What do you think?
Rate this book
Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein
When he was born in 1879, Albert was a peculiarly fat baby with an unusually big and misshaped head. When he was older, he hit his sister, frustrated his teachers, and had few friends. But Albert’s strange childhood also included his brilliant capacity for puzzles and problem solving: the mystery of a compass’s swirling needle, the intricacies of Mozart’s music, the secrets of geometry — set his mind spinning with ideas.
In fact, Albert Einstein’s ideas were destined to change the way we know and understand the world and our place in the universe.
In spare, precise text filled with graceful detail and accompanied by sometimes humorous, sometimes lonely portraits, Don Brown introduces us to the less than magnificent beginnings of an odd boy out. The result is a tender rendering of the adventures of growing up for one of the most important thinkers of the twentieth century.
In fact, Albert Einstein’s ideas were destined to change the way we know and understand the world and our place in the universe.
In spare, precise text filled with graceful detail and accompanied by sometimes humorous, sometimes lonely portraits, Don Brown introduces us to the less than magnificent beginnings of an odd boy out. The result is a tender rendering of the adventures of growing up for one of the most important thinkers of the twentieth century.
28 pages, Hardcover
First published September 27, 2004
14 people are currently reading
786 people want to read
About the author
Don Brown
48 books148 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Don Brown is the award-winning author and illustrator of many picture book biographies. He has been widely praised for his resonant storytelling and his delicate watercolor paintings that evoke the excitement, humor, pain, and joy of lives lived with passion. School Library Journal has called him "a current pacesetter who has put the finishing touches on the standards for storyographies." He lives in New York with his family.
Don Brown is the award-winning author and illustrator of many picture book biographies. He has been widely praised for his resonant storytelling and his delicate watercolor paintings that evoke the excitement, humor, pain, and joy of lives lived with passion. School Library Journal has called him "a current pacesetter who has put the finishing touches on the standards for storyographies." He lives in New York with his family.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 154 reviews
September 10, 2010
This wasn’t quite what I’d expected and I got a different take on how Einstein was as a child. I’d always thought he did poorly in all subjects (but apparently he always did well in math and well enough in music) and first began to talk much later than this book indicates. I also had no idea he felt so very alone and was a frustrated, angry, and aggressive child, although I suppose it makes sense given what we now know about his brilliant mind. However, I had a bit of a hard time liking the boy, as described in this book, although I definitely felt empathy for him and I very much admire the man he became.
I really enjoyed the illustrations; they have a wonderful quality about them.
I think this picture book biography does an excellent job of describing Einstein’s life so that it fits into picture book form. But, something was off for me, and I’m having a really hard time describing what. It has to do with his early misbehavior and some unconventional child rearing methods on his family’s part, while not saying anything else about it. I think an attempt was made to fit in too much information without providing enough depth. Maybe that’s fine. Kids will probably understand and make up their own minds about what they think of this boy/man and his life. Kids who feel like misfits for any reason, might very much appreciate this story; it’s about a misfit who grows up to have a satisfying and amazing life.
Very young children are not going to understand the import of his scientific discoveries, although they’ll get the gist. There is an author’s note and bibliography in the back of the book, which is designed for older children and adults.
I read some other reviews and upped this from 3 to 4 stars. I do think autistic kids, kids who don't fit in well with other children or their families, kids who have a passion, kids who are disinterested in some subjects and fascinated by others, and any kids who ever feel different can get a lot out of this book. And the pictures are so wonderful.
Nope, back to 3 stars. I liked it, but just liked it. I did really like the illustrations. This is one case where half stars would be wonderful: 3-1/2.
I really enjoyed the illustrations; they have a wonderful quality about them.
I think this picture book biography does an excellent job of describing Einstein’s life so that it fits into picture book form. But, something was off for me, and I’m having a really hard time describing what. It has to do with his early misbehavior and some unconventional child rearing methods on his family’s part, while not saying anything else about it. I think an attempt was made to fit in too much information without providing enough depth. Maybe that’s fine. Kids will probably understand and make up their own minds about what they think of this boy/man and his life. Kids who feel like misfits for any reason, might very much appreciate this story; it’s about a misfit who grows up to have a satisfying and amazing life.
Very young children are not going to understand the import of his scientific discoveries, although they’ll get the gist. There is an author’s note and bibliography in the back of the book, which is designed for older children and adults.
I read some other reviews and upped this from 3 to 4 stars. I do think autistic kids, kids who don't fit in well with other children or their families, kids who have a passion, kids who are disinterested in some subjects and fascinated by others, and any kids who ever feel different can get a lot out of this book. And the pictures are so wonderful.
Nope, back to 3 stars. I liked it, but just liked it. I did really like the illustrations. This is one case where half stars would be wonderful: 3-1/2.
