New Switcheroo (Rube Goldberg and His Amazing Machines #2) , livre ebook

ABRAMS BOOKS - Snider Brandon T. Snider

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107 pages

English

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The hilarious follow-up to Rube Goldberg and His Amazing Machines by bestselling author Brandon T. Snider and featuring illustrations by award-winning artist Ed Steckley After unintentionally unmasking a criminal mastermind at his school's Contraption Convention, Rube Goldberg-and his inventions-are the talk of the sixth grade. Rube's star is on the rise, and it's a lot of pressure. What if he's lost his mojo? There's no time to wonder, because Rube and his two best friends, Boob and Pearl, are busy planning Pearl's campaign for class president. With the Switcheroo Dance a weekend before the big election, Pearl's path to victory is set. That is, until a new mystery strikes the town. Rube is eager to bring Zach into the fold, but Boob and Pearl can't help but wonder if Rube's mysterious new friend is hiding something . . . will Rube get his mojo back in time to unravel the mystery and save Pearl's campaign? Hijinks and hilarity abound in this dynamic follow-up to Rube Goldberg and His Amazing Machines, written by bestselling author Brandon T. Snider and featuring black-and-white illustrations by Ed Steckley.

Informations

Publié par	ABRAMS BOOKS
Date de parution	11 octobre 2022
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781647000936
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	2 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0674€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

The cover photo shows Rube strapped to a machine most parts of which is hinged on his head. The mechanism consists of connecting strings, tubes, gear, hooks, and hands with spring arms. Rube s friends Pearl and Boob are seen holding the spring hands. Rube is controlling the machine by moving strings with both his hands. The book is illustrated by Ed Steckley.

PUBLISHER S NOTE: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author s imagination or used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for and may be obtained from the Library of Congress.
ISBN 978-1-4197-5006-9
eISBN: 978-1-6470-0093-6
Text 2022 Heirs of Rube Goldberg
Illustrations by Ed Steckley
Book design by Brenda E. Angelilli and Chelsea Hunter
Published in 2022 by Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher.
Amulet Books are available at special discounts when purchased in quantity for premiums and promotions as well as fundraising or educational use. Special editions can also be created to specification. For details, contact specialsales@abramsbooks.com or the address below.
Amulet Books is a registered trademark of Harry N. Abrams, Inc.

ABRAMS The Art of Books
195 Broadway, New York, NY 10007
abramsbooks.com
For Travis

CHAPTER 1
Where is Rube Goldberg?!
Pearl was at her wit s end. For weeks she d worked tirelessly alongside her classmates to revamp Beechwood Middle School s dilapidated old garden. They gathered every morning, shovels in hand, and dug up that sad patch of dirt like their lives depended on it. Their mission wasn t just about beautification. It was about building something they could be proud of. It was about planting seeds and watching the chain reaction of nature s life cycle turn them into a bountiful harvest come the start of fall. Pearl and her friends had helped turn the garden into something very special and they d done it by working together. It was a source of pride for everyone involved. Especially considering how neglected the garden looked before they got started. Some plants were wilted, others devoured by ravenous groundhogs. The dirt was dry, and the adjoining pond had grown mossy and brown. No frogs. No fish. No life at all. It broke Pearl s heart. But what really steamed her buns on this airy Saturday morning was something else entirely.
I m going to kill that kid . . . When Pearl told Rube about her plan to refurbish the garden, she hoped he d help out. Till the soil. Maybe rake a little. But that wasn t how Rube s brain worked. When he looked at that dusty patch of land, all he saw were problems that needed solving. Which is a good thing. First and foremost, how would the garden stay hydrated? With fall creeping in and a dry winter right behind it, how could vegetables and plants possibly be expected to grow without a little help? For days Rube burned the midnight oil thinking about this conundrum. Then, after a raindrop splashed his nose on a bright sunny day, the answer came to him. I ll build a self-watering garden system! He had quickly sketched a design, then scrounged around town for machine parts. After he selected only the finest pieces, a masterpiece was surely forthcoming. But, in true Rube fashion, his simple idea had become lot more complex. And stressful.
This is so typical of Goldberg. So typical, Pearl grumbled, pacing back and forth as she cracked her knuckles. I should have seen this coming.
Pearl had been beyond excited after Rube signed on to help, and not just because they were close friends. His star had risen considerably in recent weeks. The whole school was talking about Rube s amazing machine-making skills ever since he had unknowingly taken down an international criminal who just happened to be masquerading as one of their science teachers. More on that later. The students at Beechwood Middle School couldn t wait to see his next big creation, and all eyes were on the garden project. If Pearl pulled this off, that meant good things for the school and her campaign to become sixth-grade class president. A double whammy.

