Gracie's Guide: Gracie Says No To Tobacco / Vaping by Headline Books / Zoom Into Books

Gracie is great at solving mysteries and super at spying around, but when someone offers her a tobacco product, she's not sure how to handle it. She makes a couple of excuses, but quickly realizes it's not the way to handle the situation. In this story, Gracie takes a stand for what she knows is right and learns how important it is to say ‘NO.’

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.wix.com/author-page

About the Illustrator

Award-winning author and illustrator, Ashley Teets, is a summa cum laude graduate of Alderson-Broaddus College where she earned a bachelor's of visual arts degree with a minor in creative writing. She has illustrated multiple award winning children's books. Ashley is also a portrait artist and muralist. For more information visit www.AshleyTeetsIllustration.com

Gracie’s Guide:

Gracie Says No to Tobacco/Vaping

Angie Wilson

illustrated by Ashley Teets

Gracie’s Guide: Gracie Says No to Tobacco/Vaping 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: 800-570-5951 Email: mybook@headlinebooks.com Headline Kids is an imprint of Headline Books www.AuthorAngieWilson.wix.com/author-page ISBN-13: 9781882658824

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

For Travis Helmondollar― thanks for all you do to help people make good decisions.

Gracie heard the pitter-patter of rain as she hurried to get ready. It was going to be an awesome, wonderful, fantastic, super-perfect day in spite of the rain. Excitement filled her as she thought about the trip to the water park. It was her favorite place to go- and who cared about the rain when they were going to get wet anyway? She threw a change of clothes into her backpack and was out the door just in time to catch the bus. Kenzie, her BFF, had their seats saved as they started off on their fifth-grade field trip. As they traveled out of town, the rain clouds disappeared and it looked like it may be a pretty day after all, but the rain was nothing compared to the storm that those two girls were going to face that day.

Kenzie pulled a bag of chips out of her snack-pack and the two of them munched away as they traveled down the road. They were yakking about nothing important when suddenly Leah, who was sitting in front of them, leaned around to show them something in her hand. “Hey, look what I snatched from my mom!” Leah began, “We are gonna have some fun today.” She held her hand out to the girls with something in it that looked like a computer jump drive. 6

“Uh, you brought your mom’s jump drive?” Gracie questioned. Leah was sitting with Andrea, she turned to her and the two of them laughed so loudly Ms. T., their teacher, told them to calm down. Gracie and Kenzie did not know what was so funny. They knew they had been made fun of, but they weren’t sure why. A few minutes passed and once again Leah turned to them. She told them it was her mom’s vaping device. “It’s like you’re smoking but no one knows what you’re doing … so we can get away with it.” Leah said. The girl’s mouths dropped open and their eyes became as big as lollipops. They had never been offered anything like that before. They were absolutely speechless. Leah laughed at them and said, “Don’t be so surprised, we can sneak off somewhere today just to be sure we won’t get caught.” She turned around and the two girls stayed frozen in their seat for what seemed like forever. They didn’t know what to say. Leah turned around again and said, “And don’t even act like you don’t want to- don’t be a baby!” For the first time in their lives, Gracie and Kenzie did not know what to do. They knew that any kind of smoking was bad, but then they didn’t want to be called ‘babies’ by the cool kids. Within a few minutes the feeling of excitement for the day had disappeared and was replaced with a feeling of dread. The two of them sat there dreading getting off of the bus. The super-perfect day had become a super-horrible day. They didn’t want the bus ride to end. 7

Unscramble the words from the story 1.

FIDLE IRPT ____________________________

REPE EREPURSS __________________________

AKKIYNG ____________________________

PLLPIOOL _______________________________

BYBA ________________________________

LRSAEGILE ______________________________

TYMYSER ______________________________

DOVAI _______________________________

RACENPEOH ____________________________

10.

NIINEMAEDROTT ______________________

11.

IMWP ________________________________

12.

ARVBE __________________________________

13.

SMWA ________________________________

14.

APDELSHS ____________________________

15.

LENOSS _______________________________

16.

TDTICSUEEVR __________________________

17.

IENOIDCSS ____________________________

18.

LSNIEETD ______________________________

19.

ISNKGIR _____________________________

20. PERSU PSY ______________________________ 8

Crossword Puzzle

Gracie began to think of ways she could avoid Leah. Her mind was working overtime as she plotted out some pretty cool plans. “I’ve got it!” Gracie whispered, “We can tell Leah that we are allergic.” “What?” Kenzie exclaimed, “She will never believe that!” “But, people are allergic to all kinds of things. I mean, there are six kids in our class with a special diet because of allergies.” Kenzie thought about it for a minute. It was true that there were a lot of people with allergies. Maybe she would believe it. “Ok, but you tell her,” Kenzie muttered. Gracie sat up in her seat and stretched up to Leah. “Hey! Kenzie and I can’t do that thing with you because we are . . . “ she paused for a second, “we are allergic to any kind of smoke,” she said quickly. Leah laughed out loud once again. She told Andrea and the two of them couldn’t stop laughing.

