Turn this Book into a Lever!

 Every now and then I come across a book that is more than a book. This one turns into a catapult - at least part of it does! That makes it a perfect gift for young knights-in-training...

 

 Mighty Models: The Legendary Life Story of the Lever 
by Christine Van Zandt; illus by Lesley Breen 
32 pages; ages 4-8
Union Square Kids, 2025

theme: physics, history, hands-on

 

This is a lever. It doesn’t look like much, but it is one of the world’s mightiest machines.

A lever is basically a rigid beam and a fulcrum. From teeter-totters to robotic arms, levers have been used to move things. People have used levers to hunt mammoths, build Great Walls, print books, produce movies – even defend the Crown Jewels of England!  Over the span of ten spreads, this book invites readers to discover the science – and the history – of this simple, yet important machine. 

 

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 What I like about this book: I like the visual table of contents. I also like the fun lever sidebars on each spread. But what I really like is how part of the book is a hands on build-it-yourself catapult model that allows kids to discover the power of a lever in action. 

 

  

I asked Christine if she had constructed the model catapult. "Oh yes!" she said. "The cats love it!"You can watch author Christine Van Zandt demonstrate her model catapult in this video at her website, christinevanzandt.com/models

Beyond the Books:

 
Check out this short video about levers and some simple machines you might use that incorporate levers. 

Make your own lever using a ruler (or similar flat wood piece) and a marker or other item (dowel, block) as a fulcrum. Use your lever to lift a flat stone or can of tuna. What happens when you move the fulcrum closer to the load? Or farther away?

Go lever-looking. How many kinds of levers do you find around your house and yard? Make a list of what you find using words or pictures. One of the levers we have around our house is a T-post puller.

Christine is a member of the STEAM Team Books group. You can find out more about her at her at her website christinevanzandt.com. You can find more about recently released STEM and STEAM at www.steamteambooks.com

We'll be joining Perfect Picture Book Friday after the holidays. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review pdf provided by the author.