This biography highlights the accomplishments of mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani, the first woman to win the Fields Medal, which is the highest honor a mathematician can receive.
Maryam Mirzakhani started breaking barriers for girls in math when she was in high school. She continued breaking those barriers as an adult when she became the first woman to win the Fields Medal. That's the highest honor a mathematician can receive! She inspires young people to find the beauty in math.
The Women in Science and Technology series introduces students to influential women in science and technology. From astronauts to medical doctors, these biographies highlight the accomplishments, dedication, and passion that drove these women to succeed. Each book includes a glossary, comprehension questions, and further reading suggestions.
Young readers receive a kid-friendly introduction to inspiring women in STEM fields with this picture-book biography series, Women in Science and Technology. Annie Easley focuses on Annie's love for math and how it led her work as a computer programmer. Also noted are her contributions to vehicles and energy, as well as the obstacles Annie overcame as one of the only African Americans in her field. In Grace Hopper, readers will follow Grace's knack for math as it takes her on a path to the Navy, where she became one of the most important computer programmers and worked with various computer languages. Katherine Johnson discusses Katherine's struggles while she pursued her talents in math and physics, as well as her important role at NASA as she calculated space flights and worked on the space shuttle. Mae C. Jemison follows Mae's journey to becoming an astronaut and bringing new technologies to Africa as a doctor. Bright, colorful illustrations depict the struggles, successes, and determination of each woman featured, with crisp, clear text and short sentences flowing easily from one page to the next, accompanied by larger, more colorful quotes from each of the women. Each book is appended with a time line, text-dependent questions, extension activities, and strategies for reading comprehension, making this series ideal for those building their reading skills.
Selenia Paz, Booklist, November 2019
These titles introduce young readers to important women in the fields of technology and science. Each contains an overview of the early life and how her math and science interests influenced the subject’s future career. All had to overcome sexim and in some cases, such as Katherine Johnson’s, the added burden of racism, as they made their way through college and careers in traditionally male fields. The scope is limited, but pertinent points are presented, and the text and illustrations appropriately introduce young readers to these influential women. VERDICT These well-done introductions to important female scientists should appeal to young readers.