Starred Review Never Give Up

Dr. Kati Karikó and the Race for the Future of Vaccines

  • Interest Level: Kindergarten - Grade 4
  • Reading Level: Grade 3

The first-ever picture book biography about Dr. Katalin Karikó, winner of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Growing up in a small Hungarian town, Kati Karikó was curious about everything. That included her family’s farm animals—and the cells inside of them. As an adult, she channeled her curiosity into her work as a scientist.

Kati wanted to find a way to use mRNA to help the body fight illnesses, but it wasn’t easy. An mRNA vaccine had never been made before, and she faced frequent criticism and was told by other scientists she would never succeed. But after many years of hard work and dedication, she figured out how to use mRNA to make a vaccine—and when a deadly virus called COVID-19 started infecting millions of people, Kati’s invention turned out to be exactly what the world needed.

Never Give Up is the inspiring true story of a determined scientist who proved that a little bit of curiosity and a lot of hard work can save lives.

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978-1-7284-5633-1
$15.99
978-1-7284-8559-1
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Interest Level Kindergarten - Grade 4
Reading Level Grade 3
Genre Picture Books, Science
Category 5 Kinds of Nonfiction, 5KN: Narrative Nonfiction, Biography, Diverse Books: Feminism, Diverse Books: Immigration & Refugees, Diversity, SEL: B Self-Management, SEL: E Responsible Decision-Making, Social Emotional Learning, STEM, STEM: Life Science/Health and Human Body
Copyright 2023
Publisher Lerner Publishing Group
Imprint Millbrook Press ™
Language English
Number of Pages 40
Publication Date 2023-03-07
Text Type Narrative Nonfiction
BISACS JNF007090, JNF007120, JNF024020
Dewey 572.092 [B]
Dimensions 9.25 x 11
Guided Reading Level W
Features Author/Illustrator note, Awards, Bibliography/further reading, Glossary, Reviewed, Starred Reviews, Teaching Guides, Timeline, and eSource

Awards

  • Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Awards Nominee, Nominated, 2024
  • Notable Award NSTA/CBC Best STEM Books Award, Winner, 2024

Reviews

Booklist

“[A] fascinating and up-to-date choice for primary science, health, and women’s history units.”—Booklist

Starred Review School Library Journal

“Bright, beautiful illustrations are rendered in pencil and finished digitally. . . . Informative as well as inspiring, this book shows how Karikó’s tenacity is proof to never give up. A first purchase for all biography collections.”—starred, School Library Journal

Kirkus Reviews

“An engaging look at scientific dedication and the timely development of effective vaccines.”—Kirkus Reviews