“Told you,” Kenzie said, as she and Gracie sank into their seat. When the laughter died down, Leah and Andrea popped their heads up over the top of the seat up and said in unison, “Babies!” Gracie didn’t know what to do. She knew that they had to come up with another plan. She was really good at finding clues and solving mysteries, and she was super at spying around, but this . . . she did not know how to handle this. “Ok, what’s Plan B?” Kenzie asked. Gracie shrugged, but one thing you need to know about super-spies is that there is always something rolling around in their mind. Plan B was in the making. Finally, she replied, “Got it! When we get off the bus, we will just avoid being around them all day.” “That’s it?” Kenzie questioned, “That is Plan B?” “Well, do you have a better idea?” “No, but that will never work. The park is not that big.” “It’s all I’ve got!” Gracie stammered.

The day did not get any better for the girls. It seemed that everywhere they went, Leah and Andrea were there. There was no way to stay away. During lunch, Leah came up to Gracie and said, “Now’s the time, let’s go.” Gracie looked at Kenzie and they stayed perfectly still. Leah nudged Gracie and said, “Come on, ‘baby’, it’s now or never. I just told our chaperone that we were going to the bathroom. Come on!”

Even though they didn’t want to, Leah had pressured them into getting up and following her. As they walked out of the eating area, Gracie started going over in her mind all of the things she had been taught about peer pressure. “What is right is not always popular, and what is popular is not always right.” “It takes nothing to join the crowd. It takes everything to stand alone.” “Even if everyone is doing it, wrong is never right.” With every step, Gracie felt a little stronger, then her mind began to go over the dangers of smoking.

“What is right is not always popular, and what is popular is right.” not always ste in -Albert Ein

“Our lies i greates n giv t we akne i ng u cert ss p. Th ain w e mo is alw ay to st ays t succ eed o try mor just e one t -Tho mas ime.” A. E dison

f you i l o o f ea “You’r king is cool.” mo Morgan s k n i h t -Jules

“Just

say N

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to g n o r w r e .” ev g n n i s ’ h t t t “I h g i e r-Mark Twain h t o d

“You’re a fool if you think smoking is cool.” “Once you start, it’s really hard to stop.” And, the slogan that rang through her mind the loudest“Just say NO!” With that, Gracie stood still. Everyone turned around and asked her what was up, but it didn’t take a super-spy to see the determination in her eyes. She looked at Leah and Andrea and did not even blink an eye as she proclaimed, “I’m not going to try a cigarette. I’m not going to do that I know is wrong.” Leah rolled her eyes and said, “You’ve got to be kidding!” “No, I’m not,” Gracie said as the group stopped in their tracks. “I knew you wouldn’t be brave enough. I knew you’d wimp out on us.” Leah took a step closer to Gracie and at this point they were face to face. It wasn’t easy to stand up for what she thought was right, but deep inside Gracie knew it was the right thing to do. “I’m not being a wimp. A wimp would do it just because everyone else is- I’m being strong by saying ‘no’.” Gracie proclaimed. “Andrea and I are going to do it, all of the ‘babies’ can go back,” Leah snapped.

“We are not babies. We are standing up for what we know is right,” Gracie stated. “I wish you would think about what you are doing - it’s not a good thing.” With that, she and Kenzie turned around and rejoined the group. They were just in time for triple scooped ice cream cones.

R STA

FIN

ISH

Leah never dreamed that someone could stand up to her and be so brave. It was beyond comprehension, but she kept going and didn’t notice Ms. T, standing nearby. She caught the girls as soon as they put the vaping device to their mouth. They were in big time trouble, for sure.

The rest of the day was pure fun for Gracie and Kenzie. They splashed and swam and swam and splashed. They no longer had to dread seeing anyone; instead, they just soaked up some fun in the sun. On the way home, Gracie felt bad for Leah and Andrea. Ms. T had called their parents and they were in trouble at home as well as at school. They should have listened and not done something so crazy. She hoped they had learned their lesson. When Gracie stepped off the bus at her house that afternoon, she felt ten feet tall. It was a good feeling to know that she had taken a stand against something she knew was wrong. She ran inside and told her mom all about it. Her mom was super-proud of Gracie for being strong at a time when it would have been easy to give in. “You know Gracie, there will be many more times when other people will tempt you to do something wrong,” Mom began. “You may be offered alcohol or drugs- there may even be a time when all of your friends are drinking or doing drugs. You have to remember that often all it takes it one time trying something to get you hooked. Please be strong and stand firm against such destructive decisions.” Gracie listened to her mom and decided that nothing in the world was worth risking becoming addicted. She was going to do the right thing and take a stand against destructive decisions. It didn’t take a super-spy to figure that out!

