| Sea Clocks: The Story of Longitude Contributor(s): Borden, Louise (Author), Blegvad, Erik (Illustrator) |
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ISBN: 0689842163 ISBN-13: 9780689842160 Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books OUR PRICE: $17.99 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: February 2004 Annotation: John Harrison, an Englishman with no scientific training, worked for nearly 40 years to design a clock that could keep accurate time while at sea. Ultimately, he changed the course of seafaring and science forever. Full color. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Juvenile Nonfiction | History - Exploration & Discovery - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography - Historical |
| Dewey: 526.620 |
| LCCN: 00045599 |
| Lexile Measure: 910 |
| Physical Information: 0.44" H x 8.28" W x 10.36" (0.93 lbs) 48 pages |
| Accelerated Reader Info |
| Quiz #: 77499 Reading Level: 5.5 Interest Level: Middle Grades Point Value: 1.0 |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: For hundreds of years ships had been sailing to places far and near without really knowing where they were Sailors knew how to measure latitude, their location north or south of the equator, but they could not measure longitude, their location east or west of their home port. Because of this, many lives were lost worldwide. The key to solving this problem lay in devising a clock that could keep absolutely accurate time while at sea, unaltered by rough water or weather conditions. With such a timekeeper sailors would be able to know the time back at their home port and calculate the longitude. But no one knew how to design such a clock. John Harrison (1693-1776), an Englishman without any scientific training, worked tirelessly for more than forty years to create a perfect clock. The solution to this problem was so important that an award of 20,000 pounds sterling (equal to several million dollars today) was established by the English Parliament in 1714. Harrison won recognition for his work in 1773. Together with beautifully detailed pictures by Erik Blegvad, Louise Borden's text takes the reader through the drama, disappointments, and successes that filled Harrison's quest to invent the perfect sea clock. |
Contributor Bio(s): Blegvad, Erik: - Erik Blegvad was born in Denmark and studied at the School of Applied Arts in Copenhagen. Mr. Blegvad has illustrated more than one hundred children's books, including Twelve Tales by Hans Christian Andersen, Riddle Road by Elizabeth Spires, Hurry, Hurry, Mary Dear! by N. M. Bodecker, and Sea Clocks: The Story of Longitude by Louise Borden. The Blegvads divide their time between England, France, and Wardsboro, Vermont.Borden, Louise: - Louise Borden graduated from Denison University with a degree in history. She taught first graders and preschoolers and later was a part-owner of a bookstore in Cincinnati, Ohio. In addition to writing children's books, she also speaks regularly to young students about the writing process. Her books include Good Luck, Mrs. K!, which won the Christopher Medal, and The A+ Custodian. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, and you can visit her at LouiseBorden.com. |