June 13, 2020
This is a great book and I will definitely be using this with my students with dyslexia this year. :)
November 17, 2020
Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Don Brown. It shapes an impressionistic portrait of Einstein in his early years.
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics. His work is also known for its influence on the philosophy of science. He received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect, a pivotal step in the development of quantum theory.
Brown's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Written in the present tense, the narrative occasionally becomes muddy when discussing Einstein's scientific thinking and discoveries, targeting the book more to kids who identify with the hero's personality traits than to those interested in the man's ideas. Backmatter includes an author's note and bibliography. Brown's appealingly quirky pen-and-ink and watercolor art effectively illuminate the eccentricities and intelligence of Einstein the boy and the man.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It recounts the early life of Albert Einstein and shares many anecdotes that reveal his character: his temper tantrums scare away his tutor; his single-minded attention to his pastimes; his independence that his parents allowed him to wander the streets of Munich alone at the age of four; and the boy early on displays an extraordinary skill at and fascination with mathematics.
True to the book's title, Brown emphasizes ways in which Einstein fails to fit in with his peers. He dislikes sports, is disturbed rather than excited at the sight of soldiers parading in the street and, as the only Jewish student in school, is taunted by his classmates.
All in all, Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein is a lovely biography of Einstein's passage from lonely oddball to breathtaking genius.
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of relativity, one of the two pillars of modern physics. His work is also known for its influence on the philosophy of science. He received the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics for his services to theoretical physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the photoelectric effect, a pivotal step in the development of quantum theory.
Brown's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Written in the present tense, the narrative occasionally becomes muddy when discussing Einstein's scientific thinking and discoveries, targeting the book more to kids who identify with the hero's personality traits than to those interested in the man's ideas. Backmatter includes an author's note and bibliography. Brown's appealingly quirky pen-and-ink and watercolor art effectively illuminate the eccentricities and intelligence of Einstein the boy and the man.
The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It recounts the early life of Albert Einstein and shares many anecdotes that reveal his character: his temper tantrums scare away his tutor; his single-minded attention to his pastimes; his independence that his parents allowed him to wander the streets of Munich alone at the age of four; and the boy early on displays an extraordinary skill at and fascination with mathematics.
True to the book's title, Brown emphasizes ways in which Einstein fails to fit in with his peers. He dislikes sports, is disturbed rather than excited at the sight of soldiers parading in the street and, as the only Jewish student in school, is taunted by his classmates.
All in all, Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein is a lovely biography of Einstein's passage from lonely oddball to breathtaking genius.
February 10, 2021
Well, this was weird.
I mean, I guess some people want to know that Albert Einstein was a fat baby with a misshapen head who hurt his sister regularly. Seems like an odd choice to include in a kids' biography of him , but hey - that's just me.
What I really didn't like is that it doesn't explain important concepts. At all. It mentions E = mc2, but gives not even a cursory explanation of what that means.
I mean, I guess some people want to know that Albert Einstein was a fat baby with a misshapen head who hurt his sister regularly. Seems like an odd choice to include in a kids' biography of him , but hey - that's just me.
What I really didn't like is that it doesn't explain important concepts. At all. It mentions E = mc2, but gives not even a cursory explanation of what that means.
February 3, 2010
What ARE you going to say about Einstein that'll fit in a picture book for the 4 - 8 crowd?
Quite a lot, apparently. Like many children, young Albert (and this book does focus mainly on his youth) never fit in. The other children liked sports, and watching soldiers on parades; he didn't. Other children talked and cooed at two; he didn't. Other children answered questions quickly in class, and bothered with the classes they didn't like, and socialized at parties... not so Albert.
The author covers Einstein's childhood admirably (I especially recommend this book to autistic/aspie children, who may readily see aspects of themselves in his behavior. This does *not* mean I necessarily agree with the hypothesis that Einstein was on the spectrum, just that it may be a useful book for kids on the spectrum), and then rapidly sums up his adult accomplishments without going into too much detail. Quotations from Einstein on himself, or from other people about him, are used to great effect to help make his personality more vivid.
One thing about this book, it's a bit awkward as a readaloud. It's a longer book, for one, and also, it's written in the historical present. Reading about events over 100 years ago in the present tense... well, I suggest if you're going to read this book aloud that you do a quick read-through first to make sure you don't slip-up midsentence. That just sounds awkward.
Please note that this book is definitely not going to teach your children the theory of relativity :) If you want a more science-y book for children, this isn't it.
Quite a lot, apparently. Like many children, young Albert (and this book does focus mainly on his youth) never fit in. The other children liked sports, and watching soldiers on parades; he didn't. Other children talked and cooed at two; he didn't. Other children answered questions quickly in class, and bothered with the classes they didn't like, and socialized at parties... not so Albert.
