Weather - Fun and Frightening

FACEBOOK.COM/FUNFORKIDZ • FUNFORKIDZ.COM

Presents...

3 Check It Out! 4 Adventures of a Storm Chaser 6 10 Weird and Wacky Facts 8 Howling Hurricanes 9 Dancing Devils 10 Puzzles 12 The Lost Snowman 16 Grandma Addie and the 18-Wheeler 18 Blizzard Blast 19 Weather Funnies 20 Animals That Predict the Weather 21 Weather Whiz Kidz 22 Chasing Rainbows 23 CD Rainbow 24 Max & Gracie 25 Cloud Cover 26 Weather Wizards of Ancient Times 29 Kids Corner 30 Puzzle Solutions 2

W

eather affects us all. Will I need a jacket when I go out in the morning? Is it going to snow enough tonight for school to be cancelled? I sure hope our soccer game doesn’t get rained out.

These are some of the thoughts we might have on any given day. It is all because of the weather. We can’t control the weather, but it is fascinating to think about.

Thunderstorms and tornadoes are especially serious and scary. Imagine riding in a car that is chasing a bad storm or tornado! This is only for trained storm chasers. You can read about one person’s frightening experience in this issue. You’ll also discover lots of odd facts and events, like the time it rained worms and the year there was no summer.

Sometimes it’s just fun to tell jokes about the weather since we can’t do anything about it. How does rain tie its shoe? With a rainbow. What is a tornado’s favorite game? Twister. I’ll bet you know a weather joke or riddle. Send it in, and we’ll publish your weather funny. Draw a picture, or write and tell us what the weather is like right now where you live. All you have to do is go outside and look!

Rain or shine, send your weather report to: Kids Corner, PO Box 227, Bluffton, OH 45817-0227, or email us at: kidscorner@funforkidz.com.

How can I be a sun flower with all this snow?

It’s so hot, they’re frying eggs on the road!

3

Did you ever plunge down a roller coaster? Heart pounding, you’re filled with joy, fear, and overpowering excitement. That is how storm chasers feel when they spot a funnel cloud. Storm chasers devote their lives to the study of thunderstorms, hurricanes, and tornadoes. They are trying to save lives and property loss. These costs can run into millions of dollars.

One storm chaser told us about one of his scariest chases that took place in Texas. The area had been hit with an outbreak of tornadoes. A team mapped out the likely strike areas. Each driver had an assigned position to reach for the afternoon outbreak.

The storm chaser had other passengers in his car. These included a computer/weather equipment operator in the front seat and a cameraman in the back seat. As they were traveling to their assigned spot, they realized something was wrong. All of a sudden, it was dark as night. The wind was blowing 50 miles per hour. There was golf-ball-sized hail. The rain was so heavy, they couldn’t see. They were inside the core of the thunderstorm.

This was the most dangerous place they could be.

They stopped to get their bearings. They had lost all radio contact with the command vehicle and the Doppler radar. The team had received reports of tornadoes ahead of them coming their way. That was the last information they had.

The team inched forward. The wind was throwing debris and more hail at the car. As they cleared the worst of the rain, they were confronted with an awesome sight. Right in front of them was a 1.3-mile-wide tornado.

It took up half of the horizon. The funnel was rotating faster than it was moving. It was four times as wide as it was tall. The team was only 500 feet away from the monster. They started taking pictures and videos as fast as they could.

4

illustration by Deborah C. Wright • colored by Gaurakisora Tucker

Then their radio was restored. They sent the tornado coordinates to the lead car. The funnel was moving away from them. The team thought they were out of danger. But then, a small tornado came around and whipped right in front of them, spinning into the main tornado.

Trees and telephone poles were snapping behind them. Although they knew large tornadoes can spawn smaller satellite funnels, this was the first time this storm chaser had been between a smaller tornado and the main one.

This was the most dangerous spot the storm chaser had ever been in. The amount of energy in a strong storm like this is more powerful than an atomic bomb. Fortunately for the team, they drove out of it and were unharmed.

