Tuesday • May 29, 2012 — D1
The Sentinel at www.cumberlink.com Megan bollinger Copy Editor Phone 240-7111
Kids World
Fax 243-3121 Email mbollinger@cumberlink.com
When kids speak out, The Sentinel listens
Kids Speak Out
Tell Me A Story
The best summer I ever had was....
Cat’s Paradise
A French fable Adapted by Amy Friedman Illustrated by Jillian Gilliland
The best summer I ever had was when I went to the beach and I found seashells and one of the animals living inside the shell bit my nose. Kirsten Weirich, 7 (WINNER) Hamilton Elementary Second grade The best summer I ever had was when I put up my pool. It was a lot of work but I didn’t mind because I didn’t do the work. I sat and watched! I jumped in the pool. It was so fun. You can do fun stuff. I have little boats. You can also do a cannonball and head slams and back flips and front flips. Then in July we went to Ocean City. It was so much fun. The sad part now is that my brother, my sister and I are too big for the pool. My sister is five, my brother is eleven and I am seven years old. Our pool is only threefeet deep, but that the best summer ever! Emili Masci, 7 (WINNER) St. Patrick School Grade 2A
The best summer I ever had was the summer of 2011. I went on a cruise! At Christmas my Nina and Pop-Pop got us tickets. Finally, when it was time to go we drove to Baltimore and did not get on our plane! It was canceled so we got a flight to Georgia then to Florida. We finally got there at about 11:30. The next day we got on the boat. My cousin and I roamed all around the ship and checked out the food, pools and decks. As you can see, I had a blast on that cruise. Sofia Sloat, 10 (WINNER) Monroe Elementary Fourth grade The best summer I ever had was when I went to Hershey Park. It was so amazing! There were rides, roller coasters, water rides, oh my! Also, I liked the ice cream. My favorite part was when we went on the ferris wheel. I could see the whole park. Liam, my older brother, was scared. He’s afraid of heights. Noah Brenneis, 10 Monroe Elementary Fourth grade The best summer I ever had was the summer of 2010. It was the summer I went to Disney World and St. Thomas. Disney World was fun because of the roller coasters. St. Thomas was fun because I went snorkeling and saw a bunch of neat fish in the ocean. It was an amazing summer. Colby Swartz, 10 Monroe Elementary Fourth grade
The best summer I ever had was four years ago when I went to Colorado. It was the best because I don’t to go there often. Also, it was very fun because we got to go swimming and have a picnic. Lastly, we got to play in the big grass area in front of the house. Heather Bowen, 10 Monroe Elementary Fourth grade The best summer I ever had was when I went to Sea World for my birthday. My grandparents gave me tickets as my present. My favorite part was when I saw the killer whale show. Also, I got to go on a lot of rides. Lastly, I got sun burned. That was the time I went to Sea World. Hayden Heisner, 10 Monroe Elementary Fourth grade The best summer I ever had was when it was the Fourth of July and we got to see the fireworks at the beach. We got to have smoothies and we had glow in the dark sticks to use when it gets dark. When it was time for the fireworks, we turned them on. They were cool! Katlynn Thorn, 8 St. Patrick School Grade 2A The best summer I ever had was summer 2011 because when I went to the beach I caught a bunch of huge waves when I was boogie boarding. Abby Spahr, 8 St. Patrick School Grade 2B The best summer I ever had was 2010. We got a new dog. Austin Larson, 8 St. Patrick School Grade 2B The best summer I ever had was swimming. I like to build sandcastles. I like to eat lunch. The best part of summer is playing with the hose. Erin Dolheimer, 7 St. Patrick School Grade 2B The best summer I ever had was when I went to the beach. I boogie boarded with my cousins and Uncle Dave. My cousins and I built a sand castle. Every time we went over a wave we named it. My favorite part was when we named the waves. It was a fun time at the beach. Maddy Szczypta, 8 Mt. Rock Elementary Grade 2
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 June 1 On the last day of school I ... Due June 8 This summer I plan to... Due Jun 15 I woke up one morning and I was invisible... Due June 22 My favorite after-school snack is.... Due June 29 I was lighting some fireworks when....
