SOLVED. Science Project: Prove The Earth is Flat, Middle Grade, Novel. [s]

[John]

I'm looking for a children's to middle grade novel I checked out from my school library in the late 1970s. I believe it was about a school science fair project, though perhaps just a science class project.

The boy protagonist and his friend climbed a mountain to measure the curvature of the earth. Three mountains lined up and you couldn't see the third from the first because the earth curved enough that its top was below the top of the second, even though the second was shorter.

However, the protagonist did in fact see the third mountain from the first, thus proving the earth was flat. He announced this result to his class and was roundly ridiculed for it.

The middle of the book consists of assorted other science projects that also fail.

Finally, toward the end he figures out what really happened on the day he saw the mountain he couldn't possibly see, and uses that as his science project.

Any ideas? I'm drawing a blank.

[Andy]

Project Genius by William Hayes Project: Genius - a favorite of mine when I was a kid. This review https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re... mentions the flat earth issue briefly.

[John]

And we have a winner. That's certainly it. Thanks. I was tearing my hair out of over that one. I remember it so clearly, and yet couldn't come up with the name.

[Andy]

Glad to help. As I said, it was a favorite of mine back in the 1970s.