You can be a storm chaser without driving toward a tornado. Just use your eyes and ears and watch the sky. You can be a dedicated weather observer without even leaving your neighborhood.

Teenage storm chaser Matt Biddle and a tornado

5

6

7

An ocean may look calm and quiet, but far off in the distance, a hurricane may be forming. Hurricanes are intense tropical cyclones that can stay in the ocean for days or even weeks. They gain strength as they move over warm tropical waters and begin to grow and grow and GROW. As the ocean winds become more powerful, hurricanes begin to swirl and spin rapidly.

Most hurricanes stay in the ocean, skimming across the water before dying off.

Sometimes, though, hurricanes slam into coastal areas, where many people live.

A hurricane can drop over 2 trillion gallons of drenching rain a day and can have ferocious, roaring 180-mph winds! It can produce tornadoes, huge waves, and floods. These cause devastating damage, even in areas far from the coast.

Hurricanes can be as much as 500 miles wide. A hurricane’s eye can be from 2 to over 200 miles wide. The eye is the calm center of a hurricane.

The Galveston, Texas, hurricane of 1900 caused between 6000 and 12,000 deaths. No one knows how many. People knew a hurricane was coming, but they didn’t know exactly when or where it would land.

In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused massive damage along the Gulf of Mexico.

Did You Know?

Tropical cyclones go by different names depending on where they form: hurricane - Atlantic or Eastern Pacific Ocean typhoon - Western North Pacific Ocean cyclone – South Pacific and Indian Ocean

8

Tornadoes can be different sizes and shapes. Some of them can be 2-1/2 miles wide!

What would you call whirling funnels of furiously spinning air? Native Americans called them dancing devils. Some people today call them twisters. Meteorologists know them as tornadoes.

Weather conditions have to be just right for a tornado to form. There must be thunderstorm clouds. Then cool, dry air must rise from the ground and meet warm, moist air in the clouds. Next, fast-moving winds get to work. They mix and swirl the air together.

Soon there is a horizontal tube of rolling air. But it’s not a tornado yet. Strong winds tilt the tube downward toward the ground. A funnel takes shape, and it pulls in more warm air and gets W I D E R,

L O N G E R,

and spins FA S T E R.

Before long, the funnel’s tail touches the ground. Now, it’s a tornado! A strong, fast tornado can speed across the landscape at 70 mph. The amazingly powerful winds of these mean monsters can destroy everything in their path. They can blow apart buildings, uproot trees, crush cars, and even pull water out of streams.

Not everything is known about dancing devils, but one thing is sure: You never want to meet one.

9

Fraction-nition

by David Lindo

by Lauretta Ivy

Find the letters described by the fraction given in each statement.

Print the letters you select, in the order provided, into the boxes.

The first 1/4 of SHIP

1

2

4

5

3

6

The last 2/5 of RERUN The middle 1/3 of DISHES

7

8

The first 1/4 of INFINITE The middle 1/5 of TREAT What goes around your house, gets into your house, but never touches your house?

by Guy Belleranti

Find the missing letters in each of the weatherrelated words. The found letters will tell you what a person who is interested in the weather is called.

9

DOWN 1. Frozen rain that looks like little balls or marbles 2. Water vapor in the air that can be fluffy white or gray 3. Ice crystals falling from the sky. No two are alike.

6. Shorter word for “atmosphere” 8. frozen water ACROSS 1. Bad tropical storm over the ocean or coast 4. Water falling from the sky 5. twister or cyclone 7. Blowing air. Can be a breeze or stronger.

9. Loud noise from lightning

Person interested in the weather:

■■■■■■■■■■■■■

Rainy Day Puzzle

H U ■ I D I T Y T ■ M P E R A T U R E ■ H U N D E R S L ■ E T S N ■ W F ■ E E Z I N G H ■ T C ■ O U D Y C ■ L D F O ■ H A ■ L ■ U N N Y S ■ O R M

by Rebecca Spohn

10

Nine students have left out their boots and umbrellas to dry. Each row and each column has something about it that the other boots and umbrellas don’t have. Can you figure out what?

by Julie Truesdell

Each of these four kids likes doing a different activity during different types of weather. Use the clues to find the type of weather and the activity that each one likes. In the grid, put an “x” in the boxes you know doesn’t go with the kid. Put an “o” in the boxes that do go with the kid.

