The Lost Women of Science

by Melina Gerosa Bellows, Katie Hafner, Karyn Lee (illustrator)

From the popular Lost Women of Science podcast, comes an empowering collection that recognizes ten trailblazing female scientists whose lives and works have been lost to history...until now. Uncover the truth behind some of the world's greatest accomplishments--and the women who made it happen.

For far too long, women in science have been overlooked. But despite the missing pages from the history books, these remarkable ladies conducted groundbreaking experiments, discovered diseases that changed lives, deciphered codes that altered the course of world wars, and so much more. And now, we know their stories. 

From the creators of award-nominated Lost Women of Science podcast comes an illuminating and moving portrayal of ten revolutionary women in STEM who dared to break barriers even when no one was watching. Through riveting sketches, rarely-before-seen photos, and insightful stories, unearth the lives and triumphs of these science pioneers whose influence cannot be forgotten.

Genres: Middle Grade, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir

208 pages, Library Binding

Published August 19, 2025

Reviews

[Rhiannon Fiust · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book via NetGalley but all opinions expressed are my own.

If you love science (or have a science loving/curious child) then this is the book for you. Bellows covers ten women who made incredible/life-changing scientific discoveries that occasionally get forgotten in a male dominated field. Within the stories of these women are at-home projects where kids can see what these women discovered for themselves.

[Jenny Riddell-Wehmeier · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and inspiring read that shines a light on brilliant women whose contributions to science have too often been forgotten. The stories are engaging, the illustrations vibrant, and it left me wondering how many discoveries we still don’t know were shaped by women’s minds. As the book basically says: “She discovered it, he got the credit, and the rest is history.”

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collective biography of "lost women of science" that follows the path of women computers, scientists, researchers, etc. whose discoveries were either wholly or partially lost to history because men either took credit for the work, theirs wasn't written down, or it was piled on by others.

One in particular moved me and that was the woman who went into the medical field only to discover cystic fibrosis. Her job at the time was to complete autopsies of young children who had died to find commonalities or issues that caused the deaths when she discovered something specific in the mucous and then started writing to other doctors about patients to find the similarities and diagnose this condition. While a protege wrote a paper and got more recognition and credit, she discovered it by being observant and asking questions. The other was the fungal scientist.

The organization of the collective biography includes a quote and "resume" before diving into the specifics of the woman's work that should be celebrated and recognized.

Cool facts:
"With their new diagnostic tool, doctors would apply a chemical call pilocaprine on the skin and then place a small electrode on top of the area to induce sweating. After a few minutes, the doctors could collect the sweat sample and send it to the lab to examine the results. The test measures the amount of chlorine in sweat. CF patients usually have higher amounts of chlorine than healthy patients."

"Thirty-eight years after her death, Dorothy was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame for her contributions to medical science. What took so long? Some say it's the Matilda Effect, a phenomenon that explains how many men have gotten credit for women's work because of gender bias... The Matilda Effect gives a name to the fact that women in science have been overlooked because many of their discoveries and breakthroughs were instead attributed to men."

"Seaweed's Superpower: The next time you tuck into a sushi roll, consider that you may be biting into one of the planet's defenses against global warning: seaweed. Seaweed is not a plant, but a type of algae that grows in marine habitats... Unlike plants, algae lacks roots, stems, and leaves. However, like plants, algae can use photosynthesis, a process that converts the sun's energy into sugars. Instead of using leaves to collect sunlight, algae have multicellular structures called thalli that absorb the powerful rays... It also helps that seaweed forests can absorb up to twenty times more CO2 per acre than trees in terrestrial forests. This is not only because algae grow faster, but also, thanks to the depth of the ocean, because dead plant material sinks and stays buried longer, which releases CO2 at a slower rate."

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This nonfiction book is Based on the podcast of the same name, co-founded by co-author Hafner, profiles of significant yet overlooked female scientists. Bellow is writing in trustworthy, matter-of-fact prose, Bellows and Hafner introduce you to 10 STEM dynamos, among them Eunice Newton Foote, “the Mother of Climate Science,” who identified the greenhouse effect; and cryptanalyst Elizabeth Smith Friedman, whose codebreaking efforts helped the U.S. government bring down Mafia bootleggers and infiltrate Nazi spy networks; and many other scientists. Other women were influential in the fields of mycology, modern computer programming, ethnobotany, and mechanical engineering. Also profiled is Leona Zacharias, Hafner’s grandmother, a nearly forgotten member of the team that solved the mystery of why premature infants were going blind in the 1940s. Each chapter opens with a sketched portrait and a quick roundup of high notes before launching into the biographies. Recurring themes of the scientists being denied opportunities, jobs, and credentials due to their gender and (in some cases) their race demonstrate their strength of character, determination, and intellect. The scientific sidebars are particularly strong, explaining concepts. I have never heard of these women scientists. It amazes me that they didn’t give up. This book is a reminder of women who slip through the cracks of history.

Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.

[Cris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lost Women of Science highlights the ordinary and extraordinary lives of 10 women whose intelligence, perseverance, and self-confidence changed lives during their time as well as into the future and our present. We learn about the first female fungus expert and plant pathologist who helped develop the screening system for all plant material entering the US. We learn about America's first female code-breaker. And we learn about the woman who could be considered the "most prominent woman astronomer of all time."

All of these women have similar challenges of living in a time when women weren't supposed to be educated or have jobs outside the home, and when, if they did and accomplished something great, the credit was given (often taken by) a man. However, the book isn’t about blaming men or society at the time, instead, the emphasis is on the perseverance and accomplishments of these remarkable women.

Along with the amazing biographies of the featured women, the book includes additional information about the real-life consequences of their work. Some chapters also include steps for simple and fun experiments you can do at home, highlighting the scientist featured. I feel like this element reinforces the idea that science, research, and curiosity are for EVERYONE.

I recommend this book for any personal library and any upper elementary school classroom/library.

#TheLostWomenofScience #NetGalley

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here are women of science whose accomplishments were overwritten by men despite the fact that they were not only (more) qualified, but also ahead of their time. The pointed mini biographies are peppered with illustrations and photographs that bring each one of them to life. Excellent!
The illustrations by Karyn Lee are primarily clear drawings that represent people and things before inexpensive photography.
Well suited for reading alone or WITH someone of any age, including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, but especially to a school, waiting room, or your local public library!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected advance proof for review purposes on Thorium PDF from Random House Children's | Bright Matter Books via NetGalley. Pub Date Aug 19, 2025
#TheLostWomenofScience by Melina Gerosa Bellows and Katie Hafner is illustrated by @Karyn Lee @randomhousechildrens #Bright Matter Books #illustrated #BooksForAll #ChildrensBooks #ReadAloud #SchoolLibrary #ClassroomReading #BackToSchoolBooks #NetGalleyFinds #netgalleyreads #middleschoolers @NYPL @bookbub #weneeddiversebooks #STEAMbooks #elementary @bklynlibrary #kidlit #picturebook @goodreads @childrensbookcouncil #NetGalley *****review @librarythingofficial #LostWomenofSciencePodcast #photographs @bookshop_org @bookshop_org_uk

[Toni Morales-Awobokun · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Must-Read for Moms, Daughters, and Curious Minds Everywhere

The Lost Women of Science is a powerful and inspiring read. As a mom to a ten-year-old daughter, I was deeply moved by the stories of brilliant women whose contributions to science had been overlooked for far too long. The book is full of fascinating facts and surprising discoveries, many of which I had never heard before.

What made the experience even more special was sharing it with my daughter. Watching her eyes light up as we read about these trailblazing scientists was a reminder of just how important representation and storytelling are. This book is not just about history; it’s about opening doors for the next generation.

Beautifully written and filled with photos and engaging sketches, this book brings these hidden figures to life. I highly recommend it to anyone... especially parents raising curious, bright girls who deserve to know that women have always belonged in science.

[Lauren | TransportedLFL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Random House Kids for the free books. These opinions are my own.

I was interested in this because it's precisely the kind of book I choose to share with my community for my Little Free Library. But I ended up learning so much from it for myself. It features ten different women, all of whom made incredible contributions to science but who weren't appropriately credited for their work. The language was perfect, clearly explaining complex topics like astrophysics without oversimplifying. I loved the use of historical documents and the inclusion of experiments for kids to do themselves. I'm thrilled there is a podcast this is based on because clearly, I have some listening and learning to do. Even the women whose stories I already knew, I learned something more about here. This was so inspirational.

4.5 stars rounded up

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Read this with my daughter and my 8yo son ended up getting sucked in and wanting to read it too. We all really enjoyed and found that there were a wide variety of women represented in the book across various STEM fields and time periods. It was fascinating reading about women who have contributed greatly and then been forgotten/discredited/etc. and we felt like this was an important read for all and sparked great discussions with my 8yo.

