How to Become an Accidental Genius

by Elizabeth MacLeod, Frieda Wishinsky, Jenn Playford (Illustrator)

Overview

Don't be afraid to try! Make connections! Be persistent! Ask questions and never take no for an answer! Learn the secrets and amazing stories of successful inventors!

How to Become an Accidental Genius is full of inspiring tales of famous and lesser-known inventors who have changed the world, from George Washington Carver, Mary Anderson (inventor of the windshield wiper) and inventor and actress Hedy Lamarr to Frank Epperson (of Popsicle fame) and Mary Sherman Morgan (The Woman Who Saved the U.S. Space Race). Readers will be amazed at the inventiveness of these geniuses. The book focuses on inventors from North America but includes stories from around the world. Organized into eleven chapters that highlight the qualities inventors have in common, the book also features profiles of inventive kids and teenagers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781459816763
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	04/02/2019
Series:	Accidental Series , #1
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.62(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Elizabeth MacLeod has written more than 70 biographies, picture books, cookbooks and other nonfiction books. Dinosaurs, royal murder, horses that changed history, forensic science—she’s written about them all. Liz has also won many awards for her writing, including the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction, an Arthur Ellis Award for Best Juvenile or Young Adult Crime Book and Children’s Choice awards across the country, including the Hackmatack, Red Cedar, Red Maple and Silver Birch. She lives in Toronto.

Frieda Wishinsky is the international award-winning author of over seventy books. She writes picture books, chapter books, novels and nonfiction. Her books have been translated into many languages. Frieda lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Jenn Playford has over 20 years experience illustrating creative solutions in the field of editorial, publishing, advertising and product design and her work has been showcased in Communication Arts and How magazine. Some of her clients include Zoomer magazine, Food Illustrated (UK), LA Times, Delta Airlines, United Way, Running Press, Klutz Publishing and Galison/Mudpuppy. Recently her illustrations have been animated into videos for the Royal Bank of Canada and Locallove.ca. Jenn grew up in Europe and Toronto and her international experiences have greatly influenced her, along with a passion for design, fashion and books. She now lives in Victoria, British Columbia with her two children.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER ONE: DON’T BE AFRAID TO TRY

• From Shellac to Sensational: Plastic, 1909 (Dr. Leo Hendrik Baekeland)
• Unbreakable: Kevlar, 1971 (Stephanie Kwolek)
• Blow Up: Smart Dust, 2003 (Jamie Link)

CHAPTER TWO: GET KNOWLEDGE AND USE IT

• The Maid Did It: Classifying Stars, 1890 (Williamina Paton Stevens Fleming)
• Amazing Radiation: X-Rays, 1895 (Dr. Wilhelm Röntgen)
• Keep That Beat Going: Pacemakers, 1949 (Dr. Wilfred G. Bigelow and
• Dr. John C. Callaghan)

CHAPTER THREE: PAY ATTENTION

• Clean Sweep: Windshield Wipers, 1903 (Mary Anderson)
• Nuts to You: Plenty of Peanut Products, 1910s (George Washington Carver)
• The Accident That Still Saves Millions: Penicillin, 1928 (Sir Alexander Fleming)

CHAPTER FOUR: MAKE CONNECTIONS

• It Makes Sense: Folding Beds, 1885 (Sarah E. Goode)
• A Walk in the Woods: Velcro, 1941 (George de Mestral)
• Hot Pockets: Microwaves, 1945 (Percy Spencer)

CHAPTER FIVE: RECOGNIZE THAT IT TAKES TIME

• Remember the Ice: Popsicles, 1905 (Frank Epperson)
• Night After Night: High-Dose Radiation, 1949 (Dr. Vera Peters)
• Stick to It: Post-it Notes, 1980 (Dr. Spencer Silver and Art Fry)

CHAPTER SIX: BE PERSISTENT

• Bounce! Bounce! Bounce!: Trampolines, 1936 (George Nissen)
• Light Bender: Fiber Optics, 1954 (Dr. Narinder Singh Kapany)
• It Is Rocket Science: Rocket Fuel, 1957 (Mary Sherman Morgan)

CHAPTER SEVEN: RECOGNIZE THAT FAILURE IS PART OF THE PROCESS

• It’s in the Bag: Flat-Bottom Paper Bags, 1871 (Margaret Knight)
• Flaky Inventors: Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, 1894 (Dr. John Harvey Kellogg and
• Will Keith “W.K.” Kellogg)
• Zoom!: The Razor Scooter, 1998 (Gino Tsai)

CHAPTER EIGHT: DON’T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS

• No Stick: Teflon, 1938 (Dr. Roy J. Plunkett)
• Code Words: COBOL, 1952 (Dr. Grace Hopper)
• See Ya!: Laser Cataract Treatment, 1986 (Dr. Patricia Bath)

