Gracie's Guide: Scavenger Hunt by Headline Books / Zoom Into Books

Gracie and her friends participate in the coolest scavenger hunt ever! They load up their backpacks and spend the day exploring the park with Wolfman, their chaperone. He’s the perfect guide to take them through the woods searching for clues as a part of the Police Explorers Club. It was a great day as they searched to find symbol cards to decode a hidden message. They also learned that when you work together, you will accomplish the most! Gracie’s Guides are an award-series that help kids understand and know how to cope with difficult situations. The series has been endorsed by SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) and is used by Police Departments in their summer programs for kids.

About the Author Award winning author, Angie Wilson, is a veteran elementary school reading teacher. She is the creator of two children's book series, Appalachian Heritage Books and Gracie's Mysteries Series. Her books have received a London Book Festival Award, Readers’ Favorite Award, and three Mom’s Choice Awards. She is very active in the Headline Kids School Show Program and visits classrooms throughout the year. She can often be found traveling with her husband, Derek, a church consultant minister. For more information visit www.AuthorAngieWilson.com

About the Illustrator Award-winning author and illustrator Ashley Teets is a 2012 summa cum laude graduate of Alderson-Broaddus College where she earned a B.F.A focusing on visual art with a minor in creative writing. After completing two semesters of graduate work at West Virginia University Ashley continued her graduate study through the Simmons College satellite graduate program at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts. She holds a Masters in Arts Administration through the University of Kentucky. Ashley is also a portrait artist, muralist and art instructor. For more information visit www.AshleyTeetsIllustration.com

ISBN 13: 9781951556624 $5.95 CAD 7.18

Headline Kids is an imprint of Headline Books 2018 Independent Publisher of the Year

V I T C A

K O O B ITY

Gracie’s Guide: Scavenger Hunt

Angie Wilson

Illustrated by Ashley Teets

Headline Kids an imprint of Headline Books, Inc Terra Alta, WV

Gracie’s Guide: Scavenger Hunt by Angie Wilson illustrated by Ashley Teets copyright ©2021 Angie Wilson All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any other form or for any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage system, without written permission from Headline Books. To order additional copies of this book, for book publishing information, or to contact the author: Headline Books, Inc. P.O. Box 52, Terra Alta, WV 26764 www.HeadlineBooks.com Tel: 304-789-3001 Email: mybook@headlinebooks.com Headline Kids is an imprint of Headline Books www.AuthorAngieWilson.com ISBN-13: 9781951556624

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Dedication We dedicate this book to local, state, and national leader, Greg Puckett. Thank you, Honorable County Commissioner Greg Puckett for your support and vision to make our community a better world in which to live. Mr. Puckett sees the Gracie And Friends series as a tool to reach out with guidance and information to educate a generation of children about being better kids and making a lasting impact on their friends and their families. His desire to bring hope, new life, and new developments to communities with new vision through working together is demonstrated by the kids in this story as they worked together to find clues in the scavenger hunt. As he says, “There is good and potential for better life in our counties that can bring a new, stable future to our children’s world.”

To say that Gracie, Kenzie, and Bailey were excited would be an understatement. Not only were they having a Friday night sleepover complete with movies, popcorn, and chocolate chip cookies, but it was the day before the Weekend Scavenger Hunt with Officer Jeremy. It was going to be the best weekend ever; they just knew it. The three girls spent half the evening packing their backpacks. Keep in mind, this wasn’t their normal spy backpacks, but survival packs. They each received a list of needed items that would help them with their outdoor exploring. They double and triple checked their packs to make sure they had everything they needed, including sunscreen, bug spray, a small First Aid kit, a water bottle, and a granola bar.

They decided to divide up the contents of Gracie’s spy bag among the three of them. Gracie placed her binoculars and pen and paper in her backpack. Bailey took the pink camouflaged duct tape and Kenzie had the magnifying glass. Although it would be more to carry when hiking, they couldn’t imagine leaving these items behind. They were, after all, first and foremost, super-spies.

It was an early start for them the next morning as they ate a good breakfast and got ready to leave. They met up at the picnic shelter in the park with their friends from their ‘Police Explorers’ club. Officer Jeremy and the other police officers started this club for children to learn about the dangers of substance use. They learned what it’s like to be an officer and got to explore the equipment policemen use. The club members look to Officer Jeremy and the other police officers as both friends and mentors. They know police officers, rescue squad personnel, or firefighters as friends because they are helpers. The kids also met Trax, the K-9 police dog, who uses his skill to track and find people and things that are lost. Gracie and her friends love Trax because he’s like a super-spy dog. They asked Officer Jeremy if Trax could go with them today on the scavenger hunt, but he just smiled and told them they would have to use their super-spy skills for today.

