The Fire of Stars by Kirsten W. Larson and Katherine Roy - ESSENTIAL

The Fire of Stars: The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made Of by Kirsten W. Larson, Illustrated by Katherine Roy. PICTURE BOOK. Chronicle Books LLC, 2023. $19. 9781452172873

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Cecilia Payne loved science from her childhood, whether biological or physical. She worked hard to win a scholarship to Cambridge. One day, she heard a lecture on astronomy by Arthur Eddington, which drew her into the new field of study called astrophysics. Celia joins the astrophysics team at Harvard because Cambridge did not want a woman working for them.  She made her life focus on what elements made up the stars. Celia became the first person to discover the recipe for what makes the stars.

Larson writes a beautiful history of the life of Cecilia Payne. Although dealing with two interwoven, complicated stories, she writes in a concise manner that children will understand. Many pages of her life story are mimicked by the story of the birth of a star. Facts on her life and the life cycle of a star are given at the end of the book.

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