Most of us have vague ideas about Marie Curie's life--that she discovered radium, that her beloved husband and fellow scientist, Pierre, was killed by a streetcar, and that she was the first woman to win the Nobel prize. But the details of her life, as revealed in Carla McClafferty's excellent new biography, are truly remarkable. For example, even though Marie isolated radium independently from Pierre, he was offered the Nobel prize without reference to her but refused to accept it unless she was included. Scientists wishing to study her papers have to sign a waiver because the materials are still dangerously radioactive. Marie's life is beautifully well-documented here, and the accompanying pictures are remarkable. The only drawback to the book is that a knowledge of the importance of the discovery or radium is presupposed--children becoming acquainted with Marie Curie for the first time are unlikely to understand why she was such a big deal, and although the hazards of radiation are laid out in great detail, its uses are vaguely presented. Still, a stellar achievement.
Stand Tall
By Siena Siegel
by Joan Bauer
Putnam, 2002, 182 pgs Realistic Fiction
Tree is 12 years old and over 6 feet tall. That would be great if he were a basketball player, but he is not. Dealing with his unusual size is not Tree's only challenge. Tree's parents have recently gone through a divorce, and his grandfather has had his leg amputated as the result of an old Vietnam War injury. The strength of this book is the characterizations. All of the main characters are dimensional and sympathetic. Bauer sets the characters in real and often funny family situations. Best of all is the character of Tree. He is boy with a heart to match his stature. This is a great book for boys or girls ages 9-12, as a read aloud or for individual reading. This book could also be a good Rx book for children whose families are going through divorce, or for anyone who feels like they don't fit in.
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