REPORT - THE PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN SCIENCE BOOKS FOR JUNIOR READERS

This case study examines the portrayal of women in three types of scie nce books written for pre-adolescent girls and available in bookstores and a public library in Montgomery County Maryland. The results sugge st that images of scientists in general science books tend to be repre sentative of both sexes, whereas science histories and encyclopedias f ocus on men's contributions. Biographies of women scientists deliver m ixed messages. These:books generally imply that women can simultaneous ly be scientists and have ''normal'' lives, but that only the most ext raordinary and exceptional women achieve this because of the adversity , discrimination, and loneliness that women scientists face.