Title:
On A Beam of Light
Bibliographic Information:
Berne, J. (2013). On a beam of light: A story of Albert Einstein. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.
Weekly Requirement:
Pleasure Reading Pictures Books
Plot Description:
On A Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein tells the story of the famous scientist Albert Einstein. The story begins with Albert's birth and describes how Albert was different from other children. For years he did not speak and people thought there might be something wrong with him. One day when Albert was sick in bed his father brought him a compass to play with and Albert became fascinated with how it worked, and he knew there mysteries in the world he wanted to understand. He wanted to learn more about the world and started asking so many questions his teachers thought he was being disruptive. But Einstein did not let this stop him from asking questions or dreaming about the world around him. His questions and dreaming led him to amazing scientific discoveries.
Quantitative Reading Level:
680 Lexile
Qualitative Reading Analysis:
The book has some complexity. It is written American English and arranged in chronological order. It narrated in the third person. Most of the print is black but the print for a number sentences that are important to the story's development are red and in a larger font. This adds complexity to the text because the color change and larger font helps to emphasize the importance of the sentence. Some of the illustrations include the words like gravity and magnetism, which add complexity to the meaning of the text. Not only does the text discuss the life of Einstein, but these added words touch on some of Einstein's work as well.
Content Area:
English
Maine Common Core Content Area Standard:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.1
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.3
Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2.5
Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.1
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.3
Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.6
Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters.
Curriculum Suggestion:
Elementary school teachers can use this story to teach children about science and scientists. They can use examples of Einstein's discoveries to teach students about how to form a hypothesis. Teachers doing anything physics-related can use the book as a tool as well to teach about things like light, sound, etc. Teachers can also use the book to get children excited about science and to encourage them to be curious about the world around them.
Awards:
Booklist 2013 Lasting Connections, Science; Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Books of 2013; Booklist 2013 Top 10 Books for Youth, Science & Health; SLJs Best Books of 2013, Nonfiction; Booklist Editor’s Choice: Books for Youth, 2013, Nonfiction; Horn Book Fanfare, Best Books of 2013, Nonfiction; ALA 2014 Notable Children’s Books, Younger Readers
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