I have been fascinated by the story of Mary Anning's life ever since we read about her in a science book I was doing with my children. I found this book quite interesting, even though I don't agree with the worldview presented, which assumes that evolution is true and the earth has existed for millions of years. Mary's gift for spotting fossils is amazing, and I found her findings to be extremely interesting. The illustrations, some reproductions of her own drawings or writing, and some paintings, really help to tell the story of her life, as well.
I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

My niece, age 6, is a voracious reader of anything dinosaur. This was perfect for her. She needed some help with some of the words, but was just enthralled with the facts of the story! She kept asking if SHE could find dinosaurs someday. Fabulous!

I enjoyed this biography of Mary Anning and my niece was in love with her too. My niece kept asking if Mary was a 'real little girl like me'. When children are willing to sit and listen, then talk about what we'd just read and also comment on the illustrations, that's a win in my book!

Thanks so much to the author and Net Galley for an ARC. The review is my own...with help from my niece!

Fossil Hunter: How Mary Anning Changed the Science of Prehistoric Life is a detailed and engrossing account of the life and work of ground-breaking (literally) palaeontologist Mary Anning. It's well-pitched at its intended middle-grade audience, but makes an informative read for anyone with an amateur interest in the fossil record or the history of women in science.

Anning came from humble beginnings, as the daughter of a carpenter in the town of Lyme Regis on the Dorset coast of southern England. Aside from his trade, her father Richard also had an interest in excavating, collecting and selling the fossils that are found emerging from the area's eroding coastal cliffs. His tragic death following a cliff fall left Mary, her mother and one surviving sibling struggling to make a livelihood. Unable to attend school, due to her gender and financial circumstances, Mary pursued the fascination with fossils that she learned from her late father, selling ammonites to augment the family income.

In 1812, after her brother Joseph unearthed the large fossilised skull of an undentified crocodile-like animal, Mary followed her conviction that the remainder of the fossilised skeleton may remain in situ in the cliff. Aged 12 or 13, she subsequently excavated and mounted the first complete ichthyosaur known by modern science (Ichthyosaurus platyodon, later renamed Temnodontosaurus platyodon), now on display at the Natural History Museum in London.

[Image] Two of Mary Anning's ichthyosaurs in the Natural History Museum, London

Over the next 30 years of her life, Anning excavated further ichthyosaurs, the first complete Plesiosaurus fossil, the first British example of a flying dinosaur - a pterosaur (Dimorphodon macronyx) and the first squaloraja fossil (Squaloraja polyspondyla). She developed professional associations with many renowned geologists - all male - who respected her opinions and sought examples of her work, but rarely gave her any credit for their published discoveries.

Cheryl Blackford explores the challenges faced by intelligent women born before their time, and celebrates Mary Anning's resilience and commitment in pursuing her life's work despite the social and financial barriers in her way.
"Mary Anning's legacy lies not only in the fossils she found and the contributions she made to science, but also in the example she set for women to follow."

The narrative part of the book is liberally illustrated with photographs and artistic renderings of the ancient animals, and is usefully augmented with a timeline, helpfully contextualising Mary Anning's discoveries against other major events of the time and intervening period. A glossary of terms also assists younger readers, not only with the meanings of fossil-related terms, but their proper pronunciation (Only one of these stood out to me as representing American pronunciation (Cheryl Blackford was born in Yorkshire, but is now based in Minnesota, USA): the phonemic given is fah-sill, whereas English and Australian readers would pronounce the word foss-ull).

I found Fossil Hunter: How Mary Anning Changed the Science of Prehistoric Life a stimulating read, having visited Lyme Regis and developed an interest in palaeontology at around the same age Mary Anning was assisting her father on his explorations. I've also recently re-read Jane Austen's Persuasion, a significant part of which is set in Lyme Regis. Interestingly, the scenes in Persuasion would have happened roughly contemporaneously with Mary Anning's discovery of her first ichthyosaur.

Fossil Hunter: How Mary Anning Changed the Science of Prehistoric Life is a well-conceived and written account of the life and achievements of one of modern science's great heroines. Mary Anning was a "hidden figure" in her own time, but her fame now deservedly eclipses that of the various "gentlemen scientists" who took the credit for her discoveries. This is an inspiring story that will be appreciated by any reader with an interest in natural history, the history of scientific endeavour, and/or the achievements of women in traditionally male-dominated fields. I'd highly recommend this title as a gift for a science-minded young recipient, or as a worthy addition to any school or public library's non-fiction collection.