Louis was a fat cat who was very fortunate. He lived in luxury. His companion, a woman named Cherie, fed him salmon and caviar. He slept on feather pillows before a fire. Still, Louis often stared longingly out the window. When he stretched his neck, he could sometimes see cats across the way, romping across slate roofs and lolling beneath the sun. Louis wanted just one thing: He wanted to live the life of those cats on the rooftops. “Paradise!” he purred. And he vowed the moment he had the chance, he’d run away to paradise. One day a miracle happened. Cherie forgot to close the kitchen window, and when she turned her back, Louis leaped out. “How beautiful!” he crooned. He could smell sunshine and trees, flowers and baking croissants. He trembled with just the tiniest bit of fear when three cats meowing menacingly approached, but they laughed at Louis. “Silly goose! What are you scared of?” they asked. Louis decided he’d meow too. He opened his mouth and joined in their wailing. When the others lolled along the rooftop, Louis lolled right beside them. Before long, an old tomcat stepped forward. “Bonjour,” he said, “my name is Tom. I see you don’t know the ways of the world. I’d be glad to teach you.” “I accept!” Louis said gratefully. He had never had a cat friend. Louis was soon following Tom and his gang as they darted through the streets. Like them, he drank water from gutters and it tasted sweeter than cream. Everything seemed beautiful. When a female cat passed by, Louis gasped with admiration. “Good day,” Louis said to the female, but the others bit his neck and shoved him out of the way. “Never mind her,” Tom said. “You’ll meet lots of lovely females out in this world.” They continued walking beneath the warm springtime sun, enjoying the sights and the smells. They languidly made their way back to the rooftop where they’d met. Louis was starting to feel hungry. “What do you eat up on these roofs?” he asked Tom. “Whatever we find,” Tom replied. Louis was embarrassed; he had never hunted for food. He began to look around, but he couldn’t find a thing and feared he might starve. Then, suddenly, he saw a man preparing a meal through a window. On the man’s table, just above the windowsill, lay a juicy pork chop. Without thinking, Louis jumped through the window and onto the table. He snatched the chop, but before he could get out the window, the man saw him and reached for a broom. He smacked Louis so hard that the chop dropped from his mouth. Louis just managed to escape before the broom came down again. Tom was standing just outside the window, shaking his head. “Food on tables isn’t for us,” he said. “We eat from the gutters and alleys. We’ll wait until dawn and find our food in the garbage heaps.” Louis was horrified. “Wait all night?” Tom calmly nodded his head. “You’ll learn,” he said sagely. They left the rooftop to roam dark alleyways. Night dragged on far too slowly for Louis. The evening mist made him shiver. As rain began falling and the brisk winds blew, Louis began to think how dreary the world outside was after all. There was no sun, no warm roofs, no playing and prancing. His paws slipped on the cobblestone streets, and he began to dream of Cherie’s house and his nice pillows. Suddenly Tom hissed, “Quick, over here!” He was gliding close to the side of a building. When they reached the shelter of a door, Tom whispered, “That man with the hook and basket out there? See him? He’s the animal catcher. If he finds us, we’re dead!” Now Louis was shivering with fear as well as cold. Rain and wind and men with hooks? Garbage and slippery streets? What more could happen out here? Louis heard rustling. He turned and saw three men carrying garbage out to the streets. He raced to inspect it. He longed for a nice piece of meat, a little salmon and some caviar. He rifled through the bags, but he found just three dry bones. Tom, Louis could see, was an artist. He rifled through the garbage slowly and diligently, and he found a few strips of thin, stale meat. As the cold rain fell onto Louis, all he could think about was his warm, dry prison, where a bowl of salmon and caviar surely awaited him. When the sun began to rise, Tom looked at him and winked. “You’ve had enough of life out here, haven’t you?” “I have,” Louis said meekly. “Do you want to go home?” Tom asked. “I do,” Louis said, “but how do I find my house?” Tom wearily shook his head. “When I saw you leave your house yesterday, I knew a fat cat like you wasn’t meant for the joys of freedom. Follow me.” Louis followed Tom along cobblestone streets, up to slate rooftops, along paths he barely remembered. Soon they were at Cherie’s window. Tom turned to him and said, “Here you are. Goodbye!” Louis could not bear to leave his friend out here in the wilds. “Come with me,” Louis said. “I’ll share my bed and food. Cherie is generous.” Tom waved a paw. “I’d die in there with all those fluffy pillows and rich foods. That’s for weaklings. I need to be free!” He turned and jumped up on the roof and disappeared. Louis slipped inside. When Cherie saw him, she screamed, “Bad boy!” But she gathered him in her arms and fed him caviar. Later, stretched out before the fire, Louis rested his head on his feather pillows and closed his eyes. Now he understood that paradise was a place where he might be locked up forever, but he would always have fresh meat, fluffy pillows and a fire. That was paradise, after all. For a cat, that is.
