Description

“Parents and teachers ask me for the names of books for their primary school children. I’m honored to recommend Annie Jump Cannon, Astronomer by Carole Gerber, an excellent book about a true astronomical pioneer.”
-Paul Kohlmiller, editor, San Jose Astronomical Association newsletter

This brilliantly illustrated children’s book depicts the achievements of a woman who developed an important system of classifying stars. To this day, Annie Jump Cannon holds the record for identifying more stars than anyone else in the world. In 1925, she became a professor of astronomy at Harvard and the first woman to receive a doctor of science degree from Oxford University.

Born during the Civil War, Cannon was determined to pursue a career in astronomy. From her childhood days of studying the constellations with her mother, to her education at Wellesley College and her job in the Harvard Observatory, this biography follows Cannon’s inspirational path to success. The story notes the challenges the astronomer faced, such as an illness that left her partially deaf and gender discrimination, while capturing her shining moments as she worked to become the “census-taker of the stars.”