Sisters in Science

December 1, 2022

Gr 2-5-Marie Curie is basically a household name, but even adults may have no concept of her background, her family life, or roots. What a gift to read this book and learn more about her similarly talented sister and the rest of her passionate family. Young readers will gain a complete and fully rich picture of Curie and her sister Bronia, who also loved science and studied medicine. Marshall highlights the importance of education to the young women and the importance of family bonds as she writes of the sisters' devotion to each other and their parents: Bronia holds Marie to their oath to enroll in the Sorbonne and continue studying; she, in the name of working together to find solutions, stays with their ailing father so Marie can stay in Paris. It's a little dry, but the novelty of the information more than makes up for staid storytelling. VERDICT This is best suited for older elementary children, particularly those with an interest in science.-Cat McCarrey

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2022
A strong familial bond is the true star of this dual biography. The life of Marie Curie is viewed through the lens of her relationship with her sister and fellow trailblazer Bronia Dluska. Raised in Poland, the two were determined to have an education. After participating in secret classes at "the Flying University" (schooling that traveled from home to home), the sisters made a pact. Marie would support Bronia's education at the Sorbonne, and, once Bronia had graduated and gotten a job, she'd do the same for Marie. Marie almost backed out of her schooling when her turn came, and only her older sister's urging and support reminded her of their agreement. The story delves into Marie's accomplishments but never strays far from Bronia, showing how these two lives consistently informed and relied upon one another. Appropriately illustrated by the Balbusso twins (sisters themselves), the artwork is a glorious amalgamation of math, science, and illustration. Everything from atoms to numerals and even radiation symbols are worked seamlessly into the highly detailed images. The sole fly in the ointment is that neither the main text nor the backmatter makes a single mention of the dangers of radiation, leading one to think that Marie's discovery had no price to pay. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Genius doesn't come out of nowhere, as this loving paean to strong sisterhood exemplifies. (timeline, bibliography, author's note) (Informational picture book. 6-9)

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2023
Grades 1-3 As a child, Marie Curie was close to her older sister, Bronia, and after their mother's death, they grew closer still. They made a pact: each would work hard to earn money for the other's education at the Sorbonne in Paris, where they planned to study science and medicine. They honored that pact, and, afterward, they supported each other in their careers and personal lives as well. Bronia and her husband started a hospital in Poland. Marie became the first woman to earn a Nobel Prize, honoring her research with Pierre, her husband, at the Sorbonne. When Pierre died, Bronia helped convince administrators there to let Marie teach her husband's classes as the university's first woman professor. The text includes information about the Curie family and the education of women in nineteenth-century Europe, as well as the lives of these two determined, supportive sisters. Created with pencil, pen-and-ink, gouache, watercolor, collage, and digital elements, the striking jacket art; decorative, geometric endpapers; and handsome interior illustrations make this an eye-catching book on an interesting topic.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 23, 2023
The bond between physicist Marie Curie (1867–1934) and sister Bronia Dluska (1865–1939) forms the backbone of this fascinating double biography. After their mother and a sister die, the siblings determine to help the world, attending a secret university for young Polish women and making a pact to take turns studying at the Sorbonne, paying each other’s way. Further examples of their partnership and family focus offer a through line, while cause-and-effect narration details Curie’s scientific contributions leading up to and beyond her Nobel Prizes. Mixed-media illustrations with stippled textures by sisters the Balbussos incorporate fitting symbols: molecular structures fill the air as Curie studies in Paris, and a final picture presents the sisters arm-in-arm looking at a skyline involving a double helix. A simple closing passage from Elovitz Marshall aptly celebrates the companions as an example of “the power of SCIENCE—and the power of SISTERS.” A timeline, resources, and author’s note conclude. Ages 4–8.

January 1, 2023
Marie Curie (1867-1934) is a household name; Bronia Duska (1865-1939), not so much. But, as this captivating picture-book biography reveals, Marie might never have achieved that name recognition were it not for Bronia, her older sister. Childhood tragedy (losing their mother and another sister to illnesses) shaped both girls' career paths, with Bronia eager to become a doctor; Marie, a researcher. Alas, 1880s Warsaw frowned upon women's higher learning, so the two studied alone until joining the "Flying University," an underground college for women. The pair then set their sights on the prestigious Sorbonne. To afford its fees, Marie pledged to tutor students to pay for Bronia to attend; in turn, after finishing her education, Bronia paid for Marie to study there. With Marie's arrival in Paris, the book's focus shifts to her love for science, the radioactivity research for which she won her first Nobel Prize, and her many other groundbreaking accomplishments. Periodically, Bronia pops back into the narrative, as she opens a hospital, introduces Marie to future husband Pierre, and directs Marie's second Radium Institute. Certainly, Marie gets more of the spotlight here, but "the power of SCIENCE -- and the power of SISTERS!" is wholeheartedly celebrated, and further honored with whimsically patterned, richly textured mixed-media illustrations by -- fittingly -- twin-sister artists. A timeline, an author's note, and a "Partial List of Works Consulted" are appended. Tanya D. Auger

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2023
Marie Curie (1867-1934) is a household name; Bronia Duska (1865-1939), not so much. But, as this captivating picture-book biography reveals, Marie might never have achieved that name recognition were it not for Bronia, her older sister. Childhood tragedy (losing their mother and another sister to illnesses) shaped both girls' career paths, with Bronia eager to become a doctor; Marie, a researcher. Alas, 1880s Warsaw frowned upon women's higher learning, so the two studied alone until joining the "Flying University," an underground college for women. The pair then set their sights on the prestigious Sorbonne. To afford its fees, Marie pledged to tutor students to pay for Bronia to attend; in turn, after finishing her education, Bronia paid for Marie to study there. With Marie's arrival in Paris, the book's focus shifts to her love for science, the radioactivity research for which she won her first Nobel Prize, and her many other groundbreaking accomplishments. Periodically, Bronia pops back into the narrative, as she opens a hospital, introduces Marie to future husband Pierre, and directs Marie's second Radium Institute. Certainly, Marie gets more of the spotlight here, but "the power of SCIENCE -- and the power of SISTERS!" is wholeheartedly celebrated, and further honored with whimsically patterned, richly textured mixed-media illustrations by -- fittingly -- twin-sister artists. A timeline, an author's note, and a "Partial List of Works Consulted" are appended.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)