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What's Their Story?
Thomas Edison: The Wizard Inventor
More than any other individual, Edison was responsible for introducing the modern age of electricity. But as well as pioneering the first commercial electric light and power system, he also invented the phonograph, the microphone, and an early movie camera. His gripping story is one of
determination and triumph.
determination and triumph.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1997
3 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Haydn Middleton
243 books11 followersHaydn Middleton was born in Reading and studied History at Oxford, where he now lives. He has worked in advertising and publishing, lectured in British myth and legend, and written a dozen works of fiction and non-fiction.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 24, 2008
An engaging first introduction to the life and inventions of Thomas Edison.
Recommended for ages 9-12; appropriate as a read-aloud story for ages 6-9
It seems that many biography writers assume that just because a story is about an interesting person, that it will be interesting for children no matter how it is told. Too often, a story about a fascinating individual turns boring because the vocabulary is too advanced, the text is dry, or there is no suspense in the story. Happily, this biography of Thomas Edison has been written with a young audience in mind, and it succeeds in being both an exciting narrative and an inspiring story about one of the 20th century's greatest inventors. Before reading the book, I knew Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, but I wasn't aware of his improvements to the telegraph and the telephone that made it possible to use these technologies over much greater distances. I also didn't remember that he'd also invented the phonograph. The story includes entertaining anecdotes, like the one about how he was working as a newspaper vendor on a train, but the conductor allowed him to have a makeshift chemistry lab in one of the cars--and one of his experiments exploded!
A School Library Journal review (retrieved on Amazon) said that this book and the series it belongs to is appropriate for libraries that need good introductory-level biographies. It praised the simple and engaging style, as well as the fact that negative as well as positive aspects of the subject's character are included. Also on Amazon, a Parent Council review said that this book would be ideal for teachers and parents who want to introduce interesting biographies to young children. The first review was most helpful because it was more descriptive.
Recommended for ages 9-12; appropriate as a read-aloud story for ages 6-9
It seems that many biography writers assume that just because a story is about an interesting person, that it will be interesting for children no matter how it is told. Too often, a story about a fascinating individual turns boring because the vocabulary is too advanced, the text is dry, or there is no suspense in the story. Happily, this biography of Thomas Edison has been written with a young audience in mind, and it succeeds in being both an exciting narrative and an inspiring story about one of the 20th century's greatest inventors. Before reading the book, I knew Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, but I wasn't aware of his improvements to the telegraph and the telephone that made it possible to use these technologies over much greater distances. I also didn't remember that he'd also invented the phonograph. The story includes entertaining anecdotes, like the one about how he was working as a newspaper vendor on a train, but the conductor allowed him to have a makeshift chemistry lab in one of the cars--and one of his experiments exploded!
A School Library Journal review (retrieved on Amazon) said that this book and the series it belongs to is appropriate for libraries that need good introductory-level biographies. It praised the simple and engaging style, as well as the fact that negative as well as positive aspects of the subject's character are included. Also on Amazon, a Parent Council review said that this book would be ideal for teachers and parents who want to introduce interesting biographies to young children. The first review was most helpful because it was more descriptive.
Displaying 1 of 1 review