Hints: 1. Addy loves sunny weather but not jogging.

2. Peyton loves reading but not while it’s cloudy.

3. The kid that likes snowy weather likes to draw, but it isn’t Tristan.

Favorite Weather Addy Casey Peyton Tristan

Cloudy

Rainy

Sunny

Activity Snowy Reading

Drawing

It’s Raining

by Guy Belleranti

Can you answer the rainy-day riddles below? To decode the answers, write down the letter which comes before the letter given.

1. Why did the animal lover want to play in the rain?

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ J U X B T S B J O J O H ___ ___ ___ B O E

___ ___ ___ ___ D B U T

___ ___ ___ ___.

E P H T

2. Why did the baby cloud rain tears?

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ J U X B T B G S B J E

Hiking

Jogging

Want to

snow weather your answers are true or false?

___ ___ P G

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___.

U I V O E F S 3. What did the raindrop parents use to wrap their child’s birthday present?

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ S B J O C P X B

See page 30.

11

12

13

14

15

by Lois B. Grambling illustrated by Connie Troutman colored by Gaurakisora Tucker

Grandma Addie got up early. It was Hannah’s birthday. Grandma Addie had promised she’d help her granddaughter celebrate.

“Lizzie and I have a long way to go,” Grandma Addie said, looking at the clock. “We’d best be on our way.” She put on her coat, hat, and boots and picked up Hannah’s birthday gift. Then Grandma Addie hurried out to the garage where Lizzie, her car, was waiting.

Grandma Addie climbed in and started Lizzie’s engine. Bangity-bang! Grandma Addie drove up and down hills. It began to snow. She drove over a rickety bridge and onto a four-lane highway. It began to snow even harder. Lizzie started to huff and puff. “Oh, dear.

I don’t know whether poor Lizzie can push through this.” Just ahead, a sign said: TRUCK STOP 2 MILES. “Just keep going a little farther, Lizzie, and we can rest,” Grandma Addie said. Lizzie kept going.

Grandma Addie reached the truck stop and came to a wheezing halt. She climbed out, brushed the snow off Lizzie, and covered her with a blanket. “Rest for a while, old friend,” she said, patting Lizzie gently before going into the restaurant.

16

Truck drivers were sitting at the counter.

Grandma Addie joined them. Gertie, the waitress, handed her a menu. Grandma Addie smiled and said, “Just a cup of hot tea, please.” When Gertie brought the tea, she asked Grandma Addie what she was doing out in the snowstorm. Grandma Addie explained about her granddaughter’s birthday and how she had promised to help celebrate.

“Ma’am,” one of the truckers said, “I’m curious.

How did you manage to get so far in this storm?”

Grandma Addie pointed out the window. “Why, in Lizzie, of course,” she said. “Lizzie has always gotten me where I’ve wanted to go. But I can’t ask her to go back out in this storm! I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it to Hannah’s house today, unless . . .” Grandma Addie smiled, “. . . one of you kind gentlemen happen to be turning off at exit 27?”

“Well, Ma’am,” said the trucker, “I’ll be turning off at that exit to pick up my next load. I’d be right pleased to have you ride along with me. My name’s Jim.” “Would you, Jim? Thank you. That’s very kind of you.”

“Don’t worry about Lizzie, Ma’am,” Gertie said as Grandma Addie headed out the door with Jim. “I’ll keep an eye on her till you get back.”

Grandma Addie was having a wonderful time riding in the 18-wheeler. But then she frowned. “Oh, Mr. Jim,” she said sadly, “I left Hannah’s birthday present on Lizzie’s back seat! Now I have no birthday gift!”