Officer Jeremy and his friends assigned everyone to groups of five. The girls were in a group with their friends, Henderson and Conner. The five of them were excited to be in the same group. The first group to successfully finish the scavenger hunt would win a gift card to the diner for ice cream sundaes.

They had an adult chaperone to ensure they didn’t get lost or hurt, but wasn’t allowed to assist them with the challenge. The chaperone was also in charge of taking pictures of the group when they found each item on the list. Their chaperone was Wolfman. His real name is Josh, but he got his nickname from his big wooly beard. The kids thought his name was perfect for a day in the woods. Who wouldn’t feel safe with a guy named Wolfman hanging around?

Henderson pulled a book out of his backpack entitled Trees of North America. The girls snickered when they saw this old, thick book. “Where did that come from? Your grandpa?” Bailey questioned. Henderson didn’t seem bothered by the girls in the least as he said, “You may laugh now, but it may have the information we need to complete this hunt!”

The girls rolled their eyes just as Conner started digging in his backpack and pulled out an equally ancient-looking book entitled Flowers and Insects. “Seriously?” Gracie asked. “Well, what did you girls bring of value for the day?” Conner inquired. “We are prepared,” Gracie firmly stated as the girls showed the boys their spy supplies. “What do you think we’re doing, looking for Bigfoot?” Conner asked and the two boys rolled with laughter.

Wolfman stepped in to calm the group down and assured them that when you’re in the woods, you never know what may come in handy. The kids received a card with animal tracks, a snack (granola bars and a bottle of water), and a survivor tool. The survivor tool had to be the coolest invention the kids had ever seen. It was a long whistle with a compass, a removable signaling mirror, flint, and a dry storage compartment. It was attached to a lanyard, so everyone put it on before they started. Each of the children also received a scavenger hunt card with several items on it to take a picture of when they found it. They were to find a bug, pinecone, and a squirrel. It also had a hidden message at the bottom. They had to find symbol cards with a letter on them to figure out the hidden message. Each card would be placed somewhere near the clue. Officer Jeremy informed them they had to solve little mysteries before they could find the item. Each clue was a mystery. It was a super-spy’s dream. The first clue was rolled up like a little scroll tied with a string. The chaperones

held the clue while Officer Jeremy counted down to begin. The groups were superexcited and could hardly wait to hear what was on the scroll. Gracie grabbed her binoculars so she would be ready to find the first clue. Wolfman read from the scroll, “This tree has white bark that peels easily. The wood of this tree is highly flammable and can catch fire even when it is wet. It is in the northeast corner of the park and is near a park sign.” “Okay, the first thing we need to do is look at our compass to find the direction we need to go,” Henderson stated. The group promptly grabbed their survival tool and tried to figure out how to read

the compass. Henderson had been in the woods with his dad on many camping trips and was quick to take the lead to show them where they needed to go. There were three other groups of kids who were a part of the scavenger hunt. The city park was full of excitement as they began to comb through the woods, trying to find this mysterious tree. When Gracie’s group reached the northeast corner, they started looking for a tree with white bark. Several trees fit that description. Gracie began looking through her binoculars for park signs while Henderson searched through his ginormous tree book. “Aha!” Gracie exclaimed, “I see a park sign between two trees.” The group realized both trees had white-looking bark. One tree was covered with what looked like tiny little brown golf balls. Henderson found that tree in his book and informed the group that it was a sycamore tree, but he didn’t read that it matched the description on the clue. He continued to comb through his book. “Wait, I’ve got it!” Henderson yelled, “It’s the one on the left, the Birch tree

because it is highly flammable. It says so right here.” “Okay, let’s look for the symbol card,” Kenzie squealed as she took out her magnifying glass and they all began to search. “Wait, wait! I found it! There’s two of them!” Kenzie yelled as she found the tip of the card beneath a leaf along with the second scroll for tip #2. One symbol card had a picture of a star on one side and the letter T on the other and the second had a picture of a butterfly on one side and the letter Y. Gracie grabbed her pen and notebook and filled in two letters of the message. Wolfman took a picture of the group at the tree with the card and then read the

