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101 Awesome Women Who Transformed Science
Discover the inspirational stories of 101 brilliant female scientists and the many discoveries, inventions and breakthroughs they brought into the world.
This book features inspiring STEM heroes from many different countries and cultures, some of which are still working today - pushing the frontiers of scientific fields from engineering to astrophysics.
These trailblazing women will fire the imagination of children everywhere! The captivating biographies, quotations and accessible facts are brought to life with charming illustrations.
These pioneering women include:
• Katherine G. Johnson (African American mathematician during NASAs first space launch)
• Ellen Ochoa (First Hispanic woman astronaut)
• Émilie du Châtelet (French mathematician in the 1700s who fought for her rights to study math/science)
• Etta Zuber Falconer (one of the 1st African American women to receive a PhD in Mathematics)
• Carol Shaw (First female video game designer)
• Joy Adamson (scientist/conservationist who raised lion cubs)
• Sun Yung Alice Chang (Chinese American mathematician)
This is a perfect title for kids aged 8+.
This book features inspiring STEM heroes from many different countries and cultures, some of which are still working today - pushing the frontiers of scientific fields from engineering to astrophysics.
These trailblazing women will fire the imagination of children everywhere! The captivating biographies, quotations and accessible facts are brought to life with charming illustrations.
These pioneering women include:
• Katherine G. Johnson (African American mathematician during NASAs first space launch)
• Ellen Ochoa (First Hispanic woman astronaut)
• Émilie du Châtelet (French mathematician in the 1700s who fought for her rights to study math/science)
• Etta Zuber Falconer (one of the 1st African American women to receive a PhD in Mathematics)
• Carol Shaw (First female video game designer)
• Joy Adamson (scientist/conservationist who raised lion cubs)
• Sun Yung Alice Chang (Chinese American mathematician)
This is a perfect title for kids aged 8+.
283 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 1, 2020
13 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
August 26, 2022
Stan my mother for getting me this book
✨women in stem✨
✨women in stem✨
February 13, 2020
101 Awesome Women Who Transformed Science by Claire Philip
4.25 stars
Here is a list of some of my favorite women that I got to learn about (so many new ones I had never heard of before):
*Merit Ptah (first female doctor)
*Agnodice (doctor who pretended to be a man and changed gender laws)
*Trota of Salerno (medical scientist)
*Saint Hildegard of Bingen (polymath- prophetic nun who became the first German female physician)
*Catherine Charlotte de la Gardie (vaccination pioneer who stopped the last witch trial in Sweden- please someone make a film about this)
*Sarah Guppy (inventor- mainly bridges)
*Hertha Ayrton (inventor who created a fan that dispersed mustard gas in WWI)
*Regina Fleszarowa (geologist who hid Jews from Nazis and held secret meetings for librarians)
*Alice Augusta Ball (chemist who focused on curing leprosy)
*Maria Goeppert Mayer (physicist who worked on the Manhattan Project)
*Rachel Carson (marine biologist and advocate against pesticides)
*Joy Adamson (naturalist who worked with lion cubs and other African wildlife- she was murdered viciously and solved)
*Dorothy Johnson Vaughan (mathematical engineer, one of the ladies from Hidden Figures)
*Astrid Loken (entomologist and wartime spy who focused on bumblebees and the dopest woman in this whole book!)
*Joan Clarke (mathematician who also helped develop a decoding system that change the course of WWII)
*Kateryna Yuschenko (computer scientist and mathematician who writes awesome poetry)
*Mary Jackson (mathematician and the real MVP of being allowed the right to attend an all-white high school to get her engineering degree to work at NASA)
*Eugenie Clark (marine biologist who dived until she was 92)
*Dian Fossey (primatologist and conversation who worked with endangered gorillas; she was also tragically murdered by a colleague who has not been charged)
*Sally Ride (astronaut and advocate against wearing makeup in space because gender roles should not still be a thing)
*Mae Carol Jemison (first female African-American in space)
*Chieko Asakawa (computer scientist who lost her sight as a teen and made inventions for the visually impaired to help them access the web)
Whimsical Writing Scale: 3.25
Plotastic Scale: 5
Cover Thoughts: I love the cover for this one so much! It does a great job of highlighting the wonderful illustrations inside.
