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A review by imperfectcj
Look Up!: Henrietta Leavitt, Pioneering Woman Astronomer by Robert Burleigh
4.0
My five-year-old reluctantly sat through my reading of this book, but my nine-year-old aspiring scientist loved it. It wasn't entirely clear in the story what Henrietta Leavitt was doing or what she'd discovered, but there's a note explaining this in more detail in the back of the book, and that helps.
I'd love if books about women scientists just called them "pioneering scientists" rather than making a big deal about them being women. It feels sometimes like people treat women scientists like dancing bears. Sure, a person dancing isn't all that special, but a bear? Now that's impressive. I mean, Leavitt was considered for a Nobel Prize for her discovery. Seems like that's a pretty decent achievement for any human being. Perhaps the subtitle should be "Henrietta Leavitt, Pioneering Human Astronomer." Or maybe, "Pioneering Astronomer Despite Not Having Access to a Telescope." Because that's more amazing to me than the fact that she's not a man.
But despite my bellyaching, I'm glad that this book is here and we (at least two of the three of us) enjoyed it.
The next thing I'd love to see is a book about astronomy that explains how people can stand being outside on a New England winter night looking at the sky. I would love to understand the level of attention and passion that would keep a person warm during such an endeavor.
I'd love if books about women scientists just called them "pioneering scientists" rather than making a big deal about them being women. It feels sometimes like people treat women scientists like dancing bears. Sure, a person dancing isn't all that special, but a bear? Now that's impressive. I mean, Leavitt was considered for a Nobel Prize for her discovery. Seems like that's a pretty decent achievement for any human being. Perhaps the subtitle should be "Henrietta Leavitt, Pioneering Human Astronomer." Or maybe, "Pioneering Astronomer Despite Not Having Access to a Telescope." Because that's more amazing to me than the fact that she's not a man.
But despite my bellyaching, I'm glad that this book is here and we (at least two of the three of us) enjoyed it.
The next thing I'd love to see is a book about astronomy that explains how people can stand being outside on a New England winter night looking at the sky. I would love to understand the level of attention and passion that would keep a person warm during such an endeavor.