The rocket book

The Rocket Book

Based on the story by Peter Newell

Adapted by Jane Cadwallader Illustrated by

The Rocket Book

Adapted by Jane Cadwallader

Illustrated by Gustavo Mazali

Peter Newell

There was nothing special about 15 Cherry Drive. It was a very normal house on a very normal street.

There was a basement, an attic, and five floors in between. A different family lived on each floor. The people who lived in number

15 Cherry Drive didn’t chat much ... just “Good morning”, “Good afternoon”, “Good evening” or “Lovely weather we’re having!” or “It looks like it’ll rain today!”

Mr. George Popper was the janitor of number 15 Cherry Drive. He cleaned the floors and the stairs every day. He repaired the lights when they broke and repaired the water pipes when they leaked.

Mr. Popper lived in the basement of 15 Cherry Drive and he had a secret job. He was an inventor. He invented lots of wonderful things in his workshop.

His favorite invention was a rocket made of gold and silver metal. He worked on it at night when all the families of 15 Cherry Drive were sleeping. Finally, one night, he finished his rocket. Mr. Popper was pleased, it was a beautiful rocket. But he was also very tired. He went out, shut the door, and went happily to bed.

Mr. Popper had a son. His name was Michael. He was fifteen years old with untidy, curly, blond hair and a friendly smile. The day after his father finished the rocket, Michael came home from school early. Usually, his father was in the basement making dinner but that day he was repairing something.

Michael opened the door to his father’s workshop and saw the rocket. “Hmm” he thought, “let me light it and see what happens.” So, Michael went to the kitchen, got a match and held it under the rocket.

Mr. Richard Olive and Mrs. Betty Olive lived on the ground floor of 15 Cherry Drive. Betty was 84 and Richard was 85. They weren’t very poor but they weren’t very rich either! At night, they liked to sit by the fireplace and have a snack. It was usually hot chocolate with marshmallows on top. But Richard was good at forgetting things. That morning he went shopping but he forgot to buy the matches … so no fire today.

OH MY! What a wonderful fire!

He was explaining to Betty about the matches, which she wasn’t really happy about, when suddenly the rocket came up through the floor! As it went up, it lit the wood with a spark.

Mrs. Sofia Martinez and her husband Mr. Frank Martinez lived on the first floor of 15 Cherry Drive. They had a daughter called Elena. Elena didn’t live with them, but she was getting married. Sofia loved clothes and jewelry. She was thinking:

“I’m going to wear my blue and pink dress with my pink gloves and blue necklace to the wedding, but which hat should I choose? … the pink and white striped hat with red flowers or the orange and blue hat with green grapes?”

“I just don’t know,” said Sofia. “Frank, what do you think?” Frank was looking up from his newspaper at his wife when, suddenly, the rocket came up through the floor! As it went up, it took away the orange and blue hat.

‘Well, that’s decided then!’ said Mr. and Mrs. Martinez, laughing.