Final in a terrific series: ‘Ming and Maria Explore the Universe’ by Jackie French

In her wonderful Girls who Changed the World series, Australian author Jackie French set out to introduce middle grade readers to women whose achievements have been overlooked, obscured or forgotten by traditional historical accounts. My review of the first in the series is here.

The novels employ a mix of historical and speculative fiction as the central character, Ming Qong, is transported by Herstory (History’s sister) back to various historical periods, where she meets a different character from history and participates in ground-breaking events of that time.

In this, the fifth and final in the series, Ming is sent to Nantucket Island in 1836, where she meets the members of the Society of Friends (or Quaker) community who settled there. This time, Herstory has promised Ming that she will meet her mother, who disappeared from her life soon after she and her twin brother Tuan were born.

On the island Ming meets an elderly widow and a wealthy newcomer to the island, and is left guessing about her mother’s identity. In the meantime, though, she is thrilled to also connect with a teenaged Maria Mitchell, who she knows from her history lessons will go on to become a scientist and astronomer esteemed around the world.

On Nantucket Maria has established her own school which she conducts in a way that excites a love of learning and exploration on the part of every pupil there, and Ming joins her one snowy night to look at the stars through a telescope at Maria’s home. Although the equipment is much more rudimentary than that which Ming herself has used in her own time, the thrill of sharing that moment with a young woman who will one day be such a luminary in astronomy is a wonderful experience.

The novel ends with Ming learning the identity of her mother – from a very unexpected source.

As always with any Jackie French historical fiction, this one is well researched and conjures the setting of both place and time with a light touch. The addition of time travel adds another layer of interest and thoughtfulness in this excellent series. Highly recommended for middle grade readers.

Ming and Maria Explore the Universe is published by Angus & Robinson, an imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books, in April 2025.
My thanks to the publishers for a review copy.