Ordinary Genius: The Story of Albert Einstein (Trailblazer Biographies) [Paperback]

Stehpanie Sammartino McPherson (Author), Stephanie Sammartino McPherson (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: Trailblazer Biographies

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Recounts the life of the scientist whose theories of relativity revolutionized the way we look at space and time.

--This text refers to the School & Library Binding edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8?The underlying theme of this clearly written biography is the subject's humanism. Otherwise, the book is similar to both Joyce Goldenstern's Albert Einstein (Enslow, 1995) and Milton Dank's Albert Einstein (Watts, 1983; o.p.). Many of the black-and-white photographs in McPherson's book appear in other titles, but some of the family pictures are not usually seen elsewhere. A worthwhile purchase?even for libraries owning Goldenstein's and Dank's volumes?because of its humanistic approach.?Margaret M. Hagel, Norfolk Public Library System, VA
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

From Booklist

Gr. 4^-7. The descriptions of young Albert's difficulties in school, which will enthrall young readers, embody what the author does particularly well throughout this book--depict Einstein as a person both like and unlike others. Without trivializing Einstein's genius, McPherson lets readers feel the great scientist's excitement and frustration with his work. Explanations of Einstein's scientific discoveries are clearly presented, as is the social context of Germany between the wars and during the Nazi years. Photographs of Einstein, including one of him at age five, are well chosen to leave some new visual memories of the famous face. McPherson provides readers with a strong impression of an independent mind at work--so strong, in fact, that children may wish they could have met the genius. That's high praise for a biography. Mary Harris Veeder --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Carolrhoda Books (June 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575050676
• ISBN-13: 978-1575050676
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #85,012 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Professionals & Academics > Scientists
  • #6 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( E ) > Einstein, Albert
  • #34 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Biographies > Science & Technology

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring introduction to Einstein's Genius, January 23, 2000

By 

Jon (Sunny Southern Cali) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ordinary Genius: The Story of Albert Einstein (Trailblazer Biographies) (Library Binding)

Mc Pherson's well written biography of Einstein is sure to please young readers in their quest for knowledge. Its photographs are excellent in content and placement, and the text is superb. A must-read for anyone with children who wants them to appreciate this great man, deemed TIME's "Person of the Century"

11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Informative Book, January 30, 2000

By 

Christopher (North Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ordinary Genius: The Story of Albert Einstein (Trailblazer Biographies) (Library Binding)

This book is very informative. It is a great way to find information about Albert Einstein. I wrote a wonderful report using the information in this book. It explains his theorys of relativity in a simple understandable way.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and Interesting, February 6, 2008

By 

Karen Zemek "Author of 'My Funny Dad, Harry'" (Parma, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ordinary Genius: The Story of Albert Einstein (Trailblazer Biographies) (Paperback)

I liked this book because it was very informative and interesting. It was short and quick and I found out things about Albert Einstein. It covers his background, personal life and professional life. As a boy he was fascinated with a compass and wanted to know why the arrow always pointed north. When his father told him about magnetic fields, he was very excited about magnetism. That was just the beginning of his quest for discovering new things. In addition to enjoying equations and explaining his theories in an understandable way, he played the violin and liked sailing too. He denounced his German citizenship and became a citizen of the United States, none of which I knew before reading this book.

His advice was to always ask questions and never lose your curiosity about things. A lot of his teachers didn't like that he asked so many questions that they couldn't answer. When he became a professor, he encouraged his students to ask questions and was never upsset if he didn't know the answer. He just told them he didn't know.

Karen Arlettaz Zemek, author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"