Before the World was Ready: Stories of Daring Genius in Science by Claire Eamer, (published 2013).113 pages. 6.5 RL Grades 5-8. An entertaining, informational read-aloud that teaches students about people that have blazed trails and inspires them to blaze their own trail.
Booklist (December 1, 2013 (Vol. 110, No. 7))
Grades 5-8. Eamer explores what it means to defy popular wisdom and become a trailbreaker in the forest of ideas” in this fun collective biography. Detailed stories about eight scientists explain how they endured rejection and ridicule for their work on both personal and professional levels. Included are Nicolaus Copernicus, who insisted that the Earth was not the center of the universe; Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis, who encouraged doctors to wash their hands to reduce death rates in hospitals; and Rachel Carson, who was the first to warn of the dangers of DDT. Each person’s process of inquiry, experimentation, and discovery typifies the scientific method. Squiggly cartoon illustrations provide comical sidebars in concert with the text. The book’s epilogue reinforces its thesis, explaining common obstacles to each of the scientists and discussing potential trailbreakers of the near future in the field of climate change. Aside from providing interesting biographical reading, this book is replete with life lessons for adolescents and tweens about flouting popularity in the name of what is right.
Do nonfiction books make good read-alouds? There are some that don't, but Before the Word Was Ready does. The scientists in this book all have one thing in common, their work was doubted or questioned during their life time, but they were determined and laid the foundation for the work of future scientists. The book references other scientists and the work that motivated them. The unique details that accompany these stories are such that students ask, "Is that true?" The connections that the students make to today's world of science cultivates their curiosity.
Posted by Kellie Hale
Do nonfiction books make good read-alouds? There are some that don't, but Before the Word Was Ready does. The scientists in this book all have one thing in common, their work was doubted or questioned during their life time, but they were determined and laid the foundation for the work of future scientists. The book references other scientists and the work that motivated them. The unique details that accompany these stories are such that students ask, "Is that true?" The connections that the students make to today's world of science cultivates their curiosity.
Posted by Kellie Hale
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