Word Search

Sudoku Number Puzzle

Directions for puzzle: Fill the grid with the numbers 1 to 9 so that each number appears only once in each row, column and region (3 by 3 block).

What Is Vaping? Vaping is the inhaling of a vapor created by an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) or other vaping device. E-cigarettes are battery-powered smoking devices. They have cartridges filled with a liquid that usually contains nicotine, flavorings, and chemicals. The liquid is heated into a vapor, which the person inhales. That’s why using e-cigarettes is called “vaping.” What Are the Health Effects of Vaping? Vaping hasn’t been around long enough for us to know how it affects the body over time. But health experts are reporting serious lung damage in people who vape, including some deaths. Vaping puts nicotine into the body. Nicotine is highly addictive and can: • slow brain development in teens and affect memory, concentration, learning, self-control, attention, and mood • increase the risk of other types of addiction later in life E-cigarettes also: • irritate the lungs • may cause serious lung damage and even death • can lead to smoking cigarettes and other forms of tobacco use • Some people use e-cigarettes to vape marijuana, THC oil, and other dangerous chemicals. Besides irritating the lungs, these drugs also affect how someone thinks, acts, and feels. How Do E-Cigarettes Work? There are different kinds of e-cigarettes. But many people use the Juul. This e-cigarette looks like a flash drive and can be charged in a laptop’s USB port. It makes less smoke than other e-cigarettes, so some teens use them to vape at home and in school. The Juul pod’s nicotine levels are the same as in a full pack of cigarettes.

Do I Have to Vape Every Day to Get Addicted? Even if you don’t vape every day, you can still get addicted. How quickly someone gets addicted varies. Some people get addicted even if they don’t vape every day. What About E-cigarettes That Don’t Have Nicotine? Most e-cigarettes do have nicotine. Even those that don’t do have chemicals in them. These chemicals can irritate and damage the lungs. The long-term effects of e-cigarettes that don’t have nicotine are not known. Why Should I Quit? Wanting to be the best, healthiest version of yourself is an important reason to quit vaping. Others include: • Unknown health effects: The long-term health consequences of vaping are not known. Recent studies report serious lung damage in people who vape, and even some deaths. • Addiction: Addiction in the growing brain may set up pathways for later addiction to other substances. • Brain risks: Nicotine affects your brain development. This can make it harder to learn and concentrate. Some of the brain changes are permanent and can affect your mood and ability to control your impulses as an adult. • Use of other tobacco products: Studies show that vaping makes it more likely that someone will try other tobacco products, like regular cigarettes, cigars, hookahs, and smokeless tobacco. • Toxins (poisons): The vapor made from e-cigarettes is not made of water. The vapor contains harmful chemicals and very fine particles that are inhaled into the lungs and exhaled into the environment. • Sports: You want to do your best in sports, and vaping may lead to lung inflammation (irritation). © 1995-2019. The Nemours Foundation/KidsHealth®. Reprinted with permission.

The use of tobacco products causes many health problems. “One of the major problems with smoking and chewing tobacco has to do with the chemical nicotine. Someone can get addicted to nicotine within days of first using it. In fact, the nicotine in tobacco can be as addictive as cocaine or heroin. Which means that once a person starts to smoke, it’s very hard to stop. “Smoking and tobacco use can affect every organ system in the body and can lead to health problems such as heart disease, stroke, emphysema (breakdown of lung tissue) and many types of cancer- including lung, throat, stomach and bladder. People who smoke also have an increased risk of infections like bronchitis and pneumonia. “Besides the long-term problems, tobacco and other chemicals can affect a person’s body quickly. For example, they increase heart rate and raise blood pressure, which can impair athletic performance. They can also irritate the throat, give bad breath, and damage the airways leading to a persistent and annoying cough.” (kidshealth.org) The use of alcohol causes many health problems for kids. Specifically for kids, “drinking alcohol is bad for your brain and your health, but kids who drink can decide to be successful at stopping. Caring adults can teach kids how to give and receive respect, take better care of themselves, and make better choices. In addition to parents, a caring adult could be an aunt or uncle, an older sibling, doctor, teacher, or school counselor. “Drinking too much alcohol can lead to alcohol poisoning, which can kill a person. Over time, people who abuse alcohol can do serious damage to their bodies. The liver, which removes poisons from the blood, is especially at risk. If you think someone close to you might have a problem with alcohol, talk to a grown-up you trust.” (kidshealth.org)

JUST SAY ‘NO’! It is so important to take a stand against the use of alcohol and tobacco products. Be strong, and take a stand against these harmful products. Sometimes people do not listen when someone says no, so here is a list ways to help you stand up against peer pressure. Ways to say ‘no’: •

I don’t want to start something I can’t stop.

•

I’ve seen too many people who are addicted to that. So, no thank you.

•

That stuff is bad for you!

•

No thanks, I’m good. Really, I’m good!

•

No way, that stuff is not for me.

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About the Author

About the Illustrator