May 7 – Get Caught Reading Month

About the Holiday

When you love to read, you want to share all the excitement that books contain. The Get Caught Reading campaign was initiated in 1999 by the Association of American Publishers with the idea to promote literacy and language development through reading to children and spurring them to read on their own. All month long, people are encouraged to pass along their love of literature—from board books to Shakespeare and everything in between—by taking pictures of themselves reading and sharing them on social media. Movie and TV celebrities, sports figures, authors, illustrators, teachers, moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, and kids of all ages take part in this favorite annual event. Why don’t you?! For more information, visit the Get Caught Reading website.

The Curious Life of Cecilia Payne: Discovering the Stuff of Stars

Written by Laura Alary | Illustrated by Yas Imamura

When Cecilia Payne was eight years old, she found a bee orchid in the apple orchid. This would not have been surprising had she lived in the south of France, but this was England, where the flower did not (normally) grow. The discovery led her to make two promises to herself: 1: “she would learn to see all the wonders in the world,” and 2: “she would always trust what she knew was right.”

Always intellectually curious, Cecilia explored the forests, learned the names of all the constellations, adopted the scientific method to her studies, and even read the encyclopedia. At school the other girls couldn’t understand her fascination with science. Later, when she went to Cambridge University, she was surrounded by renowned scientists who “were seeing what no one could see with their eyes, hidden things that were visible only to the imagination.” When she heard the famous astronomer Arthur Eddington speak, she decided to become an astronomer too.

She found an old telescope, and Arthur Eddington gave her a key to the observatory library. What she found there made Cecelia want to join the ranks of the greatest astronomers, but she was not as welcome in the classroom, where some professors ignored her and others told her she’d never become an astronomer. Cecelia packed her bags and moved to America to study at Harvard.

At Harvard she found freedom—and other women studying the stars. These women “shared with her their greatest treasure—thousands of glass photographs of starlight.” The mystery they were trying to solve was what stars are made of. Cecilia had brought new ideas from Cambridge that might help her find out. She learned to read the patterns of black lines in the spectrums found in the spectrums on the glass plates. These led her to believe that stars were not made of rock but of gases.

When she finally shared her research and conclusions, the men told her “it was impossible. That Cecilia must be mistaken.” For the first time Cecilia broke that long-ago promise she’d make herself and “backed down.” Four years later, however, they admitted she was right. It took another decade for Cecilia to be promoted to the rank of astronomer at Harvard and another 18 years before she was appointed as Professor of Astronomy—becoming the “first woman to become a full professor at Harvard University.” One thing she taught her students was that “becoming a scientist . . . can be a tough climb up a steep hill. But if you keep going, the view is amazing.”

Extensive back matter includes an Author’s Note revealing interesting aspects of Cecilia’s life and how she can inspire children; a detailed timeline of Cecilia’s life; a timeline of pivotal dates in Astronomy, an introduction to the women known as the “Harvard Computers” and more about Cecilia’s work; Honors and Awards given to Cecilia; and a list of books for further reading.

Laura Alary draws children into the life and work of Cecilia Payne through her factual and lyrical storytelling that allows them to experience the wonder Cecilia saw in everything around her, especially the cosmos. Weaving in the observational methods that came naturally to Cecilia, Alary creates a well-rounded portrait of this trailblazing scientist who overcame the dismissals and discrimination of the time to prove her theories correct. The comprehensive information she includes following the story will spark much interest in Cecilia’s work and the history of astronomy and will serve young researchers very well.

Yas Imamura’s stunning gouache and watercolor illustrations welcome young readers into Cecilia Payne’s world with warmth and the excitement of discovery. Exciting collage-inspired images replicate Cecilia’s scientific vision and her fascination with the stars and astronomy. The pages introducing the other women astronomers at Harvard are a welcome depiction of their influence on science. Imamura’s colors are lush and deep, giving children the feeling of gazing into space along with Cecilia to unlock its mysteries.

An inspiring and illuminating biography of a premier astronomer, The Curious Life of Cecilia Payne: Discovering the Stuff of Stars is a must for all school and public libraries and will be an influential book on any young science lover’s home bookshelf.

Ages 7 – 12

Eerdman’s Books for Young Readers, 2026 | ISBN 978-0802855152

About the Author

Laura Alary has written over a dozen books for children, including The Astronomer Who Questioned Everything (Kids Can), Here (Paraclete), What Grew in Larry’s Garden (Kids Can), and All the Faces of Me (Owlkids). She hopes that Cecilia’s story inspires children to follow their curiosity and find confidence in their own unique voices. Laura lives in Toronto, Canada. Visit her website at lauraalary.ca.

About the Illustrator

Yas Imamura is the acclaimed illustrator of many picture books, including Love in the Library (Candlewick), Can You Imagine? (Atheneum), Winged Wonders (Sleeping Bear), and The Bicycle (Balzer + Bray). She frequently works with gouache and watercolor, and she is often drawn to playful and slightly offbeat projects. Yas lives and works in Portland, Oregon. Follow her on Instagram.

Get Caught Reading Month Activity

Stargazing is Fun Maze

Look through the telescope to fine the stars in this maze!

Stargazing is Fun Maze | Stargazing is Fun Maze Solution

You can purchase The Curious Life of Cecilia Payne: Discovering the Stuff of Stars from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

March 6 – National Women’s History Month

Posted by Kath Carroll

About the Holiday

Women have been inventing, discovering, questioning, challenging, and changing the world just as long as men have—but often without recognition, the ability to take jobs in their fields of expertise, or equal (or even any) pay. Established by the United States Congress in 1987, National Women’s History Month serves to educate people on the amazing women who have blazed trails in the past and those who are continuing that tradition today.

