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RXENL08ARD6B18_BLR_CoverThe Boy Who Invented Epsicles?!The Boy Who Invented Epsicles?!xHSKBPDy505850zv*:+:!:+:!ISBN-13:978-0-15-350585-0ISBN-10:0-15-350585-0illustrated by Drew Brook Cormackby Cate Foley GRADE 6Lesson 18WORD COUNT954GENREExpository NonfictionLEVELBelow LevelHarcourt LeveledReaders Online Database by Cate Foleyillustrated by Drew Brook CormackCopyright by Harcourt,Inc.All rights reserved.No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,electronic or mechanical,including photocopy,recording,or any information storage and retrieval system,without permission in writing from the publisher.Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be addressed to School Permissions and Copyrights,Harcourt,Inc.,6277 Sea Harbor Drive,Orlando,Florida 32887-6777.Fax:407-345-2418.HARCOURT and the Harcourt Logo are trademarks of Harcourt,Inc.,registered in the United States of America and/or other jurisdictions.Printed in the United States of AmericaISBN 10:0-15-350585-0ISBN 13:978-0-15-350585-0Ordering OptionsISBN 10:0-15-350336-X(Grade 6 Below-Level Collection)ISBN 13:978-0-15-350336-8(Grade 6 Below-Level Collection)ISBN 10:0-15-357593-X(package of 5)ISBN 13:978-0-15-357593-8(package of 5)If you have received these materials as examination copies free of charge,Harcourt School Publishers retains title to the materials and they may not be resold.Resale of examination copies is strictly prohibited and is illegal.Possession of this publication in print format does not entitle users to convert this publication,or any portion of it,into electronic format.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 179 12 11 10 09 08 07 06The Boy Who Invented Epsicles?!RXENL08ARD6B18_BLR_P1 Its a scorching hot summer day,and your mouth is watering for a delicious frozen treat.You run to the freezer and grab a cold,tastyEpsicle?Huh?Thats right!The ice pop,which we have come to know and love,came into existence over one hundred years ago as the Epsicle.You may be even more surprised to learn that this favorite summertime treat was invented by an eleven-year-old boy.3RXENL08ARD6B18_BLR_P3 Frank Epperson was from San Francisco,California.He was a curious young boy who enjoyed creating unusual and exotic soft drinks.He would purchase a variety of fl avorings from the local grocery store and combine them with baking soda and water.This kind of soda was a popular drink in the early 1900s.On a particularly chilly San Francisco evening,Frank mistakenly left one of his soda water mixtures on his porch overnight.He also left his stirring stick in the glass.4RXENL08ARD6B18_BLR.indd 4RXENL08ARD6B18_BLR.indd 45/25/07 3:19:45 PM5/25/07 3:19:45 PM5 Coincidentally,and lucky for Frank,on that very same night,San Francisco experienced an unusually cold night.The citys temperature dropped below 32 Fahrenheit(0C).Early the next morning,Frank found that his mixture had frozen,complete with the wooden stirring stick sticking straight up.Enthralled at what he saw,young Frank slid the frozen ice pop out of its container using the stick as a handle.The Epperson Icicle,later called the Epsicle,had been invented.Frank was not only pleasantly surprised by what he saw but also with what he tasted.Excitedly,Frank shared his invention with his school friends.RXENL08ARD6B18_BLR_P56 Although Frank had plans to produce and sell large quantities of Epsicles,a few roadblocks stood in his way.First and foremost,he didnt have the money to create a lot of his new product.Next,freezing temperatures were not in abundance in San Francisco,and home electric freezers had not yet been invented.Also,few customers and even fewer vendors would take an eleven-year-olds invention seriously.Perhaps the biggest obstacle that stood in Franks way happened a year later.RXENL08ARD6B18_BLR_P67 In 1906,the city of San Francisco was struck by a powerful and devastating earthquake.The Great Earthquake dealt a cruel blow to the Bay City.The earthquake itself,along with the aftereffects of ferocious fires and floods,left residents of the city stunned.Needless to say,Franks frozen treat business was