What do you think?
Rate this book
LIGHTNING
Photographs and text explore the natural phenomenon of lightning
32 pages, Paperback
First published March 14, 1997
4 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
About the author
McGraw-Hill Education
23.7k books151 followersMcGraw-Hill Education traces its history back to 1888 when James H. McGraw, co-founder of the company, purchased the American Journal of Railway Appliances. He continued to add further publications, eventually establishing The McGraw Publishing Company in 1899. His co-founder, John A. Hill, had also produced several technical and trade publications and in 1902 formed his own business, The Hill Publishing Company.
In 1909 both men agreed upon an alliance and combined the book departments of their publishing companies into The McGraw-Hill Book Company. John Hill served as President, with James McGraw as Vice-President. 1917 saw the merger of the remaining parts of each business into The McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, Inc.
In 1909 both men agreed upon an alliance and combined the book departments of their publishing companies into The McGraw-Hill Book Company. John Hill served as President, with James McGraw as Vice-President. 1917 saw the merger of the remaining parts of each business into The McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, Inc.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Read
February 10, 2015Saad Sekkat
Mrs. Slaoui
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Science Goodreads
Each second of every day, more than hundreds and thousands of lightning bolts strike the earth. Every region has a myth about a god of weather that would control the weather, thunder, and lightning. For the Greeks, they thought that Zeus flung thunderbolts from stormy skies. Nevertheless, the Viking thought that their god, Thor, strike a powerful hammer against an anvil to produce thunder and lightning. On the other hand, Native American tribes believed that lightning was caused by the flashing feathers and flapping wings of the mighty Thunderbird. However, we all know that lightning is a river of electricity rushing through an ocean of air. “Lightning bolts travel at “lightning” speeds of up to sixty thousand times faster than our fastest spaceship. A single lighting bolt travels through twisted paths in the air about as wide as one of your fingers and from six to then miles long.” (Simon, 6) It starts with violently moving ice crystals and raindrops in storm clouds. With our naked eyes, we see the lightning going down from the clouds but, we truly see the return of electricity zooming upward from the ground. Hence, when a lightning bolt strikes, the electrical energy quickly changes into heat. Consequently, temperatures in the path of a lightning bolt can reach as high as fifty thousand degrees Fahrenheit. Furthermore, there are three main kinds of lightning. Intracloud lightning is the most common, Cloud-to-ground lightning is the most dangerous form, and finally inter cloud lightning.Thus, the 3 facts i found interesting are that electricity in a bolt would power one lightbulb for only a month. Also, lightning can be made in a laboratory by an instrument called a Van de Graaff static electricity generator. Consequently, in the summer of 1995, scientists discovered a new kind of lightning, which they named elves.
The content in my book could relate to a career in science because it talks about lightning and the earth. Geophysicist, Atmospheric Scientist, and Meteorologist all relate to the study of lightning. Geophysicist is someone who studies the Earth using gravity, magnetic, electrical, and seismic methods. Furthermore, an Atmospheric Scientist is the study of the physics and chemistry of gases, clouds, and aerosols that surround the planetary bodies of the solar system. Nevertheless, Meteorologist is the study of the atmosphere. These three types of studies relate to lightning and the clouds because some study the clouds in the earth. Others study the electrical and seismic methods. On the other hand, some scientists study the atmosphere. Lightning falls under the branch of science, earth. It falls under this branch because lightning is natural and it is in the earth. Also, it is not alive, not in space, or neither it is physical. In the past I have learned about lightning, clouds, thunder, wind, etc. I learned that when water evaporates, it goes in the clouds. As I said, I have already learned about lightning so, this book relates to what I have already done in class. To conclude, lightning is very powerful and dangerous.
I would recommend this book to high school students who would like to know more about the earth. On the other hand, middle school students could be able to read this book unless they are not interested. This book is very educational and gives fantastic facts about lightning and about the people who study it and discovered it. As I said earlier, I didn’t know that lightning can be made in a laboratory by an instrument called a Van de Graaff static electricity generator. Thus, I recommend this book to 8th and 9th schoolers.
