This book shows the amazing knowledge and her fight in life to achieve success. This is a great book for children to learn about the life of a well-known scientist and the achievements made as well as the struggles. This is the first book in what I think will be a fantastic series. I look forward to reading others in this fiction series based on real people and their real achievements. This My Super Science Heroes series is a good one and this book is a great way to start. It is wonderful as well to add the accomplishments of this great scientist and a glossary in this book to help get the most out of this book. It also helps youth better understand everything, which is great for children when it comes to learning to have as much information as possible. This is so well done with interesting information and skilled, engaging illustrations. Youth and anyone interested in learning more about Marie Curie.
While younger elementary age might be interested in this book the older group will really start to get the most from this book. This is written in an interesting way to keep readers engaged and learning about this great contributor in science. It is also inspirational and shows her as a positive example to youth.

I have never formally studied Marie Curie and so am ashamed to say I had no more than a very basic understanding of her achievements. This book might be aimed at kids but it helped. It is easily accessible for children and Beghelli’s illustrations are clear and engaging. The story paints Marie Curie as just a different kind of superhero from those that children are perhaps more familiar with which is bound to appeal to the littlies and could be a very smart way of hooking them in to non-fiction.

Throughout the story, the viewpoint alternates between that of Marie Curie and that of Nemesis who introduces various minions to aid his cause – Mr Opposition for example is called upon to convince Marie that she shouldn’t learn – only boys are allowed to go to University! The illustrations that accompany Nemesis’ parts are darker – check out those angry eyes! But I don’t think they are too dark for littlies.

I must admit I was surprised by the age guidance for this book. I’m not sure it’ll appeal to many 4 years olds – both content wise and being nearly 50 pages long, but it has been a while since mine were that small so I could well be wrong. In any case, the message of persistence is bound to get through no matter what the age of the reader. I learned lots that I didn’t know about Marie Curie and enjoyed the journey.

I would like to thank both Net Galley and Sourcebooks Explore for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A super intriguing twist on someone that students are likely already familiar with. So fun to blend biography with fiction and take one of the most famous women in science and mix in some monsters and villains. Entertaining and a great message of perseverance. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Where would we be without Marie Curie? I love how this book posed the work of Marie and mixed in some "monsters" that tried to slow her down and stop her along the way. What a great way to show that persistence and hard work goes a long way!

5 stars!!!! This is an adorably illustrated, well-written book that blends biography and juvenile fiction. Persistence is at the core of what Marie Curie trusts in. She fights some monsters and villains to get the job done and thankfully comes out a winner. So well done. Kids will love the superhero concept and will be engaged while reading. I really loved it and highly recommend it.

I am thankful to NetGalley for a digital copy to read for review. This the first in a series of this type and I hope to get to read the others. A great book for our kids to read in the world today.

This is a fun way to teach kids about one of the most accomplished women in science! Marie Curie broke so many barriers down so we could succeed.

This was a great book to help my daughter learn more about this amazing woman! It is very informative and well written and the writing simple enough for her to understand. The illustrations were wonderful and helped bring to life this wonderful woman. I do hope to purchase this for our home library.

This biography is set apart from other in the engaging way it chooses to tell the story of Marie Curie. The juxtaposition of Curie’s life story with the story of Nemesis and Mr. Opposition, creatures dedicated to the suppression of knowledge acquisition, creates a story which highlight the persistence and resilience of Marie Curie. Highly recommend this title.

Great book showing kids how Marie Curie persevered and accomplished many things! I love the concept of Nemesis and Mr. O trying to hold Marie back and her overcoming all the obstacles. Great picture book!

From the first pages of Valenti’s brilliantly conceived story, little Marie Curie conquers every obstacle in her way and refuses to let the evil Mr. Opposition keep her from reaching her goals. This persistence serves Marie well; although she lives at a time when women are not encouraged to pursue college educations, she continues to defeat the opposition and earns degrees in physics and mathematics at the Sorbonne in Paris, France. After marrying scientist Pierre Curie and going on to have a stellar career researching physics and chemistry, Marie wins two Nobel Prizes, becoming the first woman ever to win this prestigious award and accomplishing a long list of other things, as well. And although pesky Mr. O keeps trying to make her fail, Super Science Hero Marie ultimately defeats him, once and for all!

In this fun, informative picture book, Beghelli’s colorful, detailed illustrations blend with a superhero vs. villain storyline to create a unique and fast-paced read-aloud for kids. Marie Curie’s story is compelling and fascinating, and the obstacles the real-life historical figure faced were tremendous. Valenti’s forthright account of Marie’s life mixed with sneaky Mr. Opposition’s interference will hold children’s interest and encourage them to seek out more information about this important woman. The scientific facts sprinkled throughout are well-explained and accessible and encourage readers toward further study. Chemistry and physics are also nicely presented here, giving elementary readers a brief introduction to these concepts, as well.

