Sir Isaac Newton: Library Edition (The importance of)

School Library Journal

Gr 8-12-Hitzeroth and Leon sufficiently explain Newton's theories of gravity, light, and motion, as well as his other discoveries and inventions. Stewart chronicles the life of Alexander the Great, describing the achievements of ``the man who conquered the world.'' The accounts are written in a straightforward, nonfictionalized style. The extensive use of primary sources-diaries, memoirs, letters, published papers-as well as secondary sources results in portrayals of real people with personal interests and problems outside of their public roles and achievements. Lengthy quotations (some placed in boxed inserts) are used extensively. They contribute to the scholarly tone, but disrupt the flow of the text and make the reading tedious. The black-and-white reproductions include archival photographs and drawings, maps, and diagrams. Some of the captions repeat information covered in the text. Although these are interesting, readable biographies that will be good resources for report writers, their format limits their use for general reading.-Carolyn Angus, The Claremont Graduate School, CA