Coolcontraptionsreview

From Booklist
"Does your arm get tired and start hurting right in the middle of a snowball fight?" The solution to these and other conundrums (how to get maximum range out of a water shooter; how to turn a toy car into a rocket) are presented in this accessible selection of projects, many of which have appeared in magazines such as Boys' Quest and Hopscotch for Girls. The open layouts present diagrams and step-by-step instructions for projects that include a giant-pumpkin grower, a stethoscope, and a robot, and the author encourages kids to use recycled materials, such as empty oatmeal canisters and paper-towel tubes. Fox also discusses the scientific principles each project demonstrates, making this an excellent choice for classroom use. Younger kids will need help with both the science facts and the tools (notes indicate the projects requiring adult supervision), but older ones can confidently tackle several simple contraptions on their own. Adults will welcome this selection of high-interest projects that are ready-made for collaborative, educational fun. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Gr 5–8—The 20 projects in this collection range from a simple "Heartbeat Monitor" to a fairly complex "Moth-Bot," a wheeled vehicle that moves toward light with the flick of a switch. Most have strong kid appeal, though the "Snowball Launcher" and "Super-Duper Water Shooter" are likely to generate more interest than the "Drinking-Straw Dispenser." Energetic writing makes all of the projects sound intriguing, and the process of creating working gadgets can be as much fun as the end result. Instructions are written in an engaging, conversational tone, with background information about concepts such as gravity and electricity woven into the text. The directions are fairly easy to follow, although the complexity of some of the later "contraptions" will require especially careful attention and possibly adult consultation. Diagrams are also helpful; several steps are often combined in a single illustration, but clear and consistent labeling makes them effective. Most of the projects use household materials, along with basic craft or electronic supplies. The last seven involve electricity; they are more complex and require more purchased items, such as DC motors and transistors. Fifteen of the projects have a clearly highlighted "Adult Supervision Required" note, mainly for use of drills, saws, or other sharp tools. This is a good resource for students looking for out-of-the-ordinary science projects and for curious and creative kids who just want to make something fun and different.—Steven Engelfried, Beaverton City Library, OR
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Photo of Chronicle's review is on the left and the actual text is on the right. The author recommends you take a look at the Chronicle's website at www.muskegonchronicle.com.

Engineer fills fun book with family projects and Cool Contraptions

By Clayton Hardiman Chronicle Staff Writer

OK, maybe you don’t really have a pressing need for a Super-Duper Water Shooter or an Auto-Fill Water Dish.

Maybe a Magical Electricity Sensor doesn’t even make your top 50 list of things you must have.

But can you use a better understanding of the world you live in?

For every project Tom Fox included in his book of cool projects, there’s a hidden physics lesson that comes with it. And unlike the science classes you probably encountered in high school, these are not only relatively painless.

They’re downright fun.

Take the water shooter, for example. Besides the obvious appeal of being able to soak your victims from a distance, the water shooter also has the advantages of being cheap and easy to make. It has the added appeal of being a project a parent and child can do together.

And in the process, you get a hands on lesson about water, force and pressure.

That is part of the appeal of Fox’s “Snowball Launchers, Giant-Pumpkin Growers and Other Cool Contraptions.” It’s a little like fresh broccoli, altered to taste like chocolate chip ice cream. It manages to taste good while still being good for you.

Of course, Fox is accustomed to cooking up such “incredible thingamabobs and amazing whigmajigs” as the book’s back cover describes them. He has been writing columns about the for nearly 10 years in such publications as Boys’ Quest, Fun for Kidz and Hopscotch for girls.

More that that, though, on a personal level, Fox has been piling up research for such projects for virtually all his life.

Fox is 60. He lives with his wife, Annemarie, and their five children in Fremont, not far from Magicland Farms, where the family sells apples, pumpkins, squash and other produce.

Fox grew up in Chicago but has visited Newaygo County with his family since he was 2. He recalls his own childhood curiosity about science – and his drive to satisfy it.

“My mother said she could never keep a thermometer in the house, “ he said.

So what was Fox doing with the thermometers?

“I don’t really know, “ he said. “Taking temperatures, I guess. At that time, I didn’t really remember it. I was surprised when she said it..”

But Fox’s mother was probably the least surprised human being on Earth when her son veered into a career in science. After earning a master’s degree in electrical engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Fox began writing articles on the subjects that fascinated him.

His first was an article for Popular Electronics magazine. “I can still remember, “ Fox said, “It was September 1973. I wrote about a thunderstorm detector.”

Ironically, there is a project for a mobile thunderstorm detector in his “Cool Contraptions” book. It’s hardly the same project, however. This one puts an AM radio to use.

Some of the projects sound like science fiction. Some bring popular movie scenes to life.

When you read about the Automatic Cat/Dog Feeder, it’s difficult not to think of old Doc Brown, Marty McFly’s mentor and friend in the movie series “Back to the Future.” (Incidentally, there are no time travel projects in “Cool Contraptions.” These days a good Delorean is hard to find.)

However, there is a project for a rocket-powered car. You can build it with a toy car, a plastic straw, some rubber bands, a few feet of string and a medium sized balloon.

That one is a Fox favorite.

So is the auto-fill water dish, which uses principles of air pressure and partial vacuum to keep a pet’s water dish full, never overfilling it.

Fox acknowledged that not everyone will understand the scientific principles behind all the projects. “Hey, it wasn’t until 20 years ago that I really understood the rocket principle,” he said. But Fox has firsthand evidence that many of the projects can be a pleasant way for parents to share time with children.

He said he got valuable input from both his sons – Mark, who is now 24, and Matthew, now 22. “Both helped,” he said, adding that Mark actually pioneered some of the projects.

As for Fox himself, he says he has never lost his passion for physics and other sciences. “I’m still a big kid,“ he said

Presumably, though, in the Fox home, the thermometers are still in place.

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