Oliver nodded. Yes. And hes also often credited as the father of the computer, since it was his designs that led to their invention. He looked at the next picture on the wall. And thats James Watt, he said. The inventor of the steam engine.

Ms. Belfry nodded. She looked thrilled. Oliver, I can already tell were going to get along famously.

Just then, the door opened, and in poured Olivers classmates. He swallowed, his anxiety returning in a huge rush.

Why dont you take a seat? Ms. Belfry suggested.

He nodded and hurried to the one closest to the window. If it all got too much, at the very least he could look out and imagine himself somewhere else. From here, he had a great view out over the neighborhood, at all the bits of trash and crispy fall leaves blowing in the wind. The clouds above looked even darker than they had that morning. It didnt really help with Olivers sense of foreboding.

The rest of the kids in the class were very loud and very rowdy. It took a long time for Ms. Belfry to settle them down so she could start her lesson.

Today, were carrying on from where we left off last week, she said, needing to raise her voice, Oliver noticed, in order to be heard over the din. With some amazing inventors from World War Two. I wonder if anyone knows who this is?

She held up a black-and-white photo of a woman whom Oliver had read about in his inventors book. Katharine Blodgett, who invented the gas mask, the smoke screen, and the non-reflective glass that was used for wartime submarine periscopes. After Armando Illstrom, Katharine Blodgett was one of Olivers favorite inventors, because he found all the technological advances shed made in World War Two fascinating.

Just then, he noticed Ms. Belfry looking at him expectantly. She could probably tell from his face that he knew precisely who was in the picture. But after his experiences today, he was afraid to say anything aloud. His class would work out he was a nerd eventually; Oliver didnt want to hurry the process.

But Ms. Belfry nodded at him, eager and encouraging. Against his better judgment, Oliver piped up.

Thats Katharine Blodgett, he said, finally.

Ms. Belfrys grin burst onto her face, bringing her lovely dimples with it. Thats correct, Oliver. Can you tell the class who she is? What she invented?

Behind him, Oliver could hear chuckling. The kids were already cottoning on to his nerd status.

She was an inventor during World War Two, he said. She created lots of useful and important wartime inventions, like submarine periscopes. And gas masks, which saved lots of peoples lives.

Ms. Belfry looked thrilled with Oliver.

FREAK! someone shouted from the back.

No, thank you, Paul, Ms. Belfry said sternly to the boy whod shouted. She turned to the board and began to write about Katharine Blodgett.