Sydney Kilpatrick
Mr. Sanders
12/9/15
Introduction The Radioactive Boy Scout, by Ken Silvertein, is the coming of age story of the brilliant scientist, David Hahn. The book not only tells David's story, but the story of the element radium and the power of radiation. The Radioactive Boy Scout creatively ties together the life of David Hahn with matters concerning everyday life.
Key Idea 1 David Hahn grew up with a childhood full of hardships. His father, Ken, worked long hours and did not spend an adequate amount of time with his son. In contrast, David's mother, Patty, showed him lots of affection and always tried to be there for him. She did the best she could but ,unfortunately, she acquired a drinking problem that was common in her family. Patty not only had the drinking problem but also depression and paranoid schizophrenia. She began imagining voices in the basement even when David was just a small child but it progressively got worse as the years went on. Finally, when David was four, she was put into a mental hospital where she spent 6 months. After she returned, Patty and Ken's already rocky marriage, only got worse with time. When David was just nine years old, his parents got a divorce in …show more content…
Patty's husband, Michael, often took David out to blow things up which sparked his very first interest in the world of science. At this point, David's main focuses were going on adventures with his friends like any typical ten year old boy, while science was a mere hobby for him. Ken married a woman named Kathy whose father gave David a book called The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments. That was what really made science for David more than just a hobby. While just about every boy goes through chemistry phase, David’s love for chemistry surpassed the short-lived phases of others. If there was one story in the Golden Book that influenced him the most, it was definitely the story of Marie and Pierre
Mr. Sanders
12/9/15
Introduction The Radioactive Boy Scout, by Ken Silvertein, is the coming of age story of the brilliant scientist, David Hahn. The book not only tells David's story, but the story of the element radium and the power of radiation. The Radioactive Boy Scout creatively ties together the life of David Hahn with matters concerning everyday life.
Key Idea 1 David Hahn grew up with a childhood full of hardships. His father, Ken, worked long hours and did not spend an adequate amount of time with his son. In contrast, David's mother, Patty, showed him lots of affection and always tried to be there for him. She did the best she could but ,unfortunately, she acquired a drinking problem that was common in her family. Patty not only had the drinking problem but also depression and paranoid schizophrenia. She began imagining voices in the basement even when David was just a small child but it progressively got worse as the years went on. Finally, when David was four, she was put into a mental hospital where she spent 6 months. After she returned, Patty and Ken's already rocky marriage, only got worse with time. When David was just nine years old, his parents got a divorce in …show more content…
Patty's husband, Michael, often took David out to blow things up which sparked his very first interest in the world of science. At this point, David's main focuses were going on adventures with his friends like any typical ten year old boy, while science was a mere hobby for him. Ken married a woman named Kathy whose father gave David a book called The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments. That was what really made science for David more than just a hobby. While just about every boy goes through chemistry phase, David’s love for chemistry surpassed the short-lived phases of others. If there was one story in the Golden Book that influenced him the most, it was definitely the story of Marie and Pierre