Rosie Revere's Big Project Book for Bold Engineers
However some questions are tricky and this one would not let go of Rosie It kept her awake all night and when morning came she knew just how to make her aunt fly She worked and worked and worked Finally at the end of the day she was done Rosie dragged her invention onto the lawn to give it a test and see if it would be a ridiculous flop Rosie climbed into the cockpit She flipped on the switch The heli-o-cheese-copter shuddered and shook It lunged and lurched It whirled around and around in the air Then it froze for a heartbeat and CRASH it hit the ground Rosie heard someone laughing and wheezing It was Great-Great-Aunt Rose who slapped her knee and laughed so hard that her eyes filled with tears Just like Uncle Fred Rosie’s heart was broken all over again and she knew that she would never be a great engineer 4
Rosie turned around to leave but Great-Great-Aunt Rose hugged her tight and kissed her You did it Hurray she said It’s the perfect first try Rosie did not understand It crashed she said The heli-o-cheese-copter failed Of course said her great-great-aunt Your brilliant first flop was a raging success I can’t wait for the next one Let’s get working Then she gave young Rosie a notebook and pencil and it all became clear Life might have its failures but failing is just part of learning The only true failure can come if you quit Great-Great-Aunt Rose tied her headscarf around Rosie’s head and they worked together until it was time for bed And when she slept Rosie Revere dreamed the bold dreams of a great engineer 5
Rosie collects all kinds of things for her inventions Here are some things she finds useful She calls these items her Engineer’s Treasure You might find them useful too Rubber bands Paper clips Toilet paper Paper towel Broken toys rolls rolls Pencils Glue Brushes Ruler Coffee cans Ribbon Scissors Screws Tennis balls Paint Paper cups Paper plates String Wire Books Tape There are lots of kinds of helpful tape including duct tape packing tape double sided tape Scotch tape painter’s tape masking tape and gaffer tape Each has its own use 6
Where can you find Engineer’s Treasure There are many places you can find cool things to use in your inventions RECYCLING Cardboard boxes broken toys juice cans milk jugs plastic lids and other things your family might otherwise throw away Ask permission and make sure they’re clean and safe to use RUMMAGE SALES and THRIFT MARKETS are great places to find useful items inexpensively Finding a new use for something old keeps it out of the landfill SWAP treasure with your engineering friends If you can’t find a recycled thing to use you might find something at a HARDWARE STORE or a FABRIC STORE AND BE CAREFUL WHEN WORKING WITH SHARP TOOLS OR BROKEN PIECES MAKE SURE AN ADULT IS ALWAYS NEARBY more items from an Engineer’s toolbox use only with AN adult’s permission Wrench Elbow pipe Screwdriver Nuts Bolts Stapler Wing nuts Tape measure Washers Nails Yarn Pliers Drill Swiss Army knife Triangle 7
