Fascinating facts about Taylor Hernandez inventor of Magic Sponge Blocks in 2005.

Each Chester Award winner receives a licensing contract from BKFK, legal support to patent their invention (if patentable), professional expertise to bring their product to market, and a Xerox Phaser printer (worth about $1,000). Winners also named a teacher that was most inspirational to them to receive a $1,000 savings bond.

TO LEARN MORE

RELATED INFORMATION:
History of Toys and Games   from The Great Idea Finder
Young Inventors, A Class Act   from The Great Idea Finder

ON THE BOOKSHELF:
Brainstorm!: The Stories of Twenty American Kid Inventors
by Tom Tucker, Richard Loehle / Paperback - 144 pages  / Sunburst (1998)
The stories of twenty ingenious young Americans who have filed patents with the United States Patent Office, including Chester Greenwood who invented ear muffs, Ralph Samuelson, originator of water-skiing, and Vanessa Hess who created colored car wax.
The Kids' Invention Book
by Arlene Erlbach / Library Binding  / Lerner Publications Company (August 1997)
The stories of twelve kid inventors. Erlbach uses the success of 15-year-old Chester Greenwood, who invented earmuffs in 1873, as the takeoff point for introducing more than a dozen contemporary children who have created their own inventions. Each double-page spread profiles one child and his or her invention, some of which have won national recognition in inventors' contests.
The Kid Who Invented the Popsicle: And Other Surprising Stories About Inventions
by Don L. Wulffson / Paperback - 128 pages  / Puffin (1999)
Brief factual stories about how various familiar things were invented, many by accident, from animal crackers to the zipper. 

ON THE SCREEN:
Modern Marvels: Toys
VHS / 1 Volume Set / 50 Minutes / CC / The History Channel / Less than $25.00
Learn the surprising stories behind classics like Lincoln Logs and cap guns, and meet with the executives and engineers who are creating the next generation of kid's classics. They are the enduring icons of childhood: Lionel trains, Erector Sets, Matchbox cars, G.I. Joe. But they are more than just playthings; they are the tools children use to learn how to become adults.
History of Toys and Games
VHS / 1 Volume Set / 100 Minutes / The History Channel / Less than $30.00
As long as there have been children, there have been toys. And from wooden tops to virtual reality, America has always taken its playthings pretty seriously. Hear the fascinating stories of the young-at-heart inventors who created some of the most famous games and toys of all time, and meet the people who play for a living, trying to anticipate what kids will fall for next holiday season.

ON THE WEB:
Award Co-sponsor Xerox
Xerox Corporation (NYSE: XRX) is a $15.7 billion technology and services enterprise that helps businesses deploy smarter document management strategies and find better ways to work, providing the document industry's broadest portfolio of offerings. Xerox operates research and technology centers in the United States, Canada and Europe that conduct work in color science, computing, digital imaging, work practices, electromechanical systems, novel materials and other disciplines connected to Xerox's expertise in printing and document management. The company consistently builds its inventions into business by embedding them in superior Xerox products and solutions, using them as the foundation of new businesses, or licensing or selling them to other entities.
(URL: www.xerox.com/innovation)
'Magic Sponge Blocks' a National Winner
A 10-year-old Cincinnati girl won an award in the By Kids For Kids Xerox National Invention Competition. Article from the Cincinnati Enquirer
(URL: news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050629/BIZ01/506290336/1002/BIZ)
Amazing Kids
Each month, they showcase kids who are accomplishing amazing things. By telling their special stories, they hope to inspire other kids to accomplish their own amazing achievements.
(URL: www.amazing-kids.org/)