In that thriller genre, “Inferno” by Dan Brown (stop snorting – it’s fun escapism) has an interesting take on biocontainment – or lack thereof.

 

I posted your query to my Facebook profile with the following results, specific to young readers and what appealed to my buddies as girls:  Anything by Madeline L’Engel, Asimov (as has been already suggested), Robert Heinlein, Dr.. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (in various incarnations) and the space race spurred these girl’s and my interest in STEM.

 

I’m loving the suggestions – have some more titles to add to my five thousand foot long, 8 point font, reading list.

 

Great question!

 

Debbie M. Decker, CCHO, ACS Fellow

Chair, Division of Chemical Health and Safety

University of California, Davis

(530)754-7964

(530)304-6728

dmdecker**At_Symbol_Here**ucdavis.edu

 

Birkett's hypothesis: "Any chemical reaction

that proceeds smoothly under normal conditions,

can proceed violently in the presence of an idiot."

 

 

 

 

You might find Prey, by Michael Crichton interesting as you explore books on chemistry.  While not traditional chemistry, the story is a thriller on nano’s going out of control allowing for consideration of what could happen from human ingestion/inhalation of nano particles.  It’s a bit more extreme than possible reality, but at the time the book was published we were just starting to focus on how to safely control nano particles in industrial labs and manufacturing.

 

  Betsy