The author covers Einstein's childhood admirably (I especially recommend this book to autistic/aspie children, who may readily see aspects of themselves in his behavior. This does *not* mean I necessarily agree with the hypothesis that Einstein was on the spectrum, just that it may be a useful book for kids on the spectrum), and then rapidly sums up his adult accomplishments without going into too much detail. Quotations from Einstein on himself, or from other people about him, are used to great effect to help make his personality more vivid.
One thing about this book, it's a bit awkward as a readaloud. It's a longer book, for one, and also, it's written in the historical present. Reading about events over 100 years ago in the present tense... well, I suggest if you're going to read this book aloud that you do a quick read-through first to make sure you don't slip-up midsentence. That just sounds awkward.
Please note that this book is definitely not going to teach your children the theory of relativity :) If you want a more science-y book for children, this isn't it.
August 27, 2017
This book was an excellent introduction to the life of Albert Einstein. For me, it won't be an Introduction, though. It will likely be the entirety of what I'll read about him. But I enjoyed it and learned some things about a great man.
I say I learned "some" things, but there's really only one thing that I'm taking away from this book: I learned that he was a pretty nasty child, with an awful temper. He was violent, even, toward his poor little sister. :-( (Throwing a hard ball at her? Hitting her in the head with a hoe? She's lucky to have survived with her brain intact!)
In the author's note after the "story," I learned that Albert Einstein didn't win the Nobel Prize for either E=MC^2 or his Special Theory of Relativity. Instead, he earned it for On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies, his work on the nature of light.
I did learn that, as I expected, he wasn't interested in the usual pursuits of boys. Sports and military parades held no interest for him. But I was sad to learn that he had a violent temper as a child. And, as I said above, it's likely that this is the only thing I'll really remember about having read this biography. :-(
I say I learned "some" things, but there's really only one thing that I'm taking away from this book: I learned that he was a pretty nasty child, with an awful temper. He was violent, even, toward his poor little sister. :-( (Throwing a hard ball at her? Hitting her in the head with a hoe? She's lucky to have survived with her brain intact!)
In the author's note after the "story," I learned that Albert Einstein didn't win the Nobel Prize for either E=MC^2 or his Special Theory of Relativity. Instead, he earned it for On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies, his work on the nature of light.
I did learn that, as I expected, he wasn't interested in the usual pursuits of boys. Sports and military parades held no interest for him. But I was sad to learn that he had a violent temper as a child. And, as I said above, it's likely that this is the only thing I'll really remember about having read this biography. :-(
September 15, 2022
When we look at famous historical figures through the lens of the present, we see them as the shining stars they were. We know about their undeniable gifts and accomplishments. We know how they have made our world better. Because their discoveries are amazing, we make assumptions about their academic progress and educational formation. For brilliant scientists like Albert Einstein, we may envision a boy who is at the top of the class. We imagine a shining academic career that catapults him into the space where e=mc-squared is born. This book helps us to realize that for Einstein his trajectory from birth to brilliant discoveries was not a straight line. He was mean to his sister. His teachers found him frustrating and even thought he might be dull-witted. He didn't fly through school with flying colors. But he was curious and fascinated with items like a compass and was a lover of Mozart. What we see is the ways his struggles and studies prepared him to do great things for the world. God, in his divine providence, prepared Einstein for the work that he was meant to do.
November 23, 2008
This book enlightens us about Albert Einsteins life as a child and growing up into adulthood. The reader learns the "human" side of Einstein.
Overall anyone who is interested in learning about Albert Einstein will find this book appealing. It does a terrific job of summarizing his life. The Hornbook Guide rated it a 1 and I agree with that evaluation. All of the information is presented in a clear way.
Specifically, it is a good introduction to Einstein, scientists in general, and physics. It is also a book I would share with a student who was feeling like the odd one out. The author addressed some myths at the end of the book about Einstein and I thought that really enhanced the book. According to the Hornbook Guide this book is appropriate for grades k-3. I think that adolescent students would appreciate it too. After all, that is a time in a child's life when they may feel the most out of place. After reading this book I could see Albert Einstein serving as an inspiration for those students.
As a teacher, I would read this book and talk with my class about how Einstein felt when he was a child. Then, we would talk about what it would feel like to be different and considered odd. Finally, we would discuss how everyone is different and that's what makes us special. Einstein was considered to be odd and look at all of the great things he accomplishment. All of this reinforces character counts and helps children be thoughtful of the labels they place on others.
Overall anyone who is interested in learning about Albert Einstein will find this book appealing. It does a terrific job of summarizing his life. The Hornbook Guide rated it a 1 and I agree with that evaluation. All of the information is presented in a clear way.
Specifically, it is a good introduction to Einstein, scientists in general, and physics. It is also a book I would share with a student who was feeling like the odd one out. The author addressed some myths at the end of the book about Einstein and I thought that really enhanced the book. According to the Hornbook Guide this book is appropriate for grades k-3. I think that adolescent students would appreciate it too. After all, that is a time in a child's life when they may feel the most out of place. After reading this book I could see Albert Einstein serving as an inspiration for those students.
