Marie Curie

Giants of Science

by Kathleen Krull

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.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Science, Childrens, France, Juvenile, Womens

144 pages, Hardcover

First published October 4, 2007

Reviews

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well done biography of one of the first really important female scientists of the modern era. Marie Curie won two Nobel prizes, in different fields. I have read biographies of Curie before but I learned things from this biography. The author points out how much Curie had to struggle against prejudice against women in her lifetime, as well as the fact she lived her life as a foreigner in France which has never been greatly accepting of non French people. I also understood better the reason that she got 2 Nobels, in different fields. I also appreciated understanding Curie's attitude better. She wasn't trying to be a martyr to Science so much as first she was ignorant of the damage radiation could do, then she simply ignored it. She expected life to be a challenge and considered that part of the challenges of life. Krull was I think making a point about how much damage the radiation did to the Curie family by pointing out that the daughter not interested in science, Eve, a musician and writer, lived to the age of 102 years as contrasted to the fairly young lives of the rest of the Curie family. I feel Krull has never gotten the recognition she deserves in youth nonfiction literature. She is an excellent writer but probably not quite of the caliber of Freedman, Marin and Sheinkin. I have to wonder if she might have won more awards if she had not been female? Highly recommended.

[Dakota · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely awesome book! Inspired me to become a chemist.

[Teolinda Stark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lättlyssnad bok på engelska om ett ämne som inte alltid är så lätt att hänga med i ens på svenska.
Men det är alltid trevligt att höra om kvinnor som fått en framskjuten roll i historien.

Betyg: 3 självlysande fingrar av 5

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

2007 Cybils Nonfiction

I liked this, but I think I've read it before. It does a good job showing Curie's career and placing her in her time and place (women scientists have a lot of different stuff to wade through).

[Roxanne Hsu Feldman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great biography for middle grade readers. It's inspirational, vivid, and full of excitement: both of the subject matter and of the backdrop to her work, science the world events. The "story" starts with stirring promises of a good yarn and Krull delivered every bit of what she promised in the introductory paragraphs. I really like how the bibliography is presented: inter-filing books for grown-ups and books for young readers, just with asterisks denoting those for younger audiences. The website's modifying tag of "verified June 2007" is a good practice as well. Now, here is a book that one can just give to any child and know that even if they are not quite into reading biographies, they will be drawn into and admire this incredible woman's life story.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 8 year old son and I took turns reading chapters in this book. We learned so much about this amazing woman. There were times when my son was so angry about how they treated her, merely because she was a woman. It made me happy to see his emotion about being treated equally. It was a great opportunity to discuss equal rights in all situations for all people, not just women. He was so impressed with Marie and Pierre. First thing he said when we finished was "Marie was awesome"

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The actualities of Madame Curie’s life have become cloaked in a romantic myth created to suit the beliefs and proclivities of many people — journalists, scientists, medical practitioners, feminists, businessmen, industrialists, and even Madame Curie herself. She is remembered as a scientific Joan of Arc. Paris streets are named after Madame Curie and her husband, Pierre; the French 500-franc note (now a collector’s item) is imprinted with her face and her so-called “miserable shed” laboratory, as well as several scenes from her life. Stamps and coins bear her image. The World War I automobiles that were refitted to contain X-ray equipment were known as “Les Petites Curie.” Semi-documentaries and feature films contribute to her legend. The idealization of Marie Curie the scientist has in general been portrayed as passionate, hardworking, dedicated, and a seeker of a cure for cancer. She herself, when she described her work in discovering and then isolating radium, emphasized the dedication and hard physical toil rather than the important scientific ideas upon which the work was premised. But on reflection, her work and her association with the search for a cancer cure were far less important than her critical insight that radioactivity was an “atomic property” of her newly discovered elements. It was this idea, put forth almost one hundred years ago, which led to our modern understanding of the structure of the atom. Just as my biography provides new evidence of the range of emotions Marie Curie experienced in her personal life, it also demonstrates, through a detailed examination of her discovery of radioactivity, that her success as a scientist depended not just on her dedication but also on her intellectual clarity. A great life and a great book. Recommended.