Thank you, Netgalley and Arcturus Publishing, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
4.25 stars
The STEM field has a large hidden variety of women who have paved the way and made grand strands toward science. Most of these women are never mentioned in a science class and the only way you know about them is if you come across a movie, book, or news article (maybe a Buzzfeed or blogger list). I, personally am not a science or math inclined individual. I excelled at math when I was younger, but I progressively got older the subject and I didn’t always click well. Science has and never will be my foray. However, I greatly appreciate hearing stories and testimonies of the lives’ of scientists. Their lives have always fascinated me and I would much rather have glimpses into the person than only hearing about their discoveries, especially since most discoveries occur because of who they are as a person. This little illustrated book for young children is a great introductory resource if you have little ones who love science, math, animals or video games. This book covers a wide variety of scientists, mathematicians, and inventors. There is something for everyone and that makes this book so much fun. I’m definitely not the target demographic, but I teach high school students and I can see a lot of them enjoying this if it was in a classroom. I also encourage parents and family members to consider purchasing this book as a gift. The illustrations are excellent and the facts are not too complicated to understand. There is a glossary in the back for concepts they may not be familiar with as well.
Here is a list of some of my favorite women that I got to learn about (so many new ones I had never heard of before):
*Merit Ptah (first female doctor)
*Agnodice (doctor who pretended to be a man and changed gender laws)
*Trota of Salerno (medical scientist)
*Saint Hildegard of Bingen (polymath- prophetic nun who became the first German female physician)
*Catherine Charlotte de la Gardie (vaccination pioneer who stopped the last witch trial in Sweden- please someone make a film about this)
*Sarah Guppy (inventor- mainly bridges)
*Hertha Ayrton (inventor who created a fan that dispersed mustard gas in WWI)
*Regina Fleszarowa (geologist who hid Jews from Nazis and held secret meetings for librarians)
*Alice Augusta Ball (chemist who focused on curing leprosy)
*Maria Goeppert Mayer (physicist who worked on the Manhattan Project)
*Rachel Carson (marine biologist and advocate against pesticides)
*Joy Adamson (naturalist who worked with lion cubs and other African wildlife- she was murdered viciously and solved)
*Dorothy Johnson Vaughan (mathematical engineer, one of the ladies from Hidden Figures)
*Astrid Loken (entomologist and wartime spy who focused on bumblebees and the dopest woman in this whole book!)
*Joan Clarke (mathematician who also helped develop a decoding system that change the course of WWII)
*Kateryna Yuschenko (computer scientist and mathematician who writes awesome poetry)
*Mary Jackson (mathematician and the real MVP of being allowed the right to attend an all-white high school to get her engineering degree to work at NASA)
*Eugenie Clark (marine biologist who dived until she was 92)
*Dian Fossey (primatologist and conversation who worked with endangered gorillas; she was also tragically murdered by a colleague who has not been charged)
*Sally Ride (astronaut and advocate against wearing makeup in space because gender roles should not still be a thing)
*Mae Carol Jemison (first female African-American in space)
*Chieko Asakawa (computer scientist who lost her sight as a teen and made inventions for the visually impaired to help them access the web)
My one major critique is that there is a large portion of the book (in the middle) where there is barely information and the women’s stories are just glossed over and given only one page. Also, if you are worried about whether this book acknowledges violence, it does not. Two primate conversationalists were famously murdered and their deaths are regarded as “dying tragically”. However, besides that I would highly recommend this book to any girl who loves anything related to the STEM field or history.
Whimsical Writing Scale: 3.25
Plotastic Scale: 5
Cover Thoughts: I love the cover for this one so much! It does a great job of highlighting the wonderful illustrations inside.
Thank you, Netgalley and Arcturus Publishing, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
January 2, 2020
I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley
Definitely a simplistic look at women scientists through the ages but I think it would be an excellent starting point for younger readers to start learning about some of these women. I like that it moves more or less in chronological order from ancient Egypt all the way up until today and I actually only knew about a handful of the women featured in this book so even as an adult I think I actually learned a lot here. Would definitely recommend for children and adults alike.
Definitely a simplistic look at women scientists through the ages but I think it would be an excellent starting point for younger readers to start learning about some of these women. I like that it moves more or less in chronological order from ancient Egypt all the way up until today and I actually only knew about a handful of the women featured in this book so even as an adult I think I actually learned a lot here. Would definitely recommend for children and adults alike.
December 12, 2019
I read a lot of these collected mini-biographies, especially ones focused on women, and typically ones meant for a middle-grade audience, so this was an obvious book for me to read. 101 Awesome Women Who Transformed Science by Claire Philip surprised me in the best way, and I had a deep appreciation for it.
101 is a lot of people to look at, and the book manages to cover all 101 quickly but without feeling rushed. These short biographies make for a solid introduction to a broad variety of women in science, especially for younger readers who aren't sure where to start. I do wish a few of the especially short ones had been longer by a sentence or two, but overall the variety of lengths helped keep the pace moving for the younger audience. It's a type of book I enjoy and I read about women in STEM online regularly, so I was surprised to see that I only knew about half of the women in this book. I love reading a book like this that can toss so many new names my way, so it was genuinely thrilling to see that there were so many that I hadn't read about before. I also oddly appreciated seeing Marie Curie omitted because even though her career is iconic, it is so easy to learn about her elsewhere. The brief looks into specific branches of science and the roles women played within them made for an interesting and fun way to break the book up. The illustrations were cute and inviting and served their purpose.
I think my only solid complaint would be that I wished there had been more diversity of the women portrayed. While women from many types of STEM backgrounds were included, and they were from a broad variety of countries, there were areas I didn't think were adequately covered. There were no trans women, and the very few queer women present were not noted as such. The number of disabled women was extremely limited. The women of colour throughout the 20th century and into the present were represented fairly widely, but between the ancient ones and the ones operating in the early twentieth century, there weren't any. There was also only one indigenous woman featured.
101 Awesome Women Who Transformed Science is a fun read, filled with a variety of faces, and is perfect for the average kid interested in learning more about science and scientists of the past and present. While some of the diversity is lacking, I would be most inclined to suggest additional books rather than alternative ones.
101 is a lot of people to look at, and the book manages to cover all 101 quickly but without feeling rushed. These short biographies make for a solid introduction to a broad variety of women in science, especially for younger readers who aren't sure where to start. I do wish a few of the especially short ones had been longer by a sentence or two, but overall the variety of lengths helped keep the pace moving for the younger audience. It's a type of book I enjoy and I read about women in STEM online regularly, so I was surprised to see that I only knew about half of the women in this book. I love reading a book like this that can toss so many new names my way, so it was genuinely thrilling to see that there were so many that I hadn't read about before. I also oddly appreciated seeing Marie Curie omitted because even though her career is iconic, it is so easy to learn about her elsewhere. The brief looks into specific branches of science and the roles women played within them made for an interesting and fun way to break the book up. The illustrations were cute and inviting and served their purpose.
I think my only solid complaint would be that I wished there had been more diversity of the women portrayed. While women from many types of STEM backgrounds were included, and they were from a broad variety of countries, there were areas I didn't think were adequately covered. There were no trans women, and the very few queer women present were not noted as such. The number of disabled women was extremely limited. The women of colour throughout the 20th century and into the present were represented fairly widely, but between the ancient ones and the ones operating in the early twentieth century, there weren't any. There was also only one indigenous woman featured.
101 Awesome Women Who Transformed Science is a fun read, filled with a variety of faces, and is perfect for the average kid interested in learning more about science and scientists of the past and present. While some of the diversity is lacking, I would be most inclined to suggest additional books rather than alternative ones.
July 7, 2020
101 Awesome Women Who Transformed Science by Claire Philip, 125 pages. NON-FICTION. Arcturus Publishing, 2020. $10.
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: G
BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Philip has compiled bios for 101 women who have influenced a number of science fields, from medicine to astronomy to math. These women come from all different countries and backgrounds. Do any of these women remind you of yourself or of who you want to be?
I feel like a lot of books about the amazing women of history have been published recently, and I was surprised to find that many of the women introduced by Philip were still unfamiliar to me. While this compilation is not as engaging as others I have read, I love that the women are organized chronologically because I was able to see the big picture of progression through the years. These women were able to build off the research of those who came before, and readers are encouraged to build off the knowledge of these women in turn.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2020...
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: G
BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Philip has compiled bios for 101 women who have influenced a number of science fields, from medicine to astronomy to math. These women come from all different countries and backgrounds. Do any of these women remind you of yourself or of who you want to be?
I feel like a lot of books about the amazing women of history have been published recently, and I was surprised to find that many of the women introduced by Philip were still unfamiliar to me. While this compilation is not as engaging as others I have read, I love that the women are organized chronologically because I was able to see the big picture of progression through the years. These women were able to build off the research of those who came before, and readers are encouraged to build off the knowledge of these women in turn.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2020...
September 27, 2019
I really wish this book had been around when I was a child, I would have loved it. I found it very enjoyable, it focusses on remarkable women in science from 2700BC to the present day. I really appreciated the fact that it was in chronological order (I’m also currently reading a history of medicine book that jumps about in time, and it is so confusing!). I would have enjoyed more detail on each of the women, but then there wouldn’t be room for so many!
I can see this being an excellent book to read with a child (or let them read alone), particularly one who shows interest in science, maths and so on. You could then look up more information on the women, or the science, they were most interested in. The illustrations are lovely, and something I would have very much enjoyed as a child.
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I can see this being an excellent book to read with a child (or let them read alone), particularly one who shows interest in science, maths and so on. You could then look up more information on the women, or the science, they were most interested in. The illustrations are lovely, and something I would have very much enjoyed as a child.
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 13, 2020
This was a great book showing the women who helped in science.
As someone who studies forensic science at the moment this was a reminder to how times have changed.
Reading about how a woman was the only female in a all-male school is mind-blowing to me as in my classes there is an average of 3 men and 20 woman...
This book really motivates me to keep doing what I do and really focus on what I want.
In about 2 years I have to conduct research myself and I can't wait!
This book can be really inspiring for children to be a part of the world of science.
As someone who studies forensic science at the moment this was a reminder to how times have changed.
Reading about how a woman was the only female in a all-male school is mind-blowing to me as in my classes there is an average of 3 men and 20 woman...
This book really motivates me to keep doing what I do and really focus on what I want.
In about 2 years I have to conduct research myself and I can't wait!
This book can be really inspiring for children to be a part of the world of science.
June 4, 2020
Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: G
Philip has compiled bios for 101 women who have influenced a number of science fields, from medicine to astronomy to math. These women come from all different countries and backgrounds. Do any of these women remind you of yourself or of who you want to be?
I feel like a lot of books about the amazing women of history have been published recently, and I was surprised to find that many of the women introduced by Philip were still unfamiliar to me. While this compilation is not as engaging as others I have read, I love that the women are organized chronologically because I was able to see the big picture of progression through the years. These women were able to build off the research of those who came before, and readers are encouraged to build off the knowledge of these women in turn.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
Philip has compiled bios for 101 women who have influenced a number of science fields, from medicine to astronomy to math. These women come from all different countries and backgrounds. Do any of these women remind you of yourself or of who you want to be?
I feel like a lot of books about the amazing women of history have been published recently, and I was surprised to find that many of the women introduced by Philip were still unfamiliar to me. While this compilation is not as engaging as others I have read, I love that the women are organized chronologically because I was able to see the big picture of progression through the years. These women were able to build off the research of those who came before, and readers are encouraged to build off the knowledge of these women in turn.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/
September 18, 2021
Good read. Think young teenagers would enjoy reading this. (Doing research for books to inspire my nieces and nephews).
Had to share what I’ve learnt:
Beatrice Shilling, (1909-1990) engineer, created a piece of an equipment which prevented the engines of fighter planes (spitfires) from flooding with plane fuel during World War II. It became known as “Tilly Ofice” by pilots.
Eugenie Clark, (1922-2015) marine biologist, aka “shark lady” for her love for 🦈 sharks! 😱 She was a fish biologist (an ichthyologist). She studied how sharks behaved and spent a lot of time on expeditions. Public speaker, and raised awareness on sharks why we shouldn’t hunt them. In 2018, a species of dogfish was named after her.
Dian Fossey, (1935-1985) Primatologist and Conservationist. She dedicated her life to wild conservatory and threatened gorillas. She wrote a book “Gorillas in the mist”, detailing her experiences.
And there was stories about current living women, not all have passed away.
Had to share what I’ve learnt:
Beatrice Shilling, (1909-1990) engineer, created a piece of an equipment which prevented the engines of fighter planes (spitfires) from flooding with plane fuel during World War II. It became known as “Tilly Ofice” by pilots.