As a teacher, I would read this book and talk with my class about how Einstein felt when he was a child. Then, we would talk about what it would feel like to be different and considered odd. Finally, we would discuss how everyone is different and that's what makes us special. Einstein was considered to be odd and look at all of the great things he accomplishment. All of this reinforces character counts and helps children be thoughtful of the labels they place on others.
March 22, 2014
This was a wonderful book that gave readers a look into Einstein's young life. I liked this book particularly because it discusses a lot of facts about Einstein. I never really learned about him formally in school and I am not sure if younger children now do either but I think this book would provide a lot of facts and create background knowledge if/when students do learn about him. I also liked that it showed readers what he was like as a kid. Einstein was very different and he was angry and emotional often. I think it would be good for children to see this and hear this in a book because it gives them something to relate themselves to Einstein. It showed that Einstein failed at things as well as excelled. I think it is important for students to realize that it is ok to fail at something as long as you keep trying. I feel like this book is very creditable because the author provides readers with a bibliography at the end of the book. I would love to make this book a permanent book in my classroom library.
Read
September 29, 2013This book introduced my girls to Albert Einstein, taking him from his birth to the years of his greatest accomplishments in theoretical physics, highlighting his early characteristics, personality and interests. My older two girls liked the book, even though they didn't understand the science it contained.
They were especially intrigued when the book mentions Einstein's early fascination with the compass, since they recently acquired compasses and we have been working on the concept of magnetic north and how to use a compass.
The author also includes a note at the end of the book containing more details of Einstein's life (including an intriguing suggestion of a book to read regarding what happened to Einstein's brain after he died), and lists other biographies to pursue more knowledge of Einstein.
They were especially intrigued when the book mentions Einstein's early fascination with the compass, since they recently acquired compasses and we have been working on the concept of magnetic north and how to use a compass.
The author also includes a note at the end of the book containing more details of Einstein's life (including an intriguing suggestion of a book to read regarding what happened to Einstein's brain after he died), and lists other biographies to pursue more knowledge of Einstein.
August 14, 2012
I am not sure what went wrong with this book. It really started out promisingly--the first couple of pages engaged my niece and nephew (and me), and I thought, "oh, this is going to be a biography of Einstein that will be accessible to the kids!" I was excited! And then.... I wasn't.
It was interesting to learn that he was a problem child, to be sure, and I think those bits will stick with my niece and nephew, but I really don't think that anything past Einstein's early childhood years is going to remain with them. The writing became less entertaining as the story progressed. It became more dense and more full of information that little kids aren't going to identify with too readily, which made the story less memorable. The book was ok, but it didn't register with the kids as much as I hoped it would.
It was interesting to learn that he was a problem child, to be sure, and I think those bits will stick with my niece and nephew, but I really don't think that anything past Einstein's early childhood years is going to remain with them. The writing became less entertaining as the story progressed. It became more dense and more full of information that little kids aren't going to identify with too readily, which made the story less memorable. The book was ok, but it didn't register with the kids as much as I hoped it would.
November 20, 2013
When I discovered that there was a picture book about Albert Einstein, I was thrilled to be able to share his story with our girls. This book helps to explain a little about his early years, his interests, and his love for solving puzzles.
I liked that the book shows that he was considered a troubled child and that he became a wildly successful mathematician and scientist, despite his difficulties in school.
The narrative wasn't as engaging as I'd hoped, but the pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations are terrific. They really help to convey his amazingly complex ideas as well as a melancholy feeling of loneliness and a separation from his peers.
I liked that the book shows that he was considered a troubled child and that he became a wildly successful mathematician and scientist, despite his difficulties in school.
The narrative wasn't as engaging as I'd hoped, but the pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations are terrific. They really help to convey his amazingly complex ideas as well as a melancholy feeling of loneliness and a separation from his peers.
November 18, 2013
Age: 6-12
Review: This is a simplified and picture biography of Albert Einstein. The book describes Albert as a young boy and how he appeared different to the rest of the world. It then shows how he came to be known as a great scientist through exploring his interests. This is a very kid friendly book that gives students a brief biography of Albert's life. It would be great to start a science class or a research project for younger students.
Review: This is a simplified and picture biography of Albert Einstein. The book describes Albert as a young boy and how he appeared different to the rest of the world. It then shows how he came to be known as a great scientist through exploring his interests. This is a very kid friendly book that gives students a brief biography of Albert's life. It would be great to start a science class or a research project for younger students.
December 11, 2007
Odd Boy Out is the biography of young Albert Einstein and shows his love for math and science growing up. It is a great connecting book for math instruction, and also could be used to highlight history and science connections as well.
July 28, 2012
Good book to introduce Einstein's life, but very little about his actual discoveries and seems to jump quickly in places. Enjoyed the story of his young life, though, and found the illustrations quirky and fun.
