Albert Einstein: A Biography

by Milton Meltzer

Albert Einstein spent his life asking questions and searching for answers. In 1921 Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. He was not only a scientist, he was also a peace activist and a fighter for social justice. In this revealing biography-featuring black-and-white photographs-esteemed nonfiction author Milton Meltzer explores the life and work of one of the greatest scientists of all time.

Genres: Biography

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 30, 2007

About the author

Milton Meltzer wrote 110 books, five of which were nominated for the National Book Award. With Langston Hughes, he co-authored A Pictorial History of Black Americans, now in its sixth edition. He received the 2001 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for his contribution to children's literature, the 1986 Jane Addams Peace Association Children's Book Award, and the 2000 Regina Medal. He died in New York City of esophageal cancer at age 94.

Reviews

[Joecel Franco · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book by Milton Meltzer is much detailed compared to Brad Meltzer. This book contains a complex explanation of Einstein’s life and work. This book is designed for Grades 5-8 because some of the words the author used are a little advanced for Grades 1-4. I like both of the Einstein books. If I were given the chance, I like both of this book to be on my shelf so my students could have the opportunity to read and enjoy Einstein’s book. Though it didn’t have any illustration, the author added a real life picture of Einstein starting when he was a young boy until his last years. Adding real life pictures somehow sends a message to the reader that everything that Einstein did is true and if he can do it, you can too. Just like Einstein said, do not limit yourself on the things you want to learn because you never know what you can find and you’ll be amazed at how amazing this world can be. My favorite line from this book is, “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new” I like this line because even though he is a genius, he’s still telling people that it is okay to make a mistake because it is part of life. Mistakes are inevitable especially when you are trying something new. Don’t be afraid to fail and make mistakes because that is how you learn.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a very informative book about Albert Einstein that is just packed with information. For the reluctant reader, I would not recommend this book unless they were incredibly interested in Einstein due to the lack of visual stimulant that is provided. There are few photographs with mostly lots and lots of text in between. I would only recommend this as a reference source for writing a biography, but not for keeping a child engaged in reading. Although, if a children enjoyed reading about real life situations, they might enjoy the old photographs provided.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

In English class we discussed how some biographies only focus on the bad about people and others focus only on the good, but in the introduction of this book it said, "As brilliant as Einstein was, he was very human. Like you and me, he knew joy and misery, success and failure." I was a little disappointed because it did not illustrate this point very well in the rest of the book, but it was still very interesting.

[Bree DeLaMare]

An easy-to-read biography for children that highlights the important events and findings in Albert Einstein's life. Through photographs and simple vocabulary, the book gives wonderful background Einstein's theories and what initially pushed him to pursue science and mathematics.

[Cherie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Biography
Copyright: 2008
Thoughts: Well and clearly written. Math and science theories explained in fairly clear writing.

[Bridgit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grade/interest level: Upper Elementary/Middle School
Reading level: 950L
Genre: Biography
Main Characters: Albert Einstein
Setting: early 1900s
POV: narrator

[Brandy Gilbertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cool photographs from Einstein's life.
Included a timeline from his birth (1879) to death (1955).
Covered all the major events throughout his life.

*Book from text

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enables to let children learn that Albert Einstein is more than just MC^2.

[Mao Mao · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! It has a lot of interesting details. Albert Einstein is my favorite scientist. Furthermore, this book is my second favorite book about Einstein.