Breaking the Mold

December 1, 2022
An inviting, inclusive introduction to notable figures in a critical field. This book shows that environmental scientists no longer are limited by outmoded stereotypes. The informative assemblage introduces 16 practitioners who demonstrate the value added to science by increased diversity in researchers' backgrounds and life experiences. Two Native Hawaiians concerned with oceanography bookend the collection: Cliff Kapono and Kelly Luis. Kapono uses analytical chemistry to study the effects of ocean waste on swimmers' and surfers' microbiomes worldwide. Luis utilizes satellite images to determine what the colors of the ocean can reveal about important environmental changes. Readers also meet Anita Marshall (Choctaw), a geologist with a mobility disability who pushes back against ableism; Lila Leatherman, a nonbinary forest scientist who uses remote sensing technology; Marshall Shepherd, an African American meteorologist who worked at NASA; and Katharine Hayhoe, a climate scientist who is also an evangelical Christian. Their life stories both highlight the challenges the subjects faced in education and professional advancement as well as the ways their diverse perspectives and life experiences have enriched the progress of research in their fields and their mentorship of students. Ample color photos show the scientists in their work environments, and extensive sidebars explain related subjects and offer advice for readers. A final chapter introduces seven environmentally active nonscientists from around the world. The lively design breaks up the smoothly written text, emphasizing important points. Unusually attractive and intriguing. (DIY activities, bibliography, source notes, photo credits, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

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January 9, 2023
Detailing the bias that can make scientific fields “uncomfortable or unwelcoming for many LGBTQ+, disabled, and non-white” professionals, Levy (Above All Else) offers up a career-spanning compendium positioned as profiling 16 climate scientists who “defy stereotypes of who can be a scientist.” Chapters acquaint readers with each figure on a first-name basis, complete with advice, personal stories, and snapshots of interviewees. Black U.S. meteorologist Marshall Shepherd describes a career in atmospheric science, including at NASA; queer environmental scientist Devyani Singh, who grew up in the Indian Himalayas, discusses blending climate research with science-policy activism; and Indigenous Hawaiian analytical chemist and surfer Cliff Kapano talks collecting and analyzing microbial specimens. Anecdotal tellings also interweave personal experiences. Rocío Paola Caballero-Gill, raised in Peru, discusses how a diagnosis of Myasthenia gravis put her on a path to mentorship; Daniel Palacios of Oregon State University’s Marine Mammal Institute recalls growing up gay in Bogotá; and nonbinary U.S. biologist Lila Leatherman discusses the isolation of feeling unable to share one’s full identity. Sidebars provide additional information, including definitions of identity-related and scientific terms. Levy persuasively argues for inclusion, arming readers with critical thinking skills and positive representations of intersectionally diverse innovators: “If you feel like you don’t fit the picture of a scientist, that doesn’t mean you’re wrong. It means the picture is.” A bibliography concludes. Ages 8–12.

Starred review from January 1, 2023

Gr 3-8-Levy profiles 16 boundary-pushing and innovative scientists in this gorgeously designed title. From the first page, the author's goal is to showcase the work of contemporary contributors to the scientific field who might not fit "the mold" of what a scientist "looks like." The subjects are diverse, in every sense of the word. They are representative of a wide swath of marginalized communities, including Indigenous tribes, those with visible and invisible disabilities, and people across the gender spectrum. The variety in the areas of scientific study is also substantial, including environmentalists, climate change activists, volcanologists, and urban ecologists. They hail from all parts of the world, working at a global scale and making important changes-in big and small ways. The trim size allows plenty of white space that helps set off the dynamic layout, popping color, and impeccable photos. Unfamiliar words are in bold within the text and defined in thorough but accessible side bars on the same page. This book can be read as a curricular tie-in, but science enthusiasts could just as easily browse through the engaging pages. Inspirational pull quotes from the scientists profiled also grace the page in bright-colored fonts. The back matter features short bios on seven non-scientists making a mark, including students; DIY activities with an environmental focus; and 10 pages of bibliography and source notes. VERDICT This inspirational text about underrepresented folks in STEM fields is nonfiction at its best.-Shelley M. Diaz

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