Kids World Copy Editor Sarah Smith • frontdoor@cumberlink.com
cumberlink.com/kidsworld
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Kids Speak Out
My best party ever would be ... “My best party ever would be at Ski Round Top and Snowboard Resort and invite all of my friends and snowboard and ski. We would have lunch at the lodge and that’s all.” Frank Petre, 7 Grade 2B St. Patrick School “My best party ever would be a fairy party. I like fairies because they can fly. I watch fairy movies at my house. I wish I could be a fairy because they have beautiful dresses.” Ella Kammerer, 6 (WINNER) First grade Newville Elementary “My best party ever was in 2010 when I went to a wedding at the Senator’s field.” Brayden Laird, 9 (WINNER) Fourth grade Fishing Creek Elementary “My best party ever would be my 10th birthday party. I had a bunch of friends come over, we ate cake, we drank juice. Then we opened presents. After that, we went in an awesome limo and it took us to Chucky Cheese and everything was free. Then, the limo took us back to my house and we had a dance party. That was my best party ever.” Selma B., 10 (WINNER) Fourth grade Crestview Elementary “My best party would be a birthday party. Because your friends come over and you get gifts.” Emily Burnhisel Second grade Newville Elementary “My best party ever would be when I had my birthday.” Ethan Mullins Second grade Newville Elementary
“My best party ever would be to meet Michael Jackson and make him sing Beat It to me. I would be his backup dancer. We might be on camera. It would be cool when everyone sees me on national television. I hope that happens.” Casey Huss, 8 Grade 2B St. Patrick School “My best party ever was at my Grandma’s. It was so fun.” Elizabeth Wert Second grade Newville Elementary “My best party ever would be my birthday. I ate ice cream cake.” Gabby Hoyaux Second grade Newville Elementary “My best party ever would be my Halloween one because I got pumpkins and got fake spider webs and got scary costumes. And I got candy. And I got to scare people.” Ajla Mehmedovic, 7 Second grade Bellaire Elementary “My best party I ever had was my ninth party because I had a piñata. It had music and soccer. The gifts were wonderful and the cake was fantastic. That was the best party I ever had!” Mila Elash, 9 Third grade W.G. Rice Elementary “My best party ever would be with my friends and it will have a rock star band. It will be a rocking party.” AJ, 7 Second grade Bellaire Elementary “My best party ever would be going to Hershey Park. I would see if I could go there for two days. Then go home, invite my friends over and have a disco party at the skating rink. that would be my best party ever.” A.J. Cranga, 8 Third grade W.G. Rice Elementary
How you can get involved with Kids Speak Out Want To See Your Name Here? Hey, kids! How would you like to get your story published in Kids Speak Out? Just write a short story on one of our prompts and send it to The Sentinel. You can also draw a picture to go with your story. Each week, The Sentinel will publish some of the stories we receive in KidsWorld and on www.cumberlink. com. Only the top three essay writers, published on this page, will receive KidsWorld T-shirts. To claim T-shirts, visit The Sentinel during normal business hours. You must be 5 to 13 years old to enter. Stories must be 150 words or less. Be sure to include your full name, age, address, school and grade. Mail your entry to “Kids Speak Out,” The Sentinel, 457 E. North St., Carlisle, PA 17013, drop it off at either Sentinel office or mail it to frontdoor@cumberlink.com with the subject “KidsWorld.”
Upcoming Topics Due March 1 I built a snowman when... Due March 8 I saw a leprechaun when... Due March 15 If I could go anywhere I... Due March 22 When I look in the mirror I...
