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DK Eyewitness Books
Electricity
Discusses the properties of electricity and describes how it is made and used.
64 pages, Library Binding
First published June 26, 2013
8 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
About the author
Steve Parker
1,336 books86 followersSteve Parker is a British science writer of children's and adult's books. He has written more than 300 titles and contributed to or edited another 150.
Born in Warrington, Lancashire, in 1952, Parker attended Strodes College, Egham and gained a BSc First Class Honours in Zoology at the University of Wales, Bangor. He worked as an exhibition scientist at the Natural History Museum, and as editor and managing editor at Dorling Kindersley Publishers, and commissioning editor at medical periodical GP, before becoming a freelance writer in the late 1980s. He is a Senior Scientific Fellow of the Zoological Society of London. Parker is based in Suffolk with his family.
Parker's writing career began with 10 early titles in Dorling Kindersley's multi-award-winning Eyewitness series, from the late 1980s to the late 1990s. He has since worked for more than a dozen children's book publishers and been shortlisted for, among others, the Rhone-Poulenc Science Book Prize, Times Educational Information Book of the Year, and Blue Peter Book Award.
Born in Warrington, Lancashire, in 1952, Parker attended Strodes College, Egham and gained a BSc First Class Honours in Zoology at the University of Wales, Bangor. He worked as an exhibition scientist at the Natural History Museum, and as editor and managing editor at Dorling Kindersley Publishers, and commissioning editor at medical periodical GP, before becoming a freelance writer in the late 1980s. He is a Senior Scientific Fellow of the Zoological Society of London. Parker is based in Suffolk with his family.
Parker's writing career began with 10 early titles in Dorling Kindersley's multi-award-winning Eyewitness series, from the late 1980s to the late 1990s. He has since worked for more than a dozen children's book publishers and been shortlisted for, among others, the Rhone-Poulenc Science Book Prize, Times Educational Information Book of the Year, and Blue Peter Book Award.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 20, 2021
I love these eyewitness books. I know they are written for a younger audience but its just so cool to be able to see some of the history things I read about so much more clearly. Amazing pictures and I always learn something new. Highly recommended
August 5, 2011
From alarm clocks and telephones to television and traffic lights, electricity powers much of our daily lives. But that wasn’t always the case. This book takes a detailed look back to even before Benjamin Franklin flew his kite during a lightning storm, examining inventions and advances that brought us electricity as we know it, all the way up through the computer chips and energy sources we use today. With amazing facts, questions and answers, and detailed descriptions of complex ideas, use this book to “spark” knowledge among students grades 5 and up.
April 27, 2018
(MS Science Series)
Electricity, part of the Eyewitness Science series by Steve Parker, is a nonfiction science book about the world of electricity. It is divided up into 30 subheadings, all of different subtopics about electricity. Some of these subtopics include electricity from chemicals, electromagnets, and communicating without wires. The book starts off with the earliest information on electricity, much before the infamous Benjamin Franklin key lightening strike. It progresses in a timeline like order, presenting more electric discoveries and inventions along the way. Notable discoveries covered in this book include Georg Ohm and his discovery of Ohm's Law of resistance in 1826, the invention of electrical appliances for the home such as the electric heater in 1930, and ends with Baird's original version of the first television in 1926. All of the pages in this book are a bright white background, with real photographs and diagrams seemingly popping out on each page. The photographs are of varying sizes and shapes with black print flowing around them. The version I read was published in 1992, and I found it to obviously be a bit out dated, as it ended with the discussion of the television and the silicon microchip. Of course much has happened in the world of electricity since then. However, I still think this book is very valuable, and actually even more valuable in today's times, because it gives readers a real in depth look at how electricity has evolved and everything electricity is involved in. In an age when children have never known what it is like to not be surrounded by technology and electricity 24/7, this book will lend a great educational opportunity. Recommended for ages 12+. Obvious curriculum tie ins would be a science unit on electricity, but can also be used for biography pieces about the varying inventors and discoverers discussed, as well as a focus on some of the specific electrical inventions themselves.
Electricity, part of the Eyewitness Science series by Steve Parker, is a nonfiction science book about the world of electricity. It is divided up into 30 subheadings, all of different subtopics about electricity. Some of these subtopics include electricity from chemicals, electromagnets, and communicating without wires. The book starts off with the earliest information on electricity, much before the infamous Benjamin Franklin key lightening strike. It progresses in a timeline like order, presenting more electric discoveries and inventions along the way. Notable discoveries covered in this book include Georg Ohm and his discovery of Ohm's Law of resistance in 1826, the invention of electrical appliances for the home such as the electric heater in 1930, and ends with Baird's original version of the first television in 1926. All of the pages in this book are a bright white background, with real photographs and diagrams seemingly popping out on each page. The photographs are of varying sizes and shapes with black print flowing around them. The version I read was published in 1992, and I found it to obviously be a bit out dated, as it ended with the discussion of the television and the silicon microchip. Of course much has happened in the world of electricity since then. However, I still think this book is very valuable, and actually even more valuable in today's times, because it gives readers a real in depth look at how electricity has evolved and everything electricity is involved in. In an age when children have never known what it is like to not be surrounded by technology and electricity 24/7, this book will lend a great educational opportunity. Recommended for ages 12+. Obvious curriculum tie ins would be a science unit on electricity, but can also be used for biography pieces about the varying inventors and discoverers discussed, as well as a focus on some of the specific electrical inventions themselves.
November 12, 2018
Genre: Nonfiction
Grade level: 4
This book is composed of 30 different sections dedicated to electricity and everything that involves it or comes from it. What a great resource for students! While this is a very detailed book, the pictures are large and interesting enough that even students who are not up to this grade level reading may look at it and still be engaged. This book goes into the history, facts, and the science of electricity. I would use this book more as a resource for students to learn about electricity than to learn to read.
Grade level: 4
This book is composed of 30 different sections dedicated to electricity and everything that involves it or comes from it. What a great resource for students! While this is a very detailed book, the pictures are large and interesting enough that even students who are not up to this grade level reading may look at it and still be engaged. This book goes into the history, facts, and the science of electricity. I would use this book more as a resource for students to learn about electricity than to learn to read.
August 20, 2023
I really love this book! Not a big science person though but I do love learning about electricity! I find it very fascinating! I loved it ever since 9th grade!
March 23, 2025
This was a good refresher on how electricity was discovered, defined and developed into the myriad uses we have today. The contributions of all notable people are briefly explained.
November 9, 2025
This is visually stunning, the photography and illustration makes it so easy to connect the past to the present and beyond. Awesome book for all ages
March 2, 2015
Electricity
Parker, Steve
good resource for children about electricity its findings, research and informational pictorials
Parker, Steve
good resource for children about electricity its findings, research and informational pictorials
January 13, 2012
very interesting
July 12, 2012
a good resource for children, lots of pictures and explainations about history, facts, and descriptions of the science of electircity
Read
January 18, 2013yes
November 11, 2013
Excellent introduction to electricity.
August 31, 2014
Shockingly incohesive.
Read
July 31, 2012I learned a lot about elecricity thanks to this author.
March 5, 2013
5th
Electricity
Electricity
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews