House That Cleaned Itself: The True Story of Frances Gabe's Mostly Marvelous Invention
Susan Romberg, Laura Dershewitz, illustrated by Meghann Rader

Like most of us, Frances Gabe detested housework -- she found cleaning a "nerve-twangling bore." Unlike most of us, she invented a contraption to free herself from this tedious task forever: a self-cleaning house! Gabe's wacky, wonderful home included almost 70 new patented inventions, from a soap-spraying sprinkler in the ceiling to a kitchen cabinet that washed, dried, and stored dishes all in one place. Though Gabe's invention didn't catch on, her determination and clever thinking remind us that we don't have to accept the world as it is; we can improve it using our minds and our own two hands.