Lexi and Marie Curie: Saving Lives in World War I

By Marian Keen, Jodie Dias and Wendy Weston

According to myth, cats have nine lives, and Alexander Catt II (also known as Lexi) has spent his former lives with scientists of medicine throughout history. In these adventures, Lexi witnesses medical breakthroughs and discoveries, and learns the value of hard work and integrity. In Lexi and Marie Curie Save Lives and Limbs in World War I, Lex

• Language: English
• Publisher: Keen Ideas Publishing
• Release date: Jan 14, 2018
• ISBN: 9781988220154

Marian Keen

Marian Keen, BS in Education, is a Canadian children's author. Marian majored in middle-grade education, and taught grades five and six. Her genres of children's stories include the Woodland Tales, a series for early readers; two historical fiction series for the middle-grades; and a young adult novel. The real-life heroes she depicts in her stories inspire integrity, creativity, and perseverance. Her two middle-grade series, The Adventures of Alexander Catt and Lexi Catt's Meowmoirs-Tales of Heroic Scientists, both combine the feline-humour of the stories' narrators (Alex and Lexi) along with historically accurate settings and events. Look for Marian's complete works at megsbooks.com or amazon.com

Book preview

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Table of Contents

LEXI AND MARIE CURIE

Reviews

Acknowledgements

Lexi Catt’s Meowmoirs

Part One: Scientific Discovery

Chapter One: Nobel Prize Fame

Chapter Two: Très Honorable

Chapter Three: A Prize and a Visit

Chapter Four: Full Days; Dark Days

Chapter Five: Nobel Prize Number Two and a Curie

Part Two: World War I

Chapter Six: A Secret Mission

Chapter Seven: To the Front

Chapter Eight: A Grateful Soldier

Chapter Nine: A Noble Cake

Chapter Ten: The Key

Chapter Eleven: New Driver

Chapter Twelve: A Driving Force

Part Three: Peace

Chapter Thirteen: Vive la France!

Chapter Fourteen: The Value of Fame

Chapter Fifteen: Vive l’Amérique!

Pawscript

Glossary

Important dates

Important people

Five Curie Family Members win Nobel Prizes

Author’s note to parents and teachers

How did Marie’s Early Life Influence her Work?

How did Marie Begin the Field of Atomic Science?

Which Scientists Realized that Radioactive Substances Disintegrated into Lead?

How did WWI Affect the Status of Women?

What Help did Marie Receive to Establish a New Institute in Poland?

What was the Radium Craze?

How Did World War I Begin in 1914?

What is War Cake?

In Flanders Fields

Bibliography

LEXI AND LISTER DEFEAT DEATH

A PREVIEW

Chapter One: An Unusual Honeymoon

About the Author

About the Illustrators

Also in the Lexi Catt Series

...

Lexi Catt’s Meowmoirs—Tales Of Heroic Scientists

LEXI AND MARIE CURIE

Saving Lives in World War I

By Marian Keen

Illustrated by Jodie Dias and Wendy Watson

Edited by Nancy Wickham

Keen Ideas Publishing

Vancouver, Canada

LEXI AND MARIE CURIE

SAVING LIVES IN WORLD WAR I

Copyright © 2014 by Marian Keen

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to real people or events is purely coincidental.

Dedicated to:

Scientists – past, present, and future – who understand that scientific discoveries must be dedicated to the benefit of mankind, not the destruction of man and his world.

...

I have always admired Marie Curie. Not only did she do

outstanding work in her lifetime … and help humanity greatly … she invested all her work with the highest moral quality.

~ Albert Einstein

Reviews

This is a fascinating and unusual book for readers in intermediate grades. Lexi and Marie Curie introduces readers to the amazing story of scientist Marie Curie, whose isolation of radium, among other discoveries, led to her being awarded the Nobel Prize in both Physics and Chemistry. Shut out of much of the formal scientific academy, Marie forges her own path, one that paves the way for her daughters and for generations of girls and women whose curiosity is sparked by STEM – science, technology, engineering and math.

Author Marian Keen’s eye for detail draws the reader into Marie Curie’s life, her triumphs and disappointments. Published to coincide with the centenary of the start of the Great War, the book brings readers back to the tremendous upheaval of this terrible conflict. Readers are treated to details about the roles of animals at the front, the challenges of cooking when food is scarce, and the important contribution of women nurses in the war. The story focuses on Marie Curie’s lesser known work in setting up mobile x-ray units in field hospitals that could accurately locate shrapnel, allowing field surgeons to save lives and preserve limbs. The writing is accessible and the descriptions of war are honest but age-appropriate.

This book will serve as a useful reminder to both girls and boys that women have been making history in all fields of endeavor for a very long time, and that our pioneers ought not to be forgotten. Lexi and Marie Curie will encourage girls, in particular, not to take no for an answer and to rely on their wits and ingenuity to find a solution to even the most difficult problems that life throws their way.

Janine Benedet, Associate Professor of Law and Director of the Centre for Feminist Legal Studies, UBC

...

Through the eyes, ears, and tail of Lexi Catt, Marian Keen brings to life the wonderful story of the Curies, told in an engaging style for children. Marian skilfully weaves in the difficulties experienced by women during that era and how they were overcome by Marie and her daughters through their dedication, skills, and knowledge. The telling of the work of Marie and the petites Curies during World War I is remarkable in its emotive immediacy – the reader is carried along in the scenes with them. Marian’s bringing together of the history of war, the history of science, and the attitudes and ways of thinking in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, in a way that is understandable and attractive to children, is masterful.

Richard Coles, Ph.D., Former Teacher of Physics and other Sciences, Research Geophysicist, Past President of a Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion

Acknowledgements

I wish to express profound and sincere appreciation to John Dias, my son-in-law, for the inspiration and concept of the Lexi Catt Series, which brings to life the history of medicine. Alexander Catt II, also known as Lexi, is a wonderful spokes-feline, who has allowed me to share my interest in the health sciences with children. Thank you, John, for opening the door to these exciting adventures.

I wish to thank Julie Salisbury and her team at Influence Publishing for the opportunity to bring Lexi’s eye on history to publication. Children now have the chance to become acquainted with some true heroes of history.

I wish to thank my daughters, Jodie Dias and Wendy Watson, for bringing the story to life with charming, whimsical visuals while maintaining the historical truth.

I wish to thank Nancy Wickham for her meticulous attention to detail and clarity in editing my written words and her patience in dealing with my cockeyed humour.

I want my family to know that I appreciate their patience and support in this endeavour by never complaining about the long hours I spend on this project.

Lexi Catt’s Meowmoirs

My name is Alexander Catt II, but people call me Lexi. I was born in Luxor, Egypt, during Ramses’ reign as pharaoh. My father was Alexander Catt, the adventurer, and my mother was called Ebony. I am all black like my mother, but