The Boyhood of Great Inventors

"The Boyhood of Great Inventors" by A. Fraser Robertson is a series of stories about the childhoods of famous inventors, written in the style of the 1800s. The book tells how these great thinkers got their start, explaining the problems they faced and what first sparked their interest in creating new things. The story begins with John Smeaton, the engineer who built the Eddystone Lighthouse. As a child, Smeaton was curious and loved to take things apart to see how they worked, even building his own inventions. Although he was a quiet and thoughtful boy, his parents encouraged his love for engineering, even when others thought he should do something more traditional. The story shows how Smeaton followed his dream to become a mechanic, which led him to design a lasting lighthouse.