abruptly put on hold.RXENL08ARD6B18_BLR_P78 A number of years passed,and Frank grew to be a young man.He married and became a father to five children.Always an inventor at heart,Frank tried a few other inventions.However,he was not very successful with any of them.Still,Frank persisted in making new products,even when times became financially difficult for him and his family.He was determined to succeed.Frank set out with his products,ready for the world,or at least San Francisco,to see them.Frank felt confident that people would marvel at all of his inventions.Unfortunately,this was not the case.An ice cream maker told Frank that his products would not work in their product line.Others told Frank that products like his would never be a“commercial success.”RXENL08ARD6B18_BLR_P89 Although discouraged,Frank knew that if he wanted to succeed,he was going to have to do it himself.That is when he decided that the best idea might be the simplest.Frank returned his focus to his childhood ideathe frozen Epsicle.After some initial setbacks,Frank found a six-inch(15 cm)glass test tube that served as a perfect mold.Frank then invented a machine that would not only manufacture the frozen ice pops but could also stamp“Epsicle”on the wooden stick.RXENL08ARD6B18_BLR_P910 The year was now 1923,and Frank was working at a California amusement park lemonade stand that he both owned and operated.He also sold his Epsicles at the stand.Soon enough,his customers raised a clamor for more Epsicles,so Frank decided to apply for a patent for Epsicles.Then no one could steal his idea.Over the next several years,Frank sold more than 60 million Epsicles in seven fruit flavors!Not only that,but he earned royalties,an amount of money paid to him,on every single Epsicle sold.RXENL08ARD6B18_BLR_P10 In the 1930s,the Great Depression weighed heavily on the United States.Frank tried to economize by creating a new and improved version of his frozen treat with two sticks.He charged the same priceone nickeland two children to share it.Unfortunately,the Great Depression and other fi nancial disturbances forced Frank to think about selling the right to make his frozen treat to a larger company.Despite his familys objections,Frank sold all the rights to the Epsicle to another company in order to help his family.When he sold the rights,he changed the treats name to its current popular one.His children had come up with a far catchier name when they asked for one of“Pops sicles!”11RXENL08ARD6B18_BLR.indd 11RXENL08ARD6B18_BLR.indd 115/23/07 3:30:40 PM5/23/07 3:30:40 PM12 After Frank sold his rights to his frozen dessert,its popularity soared very quickly.The frozen treats were made in larger quantities,and more flavors were added.Until the 1950s,Frank Eppersons frozen treats could only be purchased through vendors selling ice cream on the streets.RXENL08ARD6B18_BLR_P1213 Things have changed dramatically since then.Today it is believed that hundreds of millions of ice pops are enjoyed in the United States each year,and they are made in many different flavors.However,the all-time favorite flavor through the years continues to be classic orange.RXENL08ARD6B18_BLR_P1314 Frank Eppersons childhood invention continues to serve as a beacon of hope for other inventors.Sometimes the best ideas are those that come to you easily,or by accident.RXENL08ARD6B18_BLR_P14Think Critically1.How did Frank Epperson arrive at his idea for the Epsicle?2.How did the Great San Francisco Earthquake affect Franks invention plans?3.Do you think that Frank made a good choice in selling the rights to his frozen treat?Why or why not?4.On page 5 of the story,the author says that Frank was“enthralled at what he saw.”What is meant by enthralled?5.What was Frank Epperson like?Choose three adjectives to describe his personality.ScienceFamous Earthquakes Use the Internet or reference books to research well-known earthquakes.Make a chart of your fi ndings and discuss it with classmates.School-Home Connection Tell your family about the Epsicle and how it was created.Then talk about your favorite frozen treats and enjoy some together.Word Count:954RXENL08ARD6B18_BLR_P15