The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, 2007, Scholastic. 2008 Caldecott Medal Winner.
Machines seem to be magical. Think of all the things they can do. In this book, Hugo says, “Did you ever notice that all machines are made for some reason?” (p. 374). Some machines tell time, some make ice cream, and some even wash cars. George Mêlées, who was a real magician and early motion picture maker, used machine-like robots or automatons in his work. Hugo, an orphan, discovers one of George’s automatons and unravels the mystery behind it. This book is full of detailed drawings and actual pictures form old films. Reading it is like watching a movie.
Inventions Explained: A Beginners Guide to Technological Breakthroughs by Richard Platt, 1997, Henry Holt & Co.
Some of the tools and inventions we use today were invented long ago. The early Greeks, Egyptians, Chinese, and others were great inventors. Going on vacation, sending text messages, and even doing chores around the house depend on inventions that may be thousands of years old. Most new inventions are combinations of old ones. Does your school have a science fair or inventors’ contest? Why not invent something on your own?
Click, Rumble, Roar: Poems about Machines selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins, 1987, Thomas Y. Crowell.
Do you like to ride in a car through an automated car wash? Have you ever wondered where the bags go as the garbage truck seems to close its mouth around them? Do bulldozers and front-end loaders fascinate you? The poems in this book were written by people who wondered about the machines around them. Read some of the poems and then choose a machine to write a poem about. Maybe you’ll choose an iPod or cell phone or computer.
Cool Stuff 2.0 and How it Works by Chris Woodford and Jon Woodcock, 2007, DK Publishing.
How does a computer mouse or a Bluetooth work? How about a supermarket scanner or an escalator? Check out this book and amaze your friends and family with all the “cool” information you can learn about how more than 100 things work. Great photos and illustrations are included.
See How It’s Made by Penny Smith and Lorrie Mack, 2007, DK Publishing.
Go sightseeing through factories to see how things are made. Learn that half of a scoop of ice cream is air. Watch as ballet shoes are assembled and sausages are stuffed. See how chocolate and cheese are processed. Find out how the graphite gets inside pencils, how crayons are boxed, and a lot more.
What better way to learn about simple machines than to see them in action. Simple machines are used to build, attack, and defend this castle. Each simple machine makes the work easier. You might try making your own model castle with the simple machines used for the drawbridge, catapult, and towers.
The New Way Things Work by David Macauley, 1998, Houghton Mifflin.
See how things from the simplest machines to the greatest inventions work. Inclined planes are used to design can openers and zippers. Levers help pianos and bicycles work. Pulleys operate cranes, elevators, and escalators. Screws turn drills and meat grinders. From helicopters to holograms and televisions to toilet tanks, learn all about the way things like these work!
Let’s Investigate Science: Machines by Robin Kerrod, 1996, Benchmark Books.
Find some pencils, coins, string, and other everyday materials. Now you can do the investigations to help you understand how simple machines work. Use your problem-solving strategies to do the “Workout” examples. Learn how simple machines and engines work together in factories and on farms.
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