The Library will be closed on Monday, November 11, 2024, in observance of Veterans Day.

21st Century Kids: Inventors & Innovators

Mona Gilbert, Children's Librarian, Northridge Branch Library,
Young girl building an electronic device
“To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.”—Thomas Alva Edison

What sparks inventors to create? One can say the ability for inventive thinking is not out of reach. Innovation flourishes when an individual possesses strong problem-solving skills, an active imagination, and has the ability to see possibilities. Additionally, success requires a great deal of patience, as trial and error are part of the process. Here is a sampling of books that encourage inventive and innovative thinking.

"Invention"

I’ve done it, I’ve done it!
Guess what I’ve done!
Invented a light that plugs into the sun.
The sun is bright enough,
The bulb is strong enough,
But, oh, there’s only one thing wrong…
The cord ain’t long enough.

"Invention" excerpted from the book Where the Sidewalk Ends, by Shel Silverstein.


Books That Encourage Inventive and Innovative Thinking


Book cover for Where The Sidewalk Ends
Where The Sidewalk Ends
Silverstein, Shel

Book cover for Hedy Lamarr's Double Life: Hollywood Legend and Brilliant Inventor
Hedy Lamarr's Double Life: Hollywood Legend and Brilliant Inventor
Wallmark, Laurie

Book cover for Calling All Minds
Calling All Minds
Grandin, Temple

Book cover for What Color is My World?: The Lost History of African-American Inventors
What Color is My World?: The Lost History of African-American Inventors
Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem

Book cover for Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women
Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women
Thimmesh, Catherine

Book cover for Mistakes That Worked
Mistakes That Worked
Jones, Charlotte Foltz

Book cover for The Marvelous Thing That Came from a Spring: The Accidental Invention of the Toy That Swept the Nation
The Marvelous Thing That Came from a Spring: The Accidental Invention of the Toy That Swept the Nation
Ford, Gilbert

Book cover for Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Barton, Chris

Book cover for I Can Be An Awesome Inventor
I Can Be An Awesome Inventor
Claybourne, Anna

Book cover for 50 Wacky Inventions Throughout History
50 Wacky Inventions Throughout History
Rhatigan, Joe

Book cover for A Super Sticky Mistake
A Super Sticky Mistake
Donald, Alison


 

 

 

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