Kid Konnection: Electrical Wizard

As a young child, Nikola Tesla became fascinated with power, more specifically electricity, and vowed one day to harness the power of Niagara Falls.  People laughed at Nikola’s big ideas but that didn’t deter him.  He was always thinking and worked hard and came to transform the world with his ideas.

Electrical Wizard: How Nikola Tesla Lit Up the World by Elizabeth Rusch is an introduction to Tesla for early readers.  Most of the book focuses on his life after college and his “feud” with Thomas Edison.  It tells of his many accomplishments, including his childhood dream of harnessing the power of Niagara Falls.

“I saw my boyhood plan carried out,” Nikola marveled, “and wondered at the unfathomable mystery of the mind.”

Oliver Dominguez enhances the text with his wonderful illustrations.    Included in the back are more details about Tesla’s life and his rivalry with Edison as well as scientific notes and a bibliography.

I have to admit I knew little about Tesla going into this book besides the fact that there’s an electric car named after him, so much of the information in this book was new to me.  Tesla lived a fascinating life and I was impressed by his grit and determination.  He never gave up on his dreams and accomplished so much.  Electrical Wizard is an excellent book for early readers, especially those full of curiosity and dreams – it’s sure to inspire them!

For more children’s books reviews, go to Booking Mama’s feature, Kid Konnection. If you’d like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children’s books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, leave a comment as well as a link on her site.

Review copy provided by Candlewick Press. I am an Indiebound Affiliate.