[Nurgul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bir haftasonu öğlenine kadar okunup bitirilebilecek ve bu gözüpek bilim kadınından örnek alınabilecek bir hayat hikayesi oldu benim için.

Kitap Marie Curie ve Pierre Curie çiftinin hayatına birçok açıdan değiniyor ve günümüz Fransasının nükleer enerjide öncül olmasına sebebiyet veren bu hanedanlığı anlaşılması kolay bir biçimde özetliyor. Kız erkek demeden bence bütün çocuklara okutulması gereken bir kitap.

[theirishbooklover]

Fascinating, Inspiring, Historical.

This short and very concise audiobook tells the story of the life of Marie Curie. I think this book is perfect if you want to dip into non-fiction or would like to hear about a very fascinating and inspiring person.

The audiobook can be listened to in one sitting as its only a few hours long. I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys non-fiction and science. I borrowed this book on BorrowBox.

[Lili Naghdi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read few different versions of Curie’s biography, but this was by far the best in my opinion. Marie Curie has been one of the women I’ve always looked up to. A smart woman with determination who was loyal to the country she was born in. I recommend this book to all people who’d like to know more about a woman with many potentials.

[Sanjay Khetwal · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good read.

[LeeAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It is a simple overview of the life of one of the greatest scientists as it pertains to her overarching achievements.

[An · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75

[Favour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional!

[Lefhfkueq · Rating 1 out of 5]

good.

[Barbara Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned many things about Marie Curie that I did not know. The Boris Kulikov illustrations are great, especially the book jacket design.

[Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kathleen Krull made another amazing bibliography about the inspiring Marie Curie. Marie risked her life to high radiation levels to conduct experiments on radium and polonium. This dangerous exposure left Marie and her husband Pierre with permanent dead tissue, a burring in their fingertips, and weak bones. These conditions later led to Pierre's death in 1906. Through these experiments, she discovered two new elements radium and polonium which were added to the periodic table of elements in 1898. Marie and her husband Pierre won two Nobel prizes, one in physics and the other in chemistry for their discoveries in radioactivity. Marie Curie is an awe-inspiring figure that shows if you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kathleen Krull’s, Marie Curie, #4 of the Giants of Science Series, (illustrated by Boris Kulikov) is an interesting read for middle grade children looking for a biography of a women who changed the world or just inspired by science. Krull writes about Curies’ accomplishments (including two Nobel Prizes) and her struggles as she chronicles her life from early in childhood to her eventual death from radiation poisoning, Born in Poland in a time when girls were not encouraged to enter the study of sciences Marie Curie stood out as a genius. But in these times one could have the intellect but also needed persistence and determination to make a mark in the “old boys club” of scientists. Her shear determination (inherited from her mother) and gifted intellect for chemistry and physics (from her father) made her a force to be reckoned with. Raised in a family that expected greatness (the better the children did the more their mother loved them) Curie overcame set backs and public scandal by burying herself in science. Her ability to channel her efforts in times of depression and personal strife would later benefited humanity with the discovery of the two elements, radium and polonium. Curie had numerous other contributions to humanity including the use of radiation to treat cancer; portable x-ray machine used in World War 1 and most importantly the research that led future scientists to the knowledge of the structures of cells.

Written in simple narrative style Krull made what could be very abstract scientific information understandable for children 11 and up (as suggested on inner front flap.) School Library Journal Review suggests a grade level of 4th-8th grade. The pencil drawings by Boris Kulikov add dimension to the text but what I found most interesting was the illustration on the cover of the book. The cover illustration depicts a young Curie in her laboratory. There are test tubes and pipettes scattered amongst French landmarks on the table. This was an inviting hook for readers to pick up the book and learn more. There are times when the names of chemicals might be daunting for the lower ability reader and some pre teaching of vocabulary will need to be done. Young girls would benefit from reading such a strong role model as well as children interested in science. Krull did a good job of pointing out the human side of this “giant of science”. Older children could discuss the price she paid as a result of her studies and if they felt the cost was worth the benefit to mankind. Further research into what we learned about being safe in scientific research could also be used as an extension activity.