Mrs. Slaoui
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Science Goodreads
Each second of every day, more than hundreds and thousands of lightning bolts strike the earth. Every region has a myth about a god of weather that would control the weather, thunder, and lightning. For the Greeks, they thought that Zeus flung thunderbolts from stormy skies. Nevertheless, the Viking thought that their god, Thor, strike a powerful hammer against an anvil to produce thunder and lightning. On the other hand, Native American tribes believed that lightning was caused by the flashing feathers and flapping wings of the mighty Thunderbird. However, we all know that lightning is a river of electricity rushing through an ocean of air. “Lightning bolts travel at “lightning” speeds of up to sixty thousand times faster than our fastest spaceship. A single lighting bolt travels through twisted paths in the air about as wide as one of your fingers and from six to then miles long.” (Simon, 6) It starts with violently moving ice crystals and raindrops in storm clouds. With our naked eyes, we see the lightning going down from the clouds but, we truly see the return of electricity zooming upward from the ground. Hence, when a lightning bolt strikes, the electrical energy quickly changes into heat. Consequently, temperatures in the path of a lightning bolt can reach as high as fifty thousand degrees Fahrenheit. Furthermore, there are three main kinds of lightning. Intracloud lightning is the most common, Cloud-to-ground lightning is the most dangerous form, and finally inter cloud lightning.Thus, the 3 facts i found interesting are that electricity in a bolt would power one lightbulb for only a month. Also, lightning can be made in a laboratory by an instrument called a Van de Graaff static electricity generator. Consequently, in the summer of 1995, scientists discovered a new kind of lightning, which they named elves.
The content in my book could relate to a career in science because it talks about lightning and the earth. Geophysicist, Atmospheric Scientist, and Meteorologist all relate to the study of lightning. Geophysicist is someone who studies the Earth using gravity, magnetic, electrical, and seismic methods. Furthermore, an Atmospheric Scientist is the study of the physics and chemistry of gases, clouds, and aerosols that surround the planetary bodies of the solar system. Nevertheless, Meteorologist is the study of the atmosphere. These three types of studies relate to lightning and the clouds because some study the clouds in the earth. Others study the electrical and seismic methods. On the other hand, some scientists study the atmosphere. Lightning falls under the branch of science, earth. It falls under this branch because lightning is natural and it is in the earth. Also, it is not alive, not in space, or neither it is physical. In the past I have learned about lightning, clouds, thunder, wind, etc. I learned that when water evaporates, it goes in the clouds. As I said, I have already learned about lightning so, this book relates to what I have already done in class. To conclude, lightning is very powerful and dangerous.
I would recommend this book to high school students who would like to know more about the earth. On the other hand, middle school students could be able to read this book unless they are not interested. This book is very educational and gives fantastic facts about lightning and about the people who study it and discovered it. As I said earlier, I didn’t know that lightning can be made in a laboratory by an instrument called a Van de Graaff static electricity generator. Thus, I recommend this book to 8th and 9th schoolers.
September 26, 2017
This book talks about the types of lightening, how lightning is formed and what to do to protect yourself from lightning. It talks about the weather changes from lightning and how lightning begins.
Lesson- use this book as an introduction to a weather unit. Talk about storms and what happens when lightning strikes.
Lesson- use this book as an introduction to a weather unit. Talk about storms and what happens when lightning strikes.
November 8, 2019
This book talks about the facts of lightning. I had a first grader who was very afraid of lightning, me too. Together we read the book to learn about it. I also reminded him that it is pretty rare for him to get struck by lightning. We talked about what we should do during a storm and he wrote a social story. We also read "Storms".
January 23, 2021
Very nice resource for my weather unit!
Q2021 book.
Q2021 book.
November 30, 2015
Title: Lightning
Author/Illustrator: Seymour Simon
Genre: Photographic Essay
Theme(s): Weather (Thunder and Lightning)
Opening line/sentence: Every second of every day more than a hundred lightning bolts strike the earth.
Brief Book Summary: Lightning, a powerful force of nature, is explained in this book in many ways. The pictures provide vivid accounts of bolts of lightning from across the world. Ben Franklin’s kite experiment is explained, electrical energy is outlined, and more. The book also serves as a guide for what to do if you are caught outside in a lightning storm.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
School Library Journal
The stunning, vibrantly colored photographs help to explain the text, illustrating points such as the differences between the three kinds of lightning. Short, simple sentences make this topic accessible to younger readers but do not talk down to older report writers. Simon emphasizes precautions about lightning (for example, "If you are in water, get out as soon as possible"). He also lists safe places to be if you are caught out in the open during a lightning storm. Libraries that own Stephen Kramer's Lightning (Carolrhoda, 1992) or Jonathan Kahl's Thunderbolt (Lerner, 1993) may not need an additional title covering similar material, but the outstanding photos make Simon's book a striking selection.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
The Horn Book Guide Online
(3) K-3 series. Simon provides perhaps one of the most complete collections of images of natural lightning phenomena, including groundstrikes, intracloud lightning, and the two recently discovered and elusive types of lightning known as jets and sprites. The matter-of-fact text adequately explains the physical processes associated with each type of lightning. As usual, the full-page photos are colorful and fascinating.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: The two reviews touch on the book’s vivid and beautiful pictures of lightning strikes. In the first review, the reviewer uses quotes from the book, which helps understand the book’s ability to serve as a caution guide for lightning. The review also mentioned that the simple sentences are easily understood by young children, which is important because the topic of how lightning works is fairly complicated. In the second review, the reviewer touches upon Simon’s use of images. The photos used in the book are supported by the text and show the reader some unusual forms of lightning that they may have not seen before in person.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: The book’s use of photographs allow readers of all abilities to connect with the text. If they are listening to this book being read aloud, they can follow along by viewing the photos on each page. The photos are specifically chosen and relate directly to the text on the adjoining page, which adds to the book’s readability. The style of the book is informational and includes facts and accounts of lightning in a non-list format. Since the book is not in list format, the book is easily read from left to right, which may be considered easier for younger readers.
