This fictionalized account of the childhood of Mary Anning, who at age 12 in 1811 discovered the first icthyosaurus fossil in the world, is written with child- appeal at the forefront. Mary, growing up in Lyme Regis, England, early in the 19 ^th century, is from a poor family. Her father is a carpenter by trade but also hunts fossils and Mary loves going with him, despite her mother’s disapproval. Ma wants Mary to get an education, not grubby on the cliffs and beach, but the sale of ammonite and other fossils helps support their family. When Pa dies, Mary’s passion and drive and grief all find release in the search for new specimens, which is how she and her brother spot the giant eye that leads to the amazing discovery of a great creature, one Pa always suspected was hidden somewhere in the rock. Mary emerges as a singular child full of determination in a story that features occasional black-and-white illustrations reminiscent of Lois Lenski’s cozy images. A short, accessible chapter book concludes with more information on Mary’s life and work, as well as the discovery of fossils and the deepening understanding they helped scientists develop about the history of the earth. (Ages 7-10)

The amazing story of how the world’s greatest fossilist found her first huge find at the age of twelve.

Mary was born in 1799 in Lyme Regis, England. Her father, a carpenter and part-time fossil hunter, taught his children to look for fossils.

When her father injured himself and was unable to work, Mary quit school and took up fossil hunting full-time to help support her family, a task that became even more important when her father died, leaving the Annings in debt.

At the age of twelve, Mary, with her older brother Joe, found what they believed to be the skeleton of a gigantic crocodile, the Great Croc of the legends. Between dodging her rival fossil hunter the Curiman, and the sheer work of carefully digging out the fossil, Mary took almost a year to excavate what would later be termed the Ichthyosaurus.

Mary Anning was uneducated, poor and a woman, but her life’s work of fossil hunting led her to make many discoveries that influenced our understanding of prehistoric creatures and the age of the Earth.

In this triumphant novel about scientific discovery, Monica Kulling brings Mary Anning and her world to life for young readers.

Key Text Features
author's note
historical context
resources
facts
further reading