Throughout the picture book Flick a Switch: How Electricity Gets to Your Home by Barbara Seuling (illustrated by Nancy Tobin; Holiday House, 2003), a girl and her dog comment on what they see and learn about switches and electricity. It includes basic facts at an easy-to-read level, making it a great upper elementary-level research book as an introduction to these topics.
One thing I like is the emphasis on those who helped develop electricity. It tells about Michael Farraday’s discovery of the role of magnets in electricity, Ben Franklin’s dangerous experiment with lightning, Thomas Edison’s first power station, and Alessandro Volta’s batteries. Educational books I’ve found don’t often discuss the people behind electricity discoveries and explanations, so I really liked that.
The second half of the book is more in depth, with a diagram of the electricity supply from plant to home and explanations of each step along the way. The end result of electric current in a home then brings the discussion back to switches, which is where the text began. Three basic experiments with balloons and flashlights follow the text, and occasional fact sidebars are sprinkled throughout the book.
