Status
Available
Collections
Publication
Balzer Bray (2021), 40 pages
Description
The true story of Maryam Mirzakhani, an Iranian girl whose creativity and love of stories helped her and the world see math in a new way, and who was the only woman ever to win the Fields Medal, the most prestigious honor in mathematics.
Local notes
School Library Connection, 02/28/2021
This picture book biography about Maryam Mirzakhani focuses mainly on her early life set against the backdrop of her youth in Iran. Her interest in geometry was sparked early on by her love for shapes and stories. She was among the first girls to make the Iranian team of the International Mathematical Olympiad, a competition for young mathematicians. She won a perfect score (and the grand prize) at the competition in Canada in 1995. She later attended Harvard University for graduate school. One of her discoveries was called "the magic wand theorem," hence the title of the book. She won the most important math award, the Fields Medal, for her work on this theorem. Tragically, she passed away from breast cancer in 2017. End pages include a list of important dates in Mirzakhani's life as well as articles about her life and a list of her various achievements. Although this is a picture book, the concepts are geared for a much older audience. Certainly adults could also benefit from reading this book in order to familiarize themselves with Maryam's accomplishments in her short lifetime. Sandra Kitain RECOMMENDED
This picture book biography about Maryam Mirzakhani focuses mainly on her early life set against the backdrop of her youth in Iran. Her interest in geometry was sparked early on by her love for shapes and stories. She was among the first girls to make the Iranian team of the International Mathematical Olympiad, a competition for young mathematicians. She won a perfect score (and the grand prize) at the competition in Canada in 1995. She later attended Harvard University for graduate school. One of her discoveries was called "the magic wand theorem," hence the title of the book. She won the most important math award, the Fields Medal, for her work on this theorem. Tragically, she passed away from breast cancer in 2017. End pages include a list of important dates in Mirzakhani's life as well as articles about her life and a list of her various achievements. Although this is a picture book, the concepts are geared for a much older audience. Certainly adults could also benefit from reading this book in order to familiarize themselves with Maryam's accomplishments in her short lifetime. Sandra Kitain RECOMMENDED
Awards
Mathical Book Prize (Winner — 2022)
Middle East Book Award (Honorable Mention — 2021)
Iowa Goldfinch Award (Nominee — 2023)
Rise: A Feminist Book Project for Ages 0-18 (Selection — 2022)
Picture This Recommendation List (Nonfiction — 2022)