Remarkable Minds

Remarkable Minds: 17 More Women Who Changed Science and the World by Stephanie Sammartino McPherson is a compelling and inspiring collection of profiles that restores seventeen brilliant women scientists to their rightful place in the history of discovery.

About the Book

Stephanie Sammartino McPherson’s follow-up to her earlier collection of women in science profiles brings together seventeen remarkable women whose contributions to fields ranging from astronomy to ecology to mathematics have been overlooked, minimized, or forgotten entirely. The profiles range from historical figures—including Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, who discovered that stars are made primarily of hydrogen, and Lise Meitner, who helped discover nuclear fission—to more recent pioneers whose work is still reshaping their disciplines.

McPherson writes with warmth and clarity, making complex scientific work accessible to young readers without simplifying it to the point of distortion. Each profile is carefully researched, drawing on primary sources and emphasizing not just the women’s discoveries but the specific obstacles—institutional sexism, lack of access to formal education, systematic erasure of credit—they had to overcome to do their work. This context gives the book a genuine political dimension without turning it into a polemic.

The volume is also beautifully designed, with photographs and illustrations that bring the women to life beyond their achievements. McPherson is particularly good at capturing the human drama of scientific discovery—the moments of insight, the years of painstaking work, the frustrations of recognition delayed or denied. These are not just inspiring stories but genuinely exciting ones, full of the thrill of discovery.

What Makes It a Meridian Award Winner

Remarkable Minds contributes to the vital work of making the history of science more representative and complete. The women profiled here made genuine, often foundational contributions to their fields, and their absence from standard accounts of scientific history is a distortion that affects how young people—especially young women—understand what scientific careers look like. The Meridian Award recognizes children’s and young adult nonfiction that is both excellent and important, and this book earns that recognition on both counts.

Who Should Read This

This book is ideal for readers aged 10-14 with an interest in science, history, or biography, and is particularly recommended for young people who may not see themselves represented in standard accounts of scientific achievement. Teachers and librarians will find it an invaluable classroom and collection resource. Parents looking for role-model-rich nonfiction for scientifically curious children will want to have this on their shelves. It is also enjoyable for adult readers interested in the history of science.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Remarkable Minds worth reading?

Yes, without reservation. Remarkable Minds is exactly the kind of nonfiction that young readers need—meticulously researched, beautifully written, and genuinely inspiring without being saccharine. McPherson makes each woman’s story compelling in its own right, not just as a vehicle for inspiration, and that respect for her subjects and readers alike makes the book exceptional in its genre.

What genre is Remarkable Minds?

Remarkable Minds is children’s and young adult nonfiction, specifically a collective biography of women scientists. It is aimed at middle-grade readers but accessible to a wider range. It is firmly in the tradition of popular science biography for young readers, combining accurate historical information with engaging narrative writing.