D2 — The Sentinel at www.cumberlink.com Megan bollinger Copy Editor Phone 240-7111
Kids World
Tuesday • May 29, 2012 Fax 243-3121 Email mbollinger@cumberlink.com
When kids speak out, The Sentinel listens 21-1 (12)
release dates: May 26-June 1
Mini Spy . . . Š 2012 Universal Uclick from The Mini Page Š 2012 Universal Uclick
Between the Earth and the Sun
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Mini Spy is watching the transit of Venus with some FRIENDS 3EE IF YOU CAN FIND s EXCLAMATION MARK s CARROT s LADDER s STRAWBERRY s WORD -).) s CAT s MUFFIN s BASKET s NUMBER s BUTTERFLY s DOG s HORSESHOE s LETTER % s BIRD s KITE s FISH s LETTER ! s RABBIT s SPOOL OF THREAD
Venus Passes By
photo by Brocken Inaglory
Planet crossing
Although Venus is actually a planet, it looks like the brightest star in the night sky. Sometimes we can see Venus around sunset, and we call it “the evening star.� At other times, we see it just before sunrise. Then we call it “the morning star.�
Chance of a lifetime
In astronomy, a transit is when a body in space passes between two other bodies. From Earth, we can see only two planets, Mercury and Venus, cross between us and the sun. From Earth, we see 13 to 14 transits of Mercury every century. Because it is a much smaller planet than Venus, it is harder to see these transits. Transits of Venus are much more rare. We are able to see only two every 100 to 121 years. Transits of Venus always come in pairs. There are eight years between each of these paired transits. The last transit of Venus was in 2004. There were none at all in the 20th century. The last transits were in the 1800s. After this June, more than a century will pass before the next pair of Venus transits.
When the last transit of Venus occurred in 2004, it was the first time anyone alive had ever seen one. After the transit this June, few people now alive will ever see another one. The next pair of transits of Venus will be in 2117 and 2125.
photo by Rick Rowell, courtesy Disney Channel
from The Mini Page Š 2012 Universal Uclick
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Supersport: Russell Westbrook Height: 6-3 Weight: 187
Birthdate: 11-12-88 Hometown: Long Beach, Calif.
4O SOME BASKETBALL FANS 2USSELL 7ESTBROOK WEARING A BIG h v ON HIS JERSEY MIGHT SEEM STRANGE !FTER ALL THE /KLAHOMA #ITY guard is really a high-numbers guy. In his first three seasons, he totaled more than 4,000 points, 1,500 assists and 1,000 rebounds, one of just five NBA players ever to hit those marks so quickly. As the powerful Thunder rumbled toward the playoffs, Westbrook WAS STRIKING LIKE LIGHTNING 4HE FORMER 5#,! STANDOUT AVERAGED NEARLY 24 points during the regular season, providing a potent one-two scoring PUNCH WITH FELLOW ."! ALL STAR +EVIN $URANT Westbrook also dishes out assists — on and off the court. Last year, he assisted teammates in helping to rebuild a needy family’s home. 4HE 4HUNDER WANTS TO KEEP HIM IN TOWN AND WATCH h v KEEP PUTTING big numbers in the record books.
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Rookie Cookie’s Recipe
Cottage Cheese Spread photo courtesy Magellan Project, JPL, NASA
In the early 1990s, the Magellan spacecraft used radar to take pictures of Venus’ surface. Before, Venus’ heavy cloud cover had prevented us from seeing the planet itself.
