Marie Curie (Giants of Science Series #4) Book

Talk about a “glowing reputation”! Marie Curie, the woman who coined the term radioactivity, won not just one Nobel prize but two—in physics and in chemistry, both supposedly girl-phobic sciences. As with her previous star-studded biographies of Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, and Sigmund Freud—all three chosen as ALA Notable Books—Kathleen Krull offers readers a fascinating portrait of this mythic “giant of science” who abhorred publicity. And she also places Curie's ground-breaking discovery of two elements within the framework of science at that time.

Children's Literature

A notable biography and also a compelling story, young readers will likely enjoy following the life of Marie Curie from her interesting childhood to her determination to enter a career of science. Fourth in the "Giants of Science" series, the book tells of Curie's struggle at a time when women were not accepted in science and were subject to a double standard in society in general. Her partnership with husband, Pierre, was seen as odd and, after his death, her involvement with a married man brought her disgrace while the married man's behavior was excused. She juggled a career and family, and although her devotion to her daughters may sound more clinical than maternal, such as measuring their changes and imposing a rigorous education, she would have been well aware of the struggles facing them as women in the early twentieth century. Pierre Curie died relatively young due to radiation poisoning but, amazingly, Marie lived until age sixty-seven, having handled radioactive substances with no protection for decades, even founding a research institute that still exists today. Reviewer: Kathryn Erskine