“Don’t fret, Ma’am.” Jim smiled. “I know something we can give your Hannah for her birthday.” Jim leaned over and told her what he had in mind.

Later that afternoon, the doorbell rang at Hannah’s house. “It’s Grandma Addie, Mamma!” Hannah shouted as she opened the door. “She’s here!”

“How did Lizzie ever make it through all this snow?” Hannah’s mother asked.

“Lizzie didn’t, but Mr. Jim and his 18-wheeler did!” said Grandma Addie. “Put on your jacket and your hat and boots, Hannah. Hurry now. Let’s not keep Mr. Jim waiting. We want to give you your birthday present.”

As the three rode down the snow-covered street, Hannah’s eyes were bright with excitement. “Thanks, Grandma Addie! Thanks, Mr. Jim!” Hannah turned to her grandmother. “You know what I want to be when I grow up?”

“A truck driver, of course!” said Grandma Addie.

17

It’s snowing! First, two inches fell. Then six inches. The snow has been falling for hours. Now ten inches of snow cover the ground, and it’s still coming.

You’ve seen snowstorms before, but nothing like this. Will those thick gray snow clouds ever go away?

If you live in an area that gets snow, you know how much fun it is to build snowmen, go sledding, or build igloos. But big snowstorms can bring trouble too. Heavy snow can bring down power lines. That means no electric lights in your house. Water pipes can freeze. Thousands of travelers may have to abandon their cars on the road because they can’t drive through the snow.

Blizzards, with their very strong winds, are the most severe kind of snowstorms. The high winds moan while whipping up the falling snow and the snow on the ground. It’s hard to see anything through this white haze.

Huge snowdrifts bury playsets, dog houses, and practically anything that’s outside.

18

Some blizzards last two or three days or more and can dump a total of over thirty inches of snow. When this happens, whole towns are covered in white. Everything stands still until nature’s white fury passes over. Then the blue skies return, snow plows push the snow into mountainous piles, people shovel out their cars and sidewalks, and the town slowly comes back to life. Now you can go out and enjoy the snow!

“I guess you heard about the frost last night.”

by Joseph Bore

...THOSE FORECASTERS NEVER GET ANYTHING RIGHT!

19

by Jane Scherer There are lots of myths about animals and weather predictions. For example, some people believe squirrels grow bushier tails or hoard more nuts when a bad winter is coming.

Folklore says that bees stay close to their hives if they sense rain coming. The groundhog may come out in early February and see its shadow, but that doesn’t really mean we’ll have six more weeks of winter. Have you heard the myth about cows? Catch them lying down in the field, and rain is coming. If cows are standing up, the weather will be fair.

But it’s true that some animals do seem to know when the weather is about to change. If migrating geese fly due north or south, we’ll have fair weather the next day. If they set their course from east to west, you can get your umbrella out.

When rain is coming, flies bite harder and more often. So do fish, as many fishermen know.

Cows and deer stand facing east if fair weather is coming, west if it’s not. Ants and spiders run around more in sunny weather, causing picnickers no end of trouble.

20

When it comes to really violent events, like earthquakes, some animals sense them beforehand. Long ago, the Incas of South America would keep catfish in a pool. When the fish got very restless, or jumped out of the pond, the Incas knew the ground would tremble. In 1974, hibernating snakes in northern China crawled out of their holes. Less than two months later, an earthquake struck, and a town was destroyed. Although one million people lived there, few were hurt because they were prepared, thanks to the snakes.

Is it a mystery why some animals are weather predictors? Not really. Scientists say some animals react to changes in air pressure, temperature, humidity, and even slight underground differences. Animal senses are more highly developed than ours in many ways.

Lights! Camera! Action!

Have you ever wished you could be a TV weather reporter?

There are TV stations across the country that give kids the chance to learn weather forecasting from real meteorologists. And the kids get to do a live weather report on TV with thousands watching!

