When she sat still, her swirling thoughts settled like tea leaves at the bottom of a cup. Then she could see clearly. She knew herself. She was a dreamer. A wonderer. A collector. She had to keep looking.

But she also had to earn a living.

– Laura Alary

Maria Mitchell was an astronomer, teacher, librarian, and entrepreneur (she started her own school. I’d consider that being an entrepreneur.)

She discovered the comet C/1847 T1. This was a response to the challenge put forth from King Frederick VI of Denmark offering a gold medal to the first person to discover a new comet.

Once again, picture books, children’s books, are underrated.

Alary, Laura. The Astronomer Who Questioned Everything: The Story of Maria Mitchell. Canada, Kids Can Press Ltd, 2022.