The Sentinel • D1
Anansi and Firefly go hunting A West African tale BY Amy Friedman Illustrated by Meredith Johnson
One afternoon long, long ago, Anansi the Spider was sitting at home when Firefly happened to fly past. When Anansi saw him, his eyes lit up. He had a fine idea. “Firefly, stop in and visit,” he said. Firefly did, and after they had talked awhile, Anansi suggested they go hunting together in the hen houses. “We can collect eggs!” Anansi said. “That sounds good,” Firefly said. “Come to my house when the sun sets.” Anansi loved hunting, and he loved eggs. And Firefly was the perfect hunting companion for anyone who liked to sneak around. And so Anansi idled away the afternoon — as he did so often — and when the sun set and darkness rolled in, he hurried to Firefly’s house. Together they set off for the first farmer’s field, and there they sneaked into the warm hen house. It was dark inside, but Firefly opened his wings, and when he did, he lit up like a lighthouse. In the flood of light, Anansi could see all the eggs. These were the farmer’s eggs, of course, but once Anansi saw anything, he considered it rightfully his. So he went to work, picking up every single egg and placing them carefully in his basket. When he had gathered every one, he and Firefly hurried to the next farm, and to the next hen house. Once again, they set to work. “You’ll share the eggs, of course,” Firefly said. But as the night wore on and they visited one hen house after another, Firefly began to grow tired, and he wondered if this wasn’t a mistake. Anansi’s basket was overflowing, and as they moved on across the dark countryside, Firefly said, “Come, let’s go to the next hen house, and this time you’ll fill my basket.” But Anansi shook his head. “I’m too tired to do any more hunting,” he said. “I think I’ll just take my eggs home.” Now Firefly understood. Furious, he said, “Goodbye to you then,” and he flew away as fast as he could, leaving Anansi stranded in the dark. They had walked for a long, long time, and Anansi had no idea how to find his way home. He began to make his way along the dark road, feeling this way, feeling that way, holding the basket of eggs so it did not spill, but he couldn’t see a thing. Suddenly, he bumped smack into a farmhouse. “What’s this?” he said, rubbing his sore head. “Hello!” he called into the house. “Anyone home?” A gruff voice called back, “Who’s that at my house?” “It’s Anansi, your good friend!” Anansi called. He recognized that voice. It was Tiger’s. Tiger stuck his head out the window and glared at Anansi. He recognized the fellow who had tricked him many times, the chap who had tried to make a fool of him. And nobody makes a fool of Tiger. Tiger was a clever fellow, too. And so, although Anansi was no friend of his, he said, very sweetly, “Come in, my friend.” Anansi was cold, he was tired, and he wasn’t fond of the dark, so he stepped inside, and the moment he did, Tiger shut the door behind him. “Look at those eggs!” Tiger said. “Let’s boil them and have a feast.” Before Anansi could say a word, Tiger put a big kettle on the fire and called out to his wife and many children: “Come see our midnight snack!” Tiger’s wife and children traipsed into the room, and the moment those eggs were boiled, they began to gobble them down. “Perhaps Anansi wants some, too,” Tiger said. Anansi was nervous surrounded by all these tigers. “No, no, that’s fine,” he said. He didn’t want to upset the tigers, and when all the eggs were gone, Tiger waited until Anansi was looking the other way, and he dropped a lobster into the kettle. He covered the lobster with all the eggshells. “You’ll stay the night, won’t you?” Tiger grinned, and Anansi nodded when he saw those gleaming teeth, sharp as knives. He didn’t like to disagree with Tiger. Before long, everyone was fast asleep -- everyone but Anansi, who pinched himself over and over again so he would stay awake. And when he heard everyone snoring, he tiptoed to the kettle, reached inside to grab an egg, but the lobster pinched him hard. Anansi shrieked. “Are you all right?” Tiger called from the far side of the room. “Fine, just fine,” Anansi answered, “please forgive me for waking you.” A few minutes later, he tried again. Once again, the lobster pinched him hard. Once again, he shrieked. “Are you sure you’re all right?” Tiger called. “There are terrible fleas in this house!” Anansi cried. “Fleas!” Tiger said. “How dare you insult us,” and roaring, he leaped toward Anansi. Anansi raced to the door as fast as he could, and Tiger stopped and grinned as he watched that spider hurrying home. “That’ll teach him a lesson!” Tiger said, and true enough, Anansi never returned to Tiger’s house. And he never went hunting with Firefly again.
Kids World Copy Editor Sarah Smith • frontdoor@cumberlink.com
cumberlink.com/kidsworld
D2 • The Sentinel
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
8-1 (13)
release dates: February 23-March 1
Mini Spy . . .
TM
Mini Spy and her friends are visiting an aquarium and looking AT A GIANT CATFISH 3EE IF YOU CAN FIND s EXCLAMATION MARK s PENCIL s NUMBER s BOOK s KEY s KITE s LETTER % s TEAPOT s RULER s PEANUT s BANDAGE s UMBRELLA s NEEDLE s TOOTH s LADDER s WORD -).) s HEART s MUSHROOM
Š 2013 Universal Uclick from The Mini Page Š 2013 Universal Uclick
A Sign of Trouble
Giant Fish Disappearing A sign of health
*“Loch� (lok) means “lake.�
photo courtesy MusÊum d’histoire Naturelle
The 1,100-pound Chinese paddlefish may be the largest freshwater fish in the world, at 23 feet long. But scientists fear it is extinct. No one has seen one since 2003. Giant dams are separating populations, making it harder for them to breed.
The blue catfish swims in Tennessee waters. It can weigh about 200 pounds now, but 100 years ago, it was probably much larger. Writer Mark Twain described an 800-pound catfish that many believe was a blue catfish.
Shrinking giants People have discovered huge fish weighing hundreds of pounds in rivers and lakes. Centuries ago, their ancestors were probably even bigger. Overfishing and habitat destruction may be preventing the fish from growing so large and may be killing whole species. Giant freshwater fish may be disappearing before we have had a chance to study them.
Meet Zeb Hogan photo courtesy Tennessee Aquarium
:EB (OGAN HOSTS THE .ATIONAL 'EOGRAPHIC 7ILD 46 SERIES h-ONSTER &ISH v (E IS THE DIRECTOR of the Megafishes Project, which studies and tries to save the world’s giant fish. :EB GREW UP IN !RIZONA 7HEN HE WAS A KID he went on camping trips with his family to desert canyons with creeks. This made him APPRECIATE THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER 7HEN HE was in eighth grade, he got a summer volunteer JOB AT AN AQUARIUM IN 7OODS (OLE -ASS 7HEN HE WAS IN COLLEGE HE SPENT TWO summers studying fish on the Colorado River at the bottom of the Grand #ANYON 7HEN HE STUDIED FISH IN 4HAILAND HE SAW FOOT LONG -EKONG catfish and was amazed at how huge freshwater fish could grow. He studied conservation biology in college. He is an assistant research professor at the University of Nevada-Reno. He enjoys hiking, camping, traveling and exploring.
from The Mini Page Š 2013 Universal Uclick from The Mini Page Š 2013 Universal Uclick
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Supersport: Elizabeth Williams Height: 6-3
Hometown: Virginia Beach, Va.
The ball is on a perfect flight toward the rim. Suddenly, a big hand swats it off course. That’s what many shooters have happen WHEN THEY FACE $UKE 5NIVERSITY !LL !MERICAN %LIZABETH 7ILLIAMS The intimidating 6-3 sophomore is a shot-blocking artist who ALSO LEADS THE HIGHLY RANKED "LUE $EVILS WOMEN IN SCORING (15.5 per game) and is second in rebounding (6.5). ! FORMER HIGH SCHOOL HIGH JUMPER 7ILLIAMS BLOCKED SHOTS ˆ INCLUDING IN ONE GAME ˆ ON THE WAY TO WINNING .ATIONAL &RESHMAN of the Year honors last season. She blocked 54 in the first 17 games this SEASON 7HEN NOT SLAPPING OPPONENTS SHOTS AWAY SHE MAKES HER OWN shots, knocking in 55.7 percent from the field. 7ILLIAMS IS A WINNER 3HE S AN HONOR STUDENT PLAYED ON THREE GOLD MEDAL 5 3 NATIONAL TEAMS AND HAS HELPED $UKE CARVE AN IMPRESSIVE record so far this season.
from The Mini Page Š 2013 Universal Uclick
TM
Rookie Cookie’s Recipe
Vegetable Cheese Frittata* You’ll need:
s TABLESPOONS MILK s TABLESPOON OLIVE OIL s 1 2 teaspoon salt s CUPS CHOPPED BROCCOLI s 1 2 cup chopped green bell pepper s OUNCES REDUCED FAT CREAM CHEESE s EGGS
What to do:
1. Heat olive oil and cook broccoli and green pepper for 4 to 5 minutes. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk and salt. 3. Coat a pie or quiche dish with cooking spray. Spread cooked vegetables on bottom of dish. 4. Cut cream cheese into 16 squares; place on top of vegetables. 5. Pour egg mixture on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until done. Serves 6-8. *A frittata is an egg-based dish similar to a quiche or omelet.
