Cal and the Amazing Anti-Gravity Machine [Audio CD]

Richard Hamilton (Author), Sam Hearn (Illustrator), Russell Boulter (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2007 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Cal and his parents have just moved house. And when Cal hears strange noises coming from next door's garden he is curious to find out what it all means. With his side-kick Frankie - a hypochondriac, grumpy canine - Cal ventures over to the other side of the wall where he discovers that his neighbour, Mr Frout, has been experimenting with the most extraordinary of inventions. And, although Mr Frout is a keen despiser of young children, soon he will have no choice but to trust Cal's helping hand as disaster and chaos strike and anti-gravity takes over. A laugh-out-loud, brilliantly fast-paced and gripping story about the joys and pitfalls of science, with an underlying message that sometimes things are best left just as nature intended!

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-4–In this Sorcerer's Apprentice sort of story for early chapter-book readers, 10-year-old Cal Barraclough learns his lesson after playing with the levers of a machine built by his eccentric neighbor. Mr. Frout is always clamoring about in his backyard, engaging in secret science experiments and driving his neighbors crazy. Drawn by the man's unconventional manner, Cal and his talking dog, Frankie, like to sit on the roof and observe him. When Mr. Frout's antigravity experiment goes awry, he reluctantly enlists the boy's help, and Cal wins his approval and friendship. Then he makes the mistake of playing with the machine in the inventor's absence and causes his whole neighborhood to be turned upside down–literally. Mr. Frout and Cal get things back under control, and the result is a calmer man who, in the end, takes up gardening and makes peace with his neighbors. Quirky pen-and-ink drawings complement the text, and short chapters make this story appealing to reluctant readers. A fun and inventive romp for those who like Jon Scieszka's Time Warp Trio series (Viking) or Jim Benton's Franny K. Stein books (S & S).–Jennifer Cogan, Bucks County Free Library, Doylestown, PA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-5. This illustrated chapter book from the author and illustrator of Violet and the Mean and Rotten Pirates (2003) introduces Cal, a quiet lad who soon acquires Frankie, an amazing talking dog, though only Cal understands Frankie's peculiar speech. Together they befriend their eccentric next-door neighbor, Mr. Frout, who, while tinkering with the scrap metal in his yard, invents a machine that first eliminates then reverses gravity. Readers with a taste for common or garden-variety fantasy, rather than the medieval or highfalutin kind, will enjoy the fun as Cal overcomes his initial shyness with Mr. Frout, observes the freedom and inconveniences of weightlessness, and takes action when the phenomenon becomes chaotic and frightening. The many ink drawings amplify this entertaining addition to fiction collections, which is also an eye-opening tribute to the benefits of walking on solid ground. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Audio CD
• Publisher: BBC Audiobooks (February 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1405655836
• ISBN-13: 978-1405655835
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,799,892 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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