Synopsis
Encourages and fosters the spirit of invention by describing how to build such gadgets as a homemade motor, a hat with a fan in it, and a motorized shoe buffer
Reviews
Grade 5-8. Carrow helps youngsters bring Yankee ingenuity back into style with this user-friendly handbook. In 12 chapters, students are invited to make a natural battery, build a motor, and create such diverse items as a hat with a cooling fan, a fish-tank food dispenser, a battery-operated drink mixer, a motorized shoe-buffer, a solar hot-dog cooker, a continuously rotating ice-cream cone, and an automatic toilet-paper dispenser. Each chapter poses a problem, suggests at least one solution, provides the "Science stuff" (usually basic chemistry or physics) that makes the proposed solution work, and offers tips to make the activity more successful. For each project, two complete approaches are fully described: the "just-add-water" method is the easier implementation, followed by a more involved "make-it-from-scratch" solution. Drawings of the inventions and cartoon-style sketches of children actively utilizing them are well done and perfectly complement the text. Boxed entries add interesting historical tidbits such as a story about an escaped convict whose unshined shoes led to his capture. A list of equipment suppliers is provided. One of the book's virtues is its appeal to parents to create inventing partnerships with their children. Carrow's easy-to-follow directions suit the needs of adults with minimal mechanical know-how. A fun, resourceful, and challenging title for future innovators.?Jerry D. Flack, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Gr. 6^-9. This imaginative collection will be useful for parents, Scout leaders, and science teachers looking for some interesting hands-on projects. Clear step-by-step instructions and simple black-and-white illustrations are included for each of the 12 projects. Cartoon icons alert readers to other components, such as creative extensions and historical background. The book's appealing layout makes the projects look simple, but the underlying scientific principles are pretty advanced. Carrow strongly advises against skipping ahead, because basic concepts learned in the beginning projects are needed for later ones. In fact, the first three projects--creating a power source, an electric motor, and a drive train--are the foundation for most of the remaining projects. Many projects also require adult participation and/or supervision. Budding inventors (ages 10^-16) are encouraged to enter the annual competition for a $500 cash award for their own original invention. Lauren Peterson
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