July 21, 2014
An interesting biography of Albert Einstein told in a way that elementary students can understand. I learned some things about Einstein that I didn't know before and the style of illustration was appealing.
December 24, 2016
This doesn't really do much other than give a few snapshots into the birth and childhood of Albert Einstein and then kind of slips in that he discovered his famous formula and won a Nobel Prize. I would have liked some more details to really make it meaningful or impactful.
December 3, 2018
Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein by Brown Don. Boston. Houghton Mifflin, 2004. American Library Association Notable Books for Children, 2005, NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD. Genre: Nonfiction, biographies. Range Age: 4-7 years. The book focuses mainly in Einstein’s childhood giving some known facts and many specific little details. The place where he was born, year, family members, cultural group, apathy for the educational system, interest for math, and attempt to become teacher at a university were some of the facts that the book stresses. It gives a lot of details about his family thoughts of him since he was born, anger and brooding temper, cruelty toward his sister, disturb issues, loneliness, antisocial behave, and independence. The books’ accuracy with its title and subject personality is perfectly well addressed based on the many of details that portray Einstein as an odd boy. The cover page and descriptive pictures convey the readers to travel to Einstein’s time making it easier to have a better picture of him. The strength of the book is to target, describe, and narrow Einstein childhood in detail. It makes it easy and appealing for students to understand. On the other hand, there are some weaknesses of the book. For example the information is slightly different or not quite complete. The book did not make mention of Einstein's father's profession or encouragement but a medical student named Max Talmud who was mentioned instead. It did not give more details about who was Max Talmud or something more relevant. There is also an absent of information of Einstein’s paper written when he was still young. Overall, in my opinion the book is a good beginning for Pre-k to 2 grade students to learn about this important theoretical physicist.
February 7, 2019
Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein is a non-fiction picture book about Albert Einstein. Born in the winter of 1879, Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany. Since the day he was born everyone was worried about Albert. His head was too large. He didn't like to play sports. He was terrible to his little sister. He LOVED math. People doubted Albert, an people usually found him odd. This story tells of the story of young Albert Einstein and all of the obstacles he faced. Though he was the odd one out, he became one of the greatest thinkers the world had ever seen!
I loved this story! I thought it was such a cool way to highlight such a profound and deep person. I loved that the book discussed young Albert Einstein, and that he can be an inspiration to other kids who feel odd, or left out.
I would use this book in middle to upper level elementary classroom, particularly for a science or history unit involving Albert Einstein. This book could be used as a really cool introduction book to a deeper unit. Albert Einstein is such a brilliant man, and many people may not know all of the struggles he went through. This could be used to also teach children about owning who they are as an individual, no matter how society makes them feel!
I loved this story! I thought it was such a cool way to highlight such a profound and deep person. I loved that the book discussed young Albert Einstein, and that he can be an inspiration to other kids who feel odd, or left out.
I would use this book in middle to upper level elementary classroom, particularly for a science or history unit involving Albert Einstein. This book could be used as a really cool introduction book to a deeper unit. Albert Einstein is such a brilliant man, and many people may not know all of the struggles he went through. This could be used to also teach children about owning who they are as an individual, no matter how society makes them feel!
November 20, 2018
The book, Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein, is a biography that won the Notable Children's Books award/recommended books list, and is intended for readers ages 7-10. Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein is about the life and achievements of the genius, Albert Einstein. I gave this book a five star rating because I believe the author did a great job of portraying Einstein's personality and with educating young children about him. The illustrations were good looking with color, and the colors coordinated well with the illustrations. I like the title of the book because it goes along with how Einstein was different than the rest of the children his age. The use of language was perfect for this book and its recommended age group, because the phrases are easy for a child to understand. The plot covers many parts of Einstein's life such as infancy, childhood, and adulthood. I believe this book would be good to use when teaching children about Einstein and the time period in which he lived. In my opinion, this book would be appealing to children because they may not know who Albert Einstein is and want to know.
May 4, 2021
Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein by Don Brown, is a children's biography about Albert Einstein. Intended for children for the ages of four to seven, this book has rightfully won the Notable Children's Books. award in 2005. Brown depicts young Einstein as an outcast amongst his peers, school, and family. Eventually, Brown shows how Einstein found his place in the world and achieved great things. The strongest aspect of this book is that is relays factual information in a way that is entertaining and captivating for children. This is because Brown writes Einstein’s life as a story, rather than just laying out facts. Additionally, the illustrations are pleasing to the eye. The reason I gave this book a four out of five instead of a five out of five is because a great weakness of this book is that it tends to focus more on the heroic aspect of Einstein’s character rather than his ideas and contributions to the scientific world. When Brown explains Einstein’s contributions, he describes them in a concise and vague way. Although this book should not be relied on to teach historical facts about Einstein, it can be used to teach children about a hero.
