(1) K-3 Illustrated by Gretchen Ellen Powers. Stone's dedication -- "For anyone who did something awesome and didn't feel the love" -- sets the reparative tone for this picture-book biography of scientist Franklin (1920–1958), whose Photo 51 cracked the DNA code while competing researchers James Watson and Francis Crick took the credit (and the 1962 Nobel Prize). As she weaves science and history, Stone unravels dual mysteries centering on the double helix: how the "secret of life...makes you -- YOU" and how a "twist of fate" triggered Franklin's posthumous recognition. Powers's watercolors perfectly blend representative and expressive styles. Realistically rendered characters and period details set the story in its mid-twentieth-century milieu, while experimental techniques offer evocative visual commentary; for example, when Franklin argues with Watson and Crick, blue watercolor blotches disrupt the tidy floral border and explode the ground beneath them. Although Stone opens by warning, "This true story doesn't really have a happy ending," Powers's accompanying fairy tale–esque castle, adorned with scientific instruments, foreshadows a time in which readers are empowered to interrogate the historical record and reclaim the stories of little-heralded figures. An author's note explains the Matilda Effect, a historical pattern in which men take credit for women's work.

Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2024

(3) 4-6 Checkerboard Library: STEM Superstar Women series. Each volume provides a succinct overview of a trailblazing woman in STEM. The subjects' childhoods, education, numerous obstacles (many times because of their gender), and achievements are explained in readable prose. Archival photographs, sidebars, and fact boxes help to highlight each woman's importance in her field. Timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Checkerboard Library: STEM Superstar Women titles: Grace Hopper, Hedy Lamarr, Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Katherine Johnson, Rosalind Franklin, and Ada Lovelace.

Reviewer: Rita Soltan

(3) 4-6 Captured Science History series. This Captured History spinoff series examines a photo's impact on scientific discoveries. Smith-Llera examines the contributions of scientist Rosalind Franklin--specifically her x-rays of DNA fiber--which helped scientists Francis Crick and James Watson develop their theories on the structure of human DNA. An engaging and thought-provoking discussion is illustrated with scientific and archival images. Timeline, reading list. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) YA Women in Science series. These thorough biographies of pioneering women in scientific and technical fields delve deeply into their personal and professional lives. The series includes frank and balanced discussions of both the successes and challenges each woman faced, as well as the qualities and intellect that drove her significant accomplishments. Numerous photographs of the scientists and additional information about their fields are included. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Women in Science titles: Marie Curie, Jane Goodall, Mae Carol Jemison, Rosalind Franklin, Grace Hopper, and Chien-Shiung Wu.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford

(4) 4-6 Great Scientists series. These biographies cover the lives and accomplishments of some of the world's greatest scientists. Significant events are highlighted, along with major discoveries. Informative sidebars, photographs, and illustrations accompany the texts. Though the writing is choppy, the series is a decent introduction to important scientific figures. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Great Scientists titles: Rosalind Franklin, Guglielmo Marconi, and Louis Pasteur.

Reviewer: Aimee Chevrette Bear

(3) YA These biographies focus on pioneering scientists in the fields of early chemistry (Boyle), the discovery of radioactive elements (Curie), and understanding of DNA (Franklin). The books are enhanced by careful documentation, understanding of their subjects' work, and balanced presentations of personal lives, along with historical context. Photographs, some maps and diagrams, and historical drawings and documents illustrate the sophisticated texts. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these titles: Skeptical Chemist: The Story of Robert Boyle, Rosalind Franklin and the Structure of Life, and New Elements: The Story of Marie Curie.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) 4-6 Scientists Who Made History series. The books in this series capably introduce their subjects, including Marconi's experiments with wireless communication and Franklin's discovery of the structure of DNA. Short subdivisions are illustrated with photos--most relevant and some gratuitous--and other art; sidebars offer direct quotations and expanded explanations, many clear and a few insufficient. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Scientists Who Made History titles: Dian Fossey, Guglielmo Marconi, John Logie Baird, Leonardo da Vinci, Michael Faraday, and Rosalind Franklin.]

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian