Timeless Thomas: How Thomas Edison Changed Our Lives
By Gene Barretta
What do record players, batteries, and movie cameras have in common? All these devices were created by the man known as “The Wizard of Menlo Park,” Thomas Edison. He is most famous for inventing the incandescent light bulb. But at his landmark laboratories in Menlo Park and West Orange, New Jersey, he developed other staples of modern technology. He persevered despite many failures. We are lucky that he did because it would be very difficult to go through a day without using one of his life-changing inventions. 6-10 years
A Wizard From the Start: The Incredible Boyhood and Amazing Inventions of Thomas Edison
By Don Brown
A wizard from the start, Thomas Edison had a thirst for knowledge, taste for mischief, and hunger for discovery—but his success was made possible by his boundless energy. At age fourteen he coined his personal motto: “The More to do, the more to be done,” and then went out and did: picking up skills and knowledge at every turn. When learning about things that existed wasn’t enough, he dreamed up new inventions to improve the world. From humble beginnings as a farmer’s son, selling newspapers on trains and reading through public libraries shelf by shelf, Tom began his inventing career as a boy and became a legend as a man. 4-7 years
When Thomas Edison Fed Someone Worms
By Mark Andrew Weakland, Illustrated by Thomas Radcliffe
Thomas Edison became a great American inventor and businessman. But do you know what he was like as a child? From exploring shipyards and pastures to feeding a girl worms, Thomas was a curious and creative child. This playful story of his childhood will help young readers connect with a historic figure and will inspire them to want to achieve greatness. 6-8 years
The Unexpected Light of Thomas Alva Edison
By Raymond Arroyo, Illustrated by Kristina Gehrmann
No one thought much of young Thomas Alva Edison. He couldn’t focus at school and caused trouble around the house. But where others saw a distracted and mischievous boy, his mother saw imagination and curiosity. At only seven years old, Al, as he was called as a young child, was educated by his mother, who oversaw his rigorous at-home education while also allowing him great freedom to explore and dream. Those early years of encouragement and loving guidance formed the man who would apply those valuable lessons as well as his rich imagination to inventing the phonograph, the motion picture camera, the light bulb, and more. 4-8 years
Thomas Edison and His Bright Idea
By Patricia Brennan Demuth, Illustrated by Jez Tuya
This nonfiction reader shines a light on Thomas Edison and his greatest invention — the light bulb! As a curious child who was always asking questions, it’s no wonder he grew up to become a famous, prolific inventor. This story follows Edison from his time in school to his career as full-time inventor. His discoveries will fascinate and inspire all curious young minds. 6-8 years
Who Was Thomas Edison?
By Margaret Frith, Illustrated by John O’Brien
One day in 1882, Thomas Edison flipped a switch that lit up lower Manhattan with incandescent light and changed the way people lived. The electric light bulb was only one of thousands of Edison’s inventions. As a boy, observing a robin catch a worm and then take flight, he fed a playmate a mixture of worms and water to see if she could fly. 8-12 years
Thomas Edison Lighting the Way
By Lori Haskins Houran, Illustrated by Gustavo Mazali
Most people today know Thomas Edison as the inventor of the light bulb—except, he isn’t! In Edison’s time, other inventors were working on the light bulb, but no one could figure out how to keep the light bulb lit. This is where Edison came in. Read and find out all about the real story of Thomas Edison’s life and his many amazing inventions, like the movie camera and the battery for an electric car! Biography reader includes a timeline and historical photos all about the life of this inspiring figure. 4-8 years
The Inventor’s Secret: What Thomas Edison Told Henry Ford
By Suzanne Slade, Illustrated Jennifer Black Reinhardt
Thomas Edison and Henry Ford started off as insatiably curious tinkerers. That curiosity led them to become inventors — with very different results. As Edison invented hit after commercial hit, gaining fame and fortune, Henry struggled to make a single invention, an affordable car, work. Witnessing Thomas’s glorious career from afar, a frustrated Henry wondered about the secret to his success. This little-known story is a fresh, kid-friendly way to show how they grew up to be the most famous inventors in the world and best friends, too. 6-9 years
Young Thomas Edison
By Michael Dooling
How did Thomas Edison grow up to be America’s greatest inventor? This book explores the beginnings of his genius from his difficulty in school, to his early years as a young scientist, to the man everyone called, “The Wizard of Menlo Park.” 7 and up
National Geographic Readers: Thomas Edison
By Barbara Kramer
Learn all about Thomas Edison, one of the most important figures in American history, in this leveled reader written in an easy-to-grasp style that will encourage the inventors of tomorrow! 5-8 years
DK Biography Thomas Edison: A Photographic Story of a Life
By Jan Adkins
Filled with archival photographs and amazing facts, this biography tells the story of the famous inventor, from his childhood as an “addled” student, to his reign as the “Wizard of Menlo Park,” where he developed the electric light bulb, the phonograph, and many other inventions still in use today. 10-17 years
Thomas Edison For Kids: His Life and Ideas, 21 Activities
By Laurie Carlson
Thomas Edison, one of the world’s greatest inventors, is introduced in this activity books. Children will learn how he ushered in an astounding age of invention with his unique way of looking at things and his refusal to be satisfied with only one solution to a problem. This books helps to inspire kids to be inventors and scientists, as well as persevere with their own ideas. Activities allow children to try Edison’s experiments: making a puppet dance, using static electricity, manufacturing a switch for an electric current, constructing a telegraph machine, and many more. 9-12 years.
