Module 12 - Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein

Module 12 - Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein

Book Summary -
This book tells the story of Einstein's childhood and how he never seemed to quite fit in with everyone.  He didn't fit in with his family, his friends, his school, or anyone, really.  This book highlights his brilliance and focuses on the fact that, even though people are really smart, they may not fit in with the rest of the world, and that is fine.  The book uses quotes from Einstein's writing to support the story.

APA Reference -
Brown, D. (2004).  Odd boy out: Young Albert Einstin. New York: Houghton.

My Impressions -
This is a great introduction to the man behind the myth.  Most students know about Einstein, but they really don't know about his life at all.  This book for young readers is great at emphasizing that not everyone fits in with society, and those people can turn out to be great people.  I liked this book, but didn't love it, but it was very good at pointing out aspects of Einstein's life that few know anything about.

Professional Review -

Gr 2-5-- This well-crafted picture-book biography focuses on Einstein's hard-to-classify brilliance, which led to awesome scientific discoveries, but all too often left him a misunderstood outsider. Brown describes his subject's loving, cultured parents who were frequently nonplussed by their son's behavior and temper. He found himself the "odd boy" at school, and as the only Jewish student, was sometimes taunted by other children. He puzzled his instructors as well; though clearly gifted in science, math, and music, he was an indifferent student in most subjects. Brown's pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations, rendered in a palette of dusky mauve and earthy brown, portray a doubtful, somewhat unhappy-looking child, except for a picture in which he gazes fondly at a compass, a gift that astonishes him as he ponders its mysteries. In many scenes he is marginalized on the sidelines, set apart by color and shading. One dramatic spread features an adult Einstein pushing his child in a carriage, looking small against a backdrop that highlights some of the scientific puzzles that so engaged him. Through eloquent narrative and illustration, Brown offers a thoughtful introduction to an enigmatic man. This book will pique the interest of readers with little or no knowledge of Einstein.

Jones, T. E., Toth, L., Charnizon, M., Grabarek, D., Larkins, J., & Taniguchi, M. (2004). Odd boy out: Young Albert Einstein (Book). School Library Journal, 50(10), 138-139.

Library Uses -

This would be a great introduction into biographies.  The older students could then look up information about some figures that interest them and write a very short biography and draw pictures to illustrate it.