Nostradamus Book

I knew the basic story of Alfred Nobel before I read the book: Nobel was the inventor of dynamite but wanted to leave a positive legacy to the world with his wealth. After his death, his estate is used to award Nobel prizes to leaders in several fields. This story does a wonderful job of distilling these basic facts and the realistic illustrations make it an engaging text. Unfortunately, the writing is not as clear or strong as it could be. I found parts of the story choppy or disconnected. And while Wargin makes a good effort to make the story simple for young readers, I felt that she didn't include quite enough information for young readers to truly understand Nobel's motivations for creating his awards.

I will purchase this book for my elementary school collection because I believe it fills a niche and presents a biography of an important, notable individual. While I wish the text is a bit stronger, The Man Behind the Peace Prize will make a good read aloud and it's a book that will be used from year to year.