Once Rube got wind of all that bubbling anticipation, the more pressure he felt. The more pressure he felt, the more stressed out he became. What if I can t top myself? What if everyone thinks my success is a fluke? What if I ve lost my mojo? WHAT IS MOJO ANYWAY?! It felt cool to have the admiration of his classmates, but one wrong move and those bloodthirsty vultures would eat him alive. At least that was what he told himself. The imagined pressure had driven Rube to drop the ball completely.
Work stopped just as quickly as it started, and he moved on to something else. The problem was, he hadn t told Pearl he d given up. Quite the opposite. Pearl was under the impression Rube was busy building an exquisite monument to nature itself. The future of horticulture! Nothing was further from the truth. In a bid to cover his blunder, he decided to double down on the ruse. The night before the big reveal, using a handful of billowing blue tarps, Rube had erected a small tent around the garden and adjoining pond. A crude sign warned people DO NOT TOUCH . He hadn t wanted anyone knowing his shameful secret. Not even Pearl. It was a terrible plan, but that was what he had done. Now, on the day of the garden s grand unveiling, Pearl faced a crowd of classmates, teachers, and local press. She had no idea what to do next. Rube Goldberg was nowhere to be found.
If he s not here in five minutes, I m going to . . . to . . . Pearl struggled to come up with a suitable punishment, but words failed her. I don t know!
Rube s best friend, Boob, peeked around the edge of the tent to spy on the growing crowd. Wow. It s like a who s who of middle school royalty showed up for this thing! I see Emilia Harris, Aiden Puterbaugh-Schmidt, and that kid who smells like lunch meat who we call Ham Pockets.
But where s Rube?! exclaimed Pearl. I called him. I texted him. What am I supposed to do if he doesn t show up?! He s the only one who knows how to operate whatever contraption is under that tarp. Public embarrassment is not on my to-do list for today.
Boob thought about it for a second. Maybe he s been abducted by aliens? Though honestly, if I were an alien, he wouldn t be my first choice. Love the guy. Obvi. But the kid is a lot to handle. He spotted a few more familiar faces as the congregation grew larger. Ugh. Someone let Mike and Ike out of their cages. Why did those dungballs come here ? Oh, oh, oh! Davin Drake is in attendance, looking fly as usual. Wow. The guy s smile can sure light up a room.
Pearl felt the same, but there were far more important things on her mind. I need this to go smoothly today. We put a lot of hard work into making this garden sparkle. And, yeah, we don t have crops yet, but next year we will! We ll have a beautiful, botanical wonderland filled with delights! Those people out there are here to celebrate that. They came to see the machine demonstration, and . . . She trailed off. Rube is a no-show.
Suddenly an idea popped into Boob s head. I bet I can find him with my Li l Sleuthy Kid Detective Kit. My mom got it for me for my birthday even though I stopped watching Li l Sleuthy, like, a million years ago. I mean . . . a baby detective?! And his sidekick is a talking magnifying glass?! Total kids stuff.
Boob . . . Pearl s words were slow and purposeful. I know you re only trying to help, but please stop talking now.
Boob nodded. Copy that.
Heyo! Principal Kim exclaimed, popping behind the tent for a quick check-in. How s everything going, Pearl? The crowd is getting antsy. You ready to start?
Yep! Pearl straightened up, put on a happy face, and pretended everything was just fine. Principal Kim had become one of the garden project s biggest supporters. She didn t want to let him down. I just need one more minute, if you don t mind.
Sounds good! We re all looking forward to your presentation, replied Principal Kim. Oh, and if you could mention the merchandise for sale on our school website, that would be awesome. I ve got a warehouse full of Beechwood Bandicoot caftans that need to move. At twenty dollars each, they re a steal. Free shipping too! Just sayin .
After Principal Kim exited the area, Pearl grabbed Boob by his shoulders and looked him square in the eyes. I need you to stall, she said, panicked.
Me? Really? Boob began sweating. You know Ahmed Brooks is sitting in the front row, right? He does magic! He s not good at it, but he does it. His pockets are always full of sponge balls and handkerchiefs. It s creepy. You should ask him to stall. He s way more prepared than I am.
Boob! Pearl stopped herself, took a deep breath, and continued in a calmer fashion. All I need you to do is talk for a few minutes while I come up with a plan to explain away Rube being a no-show. That s it. You re good at talking. Some say too good. Please just do this for me so I don t lose my head?
Boob considered the request. Well, I have thought about pursuing a career in stand-up comedy, he confessed. My uncle Rodney was a comedian, you know . . .
Great! Tell jokes, do impressions, make balloon animals.
What about hand puppets?
Anything you want, Pearl growled. Just do it! She pushed him out from behind the tent into full view of the crowd. Make Uncle Rodney proud, she said, beaming.
All eyes were on Boob. Everyone quieted as he confidently strolled to the front of the staging area. As Rube s trusty hype man, Boob was used to hamming it up. He was a natural entertainer whose positive energy was infectious. Th