Sandra Neil Wallace – Mom Read It

How Ursula Marvin Mapped Moon Rocks and Meteorites, by Sandra Neil Wallace/Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter, (Oct. 2025, Simon & Schuster), $19.99, ISBN: 9781534493339

Ages 7-12

While women were being told to stay home and learn to cook, Ursula Marvin was breaking barriers in science. The future geologist was told exactly that by a male professor when she attended college in the early 1940s; luckily for all of us, she disregarded the “advice” and went on to pursue a degree in geology, eventually earning a master’s and Ph.D. in the field. She believed that meteorites were the key to unlocking the solar system’s origins; it was a belief that “revolutionized how scientists saw the solar system”. She travelled to Antarctica to continue her research, facing bitter temperatures and project setbacks to become the first woman to search for meteorites at the bottom of the world, where Antarctica’s mountains held rocks “blasted from asteroids and maybe even the moon”. She fought sexism and broke barriers throughout her career and was responsible for forming foundational theories in planet geology. Wallace’s writing is informative and accessible, concentrating on details for readers to increase their interest: the process of setting up camp on the “oldest ice in the world”; the 50 pounds of clothing Marvin had to pack to keep warm; the moments of self-doubt, and the excitement of studying the first lunar meteorite, located in Antarctica while she was recovering from an injury back at home. Rock Star has a starred review from Kirkus.

See scans of Marvin’s journal from Antarctica at the Smithsonian’s website.

Diane Nash is a civil rights leader who was a Freedom Rider; a lunch counter protestor, and a 2022 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient. Sandra Neil Wallace and four-time Caldecott Honor recipient Bryan Collier bring her story to vibrant life in Love is Loud.

Love is Loud, by Sandra Neil Wallace/Illustrated by Bryan Collier,
(Jan. 2023, Simon & Schuster), $18.99, ISBN: 9781534451032
Ages 4-8

Born in 1938 in Chicago’s South Side, Diane Nash was a child of the diaspora; her parents refusing to raise a family in the segregated South. Enveloped in love and surrounded by diversity, she experienced Jim Crow laws once she moved to Tennessee to attend college. Angry and humiliated, she refused friends’ attempts to tell her “it’s always been this way” and “go along to get along”, and took action, enduring abuse at Nashville’s lunch counters and joining the Freedom Riders to protest segregated bus terminals. Wallace writes a tribute to Nash’s accomplishments, with key words and phrases bolded and capitalized to invoke strength and power in readers: “ELATION, INVIGORATION”; “NO HIDING. NO FIGHTING BACK”; “LEADING, PROCEEDING”. Bryan Collier’s watercolor and collage illustrations bring texture and realism to spreads, creating both warm and dramatic moments in Nash’s life. Back matter includes notes from the author and illustrator, a timeline of Nash’s life, and resources for further reading.

An inspiring picture book biography that shouldn’t be missed, Love is Loud is an essential addition to picture book biography collections. Put this one front and center in your Black History Month displays and booklists.

Love is Loud has starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and The Horn Book.

Sandra Neil Wallace writes about people who break barriers and change the world. She is the author of several award-winning books for children, including Between the Lines: How Ernie Barnes Went from the Football Field to the Art Gallery, illustrated by Bryan Collier, which received the Orbis Pictus Book Award and was an ALA Notable Book. A former ESPN reporter and the first woman to host an NHL broadcast, she is the recipient of the Outstanding Women of New Hampshire Award and creates change as cofounder of The Daily Good, a nonprofit bringing twenty thousand free, culturally diverse foods to college students each year through its Global Foods Pantries. Visit Sandra at SandraNeilWallace.com.

Bryan Collier is a beloved illustrator known for his unique style combining watercolor and detailed collage. He is a four-time Caldecott Honor recipient for Trombone Shorty, Dave the Potter, Martin’s Big Words, and Rosa. His books have won many other awards as well, including six Coretta Scott King Illustrator Awards. His recent books include By and By,Thurgood, The Five O’Clock Band, and Between the Lines. He lives in New York with his family.

*”A poignant and powerful portrayal of the life and work of an unsung civil rights activist….Wallace’s text lends buoyancy to the narrative, making it a memorable read-aloud.”

— Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW

*”Wallace’s emotive second-person text condenses Nash’s extensive activism into an inspiring meditation on love as the heart of justice, while Collier’s watercolor and collage illustrations bring artful dimension to Nash’s nonviolent resistance.”
— Pubishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

*“During the 1960s, Diane Nash was one of the most influential and effective leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, yet most people don’t know who she is.” Wallace’s latest picture-book collaboration with Collier seeks to correct that ….the book opens with images of Nash’s parents cradling her as a baby and then of Nash, as a small child, being hugged by her grandmother, highlighting the love that encouraged her activism.
— The Horn Book — STARRED REVIEW

Tag: Sandra Neil Wallace

Rock Star: A salute to geologist Ursula Marvin