Weather kids will either write their own short script to read out loud or make up their weather report as they go. It depends upon the city. Sometimes kids report alone. Other times, they team up with the station’s meteorologist. In one city, the kids might sit at a desk. In another city, they stand in front of the weather map. No matter how it’s done, the kids have loads of fun while learning how to give a weather forecast. They can even have fun without appearing on TV. Some stations have kids send in their photos. Then the heads are put on cartoon bodies in cartoon weather scenes. Cool!

If you’re a weather fanatic, find out if a TV station near you has a weather kids program. Someday soon, YOU may be a kid weather forecaster!

21

“Look, Caleb! A rainbow! Let’s go to it!” Rachel and her cousin Caleb race across the field. But no matter how far they run, the rainbow doesn’t seem to get any closer.

Maybe like Rachel and Caleb, you’ve chased rainbows. But guess what. Rainbows are not objects.

They are not something you can stand next to or touch. That’s because rainbows are made with sunlight.

Have you ever tried holding sunlight in your hands? You can’t!

After it rains, millions of tiny raindrops are still in the air. When sunlight passes through them, the droplets bend and separate the light into the colors you see. That’s right. Sunlight contains different colors! When the light spreads out, each color forms its own band. The name ROY G. BIV will help you remember a rainbow’s colors: red , orange , yellow , green , blue , indigo , and violet .

Rainbows are seen as a long arch or as part of a circle. But these weather wonders actually form in a full circle! We just see part of a rainbow because the horizon gets in the way.

Colorful arcs can appear wherever water mist and sun meet. If the sun is behind you, and mist is in front of you, you can see rainbows in waterfalls, fountains, dew on the grass, or even water from your garden hose.

22

Sunlight may appear white, but it’s really made up of all the colors of the rainbow! Over 300 years ago, a famous scientist showed the world that this is true. Sir Isaac Newton placed a PRISM in a beam of sunlight, and colors were seen on a wall.

A prism is a triangular piece of glass. When light passes through a prism, the light bends and separates, and the different colors are scattered. You can do Sir Isaac’s experiment today, and you do not need a prism. You can use something that did not exist in his day – a CD disk.

What You Need: • a sunny day

• a tissue

• a CD disk (It does not matter which one, but ask an adult for help in selecting one that is not valuable. Handle the CD carefully so it won’t be harmed.)

What You Do:

1. Carefully and gently wipe off the shiny (mirror)

side of the CD with the tissue. Make sure there are no fingerprints or smudges on it. Hold it only by the very edges, and DO NOT touch the surface of it.

2. Holding it by the edges, bring the CD outside.

Face the mirror side toward the sun. Tip it back and forth.

3. WOW! You will see a beautiful RAINBOW of colors reflecting off the CD!

The Science Secret Sir Isaac was able to see the rainbow colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet using a prism. If you could look at the surface of the CD through a microscope, you would see that it contains thousands of prisms. When the sunlight strikes these prisms, and reflects off them back to your eye, you see the same colors Sir Isaac saw many years ago. Raindrops act like prisms. That’s why we often see a rainbow when the sun comes out after it rains!

23

Anchorage, Alaska 2:34 PM A wee bit of a nip in the air Max and Gracie and their owners, Linda, Craig, and their seven-year-old son, Ed, are driving the back roads of America. Perhaps you have seen Max and Gracie with their heads out the window. If not, here is a letter describing their most recent adventure.

on the cool grass, I y points out. Lying down next to him tedl exci Ed d,” clou e tach mus a s “There’ tache cloud zooms by. look up at the sky. A handlebar mus there’s a cloud shaped like a horse!”

