Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

The last of the magicians: Sir Isaac Newton.In the middle of the 17th century, in a Puritan England full of mystery and magic, Newton grew up over an apothecary shop, studied alchemy and the world around him, went to Cambridge, taught himself mathematics, and deduced the laws of motion that underlie our understanding of the physical world. Losure has created a compellingly readable biography of the father of modern physics and "greatest alchemist who ever lived," starting, appropriately for her audience, with his lonely childhood. She pieces together bits of information from his notebooks, from his biographers, old and new, and from social history to create a plausible character and bring readers into his world. Her Newton is bookish and curious about the world around him, mostly self-taught, reclusive and secretive about his discoveries—not only his efforts to create a "philosopher's stone," but also his observations about light (after they were scorned by another scientist), his invention of calculus, and his laws of motion. Much about Newton's life has to be conjecture, but the author adds details from history and from her understanding of human behavior that make this splendid story both convincing and accessible to her readers. Illustrations, engravings from the time and pages from his notes, and interesting afterwords add to the appeal. Narrative nonfiction at its best and most convincing. (acknowledgements, source notes, bibliography, index not seen) (Nonfiction. 10-15)

School Library Journal Starred Review (Thu Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2016)

Gr 6-8 Losure brings a world-renowned scientist to life. Isaac Newton's story, from his tough formative years through the end of his life, is ably told and peppered with a mix of Old English and scientific terms. Fascinating details, such as experiments with mercury that involved him tasting the poisonous element, humanize him and will keep reader interest high. Losure adeptly presents the complex subjects of chemistry, math, and physics, along with alchemy-related recipes, by breaking up the narrative with engrossing images from Newton's published and private works and other books that he used or referred to in his research. The back matter includes excerpts from Newton's journals and other contemporaneous texts and an author's note that explains how Losure researched and used these materials—an excellent addition to reinforce lessons on how to find and use primary sources. VERDICT Losure has written a volume that both informs and excites. Highly recommended for middle school science biography sections.— Hilary Writt, Sullivan University, Lexington, KY

ALA Booklist (Thu Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2016)

Isaac Newton is known as one of the most brilliant scientific minds in human history, so what was he doing studying alchemy? Losure (The Fairy Ring, 2012) paints a vivid picture of the lonely, curious young Isaac, who grew up with an insatiable appetite for reading (particularly about alchemy), which ultimately fueled his scholarly pursuits. While teaching mathematics and formulating his famous theories, for instance, he simultaneously pored over crucibles of mercury, hoping to transmute lead into gold. Of course, we know now that alchemy is nonsense, but in Isaac's seventeenth-century existence, it was a serious scientific study and thought to be the key to unlocking the universe's secrets. In Losure's engaging narrative, she compellingly ties Isaac's desire to solve the world's mysteries through alchemy to his groundbreaking theories, which actually did lead to solving many of those mysteries. Snippets of Isaac's notebooks and period illustrations further enliven Losure's already fascinating, energetic writing. More than just a picture of Isaac Newton's life, this illuminates the historical context for his work and the sea change his discoveries ushered in.

Horn Book

Isaac Newton grew up in a world where alchemy and "chymistry" (as it was then spelled) seemed to be related disciplines. Losure faithfully hews to this worldview, communicating the sense of awe and wonder about the natural world that Newton must have felt. This immersive experience is enhanced by historical documents reproduced throughout the text, along with several appendices. Bib., ind.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

The last of the magicians: Sir Isaac Newton.In the middle of the 17th century, in a Puritan England full of mystery and magic, Newton grew up over an apothecary shop, studied alchemy and the world around him, went to Cambridge, taught himself mathematics, and deduced the laws of motion that underlie our understanding of the physical world. Losure has created a compellingly readable biography of the father of modern physics and "greatest alchemist who ever lived," starting, appropriately for her audience, with his lonely childhood. She pieces together bits of information from his notebooks, from his biographers, old and new, and from social history to create a plausible character and bring readers into his world. Her Newton is bookish and curious about the world around him, mostly self-taught, reclusive and secretive about his discoveries—not only his efforts to create a "philosopher's stone," but also his observations about light (after they were scorned by another scientist), his invention of calculus, and his laws of motion. Much about Newton's life has to be conjecture, but the author adds details from history and from her understanding of human behavior that make this splendid story both convincing and accessible to her readers. Illustrations, engravings from the time and pages from his notes, and interesting afterwords add to the appeal. Narrative nonfiction at its best and most convincing. (acknowledgements, source notes, bibliography, index not seen) (Nonfiction. 10-15)