My thanks to the author, Cheryl Blackford, publisher Clarion Books (formerly HMH Children's Books), and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this excellent title in advance of its publication on 25 January 2022.

Absolutely lovely book for beginner chapter book readers who love science. I had never heard of Mary, and appreciated hearing about her contributions to paleontology and science in general. Would be a really lovely addition to any classroom.

Several days ago a fun science story came across my news feed—the largest complete plesiosaur skeleton was recently discovered in the UK. The article went on to explain that the first plesiosaur skeleton was also discovered in England, about 200 years ago, by Mary Anning. And I think I audibly gasped because despite having read literally dozens and dozens books about dinosaurs as a child, I just learned about Mary Anning this month, in a new middle grade biography that release this week. (What timing!)

Anning was a Victorian era self-taught scientist and fossil hunter who made a living excavating and selling prehistoric fossils. Despite being barred from joining the geological society due to her gender, Anning would go on to be credited with discovering fossils that changed the way scientists understood prehistoric life, extinction, and evolution. Several of the fossils Anning discovered can still be seen in The Natural History Museum of London today.

Fossil Hunter’s engaging storytelling and beautiful illustrations were enjoyed by both myself and my children, and reminds me why I’ve learned that middle grade non-fiction books are one of my favorite ways to quickly fill in my knowledge gaps about history and science that I’ve missed or forgotten.

This book was recommended to me by: NetGalley. Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for providing me with an advanced copy for review.

I’d recommend it to: Anyone who is fascinated by dinosaurs and wants to learn more about one of the earliest and most prolific paleontologists! It would be a great addition to any elementary or middle school classroom, library, or home.

This lady is crazy awesome. I'm glad she's getting recognition now when she didn't during her lifetime. Her story is captivating. I first heard of her via a picture book biography; this one fleshes out her life with the few details we have of her. (No one cared about female paleontologists, so, many of her writings are lost to time). Mary's dad taught her how to find fossils and she took to it like a duck to water. When he died, she kept up the practice and ended up supporting her family by selling her finds. And man, the things she found! She was a pioneer in the field of paleontology and didn't get any recognition because she was a girl. I appreciated that this biography doesn't try to hide her faith or the faith of other fossil lovers of her day. How to mesh religious views and geology is a challenge people today still face.

I enjoyed the book. It gets in-depth but it's still understandable. Even though it's short, I'm not sure how many middle schoolers will pick up this book. I'd give it to the burgeoning scientists who will be sucked in by the topic. Mostly words, a few pictures/illustrations, glossary/index in the back. Also a page detailing where to see Mary's discoveries in person these days.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

Mary Anning was born into poverty. The family couldn't afford school fees for their children so their father took Mary and Joseph, her older brother, with him when he went in search of fossils. They sold their finds to augment the meager earnings he made as a carpenter. The children became expert fossil finders.

After their father died, the children roamed the coast in search of buried treasure. Joseph found the skull of a huge fossil. Mary searched for a year before a storm exposed the body of the creature. Her mother hired men to remove the rock from the cliff and bring it to their basement. Mary painstakingly chipped away at the rock to reveal the bones hidden in it. It was the first complete ichthyosaurus skeleton ever found. Mary had discovered a way to support her family and follow her passion.

This book takes young readers through Anning's many fossil finds and scientific breakthroughs. At the same time it doesn't stint about the hardships Mary and her family endured. It makes it clear the challenges she faced because of her poverty, gender and class.

Not only is the cover artwork drop dead gorgeous, the whole book is visually stunning.

Gorgeous paintings showing prehistoric creatures in their natural habitat grace the pages. It abounds with nonfiction text features. Captioned photographs and paintings are found on almost every other page. There are labeled drawings and diagrams, and coloured maps. Each Chapter begins with a quote. The back matter includes a note by the author, acknowledgements, and a timeline that puts Anning's life and scientific findings in the context of larger global events. It also includes an illustrated glossary, a list of places where you can find Mary Anning's fossils today, source quotes, a bibliography, and an index.

Cheryl Blackford, the author, was born in England. She developed a passion for rocks at an early age and eventually became a geologist. She has been fossil hunting at Lyme Regis, and has studied Anning artifacts and archival materials.

I can't remember the first time I learned about Mary Anning. Her name was mentioned in some historical novel I read a long time ago. At that time I couldn't find out much about her. Today there are numerous books about this remarkable woman. This one, written for elementary/middle grade readers, is a wonderful addition to them.

