Who Was Albert Einstein?

June 1, 2002
Gr 3-5-This biography describes Einstein's early struggle to harness and focus his extraordinary abilities; his relationships with his family and first wife; and, lending depth to the story, his most significant scientific discoveries. Brallier does an adequate job of presenting the facts and injects touches of humor into his text. He also discusses Einstein's exile from Germany in the early 1930s and his political views and activities, including the irony that the man who strove for a world without war helped to create the atomic bomb. There are several full-page sidebars, including one on "The Magnetic Earth" and another on "Hitler and the Nazis," and two time lines that contrast world events with those of the scientist's life. Black-and-white cartoon illustrations do little to enhance the text.-Carol Fazioli, formerly at The Brearley School, New York City

Copyright 2002 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2002
The fast-paced biographies in this series do a good job of revealing the personalities and significant achievements of their subjects. Plentiful black-and-white illustrations and simple prose make the books particularly appealing to reluctant readers, and the brief sidebars never overwhelm the main texts. Each volume has two timelines--one for the subjects life, the other listing concurrent world events. [Review covers these titles: "Who Was Albert Einstein?, Who Was Ben Franklin?, Who Was Sacagawea?, Who Was Annie Oakley?". ]

(Copyright 2002 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)