The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth

Bibliography:
Krull, Kathleen. 2009. The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth. Ill. by Greg Couch. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN: 0375845615

Plot Summary:
Long before the era of instant communication we live in now, there was a time where people would have to wait days, even months, for news, important information or to just be able to speak to a family member. Philo Farnsworth grew up in such a time. As a child growing up in Utah, Philo asked questions about everything and had a desire to know how everything worked. After moving to Idaho, Philo comes in contact with electricity for the first time. Excited to find out how machines work, he even learned how to fix his family’s generation before he was even in high school. He was introduced to the idea of television through a magazine and never stopped thinking about how to accomplish sending images. Encouraged by a high school science teacher and then his wife, Philo continued to work on the idea until he was successful. Captivated with the idea of being able to connect with the world that was around him, it was that inquisitive nature that drove him to invent the technology that would allow the television to become a part of the national lexicon.

Critical Summary:
As a picture book biography, Krull was tasked with making sure that the story of Philo Farnsworth was accurate and interesting without taking liberties for the sake of readability, something with which she finds success. Krull cites her sources and includes a short preface and author’s note, making certain that the reader knows where she received her information. The author’s curiosity and enthusiasm for the subject of her work is clear though the writing, which is concise and informative without sacrificing flow or ease of reading. Vocabulary used in the work could be easily understood by a young reader, the target audience of this work.

The subject of her work is quite young (the tale picks up when Philo was just born), something that she emphasizes throughout the story. This emphasis would not go unnoticed by the intended reader; showing that someone as young as 10 can understand complex concepts, even more so than some of the adults in their lives. Illustrations that supplement the story support the words; the reader truly gains an understanding of what is happening to Philo and what he is feeling through the accompanying picture.

Awards and Reviews:
NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book for 2010
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year (2009)
2009 Parents' Choice Silver Honor winner

“Krull's focus is on the boy genius becoming an inventor like his heroes, and only in a note does she mention his struggles with RCA and his bitterness later in life. The facts aren't new, but with Krull building the story and Couch's exceptional images, it's one to inspire young audiences with the vast possibilities that imagination and diligence can accomplish.” – Janet S. Thompson, School Library Journal

“In The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth, by Kathleen Krull (illustrated by Greg Couch), you have another classic story: the science-loving country boy who solves the puzzle before the professionals, by himself, in the wilds…Beautiful and beautifully told, the book tracks like the sort of graphic novel that breaks your heart, with its implied passage of time and slipping away of early dreams.” – New York Times Review

Connections:
*This work only follows Philo Farnsworth so far, so what happened to him next? Incorporate learning about how to research in an exercise where you task students with finding out what happened to Philo later in his life. (It may be helpful to break into several groups, who are each given a specific question to answer, like did he have any children? If so, how many and when were they born?)
*Check out books about other young inventors, like Thomas Edison or Benjamin Franklin.
*Figure out how a television really works! Gather books that show how a TV puts together the pictures that we see everyday.
*Find other books about inventors of other image capturing tools, like the photo camera and the film camera.

BOOK JACKET FOUND ON: Jacket Flap

The Human Body by Seymour Simon

Bibliography:
Simon, Seymour. 2008. The Human Body. New York, NY: HarperCollins. ISBN: 0060555416

Plot Summary:
The human body is comprised of several different systems that work together to let us feel, taste, see, hear and live. In this informational work, a survey of the human body and its attributes are presented to young readers. The reader begins the journey through the body by being introduced to the building blocks of the body: cells. Systems that allow the body to function are briefly mentioned all together, and then each is individually covered in more depth through the rest of the book. From hair, skin, nails and bones to muscles, organs and blood, all major components of the body are presented. Even the difficult concepts of DNA, pain sensation and growth are addressed, in order to give a complete picture of how the body operates from top to bottom.

Critical Analysis:
Made in conjunction with the Smithsonian, it would appear that the accuracy of this science oriented informational book is top priority. While the Smithsonian can be considered an authority, I do take issue with the fact that the resources used to write the work are not included in a bibliography. There are several websites included in the index for further research, but it would have been helpful, especially for the young reader, to find out where this information came from in the first place. Some of the information is “common knowledge” and may not need to be cited, but other, more obscure information should.

The jacket flap of this work indicates that it is geared toward 5-9 year olds, however I find that the wordiness and difficult vocabulary of the text many be too much for the younger range of this age group. Much can be said of not diminishing the text by “watering” down the information, but more simplistic terms could have been used and difficult words could have been further defined. However, some more complicated concepts are broken down into situations and similes more easily understood by the elementary set. The organization of the book lends itself well to focusing on one part or system of the body. There are fantastic close up pictures and diagrams of the topics that are covered in the book, making the words come to life.

Awards and Reviews:
"Simpler than Richard Walker's ever-so-detailed Encyclopedia of the Human Body (DK, 2002) and a nice introduction to Simon's earlier, more specific works, this book is handsome and informative." - Patricia Manning, School Library Journal

"A nice addition is the appended guide to the illustrations, though captions near the pictures and labeling on diagrams would have been even more useful to children. Still, a visually striking guide to the human body." Carolyn Phelan, Booklist

Connections:
*Read some other titles by Simon in the Smithsonian series, like Eyes and Ears, The Brain or The Brain.
*Find other books about the body and break them apart by topic. Cover, in a read-aloud time, different aspects of the body, like the skeletal system or muscles from the various books. Compare and contrast the information that given in each work.
*Build a body! Let each child trace his or herself to make a life-sized cutout on butcher paper. Cover the different body systems over the course of a few weeks and as you discuss each system, the students will add that system to their own cutout. Start with bones and work your way up to the assorted organs.

BOOK JACKET FOUND ON: http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780060555412/The_Human_Body/index.aspx