A nonfiction picture book biography of astrophysicist Wanda Díaz Merced and how losing her sight didn’t stop her from studying the stars.
Growing up in Puerto Rico, Wanda Díaz Merced wanted to learn everything she could about the stars. But in college she started losing her sight. How could she study what she couldn’t see?
Wanda found a way. She learned to hear the stars using sonification, which converts data into sounds. Listening to those chimes and drumbeats, she made new discoveries about the universe.
Today Wanda is a leading advocate for inclusive science. She and her friend Amy S. Hansen collaborated on this book to inspire children to follow their curiosity no matter the challenges. As Wanda urges, “Never give up!”
– Book description from publisher
Other Resources
- TeachingBooks.net book page
- Activity Kit (PDF, from publisher)
- YouTube: Dr. Wanda Díaz-Merced Listens To The Stars | Miranda Cosgrove’s STEM Loft
- YouTube: Wanda Díaz-Merced: Experiencing the Solar Eclipse Through Sound | Rebel Stories / Rebel Girls Podcast (with transcript): Wanda Díaz-Merced
- TED Talk – How a Blind Astronomer Found a Way to Hear the Stars | Wanda Díaz Merced
- National Puerto Rican Day Parade Heroes: Dr. Wanda Díaz Merced