Isaac, The Alchemist: Secrets of Isaac Newton, Reveal’d
Written by Mary Losure
Alone in the attic of an Apothecary’s Shop, an unwanted little boy wrote down his notes in a tiny notebook. He watched things like the progression of the sun across the floor. From that he designed sun dials to tell the time, sun dials the grown-ups could use.
This excellently researched biography leans on primary resources and a keen understanding of a young person left on his own in the world. The story of Isaac as a boy, and then a man, who follows his own interests intensely, leads us through the worlds of science, physics and the smoky world of alchemy. During Isaac’s time in history, science and mystery were still so intertwined people weren’t sure exactly which was which. The concoctions men put to steaming and smoking over open fires often made poisonous smoke instead of gold, but still they persisted.
Teachers, librarians and parents all will be impressed with the quality of writing as well as the depth of research. Use this as an example of source notes, and photo credits. Students will be enthralled to see actual pages from Isaac’s tiny notebook. This is a must have book for all elementary, middle school, and public library biography sections. Beyond that, it is simply a spell-binding read showing what one person can accomplish on his own through persistence.
Title: Isaac, The Alchemist: Secrets of Isaac Newton, Reveal’d- Author: Mary Losure
- Publisher: Candlewick, 2017
- Reviewer: Elizabeth Swartz
- Format: Hardcover, 176 pages
- Genre: Non- Fiction/Biography
- Grade Level: 4 to 8
- ISBN: 978-0-7636-7063-4
- Extras: Index, Bibliography, Source Notes, Photo Credits