Marie Curie

From a poor family, Marie worked very hard, winning recognition for her talent at school. Not able to go to university in Poland, where she was born, Marie moved to France where she soon excelled in maths and science, even though she was studying in a foreign language. Whilst there, she met Pierre Curie, who she married and they worked together to make incredible discoveries. The first woman to receive the Nobel Prize, she continued her work after the death of her husband to be awarded a second. Her discoveries continue to help people with illnesses today. Difficult subject matter is made accessible and interesting for younger readers as it tells the story of Madame Curie and her contributions to medicine and science. Told succinctly and with beautiful illustrations, the story shows Marie as a person as well as a Nobel Prize winner. It is an inspiring story, showing how hard work and determination can help anyone to succeed, no matter what they are up against. There is a time line at the back of the book which offers photographs and more detail about her life. Like the other books in this series, this offers a great introduction to the life of someone who has made a significant contribution to the world. Inspiring and informative! 32 pages / Ages 5+ / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher.

Suggested Reading Age 5+

I absolutely love this series of books and this one is no exception. An absolutely inspirational woman, the story simply tells the life story of Marie Curie; from moving to France in order to be able to study at university, to getting married and discovering radium and Polonium. The story plots her life through the tragic death of her husband and winning both of the nobel prizes she was awarded. The story is simply written with only the key facts, however at the back of the book is a more detailed biography of her life - very useful if you're unfamiliar with her achievements but want to be able to answer children's questions about her life. This story is great for inspiring and empowering little girls to achieve their dreams, and also for helping little boys to grow up knowing that women are as worthy and intelligent as they are - something that isn't always clear in modern day texts. I feel these books would appeal to children up to the age of about 7; past this point the story is still completely valid but the way it is written is simplistic and I think this may bore more competent readers. It would be easy to share with a group as the illustrations are charming and colourful, giving children something to focus on whilst listening to the story. In these illustrations, there are lots of opportunities to develop inference skills, looking at the emotions portrayed on each persons' face and the details on each page. The story tells of a strong, intelligent woman who pushed herself out of her comfort zone in order to make monumental discoveries that still help people today. This would be great as an introduction to the use of Science, looking at medicine and how it has developed, or perhaps a topic about women's rights. It would be good to ask children to research Curie a little further, or perhaps to use as a model for writing a biographical story. Picture book / Ages 5+ / Reviewed by Lizi Coombs, teacher.

Suggested Reading Age 5+