The Stuff Between the Stars
How Vera Rubin Discovered Most of the Universe
by Sandra Nickel & Aimee Sicuro (Abrams Books for Young Readers, March 2, 2021)
Before Vera Rubin discovered most of the universe, she was a girl who loved the night sky. She watched the Big Dipper circle the North Star. And when her eyelids grew heavy, she dreamed not about what she had seen, but about what she had not seen. She dreamed about the mysteries between the stars.
As Vera grew older, she tried to uncover those mysteries. At her first conference, the male astronomers said her ideas were “outlandish.” They said they were “ridiculous.” Vera didn’t like their harsh words, pushing her away. So she started studying far away galaxies no one else was interested in. The youngest wheeled like pinwheels. The oldest spun with their arms closed tight. And every single one showed that between the stars, there is stuff we cannot see. Scientists before Vera had suspected this “dark matter” made up most of the universe. But no one had been able to show it was there. No one, until Vera.
“A truly beautiful story of perseverance and passion.”—BOOKLIST
“This engaging biography will appeal to budding scientists, particularly those with a penchant for sky searching.” —KIRKUS REVIEWS
Awards and Lists
The Stuff Between the Stars is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, an American Library Association Rise Honoree for 2022, and the winner of a Crystal Kite Award from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. It was named a Best Children’s Book of 2021 by Air and Space Magazine, a Best Children’s Book of the Year by the Bank Street College of Education, a Best STEM Book for K-12 for 2022 by The National Science Teaching Association and the Children’s Book Council, and a Mighty Girl 2021 Book of the Year. It was also nominated for the 2023 Oklahoma Sequoyah Book Award.
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Resources for The Stuff Between the Stars
The Stuff Between the Stars was awarded a Crystal Kite Award, which recognizes excellence in the field of children’s literature. You can see all of the exceptional 2021 award winners HERE.
Join Aimee Sicuro and me at The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum for its Online Story Hour. I read The Stuff Between the Stars, we talk about Vera Rubin, and Aimee demonstrates how to paint the most beautiful galaxy. You can watch HERE.
The Stuff Between the Stars is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. You can view all of JLG’s curated selections HERE.
Recorded Books has released The Stuff Between the Stars as an audio book. Ask your local library if they have it or you may also find it HERE.
Vermont College of Fine Arts interviewed me as part of its Alumnx Success Series. I talk about The Stuff Between the Stars, the importance of writing about historical female figures, and what we can learn by looking at the stars in the way Vera Rubin did. The interview is HERE.
The Stuff Between the Stars was named a Best Children’s Book of 2021 by Air and Space Magazine. You can find all of the wonderful aviation and space-themed books chosen by Air and Space HERE.
The Stuff Between the Stars was named a Best STEM Book for K-12 for 2022 by The National Science Teaching Association and the Children’s Book Council. You can find all of the NSTA’s recommended STEM books HERE.
The Stuff Between the Stars was named a Mighty Girl 2021 Book of the Year. You can find all the showcased picture books starring girls and women HERE. A Mighty Girl has also curated a fabulous Science Is For Girls: 30 New Children’s Books About Girls and Women in Science. The Stuff Between the Stars and 29 other important books are listed. You can find the full list HERE.
The Stuff Between the Stars has been listed on the Rise Booklist for 2022. You can find all of Rise’s recommended books, as well as its Top Ten, HERE.
The Stuff Between the Stars Book Trailer is HERE!
In Celebration of Women’s History Month, Publishers Weekly featured Laurie Wallmark and me. We talk about science, curiosity, and the importance of picture books about women in STEM. Look for our ‘In Conversation’ in Children’s Bookshelf on March 16, 2021.
Shepherd.com features Best Book Lists created by authors to help readers discover great books. It invited me to create a list of Best Children’s Books about Astronomy inspired by The Stuff Between the Stars. You can find my list HERE.
Abrams Kids headlined The Stuff Between the Stars in its Spring-Summer Online Nonfiction Preview. You can view it and the rest of the Abrams wonderful nonfiction lineup here.
TeachingBooks has organized fantastic resources for The Stuff Between the Stars, including the book trailer, an author interview, an illustrator page for Aimée Sicuro, and more. Click HERE to connect to these fabulous resources.
Ggumsum has acquired Korean rights for The Stuff Between the Stars. A link to the Korean language version will be coming as soon as it is available.
Curriculum Guide for The Stuff Between the Stars
Looking for ways to engage students with The Stuff Between the Stars? Below you will find curriculum guides for Discussion Questions, Activities for Students, as well as individual Activity Sheets. Simply click on the sheets below and print.
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- The Stuff Between the Stars
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- Discussion Questions
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- Activities for Students
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- Name that Constellation
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- The View Outside Vera’s Window
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- Create Your Own Constellation
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- Astronomy Glossary