CHAPTER NINE: BE OPEN TO POSSIBILITIES

• A Glob of Goo: Friction Matches, 1826 (John Walker)
• Original Babysitter Updated: Jolly Jumper, 1910 (Susan Olivia Poole)
• It Started with Potatoes: Television, 1927 (Philo Farnsworth)

CHAPTER TEN: BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

• Look What I Found: Discovering Fossils, 1811 (Mary Anning)
• Star Inventor: Decoding in the War, 1942 (Hedy Lamarr)
• Try This: Electronic Feeding Device, 1951 (Bessie Blount Griffin)

CHAPTER ELEVEN: ACCIDENTAL GENIUSES—A NEW GENERATION

• Magnet Magic: Self-Separating Recycling Bin, 2014 (Asuka Kamiya)
• Algae Mobile: EcoTube, 2008 (Param Jaggi)
• Clean Up That Oily Goop: Tailings Filter, 2014 (Hayley Todesco)

GLOSSARY
RESOURCES
INDEX
PHOTO CREDITS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Editorial Reviews

"Here’s hoping books such as this one help to ignite the curiosity and problem-solving skills of future geniuses."

Quill & Quire

"A valuable contribution to the genre…Teachers involved with science fairs will want to share the wisdom of How to Become an Accidental Genius with the young and curious students under their guidance. Highly Recommended."

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

★ “Engaging and thought provoking, this book is treasure trove of inspirational people and ideas. There is a plethora of terrific black-and-white photographs, lively illustrations, motivating quotes and sidebars packed with additional information.”

Red Leaf Literature title Canadian Children's Book News

An ingenious exploration of the masterminds who accidentally created great inventions…you will love this.

The International Educator

An inspiring book…Vivid color photographs, a glossary, resources and an index make this a useful reference for deciding on a subject for further research.”

Youth Services Book Review

"A fantastic mini-encyclopaedia…Get your thinking caps on, be inspired and you may accidentally stumble onto something when you were thinking of creating something else! This is How to Become an Accidental Genius."

Resource Links

"With many geniuses included and a good deal of space devoted to illustrations, each introduction is limited in length but usefully concise. An informative overview with an upbeat look and a lively text."

Booklist

"With many geniuses included and a good deal of space devoted to illustrations, each introduction is limited in length but usefully concise. An informative overview with an upbeat look and a lively text."

Booklist

02/01/2019

Gr 4–9—Tackling everything from Popsicles to fiber optics, from windshield wipers to rocket fuel, MacLeod and Wishinsky cover a variety of inventions that came about through serendipity, curiosity, and persistence. The authors devote two to three pages to each inventor, with illustrations, photographs, and sidebars. The book provides basic biographical information is provided and cultural and historical context. These brief overviews focus on how the invention itself came about. Inventors are categorized not chronologically but thematically, in sections such as "Don't be afraid to try," "Pay attention," "Be persistent," and "Don't make assumptions." Each precept is expounded upon in a chapter prologue and is carefully referenced in each vignette, in addition to being reprised at the end in a single list. A short glossary is included, though most terms are explained in context as well. Print and digital sources are listed. Many websites are personal (for contemporary inventors) or are specific to an invention (e.g., Slinky and Braille). Others are from notable addresses, such as MIT or the Encyclopedia of World Biography. Print sources are appropriate for readers who want to delve deeper into the topic. VERDICT A worthy addition to the pantheon of books on inventors and inventions.—Katherine Koenig, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

School Library Journal

2019-01-15

MacLeod and Wishinsky investigate the genesis of 33 ingenious inventions.

Some of the inventions here came about as the result of an accident—the Popsicle, for example, or the microwave oven—but most were the result of seeing the possibilities once presented with a situation. That takes knowledge, as this book emphasizes, along with paying attention, making connections, taking your time, persistence, avoiding assumptions, and being open to failure. Each invention, from friction matches to folding beds, penicillin, high-dose radiation, the electronic feeding device, Teflon, corn flakes, and windshield wipers—for starters—is accompanied by photos and images of the inventor and their invention. A good half of those celebrated in these pages are women, and there is a decent sampling of different races and nationalities. Explaining the mechanics of the inventions is a variable affair. Some are obvious, like the aforementioned Popsicle, while others, such as fiber optics, don't lend themselves to simple explanations. But no matter how abstruse the invention is, Macleod and Wishinsky make it clear why the invention was important through its everyday application. Pull quotes from such lights as Leonardo da Vinci, George Washington Carver, and Larry Page add interest, as do extra factlets introduced in sidebars; Playford's illustrations add zip.

An engaging tour of the inspirations behind a host of marvelous inventions. (Nonfiction. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews