The Flying Machine Book

Gr 4–6—Mercer, a physics teacher and the author of the highly educational How Do You Light a Fart? And 150 Other Essential Things Every Guy Should Know About Science (Adams Media, 2009), presents easy-to-follow instructions for making flying toys or shooters from drinking straws, foam plates, used greeting cards, and other common materials. After opening with discussions of the Bernoulli principle and the significance of lift, thrust, drag, and weight on flying devices, he goes on to show, in a mix of brief directions and step photographs, how to construct and adjust a variety of simple missiles, gliders, Frisbees, and boomerangs. Some are launched by hand, some by a stretched rubber band—but for more spectacular speeds and distances he also includes a pressure launcher made from an empty water bottle (stomped), a balloon-in-a-Pringles-can slingshot, and a cardboard platform with a pistol grip. The grape-shooting bazooka fits into the overall sensibility, if not the theme. The author properly suggests or commands adult supervision where appropriate, and repeatedly cautions young experimenters to aim away from friends, pets, and breakables. Incorporating a variety of materials, these models make good alternatives to the ones in Norman Schmidt's Incredible Paper Flying Machines (Sterling, 2001) and other collections more focused on traditional origami.—John Peters, Children's Literature Consultant, New York City