BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sidman, Joyce. 2002. Eureka! Poems about Inventors. Ill. By K.Bennett Chavey. Rookfield, Connecticut: The Millbrook Press. ISBN 0761316655

PLOT SUMMARY

This book is a tour through the history of invention told in poetic form. It is divided into four sections:

The Tapestry of the Past-
explores the discovery of clay, the invention of paper, the printing press, and the creations of Leonardo da Vinci.

The Age of Invention –
covers the early French balloonists, the chocolate bar, the dishwasher, the use of silver nitrate in medicine, and the self lubricated engine.

A light Interlude -
a poem celebrating inventors whose names have become synonymous with their inventions, such as Jules Leotard and Rudolf Diesel.

Dawn of the Modern Age –
deals with the works of Marie Sklodowska – Curie, the invention of the Velcro, Frisbee, the work of Barbara Mc Clintock, and the creation of the World Wide Web.

There are also biographical pages which provide information in support of the poetry.


CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Each of the poems in this collection reveals insight into an inventor and creation of his invention. The language is often both subtle and intense enough to hold the attention of young people at the upper middle school and high school levels. The mood of the individual poems varies from the serious to the whimsical depending upon the nature of the invention. The background information is essential to an understanding of many of the works. These poems are very well written; the illustrations are breathtaking and display a grainy texture reminiscent of nineteenth –century photographs. This book is guaranteed to send young readers into reference mode as they scramble for more information about these important men and women.

REVIEW EXCERPT

“Gr 4-8-From the prehistoric genius who first shaped clay into a bowl to the World Wide Web's inventor Tim Berners-Lee, Sidman celebrates the combination of sudden insight and profound patience that were behind most of the world's great inventions.”
Peters, J. (2003). Eureka! (Book). School Library Journal, 49(5), 103. Retrieved October 12, 2009, from Academic Search Complete database. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2052


5. CONNECTIONS

Sidman, J., & Krommes, B. (2006). Butterfly eyes and other secrets of the meadow. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 9780618563135