second clue. “Congratulations! You’ve found the second clue. The next clue is very near but be careful not the step on the pretty flowers. If you find this flower you will know if you’re loved or not!” Conner began to search his flower book, but Bailey yelled, “It’s a daisy! We always pick a daisy and pick off the petals as we say, ‘he loves me, he loves me not’.” “Yes!” the group exclaimed as they went in five different directions looking for daises. They searched until they found a pretty sunny spot in the park with daises. They carefully searched for the next card and clue. “I’ve got it!” Conner yelled when he heard the crunch of paper beneath his foot. He gave the symbol card to Gracie and the scroll to Wolfman, who took a picture of them in the daisy patch. This card had a flashlight on one side and the letter S. “You guys are quick,” Wolfman stated, “Now, let’s find our next clue. It says, “This

clue may be tricky to find. Look for a flying insect sign. By the way, you will receive a bonus if you can find at least three sets of animal tracks.” “That’s it? We don’t know which direction?” Henderson questioned. “That’s it,” Wolfman replied. Conner searched his book for flying bugs and gave a brief list of possibilities: moths, butterflies, bees, stinkbugs, flies, and dragonflies. “That is just a few,” Conner stated as they looked for a park sign. Gracie looked through her binoculars and read a few signs, but none of them had a flying insect on them. They combed through the woods until they ended up at the fishing pond where Henderson spotted duck tracks. Wolfman took a picture of the tracks as they continued to search for the clue. It seemed to take forever for this clue. They searched so long that Kenzie decided to eat the granola bar.

They immediately continued their search. Finally, Gracie yelled, “I found it!” Everyone ran to her as she showed them the Dragonfly sign which read, “Dragonflies are commonly found in warmer climates near the water. They can fly very fast, at speeds of 30 miles per hour. They can also fly backward.” They searched for the clue, which was taped to the back of the sign along with a symbol card of a bird and the letter F. This scavenger hunt was getting more difficult, but the group was still excited and anxious to hear the next clue. Clue #4 read: “The next clue is near a flower that can have up to 200 seeds growing on it but beware of the buzzing. Each group needs to collect one seed from this flower for all of your ages added together.” Once again, Conner grabs his flower book and frantically begins to search. Kenzie borrows Gracie’s pen and notebook as she asks everyone their age and does the math. While everyone is searching around, Conner looks up from his book and says, “Dandelions!”

They searched for nearly thirty minutes for dandelions. It seemed there weren’t any in the entire park. “I found something!” Conner exclaimed, “It’s not a flower, but I think it’s a set of animal tracks.” They all swarmed around him and started crawling around on their knees, looking at the tracks. They examined their animal track card, but it was hard to tell what kind of tracks they’d found. “They look like either a fox, or a dog, or a cat,” Conner said. “I don’t think it’s long enough to be a fox,” Henderson stated, “Maybe it’s a cat because it’s pretty small.” The two boys agreed that it was cat prints as Wolfman grabbed a pic. Although they were excited about the tracks, there was still no sign of a dandelion.

“What if it’s a different flower? We could be looking for the wrong thing!” Bailey exclaimed. Conner immediately thumbed through his book again to look for an answer while everyone else kept searching for any kind of flower. “Wait! Wait! I think it’s a sunflower! Let’s search for a sunflower!” Conner yelled.

“I know where they are!” Kenzie stated, and the group followed her to a grassy spot full of them. Conner found the clue tied to the tallest flower in the group. Kenzie once again used her magnifying glass to find the symbol card with an acorn with the letter E. Wolfman continued to take pictures to document the day.

“We need quite a few seeds,” Bailey stated, “seventy-two of them!” “Where are we going to keep all of the seeds?” Conner asked. “I’ve got it,” Kenzie yelled as she pulled the pink camo duct tape out of her backpack. She pulled off two pieces, made a bracelet for each of her arms with the sticky side out, and then stuck the seeds on it. She tucked a few extra under her long sleeves. While she was working on the seeds, Henderson spotted a bug and picked it up. They all posed and marked another item off of their card. “That’s Craziness with a capital C!” Gracie laughed as she watched Kenzie with the seeds.

Wolfman read the last clue: “The last clue is found in a tree that produces large coneshaped seed structures.” “It’s a pine tree!” Gracie blurted, “Even I know that!” “You’re right, but which one?” Wolfman asked. The group looked ahead of them and saw at least twenty pine trees in the distance. They ran to them and started searching. Gracie used her binoculars, carefully tracing every inch of the trees. She was determined to find the last clue. Henderson and Conner went in one direction and Bailey and Kenzie went in a different direction as they examined the area. They posed for a pic with a pinecone and even spotted a squirrel scampering along high above them. Wolfman made sure he snapped the photos.