I would pair this book up with the picture book, Dinosaur Lady: The Daring Discoveries of Mary Anning, the First Paleontologist by Linda Skeers & Marta Álvarez Miguéns (Illustrator). It will provide readers with background knowledge and get them excited to learn more about this amazing woman.

This is a must purchase. If I was still in the library I would buy two copies of it.

Very thorough biography of Annings. Perfect for dinosaur obsessed children. I would put the reading level of this a bit older than most children’s biographies that I’ve read. Perhaps better for those in the 4th-6th grade. I enjoyed both the text and other content of this book. A great introduction for middle level readers into the nonfiction format.

Such an enjoyable child-friendly read. I have taught lessons based on Mary Anning in primary school, but have learnt so much more from this book, especially how she educated herself on geology and fossils by borrowing books from wealthy friends and family due to library books not being available to her. Great to have coloured pictures and diagrams throughout the book too.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."
Nice children's biography. I like the quotes at the opening if each chapter. It's well illustrated and engaging. It would be an excellent add on for a unit on archeology, paleontology, women's history, etc.

Having lived in the South of England, I have taught about Mary Anning in schools previously, but have never read such a comprehensive book about her which still manages to be child friendly. I knew her fossil discoveries were significant but didn't realise the number of creatures she was the first to discover until reading this. This book is incredibly informative and detailed, but the way it is divided into short chapters makes it easy to read and child friendly. There are some beautifully detailed illustrations combined with historic illustrations and even extracts from Mary Anning's own writing included. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone teaching about Mary Anning in schools in the future and can see it becoming a must-have book for schools in the South of England to study local history.

"A fascinating, highly visual biography of Mary Anning, the Victorian fossil hunter who changed scientific thinking about prehistoric life and would become one of the most celebrated paleontologists of all time. Perfect for children learning about woman scientists like Ada Lovelace, Jane Goodall, and Katherine Johnson.

Mary Anning grew up on the south coast of England in a region rich in fossils. As teenagers, she and her brother Joseph discovered England’s first complete ichthyosaur. Poor and uneducated, Anning would become one of the most celebrated paleontologists ever, though in her time she supported herself selling by fossils and received little formal recognition. Her findings helped shape scientific thinking about extinction and prehistoric life long before Darwin published his famous work on evolution.

With engaging text, photographs, and stunning paleoart, Fossil Hunter introduces this self-taught scientist, now recognized as one of the greatest fossilists the world has ever known."

Speaking of another scientist who is everywhere lately, meet Mary Anning and her ichthyosaur!

Fossil Hunter is a beautifully illustrated and well written biography of Mary Anning for young readers written by Cheryl Blackford. Due out 25th Jan 2022 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on their Clarion Books imprint, it's 128 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

I love children's nonfiction. This is a well written, factually based biography aimed at younger readers (~7-10 years of age) which manages to provide a kid-friendly version of Anning's often frustrating and impoverished life. She was rejected by the scientific establishment at the same time they were acknowledging her as an expert in her field. The book gleefully provides the information that she correctly identified coprolites as fossilized feces as well as identifying many other fosselized remains including early cephalopods (squids).

The text is age appropriate and engaging. The art by Ellen Duda is beautifully rendered and supports the text very well. This is definitely a book which would grab the interest of most kids. I found it interesting and learned quite a lot of information of which I was previously unaware.

The book includes a glossary, abbreviated chapter notes, some resources for viewing some of Anning's fossils in collections, a solid bibliography for further reading, and a cross referenced index (not included in the ARC provided for review).

Five stars. This would make a great selection for a classroom or public library, as well as a child's home library or gift.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This is a beautiful book. It is well written and exquisitely illustrated. It includes a glossary, timeline, and bibliography. Although this biography is written for a younger audience, it was absolutely enjoyable and informative for me to read as an adult.
Mary Anning and her world came to life in this biography. The author also provides insight to the time and place where Mary lived. As a woman, Mary was not allowed an education or taken seriously in her career. The plight of women, as well as poor people, in Britain during the early 19th century was very well described.
This book would make a great selection for a young people's book club or classroom discussion. There is plenty of information here to spark a conversation. I would recommend this for anyone interested in women's studies, female scientists and paleontology in general. You do not have to be a kid to appreciate this book.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Mary Anning is the single most important paleontologist you’ve never heard of. She discovered the first Plesiosaurus, the body of the first Ichthyosaur, and the first pterosaur outside of Germany. She first identified the “bezoar” stones in the stomachs of fossils to be coprolites (fossilized feces) and figured out that Belemnoids, an extinct cephalopod, had ink sacs like its modern relatives. Her specimens are among the most prized possessions of the Natural History Museum in London. And she barely received any credit in her time and today is barely known.

