KellyKnapp
AnnotatedBibliography
11/23/2015
K-3
ResearchProjectonThomasEdison.
ExploringThomasEdison
ThisAnnotatedBibliographyisareferencetooltoassistbothstudentsand
teachers.Itspurposeistoprovidealistandsummaryofnon-printandprint
resourcesthatcouldbeusedforlessoncreationandresearchdevelopment.
ExploringThomasEdison
♦ ScienceDiscoveriesThomasEdisonandElectricitybySteveParker
ScienceDiscoveriesbiographiestakeyouonajourneythroughtimeonafact
filledadventurecapturingEdison’slifeandtime.(Parker,1992)
Review:Thisismoreofareferencebook.Astudentcanusethisbookpiecebypiece
insteadofreadingitasawhole.Therearesectionsthatarebetterthenothers,but
thestudentscaneasynavigatethroughthebook.
♦ DKBiogrpahy:ThomasEdisonbyJan Adkins
Thisbiographytellsthestoryofthefamousinventor,fromhischildhoodasan
addledstudents,tohisreignastheWizardofMenloPark”,wherehedeveloped
theelectriclightbulb,thephonograph,andmanyotherinventionsstillused
today.(Adkins,2009)
Review:Adkin’sbiographysupportsthecommoncorestandards.Thisexcellent
bookprovidesalotofinformativematerialonEdisonthatwasnotpreviously
known.Thiswouldbeagreatreferencebookforanyschoollibrary.Itpaintsthe
pictureofamanwhowascertainlyarealcharacteranddidnotfitintoanymold.
(Murray,1952)
♦ APictureBookOfThomasAlvaEdisonbyDavidA.AdlerIllustratedby
John&AlexandraWallner
DavidAlder’sbiographyisaK-4bookthatsimplifiesandshortensanadult
biography.Yet,itfocusesonthehighlightsoftheman’slifeandcareerachievements
bydepictingwell-chosenoccurrences.
Review:Thisbiographyisaperfectshortandsweetbiographyforyoungerstudents
yet,isawonderfulintroductionfork-3readerswhoneedinformationbutcannot
readlengthychapterbooks.Itiswellresearchedandwritteninastudentfriendly
languagebutalsohasgreatresourcesforteacherstokeeponhand.Perfectfora
ThomasEdisonunitorchildproject.(Adler,1996)
♦ WhoWasThomasAlvaEdison?ByMargretFrithIllustratedbyJohn
O’Brien.
Thisfunandexcitingillustratedbiographyexplainsacuriouschildwhofedworms
toafriendtoseeifshewouldflylikeabird,aboywholeftschoolattheageof12
andwashardofhearingallhislife,andthemanwhochangedtheworldwhenhe
inventedthelightbulb.(Frith,2005)
Review:AllWhoWasbooksaregreatforbeginningreaders.Theygivevivid
picturesalongsidechallengingreading.Thisisagreatbooktosparkaninterestin
historyandgeographyforchildren.Irecommendedthisbecausethereisafew
illustrationsperchapter,whichreallyhelpvisualizerepresentthestory.
♦ TimelineofThomasEdisonbyTheNationalParksService
Thomas Edison was born, railroads were still new, most Americans lived on farms, and
millions of people still lived as slaves in the southern United States. By the time he died
the airplane and automobile had been invented, a Civil War and a World War had been
fought, and most Americans lived in cities lit by Edison's electric lights. (Natioinal
Histoircal Park)
Review: Librarian’s dream to take a vitural field trip (or real one) down to West Orange,
NJ. The National Park Services created an environment that speaks to the researcher of
Thomas Edison. Their website is loaded with important timelines, facts, and important
information.
♦ ThomasEdison,InventorBiopgraphy.com
Biography.comisareliablesourceonpopularhistoricfigures.Theyareadigital
sourceforallcompellingandfascinatingtopics.Reliable,isthemainfocususingthis
source.(Biography.com,n/a)
Review:BiogivesnotonlyaclearideaofwhoThomasEdisonwas,butgoesinto
greatdetailbyprovidinganinteractivevideo.Whilebeingeasytonavigate,thesite
alsoistruthfulinfact.Givingspecialquotes,importantdates,andeventsaresome
interestingpartsofthissite.
