Sisters in Science: Marie Curie, Bronia Dluska, and the Atomic Power of Sisterhood

by Linda Elovitz Marshall, Anna And Elena Balbusso (Illustrator)

Overview

Discover the fascinating true story of Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie and her sister Bronia, two trailblazing women who worked together and made a legendary impact on chemistry and health care as we know it.

Marie Curie has long been a well-known name around the world. Though Marie made extraordinary scientific advances discovering new elements with her husband, Pierre, many students do not know about the powerful bond that propelled her into science: her sisterhood with Bronia! A force in academia and health care herself, Bronia made significant contributions to the scientific world, along with her loving support of sister Marie.

Sisters in Science is a compelling biography of two sisters who created their own paths while keeping the atomic bonds of sisterhood strong.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593377581
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	02/14/2023
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	9.31(w) x 11.25(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD800L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Linda Elovitz Marshall grew up near Boston, graduated from Barnard College, and raised four children and a flock of sheep on a farm in the Hudson Valley of New York. She is the author of several books for young readers. Marshall lives with her family in Selkirk, New York.

Anna and Elena Balbusso are twins and an international team of Italian artists. Their work has been published by major international publishers and companies throughout the world. Together they have illustrated over 40 books, including the award-winning Folio Society edition of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale.

Editorial Reviews

01/23/2023

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. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

The bond between physicist Marie Curie (1867–1934) and sister Bronia Dluska (1865–1939) forms the backbone of this fascinating double biography.” —Publishers Weekly
 
“'…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.”—The Horn Book

"The story is well-organized and elegantly told, but the resplendent illustrations are true works of art." —Booklist

From the Publisher

12/01/2022

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

School Library Journal

2022-11-16
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 Dłuska. 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)

Kirkus Reviews