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VIP (Very Important People)
VIP: Lewis Latimer: Engineering Wizard
Get ready to light up the world with Lewis Latimer in this middle grade biography perfect for fans of the Who Was series!
Lewis was one of the greatest inventors of his time. He was also an engineer who transformed the lightbulb at Thomas Edison’s company. And he was a gifted artist, too! Experience all the exciting moments in Lewis’s big life in this new series that tells the true—and amazing stories—of history’s greatest trailblazers.
Packed with illustrations and fun facts, like who invented the Super Soaker!
Lewis was one of the greatest inventors of his time. He was also an engineer who transformed the lightbulb at Thomas Edison’s company. And he was a gifted artist, too! Experience all the exciting moments in Lewis’s big life in this new series that tells the true—and amazing stories—of history’s greatest trailblazers.
Packed with illustrations and fun facts, like who invented the Super Soaker!
- GenresNonfictionBiography
112 pages, Hardcover
Published January 5, 2021
2 people are currently reading
1567 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 8, 2023
This is the first biography I’ve read in the VIP – Very Important People series for middle grade.
Lewis Latimer was a son of escaped slaves. With limited education, he achieved great things thanks to being self-taught. He was ambitious and determined, constantly learning new things.
Lewis was born in 1848 in Chelsea, MA, across the Mystic River from Boston. His favorite subjects were reading, writing, music, and drawing. He found a job at law firm representing inventors where he was supposed to do some drawings. Eventually, he got hired as a draftsman. He was inspired by the world of patents and soon came up with an invention of his own. Later, with many others. He became an expert in patent drawings. Later, also learning about patent law and the process of filing for patents that led him to work for the US Electric Lighting Company and the Edison Electric Light Company.
This biography briefly covers major chronological achievements in his life, giving dimension by exploring his character.
It is written engagingly with simple language, appropriate for target age to be able to read on their own.
The black and white illustrations are presented in fun way.
Lewis Latimer was a son of escaped slaves. With limited education, he achieved great things thanks to being self-taught. He was ambitious and determined, constantly learning new things.
Lewis was born in 1848 in Chelsea, MA, across the Mystic River from Boston. His favorite subjects were reading, writing, music, and drawing. He found a job at law firm representing inventors where he was supposed to do some drawings. Eventually, he got hired as a draftsman. He was inspired by the world of patents and soon came up with an invention of his own. Later, with many others. He became an expert in patent drawings. Later, also learning about patent law and the process of filing for patents that led him to work for the US Electric Lighting Company and the Edison Electric Light Company.
This biography briefly covers major chronological achievements in his life, giving dimension by exploring his character.
It is written engagingly with simple language, appropriate for target age to be able to read on their own.
The black and white illustrations are presented in fun way.
December 3, 2020
Thank you to HarperCollins Publishers for the advance copy - this is my honest review.
This is the first book in a new biography series targeted for children ages 8-12, although I thoroughly enjoyed it as a middle-aged individual. The series, entitled Very Important People (VIP), focuses on “great trailblazers in history whose life stories deserve more attention.”
Case in point: I had no idea who Lewis Latimer was. Wow. Mr. Latimer was an extraordinary individual for his time and would be in this time, too. Denise Lewis Patrick keeps the reader engaged as we follow Latimer’s journey before he was born into freedom because of his parents’ determination and strength, through his own personal struggles as an African American seeking employment in professions deemed “whites only.”
A plethora of beautiful black and white illustrations fill this compact chapter book, which is a bonus for reluctant readers and visual learners. Each chapter includes cut-always, too, explaining the historical context or ideas introduced in a chapter that readers might not have knowledge about. For example, when the idea of patents are introduced, Patrick has a two-page spread explaining patents and their history. Rather than the dull inserts one expects from a textbook, these are lively discourses and helpful in placing our VIP within their world.
The illustrations, cut-aways or “fun facts,” along with back matter will be standard in each VIP book. The back matter includes an impressive bibliography, our VIP’s timeline, and a VIP Hall of Fame. In Lewis Latimer’s book, this Hall of Fame included a selection of four inventors. As an engineer, draftsman and inventor, Lewis Latimer helped pave the way for others to follow.
