Book review on Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom by Teresa Robeson
My Thoughts after Reading
In school we are taught many science concepts which are invariably associated with men from Europe and America, even though China has existed much longer as a civilisation. As such I am always interested in books about women-in-Science, and this one stands out for me because she is from China.
The illustrations are great. It portrays the lives in China very well. I also enjoyed reading about her background. This is perfect to introduce diversity and culture in picture books. When it came to the science and her achievement, I am not sure what I feel about it. I am not a physicist and the concepts are not familiar to me. Despite it being a picture book, they are still too abstract for me. For this reason, I wonder if this is suitable to be classed as a picture book. It seems more apt for tween readers, who have might have some knowledge of the atomic structure and would be ready to learn more about it.
Nevertheless she is someone we should know about, especially when she has been over-looked for the Nobel Prize, which is yet another example of the Matilda Effect. 3/5
Goodreads Blurb
Meet Wu Chien Shiung, famous physicist who overcame prejudice to prove that she could be anything she wanted.
When Wu Chien Shiung was born in China 100 years ago, most girls did not attend school; no one considered them as smart as boys. But her parents felt differently. Giving her a name meaning “Courageous Hero,” they encouraged her love of learning and science. This engaging biography follows Wu Chien Shiung as she battles sexism and racism to become what Newsweek magazine called the “Queen of Physics” for her work on beta decay. Along the way, she earned the admiration of famous scientists like Enrico Fermi and Robert Oppenheimer and became the first woman hired as an instructor by Princeton University, the first woman elected President of the American Physical Society, the first scientist to have an asteroid named after her when she was still alive, and many other honors.
Justine Laismith 