Booklist: Destination Vaccination

Dr. Fauci: How a Boy From Brooklyn Became America’s Doctor, by Kate Messner and Alexandra Bye (4-8). A picture book biography emphasizing Dr. Fauci’s lifelong curiosity as an influence in his long medical career. Nonfiction.

The Polio Pioneer: Dr. Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine, by Linda Elovitz Marshall and Lisa Anchin (4-8). Decades before COVID-19 the polio pandemic caused children to stay home as the illness surged. Salk also developed the first flu vaccine! Nonfiction.

June Almeida, Virus Detective!: The Woman Who Discovered the First Coronavirus, by Suzanne Slade and Elisa Paganelli (6-9). A picture book biography of a committed scientist whose skill with an electron microscope led to her discovery of coronaviruses. Nonfiction.

Science and Me: Inspired by the Discoveries of Nobel Prize Laureates in Physics, Chemistry and Medicine, by Ali Winter and Mickael El Fathi (7-10). STEM trailblazers are celebrated with dynamic illustrations in this collective biography which includes Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, a French virologist who won a Nobel Prize for her major contributions to HIV/AIDS research. Nonfiction.

Tu YouYou’s Discovery: Finding a Cure for Malaria, by Songju Ma Daemicke and Lin (7-10). Building on her own experience with natural medicine Tu Youyou discovered a cure for malaria still in use worldwide. Nonfiction.

A Shot in the Arm! (Big Ideas that Changed the World), by Don Brown (8+). A graphic novel history of vaccines — including COVID-19 — and the struggle to protect people from infectious diseases. Nonfiction.

Fred & Marjorie: A Doctor, a Dog, and the Discovery of Insulin, by Deborah Kerbel and Angela Poon (8+). A graphic novel biography of the Canadian doctor whose research on dogs, including a beloved mutt named Marjorie, led to the discovery of insulin and saved millions of childrens’ lives. Nonfiction.

If you need more on COVID-19, specifically:

What Is the Coronavirus Disease COVID-19?, by Michael Burgan (6-10). An illustrated introduction to the spread, symptoms, and impact of COVID-19. Nonfiction.