A new generation is introduced to a fascinating woman of science whose story deserves to be more widely known.
Rosalind Franklin was frequently told that girls could not be scientists.
But, as this picture-book biography illustrates, she loved to learn and always knew that science was her calling. At boarding school, where she was the only Jewish child, she studied Hebrew and other languages while the other students attended church. She attended a London school where girls could learn science and math and later studied chemistry at Cambridge University. World War II loomed; on one page, Rosalind expresses relief that she lives in England—here, the book offers a brief, facile description of the Holocaust. Rosalind helped develop a safe gas mask for British soldiers during World War II. But examining and photographing the molecular structure of DNA led to her most important discovery, perfectly capturing the now-famous double helix. James Watson and Francis Crick, the male scientists who discovered DNA, used her remarkable photo to present their findings but never credited her. But she never stopped working and later photographed RNA in polio and other viruses. Though sometimes heavily reliant on difficult scientific vocabulary, Gerin is meticulous and admiring in presenting Rosalind’s accomplishments, placing them in the context of world events across several decades and stressing her subject’s intensity and patience despite many frustrations. At several stages readers are reminded that Rosalind “always took a closer look.” Fedele’s mostly earth-toned illustrations are carefully constructed to capture the times and settings and present Rosalind as strong and serious. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A new generation is introduced to a fascinating woman of science whose story deserves to be more widely known. (author’s note, glossary, timeline, bibliography) (Picture book/biography/history. 9-14)Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5064-7065-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beaming Books
Review Posted Online: June 7, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2022
A breezy, bustling bucketful of courageous acts and eye-popping feats.
Why should grown-ups get all the historical, scientific, athletic, cinematic, and artistic glory?
Choosing exemplars from both past and present, Mitchell includes but goes well beyond Alexander the Great, Anne Frank, and like usual suspects to introduce a host of lesser-known luminaries. These include Shapur II, who was formally crowned king of Persia before he was born, Indian dancer/professional architect Sheila Sri Prakash, transgender spokesperson Jazz Jennings, inventor Param Jaggi, and an international host of other teen or preteen activists and prodigies. The individual portraits range from one paragraph to several pages in length, and they are interspersed with group tributes to, for instance, the Nazi-resisting “Swingkinder,” the striking New York City newsboys, and the marchers of the Birmingham Children’s Crusade. Mitchell even offers would-be villains a role model in Elagabalus, “boy emperor of Rome,” though she notes that he, at least, came to an awful end: “Then, then! They dumped his remains in the Tiber River, to be nommed by fish for all eternity.” The entries are arranged in no evident order, and though the backmatter includes multiple booklists, a personality quiz, a glossary, and even a quick Braille primer (with Braille jokes to decode), there is no index. Still, for readers whose fires need lighting, there’s motivational kindling on nearly every page.
A breezy, bustling bucketful of courageous acts and eye-popping feats. (finished illustrations not seen) (Collective biography. 10-13)Pub Date: May 10, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-14-751813-2
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Puffin
Review Posted Online: Nov. 10, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2015
A sincere, genuine, and uplifting book that affirms the importance of being true to yourself.
Middle school drama hits hard in this coming-of-age graphic memoir.
Natural competitor Misty has faced off against the boys for years, always coming out on top, but now they’re moving on without her into the land of full-contact football. Never one to back away from a challenge, Misty resolves to join the team and convinces her best friend, Bree, to join her. While Misty pours herself into practicing, obviously uninterested Bree—who was motivated more by getting to be around boys than doing sports—drifts toward popular queen bee Ava, creating an uneasy dynamic. Feeling estranged from Bree, Misty, who typically doesn’t think much about her appearance, tries to navigate seventh grade—even experimenting with a more traditionally feminine gender expression—while also mastering her newfound talent for tackling and facing hostility from some boys on the team. Readers with uncommon interests will relate to the theme of being the odd one out. Social exclusion and cutting remarks can be traumatic, so it’s therapeutic to see Misty begin to embrace her differences instead of trying to fit in with frenemies who don’t value her. The illustrations are alive with color and rich emotional details, pairing perfectly with the heartfelt storytelling. The husband-and-wife duo’s combined efforts will appeal to fans of Raina Telgemeier and Shannon Hale. Main characters present as White; some background characters read as Black.
A sincere, genuine, and uplifting book that affirms the importance of being true to yourself. (Graphic memoir. 9-13)Pub Date: Sept. 27, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-306469-0
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2022
PERSPECTIVES
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
