Young Thomas Edison saves a child from being hit by a train and, as his reward, asks for training as a telegraph operator because that will help him prepare to become an inventor.

Young Thomas Edison saves a child from being hit by a train and, as his reward, asks for training as a telegraph operator.

Young Thomas Edison saves a child from being hit by a train and, as his reward, asks for training as a telegraph operator because that will help him prepare to become an inventor. Reader's Guide available. Simultaneous.

Eddy Thomas can read a college physics book, but he can't read the emotions on the faces of his classmates at Drayton Middle School. He can spend hours tinkering with an invention, but he can't stand more than a few minutes in a noisy crowd, like the crowd at the science fair, which Eddy fails to win. When the local school crossing guard is laid off, Eddy is haunted by thoughts of the potentially disastrous consequences and invents a traffic-calming device, using parts he has scavenged from discarded machines. Eddy also discovers new friends, who appreciate his abilities and respect his unique view of the world. They help Eddy realize that his "friend" Mitch is the person behind the progressively more distressing things that happed to Eddy. By trusting his real friends and accepting their help, Eddy uses his talents to help others and rethinks his purely mechanical definition of success in this Tofte/Wright Children's Literature Award winner.

Sides (contributing editor, Outside) fields questions from readers of his column "The Wild File." Focusing on natural history and outdoor lore, this collection includes questions about the strange doings of the natural world. Do beavers ever get squashed by the trees they're chewing down? What good are goosebumps? Why do men have nipples? How do penguins keep their feet from freezing? Why do llamas spit? c. Book News Inc.

Newton engagingly recalls a lifetime of friendship with five giants of the twentieth century. Foreword by Anne Morrow Lindbergh; Index; photographs.

Both Thomas Edison and Henry Ford started off as insatiably curious tinkerers. That curiosity led them to become inventors—with very different results. As Edison invented hit after commercial hit, gaining fame and fortune, Henry struggled to make a single invention (an affordable car) work. Witnessing Thomas's glorious career from afar, a frustrated Henry wondered about the secret to his success. This little-known story is a fresh, kid-friendly way to show how Thomas Edison and Henry Ford grew up to be the most famous inventors in the world—and best friends, too.