Marie Curie: Chemist and Physicist

Gr 7 Up—The texts all call particular attention to obstacles faced by professional women in the not so distant past. When kindergartner Mae Carol Jemison says she wants to be a scientist, the teacher asks, "Don't you mean a nurse?" Jane Goodall's groundbreaking work in chimpanzee ethology is repeatedly dismissed by male colleagues. Much effort is given to explaining each woman's contribution to her field and elucidating the often complex science involved, such as Grace Hopper's multiple contributions to automating software development. Nearly every page includes some visual element, whether a diagram, photograph, or topical focus. Sidebars offer historical context, as, for example, an overview of school desegregation in Jemison's biography or the 1930s Japanese occupation of much of China in Chien-Shiung Wu's. Each volume concludes with detailed chapter notes as well as an annotated list of organizations to contact for information and suggested additional resources.