"Marie Curie and the Power of Persistence" is a wonderful mash-up of a biography and superhero story. By telling the facts of Marie Curie's life story while introducing monsters who are creating obstacles for her, children are introduced to history in a way that will capture their attentions and imaginations.

After years of biographies published with the same formulaic presentation facts we are finally seeing exciting and engaging biography series with dynamic narratives that engage the young reader. This is one of those biographies. The illustrations are also fresh and appealing.

A really lovely take on the story, well written and illustrated, really enjoyed and would definitely recommend.

"My Super Science Heroes" is a new series that puts the spotlight on significant contributors in the science field. Illustrator Annalisa Beghelli, creates a vivid world of rich colors and elaborate detail on each page of this book perfect for 8-12 year olds to read on their own (or for younger children to be read to).

Author Karla Valenti adds an element of fantasy by introducing "Nemesis" who employs minions to thwart heroes on their journeys. Mr. Opposition shows up as a fantastical bird-like creature who inserts himself into Marie's life. He represents hurdles throughout he life such as the limited educational options for girls or the financial hardships that delayed her pursuit of higher education. But Mr. Opposition was no match for Ms. Curie's superpower of Persistence.

Young readers will be amazed at all Ms. Curie accomplished through her life. This series will certainly inspire current and future generations to persist in learning, growing and discovering more about the world around them. I highly recommend this thoroughly engaging and educational book!

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of Marie Curie and the Power of Persistence from NetGalley for the purpose of review. Opinions expressed are the mine.

This is a clever way to introduce children to Marie Curie and her work. Monsters try to block Marie's success over and over, but as the title implies, she persists. What a great way to let children know that not everything is easy and that there may be bumps along the way to their goal, but to persist in getting there. This book includes a glossary with the push of becoming Super Science Heroes, a timeline, and references. Lively illustrations make the story fun. Recommended for all elementary libraries and children's sections in public libraries.

With a fantasy element of Super Evil Nemesis and his minions, particularly Mr. Opposition (Mr. O for short), this book tells the story of Marie Curie's life. The colorful illustrations support the story line of a young superhero as she develops her skills, in spite of obstacles in life, by using the power of persistence. Facing down challenges such as restrictions on education for women or the cost of university life in Paris, Marie overcomes each difficulty and forges ahead. Mr. O and Nemesis are cartoon monsters who do their best to block Marie's progress in pursuing her dreams and adding to human knowledge. The fictional opponents personify actual hardships and make the story more approachable for young readers. Back matter includes a glossary of terms that explains concepts such as the Nobel Prize and radiography, a timeline of important events in Curie's life, and a brief review of the impact her discoveries made.

Who doesn't love a book about a strong female character? Especially a girl like me who grew up needing some strong female influences!

Marie Curie and the Power of Persistence is a wonderful, little book that is a must read for children.

To begin with, there is a super, evil villain who has decided the best way to ruin the world is to stop the spread of knowledge! This monster is big, mean and scary and seems to be content with his super devious plan. In walks Marie Curie, a woman who will turn into a superhero scientist through her amazing intelligence and experiments! Our evil villain wants Marie Curie stopped before she can get too smart and stop his wicked plans. Along the way, we will learn how Marie Curie is full of persistence in many different ways!

This little book is a wonderful mix of fiction and non-fiction. There's lots of learning opportunities about this super scientist scattered among the pages. Definitions, facts and timelines about Marie Curie and information about the things she studied and created are all available to see. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a good STEM book for their kids, especially since it's about Marie Curie. She was a legend!

Also: references... in a children's book... I LOVE IT.

On a side note, I thought the pictures were lovely and very unique. I haven't seen this style a lot in children's books, so I was impressed. It was colourful, fun and had lots of awesome details.

I am so thankful for this book. It is absolutely amazing and I wish I would have had books like this in my youth. Hopefully many kids are able to pick this book up or many educators get their hands on it! Seriously, we need more books like this - educational and fun!

Five out of five stars!

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Explore for giving me the opportunity to read this amazing book!

This is an adorably illustrated, well-written book that seamlessly blends biography and juvenile fiction. The parallel stories of Marie Curie beating the odds at every turn, while her monster tries to stop her, create a very kid-friendly metaphor for working hard at what you find important. The underlying message of ignorance breeding fear and making people easy to control, on behalf of the bad guys, is a message more timely than ever. Our local 3rd graders do biography projects every year and I can’t wait to recommend this book when it is “Wax Museum Season” at the library.

My ten year old can't get enough books about women in STEM fields. This was a hit with both her and her much younger sister. The biographical material kept one interested while the monster voices and nice graphics appealed to the other. It was a bit long for the younger kiddo, but regardless, it was enjoyed.