Rooftop Astronomer: A Story about Maria Mitchell (Creative Minds Biography) [Hardcover]

Stephanie Sammartino McPherson (Author), Hetty Mitchell (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Series: Creative Minds Biography

Recounts the life and accomplishments of the first woman astronomer in America.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-- More than just a biography of the female astronomer, this is also the story of Mitchell's contribution to the quest for equality for women. McPherson's easily flowing narrative recounts Mitchell's childhood on Nantucket, a good spot to observe the stars and a place where women, especially whalers' wives, were of necessity independent and respected members of the community. She credits Mitchell's father, an astronomer himself, with teaching his daughter the science and mathematics she needed to pursue her scientific career. Mitchell's many accomplishments and firsts are related in a clear, unbiased manner. Ample black-and-white pen drawings add to the book's appeal. --Margaret M. Hagel, Norfolk Public Library System, VA
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Carolrhoda Books (June 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876144105
• ISBN-13: 978-0876144107
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,131,321 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This was a unique book, March 14, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Rooftop Astronomer: A Story about Maria Mitchell (Creative Minds Biography) (Hardcover)

This book was about a female named Maria Mitchell. She lived in Nantucket, Massachusetts in the 1800s. Most girls weren't allowed to go to school back then. Maria and her family were Quakers. Quakers believed that girls should go to school.

She liked to study. She was taught by her father, an avid amateur astonomer. Most nights she looked through a telescope or just used her eyes to look into space.

Her first real career was as a teacher at her own school, and then she worked at a library. When she was older, she became the first woman professor at Vasser Women's College. She discovered a comet.

I liked this book very much because it is a very interesting biography. It went all through her life without telling too many dates. I learned a lot.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Famous Nantucket Woman Astronomer !, October 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Rooftop Astronomer: A Story about Maria Mitchell (Creative Minds Biography) (Hardcover)

An inspirational biography about a woman astronomer who in the early 1900's discovered the comet which now bears her name.....Maria's Comet. We read this chapter book to our kindergarten Montessori class on Cape Cod and the children were quite taken with Miss Mitchell's life and her accomplishments. One of our 6 year old students travelled to the island, to Maria's home and observatory and returned to the class to show photos and tell of what see had seen. Often it is hard to find

quality stories with heroines for young children. This one is top notch!