The Squirrels at the Door Magazine

Inventors and Inventions and First Look

Inventors and their inventions

They dared to look at the world differently

Sometimes an idea can comes in a flash, in 10 seconds of inspiration, as long as you look at the world differently. That’s what the inventors of these super hot, super cold, and springy inventions did. Click a picture below to learn more.

Fun Facts about Patents

A patent describes your invention and stops others from using it.

To get a patent you fill out an application and show why your invention is unique. You can apply online.

A patent is actually the right not to let others use your invention as long as you tell others about it. And guess what? Because you have to explain what it is, some products, like Coca Cola, aren’t patented. They are trade secrets. Only a few people know the formula.

A patent lasts 20 years.

Patent number 1 isn’t the first patent. Originally, patents were given names and dates rather than numbers. Patent 1 was the first patent issued with the new numbering system. It went to a United States senator for a gear mechanism for locomotive wheels.

You have to apply for a patent in every country in which you want to use or sell the invention. There are no world-wide patents.

The patent for the fire hydrant burned in a .

First Look

God’s Sparrows, the next novel from Kathleen Vincenz, is in its last stages of development. We’re hoping for a pre-Christmas release.

Kathleen wrote God’s Sparrows after seeing Sparrows, a silent film about an orphan girl who frees eleven orphans from an orphan farm. It inspired Kathleen to write her own story of modern day orphans. Mary Pickford starred and produced the original Sparrows. She was an early leader of Hollywood who helped found the Academy Awards and ran her own studio with Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks.

Here’s a scene from Sparrows. Don’t be too alarmed though. God’s Sparrows isn’t set in a swamp and doesn’t have alligators, but it might have an evil kidnapper!

Don’t forget to take Over the Falls in a Suitcase with you to the beach for some fun summer reading as you fall in love with the sisters who can’t stop bickering, a dog no bigger than a teacup, and a few cute boys.

Look what readers are saying:

My 12-year-old daughter and I read this book together and loved it! The witty humor, the sisters’ constant squabbling, and Lindsey’s struggle with indecision really resonated with my daughter. I found the innocence of the young teens refreshing and delightful.