This case study examines the portrayal of women in three types of science books written for preadolescent girls and available in bookstores and a public library in Montgomery County, Maryland. The results suggest that images of scientists in general science books tend to be representative of both sexes, whereas science histories and encyclopedias focus on men's contributions. Biographies of women scientists deliver mixed messages. These books generally imply that women can simultaneously be scientists and have “normal” lives, but that only the most extraordinary and exceptional women achieve this because of the adversity, discrimination, and loneliness that women scientists face.
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