Jennifer Joline Anderson

Although this book was a biography, it gave the reader the clear message of asking questions and using your mind to help change the world. The book was about the life of Albert Einstein from his childhood through his death. It gave details of his education, his family life, and most of all his ideas and accomplishments. I really liked this book for several reasons. I liked the organized way it was written and its extra textual features. For example, it was written in chronological order and at the end of most chapters, it had an “Explore Online” section which contained thought-provoking discussion questions and guided the reader to websites to research it further. Other text features included clear pictures with captions, text boxes, maps and diagrams, all adding a deeper understanding of the text. Another reason I liked this biography was the fact that it promoted creativity and doing good in the world. For example, on page 38 the author writes, “Einstein was more than a famous scientist. He was also famous for working to make other people’s lives better.” Finally, I liked the fact that although this was a children’s chapter book, it contained detailed information that I had personally never been aware of until now. For example, I never knew when he died at the age of 76, he left behind a paper covered with calculations in his hospital room, because he wanted to create a theory that could explain all of the physical forces in the universe, even up until the end.… (meer)