It's a clichÇ that more scientists are alive today than in all of previous history. Regardless of numbers, science as we know it began in earnest when one idea led to another in an inexorable chain; a good argument can be made that the 18th century was pivotal, with astronomers Halley and the brother- sister team of William and Caroline Herschel; chemists such as Lavoisier, Priestly, and Cavendish; and biologist Carl Linnaeus. Americans, too, made their mark, with Franklin and the astonishing scoundrel Count Rumford, ``father of thermodynamics.'' Covering both physical and life sciences, the authors trace the sometimes tortuous path of reasoning that underlies present scientific understanding, in the process uncovering some intriguing frailties of early scientists—e.g., the royalist Lavoisier (later guillotined) was so affronted by Priestly's liberal leanings that he avoided crediting him with key discoveries. People come across more vividly than science in this title in the ``On the Shoulders of Giants'' series, but the writing is lively and engaging. Appendix on the scientific method; chronology; glossary; extensive annotated bibliography. Illustrations and index not seen. (Nonfiction. 13+)
Pub Date: July 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-8160-2740-4
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Facts On File
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1993
A wholly original novel that celebrates connection in unlikely places.
A 19th-century astronomy textbook connects two isolated teens in this epistolary collection of notes and drawings.
“Copernicus” is grieving their astrophysicist mother’s recent death. Their dad sent them to their grandparents in Green Bank, West Virginia, to complete senior year. A cryptic note their mother left behind leads the San Francisco native to an old textbook in the school library. Since the Green Bank Observatory’s sensitive equipment requires a ban on Wi-Fi in the area, instead of scrolling on their phone, Copernicus spends study hall creating fanciful artwork and writing letters to their mother in the pages of the textbook. After another student leaves a sticky note asking them to stop defacing the book, their exchanges evolve into true dialogue. “Kepler” is only in the school building early each morning, before she’s bussed to a gifted program. While she plans to leave the area for college, she’s proud of her Appalachian roots. The two, who appear white in the illustrations, ultimately join forces to investigate strange phenomena that occurred when Copernicus’ mother was in high school, referring to themselves and other members of their community through astronomy-related code names. Over the school year, they trade candid exchanges and challenge each other to grow. While their communications are confined to paper, their friendship feels organic and earned. Walker’s clever, eye-catching collages and drawings appear on the pages of a real historical astronomy textbook, incorporating the textbook’s contents in ways that maximize their effect.
A wholly original novel that celebrates connection in unlikely places. (Fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9780593692677
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
For pre-teens and teens dealing with some of the problems of surfing the Internet, a guide that proves too superficial to be of much use. Croft discusses online predators, shopping, filters, viruses, hate speech, chat rooms, cookies, and maintaining a balance between living in real life and cyberspace. But her slender volume doesn’t come close to justifying its title. Many issues, such as encountering pornography, are handled in the most cursory fashion, and suggestions, such as notifying the ISP of harassers, are given without any explanation of how to implement them. While Croft is targeting teen readers, the text size, reading level, and content all suggest a younger audience. The author takes tact to an extreme; more lurid aspects of the online experience are never confronted directly, and she suggests that any parent controls are really intended for younger siblings. The issue of staying safe in cyberspace doesn’t get the thorough and courageous treatment it requires. (glossary, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 12- 14)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8239-2957-4
Page Count: 64
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 1999
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