Rosalind Franklin: DNA Discoverer

Each highly readable and visually appealing volume begins with a defining moment in the person’s career. What follows is an overview of the person’s life and the contributions she made to her field. The books are replete with numerous color photographs and sidebars. Recommended.

Throughout the book, photos offer glimpses of Franklin, her work, and her world, but the book’s strength lies in its lucid portrayal of her upbringing, personality, and attitudes, as well as her sometimes difficult professional relationships with individual researchers in the almost all-male community of scientists at Cambridge. The main text and sidebars clearly explain the scientific research that so fully engaged her. A strong portrayal.

The texts all call particular attention to obstacles faced by professional women in the not so distant past. Much effort is given to explaining each woman’s contribution to her field and elucidating the often complex science involved. . . . Nearly every page includes some visual element, whether a diagram, photograph, or topical focus. Sidebars offer historical context. . . . First-rate research materials and engaging and informative stories for tweens and young teens.