Consideration of Instructional Application: With the aid of this book, students can create their own electricity experiment like Benjamin Franklin. After the author mentions Franklin’s experiment with lightning, he goes on to explain how you can do this experiment, but in a much safer environment. On a dry day, the students will drag their shoes along a carpet and then touch a piece of metal and watch for the spark. This activity could be used to introduce a unit on weather.
Author/Illustrator: Seymour Simon
Genre: Photographic Essay
Theme(s): Weather (Thunder and Lightning)
Opening line/sentence: Every second of every day more than a hundred lightning bolts strike the earth.
Brief Book Summary: Lightning, a powerful force of nature, is explained in this book in many ways. The pictures provide vivid accounts of bolts of lightning from across the world. Ben Franklin’s kite experiment is explained, electrical energy is outlined, and more. The book also serves as a guide for what to do if you are caught outside in a lightning storm.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
School Library Journal
The stunning, vibrantly colored photographs help to explain the text, illustrating points such as the differences between the three kinds of lightning. Short, simple sentences make this topic accessible to younger readers but do not talk down to older report writers. Simon emphasizes precautions about lightning (for example, "If you are in water, get out as soon as possible"). He also lists safe places to be if you are caught out in the open during a lightning storm. Libraries that own Stephen Kramer's Lightning (Carolrhoda, 1992) or Jonathan Kahl's Thunderbolt (Lerner, 1993) may not need an additional title covering similar material, but the outstanding photos make Simon's book a striking selection.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
The Horn Book Guide Online
(3) K-3 series. Simon provides perhaps one of the most complete collections of images of natural lightning phenomena, including groundstrikes, intracloud lightning, and the two recently discovered and elusive types of lightning known as jets and sprites. The matter-of-fact text adequately explains the physical processes associated with each type of lightning. As usual, the full-page photos are colorful and fascinating.
Response to Two Professional Reviews: The two reviews touch on the book’s vivid and beautiful pictures of lightning strikes. In the first review, the reviewer uses quotes from the book, which helps understand the book’s ability to serve as a caution guide for lightning. The review also mentioned that the simple sentences are easily understood by young children, which is important because the topic of how lightning works is fairly complicated. In the second review, the reviewer touches upon Simon’s use of images. The photos used in the book are supported by the text and show the reader some unusual forms of lightning that they may have not seen before in person.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: The book’s use of photographs allow readers of all abilities to connect with the text. If they are listening to this book being read aloud, they can follow along by viewing the photos on each page. The photos are specifically chosen and relate directly to the text on the adjoining page, which adds to the book’s readability. The style of the book is informational and includes facts and accounts of lightning in a non-list format. Since the book is not in list format, the book is easily read from left to right, which may be considered easier for younger readers.
Consideration of Instructional Application: With the aid of this book, students can create their own electricity experiment like Benjamin Franklin. After the author mentions Franklin’s experiment with lightning, he goes on to explain how you can do this experiment, but in a much safer environment. On a dry day, the students will drag their shoes along a carpet and then touch a piece of metal and watch for the spark. This activity could be used to introduce a unit on weather.
January 29, 2016
The book Lightning by Seymour Simon informs people about the basics and more of lightning. The book teaches people what lighting is and the different types. Lighting begins when ice crystals and raindrops move violently during a storm. While this is happening electric charges build up in the cloud and an opposite electric charge builds up in the ground under the cloud. Little streamers of sparks called stepped leaders begin to shoot downwards, Streamers form the ground shoot up and when they meet a lighting bolt is formed. There are many types of lighting bolt existing, scientist maybe believe that there is lighting in other planets and types that aren't even know yet. While there are many different types of lighting, there are three main ones are Intracloud lightning, is the most common and occurs when lightning arcs between opposite charged centers, Cloud-to-ground light, the most dangerous one, and Intercloud lightning is when lighting leaps across a gap of clear air between to different clouds. In 1995 a new lightning was discovered named elves, short flashes hat blaze forth high above clouds. There are two the types of lightning called jets and sprites. Jets are fast moving fountains or sprays of blue light that burst upwards from storm clouds. Through out the book there are interesting facts about lighting, such as lightning can be made in laboratory with an instrument called a Van de Graaff static electricity generator, lighting travels at an extremely fast speed of sixty-thousand miler per second, and the temperature of lightning bolt can be as high fifty-thousand degrees Fahrenheit, this is five times hotter than the surface of the sun. To conclude, there are various interesting facts about lightning and many that scientists do not yet know.