[Marty · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a Juvenile level biography. It was very interesting. An easy read, of course, since it is Juvenile, but I learned a lot. I learned that women were definitely not treated as equal to men in France in the late 1800s. Women weren't supposed to be involved in the science field. Marie made amazing discoveries, earned many awards, but everyone tried to give the credit to her husband. He must have been a great guy because he gave the credit right back to his wife. They were a loving couple who had two daughters. One daughter went into the study of the elements, just like her parents,(and died young because of exposure to radiation) and the other was a writer and stayed away from the radiation (and lived to be over 100 years old). Pierre died by stepping into the street and getting run over, but he already had signs of radiation sickness. Marie lived fairly long (in her 60s)amazingly, because she also had radiation sickness. After Pierre died, Marie had an affair with another scientist, and it was a huge scandal.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this biography to be full of interesting tidbits. For some reason, I have always thought that Marie Curie's place in history was more modern than it was. Her achievements are even more impressive to me now that I realize that she did so much before even the beginning of the twentieth century. It was fascinating to see how Marie Curie's timeline led to the development of the atomic bomb (having just read Bomb, by Steve Sheinkin, this was a great preface). Marie Curie's affair, her work during World War I, and the scientific and general success of her daughters and granddaughters were all great parts of this story.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another great addition to the Giants of Science series -- recommended for young readers and aspiring scientists. I've read other bios of Madame Curie, but this one gives you a good introduction without drowning in a sea of details. Marie Curie is an inspiring figure, and she reminds me of other great scientists I came to know at the University of Pennsylvania. You may not want to follow in her footsteps, but you come away inspired by her passion, her drive, and her devotion to scientific discovery.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This biography of Marie Curie was meant, I think, to be inspirational and it definitely succeeded on that front. Krull spent a lot of time detailing Curie's strength and perseverance in the face of obstacles (not the least of which was prevalent gender discrimination) and how much of a "Giant of Science" she truly was. As a result the biography might not be as balanced or objective as some others are. However, I will still wholeheartedly recommend this to middle school kids for either school or personal interests.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW!
This is a childrens nonfiction book rating I. The author Kathleen Krull paints a very detailed and explicit look into the life of a great scientist. Marie Curie dared to explore the man dominated sciences of physics and chemisty to later go on to win noble prizes in both. While working as a governess, which is a very demanding job in a household. She saved money to follow her dreams while conquering her own depression. I learned alot of things reading this book. I would recommend this book as a summer read or for a book report. It is well worth the read.

[Tiff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This biography is well written. Kathleen Krull brings us into Marie's world and tells it as it is. After reading the biography, I have gained even more respect for Marie Curie. Her purpose in life was to be a scientist. She was a brilliant scientist for sure! This bio made me aware of Marie's discovery of radium and opening the human world to much more, like the atomic bomb. I love reading empowering biographies and this is one of them! Children of all ages can read this. Marie Curie left a great impression on me even when I was a child.

[Amy Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at Marie Curie's life. Krull doesn't shy away from more controversial aspects of Curie's life including an affair with a married man. But it is a fascinating read that describes her desire and drive to discover two new elements (even though those experiments were causing her physical problems from radiation exposure).

[Laura Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this in one sitting! Marie Curie was an inspirational woman who defied conventions and dedicated everything to science. It is especially interesting to read about a time when scientists were motivated purely by the desire to improve society. She and her husband never patented the production of radium. I can't imagine scientists today passing up such an opportunity...

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this for homeschool, and we learned a lot about Marie Curie's contributions to different fields of science, medicine, her effort with WWI, and her celebrity in her day. We were super surprised how her husband died since it was not as we expected.

[Mootzi]

This is the biography of one of the first great women scientists. Marie Curie lived a very interesting life and was responsible for the discovery of radium. Again, it was my interest in science, scientists, and historic settings that had me loving this book.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing, inspiring woman and such a compellingly written book.
A fantastic series -- Giants of Science, by Kathleen Krull.

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for younger readers or as a brief overview for anyone.