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. As an adult, she channeled her curiosity into her work as a scientist. An mRNA vaccine had never been made before, and she faced frequent criticism and was told by other scientists she would never succeed. 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.

Format Your Price Add
978-1-7284-5633-1
$15.99
978-1-7284-8559-1
$25.99
979-8-7656-2694-8
$34.99
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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

Author: Debbie Dadey

Debbie Dadey is an author of early readers and graphic novels including The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids Graphix Chapters Books. She lives in Sevierville, Tennessee, with her husband Eric and their dog Carmen.

Illustrator: Juliana Oakley

Juliana Oakley is an illustrator based in Bahrain who loves to work with color. She draws inspiration from her family, from travels, from nature, and childhood memories. Her illustrations often start from pencil sketches and are then finished digitally.

Lerner eSource™ offers free digital teaching and learning resources, including Common Core State Standards (CCSS) teaching guides. These guides, created by classroom teachers, offer short lessons and writing exercises that give students specific instruction and practice using Common Core skills and strategies. Lerner eSource also provides additional resources including online activities, downloadable/printable graphic organizers, and additional educational materials that would also support Common Core instruction. Download, share, pin, print, and save as many of these free resources as you like!

Never Give Up

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. As an adult, she channeled her… View available downloads →

What Makes a Picture Book Bio Stand Out?

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NEVER GIVE UP: AN INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR DEBBIE DADEY AND ILLUSTRATOR JULIANA OAKLEY

Meet Hungarian American biochemist Katalin “Kati” Karikó. She became fascinated by science as a child and grew up determined to find a way to use messenger RNA—a copy of a part of DNA that provides cells with instructions to make proteins—to help fight illness.… View →

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Awards

  • Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Awards Nominee, Nominated, 2024
  • 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

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