You will need an adult’s help with this recipe.
from The Mini Page Š 2013 Universal Uclick
Protecting Our Water Habitat health The existence of giant fish is a sign of how healthy their habitat is. 7HEN THEY VANISH IT TELLS US THAT something is wrong in their habitat. There may be only one problem or a combination of troubles. People might be overfishing the area, wiping out smaller fish that are food for the giants. Pollution may be sickening or killing fish. People and businesses dump sewage and farm or factory pollutants in rivers. $AMS MIGHT HAVE SLOWED THE FLOW of the rivers so much that there is not enough oxygen left in the rivers. Climate change may be affecting the makeup of rivers and lakes. The giant pangasius catfish can grow to more than 9 feet long. It lives in rivers in the rainforests of southeast Asia.
photo courtesy Tennessee Aquarium
Folks tell tales of Volkswagen-sized catfish at the bottom of dams in the Mississippi River. Some experts think mermaid sightings may have really been giant fish. To learn more about these gigantic creatures, The Mini Page talked with the curator of fishes at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, which recently opened an exhibit on “River Giants.�
Some freshwater fish weigh hundreds of pounds and can be at least 6 feet long. There are about 20 species of these giant fish left in the wild. In order for fish to grow this large, the rivers and lakes where they live must be healthy. It takes a lot of food to feed a fish that will grow to weigh hundreds of pounds. The fish also must have the time to grow so huge. If many fish manage to live long enough to reach that size, it is a sign that people are not overfishing the area. Unfortunately, giant fish are disappearing from our freshwater, or bodies of water other than the sea. This is a sign of more serious problems. Freshwater fish of all sizes are in trouble. More than one-fifth of all known freshwater fish have become extinct or severely threatened in recent years. In North America, freshwater fish are becoming extinct at nearly 900 times the rate they did before the 1800s, according to fossil records.
photo courtesy Tennessee Aquarium
Giant fish swim through the world’s rivers and lakes. But most of them are hidden and mysterious. Legends about creatures such as the Loch* Ness Monster could have sprung from sightings of giant fish. The Loch Ness Monster is a dinosaur-like, and probably imaginary, animal that many say they have spotted in a lake in Scotland.
Alligator gar have broad snouts that look like those of alligators. They live in waters in the southeast United States, but have been found as far north as Ohio. They can grow to 12 feet long, weighing more than 300 pounds.
Keeping water safe
Changing our habits
%VERYTHING WE DO IN OUR OWN backyards affects the whole environment. All water from our cities and farms ends up back in the rivers and then in the oceans. Recycling, handling waste safely, keeping chemicals off our lawns and gardens, conserving water and protecting our resources are all things everyone can do to help. Remember that rivers and lakes ARE IMPORTANT NOT ONLY TO FISH 7E get our drinking water from the same water system. River and lake ecosystems support millions of people and animals around the world.
As the world’s population grows, there is more demand for fresh drinking water. The increased use has threatened fish living in the waters. By making good laws and stopping overfishing, we can protect our rivers and lakes and still make it possible for people to feed their families. Fish farms are one solution. In some areas, ecotourism is a growing industry. Sportspeople can fish and then release the fish back into the wild after they’ve caught them. Tourists pay local people to see the giant fish and their habitat. from The Mini Page Š 2013 Universal Uclick
from The Mini Page Š 2013 Universal Uclick
Meet Some Giant Fish Lake sturgeon
Lake sturgeon can grow up to 8 feet long and can live for 150 years in the wild. They feed on fish at the bottom of rivers and lakes. The Mini Page thanks Thom Demas, curator of fishes, Tennessee Aquarium, for help with this issue. Next week, The Mini Page is about Newspaper in Education Week.
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Freshwater whipray 7HIPRAYS HAVE EYES AT THE TOP OF their heads so they can watch for threats as they hunt on the bottom of rivers and lakes. They often bury themselves in sand and mud, waiting for their prey and hiding from their enemies, with only their eyes above the mud. They also have a great sense of smell that helps them hunt. Rays can sting, but they would rather swim away than attack. They attack only if they feel threatened.
The freshwater whipray can weigh more than half a ton and stretch to 12 feet long. The two species, in Asia and Australia, are related to stingrays living in the sea.
The arapaima
Wallago catfish The wallago catfish has rows and rows of sharp teeth. Some of its teeth point backward so they can better trap their prey. The sharp teeth grab onto prey The wallago swims in Asian rivers and like a fishhook. can be 8 feet long.