Eugenie Clark, (1922-2015) marine biologist, aka “shark lady” for her love for 🦈 sharks! 😱 She was a fish biologist (an ichthyologist). She studied how sharks behaved and spent a lot of time on expeditions. Public speaker, and raised awareness on sharks why we shouldn’t hunt them. In 2018, a species of dogfish was named after her.
Dian Fossey, (1935-1985) Primatologist and Conservationist. She dedicated her life to wild conservatory and threatened gorillas. She wrote a book “Gorillas in the mist”, detailing her experiences.
And there was stories about current living women, not all have passed away.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2020
101 Women Who Transformed Science
My science loving 9 year old daughter loved this book! It’s amazing what the highlighted women in this book have done. I really liked that the women are all names that you don’t hear often and I’m glad my daughter can learn about them. It’s sad that their names and what they have done are not taught often in schools. I definitely enjoyed the knowledge I gained about these amazing women.
The illustrations are beautiful and the information about the women are written in an easy to understand way.
Thank you Netgalley & Arcturus Publishing for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
My science loving 9 year old daughter loved this book! It’s amazing what the highlighted women in this book have done. I really liked that the women are all names that you don’t hear often and I’m glad my daughter can learn about them. It’s sad that their names and what they have done are not taught often in schools. I definitely enjoyed the knowledge I gained about these amazing women.
The illustrations are beautiful and the information about the women are written in an easy to understand way.
Thank you Netgalley & Arcturus Publishing for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
May 9, 2022
This is a fantastic biographical book that needs to be in every library and elementary school. I consider myself fairly educated and read a lot about women, especially, the history makers, but I had never heard of most of these women! The stories of these women and their work needs to get into the hands of all children so that they can be inspired and informed.
January 20, 2020
This is an amazing book for older girls who want to get into science. It shows that any girl can make it in the world of science. The language is age appropriate and is accompanied by small delightful illustrations. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
December 17, 2021
I wish I had this book when I was younger! Really liked the representation of different science fields. Though I would've liked it to see more non-european women represented
March 18, 2022
The topic is great, educational, and motivational. Very well illustrated and visually appealing.
November 29, 2023
Me encantan está clase de libros, estos que hablan sobre mujeres maravillosas que hicieron y hacen cosas increíbles para el mundo. Aparte de que tiene unas ilustraciones preciosas.💚💙
March 27, 2024
“Reform an abuse which effectively cuts back half of humanity.”
April 7, 2025
Excelente el libro, muy completo y claro con las historias de grandes mujeres en el mundo de la ciencia.
April 19, 2024
We need more books highlighting and celebrating the achievements of women, but this felt like it had been copied and pasted straight from Wikipedia. It was full of bland sentences like "She also taught at Sarah Lawrence College" that don't add anything, and would surely bore any child to tears.
Also, some of the profiles were under 100 words. I get that there isn't always going to be reams of information about each scientist, but those particular bios were so unmemorable that it seemed like a disservice to the women to include such a halfhearted attempt at celebrating them. I'm sure they were/are as awesome as the title claims, but that didn't come across in the writing.
Also, some of the profiles were under 100 words. I get that there isn't always going to be reams of information about each scientist, but those particular bios were so unmemorable that it seemed like a disservice to the women to include such a halfhearted attempt at celebrating them. I'm sure they were/are as awesome as the title claims, but that didn't come across in the writing.
December 8, 2019
I received a copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I always like seeing books that talk about women who's contributions to science have been overlooked. I thought this did a good job of giving quick explanations of many women who's names aren't commonly known and their work in a wide variety of scientific fields. The illustrations are very nice.
My only complaint was that between Merit Ptah in 2700-2650 BCE and Alice Augusta Ball in 1892 - 1916, every woman who got a full page biography was European.
I always like seeing books that talk about women who's contributions to science have been overlooked. I thought this did a good job of giving quick explanations of many women who's names aren't commonly known and their work in a wide variety of scientific fields. The illustrations are very nice.
My only complaint was that between Merit Ptah in 2700-2650 BCE and Alice Augusta Ball in 1892 - 1916, every woman who got a full page biography was European.
November 28, 2019
A fabulously fun and fascinating snapshot into the lives of 101 inspirational STEM heroines whose discoveries, inventions and breakthroughs have changed the world as it is today.
Spanning across centuries, countries and cultures, these trailblazing women – including Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman astronaut and Carol Shaw, the first female video game designer – and their captivating stories are brought to life through their biographies, quotations, facts and charming illustrations by Isabel Munoz.
