"Deftly weaving in paleontological and geological facts, this riveting account presents an unflinching look at what it meant to be born poor, uneducated, female, and brilliant, at a time when women were denied the opportunity to become scientists. I couldn’t put it down.” — Sarah Albee, NYT bestselling author of Accidental Archeologists and Bugged
"Well-written and thoroughly researched." — Kirkus Reviews
"A personal and compelling glimpse into an important scientific mind." — Booklist
"This in-depth, beautifully illustrated biography of Mary Anning sings with the passion and perseverance of the woman herself, who from girlhood on scoured the shifting cliffs of her native Dorset to dig out prehistoric mysteries and make sense of them—altering forever our view of the past." — Joyce Sidman, Newbery Honor winner and Sibert Medal winner
"A personal and compelling glimpse into an important scientific mind."
"This in-depth, beautifully illustrated biography of Mary Anning sings with the passion and perseverance of the woman herself, who from girlhood on scoured the shifting cliffs of her native Dorset to dig out prehistoric mysteries and make sense of them—altering forever our view of the past."
"Deftly weaving in paleontological and geological facts, this riveting account presents an unflinching look at what it meant to be born poor, uneducated, female, and brilliant, at a time when women were denied the opportunity to become scientists. I couldn’t put it down.”
"A personal and compelling glimpse into an important scientific mind."
04/01/2022
Gr 4–8—Along with relating Mary Anning's experiences seeking fossils and becoming an expert paleontologist before the term existed, this is the story of a girl growing up in the early 1800s. Blackford brings enthusiasm and reverence to this biography as both an author and a geologist. Readers will learn that Anning was struck by lightning as a very young child; her dog, Tray, accompanied her on digs and guarded her finds; and she kindly let children look through trays of fossils at her shop. These details give a sense of Mary as a person while descriptions of her toils, including how she dressed, dealt with different social classes, and chose not to augment the skeletons she found broaden the sense of her character. Appearing on almost every page are paleo-art paintings, photos of her fossils, a historic strata map, etchings, images from Anning's journals, and more, that present a visual representation as exciting as her story. Documentation includes a time line, glossary, where to see her fossils, source quotes, and more. VERDICT An excellent addition to any collection where there is an interest in paleontology or women's history.—Janet S. Thompson
With her lovely voice and proper British accent, narrator Moira Quirk brings gravitas to the story of a poor, uneducated girl who became a trailblazing scientist. As a child in the early 1800s, Mary Anning loved to hunt for fossils along the beaches and cliffs of Lyme Regis, where she grew up in southwest England. Collecting was more than an enjoyable pastime; the sale of her fossils to wealthy scholars and collectors helped her impoverished family survive. Though she rarely received credit, her discoveries of previously unknown dinosaur species advanced paleontological knowledge. Quirk’s narration infuses this biography with charm and drama, and seems to reflect a genuine admiration of Anning’s scientific contributions, as well as her intelligence and independence. S.C. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
With her lovely voice and proper British accent, narrator Moira Quirk brings gravitas to the story of a poor, uneducated girl who became a trailblazing scientist. As a child in the early 1800s, Mary Anning loved to hunt for fossils along the beaches and cliffs of Lyme Regis, where she grew up in southwest England. Collecting was more than an enjoyable pastime; the sale of her fossils to wealthy scholars and collectors helped her impoverished family survive. Though she rarely received credit, her discoveries of previously unknown dinosaur species advanced paleontological knowledge. Quirk’s narration infuses this biography with charm and drama, and seems to reflect a genuine admiration of Anning’s scientific contributions, as well as her intelligence and independence. S.C. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
2021-12-03
Before she became a trailblazing scientist, Mary Anning was a poor, young woman with no formal education.
Growing up, Anning loved exploring the beaches and cliffs of her native Dorset, a county in southwest England. Raised in the town of Lyme Regis, she was trained by her father to hunt for fossils. She became adept at removing the delicate bones of prehistoric creatures from rocks and preparing them for sale in her impoverished family’s fossil shop. At age 13, Anning made an extraordinary discovery—the first complete ichthyosaurus skeleton ever found; her older brother had earlier discovered its skull. Intelligent and fiercely determined, Anning educated herself by copying articles and drawings from scientific journals, and she learned anatomy through dissection. She achieved many remarkable breakthroughs that gradually advanced paleontological and geological knowledge: She found the first complete plesiosaur fossil; became the first British person to find a pterodactyl; and was the first person in the world to discover a squaloraja (an ancestor of the shark and ray) fossil. Anning rarely received recognition in her lifetime. Only near her death at age 47—due to breast cancer—did she finally gain fame and respect for her scientific contributions. This admiring tribute is well written and thoroughly researched. Its handsome design includes captioned, high-quality color and black-and-white paleoart, archival photos, and engravings as well as some of Anning’s sketches and excerpts from her correspondence with friends and fellow scientists. Each chapter opens with a quote, including three attributed to Anning. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Solid, respectful scholarship tailored for mature, serious-minded young readers. (author's note, timeline, glossary, notes, source quotes, bibliography, index) (Biography. 10-13)
