Anne Bustard: Children's Author

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inventor

November 14 Birthday: Robert Fulton

by Anne on November 14, 2010

Robert Fulton, inventor

Nov. 14, 1765-Feb. 24, 1815

Robert Fulton: From Submarine to Steamboat by Steven Kroll, illustrated by Bill Farnsworth (Holiday House, 1999)

Fulton’s name is synonymous with steamboats. But first he was a sign painter, air-gun inventor and apprentice jeweler. Read all about his life and inventions in this picture book biography.

Read more about Robert Fulton on this site from the University of Rochester.

July 31 Birthday: John Ericsson

by Anne on July 31, 2010

John Ericsson, inventor

July 31, 1803-March 8, 1889

Thank You Very Much, Captain Ericsson by Connie Nordhielm Wooldridge, illustrated by Andrew Glass (Holiday House, 2004)

Ericsson’s inventions centered on the sea. Read about his life and passion for ships in this biography.

Invent.org offers a Hall of Fame Inventor Profile of Ericsson.

May 19 Birthday: Bob Switzer

by Anne on May 19, 2010

Bob Switzer, inventor

May 19, 1914-Aug. 20, 1997

The Day-Glo Brothers by Chris Barton, illustrated by Tony Persiani (Charlesbridge, 2008)

A Sibert Informational Honor book, this bio about the brothers who invented eye-popping colors shines light on an innovative and important addition to our world.

Day-Glo worms? View “A Primer on Marine Flatworms for K-12 Students” at the University of New Hampshire site and you’ll be a believer.

May 2 Birthday: Elijah McCoy

by Anne on May 2, 2010

Elijah McCoy, inventor

May 2, 1843(4?)-October 10, 1929

The Real McCoy: The Life of an African-American Inventor by Wendy Towle, illustrated by Wil Clay (Scholastic, paper, 1995)

An engineer, McCoy invented (among other things) an automatic lubricator for trains and heavy machinery. It was so much better than what was in common use that people insisted on “the real McCoy.”

A short bio on a web site hosted by Northern California Council of Black Professional Engineers highlights McCoy.

March 24 Birthday: John Harrison

by Anne on March 24, 2010

John Harrison, inventor

Mar. 24, 1693-Mar. 24, 1776

man_who_made_time_travel

The Man Who Made Time Travel by Kathryn Lasky, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes(Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003)

Harrison succeeded in figuring out how to track longitude for ships at sea…after five tries and over thirty-five years. Thank you for your perseverance, Mr Harrison!

The National Maritime Museum dedicates a page to Harrison and the Longitude problem.