Something Out of Nothing - by Carla Killough McClafferty (Paperback)

About the Book

Marie Curie's life and work are given a fresh telling, one that also explores the larger picture of the effects of radium in world culture, and its exploitation and sad misuse. Photos.

Book Synopsis

Marie Curie's story has fascinated and inspired young readers
decades. The poor Polish girl who worked eight years to be able
to afford to attend the Sorbonne in Paris became one of the
most important scientists of her day, winning not one but two
Nobel Prizes. Her life is a fascinating one, filled with hard work,
humanitarianism, and tragedy. Her work with her husband,
Pierre - the study of radioactivity and the discovery of the
elements radium and polonium - changed science forever. But
she is less well known for her selfless efforts during World War
to establish mobile X-ray units so that wounded French soldiers
could get better care faster. When she stood to profit greatly
from her scientific work, she chose not to, making her methods
and findings known and available to all of science. As a result,
this famous woman spent most of her life in need of money,
often to buy the very elements she discovered.

Marie Curie's life and work are given a fresh telling, one that
also explores the larger picture of the effects of radium in world
culture, and its exploitation and sad misuse.

Review Quotes

"An engrossing study of a great scientist." --Starred, "School Library Journal""" "A solid biography that is also a call to arms for young feminists and health watchdogs." " --San Francisco Chronicle""" "Gives readers a terrific sense of Curie's state of mind as she worked and loved. There are many biographies of Curie; this one stands out in its shared focus on her discovery and its legacy." --"Kirkus Reviews""" "Find out just how amazing Curie was . . . in this biography." " --Chicago Tribune""" "The groundbreaking is as thrilling as the personal story. The spacious design makes the text easy to read, and occasional photos . . .bring the story closer to readers." --"Booklist""" "Smooth-moving. Biography here melds with social history to present Marie Curie as both shaper of and subject to the limits of early twentieth-century science." --"The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books""" "Haunting. Teens will find it an appealing choice for science and biography projects as well as recreational reading."--"VOYA""" "McClafferty writes with clarity and interest; her enthusiasm for her topic makes for fascinating reading." --"Signal "

"An engrossing study of a great scientist." --Starred, "School Library Journal""" "A solid biography that is also a call to arms for young feminists and health watchdogs." " --San Francisco Chronicle""" "Gives readers a terrific sense of Curie's state of mind as she worked and loved. There are many biographies of Curie; this one stands out in its shared focus on her discovery and its legacy." --"Kirkus Reviews""" "Find out just how amazing Curie was . . . in this biography." " --Chicago Tribune""" "The groundbreaking is as thrilling as the personal story. The spacious design makes the text easy to read, and occasional photos . . .bring the story closer to readers." --"Booklist""" "Smooth-moving. Biography here melds with social history to present Marie Curie as both shaper of and subject to the limits of early twentieth-century science." --"The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books""" "Haunting.&nbs

"Gives readers a terrific sense of Curie's state of mind as she worked and loved. There are many biographies of Curie; this one stands out in its shared focus on her discovery and its legacy." --"Kirkus Reviews""" "The groundbreaking is as thrilling as the personal story. The spacious design makes the text easy to read, and occasional photos . . .bring the story closer to readers." --"Booklist""" "An engrossing study of a great scientist." --Starred, "School Library Journal""" "Smooth-moving. Biography here melds with social history to present Marie Curie as both shaper of and subject to the limits of early twentieth-century science." --"The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"

About the Author

CARLA KILLOUGH MCCLAFFERTY is also the author of The
Head Bone's Connected to the Neck Bone: The Weird, Wacky, and
Wonderful X-Ray, an NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade
Book for Children. She lives in North Little Rock, Arkansas.