Newton and Me
By Lynne Mayer
Illustrated by Sherry Rogers
A boy and his dog, Newton (think Isaac Newton), discover -through everyday play- the laws of motion in their daily activities. The book gives examples of gravity when the boy’s dog drops the ball on the boy’s head and also when the boy throws the ball as hard as he can up in the sky and it continues to come down, leaving the boy puzzled as to why it always came back to him and his pup.
Force is also depicted in the story as the boy realizes that the ball will not have much motion if it is rolled across a rough surface, such as a grassy yard, which can stop the ball. However, when the ball is rolled onto a smooth surface like a sidewalk, the ball will roll farther.
The boy realizes that he has to put a lot of effort into riding his bike uphill with the force of wind pushing against him versus riding his bike downhill with little effort and using his feet to keep him from going too fast.
This book would be a great read aloud for second graders who are studying a science unit of force and motion because the boy in the story will be appealing to young readers and they will be able to identify with him and his puppy.
The illustrations in the story are very bright and colorful, great for second graders. Children will love the rhyming text and will get a kick out of the dog and all the adventures he has with the boy.
The book has some great reference information in the Creative Minds section at the back of the text about force and motion and gives questions to discuss with second graders in simple terms. Also included is information about the dog, Newton, who was named after the famous scientist and mathematician.
Newton and Me has free online resources and support at www.sylvandellpublishing.com with teaching activities, interactive quizzes, English and Spanish audiobooks, and related websites.
Title: Newton and Me- Author: Lynne Mayer
- Illustrator: Sherry Rogers
- Publisher: Sylvan Dell Publishing
- Reviewer: Rebecca L. Wagner
- Paperback: 30 pages
- ISBN: 978-1607180784
- Genre: Realistic Fiction/Science