The book descriptions used are primarily from the publishers.
If you like this post, then please consider sharing it and leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author
This is the story of Apollo 11 that began on July 16, 1969. Here are the steady astronauts outfitting themselves in their gloves and helmets and strapping and clicking themselves into sideways seats. This is a story of adventure and discovery and of home, seen from far away. 4-10 years
One Giant Leap
By Robert Burleigh, Illustrated by Mike Wimmer
On July 29, 1969, as Americans sat glued to their televisions and radios, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin did the seemingly impossible. They traveled 240,000 miles through space and set foot on the moon. One small step for a man; one giant leap for mankind. Their achievement not only brought the moon within reach, but now everything seemed possible. If it could be imagined, it could be done. 6-8 years
My Little Golden Book About the First Moon Landing
By Charles Lovitt, Illustrated by Bryan Sims
Little ones will learn about the rocket Saturn V, the command module Columbia, and of course the famous lunar lander Eagle, and how they each served to send astronauts into space. Kids will learn who the astronauts were and how they were chosen for the mission. And they’ll learn Neil Armstrong’s unforgettable words in his message back to Earth: “one giant leap for mankind.” Fun facts about the astronauts’ space suits and their work in space round out this picture book. 2-5 years
Apollo’s First Moon Landing: A Fly on the Wall History
By Thomas Kingsley, Illustrated by Jomika Tejido
From a launchpad in Florida to the lunar surface … Two cartoon flies join readers as they blast off into space and step foot on the moon with Neil Armstrong, providing a blend of facts and fun while telling the story of a great moment in space-exploration history. 6-8 years
Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon
By Catherine Thimmesh
The story of Apollo 11, the first moon landing, belongs to many people. It belongs to the seamstress who put together 22 layers of fabric for each space suit. To the engineers who created a special heat shield to protect the capsule during its fiery reentry. It belongs to the flight directors, camera designers, software experts, suit testers, telescope crew, aerospace technicians, photo developers, engineers, and navigators. 10-12 years
One Giant Leap
By Don Brown
As a young boy, Neil Armstrong had a recurring dream in which he held his breath and floated high above the people, houses, and cars. He spent his free time reading stacks of flying magazines, building model airplanes, and staring through the homemade telescope mounted on the roof of his neighbor’s garage.
As a teenager, Neil became obsessed with the idea of flight. He earned his student pilot’s license on his 16th birthday. This is the story of one boy’s dream — a dream of flying that landed him more than 200,000 miles away in space. 4-7 years
Moonwalk: The First Trip to the Moon
By Judy Donnelly, Illustrated by Dennis Davidson
The astronauts of Apollo 11 made history as the first men to land on the moon. Learn how astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins trained and achieved this momentous feat. Level 5 reader, 7-9 years
Who Was Neil Armstrong
By Roberta Edwards, Illustrated by Stephen Marchesi
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon and to an audience of over 450 million people proclaimed his step as “one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” The Eagle Scout built his own model planes as a little boy, grew up to be a test pilot for experimental aircraft, and then an astronaut who walked on the moon. 8-12 years
Rocket to the Moon
By Don Brown
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong took “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” when the Apollo 11 landed on the moon. But it wasn’t just one man who got us to the moon. Rocket to the Moon! explores the people and technology that made the moon landing possible. Instead of examining one person’s life, it focuses on the moon landing itself, showing the events leading up to it and how it changed the world. The book takes readers through the history of rocket building: from ancient Chinese rockets, to “bombs bursting in air” during the War of 1812, to Russia’s Sputnik program, to the moon landing. Beautifully illustrated and well-researched, this book is the perfect resource for curious readers and tomorrow’s scientists. It includes a timeline of space travel, a bibliography, and an index. 8-12 years
Apollo 11: Mission to the Moon
By Courtney Acampora
This Smithsonian Reader celebrates the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, the first time humans stepped foot on the Moon. From president John F. Kennedy’s declaration to land a man on the Moon to astronaut Neil Armstrong’s first steps, children will learn all about Apollo 11. After reading this introduction to nonfiction, children can use the included quiz to reinforce reading comprehension. 3-5 years