This year’s theme is Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future and encompasses a wide understanding of sustainability, including climate change, economic and financial sustainability, community resilience, healthcare disparities, leadership succession, intergenerational equity, and threats to democratic participation. In all these areas, women are at the forefront of sustainable transformation that will carry us into a supportive future for all. To learn more visit the National Women’s History Alliance website.

Thanks to Beach Lane Books and Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media for sending me this book!

Mary Morland in the Time of Dinosaur Discovery

Written by Jane Kurtz | Illustrated by Giselle Potter

In the early 1800s, when Mary Morland was a child, girls were seen as “dainty, delicate decorations” who embroidered, arranged flowers, and played with dolls. Mary Morland had other ideas. From the first page, Jane Kurtz allies readers with the spirited Mary through cleverly posed questions that contrast the stifling conventions of her time with the freedoms of today: “Did [Mary] perch on her chair like a prim little miss?” Kurtz posits. “Well what would you do if the whole world was waiting outside? Mary tromped around, exploring. Wouldn’t you?”

“Of course!” kids will say, and off they go, following Mary as, following the death of her mother, her father sends her to live with family friends who encourage her curiosity and teach her to study nature and fossils. From there readers view her drawings of “everything that fascinated her,” and discover that instead of calling herself a “cork-brain” and spending mannerly afternoons sipping tea in a fancy hat, Mary tooled around in her donkey-pulled carriage to “collect shells and fossils.”

Did teenage Mary keep her discoveries to herself? No! She corresponded with Georges Cuvier, a famous French scientist, impressing him with the drawings and specimens she sent. And instead of trying to find a husband, Mary spent her time with old fossils, labeling and mending them. Then one day, she did meet the man she would marry: William Buckland, England’s best fossilist. In fact, it was he who had theorized that a collection of bones had come from a “giant land reptile,” named it Megalosaurus (before the word dinosaur was even created), and asked Mary to draw them for an important meeting of England’s geologists.

After Mary and William were married, did she give up drawing and studying to keep a tidy house? Not at all! She kept exploring, writing, and drawing. She helped William turn his work into books—with her illustrations—and served as a curator for his collections of fossils. And, oh yes! She raised and taught their nine children and welcomed a menagerie of creatures—including a pony her the kids rode around the dining room—into their home! You might wonder: after all this, “did William say, ‘I am so fortunate that my wife is not a cork-brain?'” or acknowledge her contributions on his papers? Well, this was a time when women could not vote, own property, or go to college. So, what do you think? But that didn’t stop Mary from learning and using her gifts wherever she could throughout her life.

Back matter includes an Author’s Note highlighting other women intrinsic to the discovery and understanding of dinosaurs as well as how scientists came to accept that dinosaurs once existed, further resources for young readers, and a selection of resources.

Jane Kurtz combines pluck, humor, and illuminating cultural mores of the past to weave an absorbing biography of Mary Morland, a brilliant paleontologist, writer, and illustrator with whom children will immediately connect. Mary’s personality and intelligence shine from each page, drawing children not only into her life, but into this incredible time of scientific discovery. Readers will be inspired by Mary’s example of self-confidence to set their own path, buck the norm, and prevail over obstacles on their way to success.

Giselle Potter’s illustrations are always a delight, and here she perfectly captures Mary Morland’s singular affinity for exploration, scientific thought, and illustration. In her folk art, watercolor paintings, Potter recreates the fashions, transportation, and traditions of the 1800s as well as Morland’s and her husband’s work. Readers will envy Mary’s children when they get a glimpse of the rambunctious Buckland home. In several instances, Mary’s and William’s facial expressions eloquently (and comically) reveal their innermost thoughts.

Biographical storytelling at its best, Mary Morland in the Time of Dinosaur Discovery will captivate children with its verve and beauty. The book is a must for classroom, school, and public libraries and will become a favorite on home bookshelves as well.

Ages 4 – 8

Beach Lane Books, 2026 | ISBN 978-1665955546

Jane Kurtz was born in Portland, Oregon, but spent most of her childhood in Ethiopia. Jane speaks about being an author at schools and conferences and helped start Ethiopia Reads (EthiopiaReads.org), a nonprofit that has opened the first libraries for children in Ethiopia. She is the author of many books for children, including The Bone Wars, illustrated by Alexander Vidal; What Do They Do with All that Poo?, illustrated by Allison Black; Do Kangaroos Wear Seat Belts?, illustrated by Jane Manning; Anna Was Here; Clara the Triumphant Rhinoceros, illustrated by Claire Messer; and the American Girl book Lanie. You can visit her to learn more at janekurtz.com.

Giselle Potter has illustrated many books, including Once Upon a Fairy Tale House by Mary Lyn Ray, Try It! by Mara Rockliff, All by Himself? by Elana K. Arnold, and Kate and the Beanstalk by Mary Pope Osborne, as well as her own Tell Me What to Dream About, This Is My Dollhouse, and The Year I Didn’t Go to School, about traveling through Italy with her parents’ puppet troupe when she was eight. She lives in Rosendale, New York, with her husband and two daughters. Visit her at gisellepotter.com.

National Women’s History Month Activity

Women’s History Month Coloring Page

Celebrate Women’s History Month with this coloring page! In the letters write the names of women from history and today that you admire!

Women’s History Month Coloring Page

You can purchase Mary Morland in the Time of Dinosaur Discovery from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

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About the Holiday

The Curious Life of Cecilia Payne: Discovering the Stuff of Stars

Written by Laura Alary | Illustrated by Yas Imamura

Get Caught Reading Month Activity

Stargazing is Fun Maze

Share this:

About the Holiday

Mary Morland in the Time of Dinosaur Discovery

Written by Jane Kurtz | Illustrated by Giselle Potter

National Women’s History Month Activity

Women’s History Month Coloring Page

Share this: