The Scientists
RSSDaryl Grabarek, Curriculum Connections -- School Library Journal, 09/22/2009
Some can be found in the laboratory, others in the field; recent books cover both varieties of scientists. In addition to introducing children and teens to some fascinating stories, the titles noted here underscore the enthusiasm, passion, and dedication these remarkable individuals have brought to their fields.
In the Laboratory
Chris Barton’s vibrant and irresistible The Day-Glo Brothers (Charlesbridge, 2009; Gr 4-6) relates the story of the industrious and ingenious Switzer siblings. While still in school, Joe, the younger brother, earned money as a magician; Bob's interests were science related. When an accident kept Bob housebound for several months, the two began working together to see if they could make the objects in Joe’s magic act glow brighter. Their experiments paid off, but for years the two continued to improve on their ideas, eventually producing some truly eye-popping colors. Tony Persiani’s retro artwork begins in shades of gray and black against white backgrounds; colors are slowly added until the final pages, which pulsate with shades of yellow, orange, and green. After sharing this book with your students, visit the publisher’s Web site for an animated mini-lesson on how “regular fluorescence and daylight fluorescence work.”
Philo Farnsworth was even younger than the Switzer brothers when his interest in science began. Machines of all sorts fascinated him—especially those that used that “new, invisible source of power” called electricity. With an active imagination and a pile of science magazines he began tinkering with motors, gadgets, and tools, and by age 22 Farnsworth announced to the world that he had invented television. Greg Couch’s luminous acrylic wash and colored pencil illustrations add lots of period details to Kathleen Krull’s The Boy Who Invented TV (Knopf, 2009), an incredible story of youthful ability, persistence, and hard work.
When George Eastman set out to take pictures in 1877, he was loaded down with bulky equipment—a tripod, chemicals, black cloth, and glass plates were some of the essentials. While Eastman enjoyed his new hobby, he knew there had to be a way to improve on the picture-taking process. In the years that followed, he worked on developing quicker (and easier) methods of capturing images and invented some sleek, affordable equipment. Monica Kulling’s charming It’s a Snap! (Tundra, 2009; Gr 1-4) tells Eastman’s story with panache and Bill Slavin’s entertaining pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations push the humor up a notch. This is terrific storytelling that will work as a read aloud in any class.
On the Road
Three new additions to the “Scientist in the Field” series take readers to locations near and far with men and women on the sometimes perilous frontiers of science. Donna Jackson introduces readers to Extreme Scientists—a meteorologist whose work brings him into the eye of a hurricane, a microbiologist who visits caves to study single-cell organisms that survive in hostile environments, and an ecologist who spends time in tall-tree canopies. Each photo essay is followed by a Q & A with the scientist.
Pamela S. Turner’s The Frog Scientist highlights the work of Tyrone Hayes, whose study of the health and habitats of frogs lead to discoveries about pesticide use in this country, while Sy Montgomery and Nic Bishop's Saving the Ghost of the Mountain (all Houghton; Gr 5-8; 2009) tracks the elusive snow leopard on the mountain ridges of Mongolia with Tom McCarthy.
All three titles in the series include generous quotes, address current environmental issues, and offer spectacular color photography. If you want to encourage students to consider a career in science, start by introducing them to these outstanding titles.
