Introduces six simple machines, describing how they work in more complex machinery and how they are used every day.

"Simple Machines! introduces kids to the concept of mechanical advantage and harnesses kid-power by inviting them to build machines of their own design. This book also opens eyes and minds to the diversity of machines in their lives, and sparks the imagination with challenge, humor, and achievable projects"--Publisher.

Describes experiments involving simple machines that follow the scientific method, explores the use of levers to control motion and lift, and shows how the steepness of inclined planes affects the force needed to move something.

Provides instructions on how to do simple science experiments using simple machines, and gives explanations for why they work.

Night 1 / My life is perfect. / I have a bowl full of seeds, a cozy pile of wood shavings, and room to run. / I'm never leaving here. / Question: Who's the luckiest hamster in the world? / Answer: ME! Seymour the hamster has the perfect life. He has a spacious cage, a constant food supply, and a FuzzyBoy 360 exercise wheel that lets him run to his heart's content. Life could not be better. Or could it? When Pearl the cat tells Seymour of the goodies beyond the safe confines of his cage, he starts to think he's missing out. And out is the new in! It's only after Seymour is out of his cage that he begins to fully appreciate his safe and cozy home.

The shovel that helps you dig a hole, the chopsticks you use at lunch, and some of the big machines we see when passing by construction sites are all examples of levers. This book takes a look at the simple machine behind these different objects, using everyday examples and kid-friendly experiments to illustrate the physics behind this fascinating simple machine. Easy-to-read text will encourage readers, while large, colorful photographs will illustrate the concepts at hand. Students will be interested to see the ways that they interact with levers on a daily basis, and further reading and websites will encourage them to seek additional information.

For use in schools and libraries only. Includes an assortment of activities using such simple machines as pulleys and levers.