Isaac Newton
by Kathleen Krull (Author) Boris Kulikov (Illustrator)
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
Here is a man with an imagination so large that just by thinking on it, ? he invented calculus and figured out the scientific explanation of gravity. Kathleen Krull presents a portrait of Isaac Newton that will challenge your beliefs about a genius whose amazing discoveries changed the world
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Starred Review
Hot on the heels of the well-received Leonardo da Vinci (2005) comes another agreeably chatty entry in the Giants of Science series. Here the pioneering physicist is revealed as undeniably brilliant, but also cantankerous, mean-spirited, paranoid and possibly depressive. Newton’s youth and annus mirabilis receive respectful treatment, the solitude enforced by family estrangement and then the plague seen as critical to the development of his thoughtful, methodical approach. His subsequent squabbles with the rest of the scientific community—he refrained from publishing one treatise until his rival was dead—further support the image of Newton as a scientific lone wolf. Krull’s colloquial treatment sketches Newton’s advances in clearly understandable terms without bogging the text down with detailed explanations. A final chapter on “His Impact” places him squarely in the pantheon of great thinkers, arguing that both his insistence on the scientific method and his theories of physics have informed all subsequent scientific thought. A bibliography, web site and index round out the volume; the lack of detail on the use of sources is regrettable in an otherwise solid offering for middle-grade students. (Biography. 10-14)
Review quotes
"The second title in Krull's Giants of Science series meets, and perhaps even exceeds, expectations set by the debut, Leonardo da Vinci (BCCB 7/05). Krull and Newton are a match made in heaven: she with her flair for capturing the flaws and foibles of the mighty, and he with his razor-sharp mind and abysmal social skills."—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review
"Outstanding. A multi-faceted portrait of a genius."—School Library Journal, starred review
Kathleen Krull
Kathleen Krull has written much innovative nonfiction for young people, including all of the books in the Lives of . . . series, and has made a chatty, accessible approach to biography her hallmark. She lives in San Diego, California. Visit her website at www.kathleenkrull.com. Kathryn Hewitt's caricatures of famous figures led kids to dub the Lives of . . . series the Big Head books. She has illustrated many books for young readers, some of which she also wrote. She lives in Santa Monica, California. Visit her website at www.kathrynhewitt.com.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9780142408209
Lexile Measure
1000
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Puffin Books
Publication date
October 20, 2008
Series
Giants of Science (Viking Paperback)
BISAC categories
JNF007090 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Science & Technology
JNF051140 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | Physics
JNF051140 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | Physics
Library of Congress categories
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