Call number
JB HARRISON
Collection
Publication
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) (2003), Edition: First Edition, 48 pages
Description
Describes the need for sailors to be able to determine their position at sea and the efforts of John Harrison, an eighteenth century man who spent his life refining instruments to enable them to do this.
Subjects
Media reviews
Children's Literature
Carolyn Mott Ford (Children's Literature)
This is a story of persistence. John Harrison was a man who never gave up his dream despite problems, setbacks and the failure of others to take him seriously. In 1714 the British Parliament passed the Longitude Act, offering a prize of 20,000 pounds
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sterling for a workable way to measure longitude. Many British ships were sinking because, although sailors could measure latitude, the north-south position, they had no means to measure longitude, the east-west position and could not know their ship's true location. The entries ranged from the scientific to the ridiculous, but a young carpenter combined his working experience with his independent study of mathematics and the laws of motion to solve the problem. John Harrison fashioned a sea clock, known as H1. Harrison was accorded little respect because of his lack of education, but he continued to improve the sea clock. His fifth model, H5, met the requirements, but the prize money was not given to the now seventy-nine-year old John Harrison until his son William presented the case to King George III. The Longitude Prize was never officially awarded but any reader of this story will be aware that John Harrison was a winner. He never gave up, he accomplished what he set out to do and he made voyages safer for all seafarers. 2003, Melanie Kroupa Books/Farrar Straus and Giroux, $17.00. Ages 8 to 12.
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Booklist
Carolyn Phelan (Booklist, Mar. 1, 2003 (Vol. 99, No. 13))
Executed in an oversize format, which allows plenty of space for Hawkes' dramatic pictures, this tells the story of John Harrison, an eighteenth-century clock maker who solved the problem of tracking longitude in shipboard navigation. The
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book begins with a shipwreck, dramatizing the fact that the longitude puzzle was not just a matter of academic or economic importance but a life-and-death question for those who sailed the seas. After introducing some of the more absurd solutions proposed for tracking longitude, the discussion turns to young John Harrison, who was 21 when the Longitude Prize was offered by the British Parliament. Lasky shows how, over the next half-century, Harrison worked to design and perfect a timepiece that would earn the prize. Not every child will understand the technical challenge discussed; however, the text makes absorbing reading both for its sidelights on history and for the personal drama portrayed. Harrison emerges as an admirable, if idiosyncratic, individual whose story is well worth telling. Atmospherically lit and richly colored, Hawkes' large-scale paintings are often striking in their overall effects and intriguing in their details. Unexpected elements of humor in both the historical narrative and the illustrations lighten what could have been a dry, weighty treatment in other hands. Teachers looking for books for units on inventors will find this a memorable choice for reading aloud. Category: Books for Middle Readers--Nonfiction. 2003, Farrar/Melanie Kroupa, $17. Gr. 3-5 Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member mwittkids
Lovely picture book about Harrison's quest to measure longitude. Great example to children: we're all capable of great things.
LibraryThing member ErikSalvail
It was only 300 years ago, that ships where still having difficulty navigating the high seas, and were constantly getting lost due to not being able to triangulate their location with accurate longitude (east-west bearing). After a great tragedy at sea, Brittan set a large prize for anyone who
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could solve this problem. John Harrison, a simple carpenter made it his life's work to build a clock that could keep accurate time at sea, allowing distances to be measured by comparing them to Brittan's time. It takes his who life and several tries, but John is successful an has given the world what is now know as a chronometer. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys learning new things, and enjoying a good book. Show Less
LibraryThing member kthomp25
Interesting, not too long, explanations that make sense.
LibraryThing member CarolyneBegin
This is a book about the history of the clock and how it became so portable. The problem started out when sailors were not able to determine their position at sea. Was there an easy way to do so? There were many proposed solutions; many of which were absurd but a man named John Harrison decided
I found this book a little dry. It was long but contained good information. The illustrations were not compelling and I barely noticed them although the ones at the end that showed the cocks in more detail were interesting. I feel like it could have been a very interesting subject had the author reduced the length but I am glad to have read it and learned the history behind the clocks that we now have. I had no idea!
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that he could build a clock that would keep time even at sea. He was an uneducated young man and was not taken seriously at first but as he improved his model his clocks became more and more accurate. He was competing for a very large sum of money but it took him decades to receive his prize. Eventually he did and he is responsible for many explorers finding their way.I found this book a little dry. It was long but contained good information. The illustrations were not compelling and I barely noticed them although the ones at the end that showed the cocks in more detail were interesting. I feel like it could have been a very interesting subject had the author reduced the length but I am glad to have read it and learned the history behind the clocks that we now have. I had no idea!
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LibraryThing member SarahClick
Summary:
Back in the day, many ships were lost at sea because they didnt know where they were. Longitude was immeasurable and this made it hard to get across the ocean. Many sailors died and this had to end. In 1714 the Longitude Prize (20,000 pounds) was offered to anyone who could create a
Personal Reaction:
I liked this book because it was very interesting and my husband is in the Navy and spends a lot of time on ships. It was nice to see a piece of history, I only wish the man got credit for what he invented.
Classroom Extension Ideas:
1. Design your own clock and explain how it would work.
2. Learn about coordinates and traveling on the sea
Back in the day, many ships were lost at sea because they didnt know where they were. Longitude was immeasurable and this made it hard to get across the ocean. Many sailors died and this had to end. In 1714 the Longitude Prize (20,000 pounds) was offered to anyone who could create a
Show More
reliable way to measure Longitude. Many scientists attempted it but it came down to a clockmaker who came up with this concept that changed history. He made five designs and the last one was the best. He was never officially awarded the prize or named the winner, he did however, get the money.Personal Reaction:
I liked this book because it was very interesting and my husband is in the Navy and spends a lot of time on ships. It was nice to see a piece of history, I only wish the man got credit for what he invented.
Classroom Extension Ideas:
1. Design your own clock and explain how it would work.
2. Learn about coordinates and traveling on the sea
Show Less
LibraryThing member themulhern
A good introduction to the subject and excellent illustrations, but the text is somewhat sloppy. It gives the impression that the writer understood the drama but not the technology.
Awards
Orbis Pictus Award (Honor — 2004)
Notable Children's Book (2004)
ISBN
0374347883 / 9780374347888