As a librarian and teacher, I am so incredibly excited to see this biography series appear on bookshelves. So much of what we teach focuses on the “big names” in history yet we know these are not the only individuals who create an impact in our society, culture, and lives. Since much of American history was and is recorded by the dominant and mainstream culture, other voices are shut out. It is with gratitude that I see the lives of those who were dismissed, for whatever reason, being told and shared with our youth.
Highly recommended.
This is the first book in a new biography series targeted for children ages 8-12, although I thoroughly enjoyed it as a middle-aged individual. The series, entitled Very Important People (VIP), focuses on “great trailblazers in history whose life stories deserve more attention.”
Case in point: I had no idea who Lewis Latimer was. Wow. Mr. Latimer was an extraordinary individual for his time and would be in this time, too. Denise Lewis Patrick keeps the reader engaged as we follow Latimer’s journey before he was born into freedom because of his parents’ determination and strength, through his own personal struggles as an African American seeking employment in professions deemed “whites only.”
A plethora of beautiful black and white illustrations fill this compact chapter book, which is a bonus for reluctant readers and visual learners. Each chapter includes cut-always, too, explaining the historical context or ideas introduced in a chapter that readers might not have knowledge about. For example, when the idea of patents are introduced, Patrick has a two-page spread explaining patents and their history. Rather than the dull inserts one expects from a textbook, these are lively discourses and helpful in placing our VIP within their world.
The illustrations, cut-aways or “fun facts,” along with back matter will be standard in each VIP book. The back matter includes an impressive bibliography, our VIP’s timeline, and a VIP Hall of Fame. In Lewis Latimer’s book, this Hall of Fame included a selection of four inventors. As an engineer, draftsman and inventor, Lewis Latimer helped pave the way for others to follow.
As a librarian and teacher, I am so incredibly excited to see this biography series appear on bookshelves. So much of what we teach focuses on the “big names” in history yet we know these are not the only individuals who create an impact in our society, culture, and lives. Since much of American history was and is recorded by the dominant and mainstream culture, other voices are shut out. It is with gratitude that I see the lives of those who were dismissed, for whatever reason, being told and shared with our youth.
Highly recommended.
June 9, 2023
History is so often written on white paper that it is nice to see the diversity that created human intellect receiving the diversity that it deserves.
Lewis Latimer truly showed by example that there need not be any boundaries based on a persons color, life experiences, but rather on their abilities.
The book is aimed at school, children, and it perfectly captures the man’s genius, and more importantly, his historical impact
Lewis Latimer truly showed by example that there need not be any boundaries based on a persons color, life experiences, but rather on their abilities.
The book is aimed at school, children, and it perfectly captures the man’s genius, and more importantly, his historical impact
May 18, 2021
This book is about an inventor who helped other inventors. He was a slave so he had to work extra hard to achieve his goals. Just because it is hard to reach our goals we can't give up. I really liked this book. It was interesting and it makes me want to work hard at my goals. (review by J'Shawn, 4th grade)
October 30, 2020
I received a free review copy of this book.
A very quick and engaging read! I appreciated the frequent sidebar pages that explain the circumstances of the time period, and the way they were marked with different borders to set them aside from the ongoing biography.
A very quick and engaging read! I appreciated the frequent sidebar pages that explain the circumstances of the time period, and the way they were marked with different borders to set them aside from the ongoing biography.
October 4, 2021
I had never heard of Lewis Latimer and I'm so glad I read this biography about him. Really interesting!
October 27, 2022
Excellent story about a life well lived. I’ve never heard of Mr. Latimer, which is such a shame.
Read
July 29, 2024Read this for work. It’s for kids but I enjoyed it and actually learned a lot. Latimer paved the way for a lot of people.
November 13, 2020
Can we just mention the cover? Such an enticing cover for children to read a biography! The pictures in this bio make it so that readers won’t get overwhelmed by text on each page. The side bars give great background information (although, it interrupted the flow of a chapter at times which might be tough for more struggling readers - but the sidebars are distinctly different than the main text). A must for any children’s collection! Thank you Harper for an ARC!
February 24, 2021
A very quick read about a black inventor whom I never heard about. The author stated that Mr. Latimer and Alexander Graham Bell were in the race for the telephone patent with Thomas Edison, when it was Elisha Gray. The author also suggests that cameras and photography was new in the 1860s when the camera was invented in 1814 by Johann Zahn.
Want to read
August 5, 2020Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews