CCBC Booklists

CCBC booklist are compiled from books we have recommended in various editions of CCBC Choices. Most of these booklists are updated annually. You can also select books from one or more booklists to create a custom list, which can also include additional books from the CCBC-Recommended Book Search.

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Nothing Stopped Sophie: The Story of Unshakable Mathematician Sophie Germain

by Cheryl Bardoe

CCBC Review:

Sophie Germain grew up France at a time of chaos during the French Revolution. She found order in math. Nothing could detract from her interest, despite mathematics being considered unsuitable for a girl. Sophie thought math was like a poem, and she wanted to write poetry of her own. No university would let her enroll as a woman, so she submitted work under a man’s name. When her identity was finally discovered, she was considered more curiosity than scholar. For years, she studied on her own, eventually solving a problem many considered unsolvable: develop a mathematical formula to predict patterns of vibration. This picture-book account of Sophie’s accomplishment is followed by more about Sophie and her work, including the relationship between math and physics, as well as informative notes from both author and illustrator on their research and approach to this treatment, including how they conjectured about what isn’t known. ©2019 Cooperative Children’s Book Center

Illustrated by Barbara McClintock

CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 6-9
Age Range: PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7) Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format: Picture book
Subjects: 18th Century 19th Century Biography Girls and Women History (Nonfiction) Math and Mathematicians Perseverance Sexism

On CCBC Booklist: Between Fact and Fiction: Selected Picture Books to Encourage Critical Reading/Thinking

Publisher: Little, Brown
Publish Year: 2018
Pages: 36
ISBN: 9780316278201
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 920 Germain

Can’t find what you’re looking for? Our Recommended Book Search includes access to CCBC-recommended titles based on subject headings created by our staff.

Please send questions or comments about CCBC booklists to ccbcinfo@education.wisc.edu.