Charles Babbage and the curious computer

Reviewed by:

Ceil Carey, retired public librarian and long time book discussion leader

REVIEW INTRODUCTION

Title:

Charles  Babbage and the curious computer

Author:

Fiona Veitch Smith

Publisher:

SPCK

https://spckpublishing.co.uk/

Date:

2021

Format:

Paperback

Length:

48 pages

OVERVIEW

The Time-Twisters Series is set in the Parkview Elementary School. Miss Sanders is the science teacher and takes her students on a field trip during their science club, a field trip where they don’t have to exit the building. Back to 1843 to meet Charles Babbage, inventor of the Difference Engine, a precursor to today’s computer.

We meet the author and illustrator straightaway, then the characters in the book before the story, a graphic novel, even begins.  Woven into the book, we also meet a few of Mr. Babbage’s famous friends: Charles Dickens, the Duke of Wellington, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Charles Darwin and more. 
One of the most important characters is Ada Lovelace, a famous mathematician who worked with Babbage on his inventions. 

The characters are charming, the graphics are engaging and the story itself will be a hit with today’s technology generation. The book concludes with additional factual information on Babbage and Lovelace, commentary on Charles Babbage’s belief in God and the questions, Is time travel possible?

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5):

4

Suggested Audience:

Elementary aged children

Christian Impact:

The connection between today’s technology and the forerunner of a computer and the faith of the inventor involved is a great one for today’s kids.