Meet Trevor Jackson 4REVOR *ACKSON STARS AS +RIS IN THE $ISNEY #HANNEL MOVIE h,ET )T 3HINE v 4HE MOVIE FIRST AIRS on June 15. Trevor has appeared in many TV shows, including h%UREKA v (E HAS ALSO ACTED IN COMMERCIALS 4REVOR GREW UP IN )NDIANAPOLIS (E STARTED TAP dancing in shows in his community when he was 3 YEARS OLD (E GOT THE ROLE OF YOUNG 3IMBA IN THE "ROADWAY NATIONAL TOUR OF $ISNEY S h4HE ,ION +INGv AND TRAVELED WITH THAT SHOW FOR THREE YEARS (E HAS JUST FINISHED A ROLE IN THE MOVIE h! "EAUTIFUL 3OUL v (E ENJOYS BASKETBALL SKATEBOARDING AND SURFING (E TEACHES A form of Brazilian martial arts called capoeira KAH PAH 7!9 RUH (E PERFORMS FOR MANY CHARITY EVENTS INCLUDING 5NIFIED 4HEATER WHICH ENCOURAGES KIDS WITH DISABILITIES TO PERFORM (E NOW LIVES IN "URBANK #ALIF from The Mini Page Š 2012 Universal Uclick
from The Mini Page Š 2012 Universal Uclick
You’ll need: s CUP LOW FAT OR FAT FREE COTTAGE CHEESE s 1 4 cup shredded carrot s 1 4 cup chopped cucumber s 1 4 cup chopped green pepper s 1 4 cup chopped celery s TEASPOON RED WINE VINEGAR s 1 2 teaspoon garlic herb spice What to do: #OMBINE ALL INGREDIENTS IN A MEDIUM PLASTIC CONTAINER #HILL FOR HOUR TO BLEND FLAVORS 3. Spread on crackers or sliced cucumbers. You will need an adult’s help with this recipe.from The Mini Page Š 2012 Universal Uclick
Viewing the Transit Prime viewing The transit of Venus will be on June 5 or 6, depending on where you are watching it. At least part of it will be visible from most of the Earth. Everyone in North America will be able to see at least part of the transit. /N THE %AST #OAST IT WILL BEGIN about 6 p.m. on June 5. It will be dark before the transit is completed. 0EOPLE ON THE 7EST #OAST WILL BE ABLE to see more of the transit, but it will be dark there too before it is over. In the Pacific Ocean, viewers will be able to watch the entire transit. NASA Edge will broadcast the entire transit live FROM (AWAII )T will take more than six hours for Venus to cross from one side of the sun to the other.
photo courtesy NASA/LMSAL
Warning! Even though we will be able to see Venus moving across the sun, we will need to wear special eclipse glasses to do so. Staring at the sun without protective glasses can blind us. Sunglasses do not offer enough protection.
On June 8, 2004, NASA’s TRACE telescope took this rare shot of Venus crossing in front of the sun. This picture gives us a good idea of the size of the sun compared to Venus, or to the Earth. Earth and Venus are roughly the same size. This picture was shot with a special ultraviolet filter.
photo courtesy NASA/LMSAL
This summer, people will get the chance to see a rare event. On June 5 and 6, we will be able to see the planet Venus sail between the Earth and the sun. This crossing is called the transit of Venus. The Mini Page talked with experts from NASA to learn more about this exciting event.
Safe viewing .%6%2 LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE sun. This could cause serious injury TO YOUR EYES (ERE ARE WAYS TO WATCH the transit of Venus safely: s $/ WEAR SPECIAL ECLIPSE glasses. Even with eclipse glasses, don’t stare at the sun for more than a few minutes at a time. Look with the glasses, then take a break and look away for a bit. s $O ./4 WEAR SUNGLASSES Sunglasses do not offer the same protection as eclipse glasses. They do not have the right kind of filter.
NASA’s TRACE spacecraft captured this shot of Venus beginning the transit across the sun in 2004. The lighter reddish ring around Venus is caused by Venus’ atmosphere scattering the light.
s $O ./4 LOOK THROUGH telescopes or binoculars unless they have been fitted with special solar filters on the large end of the telescope or binoculars. s $O MAKE A PINHOLE CAMERA with two pieces of paper. s $O WATCH A TRANSIT WEBCAST. To learn about safe eclipse glasses, YOU CAN GO TO WWW MRECLIPSE COM 4OTALITY 4OTALITY!P# HTML #LICK ON hSOLAR FILTERS v To learn about pinhole projectors, you can go to: SOLAR CENTER STANFORD EDU OBSERVE from The Mini Page Š 2012 Universal Uclick
from The Mini Page Š 2012 Universal Uclick
The Excitement of Discovery
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All the following jokes have something in common. #AN YOU GUESS THE COMMON THEME OR CATEGORY
Keeping hope alive
Experts have found evidence that earlier civilizations, such as the Babylonians* and Aztecs,** might have observed transits of Venus.
Astronomers waited 100 years for the next transits of Venus. By 1882, the transit of Venus was the top headline in papers all over the world. Once more, scientists braved dangers and hardships to view the transits. This time, they were able to figure out that the Earth was about MILLION MILES FROM THE SUN This was nearly as exciting a discovery as the moon landing was less than a century later. It captured the imagination of the whole world.