Read
September 16, 2021Odd Boy Out describes Albert's upbringing. He was considered different and weird in every way, except genius in subject areas such as math. He was disinterested in parties and people but loved to figure out math problems. His math tutor gave him a book full of math problems, and Albert finished it within months. It was hard to get into university because he did not succeed in other subject areas. Failure did not stop him from achieving great things. Photons and created the equations E=mc^2.
I liked this book because it showed an authentic representation of who Albert was. Even though no one believed in him, he still succeeded. I think this is a vital lesson for all children to learn. I think the illustrations were a great depiction of the words presented on the page.
There are children in this world who can relate to Albert. Children who feel less inclined to think about emotions and be more focused on math or science. Many Autistic children are less social but sore to great heights when talking about academics. I could allow children to read this book and connect to Albert. It can show how well he achieved even though no one believed in him.
I liked this book because it showed an authentic representation of who Albert was. Even though no one believed in him, he still succeeded. I think this is a vital lesson for all children to learn. I think the illustrations were a great depiction of the words presented on the page.
There are children in this world who can relate to Albert. Children who feel less inclined to think about emotions and be more focused on math or science. Many Autistic children are less social but sore to great heights when talking about academics. I could allow children to read this book and connect to Albert. It can show how well he achieved even though no one believed in him.
April 16, 2020
There are many reviews that say that they didn't like that Einstein was an angry and aggressive child, but it is known fact that Albert Einstein was Dyslexic (which accounts for his difficulties with reading and writing and his language delay) and many scholars believe he was probably on the autism spectrum as well based on the irritability and aggressive outbursts that were exhibited when he was a young child. Many people also said that they expected this book to be suitable for their young children and were surprised when their young children lost interest, but this book is a fourth-grade reading level, which means it is most suitable for children age 10 and up. Not all picture books are meant for very young children.
That being said, I believe that this book did a wonderful job of telling a little known story and describing the symptoms of Einstein's disabilities. There was a lot of information packed into a short story but I believe that the author did an excellent job presenting the information clearly enough for older children to understand.
That being said, I believe that this book did a wonderful job of telling a little known story and describing the symptoms of Einstein's disabilities. There was a lot of information packed into a short story but I believe that the author did an excellent job presenting the information clearly enough for older children to understand.
May 7, 2020
A book based on the famous Albert Einstein. This book is a biography for young Albert Einstein. It starts off telling how his parents and grandmother did not accept him when he was born, and that he scared his tutors away with his fits of rage. He had a sister that he tortured and tormented, but he was a very smart child. He had a tutor who saw him as an equal in mathematic skills as himself, and taught Albert all he knew, but Albert soon surpassed him in the knowledge he possessed. His family moved but he had to stay in Germany because he had not yet served in the army. He was sent to a boarding school and did not do well at all, he became very ill, and the government allowed him to move with his family in Italy. Albert finished school and wanted to go to a school in Bern, but since he had not excelled in the subjects he did not like he was not accepted. This book was very informative, I too Lear from this book. The illustrations didn’t strike me as much. Mainly because the images seem to be line drawings with water color media. I would recommend this for ages 8-12.
November 20, 2019
“Odd Boy Out” by Don Brown tells the story of Albert Einstein’s life from beginning to end. He is born a baby with “too much fat” and a “large head”, and once he begins school his teachers wonder if he is dull-witted. He is different from the other kids and is made fun of because of it. However, he slowly becomes enamored with math and cannot think of anything else. He does not care for society because he is so focused on his exploration of math and science. He eventually marries and has a kid, and soon is given the Nobel Prize for his discoveries of things such as E=mc2.
I enjoyed this book, as it gave an insightful explanation of Einstein’s life and what led him to be the person who made so many great discoveries. In a future classroom, I might use standard CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3 - Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges. I would have students focus on his life and how the challenges he faced formed the person he became.
I enjoyed this book, as it gave an insightful explanation of Einstein’s life and what led him to be the person who made so many great discoveries. In a future classroom, I might use standard CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3 - Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges. I would have students focus on his life and how the challenges he faced formed the person he became.
Read
April 26, 2016Title: Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein
Author: Don Brown
Illustrator: Don Brown
Genre: Biography geared towards upper elementary
Theme: Believe in yourself; dedication; motivation; strive for greatness; the life of Einstein
Opening line/sentence: “On a sunny cold Friday”
Brief Book Summary: This story talks about the life of young Albert Einstein. He was a different child growing up who didn’t like to play sports and was made fun of for liking math. He struggles through his childhood, but eventually becomes an extremely successful man who we all know today. Join Einstein on his life journey and learn about all of his accomplishments!