“Look! Right there, Max and Gracie, of Ed, looking out . She’s lying down on the other side Worry lines crisscross Gracie’s forehead rs. mpe clouds is headed our way. Gracie whi toward the horizon. A mass of dark collar. Soon we’re t. Gracie grabs the other side of Ed’s I quickly grab the collar of Ed’s shir the picnic tables of one at ng sitti field in the park. Linda, the ss acro Ed ng ami scre a ging drag concrete floor. He’s not Gracie and I gently lower Ed onto the under a sturdy shelter, stands up as did to my shirt! Bad dogs.” happy with us at all. “Look what you tric jolts, filling the the sky. It splinters into a hundred elec Just then, lightning crackles across s. paw my eath l, and the earth trembles ben air. Thunder roars, deep and powerfu er the table. Linda the second thunderclap, she hides und Gracie jumps on a picnic table. With , drenching the ground g-ball-sized hail fall. Rain comes next pulls Ed close as we watch Ping-Pon in seconds. weather?” Without difference between a horse and the Gracie yells, “Hey, Max, what’s the n.” dow s rain r e is reined up, and the othe waiting for an answer, she says, “On s, but I understand this is Gracie’s Now is not the time to be making joke ed. r, the sun shone. The storm had pass way of coping. Twenty minutes late earlier, Max and Gracie. You are Ed hugs us. “Sorry about what I said good, very good, dogs.”

Max

24

by Marie Tower “There’s not a cloud in the sky.” You may have said this while looking at a clear blue sky. Later in the day, soft puffy clouds drift in and change shapes right before your eyes. There are more than one hundred kinds of clouds, but they all fit into one of these four family groups.

CIRRUS, or high, clouds are five miles or more above Earth. These clouds are made of ice particles. They are white, feathery, and wispy and are arranged in rows.

ALTOSTRATUS, or middle, clouds are water droplet clouds two to four miles above Earth. They are thick and gray or bluish in color. The sun shines through them as if it were behind frosted glass.

STRATOCUMULUS, or low, clouds are also made of water droplets. They are less than one mile above Earth. These clouds form in large rolls and are soft and gray. Even though they seem to cover the whole sky, they are not very thick. Blue sky often peeks between them. Rain and snow fall from these clouds.

CUMULONIMBUS clouds rise like mountains high into the atmosphere. They can be less than a mile to more than eight miles above Earth’s surface. These are thunderstorm clouds, dark and heavy, and carry lots of water.

25

Meteorology is the study of the atmosphere and weather. Long ago, a few great thinkers made astounding discoveries using nothing more than the human eye and their minds.

They were the great . . .

written and illustrated by Andrew Wales • colored by Gaurakisora Tucker

Aristotle is known as the “father of meteorology.” He made up the term in 350 B.C.

Nature does nothing uselessly!

Aristotle wrote a book describing his weather observations. He also recognized how the water cycle works: The sun’s heat turns water in oceans, lakes, and rivers into water vapor. This rises to the sky, changes back into a liquid, and forms clouds. Clouds become too full of water, and rain, sleet, snow, or hail falls to Earth. The sun’s heat causes the cycle to begin again.

26

Aristotle had many theories about the universe. It took centuries for those who followed to improve upon his discoveries . . .

. . . or, in some cases, to prove his theories wrong.

In 80 A.D., the Chinese philosopher Wang Chong cleared up many weather myths.

He was poor and lacked funds, so he studied by standing at bookstalls.

Pay up or get moving!

This isn't a library!

He had an excellent memory and became very familiar with Chinese classics in this way.

He eventually got a good job, but his superiors didn’t think much about him.

But what did Ha!! Confucius was Confucius say? We cannot not always correct. question his sayings!

Ah, it thunders!

The heavens are displeased.

NO, YOU FOOL! He was wrong about some things, you know.

Wang Chong often lost jobs due to his combative nature.

Why, Confucius said that rain comes from the stars!!

. . . AND

Rain is evaporated from water into clouds, then it condenses into rain!

Wang was rational and persistent about knowledge.

Belief requires evidence, just as action requires results!

DON'T COME BACK! Anyone can prattle nonsense, and there will always be people who believe it!

Especially if they dress it up in superstition!

27

Around 1593, an Italian scientist invented a type of thermometer that used water and a tall glass tube.

In 1644, an Italian physicist invented the barometer, an instrument Evangelista that measures air pressure.

