Fantastically Great Women Scientists and Their Stories

LoveReading4Kids Says

Written and illustrated with infectious verve, Kate Pankhurst’s Fantastically Great Women Scientists and Their Stories puts paid to any notion that women’s role in science has been peripheral. In fact, despite huge impediments, and thanks to their intellect and tenacity, this inspiring book shows how women have been at the heart of many major discoveries - from finding the cure for malaria, to spearheading revolutionary DNA research, to making monumental advances in the fields of volcanology, astronomy, botany and chemistry (and more).

Through an engaging blend of text, comic strips, fact boxes and diagrams, the book explores eight life-changing scientific innovators in detail. The fact that most of the scientists aren’t household names tells you everything you need to know about the importance of this book - these are innovators whose names should be known.

Take Tu Youyou, for example, the Chinese chemist who spent months on a remote island researching traditional medicines in order to discover a cure for malaria, testing potentially dangerous preparations on herself - and all this against the precarious backdrop of the Cultural Revolution that saw her separated from her family and sworn to secrecy.

Then there’s out-of-this-world Mae Jemison, an astoundingly multi-talented woman who grew up watching the first space missions during the Civil Rights Movement and went on to become the first African-American woman astronaut in 1992.

Informative, inspiring and presented with passion and clarity, this is children’s non-fiction at its finest.

Reviewed by Joanne Owen
Joanne Owen is a writer, reviewer and workshop presenter whose lifelong love of books began when she was growing up in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
More reviews by Joanne Owen

About Fantastically Great Women Scientists and Their Stories

Prepare to be inspired with this fantastically great new series for young readers. Researched, written and illustrated by the bestselling author Kate Pankhurst, who is a descendent of Emmeline Pankhurst, this is a study into eight women with varied and brilliant careers in science from astronaut to chemist, and botanist to volcanologist. As well as a focus on science, this book covers key historical events, including the First World War, the Vietnam War, the Cultural Revolution, the Slave Trade and the Space Race.

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