Bounce! A Scientific History of Rubber by Sarah Albee is a children's nonfiction book currently scheduled for release on October 22 2024.
Ever wondered what makes rubber bounce? Or why it's stretchy? And WHY is rubber so . . . rubbery?! Learn the science and history behind this ubiquitous material! With sidebars, graphics, fun facts, and more, the history of rubber reveals plenty of fascinating secrets and surprises. Elementary school readers will discover that early balls didn't bounce; that people in the rainforest made waterproof gear from rubber thousands of years before Europeans got into the act; and that sneakers, bicycles, and cars created demand for more and more rubber! Back matter includes a time line and a bit about the complicated implications of harvesting rubber.
Bounce! is a good overall look at the way rubber and its uses have become so wide spread. I do like that the book acknowledges the way those that actually first discovered, worked with, and harvested natural rubber were treated- and how current rubber workers are still underpaid and underappreciated. However, the book focuses on how American and European scientists and inventors had used and changed the way we use rubber. While the fact that the indigenous people figured out that latex sap could be useful- and figured out a variety of ways to use it- seems to be more of a footnote. I was left wanting to know more about how the original discovery and development happened than what those that commandeered the people, land, and resources did with it from there. While I do appreciate that the author tried to be respectful of all that, and that it is a children's book, I was still left feeling gross about how treatment of people in history is often glossed over, ignored, or relegated to footnotes rather being included as a major part of the story.
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