Metropolitan Library System

Here is the story of Ben Franklin's first invention, his journey through the scientific method, and the surprising successes that result when you're willing to make mistakes.

Every inventor has to start somewhere, and one of the greatest innovators in our history was no exception. Ben Franklin developed his first invention while doing what he loved best: swimming!  Barb Rosenstock's rhythmic, whimsical style is the perfect complement...

One day in 1882, Thomas Edison flipped a switch that lit up lower Manhattan with incandescent light and changed the way people live ever after. The electric light bulb was only one of thousands of Edison’s inventions, which include the phonograph and the kinetoscope, an early precursor to the movie camera. As a boy, observing a robin catch a worm and then take flight, he fed a playmate a mixture of worms and water to see if she could fly! Here’s...

Teen Innovators tells the stories of discovery and the inventions of nine young students. For example, twelve-year-old Gitanjali Rao, appalled by the tragedy in Flint, Michigan, found a cheaper, more effective way to test for lead in drinking water. Four undocumented teenagers from an underfunded high school in Phoenix built an underwater robot from spare and found parts. Substituting hard work and creative thinking for money and expensive equipment,...

"The award winners behind Before She Was Harriet explore the story of the saxophone, from its beginnings in 1840s Belgium all the way to New Orleans, where an instrument in a pawn shop caught the eye of musician Sidney Bechet and became the iconic symbol it is today"--

Steve Jobs, adopted in infancy by a family in San Francisco, packed a lot of life into fifty-six short years. In this Who Was…? biography, children will learn how his obsession with computers and technology at an early age led him to co-found and run Apple, in addition to turning Pixar into a ground-breaking animation studio. A college dropout, Jobs took unconventional steps in his path to success and inspired the best and the brightest to come...

In this title, readers will learn about the developer of the Barbie doll, Ruth Handler. Follow the story of Handler's early work with her husband Elliott, their collaboration with Harold Matson to form Mattel, and the company's introduction of Barbie in 1959. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Big Buddy Books is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

A father cleans up after his toddler and imagines a cup that won't spill. An engineer watches people using walkie-talkies and has an idea. A doctor figures out how to deliver patients to the operating room before they die. By studying inventions like these-the sippy cup, the cell phone, and an ingenious hospital bed -we can learn how people imagine their way around "impossible" problems to discover groundbreaking answers. Pagan Kennedy reports on...

A fun and feminist celebration of the forgotten women in science, technology, and beyond—from the bestselling author of The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy.

You may think you know women’s history pretty well. But have you ever heard of:
 
• Alice Ball, the chemist who developed an effective treatment for leprosy—only to have the credit taken by a man?
• Mary...

In this title, readers will learn about the creator of Easy-Bake Oven, Ronald Howes. Follow his story from his service in World War II, to an engineering degree from the University of Cincinnati, to his employment at Kenner where he created the Easy-Bake Oven. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Big Buddy Books is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

From early computer programmers to video game creators, this book introduces remarkable individuals whose contributions to technology were often overlooked. Colorful spreads full of photographs and sidebars support reader engagement and celebrate each hero's achievements.