Inventors' Secret Scrapbook. (Crabtree Connections). Chris Oxlade. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2011. 32 pp., pbk. & hc., $9.95 (pbk.), $20.76 (RLB.). ISBN 978-0-7787-9930-6 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-9909-2 (RLB.). Subject Heading: Inventions-Juvenile literature. Grades 4-7 / Ages 7-10. Review by Gloria McGiffen. *** /4

excerpt:

Inventor: Thomas Alva Edison

"I've spent my whole life inventing things. I've become famous for it. I've come up with new types of telegraph machine, a microphone, and the world's first machine for recoding sound. But my most famous invention is the electric lightbulb. What a bright idea that was!"

Inventors' Secret Scrapbook takes readers back in time to 1452 to Leonardo da Vinci, one of the world's greatest inventors. He created scrapbooks of hand sketched drawings of wonderful machines, including the parachute, a tank, a submarine and even a helicopter. The lack of scientific knowledge prevented the machines from being built at that time. Readers will discover how inventors came up with their ideas from the microscope to the world wide web in the 21st century. Readers will understand the importance of patents for inventions. Some of Leonardo's inventions are being mass produced today. Inventors' Secret Scrapbook encourages readers to of think of inventing their own ideas and recording them in their own inventor's scrapbook.

      The Inventors' Secret Scrapbook covers male inventors from either Europe or North America, and readers find themselves being introduced to the inventors Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek (microscope), Michael Faraday (a simple electric motor), Charles Babbage (calculating machine), Thomas Alva Edison (the electric light bulb), Alexander Graham Bell (telegraph machine), Guglielmo Marconi (wireless telegraph), James Murray Spangler (electric carpet cleaning machine), Orville and Wilbur Wright (Wright flyer), and John Logie Baird (First working television).

      The objective of Inventors' Secret Scrapbook is for readers to be taken through time and to focus on the inventions, rather than the inventors. For example: "Did You Know: Radio communication quickly became popular on ships for keeping in contact with the shore and other ships. As the Titanic sank in the Atlantic in 1912, radio operators on board sent distress signals using Marconi's new equipment." The two page chapters, with an invention and diagram on how the invention works, along with a timeline, is well illustrated. Either a black and white or coloured photo is included in the two page chapter with each inventor. The book is very satisfying and interesting to the reader. The high gloss paper makes the print stand out for easy reading, with words bolded that are found in the glossary. Inventors' Secret Scrapbook also provides website links to further information as well as an index for easy reference. This is a book that should be purchased for a public library or an elementary school library.

Recommended.

Gloria McGiffen is a Librarian I at St. Gabriel the Archangel School in Chestermere, AB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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