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
The Fire of Stars: The Life and Brillance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made of
By Kirsten W. Larson, Illustrated by Katherine Roy
A poetic picture book celebrating the life and scientific discoveries of the groundbreaking astronomer Cecilia Payne!
Astronomer and astrophysicist Cecilia Payne was the first person to discover what burns at the heart of stars. But she didn’t start out as the groundbreaking scientist she would eventually become. She started out as a girl full of curiosity, hoping one day to unlock the mysteries of the universe. 5-8 years
Maria’s Comet
by Deborah Hopkinson, Illustrated by Deborah Lanino
Maria longs to be an astronomer. She imagines all the strange worlds she can travel to by looking through her papa’s telescope. One night Maria gets her chance. For the first time, she sees the night sky stretching endlessly above her. Her dream of exploring constellations seems close enough to touch. This story is inspired by the life of Maria Mitchell, America’s first woman astronomer.
On A Beam Of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein
by Jennifer Berne
Travel along with Einstein on a journey full of curiosity, laughter, and scientific discovery. This is a moving story of the powerful difference imagination can make in any life.
The Girl Who Thought in Pictures
By Julia Finley Mosca, Illustrated by Daniel Rieley
When young Temple was diagnosed with autism, no one expected her to talk, let alone become one of the most powerful voices in modern science. Yet, the determined visual thinker did just that. Her unique mind allowed her to connect with animals in a special way, helping her invent groundbreaking improvements for farms around the globe. Inside, you’ll find a complete biography, fun facts, a colorful timeline of events, and even a note from Temple herself.
The Librarian Who Measured The Earth
by Kathryn Lasky
This is a colorfully illustrated biography of the Greek philosopher and scientist Eratosthenes. He compiled the first geography book. And accurately measured the globe’s circumference.
Who Was Marie Curie?
By Megan Stine, Illustrated by Ted Hammond
Born in Warsaw, Poland, on November 7, 1867, Marie Curie was forbidden to attend the male-only University of Warsaw, so she enrolled at the Sorbonne in Paris to study physics and mathematics. There she met a professor named Pierre Curie, and the two soon married, forming one of the most famous scientific partnerships in history. Together they discovered two elements and won a Nobel Prize in 1903. Later Marie won another Nobel award for chemistry in 1911. She died in Savoy, France, on July 4, 1934, a victim of many years of exposure to toxic radiation.
Rare Treasure: Mary Anning and Her Remarkable Discoveries
by Don Brown
Before the word “dinosaur” was ever coined, a young girl discovered a remarkable skeleton on the rocky beach at Lyme Regis in England. This discovery became her passion. She became one of the first commercial fossil collectors. Born in 1799, Mary Anning spent a lifetime teaching herself about fossils. She combed the rugged shore near her home and found a treasure trove of fossils. These long-extinct creatures excited early paleontologists.
Star Stuff: Carl Sagan and the Mysteries of the Cosmos
by Stephanie Roth Sisson
Young Carl Sagan went to the 1939 World’s Fair. His life was changed forever. From that day on he never stopped marveling at the universe. He sought to understand it better. Star Stuff follows Carl from his days star gazing from his Brooklyn apartment. Through his love of science fiction novels. To his work as an renowned scientist. Carl worked on the Voyager missions exploring the farthest reaches of space.
Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle
by Claire Nivola
Sylvia Earle first lost her heart to the ocean as a young girl. She discovered the wonders of the Gulf of Mexico. As an adult, she dives even deeper. She designs submersibles, swims with whales, and takes deep-water walks. Sylvia has dedicated her life to learning more about what she calls “the blue heart of the planet.”
Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World
By Rachel Ignotofsky
Women in Science highlights the contributions of fifty notable women to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) from the ancient to the modern world. This collection also contains infographics about relevant topics such as lab equipment, rates of women currently working in STEM fields, and an illustrated scientific glossary. The trailblazing women profiled include well-known figures like primatologist Jane Goodall, as well as lesser-known pioneers such as Katherine Johnson, the African-American physicist and mathematician who calculated the trajectory of the 1969 Apollo 11 mission to the moon.
Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved the Mystery That Baffled All of France
by Mara Rockliff, Illustrated by Iacopo Bruno
American inventor Benjamin Franklin is upstaged by a compelling and enigmatic figure: Dr. Mesmer. In elaborately staged shows, Mesmer, wears a fancy coat of purple silk. He carries an iron wand. And he convinces the people of Paris that he controls a magic force. It can cure illness and thoughts. But Ben Franklin is not convinced. Will his practical scientific approach get to the bottom of the mysterious Mesmer’s tricks?
Barnum’s Bones: How Barnum Brown Discovered the Most Famous Dinosaur in the World
by Tracy Fern, Illustrated by Boris Kulikov
Barnum Brown’s parents named him after the circus icon P.T. Barnum. They hoped he would do something extraordinary. And he did! He worked as a paleontologist for the American Museum of Natural History. He discovered the first documented skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus Rex. And most of the dinosaurs on display there today.
The book descriptions used are primarily from the publishers.
If you like this Books For Kids: Scientists, then please consider sharing it and leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author
Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane
By Kirsten W. Larson, Illustrated by Tracy Subisak
Emma Lilian Todd’s mind was always soaring–she loved to solve problems. Lilian tinkered and fiddled with all sorts of objects, turning dreams into useful inventions. As a child, she took apart and reassembled clocks to figure out how they worked. As an adult, typing up patents at the U.S. Patent Office, Lilian built the inventions in her mind, including many designs for flying machines. However, they all seemed too impractical.
Lilian knew she could design one that worked. She took inspiration from both nature and her many failures, driving herself to perfect the design that would eventually successfully fly. Illustrator Tracy Subisak’s art brings to life author Kirsten W. Larson’s story of this little-known but important engineer. 7-10 years
Neo Leo: The Ageless Ideas of Leonardo daVinci
by Gene Barretta
In 1781, Thomas Paine came up with a model for a single-span bridge. In 1887, Adolf Eugen Fick made the first pair of contact lenses. And in 1907, Paul Comu built the first helicopter. But Leonardo da Vinci thought of all these ideas more than five hundred years ago! At once an artist, inventor, engineer, and scientist, da Vinci wrote and drew detailed descriptions of what would later become hang gliders, automobiles, robots, and much more. In Neo Leo, Gene Barretta shows how Leonardo’s ideas — many inspired by his love of nature — foreshadowed modern inventions, offering a window into the future.
The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth
by Kathleen Krull, Illustrated by George Couch
Plowing a potato field in 1920, a 14-year-old boy from Idaho saw in the parallel rows of overturned earth a way to “make pictures fly through the air.” This boy was not a magician. He was a scientific genius. Just eight years later he made his brainstorm in the potato field a reality. He transmitted the world’s first television image.
Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life: Hollywood Legend and Brilliant Inventor
By Laurie Wallmark, Illustrated by Katy Wu
To her adoring public, Hedy Lamarr was a glamorous movie star, widely considered the most beautiful woman in the world. But in private, she was something more: a brilliant inventor. And for many years only her closest friends knew her secret. Now Laurie Wallmark and Katy Wu tell the story of how, during World War Two, Lamarr developed a groundbreaking communications system that still remains essential to the security of today’s technology.
Marvelous Mattie: How Margaret E. Knight Became An Inventor
by Emily Arnold McCully
With her sketchbook labeled My Inventions and her father’s toolbox, Mattie could make almost anything — toys, sleds, and a foot warmer. When she was just twelve years old, Mattie designed a metal guard to prevent shuttles from shooting off textile looms and injuring workers. As an adult, Mattie invented the machine that makes the square-bottom paper bags we still use today.
