Radioactive!

December 14, 2015
In this thorough and clear dual biography, Conkling (Passenger on the Pearl) profiles two 20th-century scientists whose contributions facilitated the creation of the atomic bombâto their horror. Though Lise Meitner (1878â1968) and Irène Curie (1897â1956) shared an idealistic and passionate devotion to physics, they were often rivals and never worked collaboratively. Austrian-born Meitner, highly regarded throughout the 1930s for her meticulous experiment designs, outright disputed early results presented by Curie, daughter of Pierre and Marie Curie, and her husband; her dismissal allowed the Curies to create the first manmade radioactive elements themselves, leading to a shared Nobel Prize in 1935. Only three years later, Meitner's explanation of nuclear fission set the stage for the atomic age. Both highly educated women struggled against chauvinist attitudes: Curie's efforts to join the French Academy of Science were repeatedly turned down, while Meitner never received a Nobel Prize despite 15 nominations. Conkling successfully redresses that lack of recognition here. A glossary, time line, and extensive "Who's Who" section provide additional context, along with explanatory sidebars and b&w photos. Ages 10â14. Agent: Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary Agency.

November 1, 2015

Gr 7 Up-The contributions of two overlooked female scientists are made clear in this enlightening read. Marie Curie, the mother of modern physics who discovered natural radiation, had no way of knowing as she began her experiments in 1897 that her groundbreaking work would set off a chain reaction leading to the creation of the first atomic bomb. Though that sounds ominous, this book is anything but a dreary march from the Curie Institute to nuclear war. Luminous and fascinating, it recounts the lives and amazing findings of chemist (and daughter of Curie) Irene Joliot-Curie, codiscoverer of artificial radiation, and physicist Lise Meitner, codiscoverer of nuclear fission. Traversing the vicious landscapes of World War I and II and beyond, Conkling thoroughly explains the scientific explorations of each woman while describing their struggles being taken seriously as scientists even after Marie Curie had blazed a bright trail. Archival photos and primary source quotes enhance the story. This title would make a lovely companion to Steve Sheinkin's Bomb: The Race to Build-and Steal-the World's Most Dangerous Weapon (Flash Point, 2012) for its scientific and historical content. VERDICT This well-crafted work will undoubtedly inspire the right reader.-Abby Bussen, Cudahy Family Library, WI

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2015
"Radioactivity was the first new property of matter discovered since Sir Isaac Newton defined the law of gravity in 1686," and the work of Irene Curie and Lise Meitner in the early 20th century helped to open the door to modern physics. Irene Curie was the firstborn child of the world's " ]First Family' of science." Lise Meitner was the daughter of a Jewish lawyer in Vienna and a victim of Hitler's anti-Semitic policies. Curie and Meitner, working independently, were research rivals, each seeking a name in the field of theoretical physics that was about to change the world. Conkling discusses the two scientists separately, Curie in the first several chapters, Meitner in the next several, and their stories come together in a final section when the race to create an atomic bomb was on. It's an uneasy blend of biographies, though astute readers will see that it's the science itself that links the stories, not a personal connection between Curie and Meitner. Readers interested in a more succinct and compelling look at Meitner's work on fission than what's presented here will find it in Steve Sheinkin's Bomb (2012). Flat writing and too many pages of dense text unrelieved by photographs or other visuals mar a volume that might have been suspenseful. An important if sometimes-awkward study of two scientists who helped to change the world. (timeline, glossary, who's who, chapter notes, bibliography, for more information, index) (Nonfiction. 12-16)

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Starred review from December 1, 2015
Grades 7-12 *Starred Review* This joint biography examines two important female scientists who have been largely overlooked by history, highlighting their accomplishments and contributions to the advancement of nuclear science. The name Irene Curie doesn't ring as many bells as that of her parents, Marie and Pierre Curie, though she won the 1935 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, along with her husband, Frederick Joliot. Conkling (Passenger on the Pearl, 2015) describes Irene's childhood and the Joliot-Curies' discovery of artificial radioactivity, which ushered in the era of nuclear science. Also at work during the 1930s' golden age of physics was Lise Meitner, who fought for her education and career as a physicist, which was challenged because she was a woman and a Jew working in Nazi Germany. In 1938, Meitner discovered nuclear fission, but her research partner unsportingly took the credit. Though Conkling's succinct scientific explanations could have been expanded for clarity, she does an excellent job of describing this historic period and the impact of scientific discoveries made at the time, including the use of X-rays by medics in WWI, the dangers of radiation poison, and the invention of the nuclear bomb during WWII. Black-and-white period photos, scientific asides and diagrams, and a time line enhance the well-cited text. A thorough and engaging study of two female scientists worth their weight in radium.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

March 1, 2016
While there have been plenty of biographies of Marie Curie for teens, little has been published for this audience about her daughter, Irene. Conkling's biography takes an unusual approach, delving into the separate but ever-so-slightly-overlapping lives of Irene Curie, the Nobel Prizewinning French physicist who co-discovered artificial radioactivity, and Austrian physicist Lise Meitner, who co-discovered nuclear fission. Although the two women hardly came in contact with each other -- and when they did they frequently disagreed -- they had much in common: both were pioneers in their fields, yet remained underappreciated in the larger cultural narrative of scientific endeavors. Both faced immense prejudice within the scientific community, and Meitner doubly so for her Jewish heritage while living in Nazi Germany. Both saw science as a tool to improve society and enhance the lives of the next generation; they were horrified that their discoveries were used to create atomic weapons during World War II. Conkling details the women's personal and professional lives from their childhoods to their deaths at ages fifty-eight and eighty-nine, respectively, spending the majority of the book detailing their accomplishments and their lasting impact on the commercial, military, and scientific realms. Informative sidebars provide useful overviews of related science, but their placement is sometimes disruptive; captioned photographs are included throughout, and back matter includes a timeline, a glossary, a who's who, chapter notes, and a bibliography. kazia berkley-cramer

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