Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions

Age range 9 to 12

From armoured tanks and gliders to 'plastic glass' and drawing machines, this book explores the mind of Leonardo da Vinci through hands-on building projects and activities. It aims to help kids examine some of Leonardo da Vinci's original sketches, with instructions, diagrams, and templates for each project, which are interspersed with facts.

“"Will keep the kids occupied with constructive activities and is sure to spur on their own creative inventions."”

The New York Times Book Review "Anderson regales us with tales of Leonardo's brilliant, often mischievous nature, and the nearly unfathomable range of his inventions." School Library Journal "A welcome addition to schools" Old Schoolhouse Magazine Seattle Post-Intelligencer "More than an activity book, this nifty volume explores Leonardo's life, times and endless imagination." KLIATT "A pleasurable read... encourages the young reader to appreciate the unconventional pathfinder." Publishers Weekly "Bring[s] an immediacy to da Vinci's life and work." Science News "This educational guide gives children age 9 and up hands-on experience, using materials found readily around the house, with creating their own version of some of Leonardo's inventions." Calliope Magazine "Amazing Leonardo Inventions You Can Build Yourself by Maxine Anderson is a terrific resource, with its detailed step-by-step instructions, diagrams and templates for creating projects that Leonardo designed. The accompanying text introduces the reader, in a personal way, to one of the world's greatest inventors" Curriculum Connections "Anderson offers an ingenious introduction [to Leonardo] that cross the curriculum." Science Books and Films "The book is perfect for capturing a middle schooler's attention! Highly Recommended." Chosen as one of "Our Favorite Things" for the 2006 holidays by Family Fun Magazine--"Decoding Da Vinci's sometimes ingenious, sometimes outlandish discoveries proves to be great fun in Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself " Children's Digest "Experience the ingenuity of Leonardo da Vinci firsthand." Children's Literature "This is a book of fun and creativity."

Lauri Berkenkamp is the author of six books for kids. Writing under the pen name Maxine Anderson she has written Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself, which was excerpted in the New York Times Book Review and Christian Science Monitor, chosen as the #7 BookSense Children's Pick for Summer 2006 and named Book of the Year by the Society for School Librarians International in 2006; Great Civil War Projects You Can Build Yourself, which was excerpted in Boys' Life magazine and called "a fascinating gem of a book" by the New York Times Book Review; Explore Spring, and Explore Winter, which were chosen as Parents' Choice Recommended Books for 2007, Discover the Amazon, as well as Discover the Oceans.

Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself introduces readers to the life, world, and incredible mind of Leonardo da Vinci through hands-on projects that explore his invention ideas. Most of Leonardo's inventions were never made in his lifetime--they remained sketches in his famous notebooks. Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions shows kids how to bring these ideas to life using common household supplies. Detailed step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and templates for creating each project combine with historical facts and anecdotes, biographies and trivia about the real-life models for each project. Together they give kids a first-hand look into the incredible mind of one of the world's greatest inventors. But one might ask, how could someone who lived so long ago be so relevant today? This title brings an immediacy to Leonardo da Vinci's life and works. It makes it relevant to kids in that it teaches them how to think outside the box, and to explore their own creativity. Furthermore, Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions meets Common Core State Standards in language arts for reading informational text. Guided Reading Levels and Lexile measurements indicate grade level and text complexity.

From armored tanks and gliders to "plastic glass" and drawing machines, this interactive book explores the incredible mind of Leonardo da Vinci through hands-on building projects and activities. Most of Leonardo's inventions were never made in his lifetime and remained sketches in his famous notebooks; kids examine some of these original sketches and learn about the models he made of his inventions. From there they delve into detailed step-by-step instructions, diagrams, and templates for each project, which are interspersed with historical facts, biographical anecdotes, and trivia. Most of the building can be done using simple household supplies: construction paper, tape, markers, glue, cardboard tubes, aluminum foil, and cardboard boxes. Background about the Renaissance as a period of remarkable achievement in art and science appears throughout the book.

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