A short novel about the first fossil, Mary Anning’s Curiosity by Monica Kulling is a fascinating story for middle grade dinosaur hunters.

Mary Anning lives with her family in Lyme Regis. Her father has a particular interest in curiosities which he has passed down to Mary. She is particularly interested in the big fossils she finds. Although it was not work girls and women were encouraged to do, Mary’s father was proud of his girl and delighted in the curiosities she discovered. 

For anyone who has an affinity for dinosaurs, this is a wonderful short read about one of the first complete fossils discovered and paved the way for research about marine reptiles and early prehistoric life. Of course, as a woman she was not given full credit for the work she accomplished in her relatively short life. 

Monica Kulling does an excellent job of setting the tone of the time. It’s the 1800s so the language and the writing style transport readers back to the time when Mary was fossil hunting. Readers get a true sense of the ruthlessness of the time and the inequities between men and women by following Mary’s journey.

There is lots of fantastic back matter in the book helping readers form a full picture of Mary’s life and exploits. There is also a fantastic selection of titles for further reading for those who are inspired by Mary’s work.

It’s truly refreshing to see many of the women who were early pioneers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math are finally receiving recognition for their discoveries and contributions. It’s vital that young readers see themselves in the jobs that they wish to have one day. We are so lucky to live in a time where readers can start to see that if they dream it they can do it.