The Fort on Fourth Street: A Story About the Six Simple Machines (Arbordale Collection) - Hardcover

Lois Spangler

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1607186209 ISBN 13: 9781607186205

Publisher: Arbordale Publishing, 2013

Synopsis

When a young child decides to build a fort in the backyard, Grandpa comes forward to help. But they can’t do it alone―they get help from the six simple machines: lever, pulley, inclined plane, wheel and axle, screw, and wedge. Told in cumulative rhyme, similar to The House That Jack Built, readers follow the building process to completion and discover the surprise reason it was built.

About this title

About the Author

Lois Spangler is an accomplished author and educator who has received many distinguished awards for her classroom work during her 32-year career. In addition to her personal achievements, she has worked with students to help them earn both state and national awards from numerous organizations including NASA, Toshiba and the NSTA. Although The Fort on Fourth Street is Lois's debut picture book, she has written, edited and managed more than 30 books including 6 ancillary science books for Scott Foresman Science. As an author and education expert, she has served on various committees and boards, including as a judge for the NSTA's ExploraVision National Science Competition and the NSF's Selection Committee for the "PAEMST."

In addition to Cash Kat, Christina Wald has illustrated Fibonacci Zoo, A Cool Summer Tail, A Warm Winter Tail, Habitat Spy, Little Red Bat, and Henry the Impatient Heron for Arbordale. She also enjoys illustrating a wide variety of toys, games, books, and magazines. From a book that featured hundreds of animals on each page (Look, Find, and Learn: Animals of the World) to games including the Star Wars role playing game series, every assignment covers something new and exciting. In recent years, she has illustrated tons of different animals for books and other publications. Christina enjoys the research aspect of such projects, saying that each new book is a fascinating new learning experience. She often integrates travel to research for her illustrations. She lives in Ohio with her husband and three cats.

Reviews

Gr 1–3—A grandfather uses simple machines to construct a special fort for his granddaughter, who narrates in rhymed couplets. While the singsong verse describes his actions, it doesn't provide explanations of the machines themselves. What makes his saw a wedge, for example? Instead, the text offers a cumulative review of previously completed steps, reminiscent of "The House That Jack Built." Unfortunately, the illustrations of the fort do not reflect that same accumulation so listeners are unable to identify the machines mentioned. For example, the inclined plane that serves as a pet-entrance ramp appears only once. Children of various ethnicities stop by the fort randomly but don't participate in the story. A four-page educational section defines the six simple machines and includes questions and activities. More teacher resources are available online. Laura Purdie Salas's Move It! Work It! (Picture Window, 2009) integrates simple diagrams and explanations with verses in a more effective introduction for young readers. Multivolume series such as "Simple Machines to the Rescue" (Capstone) offer more in-depth explorations of the topic. —Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato

Edition details

• Publisher: Arbordale Publishing
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1607186209
• ISBN 13: 9781607186205
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Christina Wald
• Number of pages: 32