George Ferris What A Wheel
by Barbara Lowell, Illustrated by Jerry Hoare
Have you ever ridden a Ferris wheel? You can see for miles! But when the inventor of the Ferris wheel, George Ferris, first pitched the idea, everyone thought he was crazy. A 250-foot bicycle wheel that goes around and around and can carry 2,160 people in train size cars at the same time? Can’t be done, they said. But George proved them wrong. Teacher Guide available at:https://barbaralowell.com/teacher-guide-2/
George Crum and the Saratoga Chip
by Gaylia Taylor, Illustrated by Frank Morrison
Who invented the potato chip? George Crum did as a chef in a Saratoga Springs, New York restaurant in 1853. Who knew the potato chip was that old?
Papa’s Mechanical Fish
by Candace Fleming, Illustrated by Boris Kulikov
Clink! Clankety-bang! Thump-whirr! That’s the sound of Papa at work. Although he is an inventor, he has never made anything that works perfectly. That’s because he hasn’t yet found a truly fantastic idea. But when he takes his family fishing on Lake Michigan, his daughter Virena asks, “Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a fish? Papa is off to his workshop. With a lot of persistence and a little bit of help, Papa — who is based on the real-life inventor Lodner Phillips — creates a submarine that can takehis family for a trip to the bottom of Lake Michigan.
Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine
by Laurie Wallmark, Illustrated by Amy Chu
Ada Lovelace, the daughter of the famous romantic poet, Lord Byron, develops her creativity through science and math. When she meets Charles Babbage, the inventor of the first mechanical computer, Ada understands the machine better than anyone else and writes the world’s first computer program.
Eat My Dust! Henry Ford’s First Race
by Monica Kulling, Illustrated by Richard Walz
It’s 1901 and Henry Ford wants to build a car that everyone can own. But first he needs the money to produce it. How will he get it. He enters a car race, of course!
A Weed is a Flower: The Life of George Washington Carver
by Aliki
Award winning author and illustrator Aliki tells George Washington Carver’s story in this beautifully told and illustrated picture book.
Thomas Edison and His Bright Idea
by Patricia Brennan DeMuth, Illustrated by Jez Tuya
As a curious child who was always asking questions, it’s no wonder Thomas Edison grew up to become a famous, prolific inventor. This easy-to-read nonfiction story follows Edison from his time in school to his career as a full-time inventor. Edison’s discoveries will fascinate and inspire all curious young minds!
Who Were The Wright Brothers?
by James Buckley, Jr., Illustrated by Tom Foley
As young boys, Orville and Wilbur Wright loved all things mechanical. As young men, they gained invaluable skills essential for their success by working with printing presses, bicycles, motors, and any sort of machinery they could get their hands on. The brothers worked together to invent, build, and fly the world’s first successful airplane. These aviation pioneers never lost sight of their dream to fly and to soar higher!
The book descriptions used are primarily from the publishers.
If you like this post, then please consider sharing it and/or leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author
In Tiny Stitches: The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas, author Gwendolyn Hooks tells the story of how Vivien Thomas developed a life-saving medical procedure. The surgical technique allowed babies born with the condition tetralogy of Fallot, or blue baby syndrome, to live.
Vivien Thomas
Vivien Thomas was born in 1910 into the segregated American South. He worked with his carpenter father saving money for college and dreamed of a career in medicine. But when the stock market crashed in 1929, he lost his savings.
Not giving up on his dream, he interviewed for a position at the Vanderbilt University Hospital. He would work with Dr. Alfred Blalock as a surgical research technician. Vivien was not told whenhired that he would receive less pay than the white research technicians. His official classification was “janitor.”
Vivien quickly learned to conduct experiments independently. He became an indispensable assistant to Dr. Blalock. The doctor was then offered the Chief of Surgery position at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He accepted only if Vivien would be his research technician.
The move to Baltimore from Nashville was difficult for Vivien and his family. They faced even more discrimination. But as Gwendolyn Hooks writes: “Vivien refused to let the prejudice of others interfere with his work.”