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The Mini Page Staff
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The Mini Page’s popular series of issues about each state is collected here in a 156-page softcover book. Conveniently spiral-bound for ease of use, this invaluable resource contains A-to-Z facts about each state, along with the District of Columbia. Illustrated with colorful photographs and art, and complete with updated information, The Mini Page Book of States will be a favorite in classrooms and homes for years to come.
Rita: 7HAT DO TURTLES WEAR WHEN THEY RE COLD Ray: People-necked sweaters! Randy: 7HAT IS THE BEST WAY TO COOK A crocodile? Rudy: In a croc-pot! Brown Bassetews the nnd’s Hou
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from The Mini Page Š 2013 Universal Uclick
try ’n find
Giant Fish
F S L A K E S T T
N I I H D K V C N
O W S G U A K N A
E T I H N G M I I
G A Y L L N E T G
R T A L D O D X R
U I R S H I E E E
T B S D S T R A T
S A W N I U E M A
W H I U F L G I W
G E M O T L N A H
G A I P A O A P S
G G R G C P D A E
G I L L H V N R R
R I V E R S E A F
from The Mini Page Š 2013 Universal Uclick
Betty Debnam - Founding Editor and Editor at Large Lisa Tarry - Managing Editor Lucy Lien - Associate Editor Wendy Daley - Artist
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Ricky: 7HY DID THE HIPPO QUIT USING SOAP when he took a bath? Rose: Because it left a ring around the river!
Do you have a big-fish story?
The arapaima can be 15 feet long and weigh several hundred pounds. It is a fierce hunter, sometimes even grabbing small primates, such as tamarins, from the shore and gulping them down. It also eats birds and fish. It swims in South American rivers.
The arapaima has primitive lungs as well as gills. It has to surface about every 20 minutes to breathe oxygen from the air or it will drown. In dry seasons, the Amazon River IS MUCH SHALLOWER 7ITHOUT LUNGS the arapaima would not be able to get enough oxygen from the river. Its primitive lungs are so ancient that they are not found in any other modern fish.
All the following jokes have something in common. Can you guess the common theme or category?
Words that remind us of giant fish are hidden in the block below. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally. See if you can find: ARAPAIMA, CATFISH, DAM, ENDANGERED, EXTINCT, FISH, FRESHWATER, GAR, GIANT, GILL, HABITAT, HUGE, LAKES, POLLUTION, POUNDS, RAY, RIVERS, SIGN, STURGEON, SWIM, WEIGH, WILD.
photos courtesy Tennessee Aquarium
The lake sturgeon is a dinosaurlike fish swimming in rivers and lakes in many parts of North America. A few years ago, it was almost extinct in parts of the country, such as Tennessee. But the Tennessee Aquarium and conservation groups fought to stop the extinction. They worked to increase river flow to what it had been before dams. This caused the oxygen levels to rise in the rivers. Fishers had been catching sturgeon and throwing them on riverbanks to die. Now overfishing has been stopped. Tennessee has put about 125,000 sturgeon back into the rivers. Conservationists plan to double that number. %XPERTS PRAISE THE SUCCESS IN saving the sturgeon as an example of how we can turn things around and save other threatened fish.
from The Mini Page Š 2013 Universal Uclick
ready resources The Mini Page provides ideas for websites, books or other resources that will help you learn more about this week’s topics. On the Web: s TNAQUA ORG 2IVER'IANTS ASPX s MEGAFISHES ORG s BIT LY 771S!5 s ON NATGEO COM 4:2KA At the library: s h$+ %YEWITNESS "OOKS &ISHv BY 3TEVE 0ARKER
To order, send $15.99 ($19.99 Canada) plus $5 postage and handling for each copy. Make check or money order (U.S. funds only) payable to Universal Uclick. Send to The Mini Page Book of States, Universal Uclick, P.O. Box 6814, Leawood, KS 66206. Or call tollfree 800-591-2097 or go to www.smartwarehousing.com. Please send ______ copies of The Mini Page Book of States (Item #0-7407-8549-4) at $20.99 each, total cost. (Bulk discount information available upon request.) Name: ________________________________________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________________________________________ City: _________________________________________ State: _________ Zip: ________________