Zack goes to his grandparents' farm with his father every weekend, and he loves working with them on farm chores. The only thing he doesn't love is Grandma and Grandpa's huge turkey, Old Tom, who chases and attacks Zack at every opportunity. Tired of being pecked on all the time, Zack decides to build a device to scare Old Tom once and for all. Using scraps he finds in the machine shed and the barn, Zack starts to build a Rube Goldberg ­like machine. A neighbor his age, Josie, joins him, hoping that the machine might help catch a local burglar who is stealing mostly small, valuable objects. As they cobble together their device, they uncover more clues in the mystery, including a few red herrings, and when they finally test their contraption, they manage to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. This funny, engrossing mystery from kidlit stalwart Naylor serves up an intriguing puzzle, a vivid setting, well-rounded characters, and a cheer-worthy conclusion, all nicely complemented by To's detailed illustrations.

Working on his grandparents' farm every weekend is mostly fun for Zack.But as soon as that old turkey Tailpipe spots Zack, the bird flies at him and pecks him without mercy. Zack tries all sorts of schemes and tricks to evade him, to no avail. Then he is inspired by the things he sees in grandfather's machine shed and comes up with a genius idea. He will build a contraption, a "turkey-blaster trouble-shooter" that will scare that bird so he will stay away from Zack. Meanwhile, neighbor Josie informs him that things have been disappearing and she is convinced that a robber is on the prowl. Now Zack has two things to worry about. When his friend Matthew joins in with outrageous suggestions, hilarity ensues. The three white friends work together on the ever more elaborate machine, and their interpretations of the burglary clues become more complicated. The children meet the challenges with great ingenuity and good humor. Naylor keeps the tone light and the plot twists simple and believable. Readers will sympathize with Zack's dilemma while laughing in sheer joy at the convoluted attempts at besting that turkey, and they will probably guess the thief's identity, too. Several full-page, detailed, black-and-white illustrations highlight the quirky events and add to the fun. Charming and lighthearted. (Fiction. 8-11)

Zack likes visiting his grandparents- farm with his father, pitching in with chores and enjoying Grandma-s delectable meals. What he doesn-t like is the giant turkey that chases him around the farm, feverishly pecking at his legs. Exasperated, Zack attempts to map out walking routes across the farm so as to avoid the turkey, which he-s nicknamed Tailpipe -because he was always right behind you and made as much noise as a tailpipe without a muffler.- When that tactic fails, he decides to build a -turkey-blaster trouble-shooter- to scare the creature -right out of his feathers.- With the help of friends Matthew and Josie, Zack constructs a noise-making contraption using old items stored in the barn. Though that laborious process slows

Gr 2-5A boy tries to create a machine that will prevent exactly what the title says in this quick read. Zack and his dad spend weekends helping his grandparents on their farm. While Zack enjoys these visits, one thing mars his otherwise pleasant experience: the farm's resident turkey, Tailpipe, who likes to run at Zack and peck his legs. Zack decides he needs to create a portable machine to scare the beast into leaving him alone. He's assisted by a neighbor, Josie, who also fancies herself a sleuth and is concerned with a rash of recent petty thefts on the farms, and his best friend Matthew. Together they plot, experiment, and, using random items found in grandpa's machine shed, create a Rube Goldbergesque contraption meant to startle Tailpipe away. Zack makes it clear that he simply wants to frighten the bird; he and Michael do talk about the difference between frightening it and killing it. They also become unwittingly embroiled in the farm theft mystery, but all is explained and happily resolved by the last page. Naylor's story is highly plot-driven, with only quick strokes of character development. VERDICT A light and humorous story ideal for readers looking for a fast, easy read.Mary Kuehner, Arapahoe Library District, CO