Archimedes and the Door of Science (Living History Library)

This book is engaging and funny, smart and clever, profound and simple. It may be the best book I have read this year, because even though written for young readers, it is packed with information.Ancient Sicily becomes accessible as a culture and lifestyle through this book. And Archimedes' discoveries are made clear through written descriptions and illustrations that are perfect for the text. The information about the way children were instructed in Syracuse, and then about how Archimedes furthered his education, was compelling. The love of learning shines in this book.The geometry chapters are advanced, but not too difficult. And the section about the war machines he invented was downright fun!There are immediate applications for learning at home -- creating mobiles to learn about centers of gravity, using levers and screws and pulleys, studying eclipses and the solar system. This is an excellent, excellent book.First written in 1962, republished by Bethlehem Books, and a must-read. Enjoy it for yourself!As a tie-in for homeschoolers or interested kids, also try your hand at this game:  Melissa & Doug Suspend

Wow, I really love this author! I have bought 2 more books by her and hunted down some out of print books (Markets and the Illustrated Math Dictionary) to add to my kids' collection! I wish I had found these 2-3 years ago. My kids are ages 5th and 6th grade, and feel a LITTLE old for these books (based solely by Judging the Books by their Covers, of course!), but I read the book and really enjoyed the presentation and the information. It is a lovely start to thinking about the origins of science, and how we USED to think about the world when we didn't have the parameters of science.I think 5th and 6th grade certainly can benefit from the information inside, but the reading level is very approachable for a younger audience. My children would have even enjoyed these in 1st grade. Suitable and approachable for multiple ages and ability levels!

Great read for my middle schooler who is interested in both math and history. He said it was fun to read - not dry or boring as he expected it might be - and full of interesting tidbits about math. The only reason we give it 4 stars is that the Kindle edition formatting is off at times (we compared it to a friend's hard copy of the book), making it difficult to read in parts.

This is a great book when teaching any science materials as an add on!

Fast and perfect

This book is fantastic! The author really has a way of making math and science concepts easy for kids to understand. It flows like a story, not like a dry history text. We read it to supplement our history unit on ancient civilizations and my fourth graders really enjoyed it!

Very basic but informative. Just above entry level comprehension IMO. Odd interjections intermittently written in throughout half of the book I've read so far.

Thank you so much for writing (and publishing) this book. I have wanted to know everything that Archimedes did. This is a great summary and I will buy for my siblings and friends!

An interesting story-like book. It's a great fit for middle school age.

Excellent book.

Interesante y accesible para niños de 8 años en adelante, debería estar en las bibliotecas escolares en inglés y en español

Good quality and fast delivery.

Very good book that lets you learn about Archimedes and his role in the development in scientific thinking. I found the book very informative and very good for my 10 year old (although perhaps a bit in advance of his years).