Additional information
by Irene P. Reisinger (Author), Sara K. White (Illustrator)
Welcome to The Happy Atom Story-Book 3. If you've read Books 1 and 2 you know that Guy's adventures in Periodic Table Land are woven into a fantasy tale. It's the silly electrons, the proper protons and the dear little atoms who help Guy learn about the Periodic Table, the structure of the atom, and the Chemical Families. As Book 2 ends, we discover that the elements are incredibly sad with tears running down their dear little atom faces. Sodium's investigation to find a way to make them happy ends successfully on 8th Street where he discovers a whole family of Happy Atoms, the Noble Gases. The secret is -atoms are happy when their Outside Energy Level is complete with the right number of electrons. In this book the little atoms discover that something spectacular happens when they become happy. They become a new creation, a compound. Word soon spreads to all the Chemical Families in Periodic Table Land. Then, there is no stopping them. As you read Book 3 you'll discover the many ways the elements find to form compounds. Climb into the magic bubble and become invisible with Professor Terry and Guy. Swoop off to 7th Street and watch the Alkali Metals form the first Happy Atom ever with the Halogens. See their smiles as they finally become happy. Observe why compounds need an exact number of atoms to make a compound. Note the elements get a new name and a formula when they become a compound. Be there when Guy excitedly discovers the meaning of water's formula, H2O. Before the book ends Guy learns the Valence Method and discovers how easy it is to write chemical formulas. You will too. Let the Happy Atoms get you excited about chemistry. Read, enjoy and learn!
Author Biography
Mrs. Reisinger possesses a rare combination of talent needed to produce this book: a comprehensive knowledge of chemistry, a deep understanding of the middle school student and the imagination needed to change solid basic chemistry into a fantasy tale. She earned her Bachelor's Degree from Fordham University receiving the university's gold medal, awarded to the graduate with the highest honors in Chemistry. Working as a chemist on a medical research team and nineteen years of experience teaching basic chemistry gave her a command of the concepts of chemistry and an understanding of the middle school student needed to write this book. Through her Masters Degree in Science Education, earned at New York University, she learned to be a creative science teacher. Her creativity and imagination were enhanced as she became involved in primary education, and as she raised her five children. She created the story about Happy Atoms on which this book is based one day when her students were not getting the lesson taught traditionally. This story was widely recognized at her middle school for its success in helping students learn chemistry. Her colleagues, especially the special education teachers, urged her to publish her story because it would help so many people. It was when she retired that she had time to write. The author wrote The Happy Atom Story to help anyone at any level attain a firm knowledge of basic chemistry on which to succeed in a chemistry classroom.
