Flick a Switch

by Barbara Seuling

Describes how electricity was discovered, how early devices were invented to make use of it, how it is generated in power plants, and then how it is distributed for many different uses.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2003

Reviews

[Nancy Kotkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Text: 5 stars
Illustrations: 4 stars

Nonfiction picture book that explains the basics of electricity. I personally found the girl and the dog to be more distracting than helpful, even though they only appear on about half the pages. But perhaps those characters will help children to stay engaged with the text. A few of the illustrations are goofy, but most are very useful and provide strong visual support for the concepts discussed. Overall, an excellent starting point for children to learn about electricity. No mention of energy conservation.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative. Pictures were fun and so was the text. My inner-earth-loving-self wishes it mentioned energy conservation at some point.

[Lisa Reyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for an introductory lesson on electricity! It goes over electrons, static electricity, generators, batteries, power plants, and power stations, as well as the scientists who discovered them and their importance for the history of electricity. There is also a static electricity experiment at the end of the story.

[Janis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for very young children.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good explanation for children of how electricity gets to your home, complete with simple experiments. However, a few examples are dated, a CD player, and a tube television.

[Leyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about electricity.