Attack of the Alien Mole Invaders! by Tony Abbott Read Free Book Online

hate to tell you. Radio has already been invented.”
    Mike snickered with delight. “Not just a radio.” He pulled out a dusty brown base-ball-sized potato from the bottom of his bag. “A potato-powered radio. I call it— Potadio !”
    Liz watched as Mike slowly pushed wires from the radio right into the potato. “The acid from the potato is changed into electricity,” he said. “It’s like nature’s battery. Cool, huh?”
    â€œNot bad,” said Liz, pulling a tissue from her pocket and blowing her nose. “Can you get hockey scores?”
    Mike shrugged. “So far it just picks up WYRD, the Grover’s Mill station. It’s kind of faint.”
    â€œWell, I probably won’t hear it,” mumbled Liz. “My cold has stuffed my ears.”
    The gym was starting to fill up. Mike saw Mrs. Carbonese taking surprise snap-shots for the yearbook. She wore a pink sweater and glasses on a string. Around her neck was a silver police whistle. She used it to get silence in her class.
    Principal Bell was walking from table to table with his hands on his hips. Miss Lieberman, the assistant principal, was right behind him. She was making notes about everything he said.
    â€œThere’s Jeff,” Mike said to Liz, pointing to their friend Jeff Ryan as he set up his project.
    â€œLet’s see what he’s got,” said Liz. “By the way, I talked to Holly last night. She and Sean built some kind of secret project. I can’t wait to see it.”
    The two kids stepped over to Jeff’s table just as Principal Bell strolled by.
    â€œAhem!” boomed the principal, reading the sign on Jeff’s table. “The Gizmo. Very good. Now, show us the magic of science! The wonder of invention! The terrific W. Reid spirit!”
    â€œYes, sir!” Jeff smiled big and slipped a pair of goggles over his face. He tapped a button on the base of the Gizmo and cried out, “Stand back!”
    It was a good thing.
    Zzzzz! Krrrr! Nnnn-chunka-chunka!
    A sudden flash of prongs and nozzles and flippers screamed into action!
    Nnnnnnn! The ceiling lights hissed and sparked and flashed as the Gizmo jumped and jumbled across the table, growling and grinding.
    All the lights in the school dimmed and flickered. The machine was a blur of horrible noise!
    â€œWhat does it do?” Liz yelled over the sound.
    Jeff gave her a blank look. “Do?”
    Mike nodded. “Do. What does it do? To advance science?”
    Jeff shut off his machine and the lights came back up. He gave another blank look. “Do?”
    â€œAhem!” said Mr. Bell, clearing his throat. “Very interesting. Next!” He and Miss Lieberman stepped over to another table.
    â€œI guess I don’t win anything,” Jeff sighed, pulling his goggles off and staring at the Gizmo.
    Mike patted him on the shoulder. “Only one person can win, Jeff. And I’ve got— Potadio.”
    â€œActually, son,” Mr. Bell said, walking back over. “Your little radio doesn’t seem to work at all.”
    Mike raced over to the table. He flipped the on switch over and over. Nothing. Not a sound.
    Principal Bell put his hands on his hips and frowned at the radio. “I can see you and your vegetable need a moment. We’ll be back.”
    Liz leaned over to Mike. “Why don’t you just give that potato a good scrub? It’s filthy.”
    â€œGreat idea,” said Mike. “Can’t have dirt on the invention of the century!” He unplugged Potadio and dashed down the hall and into the bathroom. He ran the potato under warm water.
    Lots of dirt washed off.
    Mike wondered whether the potato felt the warm water like he did. Did potatoes have feelings like people? It was alive, after all. Potatoes do grow.
    What are you washing me for?
    Mike chuckled to himself. Wouldn’t it be weird if the potato actually said that?
    â€œHey, kid, I asked you a