Cheryl Blackford, herself a geologist, sets out to address this in her middle grade biography of Anning. The book begins with a prehistoric interlude with the doomed ichthyosaur that would someday be discovered by the Anning siblings, Joseph and Mary, followed by a chapter introducing Anning and her excavations-- from there, the biography is chronological. The biographical style is somewhat inconsistent. The introduction with the ichthyosaur and the first chapter, "Crocodile or Sea Monster?" show signs of wanting to be a narrative biography: "Thirteen-year-old Mary Anning had been hunting for an elusive treasure for months.”[1] This stands out because the rest of the book is a typical facts-only biography with no other narrative sections. This may be because the copy I read is an uncorrected proof, so this may change between now and its forthcoming publication in January, 2022. Despite this uneven opening, the rest of the book is well-organized by general era of Mary's life, and it's not cluttered by sidebars or unrelated images.

Part of the fun for me is the inclusion of historical images. While I love paleontology in general, I find the early years of the science especially interesting. I'm fascinated with how people viewed prehistory before our modern understanding-- for example, when the Annings found their first ichthyosaur (a process that took a year, between 1811 and 1812), the only point of reference people had for the strange discovery was the crocodile. Because there were only limited specimens and research into these creatures was in its infancy, artistic reconstructions look a little goofy today, but I find them charming. Even more useful for the young reader learning about Anning are the exquisite sketches she made of her finds. It really gives the reader an impression of Anning’s dedication to her job. One thing I didn’t know was that, since she couldn’t afford books or journal subscriptions (an issue independent scholars still face to this day), she would painstakingly copy out whole articles by hand on whatever material available. Something about this particularly struck me. The paleoart by Ellen Duda in this book is very nice and serves to contextualize the fossils as living creatures well, but I was disappointed there were no illustrations of Anning’s era like on the cover. This I think is a similar issue to the inconsistent writing—the book feels like it doesn’t know what it wants to be.

These style issues aside, Fossil Hunter is a good, accessible introduction to the life and work of Mary Anning, and will hopefully influence young readers to learn more about the early years of paleontology, as well as about the woman who so often has been forgotten in discussions of this history.

Fossil Hunter is a great young adult biography about Mary Anning, dinosaur hunter. Mary is a little known figure in history, yet she discovered the first complete ichthyosaur fossil. Mary grew up in poverty on the southern coast of England. She discovered fossils with her father and brother. She contributed so much to the fossil world but got no credit or money in her lifetime.
This is a good book for children in grades three to eight. As a teacher, I will definitely be adding this to my school library. I want to thank Clarion Books and Netgalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

I have had my eye on this book for a while after reading the blurb previously and I have to say it was well worth the wait - I thought it was a fantastic insight into the life of Mary Anning.

I loved that she has earned the respect now from and I fully support the proposal to get the statute of her in to Lyme Regis too - she more than deserves it! The book was really well planned and laid out in a way that made it easy to read, it added in the scientific details where needed but it felt natural and warm read.

I loved reading more about Mary and her findings and I started the book in an afternoon finishing it later on in the evening, it was actually a book that I wanted to carry on reading. The timeline and glossary at the end were great too.

It is 5 stars from me for this one, I have a fossil of my own that my uncle have me when I was about 7 or 8 and it is of a fossilised fern and I would love to be able to find my own.

My 4 year old daughter is completely dinosaur mad at the moment and I would love to read this with her and talk more about Mary, her life and achievements in what was a male dominated time to live and how she managed to thrive and overcome adversity she she is a little older. We holiday when we can in Dorset so even more of a reason to talk about this amazing lady!

I enjoyed this book. I have visited Lyme Regis all my life and loved learning about Mary Anning when I did. Reading this book and learning so much more about her and her life was a real treat.

The style and layout of the book made for an easy read!

This biography of Mary Anning was great! I do not normally read biographies, but I could read this book over again. Ms. Anning was such an inspiring person. She loved digging up bones, even as a child. That passion is what led her to become a paleontologist. She helped to change conventional thinking in the field of paleoanthropology.
This ARC was provided free by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The story of Mary Anning is so fascinating and I think this book is an approachable and intriguing look into her life. Kids will be inspired by her story and interested in the fossils she found.