James Naismith would have celebrated a birthday today

Who was James Naismith? He was the inventor of basketball! He was told to invent an indoor game, and had two weeks to create it. He wanted a fun and fast game, not wanting  it to be risky, like football or rugby, and he didn't want it to be rough, so that the participants would get hurt. As a child, he used to play duck on a rock, which was the inspiration for his new creation of basketball. Want to learn more about duck on a rock and James Naismith? Click here.

On this day in history

TV pioneer Philo T. Farnsworth succeeded in transmitting an image through purely electronic means by using a device called an image dissector.

In The Teen Who Invented Television, Edwin Brit Wyckoff shows how Farnsworth, a fifteen-year-old farmer's son, dreamed of using electrons carried by radio waves to create the first electronic television and went on to develop over 100 other patents.

On this day in 2009

Guitar virtuoso Les Paul died at age 94.

Today would have been Les Paul's birthday

Electric Guitar Man The Genius of Les Paul
Author: Edwin Brit Wyckoff
ISBN-13: 978-0-7660-2847-0

Publication Year: 2008
Interest Level: Grades 3-4
Page Count: 32

Without the electronic guitar invented by Les Paul, music would never have been the same. In this biography of Paul's life and career, Edwin Brit Wyckoff shares how the rambunctious boy from Waukesha, Wisconsin, was propelled to stardom by his unrivaled playing ability and technological prowess. Revered by generations of musicians and fans, Paul and his inventions have forever changed the way music is produced, recorded, and enjoyed.

Today would have been Igor Sikorsky's birthday

Coming in the fall, Enslow will add a biography of Igor Sikorsky to it's list. This biography, part of our Genius at Work! Great Inventor Biographies series, is geared toward grades 3–4.

Rutgers University reviews Enslow's "Ferris Wheel! George Ferris and His Amazing Invention"

Rutgers University's School of Arts and Science, Economics and Children's EconKids department reviewed Enslow's Ferris Wheel! George Ferris and His Amazing Invention"

An excerpt from the review:

"This straightforward, factual book gives children a brief biographical sketch of George Ferris and then goes into detail of his famous invention, which is all written in a way that is easy to digest for young readers. "

To see the entire review, click here.

You can find more information about the title at enslow.com