Review by Booklist Review
The latest entry in Krull's exemplary Giants of Science series puts nearly as much weight on Curie's importance in opening doors to women as it does on her groundbreaking work with radioactive materials. Punctuated with occasional sketches that take her from a child in Poland, staring avidly at a precious cabinet of lab supplies, to a view of her equally brilliant daughter doing the same thing decades later, Krull's lively narrative traces Curie's private life and public career, then closes with an appreciation of her achievements and brief comments on the careers of her two daughters. Sensitively portraying her marriage and partnership with Pierre, Krull presents her as a reserved, focused brainiac, whose cold exterior concealed a sense of compassion that really came to the fore in her World War I work. The illustrations in Philip Steele's Marie Curie: The Woman Who Changed the Course of Science (2006) give it a leg up for straight assignment use, but this moving portrait definitely merits a place alongside. An index and a multimedia resource list are appended.--Peters, John Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-8-A refreshing look at the renowned scientist, warts and all. Curie was born in Poland in 1867 to a family that valued education. She worked as a governess and saved money until she could move to Paris to study at the Sorbonne. After receiving degrees in science and math, she pursued lab research with her husband, Pierre. She later discovered two new elements, polonium and radium, and won Nobel Prizes in both physics and chemistry. In World War I, she served her country by developing mobile X-ray machines for use in the field and, after the war, opened her Radium Institute to pursue research. This enlightening portrait of Curie goes beyond the basic facts of her life. It conveys her successes and remarkable achievements, but also the affair the widowed Curie had with a married man and her workaholic nature. The scattered drawings further humanize the subject but add little to the presentation. Nonetheless, this is a realistic portrait of a flesh-and-blood woman, not just a famous name.-Kristen Oravec, Stephen S. Wise Elementary School, Los Angeles (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Intermediate, Middle School) Marie Curie joins Krull's Giants of Science pantheon (Isaac Newton, rev. 5/06; Sigmund Freud, rev. 9/06); that she's the first female subject in the series is both appropriate -- Curie's life was full of firsts -- and a fitting tribute to someone who, at the turn of the previous century, confronted many professional and social barriers because of her gender. Curie's Nobel Prize-winning contributions to chemistry and physics led to revolutionary advances in medicine, ushered in the modern nuclear age, and paved the way for future generations of women in science. Without detracting from those remarkable accomplishments, Krull offers readers an unvarnished yet deeply respectful look at Curie's life and legacy, making scientific concepts and procedures accessible to the audience (e.g., ""Think of someone juggling while reading a newspaper and you get some idea of the multitasking involved""). The compelling and conversational narrative (ably assisted by Kulikov's black-and-white drawings) portrays a brilliant, mostly self-taught, driven woman with plenty of idiosyncrasies, and the story of her discovery of radium (""my child"") is as engaging as any of her personal dramas and challenges. With Marie Curie, Krull continues to set the bar high for biographies for children. A bibliography, including books appropriate for young readers, and a list of related websites are appended; index not seen. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Krull presents another top-notch scientific biography in the outstanding Giants of Science series. Readers have come to expect chatty, direct narratives that develop distinct characters and place those individuals squarely in the context of both their times and their disciplines, and this account of the noted physicist's life delivers the goods. From her childhood in an oppressed Poland, the daughter of two highly educated individuals, Curie emerges as a driven woman, determined to excel for both her parents' and her country's sake, this drive informing everything that followed. As in previous series entries, this offering manages to take a wildly complex subject--atomic physics--and render it comprehensible to the child reader, emphasizing the legacy Curie left behind. Curie's personal life--her unusual (for the times) partnership with her husband, her frustration with the limitations imposed on her because of her sex, her difficulty balancing work and family--receives admiring, but frank consideration. Readers will emerge from this account with a new appreciation for both the scientific and social advances made by Curie, whose towering achievements justly earn her a place among the "Giants." (bibliography, web resources, index) (Biography. 10-14) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
