Nothing Stopped Sophie, Cheryl Bardoe
Nothing Stopped Sophie, Cheryl Bardoe
List: $4.99 | Sale: $3.50
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Nothing Stopped Sophie
The Story of Unshakable Mathematician Sophie Germain

Author: Cheryl Bardoe

Narrator: Caroline Turner Cole

Unabridged: 21 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/26/2021


Synopsis

The true story of eighteenth-century mathematician Sophie Germain, who solved the unsolvable to achieve her dream.

When her parents took away her candles to keep their young daughter from studying math...nothing stopped Sophie. When a professor discovered that the homework sent to him under a male pen name came from a woman...nothing stopped Sophie. And when she tackled a math problem that male scholars said would be impossible to solve...still, nothing stopped Sophie.

For six years Sophie Germain used her love of math and her undeniable determination to test equations that would predict patterns of vibrations. She eventually became the first woman to win a grand prize from France's prestigious Academy of Sciences for her formula, which laid the groundwork for much of modern architecture (and can be seen in the book's illustrations).

Award-winning author Cheryl Bardoe's inspiring and poetic text is brought to life by acclaimed artist Barbara McClintock's intricate pen-and-ink, watercolor, and collage illustrations in this true story about a woman who let nothing stop her.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Betsy on January 22, 2018

I think we’ve done it. I think we’ve finally moved completely into a new era of biographical picture books. High time, says I! Gone are the days when a picture book biography had to be of somebody already famous. Gone the days of scanning the Biography section of the children’s room in the library o......more

Goodreads review by Calista on April 09, 2020

This story comes to us from the French Revolution. Sophie was a teen during this turbulent time and she was to stay indoors studying. Her parents did everything they could to stop her from studying math, but they had to give in because nothing would stop her. Men during her day would not talk with a......more

Goodreads review by Moonkiszt on September 12, 2021

Featured in a grandma reads session. Sophie Germain LOVED math. All she wanted to do was math and work out problems. Her biggest problem, though, was the social unrest in her country, France. It was a very dangerous time to live in France, even the king and queen lost their heads while the citizens d......more

Goodreads review by Sunday on April 07, 2020

So much potential for an interactive read aloud in 1st-3rd grade. Others have reviewed the content but I'd like to focus on the powerful illustrations in this book. Check out Barbara McClintock's note at the end of the book about how she "found ways to approach the project that married the mathemati......more


Quotes

A Bank Street College Best Children's Book of 2018

A
n Amelia Bloomer List Selection 2019

A National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and Children's Book Council (CBC) Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12

A National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Best STEM Book
A National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Orbis Pictus Recommended Book

CCBC Choices 2019

A Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Selection 2019

2019 Mathical Award Winner, Grades K-2

A Booklinks Lasting Connections Pick
An Evanston Public Library Best Book for Kids

"Masterly... a superb picture book biography."
The Wall Street Journal

"Refreshingly, Sophie Germain's story not only reminds us of the importance of perseverance, it recalls a time when discoveries were often made by hard-working amateurs--for the fun of it."—The New York Times

* "The artwork...is truly a sight to behold.... A highly recommended choice."
School Library Journal, starred review

* "A compelling biography...a lesson in perseverance.... A highly recommended addition to the growing number of books about women who have made significant contributions to knowledge."
School Library Connection, starred review

"Bardoe writes with precision and expert pacing.... [And] what McClintock accomplishes here is also a thing of wonder.... It's a remarkable story in an elegantly packaged piece of nonfiction.... Truly inspiring."—Julie Danielson, 7 Impossible Things

"Bardoe and McClintock have...gone into new territory, tried new artistic techniques, and brought to life ideas that until now have never been displayed in this way in a biography for kids.... I love this book."
Elizabeth Bird, A Fuse #8 Production

"This portrait of a quiet heroine is elegant, striking, and sure to inspire."
Kirkus Reviews

"Graceful and lyrical...an inspiring portrait of the plucky, self-taught mathematician."
The Horn Book

"Bardoe's text is concise and clear, right down to kid-tailored explanations of Sophie's mathematical pursuits. McClintock's line and watercolor scenes are an engaging meld of literal scene-setting and whimsical mathematical symbolism."—BCCB