Snowflake Bentley

Author: Jacqueline Briggs Martin
Copyright Date: 1998
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company
Number of Pages: 32
Reading Level: Ages 5 & Up
Genre: Biography, Picture Book

Summary

"Snowflake Bentley" is a picture book biography about William Bentley. He lived on a farm, but didn't like to do farm-work. He loved observing snowflakes and other things in nature. When he was 17 years old his parents used their savings to buy a special camera that could zoom up really close and magnify the snowflakes so that Willie could see the intricate detail of the snowflakes. Sometimes it took hours to get really good photographs, sometimes in a day he only got a few. Other times, however, he got hundreds. He sold some of his prints for a few cents. Universities would buy them from him each year and use them. Eventually, people helped him earn enough money so that he could publish his own book: "Snow Crystals". He was 60 years old when he finally published his book. One day on his way home, he was walking through a blizzard to take more pictures of snowflakes. He got sick with pneumonia and died, only about a month after publishing his book. Upon his death, people in the community put a monument in the middle of town and made a museum in his honor. Even though he passed away, he was able to give his gift to the world--the knowledge and beauty of snowflakes.

This book is set up with pages full of pictures, as well as the text. On some of the pages, there are also sidebars that have other facts about William Bentley's life.

Reaction

I loved this book! It's fun because the pages are full of pictures, but you also learn a lot about a real person. It's not a made up story! I would definitely say that this is one of the best biographies written for children that I have ever read.

Recommendations

I would recommend this to everyone :)

Problems/Conflicts

The only problem I saw in this book is that he dies. That's sad, even though it's based on the true story of his life.