What Color Is My World?: The Lost History of African-American Inventors

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, basketball legend and the NBA's alltime leading scorer, champions a lineup of little-known African-American inventors in this lively, kid-friendly book.

Did you know that James West invented the microphone in your cell phone? That Fred Jones invented the refrigerated truck that makes supermarkets possible? Or that Dr. Percy Julian synthesized cortisone from soy, easing untold people's pain? These are just some of the black inventors and innovators scoring big points in this dynamic look at several unsung heroes who shared a desire to improve people's lives. Offering profiles with fast facts on flaps and framed by a funny contemporary story featuring two feisty twins, here is a nod to the minds behind the gamma electric cell and the ice-cream scoop, improvements to traffic lights, open-heart surgery, and more -- inventors whose ingenuity and perseverance against great odds made our world safer, better, and brighter.
Back matter includes an authors' note and sources.

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
Published: 01/03/2012
ISBN: 9780763645649
Pages: 44
Weight: 1.76lbs
Size: 9.90h x 11.00w x 0.80d

Review Citations: Publishers Weekly 11/28/2011
Kirkus Reviews 01/01/2012
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 02/01/2012
Booklist 02/01/2012 pg. 84
School Library Journal 02/01/2012 pg. 138
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2012 pg. 155 - Below Average, With Minor Flaw

Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 148988 / What Color Is My World? the Lost History of African-American Inventors
Reading Level: 6.1 / Interest Level: Middle Grade / Point Value: 2