A stimulating and accessible foray into recent scientific history.
The story of Katalin Karikó—a scientist key to the development of the mRNA vaccine for Covid-19—is one of perseverance and dedication.
Born in Hungary in 1955, Kati Karikó has never been a stranger to stacked odds. From her childhood as the daughter of a political dissenter, her young adulthood battling for access to the best science education Hungary offered, and her career working in the trenches of the relentlessly hierarchical system of academic science, her path to success proved a winding one. With this timely book, McPherson sheds light as much on the quirks and pitfalls of academic and industrial science as on the scientific discoveries that paved the way for the mRNA vaccine. Contextualizing Karikó’s struggles within her identities as a woman and an immigrant to America, the author highlights the biases and the rigid definitions of success that continue to characterize many hallowed institutions. The descriptions of scientific concepts are succinct and clear, providing enough detail that readers will be left informed but not overwhelmed with minutiae. Frequent inserts offer historical context and colorful detail. The controversies and misinformation surrounding the development of vaccines are touched upon but not explored deeply. The work shines most when elucidating the long path to scientific discovery, including the many failed experiments and minor discoveries that necessarily precede breakthroughs.
A stimulating and accessible foray into recent scientific history. (timelines, glossary, source notes, bibliography, further information, index, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798765607947
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Twenty-First Century/Lerner
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change.
Testa’s connection to and respect for nature compelled her to begin championing animal causes at the age of 10, and this desire to have an impact later propelled her to dedicate her life to fighting plastic pollution. Starting with the history of plastic and how it’s produced, Testa acknowledges the benefits of plastics for humanity but also the many ways it harms our planet. Instead of relying on recycling—which is both insufficient and ineffective—she urges readers to follow two additional R’s: “refuse” and “raise awareness.” Readers are encouraged to do their part, starting with small things like refusing to use plastic straws and water bottles and eventually working up to using their voices to influence business and policy change. In the process, she highlights other youth advocates working toward the same cause. Short chapters include personal examples, such as observations of plastic pollution in Mauritius, her maternal grandparents’ birthplace. Testa makes her case not only against plastic pollution, but also for the work she’s done, resulting in something of a college-admissions–essay tone. Nevertheless, the first-person accounts paired with science will have an impact on readers. Unfortunately, no sources are cited and the lack of backmatter is a missed opportunity.
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change. (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22333-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
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