she succeeded. In 1847, Mitchell became the first American ever to discover a comet. Two years later, she was employed as an astronomer. Later, she taught astronomy at Vassar College and encouraged many of her students to pursue careers in the field. Wallmark's earlier picture books on women's contributions to STEM fields include Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine (2015) and Hedy Lamarr's Double Life (2019). Wong's appealing illustrations are orderly in composition and subtle in their use of color. An interesting addition to the current book's back matter is a brief section listing Mitchell's Rules of Astronomical Observations. A pleasing, informative introduction to Maria Mitchell. --Booklist -- (2/15/2023 12:00:00 AM) The inspirational story of the first female professional astronomer in the United States. This engaging account focuses on 19th-century scientist Maria Mitchell's passion for astronomy, her determination, and her achievements, among them her prizewinning telescopic comet discovery; her work on the Nautical Almanac, essential for navigation; and (after years as a librarian, self-educated in mathematics) her eventual position at Vassar College, where she taught women for more than 20 years--the world's first female astronomy professor. The concise, clear text provides comprehensible explanations of her successes, though it does leave out some details, such as her family background, her unusual education, her founding of a girls school, and her involvement in the abolitionist movement. The annular eclipse that Maria regrets missing in 1831 at age 12 forms one bookend, deftly recalled near the end, when, missing another in 1885, she observes not a ring of fire but 'another powerful ring--a ring of women': her diligent students. The fine-line illustrations are equally spare but add just-right details, like a maritime chronometer and the book-lined Nantucket Atheneum, where some people of color can be seen. The astronomer's hard work, delight at confirming her comet discovery, and pleasure in teaching are apparent in her facial expressions and body language. Will guarantee this trailblazing scientist her place among the stars. --Kirkus Reviews -- (3/1/2023 12:00:00 AM) Author InformationLaurie Wallmark is the author of several award-winning STEM picture books about women, including Ada Byron Lovelace & the Thinking Machine. She teaches computer science when she's not writing books. Liz Wong was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she spent her early childhood painting and clambering about in mango trees. She is the author-illustrator of several picture books and now lives in Washington state. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |
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