The last clue took longer than any of the others to find. The boys even munched on their snacks while looking. Gracie spotted something strange-looking on a pinecone on a low branch and she yelled for the group. Conner quickly climbed the tree and retrieved the last clue, but there wasn’t a symbol card with it. While they combed through the soft bed of pinecones in the area, Wolfman read the note: “The symbol card is back at the picnic shelter. It is taped up high.” “What? There’s more?” the group exclaimed. They hurried back to the shelter to find another group was already there and won first place, so the group worked hard to come in second place. Henderson found the last symbol card on a pole in the shelter. It had a tree on one side and the letter A on the other.

Gracie recorded the last letter and decoded the message:

S TAY S A F E !

When all of the groups finished the scavenger hunt, Officer Jeremy gathered everyone around the campfire and demonstrated how to safely build a campfire. When the fire was rolling, everyone took turns roasting hotdogs and then enjoyed s’mores. It was a yummy way to end the day. Trax sniffed around the campfire, but he wasn’t hunting for clues. He was searching for crumbs. The kids love Trax. It’s the best part of their club meeting when they get to spend time with a real K-9 dog. Each group shared their stories of the scavenger hunt along with their pictures. It seemed all the groups had some kind of funny story to share and some pretty silly photos.

The day went down in the books as the best scavenger hunt Gracie and her friends had ever experienced. Wolfman pointed out to them that everyone in the group used their item in the search. The boys had laughed at the spy supplies the girls had in their backpacks, but they used each item to help discover the clues. The girls had laughed at the boys and their ginormous and ancient books, but they had the information needed to help. The kids looked at each other and smiled, realizing Wolfman was right. “Always look for the good in others, never laugh at their efforts,” Wolfman stated, “When you all work together, you will accomplish the most.” They realized Wolfman was right as they apologized to each other. “How about ice cream sundaes?” Wolfman offered. Great fun, great advice, and great ice cream … who could ask for a better day?

Crossword Puzzle

6 7

Across 3. Which spy supply did Kenzie pack in her survival pack? (two words) 6. The first clue was hid near what kind of tree? 8. What is the name of the club Officer Jeremy has each month for the kids? (two words) 9. What did Officer Jeremy teach the kids how to build at the end of the story? 10. What kind of flower can have over 200 seeds growing on it?

Down 1. What was the flying insect in one of the clues? 2. What is one spy item Gracie packed in her survival pack? 4. What was the mystery message in the scavenger hunt? (two words) 5. What is the nickname of the chaperone in the story? 7. What is the name of the K-9 police dog?

Word Search J W C H D E N N Y F M T S T A Y S A F E O U N P

s'mores compass

Z U Q E C X J T G E N O C E N I P F I E F S M L

B C A W J H L K J D H H H H C K X J P M I Y K A

B V V K Y D J M X L C I D B D K V G T C Q Q N N

S S E A I H M N J X K L E I V A Z N T I S S W I

E M E Q H I L E F Q U C U F H J Q U Y E D N B M

G T N U H R E G N E V A C S T B J D R C S B W A

campfire animal tracks

C A M P F I R E A Y L K P E P R J O K J A P O L

D R L V W H W I S H E J L H O G M Z V I F P M T

bug

E D P C E M P N R P P C W H C S G F X W P O C R

X L S U N F L O W E R R M O I H Y G V G L X X A

P N G I I F K C O J X J K Z T K A F P L H T B C

L T N J D D H R X B X Y F B L R I G K L D L S K

O Y A A N S N E Q K M N E T E B A N A L V Q W S

R H M P L W S J Y T Z Z J Y D O B Q G X Z J B J

stay safe

Wolfman

N R L C Z F T U P Z R I W Z F K O R P H J Z J Z

G L O B X H R O R M W Z Y S T R T F P R S J V C

J E W R H I A S F V O P R I G D O B U T N I L F

B B O Z A P X Y B S I C G U T B W U C T I C E L

J W I I O S F O I F E V D R L R A G G K C F D C

D B L P Z Q P N R L T C A D V R F T T L W D B S

M J I O A W E G A V D V L L S N M E V Y H V H A

Y H V L R J I T X M T S B X M J D G T T C X L W

sunflower

pinecone

flint

hiking

exploring

survival

Trax

scavenger hunt

I P F S U E S A H A R L Y D N S K P J S G Q H P

A recipe page for a Trail Mix:

1 cup toasted oat cereal 1 cup goldfish crackers 1 cup raisins or dried fruit 1 cup peanuts or cashews 1 cup mini chocolate candy pieces 1 cup peanut butter chips 1 cup pretzels Mix all ingredients together. Place in a sealed container. Store in a cool, dry area to prevent melting of candy.

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