The book Lightning is nonfiction for varied reasons, it could have also been given another title, and there is a photograph that I prefer to all the others. I know that this is a nonfiction book because there are facts, it has many facts, and the main idea is about lightning, which is not created. Another title that could be given to this book is The Mysteries of the Sky is what I would call this book. The Mysteries of the Sky is a better book title because it is more interesting than the title Lightning because it draws attention on what the book is about and if a person has to choose between lightning and The Mysteries of the Sky a person would choose The Mysteries of the Sky because it is more appealing. Out of all the beautiful photographs, this is the one that I preferred the most it was the one on page 18, because I really like the colors and it really helps explain the information. To conclude, this nonfiction book has many beautiful pictures explaining the information.
There were numerous parts of the book that made this book good, but very few negative parts that are disliked. What I enjoyed was the images that made it more pleasing and easier to understand as well as the cool facts and how they showed examples making easier a to understand. The few parts that I disliked were that some parts were explained in a confusing way, which confused me. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys learning about new things people who enjoy science and lightning.
The book Lightning is nonfiction for varied reasons, it could have also been given another title, and there is a photograph that I prefer to all the others. I know that this is a nonfiction book because there are facts, it has many facts, and the main idea is about lightning, which is not created. Another title that could be given to this book is The Mysteries of the Sky is what I would call this book. The Mysteries of the Sky is a better book title because it is more interesting than the title Lightning because it draws attention on what the book is about and if a person has to choose between lightning and The Mysteries of the Sky a person would choose The Mysteries of the Sky because it is more appealing. Out of all the beautiful photographs, this is the one that I preferred the most it was the one on page 18, because I really like the colors and it really helps explain the information. To conclude, this nonfiction book has many beautiful pictures explaining the information.
There were numerous parts of the book that made this book good, but very few negative parts that are disliked. What I enjoyed was the images that made it more pleasing and easier to understand as well as the cool facts and how they showed examples making easier a to understand. The few parts that I disliked were that some parts were explained in a confusing way, which confused me. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys learning about new things people who enjoy science and lightning.
January 5, 2010
This book tells alot about lightning and where it comes from. I thought it was okay but wouldn't like to read it again. If your a person who loves lightning then i highly recommend this book!! It tells where lighting comes from, ALL about lightning storms, how strong they can get, anything you want to know about lightning is in this book.
If you like storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, anything that has lightning in it you will love this book. It is so informative about everything you can think of it's in here. It was I think a little boring up first but then i actually started getting into the book and I thought it was a little better.
Like I said, if you like lightning then you will LOVE this book. It is the one for you. But if you don't really like anything to do with it then i wouldn't think this is the right book for you.
If you like storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, anything that has lightning in it you will love this book. It is so informative about everything you can think of it's in here. It was I think a little boring up first but then i actually started getting into the book and I thought it was a little better.
Like I said, if you like lightning then you will LOVE this book. It is the one for you. But if you don't really like anything to do with it then i wouldn't think this is the right book for you.
November 16, 2010
Lighting is very powerful and very misunderstood. There is plenty of researching going on to try to figure out why lighting happens and its powers. This book provides great information along with outstanding photos and a child would be mesmerized by them wanting to know more. I have loved weather ever since I was a little kid. Now lighting doesn't scare me but I know it could to some children, so maybe learning about it would help a child to not fear it but respect that it is out of our control.
March 7, 2016
Lightning is a very interesting book so you should read it. I would recommend this book to those who like to read non-fiction and like to learn new thing about nature. This book taught some cool things abut lightning and how to be safe when there is lightning.
July 31, 2015
Lightning is a good children's resource about the power of electricity
October 24, 2011
i thought that there was only one color of lightning but it turns out thart the lightning can be any color blue, red, purple etc.
November 18, 2012
The photographs are great. Great information on lightning experiments. Overall, not the most informative book on lightning.
Read
December 2, 2013IL: LG
BL: 6.5
This would be a great book to add in a science class to help teach lightning. Also I would recommend to a student who is interested in weather.
BL: 6.5
This would be a great book to add in a science class to help teach lightning. Also I would recommend to a student who is interested in weather.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews