Customer Reviews

Ask Albert Einstein

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Fifteen-year-old Annabel's despair over her math homework inspires her little sister to repay her kindness in teaching her things by getting help from someone else. In 1952 when the story takes place, Albert Einstein was alive and quite famous. The girl writes to Einstein, and he replies, "Do not worry about your problems with mathematics. I assure you, mine are much greater," (which is a real quote of his). Then he gives her a drawing of how to solve the problem. The story is based on Einstein's actual practice of answering school kids' homework questions. Annabel's problem and his solution are included. The endpapers are wonderful, filled with drawings of Einstein along with his most famous quotes. This story not only introduces a geometry problem (so that young students can see a little of what higher math can do), but it encourages students to not be intimidated and to ask people for help. The reading level isn't the most basic, but it also isn't too tough for younger primary students. This might make a good prize for someone who's just mastered their addition or multiplication facts, or a read-aloud to a math class, as well as just a recreational read.

There really isn't much simple stuff about Albert Einstein, since Einstein had a bunch of really complicated theories. So, this book fills a gap in which I don't think there are any other books.

It's the true story of a little girl back in 1952 who has a hard math problem for school, and so she writes a letter to Albert Einstein, and asks her to solve her problem. He writes back, and gives her a cryptic hint on the back of his letter, instead of solving her problem for her. The book gives a great characterization of the girl, her family, and a pretty good characterization of Einstein.

I liked it.

Pros:
+Beautiful artwork
+Teaches kids that they can solve their own math problems
+I listened to the audible version also, and the reader was great in this book
+Peppered with cool quotations from Einstein

Cons:
-Short, but I guess it is a kid's book, so that's okay

I got this book to help my 7 year old son celebrate Albert Einstein's (his hero) birthday this year. He liked the fact that a little girl was involved in the story and that Einstein took the time to help her. The story engaged him and he could relate to the sibling relationship and the older sister's issues with math, as his big sister has a math learning disability. Making it better for him was the extra information at the end specifically about Einstein. If you're looking for a detailed book about Einstein's life, this probably isn't for you. But for the younger crowd, I think this one makes Einstein more real, perhaps; more accessible. We really enjoy it and I find him reading it on his own, which is a victory in and of itself. :)