Man on the Moon
By Anastasia Suen, Illustrated by Benrei Huang
It was 1969 and no one had ever set foot on the moon. Some said it couldn’t be done. But astronauts Mike Collins, Buzz Aldrin, and Neil Armstrong were going to try . . . Here in picture book format is the amazing true story of the first moon landing, when a man set foot on an unexplored world and showed us that the boundaries of our world were limitless. “[A] perfect introduction to space, the space program, and exploration. Thrilling!” (Kirkus Reviews) 3-7 years
Reaching For The Moon
By Buzz Aldrin, Illustrated by Wendell Minor
It’s been fifty years since Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon. But the journey didn’t begin when he stepped on board Apollo 11 in July 1969, it began the day he was born. Becoming an astronaut took more than education, discipline, and physical strength. It took years of determination and believing that any goal is possible — from riding a bike alone across the George Washington Bridge at age ten to making a footprint on the moon. We all have our dreams. This is the story of how Buzz Aldrin’s came true. 4-8 years
If You Decide to Go to the Moon
By Faith McNulty, Illustrated by Steven Kellogg
“If you decide to go to the moon,” writes Faith McNulty, “read this book first. It will tell you how to get there and what to do after you land. The most important part tells you how to return home. This book allows the reader to participate in every aspect of the journey from packing, to liftoff, to traveling through space. Readers land at the Sea of Tranquility, the site of the first lunar landing. 4-8 years.
First Man on the Moon
By Ben Hubbard, Illustrated by Alex Orton
An illustrated account of the historic first moon landing in July 1969. The accessible text recounts the story of the first moon landing, from its beginnings in the Space Race, to its early missions, to its successful Apollo 11 voyage with Neil Armstrong’s legendary first steps on the moon and the astronauts’ heart-stopping return to Earth. 8-12 years
The book descriptions used are primarily from the publishers.
If you like this post, then please consider sharing it and leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author
It began in 1865 as a romantic idea. But ten years later Edouard Laboulaye’s dream catches fire and takes shape. Sculptor Auguste Bartholdi gives the dream the form of a lady holding a torch to “enlighten the world.” Engineers, plasterers, carpenters, and coppersmiths work together to turn the lady into a 100-foot tall monument. Publisher Joseph Pulitzer asks readers to help fund a pedestal. Hundreds of people send in nickels, dimes, and even roosters for the cause. 8-12 years
Let Liberty Rise! How America’s Schoolchildren Helped Save the Statue of Liberty
By Chana Stiefel, Illustrated by Chuch Groenink
On America’s 100th birthday, the people of France built a giant gift! It was one of the largest statues the world had ever seen — and she weighed as much as 40 elephants! And when she arrived on our shores in 250 pieces, she needed a pedestal to hold her up. Few of America’s millionaires were willing to foot the bill.
Then, Joseph Pulitzer (a poor Hungarian immigrant-cum-newspaper mogul) appealed to his fellow citizens. He invited them to contribute whatever they could, no matter how small an amount, to raise funds to mount this statue. The next day, pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters poured in. Soon, Pulitzer’s campaign raised enough money to construct the pedestal. And with the help of everyday Americans (including many thousands of schoolchildren!) the Statue of Liberty rose skyward, torch ablaze, to welcome new immigrants for a life of freedom and opportunity! 6-8 years
Her Right Foot
By Dave Eggers, Illustrated by Shawn Harris
This is a fun take on nonfiction that investigates a seemingly small trait of the Statue of Liberty. What is found is more than history, and more than art. It is a powerful message of acceptance that is essential to America’s creation. 6-9 years
Why is the Statue of Liberty Green?
By Martha E. H. Rustad, Illustrated by Holli Conger
Do you know that the Statue of Liberty hasn’t always looked green? Or that the first torch had to be replaced? Lady Liberty has been an important United States symbol for more than one hundred years. Join Mrs. Bolt’s class as they visit the statue and learn where it came from, how she was built, and what American ideals she stands for. 5-8 years
My Little Golden Book About the Statue of Liberty
By Jen Arena, Illustrated by Viviana Garofoli
Now the littlest readers can learn about how the Statue of Liberty came to be—and what it means to people all over the world.