Excitement builds Astronomers soon realized that by timing when the transit began and ended from different places on Earth, they could use those findings, and math, to figure out the size of the solar system. By the 1700s, when the next transits were due, astronomers all over the world were filled with excitement. Major scientific expeditions were launched to measure the transit. The Mini Page thanks Eric Christian and Lori S. Glaze, NASA, for help with this issue.
Seeking answers The transits of Venus in 1761 and WERE A VERY BIG DEAL &OR THE first time, scientists from all over the world joined forces to solve a mystery. Astronomers journeyed to the far corners of the Earth to observe the transits. These astronomers set off to mountaintops and distant islands. They had no telegraphs or phones. They didn’t even have accurate clocks to record the transit times. Although they did not have enough technology in the 1700s to take accurate measurements, they did learn a lot. A Russian astronomer saw a kind of glow around Venus and realized it might have an atmosphere. People got excited. They thought Venus might be a It is 865 degrees F on jungle planet the surface of Venus, inhabited by hot enough to melt alien beings. lead! There is no life
photo courtesy NASA
!STRONOMER *OHANNES +EPLER USED math to predict a transit in 1631. To his dismay, he did not realize it would not be visible from his home in 'ERMANY SO HE MISSED IT !STRONOMER *EREMIAH (ORROCKS discovered there would be a second TRANSIT IN (E AND HIS FRIEND 7ILLIAM #RABTREE ALMOST MISSED seeing that one because the sky was so cloudy. At the last minute, the clouds opened, and they became the first people to watch a transit of Venus in a scientific manner.
Jeremiah Horrocks was the first person to predict and observe a transit of Venus.
there.
This is an artist’s idea of an exoplanet transiting across its star.
Transits of exoplanets Transits of planets are very important to astronomers today. Finding planetary transits is the main way they discover new planets, or exoplanets, orbiting distant stars. Add` i]gdj\] ndjg cZlheVeZg [dg hidg^Zh VWdji i]Z igVch^i d[ KZcjh# Next week, The Mini Page is about seabirds.
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.
Oscar: What is a smart bird’s favorite type of MATH /WEN /WLGEBRA Oliver: What does it sound like when owls and GHOSTS CRY TOGETHER Orville: "OO HOOO BOO HOOO from The Mini Page Š 2012 Universal Uclick
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Watch the transit — safely!
Betty Debnam - Founding Editor and Editor at Large Lisa Tarry - Managing Editor Lucy Lien - Associate Editor Wendy Daley - Artist
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Olive: $ID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE OWL WITH LARYNGITIS Oprah: (E DIDN T GIVE A HOOT
try ’n find
Venus
Words that remind us of the transit of Venus are hidden in the block below. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally. See if you can find: ASTRONOMERS, DISCOVERY, EARTH, EXCITEMENT, EXOPLANET, GLASSES, JUNE, MATH, MERCURY, PAIR, PLANET, RARE, SKY, SOLAR, SPACE, STAR, SUN, SYSTEM, TELESCOPE, TRANSIT, VENUS, VIEW.
photo courtesy ESA/C. Carreau
art by J. W. Lavender, from collection of Astley Hall Museum and Art Gallery Chorley and the property of Chorley Council
Early observers
*Babylonians lived thousands of years ago in what is now Iraq. **Aztecs lived in what is now Mexico from about the 1300s to the 1500s.
from The Mini Page Š 2012 Universal Uclick
V T R A N S I T W
S E P L A N E T E
S E P O C S E O P M Y R E V N L A A K Y R J U A C T S E U S S R E H Y N U M E T S Y E N M T N E M R A T S T E N I V S R E M O
L O U S V S E A N
E C C S E R T L O
T S R A R I I P R
S I E L A A C O T
K D M G R P X X S
from The Mini Page Š 2012 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 SUNEARTHDAY NASA GOV TRANSIT TRANSITOFVENUS PHP s YOUTUBE COM WATCH V EH(9 F4RB 1 FEATURE YOUTUBE s YOUTUBE COM WATCH V F G. DECG FEATURE RELATED s SCIENCE NASA GOV SCIENCE NEWS SCIENCE AT NASA MAY?COOK At the library: s h&AR /UT 'UIDE TO 6ENUSv BY -ARY +AY #ARSON s h6ENUSv BY )SAAC !SIMOV
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