So You Want To Be An Inventor

Title: So You Want To Be An Inventor

Author: Judith St. George

Publisher: Philomel 

Date: 2002

Number of pages: 56 pages

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Genre: Children's Nonfiction - Informational

Summary: Kids will be inspired to make history themselves when they learn that Benjamin Franklin was concocting new inventions by age 12. Solid advice such as "If you want to be an inventor, find a need and fill it" or "If you want to be an inventor, be a dreamer" precedes sections on people who did just that. Famous innovations such as Eli Whitney's cotton gin share equal billing with ideas that never really took off, like Andrew Jackson Jr.'s adjustable eyeglasses for chickens or Franz Vester's coffin with escape hatch (in case the person inside was still alive.) The brief anecdotes about each inventor and invention don't offer much historical context, but readers will devour fascinating facts on the origins of items they use and encounter on a daily basis. The book also feature two female inventors--one who was fed up with dishpan hands and invented the first dishwasher, and actress Hedy Lamarr, who helped invent a system for guiding torpedoes by radio signals in World War II--accompany the otherwise male-heavy cast of characters. 

My reaction: Enjoyable, and very informational for the age group. I read it to my 4 year old nephew, who was inspired and in tune with each colorful page. He wanted me to read it again, and again...

Potential problems: Not enough on the history side of things.

My recommendation: I would love to share this in a 1st grade classroom. I feel they would really enjoy reading it themselves, or have it read to them aloud in a class reading time. This way they can ask questions or even further their study with reports on the inventors featured in the story. Not too hard of a research assignment but something that helps them connect history, inspiration, and the story.