Clever-Lazy

Margaret Bunel Edwards is the author of The Ocean Between and The ABCs
of Writing for Children.

Clever-Lazy invents the abacus, the kaleidoscope, and the game of chess,
among other things. For a special celebration, she makes fireworks for
the Emperor, inventing gunpowder to propel them. She will not reveal how
to manufacture gunpowder, because she does not want it used in weapons
of destruction. Finally, she and her husband must hide from the
Emperor’s soldiers. Many dangers and adventures later, they arrive
safely back at the village of her birth. While fleeing for their lives,
she sees the dragon ship of the Goddess and feels that she is now under
her protection.

Adapted from “Clever Lazy, the Girl Who Invented Herself,” this
story is part fantasy, part legend. The characters’ names (Ascending
One, Shopshrewd, Bowlmaker, Tinker, etc.) add humor. At times, the
details of the many inventions slow the plot, but the unexpected twists
and turns continue to surprise. Advanced readers will enjoy this
gripping and thought-provoking story. Highly recommended.