Tag: inventions

Dare to be Different: Inspirational Words from People Who Changed the World

Leaders, great artists and inspiring minds have something in common; they dare to be different. They realise that to make a positive impact on the world that they need to step out of the mold to make this unique creative contribution. However, this sometimes means they stand alone.

‘Dare to Be Different’ is the third in a series of ‘Dare to be Different’ compendiums by Ben Brooks. His latest anthology of inspirational mini-biographies are of women and men of all ages, who have had a dream and gone on to achieve it, is arranged in alphabetical order by given name.

The subjects range from Plautus (254BC-184BC) to Anurudh Ganesan (born 2000) who invented the VAXXWAGON; some are well known while others have quietly gone about their business and remain generally under the radar. Even though the individuals come from the past and the present, all corners of the globe, all walks of life, every social strata, they each have a meaningful message to inspire the reader to greater heights.

The two-page biographies consist of one page of clearly written text accompanied by a vivid, full page illustration by Quinton Winter, which will maintain the child’s attention. This highly recommended, well rounded collection brings alive a wide range of amazing people. It will not only engage the reader but will pique the child’s interest to such an extent that she/he will undertake further research into the life of the subject.

This inspiring book is for all children, as it teaches them that they can follow their dreams, to make a meaningful achievement in the area of their choice; adults too will enjoy the stories of people who have challenged the norms throughout history.

March 8, 2022
Winterborne Home for Mayhem and Mystery unlock the secrets.

Winterbourne Home is a rather secretive place which along with few other things, is the also home for five rather extraordinary children, who just happen to be orphans and is owned by Gabriel Winterbourne, a man who is also very secretive about what he does, which naturally just adds to the overall secrecy that surrounds everything and everybody at Winterbourne House.

April is beginning to believe she has found her forever home, along with the other four children who will make up her forever family, and this feels really rather terrific, even if she does get very worried by her roommate Sadie Marie Simmons, who is a bit inclined to invent some seriously weird and dangerous things!

As the pages turn there is mayhem afoot, and secrets to be discovered, but when Gabriel disappears, even with the combined incredible skills of the children, Gabriel remains well and truly missing. It would appear that something rather terrible may have happened as there is someone else who really, really wants his job of protecting the City and will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

But all is not as it seems as April is a very determined little girl and has a secret of her own. When she became and orphan her mother gave her a Key with the Winterbourne crest on it and now she is there, right in the Winterbourne house, all she has to do is try and find the right lock for the key. She believes that by making this discovery some of the mystery surrounding the house could be understood and maybe, she might find her real family once again!

When the sentential statue appears to come to life, strange noises start happening in the night and a whole lot of other really spooky things occur, April really has to make up her mind is her new home and family worth fighting for or not!

Quirky, funny, outrageous and full of mayhem, Winterbourne Home of Mayhem and Mystery: unlock the secrets lives up to the title of the story with flair, zeal and riotous happenings, which just may come out okay, eventually!

April 25, 2021
The Institute of Fantastical Inventions II: Magnetic Attraction

Over your lifetime, whether it be long or short to date, you have probably been told there is a solution to just about everything, which is often a bit hard to agree with, depending on the issue or crisis at the time. But there certainly is a solution to just about everything; actually, there is an Institute that specialises in finding solutions to just about every bit of silliness every thought of and some not so silly things. Yep, for real!

Dave Leys along with his mate Shane Ogilvie have provided written proof that there is such a place: it is called the Institute of Fantastical Inventions created specifically to find solutions to such things as helping the dreams and wishes of the ordinary person come true. WOW, what a great thing to do.

Leo McGuffin is the CTO there, (Chief Technical Officer), who loves his job and finds being on holidays endlessly boring. He can’t wait to get back to work and eventually the day finally arrives. He is filled with joy to be back at work, communicating with his college Dr Andrea Allsop, who has spent her holidays working in the Amazon rainforest and his keen young assistant boy-genius Edward. Ah, the pleasure of it all.

Dr Andrea Allsop has returned with Isabella Santo, a keen young and ambitious scientist, who she introduces to the Institute. As the days unfold some very unusual things begin to happen to unsettle the peace of the Institute, and somehow Isabella Santos seems to be directly connected to a list of new orders and rules deigned for maximum productivity.

Never before have the members of the Institute been under such pressure to deliver results. What is going to happen and what will be the ultimate result as chaos descends, and confusion reigns. Staff are being sacked making the work they are doing redundant, well almost, but can they combine forces to fight back, or will the increasingly very strange Isabelle Santos win the day?

This riot of a book that is totally entertaining and almost impossible to guess what will be the final result of all the more than usually weird goings on, at the Institute of Fantastical Inventions.

So, there is indeed hope that there are people out there like the amazing Leo McGuffin and his young boy-genius helper Edward, who both consider they have the best job ever, and will and can find a solution to just about everything, no matter how weird or whacky. Even falling in Love!!

The Institute of Fantastical Inventions II’ is a breath of fresh air in a world that sadly takes growing up all too seriously.

February 17, 2020
How to Tame a Human Tornado

Paul Tobin says he has written this book for any child with questions. Certainly, reading this story will produce a multitude of queries and thought-provoking ideas. For Delphine, befriending Nate was something that she drifted into, and once learning about this young man and his extraordinary intellect she is hooked. Nate’s dog Bosper can talk, although he is not supposed to do that in public. The three make an effective team when it comes to preventing disaster in the way of Aliens or just evil people who want to rule the world.

For children who love Fantasy, Science Fiction and Science, this book leads the way. The adventures the three get into are amazing. Of course, it helps that Nate has a Gold Elephant Credit Card, the most expensive one, and that he is able to solve most problems by using science and make incredibly accurate predictions. The arch enemy of the three children is Jakob Maculte and Luria Pevermore, who are the leaders of The Red Death Tea Society.

Fortunately, Nate has built a car (Betsy) who is also capable of talking and action. When rocket mode is needed, she engages the cylinder and uses safeguards inside the car to protect the passengers. The car is not Nate’s only weapon and his ability to predict just how his enemies will react, and precisely what sprays they are using, (Spider attracting spray for Delphine) means he can quickly use an antidote.

This is a story that moves along quickly and has quite remarkable characters. It needs a reasonable level of reading to follow the story and a great degree of compliance to understand the scientific reasoning of Nate. It is told with humour, a few farts and burps and spits, and will engage those adventurous children who wish they had a Gold Elephant Card.

December 29, 2018