♦ Thomas Edison by Barbara Kramer
Learn all about Thomas Edison, one of the most important figures in American history, in
this colorful, inviting, and entertaining biography. This carefully leveled reader is written
in an easy-to-grasp style to encourage the inventors of tomorrow. (Amazon Summary)
(Kramer, 2014)
Review: This book is written for a beginning reading group. Gives all the amazing details
of Thomas Edison for someone who is just beginning to read. National Geographic does
a fantastic job publishing a easy reader for grade school children.
Review: This book exceeded all of my expectations. The author presented Thomas
Edison from child to adult in a straightforward, entertaining way, not shying away from
the events in his life that might be considered controversial. You will learn a lot Thomas
Edison's accomplishments, and why he was so successful throughout his life.
♦ YoungThomasEdisonbyMichaelDooling.
Dooling has brought Edisons boyhood into focus through careful attention to visual detail
and a readable text. What emerges is a story of a determined, focused young man who,
despite significant hearing loss and other setbacks, continued to experiment and create
inventions that we still benefit from today. His questioning nature and creative genius
were recognized and supported early on by his mother, who pulled him out of school to
teach him at home when his teacher called him addled and sat him in a corner.(From
School Library Journal) (Dooling, 2004)
Review: This book exceeded all of my expectations. The author presented Thomas
Edison from child to adult in a straightforward, entertaining way, not shying away from
the events in his life that might be considered controversial. You will learn a lot Thomas
Edison's accomplishments, and why he was so successful throughout his life.
♦ Edison:thefatherofinventionDirectedandwrittenbyMichelleFerrari.
Thisinformativefilm, Edison, explores America’s most famous inventor. Offering new
perspectives on the man and his environment, and brightening not only the true nature
of invention, but Edison’s role in the turn-of-the-century America’s rush into the future.
Written and directed by Michelle Ferrari and produced by Ferrari.Michael Murphy
narrates this documentary.
(Ferrari,2015)
Review:Afilmhelpsastudentpaintapictureofastorytheyhaveread.Iwould
recommendwatchingthisfilmafterreadingtheotherbookslisted.Ferrari does not
give us a sweet, loving in-depth explanation of Edison’s achievements, but instead
portrays a driven man whose workaholic nature fractured friendships and compromised
his own relationship with his first wife.
WorksCited
Adkins,J.(2009).DKBiography:ThomasEdison.NewYork,NY:DKChildren's
Books.
Adler,D.A.(1996).APictureBookofThomasAlvaEdison.NewYork,NY:Holiday
House.
Biography.com.(n/a,n/an/a).ThomasEdisonBiography.(A&ETelevision
Networks)RetrievedNovember20,2015,fromBiography.com:
http://www.biography.com/people/thomas-edison-9284349
Dooling,M.(2004).YoungThomasEdison.NewYork,NY:HolidayHouse.
Films,I.(Producer),Ferrari,M.(Writer),&Ferrari,M.(Director).(2015).Edison:the
fatherofinvention[MotionPicture].Alexandria,VA.
Frith,M.(2005).WhoWas:ThomasAlvaEdison?NewYork,Ny:Grosset&Dunlap.
Kramer,B.(2014).ThomasEdison.Washington,D.C:NationalGeographic.
Murray,P.(1952).Persereance!TheStoryofThomasAlvaEdison.Washington,,DC:
TheChild'sWorld.
NatioinalHistoircalPark.(n.d.).NationalParkServices.RetrievedNov10,2015,
fromThomasEdison:http://www.nps.gov/edis/learn/kidsyouth/timeline-ofedison-and-his-inventions.htm
Parker,S.(1992).ScienceDiscoveries:ThomasEdisonandElectricity.NewYork,NY:
HarperCollins.