Irving Adler children's science author dies

Irving Adler, who taught the essentials of math and science to children and young adults through 87 books, has died, his family said. He was 99. Adler's daughter, Peggy Adler, told The New York Times that Irving Adler died Saturday in Bennington, Vt., of a stroke. The Board of Education ousted Adler from his role as a high school math teacher in 1952 in Manhattan because he had joined the American Communist Party in 1935. Without a job, he turned to writing books aimed at illustrating mathematical and scientific concepts, mostly to youth. In the introduction to his first book, "The Secret of Light," he wrote "there is no adventure more thrilling than discovering the real wonders of the world we live in." "This is a book about light," he wrote. "It will tell you interesting facts about many simple, ordinary things, like a glass of water, mirrors, soap bubbles and hot pavement. At the same time, it is a story of mystery and adventure. It will unlock the passageway that leads to the center of the atom, exposing its innermost workings." Adler's books were translated into 19 languages and sold more than 4 million copies. He was given awards by the Children's Book Council and the National Science Teachers Association.