Module 12- Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein

Book Cover Image:


Book Summary:

In his book, Odd Boy Out, Don Brown gives us a view of Albert Einstein’s childhood.  Einstein proved an enigma to his cultured parents, his perplexed instructors, and his intolerant peers.  His loving parents were ill-equipped to handle his behavior and temper; his instructors confused by his brilliance in science, math and music, yet his apathy in other subjects; and finally, his peers ostracize him as much for his Jewishness as for his misunderstood brilliance.  While Albert Einstein may have been viewed as a misfit and an outsider, his brilliance paved the way in changing what we know and understand about our world.

APA Reference of Book:
Brown, D. (2004). Odd boy out: Young Albert Einstein. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Impressions:
This book gives readers a glance of what childhood was like for the genius Albert Einstein.  One of the things that struck me was that Albert seemed to stick out in a negative way no matter who he was with or where he was, and this is quite the opposite that I would have expected that the child genius would have experienced.  This book shows that though we are all different and may not all fit the same mold our differences are what make us special and can be the cornerstone of brilliance and the spark that ignites changes within our world.

Professional Review:
 Gr 2-5-This well-crafted picture-book biography focuses on Einstein's hard-to-classify brilliance, which led to awesome scientific discoveries, but all too often left him a misunderstood outsider. Brown describes his subject's loving, cultured parents who were frequently nonplussed by their son's behavior and temper. He found himself the "odd boy" at school, and as the only Jewish student, was sometimes taunted by other children. He puzzled his instructors as well; though clearly gifted in science, math, and music, he was an indifferent student in most subjects. Brown's pen-and-ink and water-color illustrations, rendered in a palette of dusky mauve and earthy brown, portray a doubtful, somewhat unhappy-looking child, except for a picture in which he gazes fondly at a compass, a gift that astonishes him as he ponders its mysteries. In many scenes lie is marginalized on the sidelines, set apart by color and shading. One dramatic spread features an adult Einstein pushing his child in a carriage, looking small against a backdrop that highlights some of the scientific puzzles that so engaged him. Through eloquent narrative and illustration, Brown offers a thoughtful introduction to an enigmatic man. This book will pique the interest of readers with little or: no knowledge of Ein-stein.

Taniguchi, M. (2004, October). Odd boy out. School Library Journal, 50(10), 138-139. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/

Library Uses:
This book could be used as part of an anti-bullying campaign at the library, and could be used to show that even though some people may not fit into the norms of the society, they still have merit and deserve respect.