Author D. Anne Love and illustrator Pam Paparone have collaborated to produce a beautifully illustrated book highlighting the life and achievements of Hypatia. Readers learn about how, starting from her youth, her father educated her “in the same way as a boy,” in the natural sciences, mathematics, and philosophy, but also in literature, boating, swimming, and horse-riding.  Embedded within the book for the more visual or detail-oriented readers are evocative pictures of the Pharos of Alexandria, Greek and Roman poets, and important philosophers. I can imagine that these hints of other fascinating stories might provide some readers with a starting point for further research! Especially effective for younger readers is the positive ending of her role as a wise and inspirational woman scholar. Anyone looking to learn about her martyrdom can find elements of that story in the Author’s Note, but readers not developmentally ready for such a sad ending can easily skip the smaller print.  Overall, this is an engaging and positive introduction to an ancient woman STEM scholar, which will make a lovely addition to bookshelves that may be overcrowded with exclusively male representatives. – Nava Cohen

I read Of Numbers and Stars: The Story of Hypatia by D. Anne Love, illustrated by Pam Paparone. This book is about learning, and Hypatia’s dad and mom really wanted her to learn new things. My favorite part was when Hypatia was reading. I would recommend it for scientist/artist readers. Hypatia’s story is a little different from how my mom and dad want me to learn because she is always a math scientist and I just do art and reading. - Casey (age 7)