How We Learned the Earth Is Round (A Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Book) [Paperback]

Patricia Lauber (Author), Megan Lloyd (Author)

Book Description

Series: A Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Book

"Lauber explains how perceptions of the earth's shape have changed since early times, describes the methods of reasoning that led the early Greeks to conclude the earth is spherically shaped, and shows children how to re-create this logic for themselves.A simple explanation of a rather complex idea." 'BL.

Notable 1990 Children's Trade Books in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

A timely offering to help prepare for the 500th anniversary of Columbus' discoveries. Lauber explains in simple terms the various theories people have held about the shape of the Earth and how the ancient Greeks discovered the true shape of the Earth by observing ships at sea and eclipses of the moon. Lloyd's detailed drawings are a delight, but are too small to share successfully with a large group. Isaac Asimov's How Did We Find Out the Earth Is Round? (Walker, 1972) covers the same information for an older audience. Lauber's book is a good complement to Branley's Sunshine Makes the Seasons (1985) and What Makes Night and Day (1986, both Crowell) for making the Earth and its movements comprehensible to children. --Eunice Weech, M. L. King Elementary School, Urbana, IL
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Patricia Lauber is the author of more than sixty-five books for young readers. Many of them are in the field of science, and their range reflects the diversity of her own interests-bats, dolphins, dogs, volcanoes, earthquakes, the ice ages, the Everglades, the planets, earthworms. Two of her books, SEEDS: POP STICK GLIDE and JOURNEY TO THE PLANETS, were nonfiction nominees for The American Book Awards. She was the 1983 winner of The Washington Post/Children's Book Guild Award for her overall contribution to children's nonfiction literature.

As well as writing books, Ms. Lauber has been editor of Junior Scholastic, editor-in-chief of Science World, and chief editor, science and mathematics, of The New Book of Knowledge A graduate of Wellesley College, she is married and lives in Connecticut. When not writing, she enjoys hiking, sailing, traveling, cooking, reading, and listening to music.

Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Harper Trophy Books (1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064451097
• ISBN-13: 978-0064451093
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 7 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,072,806 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars interesting and informative series, May 15, 2010

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R. Day (Dale, TX United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: How We Learned the Earth Is Round (Let's Read and Find Out) (Hardcover)

How We Learned the Earth Is Round (A Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Book)
Neat book. Lots of scientific thinking explained so simply. This is the first one of this series that discusses WHO made discoveries and WHY they were moved to think about the shape of the earth. Then it goes into the HOW they figured it out. It clarifies the motivation and the process of scientific or critical thinking in a way kids should understand. And maybe set the pattern for them to look at things themselves.

I haven't read this one to my boy yet, but maybe tonite. The book has some simple experiments and I bet we are doing them tomorrow to see how they work.