Meet SOPHIE KOWALEVSKI, Queen of Mathematics

I have always found math to be easy, intuitive, and even fun. Don't take that as bragging, since it is the sheer (and lucky) consequence of good genes. I was born to parents who were very bright and raised with older siblings (also bright) whose headstart on life I often resented. Their activities presented a constant challenge for me to figure out whatever they were doing and match them, including card games, rote memorizing of "times tables", etc. It matters, too, that I never heard complaints among them that "math is HARD". 

Creston Books, 2020

Even so, I was in awe of the subject of this narrative biography for older readers.  NUMBERS IN MOTION: Sophie Kowalevski, Queen of Mathematics is among the latest of author Laurie Wallmark's  WOMEN IN STEM series, illustrated by Yevgenia Nayberg. Sophie, too, had both nature-and-nurture benefits, raised by a father who was a professor of mathematics in a household with complex formulas plastered across her bedroom walls. 

The story behind that situation offers both humor and irony. When her father ran out of wallpaper for her bedroom, he pasted his old college notebook pages onto the blank spaces. Young Sophia's elastic and expansive mind absorbed the language of those formulas as readily as children in bilingual homes become fluent in both. She traced formulas, identified patterns and symbols, creating her own versions of mathematical stories. But her life was lived during an era in which females were rarely taught academics beyond those needed to run a household. Certainly not advanced mathematics.

Sophie's insatiable curiosity while still a child resulted in self-study of algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, and, eventually, the complex challenges of differential equations. Everything in her life raised questions that she was certain could be resolved by mathematics, including the patterns of a spinning top. The fact that such solutions seemed impossible only fueled her efforts. 

Sophie's undeniable  brilliance and determination earned her advocates from among her father's colleagues. Eventually, male professors and authorities bent or defied the rules that banned females from attending university classes, or gaining a doctoral degree, or becoming a professor. The social and political restraints of her time were more challenging than mathematical ones, but they, too, could be solved.

This biography manages a delicate balance of focusing mainly on Sophie's adult experiences with minimal time spent on the subject's childhood. In this case, those limited spreads of Sophie as a child, both in narrative and images, will hook young readers. What could possibly earn more empathy from a kid than being told NO to what you want most in the world? And Sophie was told NO throughout her life, including the laws that prevented women from leaving Russia unless permitted to do so by a father or husband. She was determined to reach Heidelberg University in Germany, the European center for mathematical studies. How she overcame those and other obstacles are sometimes jaw-dropping solutions, leading me to cheer her on and smirk in satisfaction with each page turn.

Wallmark's research is incredibly deep, and her expertise in deciding what to include is equally deft. The author's note is a valuable read, as is a page labeled "Sophie's math". Sophie is credited with solving many ageless math mysteries, including one labeled the mermaid puzzle, because finding an answer was thought to be as elusive as finding a mermaid. Backmatter also includes a timeline, a bibliography, and a full page explanation about how and why Wallmark chose the spelling she did for her subject's name. I'll echo the author's hope that everyone will read this page, since it addresses an authoring-puzzle. Translation from other languages is an art form of its own, but when it comes to spelling names that originated in other alphabets, how can one choose and feel validated about that choice? This solution will surprise you, and also indicate how thoroughly Wallmark does her homework.

This is a book I wish had existed when I was growing up, a time when my library choices were minimal and few books held surprises or role models like this one does. The idea that the investigation of mathematical theories  was a potential career option never occurred to me. I suspect it never occurred to my teachers, either, even though the field obviously existed for centuries. Unlike Sophie, my drive was toward human puzzles and services. I harbored an ever-since-kindergarten-rules resentment of gender restrictions that would have made Sophie a personal hero. Throughout my long career in education I could have shared her story, raising her banner for curiosity, independence, and drive. I would have honored her personal motto for ALL of my students, but especially for girls: 

"SAY WHAT YOU KNOW, DO WHAT YOU MUST, COME WHAT MAY."

Laurie Wallmark had agreed to respond to some interview questions in a future post that will include the other titles in her series, especially the upcoming CODE BREAKER, SPY HUNTER: HOW ELIZEBETH FRIEDMAN CHANGED THE COURSE OF TWO WORLD WARS  (Abrams Kids, 2021) Until then, you can learn more about the "story behind the story" from other interviews about this book by reading her other blog tour interviews linked HERE.

And now, a PSA from this teacher to adults:

Even if your own life experience has been that "math is hard for me", PLEASE don't say that aloud in the presence of kids. Many adults are feeling frustrated or confused while supporting kids in distance learning or home schooling, but please start with an attitude that ANSWERS CAN BE FOUND, even when they are challenging. In a time with YouTube tutorials and countless other digital resources, dive in and struggle alongside the kids to make sense whenever possible. Or simply model asking questions and seeking help. A message that "some people" just aren't good at math is one of the most limiting messages you could send, especially it comes from adults who those kids love and admire. It is a pass to stop thinking, and gives your approval for not trying.

Sermon over.