Who Was Marie Curie? is one of
the more recent titles in this popular series for younger and middle grade
readers. Written by Megan Stine and illustrated by Ted Hammond, this short
chapter book covers the life and work of the famous scientist Marie Curie.
I chose this book because I am quite familiar
with this biography series and its accompanying series, What Was…, which gives brief background and explanations on historical
landmarks and events from the past. Students have often loved to read these
non-fiction books and typically have a better understanding of the topics after
having read books in either of these series. I decided on this particular book
because I vividly remember a set of biographies my own teacher had in her
classroom that I read with great interest. My favorite in the series was of the
fascinating Madame Curie.
Although I expected an interesting read that
matched my childhood enthusiasm, I was generally disappointed. The story covers
all major events in Marie Curie’s life, and even delivered information that was
new to me. The author rightfully emphasizes the point that Marie Curie was a
pioneer in science and had to endure hardships not put upon other scientists of
the time, her husband included. The story’s descriptions of the political
climate in Warsaw at the time, however, are abbreviated and somewhat confusing.
There are also references to the intellectual differences of Marie’s daughters
that felt uncomfortable to read, reinforcing stereotypes of being “especially
smart” versus “good at music.” Finally, there are several pages on Marie’s love
for her married friend and colleague which had dramatic details that younger
readers would not be able to put into context on their own (violence, death
threats, the wife sending love letters to the press and the subsequent
scandal).
Overall, this story included some interesting
details, but was not particularly well-written and failed to give readers a
solid foundation to further understand Marie, her work, and the times in which
she lived. I’ll be looking for another resource to satisfy my childhood
interest in Marie Curie.
Thanks for your review. I am interested in you opinion. What book would you recommend in place of this one?
ReplyDeleteI appreciate that you share your disappointment! I have been late to the Madame Curie party and would like to know more about her. I can't vouch for how accurate this song is, (science or autobiography) but it sure is catchy, and might be a good introduction for kids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctDi6qXyfQs
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