{"product_id":"allora-and-the-puzzles-of-archimedes","title":"Allora and the Puzzles of Archimedes [PDF + eBook + Worksheets]","description":"\u003cp\u003eA 197-page fantasy novel that teaches friction, levers, pulleys, and number puzzles through the adventures of Allora, a young apprentice to Wizard Leibniz who accidentally turns off friction with a magical 2,000-year-old puzzle called the Ostomachion — and then has to fix the slippery, chaotic mess she's made. Along the way she works with Newton, Archimedes himself, a Fairy Queen, and a band of trolls.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWritten by Sarah Allen, illustrated in black and white by Marie Delwart. For ages 9–12.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat's inside the book\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFourteen chapters of fantasy adventure\u003c\/strong\u003e (roughly 185 pages) following Allora through a world where the laws of physics have been broken and need to be put back.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\"A Note from the Librarian\" sidebars\u003c\/strong\u003e woven throughout, connecting the magic to real physics and math: static and kinetic friction (and the equation f = μN), Newton's Third Law, levers and mechanical advantage, pulleys, and a glimpse of Archimedes' famous cylinder-vs-sphere discovery.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHands-on suggestions\u003c\/strong\u003e embedded in the story — things kids can try with a spinny chair, their palms on a desk, or a real lever.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe Ostomachion puzzle\u003c\/strong\u003e as a central plot device. (It's a real ancient puzzle attributed to Archimedes — sometimes called \"the first puzzle\" — and you can download a printable version free from my website to try yourself.)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePlus a bonus: Archimedes' Puzzle Book (28 pages)\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA separate illustrated puzzle book with full answer key, designed to let kids practice what Allora learns:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLever puzzles\u003c\/strong\u003e — Which Way Will the Lever Tip? · Identify the Effort, Load, and Fulcrum · A Castle Demolition Puzzle\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePulley puzzles\u003c\/strong\u003e — Understanding tension forces in single and compound pulley systems · \"Would this actually do anything???\" (figuring out which pulley contraptions provide mechanical advantage and which don't)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA \u003cstrong\u003eCertificate of Puzzle Mastery\u003c\/strong\u003e at the end for kids who make it through\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePlus three additional worksheets (with answer keys)\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDesigned as a progression from intuition to calculation to puzzle-solving:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFriction Explorer\u003c\/strong\u003e — pairs with a free interactive friction simulator on my website. Kids predict, then drag a block around, then experiment with turning static and kinetic friction on and off to see what really happens. Conceptual, no calculations.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCalculating Friction\u003c\/strong\u003e — works through the friction equation f = μN with characters from the book, including multi-step problems where the normal force changes (a hawk lifting a chair, pushing down on a broom).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlower Garden Riddles\u003c\/strong\u003e — integer puzzles based on Archimedes' Cattle of the Sun problem, introducing primes, squares, triangular numbers, and Diophantine equations through trolls, fairies, dwarves, and dragons. Includes the original Greek riddle as a bonus at the back for the very ambitious.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat you'll get\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEPUB\u003c\/strong\u003e of the book (for Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo, and other e-readers)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePDF\u003c\/strong\u003e of the book (for reading on any computer, tablet, or phone — or for printing)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePDF\u003c\/strong\u003e of Archimedes' Puzzle Book, with answer key\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePDFs\u003c\/strong\u003e of the Friction Explorer, Calculating Friction, and Flower Garden Riddles worksheets, with answer keys\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDelivered by email immediately after purchase, plus available on your download page\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePart of the Fairy Tale Physics series\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach book in the series is self-contained, so you can start anywhere. Allora's story stands on its own, though sharp-eyed readers may notice familiar faces (Newton and Leibniz, for instance, both make appearances).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout the author\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSarah Allen tutored math and physics for twenty years before becoming a full-time fantasy writer. She has a physics degree from the University of Washington (graduated with college and departmental honors) and a master's in Cognition and Learning from Columbia. Her goal is to write the sort of physics books she would have wanted as a kid.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAges 9–12 · 197-page novel · 28-page puzzle book · 3 worksheets · Black-and-white illustrations\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Math with Sarah","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43742324817986,"sku":null,"price":4.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0678\/8395\/8338\/files\/1_62446dc4-3fb6-4f21-86ce-9bfb54beb7f9.jpg?v=1778716264","url":"https:\/\/shop.mathwithsarah.com\/products\/allora-and-the-puzzles-of-archimedes","provider":"Math with Sarah","version":"1.0","type":"link"}