The Astronomer Who Questioned Everything: The Story of Maria Mitchell

Maria longed to travel beyond her small island of Nantucket. But she wasn't sure how. Her father taught her to look to the stars for guidance. If you knew how to read them, he said, the stars could tell you where you were, and where you needed to go. They spent hours scanning the night sky together through a telescope on the roof. Maria learned how to use astronomers' tools to measure and track time by the stars. But what could she do with her skills? Then, one day, she heard that a prize was being offered to the first person to find a new comet. Could this be the opportunity she was waiting for?

This absorbing picture book biography tells the fascinating story of a remarkable 19th-century woman scientist and women's rights advocate. After winning that prize for discovering a comet, Maria Mitchell would become the first professional female astronomer in the United States, first female member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and one of the first female college professors. Beautifully illustrated with lovely textured artwork, this is a well-told story that's sure to inspire readers to find their own way in the world.

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