Torricelli

Galileo Galilei Today’s “Galileo thermometers” are waterfilled glass cylinders. When the room temperature changes, the glass bulbs floating inside rise or sink, depending on their weight.

The number on the tag of the bulb floating in the middle tells what the temperature is.

He filled long glass tubes with mercury and put them upside-down into a mercury-filled dish. As the atmosphere’s pressure changed, the height of the mercury in all the tubes would rise to the same level, even if they were tilted. Today’s barometers let meteorologists know what kind of weather to expect.

Galileo made many discoveries that people didn’t agree with.

He spent his last years under house arrest.

But the sun really IS the center of the solar system!

In 1743, a hurricane kept Benjamin Franklin from observing a lunar eclipse. This made him interested in storm movement.

Many great minds contributed to our understanding of weather. What do you think they would say about what we know today?

And this is called The

Weather Channel!

28

He discovered that storms don’t always follow the direction of the wind.

Dear Readers, Send us your artwork, poetry, and other creations for publication! Write us a letter, and tell what you think about Fun For Kidz. We love hearing from you!

Email to: kidscorner@funforkidz.com, or mail to: Kids Corner, PO Box 227, Bluffton, OH 45817-0227.

by Alanna Horst, age 11 Richfield, PA Dear Editor, I’m glad you have Kids Corner. It’s fun to read about other kids. Maybe I’ll draw a picture or write a poem and send it in. I am 9 and in 3rd grade.

Your friend, Delia Marie Jordan Hemet, CA

Dear Editor, I love your magazine! I went outside and saw a woodpecker pecking a tree. We live in the woods, so we see a lot of birds. I also saw a robin pecking the ground to fool worms. It pecked, and the worms, thinking it was a mole, headed for the surface. It ate a worm and flew away.

Alanna Horst Richfield, PA

Dear Readers, Would you like to join Zip’s Pen Pal Club?

It’s easy!

1. Send your name, age, full address, and up to four interests to Zip’s Pen Pal Club, PO Box 227, Bluffton, OH 45817-0227.

2. Your name, age, and interests will be listed with others who want a pen pal in a future issue of Fun For Kidz.

3. When the list appears, you can choose one or more pen pals. Then mail us a self-addressed, stamped envelope, and we’ll send you the full addresses within four weeks.

4. IMPORTANT: Make sure your parent signs your note to us giving their permission.

We won’t publish your name or send you the address list without their permission.

Dear Editor, I like the Birds and More Birds issue. All the stories were good. You asked us to write to you about birds that we see. My family went to the zoo, and I saw flamingos and a cassowary. The cassowary really did have a helmet on his head. It was cool.

Steven Ryan Blissfield, MI

5. Have fun writing and receiving letters!

Note to Parents: Zip’s Pen Pal Club is a place where kids can meet new friends and share friendly letters. Your child’s (children’s) full address will not appear in the pages of Fun For Kidz. Only the city and state (or province and country, if other than the US) will be used. We will never sell or trade your child’s (children’s) address.

29

Weather Crossword on page 10 Weather Logic Puzzle on page 11

DOWN:

CASEY

1. HAIL 2. CLOUD 3. SNOW 6. AIR 8. ICE

PEYTON

ACROSS:

ADDY

sunny, hiking snowy, drawing rainy, reading

TRISTAN

cloudy, jogging Fraction-nition on page 10

What goes around your house, gets into your house, but never touches your house?

