Seven-Day Terror

"Seven-Day Terror" by R. A. Lafferty is a funny story that takes us back to the early 1960s, telling us about strange things happening in one small community. It all starts when a smart young kid named Clarence Willoughby creates a "disappearer" gadget that starts making things go poof. First, regular stuff goes missing, but it quickly gets way weirder when even fire hydrants and pets start to vanish, throwing the whole neighborhood into a panic. Over a week, the people there struggle with the growing fear, especially when people start disappearing too. Luckily, Clarence’s clever sister, Clarissa, steps in and uses her smarts to bring everything and everyone back, showing how imagination and responsibility go hand in hand. This story, through the eyes of these young characters, looks at what happens when we create things and the funny trouble we can get into when we don't think about the consequences.