Book Write Up #3: Picture Book #8

Author: Chris Barton

Title: The Day-Glo Brothers

Illustrator: Tony Persiani

Genre: History

Subgenre: Childrens book

Theme. Bob and Joe Switzers invention

Primary and Secondary characters: Brothers Bob and Joe Switzers.

Award and date of publication: Robert F. Sibert award, 2009.

Publishing company: Charlesbridge

This book is about brothers Bob and Joe Switzer. Bob is the youngest of the brothers, by fifteen months. They invented the fluorescent glow and the dark paints. Joe exerted himself less than his older brother. As they became older Joe wanted to become a magician and was very interested in light. Bob wanted to become a doctor to help people. While Joe was studying lights for his magic tricks, Bob was studying medicine. Joe discovered that fluorescent lights could jazz up his magic tricks. Together the brothers built their own ultraviolet lamps. One day they were shining the light on their dad's medicine. A chemical stained label on a bottle of eyewash emitted a yellow glow. That glow lit up the Switzers' imaginations. They brought a lot of library books home, and studied different chemical that make glow in the dark paints. Under a regular light they looked plain, but under and ultra violet light they glowed. They took their ideas and inventions to make glow in the dark paints. They painted all their mother's things with this paint. People loved this invention and they started making glow in the dark costums, books, decorations, clothes and all sorts of other things. They were very impressed with their inventions, and how it made people happy.

This is a good book to read to student to teach them that hard work, and dedication pays off in the end. The Switzer brothers had an idea, and they did not lose sight of their idea. In the end, they changed the lives of many.