Marie Curie

By Claire Throp

This series will tell the amazing stories of inspiring people who have made a difference and changed the world, despite the odds stacked against them. They will detail the characters' humble origins, the obstacles standing in their way that had to be overcome, and discuss the successes and achievements for which they are lauded today. This book tells the story of Marie Curie, who discovered radium and realized its potential for treating cancer. She succeeded in her work in a time when science and research were not seen as suitable occupations for women.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
• Release date: Dec 21, 2015
• ISBN: 9781484635469

Claire Throp

Claire Throp has worked in publishing for over 20 years. She has written children's nonfiction books on a range of subjects, including sport, history, and wildlife.

Book preview

Contents

Who Was Marie Curie?

What Was Marie Curie’s Upbringing Like?

What Was Marie Curie’s Research About?

What Was Marie Curie’s Life Like After Winning the Nobel Prize?

What Difficulties Did Marie Curie Face in 1911 and 1912?

What Did Marie Curie Do During World War I?

What Did Marie Curie Do After World War I?

What Happened in the Last Years of Marie Curie’s Life?

What Was Marie Curie’s Legacy?

Timeline

Glossary

Find Out More

Index

Some words are shown in bold, like this. You can find out what they mean by looking in the glossary.

Who Was Marie Curie?

Marie Curie was a scientist. Along with her husband, Pierre, she discovered two new radioactive elements: polonium and radium. Curie was also responsible for seeing that there was a possible use for radium in treating cancer.

A life of firsts

The Nobel Prize is a highly respected scientific award that is presented each year. Marie Curie became the first person to win two Nobel Prizes. What made this even more impressive is that her prizes were won in different subjects—the first in physics and the second in chemistry.

Marie Curie later became the first woman to teach at the Sorbonne, a well-known university in Paris, France. In 1995, she became the first woman to be buried at the Panthéon in Paris, a building in which usually only important French men were buried.

Not an easy life

Marie Curie’s life was a struggle at times. It began in poverty in Poland, and money—or lack of it—was a problem for much of her life. Another major problem for Curie was the fact that she was a woman. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, higher education in many countries was only for men. Science in particular was not seen as a suitable subject for women. Once Curie moved to France, the fact that she was not French also sometimes counted against her.

A FAMILY OF NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS

Marie and Pierre’s eldest daughter, Irène, later won a Nobel Prize herself. Along with her husband, Frédéric, she won the prize for chemistry in 1935.

Marie Curie

Reviews for Marie Curie

[hvachetta · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This book is a useful source for children who may want to begin reading biographies. This book could be used as an addition to a general science lesson, or a lesson on the Curies specifically. Also, girls can find a smart, strong role model in Marie Curie, and a biography of her shows that females have just as much potential to excel in science as any other field.