Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611

  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Spark: Jim West's Electrifying Adventures in Creating the Microphone

Spark: Jim West's Electrifying Adventures in Creating the Microphone

Ramirez, Ainissa
Fiadzigbey, Setor

Hardcover

Series: The Black Innovators

BiographyScience & Nature

Publisher Price: $18.99

ISBN10: 1536225282
ISBN13: 9781536225280
Publisher: Mit Kids Press
Published: Oct 21 2025
Pages: 40
Weight: 0.95
Height: 0.50 Width: 8.60 Depth: 10.50
Language: English
In this first picture book in the Black Innovators series, meet the insatiably curious Jim West, who invented a vital piece of the device we all carry in our pockets--transforming how the world communicates today.

Young Jim West loves to pull apart whatever electronics he can get his hands on to see how they work. Those around him say there's no path for a kid like him to become a scientist, but Jim is determined to forge his own way. His knack for all things electric (and luck in landing a summer job offering the freedom to experiment) lead him to invent an important part of the devices we rely on every day. In this picture book biography for science lovers, future inventors, and anyone aiming to inspire the next generation, author Ainissa Ramirez shares the story of the man who patented the foil-electret microphone, a unit integral to everything from cell phones to hearing aids. Just as Jim West's advocacy for more diversity in the field paved the way for many scientists of color to follow, Spark inspires readers of all ages to follow their curiosity--and see what it ignites. Back matter provides an author's note, a time line, a bibliography, and more information on the life and work of Jim West.

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