Lexi and Marie Curie: Saving Lives in World War I

by Marian Keen, Jodie Dias (Illustrator), Wendy Weston (Illustrator)

Overview

According to myth, cats have nine lives, and Alexander Catt II (also known as Lexi) has spent his former lives with scientists of medicine throughout history. In these adventures, Lexi witnesses medical breakthroughs and discoveries, and learns the value of hard work and integrity. In Lexi and Marie Curie Save Lives and Limbs in World War I, Lexi lives in France with the Curie family at the beginning of the 20th century. When injured soldiers return from the warfront, Marie realizes the need for x-ray services, and sets to work providing these to the doctors at the front. In doing so, she saves countless lives and limbs.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781988220154
Publisher:	Keen Ideas Publishing
Publication date:	01/14/2018
Series:	Lexi Catt's Meowmoirs-Tales of Heroic Scientists
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	166
File size:	6 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Marian Keen, B.S. in Education, Central Connecticut State University, has been writing in a variety of genres since the early 1980s. Marian majored in middle-grade education, and taught grades five and six. In Lexi Catt's Meowmoirs-Tales of Heroic Scientists, the talented feline Lexi shares his adventures with heroes who have made discoveries in the fields of science and medicine, including those from ancient Egypt, one of the earliest civilizations to practice medicine. Marian's full list of works can be found at megsbooks.com and Amazon.com.
Jodie Dias, BA, Art History, University of British Columbia, is a children's illustrator, painter, designer, and photographer. Her whimsical style brings life to Lexi Catt's Meowmoirs-Tales of Heroic Scientists. In the Lexi Series, Jodie's playful imagery is set in historically accurate settings. She was production manager for the children's animated movie, Legend of the Candy Cane; partner and graphic designer with Keen Designs; and a commissioned portrait artist.
Wendy Weston, BFA, University of Victoria, is a visual artist, designer, wood-block print-maker, watercolour painter, and professional photographer with superb production and finishing techniques. Her works have been shown in many Vancouver-area galleries; she was a partner and designer with Keen Designs; she is a commissioned artist; and she currently works at Langara College.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Dedication
Testimonials
Acknowledgements
Table of Contents

List of Illustrations 
Lexi Catt’s Meowmoirs–Tales of Heroic Scientists

Part One: Scientific Discovery

Chapter One: Nobel Prize Fame      1
Chapter Two: Très Honorable    9
Chapter Three: A Prize and a Visit    17
Chapter Four: Full Days; Dark Days    21
Chapter Five: Nobel Prize Number Two and a “Curie”    29

Part Two: World War I

Chapter Six: A Secret Mission    35
Chapter Seven: To the Front    43
Chapter Eight: A Grateful Soldier    49
Chapter Nine: A Noble Cake    55
Chapter Ten: The Key    63
Chapter Eleven: A New Driver    73
Chapter Twelve: A Driving Force    77

Part Three: Peace

Chapter Thirteen: Vive la France!    83
Chapter Fourteen: The Value of Fame    87
Chapter Fifteen: Vive l’Amérique!    93

Pawscript:    98

Glossary    99
Important Dates    108
Important People    111
Five Curie Family Members win Nobel Prizes    120
Author’s Note to Parents and Teachers    121
How did Marie’s Early Life Influence her Work?    123
How did Marie Begin the Field of Atomic Science?    124
Which Scientists Realized that Radioactive Substances Disintegrate
    into Lead?    125
How did WWI Affect the Status of Women?    126
What Help did Marie Receive to Establish a New Institute in
    Poland?    127
What was the Radium Craze?    128
How did World War I begin in 1914?    129
What is War Cake?    130
In Flanders Fields    131
Bibliography    132
Author Biography    134
About the Author    135

Editorial Reviews

"This is a fascinating and unusual book for readers in intermediate grades. Lexi and Marie Curie introduces readers to the amazing story of scientist Marie Curie, whose isolation of radium, among other discoveries, led to her being awarded the Nobel Prize in both Physics and Chemistry. Shut out of much of the formal scientific academy, Marie forges her own path, one that paves the way for her daughters and for generations of girls and women whose curiosity is sparked by "STEM" - science, technology, engineering and math. Author Marian Keen's eye for detail draws the reader in to Marie Curie's life, her triumphs and disappointments. Published to coincide with the centenary of the start of the Great War, the book brings readers back to the tremendous upheaval of this terrible conflict. Readers are treated to details about the roles of animals at the front, the challenges of cooking when food is scarce, and the important contribution of women nurses at the front. The story focuses on Marie Curie's lesser known work in setting up mobile x-ray units in field hospitals that could accurately locate shrapnel, allowing field surgeons to save lives and preserve limbs. The writing is accessible and the descriptions of war are honest but age-appropriate. This book will serve as a useful reminder to both girls and boys that women have been making history in all fields of endeavor for a very long time, and that our pioneers ought not to be forgotten. Lexi and Marie Curie will encourage girls, in particular, not to take "no" for an answer and to rely on their wits and ingenuity to find a solution to even the most difficult problems that life throws their way." Janine Benedet, Associate Professor of Law and Director, Centre for Feminist Legal Studies, University of British Columbia, Canada "Through the eyes, ears, and tail of Lexi Catt, Marian Keen brings to life the wonderful story of the Curies, told in an immediately engaging style for children. Marian skilfully weaves in difficulties experienced by women during that era, and how they were overcome by Marie and her daughters through their dedication, skills, and knowledge. The telling of the work of Marie and the "petites Curies" during World War I is remarkable in its emotive immediacy - the reader is carried along in the scenes with them. Marian's bringing together of the history of war, the history of science, and the attitudes and ways of thinking in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, in a way that is understandable and attractive to children, is masterful." Richard Coles, Ph.D., former teacher of Physics and other Sciences, research geophysicist, past president of a branch of The Royal Canadian Legion.

From the Publisher

Through the eyes, ears, and tail of Lexi Catt, Marian Keen brings to life the wonderful story of the Curies, told in an engaging style for children. Marian skilfully weaves in the difficulties experienced by women during that era and how they were overcome by Marie and her daughters through their dedication, skills, and knowledge. The telling of the work of Marie and the “petites Curies” during World War I is remarkable in its emotive immediacy – the reader is carried along in the scenes with them. Marian’s bringing together of the history of war, the history of science, and the attitudes and ways of thinking in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, in a way that is understandable and attractive to children, is masterful.

Testimonial - Richard Coles