Each woman's story is presented in an easily digestible chunk and we had no trouble reading aloud one or two stories per night and then looking up more information or discussing. Would be an awesome book to add to science units!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! Definitely one we will look to purchasing for our homeschool shelf.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's Publishers through NetGalley.
Readers meet ten women who made major contributions to scientific fields but were not given the credit they deserved. Too often, in their lifetimes, men were the only ones acknowledged in these fields. The author provides biographies as well as further information on their fields so readers can learn and explore a variety of areas. The book is based on Hafner's "The Lost Women of Science" podcast. The writing style is easy to follow for middle grade readers. It will pull them in to learn, and, hopefully, inspire them to do more discovery in their areas of interest.

[Stephanie Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is perfect for using (as I would be) in the classroom library! I loved how there are 10 women who made incredible discoveries in the fields of science, who tend to be overlooked by their fellow scientists, who are male. The opportunity for hands on learning with at home projects is awesome, and would be so fun to do at home!

[Haerlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated the format of this book: minibiographies, sidebars with additional information, and a few opportunities to conduct to experiments. I would have this in my school library to help students get a fuller view of women and science, but the book is not as diverse as the cover implies. This is an opportunity for a second volume for publication.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating profiles of overlooked women in the sciences. But the authors do a disservice to their readers in neglecting to include specific citations for the quotes that are sprinkled liberally through the chapters. Curious readers don’t have a clear path to the sources used.

[Nichole Chinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened while working. Learned some new things! Definitely need more women in STEAM!! And for them to be acknowledged vs lumped into a group.

[Hoover Public Library Kids and Teens · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the popular podcast! An empowering collection that recognizes ten trailblazing female scientists whose lives and works have been lost to history...until now.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review.

As a woman who works in STEM myself I was excited to read a book about women in science. I also wanted to see if this was a good book to give to my nephews and nieces to learn more about women and their achievements in science.

This book was a fun way to learn about so many different women and the stings they did to help in their respective fields. Though my copy was not wholly finished with some pics and activities I can imagine what a great book it is going to be to teach not only children but us adults about these lost women.

Definitely check this book out once it hits the shelves.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lost Women of Science is a middle-school aged book focusing on 10 revolutionary women in STEM who made remarkable strides in their field. But like many women of their time, they were not properly credited or received just praise for their work. This book briefly talks about their past and accomplishments.

I found this book very interesting and informative, as I had never heard of any of these women. This book is perfectly targeted to young middle-school kids, particularly girls, to help understand what women are (and have always been) capable of achieving. It was also a nice touch that one of the authors was related to one of the women - it gave the book a more personal touch. A great read for any woman!

Thanks to Random House Children's, Bright Matter Books, Melina Gerosa Bellows, Katie Hafner, and Karyn Lee for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This engaging book introduces readers to ten remarkable women whose groundbreaking scientific contributions have too often been overlooked in a male-dominated field. Blending biography with interactive learning, it not only highlights their discoveries but also invites readers—especially young scientists-in-the-making—to experiment at home with projects inspired by each woman’s work. Their fields ranged widely—from climate science and cryptanalysis to ethnobotany, medicine, mycology, engineering, and computer programming. The book pairs these women’s stories with simple at-home experiments so kids can experience their discoveries firsthand.

Some of my favorites included Eunice Newton Foote, often called the “Mother of Climate Science,” who identified the greenhouse effect; cryptanalyst Elizabeth Smith Friedman, whose codebreaking helped dismantle Mafia bootlegging operations and foil Nazi spy networks; and Dr. Sarah Loguen Fraser, one of the first Black women to become a doctor in the U.S. I was also fascinated to learn about Leona Zacharias, Katie Hafner’s grandmother, whose team solved the tragic puzzle of why premature infants (including Stevie Wonder) were going blind in the 1940s. Other profiles include Dr. Dorothy Anderson, who discovered cystic fibrosis, and many more women who deserve to be household names.

I especially loved the inclusion of photographs, drawings, and historical context that made the women and their discoveries feel vivid and real. The hands-on projects woven into the chapters are a fantastic touch, giving kids a way to directly experience some of the science these women pioneered.

The Lost Women of Science will be published August 19, 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's, Bright Matter Books, Melina Gerosa Bellows, and Katie Hafner for this free, advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on a podcast of the same name, it’s an inspiring & informative look at 10 women who have been overlooked for their contributions. It’s well written and easy to understand for younger readers, and has fun illustrations throughout. Highly recommend for readers of all ages!

🎧: I preferred the physical book for this one, with the illustrations and format including sidebars and quick facts it was much easier to follow in book format.