Maria's Comet

Genre: Historical fiction
Audience: 3-5th grade
Maria's Comet is a historical fiction picture book based on the first woman astronomer Maria Mitchell who lived on Nantucket Island in 1818. This book was based at a time when women and girls were not encouraged to study or work in science. Maria is the

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oldest daughter of nine children and helps her mother doing household chores. She sweeps the floor, while her father sweeps the sky with the telescope. Once her brother Andrew leaves home she finally gathers the courage to ask her parents if she could look at stars through the telescope and later becomes the first American woman astronomer. This is an interesting book that I would definitely use to describe how life was for women and girls during that time period.

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