Tag Archives: Electricity

MG – Light Comes to Shadow Mountain

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Buzzeo, Toni. Light Comes to Shadow Mountain. Holiday House, 2023. 978-0-823-45384-9. 263 p. $17.99.  Grades 4-6.

In her debut novel, Buzzeo has crafted an engaging story based on the arrival of electricity to the eastern Kentucky mountains in the 1930s. At that time, few rural areas had electricity, even though most cities did. Cora Mae Tipton lives on Shadow Mountain, one such unelectrified community. She dreams of becoming a journalist like Nellie Bly, while her best friend Ceilly wants to be an aviator. When news of the Rural Electrification Act arrives in the holler, the two girls are thrilled to learn about the formation of an electricity cooperative. Not everyone is excited about the life-changing news, including Cora’s mother, who is pregnant and still grieving for her daughter Ida, who died from the flu. Cora, always with a notebook in hand, questions her Pap, who is now working for the project. The budding journalist learns about the fees, which are prohibitive for some families and the school. Believing in the importance of electricity in the school, the friends come up with a successful plan to raise money for a subscription, but then trouble besets the Tipton family. Mrs. Tipton becomes more depressed, and there is frequent bickering between mother and daughter. One of the twins is badly burned, and the fundraising money is needed for medical bills. Cousin Glenna comes to stay to avoid an abusive father. Then Mrs. Tipton goes into premature labor at home. With no adult to help, Cora must call on  her inner strength if she is to save the baby and bring the Mountain out of the shadows. This piece of historical fiction offers an eye-opening look into rural America of the past- a world of pack horse libraries, settlement schools, and the frontier nursing service, which are all described in the back matter. The author has created well-developed characters, some who are resistant to change and some who embrace it. With its compelling plot, this deep and sensitive story will leave readers hoping for a sequel to learn what the future holds for the likeable Miss Tipton.

THOUGHTS: This outstanding book is highly recommended for middle grade libraries.

Historical Fiction

Elem./MG – Explaining How Things Work (Series NF)

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Higgins, Nadia. Explaining How Things Work. The Child’s World, 2022. 32 p. $24.00 ea. $240.00 Set of 10.  Grades 3-5.

How Do Airplanes Work? 978-1-503-85589-2.
How Do Cell Phones Work? 978-1-503-85591-5.
How Do Hybrid Cars Work? 978-1-503-85593-9.
How Do Lasers Work? 978-1-503-85595-3.
How Do Submarines Work? 978-1-503-85597-7.
How Do Telescopes, Binoculars, and Microscopes Work? 978-1-503-85590-8.
How Do Wind Turbines Work? 978-1-503-85598-4.
How Does Electricity Work? 978-1-503-85592-2.
How Does Solar Energy Work? 978-1-503-85596-0.
How Does the Internet Work? 978-1-503-85594-6.

There are more than 5 billion cell phones in the world today, and many people can’t imagine living without one. This nonfiction title details the history of cell phones and also explains the science behind their operation. It explains how sound waves work, why frequency is important, and how base stations and switching centers operate. Text features such as a table of contents, glossary, index, timeline, headings, captions, and spotlight boxes help readers navigate and understand the information. Colorful illustrations as well as real primary source photographs are interspersed throughout the book. This title is one in a 10-book series about how things work. The series also features books about airplanes; electricity; hybrid cars; the Internet; lasers; solar energy; submarines; wind turbines; and telescopes, binoculars, and microscopes.

THOUGHTS: Although the science of how cell phones work is complex, this title makes the information easily accessible for middle grade readers. Large, colorful pictures, lots of captions, and chunked information ensures the facts aren’t too overwhelming. Share this book with science and technology teachers to jumpstart conversations about how technology impacts our lives today and where it might be heading in the future.

384.5 Wireless Communication          Anne Bozievich, Southern York County SD

Elem. – A Life Electric: The Story of Nikola Tesla

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Westergaard, Azadeh. A Life Electric: The Story of Nikola Tesla. Viking, 2021. Unpaged. 978-0-593-11460-5.  Grades 1-4. $17.99.

In this picture book biography, the author tells readers how much more Nikola Tesla contributed to science than his hair-raising Tesla coil. Born during a thunderstorm in modern day Croatia, the future scientist was interested in animals, books, and electricity as a young boy. He even designed his own inventions, like a “rotating motor powered by the fast, flapping wings of sixteen June bugs.” Tesla was a good student, excelling in many subjects, but electrical engineering was his passion. Soon he came up with an innovative way to transmit electricity over long distances by sending electric currents back and forth on a wire. Tesla traveled to the United States to share his discovery. There he met businessman George Westinghouse and they worked together to develop the electric motor. This invention was presented at the 1893 Chicago World Fair to much acclaim. Sadly, the Wizard of Electricity did not profit much from his creation due to unfortunate business decisions. Although Nikola died alone and poor in New York in 1943, over two thousand prominent scientists, businessmen, and artists attended his funeral. As one friend observed, “So far reaching is his work… should Tesla’s work be suddenly withdrawn-darkness would prevail.”  The back matter provides more biographical details, vintage photographs, and suggested readings.  Sarda’s illustrations are rendered digitally and have a folk art quality.

THOUGHTS: This is an intriguing life story of this important, but underappreciated, inventor, whose electrical discoveries are so crucial to the modern world. By revealing Tesla’s non-technical interests such as poetry and caring for hungry or injured pigeons, the author has presented a unique portrait of the man. This text works as a good introduction to electricity units and is a worthwhile purchase for elementary collections.

Biography  92, 921          Denise Medwick, Retired, PSLA Member
621.3092 Electrical Engineering