Preschoolers will learn the fascinating story behind the creation of the Statue of Liberty. Simple words and bright artwork bring to life the story of the people—a professor, a sculptor, a poet, a newspaperman—who helped establish this famous landmark. Little ones will learn that the torch was created first, in time for America’s 100th birthday, and displayed in a park. And they’ll gain a clear understanding of what the Statue of Liberty has always meant to people around the world. Fun facts, such as how schoolchildren gave their pennies to help pay for the base of the statue, complete this nonfiction Little Golden Book. 2-5 years
Saving Lady Liberty: Joseph Pulitzer’s Fight for the Statue of Liberty
By Claudia Friddell, Illustrated by Stacy Innerst
Here is the story of how the Statue of Liberty got its pedestal when Joseph Pulitzer, a Jewish immigrant and famous newsman, created one of the first American crowdfunding campaigns to raise money for it.
When Joseph Pulitzer first saw the Statue of Liberty’s head in Paris, he shared sculptor Auguste Bartholdi’s dream of seeing France’s gift of friendship stand in the New York harbor. Pulitzer loved words, and the word he loved best was liberty. Frustrated that many, especially wealthy New Yorkers, were not interested in paying for the statue’s needed pedestal, Pulitzer used his newspaper, the New York World, to call on all Americans to contribute. This is the inspiring story of how one immigrant brought together young and old, rich and poor, to raise funds for the completion of a treasured national monument. 7-10 years
The Statue of Liberty (Blast Back!)
By Nancy Ohlin, Illustrated by Roger Simó
When people think about the Statue of Liberty, that iconic statue will surely come to mind. But why do we have that statue, and who is that woman anyway? This nonfiction book, complete with black and white interior illustrations, will make readers feel like they’ve traveled back in time. It covers everything from how the statue was built to the history behind its creation and more. Find out interesting, little-known facts such as how it almost didn’t get built and how the man who designed the Eiffel Tower designed the “spine” of the statue. 7-10 years
Liberty Arrives! How America’s Grandest Statue Found Her Home
By Robert Byrd
America’s most iconic national symbol was a gift from France to the United States–provided America raised the money for the pedestal on which it was to stand. Urged on by the publisher Joseph Pulitzer, it was raised, largely with the help of children, in the first example of a crowd sourced fund-raising campaign. This book tells the story of the best gift ever: how it was designed, created, transported, and then finally erected on its pedestal in the entrance to New York Harbor. Readable text is enhanced with illustrations chock-full of historical detail. 6-9 years
Naming Liberty
By Jane Yolen, Illustrated by Jim Burke
This book weaves together two stories at once as readers see young Gitl in Russia leaving her home for America. She wonders what new name she will choose for herself when she arrives. And artist Frederic Auguste Bartholdi dreams of a monument he wants to build honoring freedom. It is an arduous journey for Gitl as she and her family travel across land and sea to arrive on America’s shore. When she sees the magnificent Statue of Liberty, she knows her name must be Liberty too. 6-9 years
The Story of the Statue of Liberty
By Betsy Maestro, Illustrated by Giulio Maestro
“Written for the youngest audience…the text is very simple yet manages to convey all the major events in Liberty’s creation…” — Horn Book 6-10 years
What is the Statue of Liberty?
By Joan Holub, Illustrated by John Hinderliter
In 1876, France decided to give to the United States a very big and very special present — the Statue of Liberty. The gift was to commemorate the 100th birthday of the United States. This is the story of how the 111-foot-tall lady took her place in New York Harbor. 8-12 years
The Statue of Liberty
By Elaine Landau
This book details the history of the Statue of Liberty, where it came from, who designed it, and its significance in American culture and history. 7-9 years
Emma’s Poem
By Linda Glaser, Illustrated by Claire A. Nivola
In 1883, Emma Lazarus, deeply moved by an influx of immigrants from eastern Europe, wrote a sonnet that gave a voice to the Statue of Liberty. The statue was a gift from France to celebrate America’s national struggles for liberty and independence from Great Britain. Because of Emma’s poem, the Statue of Liberty came to define America as a nation that welcomes immigrants. 4-8 years
The Statue of Liberty
By Lucille Recht Penner, Illustrated by Jada Rowland
Over 125 years ago our beloved Statue of Liberty made its way to New York Harbor. This is the story of how Lady Liberty was sculpted, made its way from France, unveiled, and became an American icon. Level 2, 4-6 years.
The book descriptions used are primarily from the publishers.
Thomas Edison grew up at a time when children went to work to help support their families. At age twelve or thirteen, he sold newspapers on the train that ran from his hometown, Port Huron, Michigan, to Detroit.
In his free time, Thomas liked to read all about science and technology. He also liked to experiment with chemicals. He set up a laboratory in his basement. And he even conducted experiments in the baggage car of the train he worked on.
Young Thomas Edison (Wikimedia Commons)
At age sixteen, Thomas became a telegraph operator for the railroad. But he had to leave his job after a train accident was blamed on him. He then worked for the Associated Press at night. This job allowed him to read and work on experiments during the day.
Thomas Edison (Wikimedia Commons)
His first invention was an electric vote recorder. The recorder could be used by members of legislatures to count their votes on bills right away. But it was a failure. Thomas discovered that politicians did not want a fast way to count their votes.
Thomas’s first successful invention was a stock ticker that improved on earlier ones. His stock ticker let investors know quickly what was happening in the stock market.
Thomas Edison and his phonograph (Pixabay)
Thomas Edison’s first big invention was the phonograph. It recorded and produced sound that people could hear clearly. This invention made him famous all over the world. He became known as “The Wizard of Menlo Park.” Menlo Park was his research laboratory complex in New Jersey.
Thomas Edison and engineers at Menlo Park (Shutterstock)
Now it was time for his greatest invention, the incandescent light bulb. Inventors had tried for years to come up with an electric light bulb that would replace gaslight. But no one had found a practical way to do that.
First, Thomas set up the Edison Electric Light Company. Then he worked for years trying to perfect a light bulb. He failed many times until he tried a platinum filament. The light bulb burned for 13 1/2 hours. But Thomas wanted a bulb that would burn much longer and would be cheaper to make.
Edison light bulb (Shutterstock)
Thomas had been fishing with a bamboo pole made from bamboo threads. He decided to try a carbonized bamboo filament. And eureka, his light bulb lasted for over 1,200 hours. It was affordable too. Thomas demonstrated his light bulb by lighting up his Menlo Park laboratory complex.
Thomas Edison (Pixabay)
Thomas wasn’t satisfied just inventing a practical light bulb. He wanted to light up everyone’s home, business, and factory. He started the Edison Illuminating Company. Thomas’s first power station went into operation in Manhattan. It lit up a one-mile square area. It was only a matter of time until electric light lit up the world.
His other inventions include a motion picture camera, and a Kinetoscope to project the images on, and the first alkaline battery for electric cars. It was the forerunner of the alkaline batteries we use today.
Gustave Eiffel, engineer and architect, called “the magician of iron,” was known in 19th century France for building bridges and solving intricate engineering problems. We know Eiffel today as the man who built the Eiffel Tower, the iconic symbol of Paris and of France. But the Eiffel Tower was not the first tower that Gustave Eiffel built. In 1881, he began work on a tower that cannot be seen from the outside. It is the internal framework and support system for the Statue of Liberty.
Eiffel owned his own company when a world’s fair, to be called the 1889 Exposition Universelle, was planned. The fair would commemorate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. A centerpiece for the fair that would attract lots of attention was needed.
Two of Eiffel’s engineers designed a tower they thought would be a fitting centerpiece. At first Eiffel was unimpressed. But when his master architect added decorative features to the tower design including: a cupola, arches, and a glass pavilion, Eiffel thought the design would work.
Gustave Eiffel
A contest was held to award a commission to build the fair’s centerpiece. It seemed from the start that the contest was set up to make Eiffel the winner. The design restrictions met all of the Eiffel Company’s designs.
Eiffel was given approval to build the tower on the Champs-de-Mars, a green space near the Seine River. But the amount of money awarded for construction was significantly less that what was needed.
Eiffel had to find investors. Fortunately, the French government gave him the rights to the tower for twenty years. He would keep all the money generated and repay his investors.
When the tower design was announced, it was immediately discounted as a “hateful column of bolted sheet metal” and a “ridiculous tower dominating Paris like a gigantic black smokestack.” The French arts and intellectual community was unhappy. But construction began in January 1887, despite the protests.
The foundation was completed in June. The iron tower could now be built. Over 5,000 design drawings were needed. And over 18,000 different parts were manufactured off site. They were moved by horse-drawn carts. 132 ironworkers constructed the tower’s three levels. Construction took less than two years.
In March 1889, most of the work was finished. Eiffel celebrated by climbing to the top of the tower. He climbed the 1,710 steps since the elevators were not yet operating. He raised the French flag to a 25-gun salute below.
The tower stood 984 feet tall making it the tallest structure in the world — taller than the Washington Monument, the previous record holder. The record held for 41 years until 1930 when the Chrysler Building was built. Of course, now there are many larger structures.
Today, just under 7 million people a year visit the Eiffel Tower, making it the most visited paid monument in the world.
If you like this post, then please consider sharing it and leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author
