Book Descriptions
for Comet Chaser by Pamela S. Turner and Vivien Mildenberger
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
“It was my lot to be Cinderella of the family,” is how Caroline Herschel recalled her designation as the housekeeper and servant to her parents and four older brothers when she was a girl growing up in 18th-century Hannover, Germany. Yet Herschel had an active mind and longed to pursue her interests. When her older brother, William, requested that Caroline join him in England, her life in drudgery was over. Reunited, the siblings bonded over music as part of William’s daytime career, and at night they celebrated the night sky with their passion for stargazing. Their informal interest and observations were soon noted by the astronomy community. In fact, the siblings had built their own home telescopes that rivaled those of scientists. The Herschels’ scientific skills and studies were cemented when William discovered the planet Uranus. In partnership, they discovered the rings of Uranus, two moons circling Uranus, new moons of Saturn, and thousands of nebulae. On her own, Caroline discovered several comets and was awarded her own salary as a professional astronomer by the king of England. Painted illustrations in muddy, midnight tones dotted with moments of light convey the time period and dark sky discoveries, as well as Caroline Herschel’s evolution from housekeeper to highly regarded comet chaser.
CCBC Choices 2025. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin – Madison, 2025. Used with permission.
From the Publisher
The real-life Cinderella story of the very first professional woman astronomer—Caroline Herschel!
Comet Chaser is the thrilling and beautifully illustrated biography of a woman who made a lifetime of incredible contributions to science. She was the first woman to discover a comet, the first officially recognized in a scientific role, and the first to be given a Gold Medal by the Royal Astronomical Society.
In a day when girls were barely educated at all, Caroline Herschel's father taught her math and music . . . until, suddenly, he died. Her mother saw her as little more than a household servant. Caroline might have been doomed to a life of drudgery and dimness if not for her brother, who took her from Germany to England. There they started building telescopes in their free time, gradually making them larger and larger, and discovering new comets—even new planets! When the great astronomers of the day wondered how Caroline and her brother accomplished this and came to see for themselves, they found that the Herschels had made the best telescopes of their time.
From household drudge to belle of the scientific ball, Caroline Herschel won international prizes never before awarded to a woman and earned a professional wage from the king. She and her discoveries remain as stunning today as they were then. Some of her calculations are still in use! In this delightfully imaginative retelling of Caroline's career, her fairy godmother is none other than her own bright intelligence, hard work, and passion for science.
WOMEN IN STEM: Passion and persistence save the day and offer a wonderful model for girls seeking their way into science, technology, engineering, and math in this starry biography.
AN EMPOWERING, TRUE CINDERELLA STORY: What a brilliant way of telling the story of an inspirational woman in science—as a true Cinderella story! Caroline must escape a humble life of drudgery, and with the magic of real science, she makes her own fairy-tale ending.
BIOGRAPHY BOOK FOR KIDS: A great addition to classrooms and libraries, with fascinating examples of hands-on engineering, mathematics, and scientific study.
INSPIRATIONAL GIFT: Inspire budding scientists of all kinds with this magical true story!
Perfect for:
Comet Chaser is the thrilling and beautifully illustrated biography of a woman who made a lifetime of incredible contributions to science. She was the first woman to discover a comet, the first officially recognized in a scientific role, and the first to be given a Gold Medal by the Royal Astronomical Society.
In a day when girls were barely educated at all, Caroline Herschel's father taught her math and music . . . until, suddenly, he died. Her mother saw her as little more than a household servant. Caroline might have been doomed to a life of drudgery and dimness if not for her brother, who took her from Germany to England. There they started building telescopes in their free time, gradually making them larger and larger, and discovering new comets—even new planets! When the great astronomers of the day wondered how Caroline and her brother accomplished this and came to see for themselves, they found that the Herschels had made the best telescopes of their time.
From household drudge to belle of the scientific ball, Caroline Herschel won international prizes never before awarded to a woman and earned a professional wage from the king. She and her discoveries remain as stunning today as they were then. Some of her calculations are still in use! In this delightfully imaginative retelling of Caroline's career, her fairy godmother is none other than her own bright intelligence, hard work, and passion for science.
WOMEN IN STEM: Passion and persistence save the day and offer a wonderful model for girls seeking their way into science, technology, engineering, and math in this starry biography.
AN EMPOWERING, TRUE CINDERELLA STORY: What a brilliant way of telling the story of an inspirational woman in science—as a true Cinderella story! Caroline must escape a humble life of drudgery, and with the magic of real science, she makes her own fairy-tale ending.
BIOGRAPHY BOOK FOR KIDS: A great addition to classrooms and libraries, with fascinating examples of hands-on engineering, mathematics, and scientific study.
INSPIRATIONAL GIFT: Inspire budding scientists of all kinds with this magical true story!
Perfect for:
- Kids interested in science, space, or astronomy
- Teachers and librarians looking for excellent picture book biographies and nonfiction books about science
- Gift givers hoping to inspire a love of STEM topics
- Fans of Hidden Figures, The Fire of Stars, and Ada Twist, Scientist
Publisher description retrieved from Google Books.