SUNSHINE It’s Raining on page 11

1. IT WAS RAINING CATS AND DOGS. 2. IT WAS AFRAID OF THUNDER.

1. HURRICANE 4. RAIN 5. TORNADO 7. WIND 9. THUNDER Rainy Day Puzzle on page 10

ROW 1: black decorations on umbrellas ROW 2: square-shaped umbrella knobs ROW 3: umbrella handles turned to the right COLUMN 1: buckles on the boots COLUMN 2: black umbrella knobs COLUMN 3: triangle decorations on umbrellas

3. A RAINBOW Weather Words on page 10

Person interested in the weather:

30

METEOROLOGIST

Photo Credits: Photo provided by Barbara Walton 5; Wikimedia Commons: Commander Mark Moran, of the NOAA Aviation Weather Center, and Lt. Phil Eastman and Lt. Dave Demers, of the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center. (NOAA website) [Public domain] 8 (bottom); altostratus_translucidus by photographer: Simon Eugster - Simon 5 July 2005 13:56 (UTC) (Own work) [CC BY-SA 2.0 de (http://creativecommons. org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/de/deed.en)] 25 (top-right); 123rf.com: Copyright: iqoncept 21 (bottom-left); Copyright: file404 21 (middle-right).

Gift Giving for Friends & Family Don’t forget to let us know where to send your magazine!

Give the kids on your gift list

Fun For Kidz magazine and they’ll run to the mailbox all year long!

Contact us:

Kids love mail!

by email customerservice@funforkidz.com call 419-358-4610 (9 AM - 5 PM E.T.) US Post PO Box 227, Bluffton, OH 45817

Include the following: your name old address new address date to make the switch how to reach you if questions occur

Please allow at least six weeks.

Get a NEW subscription for only $16.48 when you buy one subscription at the regular price of $32.95.

(Additional postage cost outside US)

Request a gift card and FREE puzzle poster delivered with the first issue of each subscription.

Order on our website, www.funforkidz.com, using coupon code GIFT, or call us at: 419-358-4610 (9 AM - 5 PM E.T.).

V i s i t U s O n l i n e ! F a c e b o o k . c o m / F u n F o r K i d z • w w w. F u n F o r K i d z . c o m Vol. 16 No. 4 • JULY/AUG 2017 Publisher: Thomas M. Edwards Editor: Marilyn Edwards Associate Editor: Diane Winebar Graphic Design: Gaurakisora Tucker Marketing Director: Jonathan Edwards

FUN FOR KIDZ (ISSN 1536-898X) is published bi-monthly by the Bluffton News Publishing and Printing Company, P.O. Box 227, 101 N. Main St., Bluffton, OH 45817-0227.

Telephone: 419-358-4610. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Fun For Kidz, P.O. Box 227, Bluffton, OH 45817-0227. Periodical postage is paid at Bluffton, OH and Preston, ID.

Subscriptions: All subscription inquiries and changes of address should be addressed to FUN FOR KIDZ at P.O. Box 227, Bluffton, OH 45817. Telephone: 419-358-4610.

Subscription rates are six issues (1 year) $32.95; twelve issues (2 years) $55.90; eighteen issues (3 years) $68.85. Canadian postage - first class - $18 per year, all other foreign countries first class airmail - $37.50 per year.

FUN FOR KIDZ, INC. accepts no responsibility whatsoever for Article, Photo & Artwork Submissions: We accept and any injuries arising out of the use or misuse of ideas, materials, encourage article, photo and artwork submissions. Unsolicited and activities featured in its publications or products. materials will be considered for publication and will be returned Science Editor: Larry White Copyright © 2017 by the Bluffton News Publishing and Printing if accompanied by sufficient first-class postage. Guidelines are Co. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be available with a SASE. The publisher accepts no responsibility Science Illustrator: Alan Wassilak reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.

Riding ... with Max & Gracie Editor: Lisa Rehfuss FUN FOR KIDZ™, and the FUN FOR KIDZ logo™, are trademarks for unsolicited material. of FUN FOR KIDZ, The Bluffton News Publishing and Printing Co. Submissions should be sent to FUN FOR KIDZ, INC. Cover Artist: Chris Sabatino P.O. Box 227, Bluffton, OH 45817-0227.

Circulation Manager: Carolyn Sterling

/funforkidz

funforkidz.com

$7.95

Vanished Mysterious Pyramid

Mysteries of Chaco

My Mystery Friend

Mysterious-Looking Animals

A Mystery Lost to Time

Mystery of the Missing Chow

Mystery of the Sea Dragon