Magnets: Pulling Together, Pushing Apart

Ciencia Asombrosa

by Natalie M. Rosinsky, Natalie Myra Rosinsky

Compasses and magnetite, magnetic poles and motors - learn about how magnets affect our lives.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction

24 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

My touchstones have always been books. Like clear-eyed family members, different books have anticipated my needs and questions, mirrored my problems, and provided help or inspiration.

I grew up on an inner-city block made famous in Betty Smith's A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. As a high school English teacher, I recognized many funny or painful experiences captured in the pages of Bel Kaufman's Up the Down Staircase. Later, the mayhem—if not the murders—of Amanda Cross's mystery novels, with their university settings, seemed familiar as I completed graduate degrees at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and became a college professor. What Color is Your Parachute? guided my next career move—into the business world, where I worked as a corporate trainer and instructional designer.

For a quarter-century, I lived with my husband and son in Mankato, Minnesota, on the “Big Hill” of Maude Hart Lovelace's beloved Betsy-Tacy series for young readers. Those works and my encounters with Lovelace fans on their pilgrimage to our neighborhood took on new meaning as I began to write myself. Now, after a recent move to Bloomington, Minnesota, I am ready for another new chapter in my life! Which books shall I read...what new work may they inspire?

Since 1994, I have written over 100 nonfiction articles, activities and books for children and young adults. In 2000, my piece about puzzles in Cricket magazine, “No Cross Words Allowed,” won the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators Merit Award for the year's best nonfiction article. In 2004, my article about forensic science in Odyssey magazine, “'Facing' Jack the Ripper: Forensics Then and Now,” was awarded a letter of merit in SCBWI's annual competition.

Sarah Winnemucca: Scout, Activist, and Teacher, my biography of that Northern Paiute leader, was honored by the Western Writers of American as a finalist in the 2007 Spur Award competition for juvenile nonfiction. Sarah Winnemucca also represented the state of Nevada at the 2006 National Book Festival in Washington, D. C. This biography was named one of 2006's best books for children by the Bank Street College of Education.

I have written science picture books and chapter books on holidays, money, hospitals, Native American tribes, California ranchos, the Vietnam War era, world religions, and science. My longer works for older readers include a book about the mystery of Jack the Ripper and biographies of popular author Amy Tan and scientific genius Sir Isaac Newton. I have also written the stories of the atomic bomb and pharmaceuticals and delved into the culture of comics. In 2011, Graphic Content! The Culture of Comic Books was named a "Book of Note" for young adults by the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association.

I enjoy writing so much that I completed a series of books to help young people write their own stories and books. In 2008, this ongoing series won a Distinguished Achievement Award from the Association of Educational Publishers. In 2009, the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association named Write Your Own Graphic Novel a 2008 Young Adult Top 40 Nonfiction Title. My motto is “Plan ahead, but also live ‘write now’.”

Reviews

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great resource for teaching about magnets in elementary school. It is understandable for primary (K-2) students, without dumbing down the material. It even includes clear directions for 6 investigational activities that can be done in a classroom without expensive materials or difficult preparations. I consider this to be a valuable teacher and student resource.

[Karla · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a former middle school science teacher, I LOVE to see high quality nonfiction science books in early childhood- this is a great example of how one can be done well.
I liked the web extensions

I would have liked to see real photos included as well.

[Khadija Bensaadoun · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great introductory book about magnets. It addresses attraction, repulsion, how a compass works, magnetic earth and much more. This book would be great for a 5E lesson. The book has great details and examples. Each day, I would engage the students by only reading the section that my lesson is going to be about. Activities: students experiment with magnets, what objects attract magnets, like and opposite poles and how they react to each other. Grades 2-4

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary:
Magnets attract iron or steel with a magnetic field. They have two poles. We use magnets everyday with cars, compasses, and fans.

Reflection: Informative book with great detail on what a magnet is. It is simplified enough for the lower levels to understand.

Themes/Connections
Magnets, science, inquiry

[Janice Redding · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great introductory book on magnets, and can be used in the first grade. I can use this book in the classroom to demonstrate how opposite poles attract and like poles repel. In addition, I can discuss related terms to my students during the lesson. The students can complete a word search activity on the terms that are discussed in the book.

[Kathryn Sublett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Students will be able to understand magnets and their affect on other objects when they read this book. Teachers can create stations for students observe the effects of magnets on different objects. Students will make predictions on objects at each station to determine if they will attract or repel. This would be appropriate for students in third grade.

[Alida · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book while doing a unit for magnets. It explains what magnets are in simple enough term for younger readers. I would use this on a magnet unit or any other science unit that deals with magnetic forces.

[CanadianReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just the right amount of information for the target audience. The book also has a table of contents, a glossary (of appropriately difficult new words/concepts), an index, and--best of all--a set of very do-able experiments for budding young scientists. Recommended.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book to use to introduce magnets. I covers the poles of a magnet. It covers attraction and repulsion. It is simple enough for young readers. grades 1-3.

[Christina Maksymczuk]

This would be a great book to add to your science center. There are lots of new vocabulary words and activities you can do with magnets.

[Bethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic magnet information divided into short chapters, large size book lends to reading aloud. Simple experiment section in the back, along with usual NF features.

[Readergirl77 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book for Nathan's love of science and finding out how things work.

[Haley Weepie]

This is an informational book. This book would be great for early elementary students. This book give information about magnets. It talks about how they can pull together or push apart. This would be a great book to use during a magnetism unit.