Spanning across centuries, countries and cultures, these trailblazing women – including Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman astronaut and Carol Shaw, the first female video game designer – and their captivating stories are brought to life through their biographies, quotations, facts and charming illustrations by Isabel Munoz.
November 24, 2019
I love that this book is full of so many little known scientists, and I think girls would LOVE reading about all of the amazing discoveries that were made by other women throughout history. This could also be a great starting point for research projects about female scientists!
November 12, 2019
I was given an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a really great book for elementary aged kids. It would be the perfect gift for a girl who is interested in STEM subjects. It was great that they included so many different fields in this book. It made for a very diverse read.
I really enjoyed that so many different countries were represented, too. There were quite a few women who I had never heard of before picking up this book. I think that is amazing, and makes me want to have my 7 year old daughter read through it next.
My only real issue with the book was that the formatting seemed a bit inconsistent. By that I mean that some of the chapters included where the women were born, years they lived and died, where they went to school, etc. More or less a basic bio. However, not all of them did. I felt like that was odd. It would have been fairly easy to include those stats for each entry. That being said, it was noted that there were many women included who are still alive today. I found that to be very inspiring!
Overall I really enjoyed this book and think it would be a great way to introduce a young, budding scientist/ engineer/ astronaut/ video game programmer/ mathematician/ etc. to some potential new idols.
This is a really great book for elementary aged kids. It would be the perfect gift for a girl who is interested in STEM subjects. It was great that they included so many different fields in this book. It made for a very diverse read.
I really enjoyed that so many different countries were represented, too. There were quite a few women who I had never heard of before picking up this book. I think that is amazing, and makes me want to have my 7 year old daughter read through it next.
My only real issue with the book was that the formatting seemed a bit inconsistent. By that I mean that some of the chapters included where the women were born, years they lived and died, where they went to school, etc. More or less a basic bio. However, not all of them did. I felt like that was odd. It would have been fairly easy to include those stats for each entry. That being said, it was noted that there were many women included who are still alive today. I found that to be very inspiring!
Overall I really enjoyed this book and think it would be a great way to introduce a young, budding scientist/ engineer/ astronaut/ video game programmer/ mathematician/ etc. to some potential new idols.
October 5, 2019
*3.5-4 Stars* I requested this on Net Galley
"101 Awesome Women Who Transformed Science" was a joy to read-- out of the 101 women listed I recognised only about 15 of them! Each biography has a picture and has descriptions of the scientists' accomplishments that are easily accessible. All of the women listed are definitely worthy of further study.
My issue with this book is that the women who are in it (who are all super awesome) tend to be white, straight, from a westernised country, and doing okay socioeconomically. I did not see any women who were disabled, transgender, lesbians and the women also tended to be from either North America or Europe. I realise that in no small part this is likely because WoC, disabled women and women from non-western countries are less likely to be given the same opportunities, but it was still a noticeable gap. Should it be that there were just not enough notable women in science who are disabled, PoC etc., I think a note mentioning that would be useful. As this is a book for children, it needs to emphasize that different skin colours or sexual orientations do not make one less worthy or incapable of doing beautiful things.
This book is doing important work-- the work just needs to be more intersectional and more blatant about why racism, homophobia etc is another reason women are ignored in science.
"101 Awesome Women Who Transformed Science" was a joy to read-- out of the 101 women listed I recognised only about 15 of them! Each biography has a picture and has descriptions of the scientists' accomplishments that are easily accessible. All of the women listed are definitely worthy of further study.
My issue with this book is that the women who are in it (who are all super awesome) tend to be white, straight, from a westernised country, and doing okay socioeconomically. I did not see any women who were disabled, transgender, lesbians and the women also tended to be from either North America or Europe. I realise that in no small part this is likely because WoC, disabled women and women from non-western countries are less likely to be given the same opportunities, but it was still a noticeable gap. Should it be that there were just not enough notable women in science who are disabled, PoC etc., I think a note mentioning that would be useful. As this is a book for children, it needs to emphasize that different skin colours or sexual orientations do not make one less worthy or incapable of doing beautiful things.
This book is doing important work-- the work just needs to be more intersectional and more blatant about why racism, homophobia etc is another reason women are ignored in science.
October 6, 2019
This book is a fantastic resource for elementary school students, especially girls, who are interested in science. Reading it either in order or at random, they will see all that women have accomplished despite formidable obstacles. Girls will realize that with curiosity and perseverance there is no limit to what they can accomplish.
The book begins with a helpful introduction on women in science. One fact that I learned, for example, was that, since women did not attend university until about 200 years ago, many women were educated in convents. The book goes on to look at scientists in many fields with entries that date all the way from 2700 b.c.e to current times. Adults will see names that they recognize along with many that may be new to them. Girls will read about physicians, astronomers, plant scientists, women in computing, environmentalists and more. There are women from many cultures and societies in this book which attempts to be diverse.
I wish that I had had a book like this when I was thinking about what I wanted to be when I grew up. It is expansive, well illustrated, easy to read and full of inspiring stories. By the way, this book is not only for girls. Boys will be inspired and also be reminded that girls are their equals.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.
The book begins with a helpful introduction on women in science. One fact that I learned, for example, was that, since women did not attend university until about 200 years ago, many women were educated in convents. The book goes on to look at scientists in many fields with entries that date all the way from 2700 b.c.e to current times. Adults will see names that they recognize along with many that may be new to them. Girls will read about physicians, astronomers, plant scientists, women in computing, environmentalists and more. There are women from many cultures and societies in this book which attempts to be diverse.
I wish that I had had a book like this when I was thinking about what I wanted to be when I grew up. It is expansive, well illustrated, easy to read and full of inspiring stories. By the way, this book is not only for girls. Boys will be inspired and also be reminded that girls are their equals.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 27, 2021
This is a brilliant book for younger readers, about the women who were pioneers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and who have often been overlooked in favour of their male (and usually white) peers. The biographies are detailed but easily readable, and the accompanying illustrations are delightful. I was pleased that women from diverse backgrounds and countries were included, not just from the Western world. It should be inspirational to girls and boys alike and hopefully will contribute to stopping the STEM fields from beeing so male-dominated. My niece is currently only 2.5 years old, but this has already been added to the list of books I'm buying for her when she's older!
October 31, 2019
Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this book was informative and will be useful for many young girls looking for inspirational role models in the STEM fields. I did wish that the author would have made it more visually pleasing with real photographs and art. Overall a good book.
I thought this book was informative and will be useful for many young girls looking for inspirational role models in the STEM fields. I did wish that the author would have made it more visually pleasing with real photographs and art. Overall a good book.
September 27, 2019
I really liked this book for children. Unlike some other 'women who' type books, it doesn't have too much detail or text - just enough to interest children without putting them off.
I liked the sketches of objects that were/are important to the women featured. It helped to put their achievements into context. The glossary at the back was really useful too.
I'd definitely include this in my school library collection.
Thanks to Arcturus Publishing and Netgalley for the chance to read this advanced copy.
I liked the sketches of objects that were/are important to the women featured. It helped to put their achievements into context. The glossary at the back was really useful too.
I'd definitely include this in my school library collection.
Thanks to Arcturus Publishing and Netgalley for the chance to read this advanced copy.
September 28, 2019
This was a really good book, I loved the introduction to these remarkable women, some of whom are little known. I loved the layout and the length of the chapters being a few pages for each woman was great.
This is the perfect book for children to get them to know a little about them and to hopefully want to go off and find out more. As an adult I had heard of a few of those features but there were plenty of women in the book that I had not heard of, and now I want to read more on.
It is 5 stars from me for this one - very highly recommended!!
This is the perfect book for children to get them to know a little about them and to hopefully want to go off and find out more. As an adult I had heard of a few of those features but there were plenty of women in the book that I had not heard of, and now I want to read more on.
It is 5 stars from me for this one - very highly recommended!!
December 7, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an early copy of this book!
I absolutely adored this book. It really gripped me and I found every story of every single women’s interesting and inspiring. I would have loved to have read a book like this when I was younger.
The story’s and information were easy to digest and the illustrations were beautiful.
Definitely recommend this book to everyone of all ages as it shows how amazing women truly are.
I absolutely adored this book. It really gripped me and I found every story of every single women’s interesting and inspiring. I would have loved to have read a book like this when I was younger.
The story’s and information were easy to digest and the illustrations were beautiful.
Definitely recommend this book to everyone of all ages as it shows how amazing women truly are.
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