Blunt, accurate, and no-nonsense—just like the subject herself.
A concise account of Rosalind Franklin’s discoveries in physical chemistry.
London-born Franklin (1920-1958) grew up in a well-off, socially progressive family. At 13, she discovered that she could mentally visualize and manipulate 3-D objects, a talent she put to good use at the University of Cambridge, where she studied X-ray crystallography. When X-ray beams hit crystals, the diffraction patterns, caught on film, yielded clues to the molecules’ physical structure. Franklin did meticulous, groundbreaking work, but often clashed with male scientists who disliked being shown up by her brilliance. She described them to friends as “little schoolboys.” In 1951, at King’s College in London, she began to study DNA. Soon after, she and graduate student Raymond Gosling set up a 100-hour experiment that resulted in Photograph 51, which would eventually be used by James Watson and Francis Crick, her rivals at Cambridge, to prove DNA’s famous double helix structure. Maurice Wilkins, the King’s College lab’s assistant director who resented Franklin, stole and clandestinely passed them the image. Franklin went on to further studies but died of cancer at only 37. The authors rely heavily on primary sources compiled by Franklin’s friend Anne Sayre immediately following her death. Their account of Franklin’s scientific procedures and analysis are so detailed as to sometimes be overwhelming; however, it also illuminates Franklin’s brilliance and the labor and uncertainty of her groundbreaking research.
Blunt, accurate, and no-nonsense—just like the subject herself. (notable figures, author’s note, glossary, source notes, selected bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: April 7, 2026
ISBN: 9798765627693
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Zest Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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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