Drs. Blalock and Taussig
Dr. Helen Taussig, a pediatric cardiologist asked Dr. Blalock if he could devise a procedure for her young heart patients. The procedure would involve open-heart surgery. Dr. Blalock gave the assignment to Vivien.
Vivien studied the hearts of blue babies in a pathologymuseum. He noted the defects that prevented blue blood from entering the lungs for oxygenation. He decided that a procedure that he and Dr. Blalock had tried at Vanderbilt would be the answer.
A shunt would connect an artery from the heart with an artery going to the lungs. Vivien next made a small needle. It could be used on babies to suture the arteries. Then Vivien successfully performed the procedure on animals.
Vivien Thomas Stands Behind Dr. Blalock
The first procedure on a baby was conducted on November 29, 1944. Vivien stood on a stool behind Dr. Blalock directing the successful operation. Over 150 times, he stood behind Dr. Blalock. He answered the doctor’s questions while the doctor performed the surgery . The procedure became known as the Blalock-Taussig shunt.
The Drs. Blalock and Taussig received national and international recognition. They were nominated for a Nobel prize. But Vivien Thomas’s name was never mentioned.
Vivien Thomas’s Portrait At Johns Hopkins
It wasn’t until 1971, that Vivien Thomas was publicly recognized for his contribution to medical science. Today, his portrait hangs in the Blalock Building at Johns Hopkins directly across the hall from Dr. Blalock’s portrait. In 1976, Johns Hopkins University honored Vivien Thomas with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.
With author Gwendolyn Hooks’s book Tiny Stitches, children canread and learn about Vivien Thomas a dedicated medical researcher. He overcame racial prejudice to save the lives of “blue babies.” Visit Gwendolyn Hooks at:http://gwendolynhooks.com
Vivien Thomas
If you like this article, then please consider sharing it and leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author
Galileo Galilei, lived in Pisa home of the tall leaning tower — just right for an experiment challenging Greek philosopher Aristotle.
View of Pisa from the Leaning Tower of Pisa
Aristotle said that a heavier object falling from the same height, at the same time, would travel faster than a lighter object. Galileo disagreed. He said both objects would reach the ground about the same time.
It is said that at the top of the tower, Galileo dropped two spherical objects, one heavier than the other, perhaps a cannonball and a musketball. Both hit the ground at about the same time, disproving Aristotle’s law of gravity. Whether this actually occurred, or it was instead a thought experiment, Galileo wrote about it in his book, On Motion.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa
In Pisa, disproving Aristotle did not win fans for Galileo, and he was no longer asked to teach at the university there. But he wasn’t done challenging Aristotle. This time the challenge took place in the sky above.
The Dutch invented a telescope that made faraway objects appear closer. Galileo knew he could improve the Dutch telescope. When he did, he discovered that he could see the actual surface of the moon. It was not at all as Aristotle described it — completely smooth. Instead, the surface had peaks and valleys.
Galileo and his telescope
With his telescope, he also discovered the largest of Jupiter’s four moons. He published his discoveries in his book, Starry Messenger. Europeans learned about Earth’s moon and Jupiter’s moon, and Galileo became famous. He was invited by the Grand Duke of Tuscany to live in Florence and spend his days searching the sky for new discoveries.
What he discovered again challenged Aristotle. Aristotle said that our solar system was Earth centered. The sun and other planets revolved around the Earth.
What Galileo observed through his telescope made him realize that Aristotle was wrong. The sun was at the center of our solar system and the earth, like the other planets, revolved around it.
Unfortunately, disputing Aristotle again won him no fans. And finally landed him under house arrest for the rest of his life. But later scientists proved him right, the sun is the center of our solar system.
When I visited the Leaning Tower of Pisa, I was amazed that I had no sensation of leaning once inside the tower. Even at the top, it felt as if the tower stood perfectly straight.
If you like this post, then please consider sharing it and leaving a comment below. Thank you! Barbara Lowell, Children’s Author
Gustave Eiffel
