Daring to Dig

Janet Ivey, Emmy-award winning PBS children's TV host and president of Explore Mars, tells the fascinating story of Mary Anning, the fossil hunter from Lyme Regis, England who introduced to the modern world a revolutionary, scientific approach to understanding prehistoric life. Using the device of a letter written from Mary at the end of her life to Mary herself as a young child, Janet narrates Mary's story punctuated with illustrations and fun facts in an engaging way from start to finish. The older Mary describes her great discoveries, her friendships with notable scientists, and her love of exploration. At the end, Mary Anning invites the reader to write "A Letter to Your Genius Self" which encourages the child to consider her talents and dreams for the future.