Cal and the Amazing Anti-Gravity Machine

Title: Cal and the Amazing Anti-Gravity Machine

Author: Richard Hamilton

Illustrator: Sam Hearn

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

http://www.bloomsbury.com/

Publication Date: 2005

Genre: Fiction

Audience: Gr. 3-5

Overview: Cal’s neighborhood is frequently disrupted by his noisy neighbor Mr. Frout, who is an avid inventor of strange machines. Cal and his talking dog Frankie see Mr. Frout stuck suspended by magnets, and are forced to help him land safely. Cal then becomes an assistant of sorts to Mr. Frout, who is misunderstood by Cal’s family and neighbors. Eventually, Mr. Frout invents a machine that actually creates a space of zero gravity, and Cal is so intrigued he sneaks over at night to try it out. Not understanding how it works, Cal accidentally breaks the machine, and instead of causing a small area of zero gravity, he creates an ever increasing anti-gravity zone, causing everything in the surrounding are to lift off into space. Cal eventually climbs down a tree and across his yard against the forces of the anti-gravity and turns the machine off. Mr. Frout gives up inventing and decides to take up gardening instead.

Activity: At one point in the story, Cal creates a journal and blueprints of his on ideas for inventions. The students could be asked to write about, draw, and share their own strange and unique inventions. The students could also be given a prompt asking them how they would deal with the noisy and disruptive Mr. Frout. This book may also help to explain the concept of gravity, and explain that zero-gravity occurs in space, which could then lead to a science lesson.

Reviewer’s Name: Zack Zajaczkowski