Mr. Bell Invents the Telephone

U.S. Landmark Books #30

by Katherine Binney Shippen

Scottish immigrant Alexander Bell gave up teaching deaf children, devoted time to experiments, then invented the telephone that people jokingly called an electric toy

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Childrens, Science, Biography

Hardcover

First published March 12, 1963

About the author

history teacher, museum curator, and children's writer.

Reviews

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read with 10, 8 and 6 year old students. It was interesting. I would have appreciated some focus on Bell’s life as a Canadian child as nothing is mentioned of his childhood, but I’m glad we read this one.

[Caleb Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contained many highly interesting things about his life, including the fact that his future father-in-law would not let him get married until he had invented the telephone. How's that for motivation to invent?

[Jasmine Walston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I just accidentally learned something

[Shaun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even adults can put their history in order.

[Eleanor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and easy to read

[Yaaresse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a bunch of the Landmark series books as a kid. Our school library had a huge collection of them, so I just made my way down the shelves. I remember enjoying them, but I was too young at the time to question the narrative or the quality of writing. I just liked reading biographies and histories, and there wasn't a lot of interesting non-fiction for kids at that time. Most of what did exist was either boring or more myth than fact. (And these do suffer from a bit of the latter.)

Would I read it to kids today? Nah. The whole "Great White Race has God-given right to take, kill, abuse, and exploit whatever and whoever in the name of making America Great" slant doesn't sit well. It never did; we just were too indoctrinated in it to know better 50+ years ago when these came out. I'm rating them on the memory of enjoyment alone, not on accuracy or how they would go over today. Fortunately, kids today have a lot better from which to choose.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent account of Alexander Graham Bell inventing the telephone. It's written for young readers and told like a story so it's enjoyable nonfiction.

[Jenny - Book Sojourner · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect read for our family. My 11 and 14 year old liked it. I liked it. We loved learning about Mr. Bell and Shippen brought his life to life for us.