Finding Wonders: Three Girls Who Changed Science

Writing in free verse, Atkins (Borrowed Names) reaches back into the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries to the girlhoods of Maria Merian, naturalist and scientific illustrator; Mary Anning, fossil hunter; and astronomer Maria Mitchell, all curious girls whose childhood passions led to groundbreaking work. Each grew up in a deeply bonded family and had a strongly supportive father; each fought quietly and determinedly against the obstacles of being a girl with unusual interests. In a closing note, Atkins explains that while she carefully documented the women’s adult achievements, writing in verse gave her the liberty to fictionalize details of their younger years. The result is a sensory depiction of daily life in earlier centuries—“the cottage smells of laundry soap and herbal tonics”—and a credible development of three sympathetic characters. Evocative similes abound (“a silkworm silently spins/ a silk cocoon around itself,/ like a dancer twirling/ or a baker frosting a tall cake”), building an increasing ambiance of “finding wonder” in the world. In addition to the author’s note, a selected bibliography and Atkins’s thoughts on other science biographies are provided. Ages 10–up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Harvey Klinger. (Sept.)