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Briana Devaser (Children's Literature) Don Brown tells the story of Einstein s transition from odd boy to genius. Instead of concentrating on how brilliant Einstein was, Brown highlights some of Einstein s struggles and faults. As depicted in this book, young Einstein has a quick temper and does not always pay attention in school. Unpopular with his classmates, he spends most of his time alone. Many things that the typical boys like (for example, soldiers) frighten Einstein. His teachers misunderstand him and get frustrated with him. Readers will find Don Brown s simplistic language and engaging ideas accessible. In addition, his illustrations, presented from the viewpoint of a child, convey a great deal about the young Einstein. Many of the illustrations show the ideas in his head, allowing readers to see the enormity of his thoughts and how they can completely occupy a young mind. The creative use of foreground and background allows the reader to feel Einstein s isolation from the group in some illustrations, while the perspective of the images emphasizes the adults larger size as they tower over the children. Brown succeeds in presenting a child s-eye view of a young Einstein s experiences in his illustrations and simplistic but interesting text.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature) Although he was later called a genius, the Einstein seen here is not the typical bright child. A late talker, he has a nasty temper along with an inquiring mind. He does not care for sports or soldiers. His teachers are puzzled by his slow answers, but he gets good grades in what interests him, forging ahead in mathematics and music. Brown succinctly summarizes the basic facts of Einstein s life through his graduation, his job in the Swiss patent office, his marriage. As he pushes his son s carriage, he speculates, eventually evolving his theory of relativity with its notable consequences. Brown offers a comparatively simple explanation of the theory. Pen and ink drawings with watercolor and digital coloring create gentle scenes with enough context to allow Albert s emerging personality to evolve in its time. The visual anecdotes depict his social isolation, and his immersion in the world of mathematics which culminates in a dramatic double-page, dark-of-night fantasy filled with symbols, numbers, and the famous formula e=mc2. An Author s Note adds further information on both Einstein s life and the theories.
Response to Two professional Reviews: I really enjoyed reading this book because I am really into American History and the amazing scientists/inventors of our kind. I love how both reviews gave explicit facts of what occurred in the book so that readers who have not read the book, have an idea what is expected. The title “Odd boy Out” fits this book perfectly just like the first review stated. This book introduces an odd boy who does not fit in with the rest of his friends and classmates, but eventually becomes a genius who strived for greatness. Just like the first review stated as well, the illustrations allow the reader to really understand what was going on in Einstein’s head. The images are geared towards young children and are presented with much detail. The images tell a story of their own and really apply to the young eye.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: This book is perfect for upper elementary aged students. There are more words per page and much more information to take in rather than just an early reader book. Students have to not only read the text, but look at the images to take in what the author is trying to make of young Einstein. The descriptive images tell a separate story of their own and the reader must use both text and images to make out what the story is trying to say. Younger children may have problems with using both text and images, which is why this book is great for older children. Plus the information presented in paragraph form and with imagery/similes makes older kids appreciate the text even more. The contrast of colors from light to dark and smaller objects to larger objects, let the reader know that Einstein was isolated and felt upset most of the time. Younger children would not understand this concept as older kids would.
Consideration of Instructional Application: I would do a drawing activity with this book. Due to the fact that Einstein had a huge brain, I would give each child a drawing of a face. My students can create their face based on themselves. Then I would have the children draw images popping out of their head to describe themselves (interests) or even images they think make them different from everyone else. Throughout the book, the reader always would see images Einstein was seeing in his head, which is why I believe this activity would be fun to do. This will allow the kids to express their own selves and interests just like Einstein did. Then I would hang the pictures up to prove a point that we are all different, but that does not mean we wont succeed!
Author: Don Brown
Illustrator: Don Brown
Genre: Biography geared towards upper elementary
Theme: Believe in yourself; dedication; motivation; strive for greatness; the life of Einstein
Opening line/sentence: “On a sunny cold Friday”
Brief Book Summary: This story talks about the life of young Albert Einstein. He was a different child growing up who didn’t like to play sports and was made fun of for liking math. He struggles through his childhood, but eventually becomes an extremely successful man who we all know today. Join Einstein on his life journey and learn about all of his accomplishments!
