Maria's Comet

Written by Deborah Hopkinson · Illustrated by Deborah Lanino

A young woman defies societal norms to reach for the stars.

3.7 Goodreads · 80 ratings

32 pages· 991 words· Est. 8 min read-aloud· AD1000L

$16.00Save 7%

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Bookroo's summary

In 19th-century Nantucket, Maria dreams of exploring the cosmos, but societal expectations tether her to domestic duties. As her father scans the heavens, Maria imagines distant worlds. One night, she peers through the telescope, igniting her passion for astronomy. Will she break free from tradition to chase her celestial dreams?

From the publisher

Maria longs to be an astronomer – wish that burns as brightly as a star. But girls in the nineteenth century don’t grow up to be scientists, especially those who are needed at home. Each night when her papa sweeps the sky with his telescope, Maria sweeps the floor below, imagining all the strange worlds he can travel to from the rooftop of their Nantucket home.Then one night Maria finally gets her chance to look through her papa’s telescope. For the first time, she beholds the night sky stretching endlessly above her, and her dream of exploring the comets and constellations seems close enough to touch.Loosely based on the childhood of Maria (pronounced ma-RYE-ah) Mitchell, America’s first woman astronomer, and illuminated by Deborah Lanino’s star-swept illustrations, here is an exquisitely told story of a girl who yearns for adventure beyond her limited circumstances, and sets out to follow her heart.

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