The Lady and the Octopus: How Jeanne Villepreux-Power Invented Aquariums and Revolutionized Marine Biology by Danna Staff

I love how much I can learn from an excellent middle school nonfiction book--and this one taught me about a woman who deserves greater recognition. Jeanne Villepreux-Power was a powerhouse of scientific research in the early 1800s, when women had great difficulty being accepted as scientists. She was born in France, and lived with her wealthy husband in Sicily, where she became fascinated with sea life, in particular the type of octopus called an argonaut that lived in a shell. She made the first aquarium ever invented, but realized that it was hard to keep sea life alive in her home, so she invented a way to place an aquarium underwater and observe in the clear shallow water of Sicily. Jeanne was a pioneer in studying living sea life (rather than just looking at dead specimens) and she developed ways of testing her hypotheses that stand the test of time. She also refuted commonly held beliefs and spent hears writing up her findings and convincing scientific societies to accept her as a member. She was a pioneer in many ways and this book takes a deep dive into her life and work. It would be great for motivated kids who are really into science, but I would argue that due to its complexity, it's even better for adults.