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Briana Devaser (Children's Literature) Don Brown tells the story of Einstein s transition from odd boy to genius. Instead of concentrating on how brilliant Einstein was, Brown highlights some of Einstein s struggles and faults. As depicted in this book, young Einstein has a quick temper and does not always pay attention in school. Unpopular with his classmates, he spends most of his time alone. Many things that the typical boys like (for example, soldiers) frighten Einstein. His teachers misunderstand him and get frustrated with him. Readers will find Don Brown s simplistic language and engaging ideas accessible. In addition, his illustrations, presented from the viewpoint of a child, convey a great deal about the young Einstein. Many of the illustrations show the ideas in his head, allowing readers to see the enormity of his thoughts and how they can completely occupy a young mind. The creative use of foreground and background allows the reader to feel Einstein s isolation from the group in some illustrations, while the perspective of the images emphasizes the adults larger size as they tower over the children. Brown succeeds in presenting a child s-eye view of a young Einstein s experiences in his illustrations and simplistic but interesting text.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature) Although he was later called a genius, the Einstein seen here is not the typical bright child. A late talker, he has a nasty temper along with an inquiring mind. He does not care for sports or soldiers. His teachers are puzzled by his slow answers, but he gets good grades in what interests him, forging ahead in mathematics and music. Brown succinctly summarizes the basic facts of Einstein s life through his graduation, his job in the Swiss patent office, his marriage. As he pushes his son s carriage, he speculates, eventually evolving his theory of relativity with its notable consequences. Brown offers a comparatively simple explanation of the theory. Pen and ink drawings with watercolor and digital coloring create gentle scenes with enough context to allow Albert s emerging personality to evolve in its time. The visual anecdotes depict his social isolation, and his immersion in the world of mathematics which culminates in a dramatic double-page, dark-of-night fantasy filled with symbols, numbers, and the famous formula e=mc2. An Author s Note adds further information on both Einstein s life and the theories.
Response to Two professional Reviews: I really enjoyed reading this book because I am really into American History and the amazing scientists/inventors of our kind. I love how both reviews gave explicit facts of what occurred in the book so that readers who have not read the book, have an idea what is expected. The title “Odd boy Out” fits this book perfectly just like the first review stated. This book introduces an odd boy who does not fit in with the rest of his friends and classmates, but eventually becomes a genius who strived for greatness. Just like the first review stated as well, the illustrations allow the reader to really understand what was going on in Einstein’s head. The images are geared towards young children and are presented with much detail. The images tell a story of their own and really apply to the young eye.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: This book is perfect for upper elementary aged students. There are more words per page and much more information to take in rather than just an early reader book. Students have to not only read the text, but look at the images to take in what the author is trying to make of young Einstein. The descriptive images tell a separate story of their own and the reader must use both text and images to make out what the story is trying to say. Younger children may have problems with using both text and images, which is why this book is great for older children. Plus the information presented in paragraph form and with imagery/similes makes older kids appreciate the text even more. The contrast of colors from light to dark and smaller objects to larger objects, let the reader know that Einstein was isolated and felt upset most of the time. Younger children would not understand this concept as older kids would.
Consideration of Instructional Application: I would do a drawing activity with this book. Due to the fact that Einstein had a huge brain, I would give each child a drawing of a face. My students can create their face based on themselves. Then I would have the children draw images popping out of their head to describe themselves (interests) or even images they think make them different from everyone else. Throughout the book, the reader always would see images Einstein was seeing in his head, which is why I believe this activity would be fun to do. This will allow the kids to express their own selves and interests just like Einstein did. Then I would hang the pictures up to prove a point that we are all different, but that does not mean we wont succeed!
February 18, 2020
The text was good, but the illustrations were unnerving, with hollow eyes in some and bruised-looking black eyes in others. Perhaps these depictions were meant to complement the gloomy tone and coloring of the book. And it is a gloomy story, one that makes me feel so sad for this misunderstood boy. It didn't mention that he was dyslexic, but he was, and any parent of a dyslexic child can probably relate to at least some of Einstein's characteristics in their kids, because of the differences which make them unique and feel like the "odd one out." But, as is displayed in the achievements of Einstein, dyslexic brains are NOT broken, nor are they in need of being fixed. They need to be allowed to flourish in their strengths, because dyslexic minds are amazingly talented at seeing things from a different angle than the rest of us, and problem-solving in ways we might never think of ourselves. They struggle in things most of us find effortless, but they figure out things we will struggle to fathom.
December 1, 2020
This was a nice biography of the life of Einstein. It details his life from birth to adulthood with details of his life with his family growing up, school years, becoming a scientist, and never really looking for fame. I would pair this book with a science unit around physical science or it could even be a read aloud for math class. to help boost student confidence. Just because you don't seem to fit the "average" profile, doesn't mean that you can't accomplish things. It could be a good social skills book as well that could prompt a journal entry like "Would you ever want to be famous for something? Why or why not?" I recommend this book for 2nd through 5th grade.
January 30, 2018
This book tells the story of the life of Albert Einstein. It tells of how he grew up and faced many struggles. Those struggle turned him into the scientist that is known worldwide.
I like this book. I think it is very informative. I think it can encourage students who may struggle in some subjects to see that they can still succeed if they focus on their passions.
I could use this book in an elementary school classroom to tell the history of a well-known scientist. I could also use this in middle or even high school to have a fun introduction to his discoveries.
I like this book. I think it is very informative. I think it can encourage students who may struggle in some subjects to see that they can still succeed if they focus on their passions.
I could use this book in an elementary school classroom to tell the history of a well-known scientist. I could also use this in middle or even high school to have a fun introduction to his discoveries.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 154 reviews