I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Jurassic Girl
by Michele C. Hollow
on September 10, 2024
Setting: Lyme Regis
Genres: Middle Grade Historical
Pages: 128
Format: Kindle, Paperback
Source: the Author
Goodreads
Bookhype
BookBub
Storygraph
Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, Books-A-Million, Amazon UK, BookShop.org
Discover the fascinating life of 12-year-old Mary Anning, a fossil hunter who would grow up to be a famous paleontologist, in this historical fiction book for children interested in learning about dinosaurs, fossils, and women in STEM, like Grace Hopper, Marie Curie, and Jane Goodall.
At age 12, Mary Anning found the skeleton of the first ichthyosaurus, a fish-like creature that lived during the Jurassic Period. It was more than 17 feet long! But according to many of the men in London’s Geological Society, the fossil could not be real due to several Mary was female. She was 12 years old. She had no formal education. She was poor.
But that didn't stop Mary! This story follows her journey with the ichthyosaurus and offers a look into the childhood of someone who would eventually become the “Mother of Paleontology.” Featuring friendships, fossils, and found family, Mary Anning’s tale is sure to inspire young readers and scientists alike!
Jurassic Girl by Michele C. Hollow takes a look into what Ms. Mary Anning’s life could’ve looked like when she was a young girl discovering her first fossil.
Can Mary prove to the men in London’s Geological Society that she did, in fact, find the ichthyosaurus’ complete skeleton?
Mary
During the time period when Ms. Mary Anning lived, she was a knowledgeable young lady who knew what she wanted to do in life. Mary loved learning about fossils and wanted to make a name for herself in the science community, even if that would’ve been hard as a woman and only twelve at the time. She seemed like an amazing young child who had been doing what she wanted to do for a long time already. I do like Mary.
The Story
Even though Mary had made numerous discoveries over the course of her life, Ms. Hollow decided to focus on her first significant find, which was the complete skeleton of an ichthyosaur in 1811. I appreciate how the author took the liberty of writing a fictional account of how all of that came to be, along with the aftereffects of that discovery, as they might have looked for the Anning family.
Four Stars
My rating for Jurassic Girl by Michele C. Hollow is four stars. I recommend this book for any middle school reader who wants to learn about the Mother of Paleontology’s beginnings. Ms. Hollow offers a great starting point for those interested in learning more about paleontology and geology as well.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Jurassic Girl by Michele C. Hollow.
Until the next time,
Happy Reading!
Baroness’ Book Trove is an Amazon affiliate, meaning if you purchase something from Amazon, this blog receives a tiny percentage of the sale. This helps with the cost of the website and a few giveaways.
About Michele C. Hollow
Michele C. Hollow works as a freelance journalist and author. As a journalist, she focuses on health, mental health, autism, aging, the environment, pets, and wildlife. Michele loves animals.
Her byline appears in The NY Times, The Guardian, Next Avenue, Inside Your Cat’s Mind, Inside Your Dog’s Mind, The Animal Mind, The Wildest, Symphony Magazine, and other online and print publications. She co-wrote a few Minecraft joke books with her son. She also wrote a book on The Grateful Dead and one about careers you can have with animals.
She loves research. Her book, Jurassic Girl, is about Mary Anning; Mary’s known as “The Mother of Paleontology.” What stood out about Mary’s story is how, at age 12, she made a remarkable discovery. The men at the London Geological Society called her a fraud; they didn’t believe a girl could make such an amazing find. Mary persisted and triumphed.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2025 Goodreads RC
- 2025 Middle Grade Reading Challenge
Leave a Reply