Wonder Girl by Tim Holmes

A world of wonder for girls just like you

N ew

Wonder Girl

WIN!

FREE GIFTS!

BOOK

R OCK Y R T N I B M I L C

ng i l! z l a a m s l a a Get als into eve r m a ure ce S t n anim garden n e i e c v ad d? S e r l a g t your n s ju cu s ’ n o w o k M d wal n u a o l y Gir Can r e d on W : c i Com

! S R E OST

P E E 6 FR

2 packed puzzle pages! Get Busy

Over To You

Create

Issue 2 £2.10 16 March 2011

Discover

Inside this issue... on r acti e h t o to an ome der Girl. c l e !W on rock Helkleod issue of Wside includin,gof nd in pac enty oasters a irls. l p s ’ c s There ng, roller Wonder G i alway b e e r ’ e clim e, real lif nk .W joy it at you thi er n e cours u h d o ope y to hear w t what rea over h e W keen ck ou issue really mag. Che f our first er of the thought o umm s r y l u i o Em ge 5. ht for 30th! g a i p n t n r o a fo arch ou in out on M y e e S r team e l. It’s d a i c n e o sp

& th h t u R

Create Make your own terrific Trojan Horse from ancient Greek times

Get Busy

Check out climbing with Rebeca and Sam

We rate theme park trips vs a day at stand-up comedy 7

Discover

Britain’s Bees need your help!

Travel back in time with the Groovy Greeks

Science myths: Can chopped off heads stay alive ?

Over To You Tips for taking top photos

loe

Book Club:

Puzzles 2

Harriet the spy

Discover Ni e t am Ka

15 & 30

12 Tips on how to bring nature to your garden

Make a bird feeder for your garden

Cooking: pizza faces

Want to get involved? Write to us at: Wonder Girl Head Office Bute Building King Edward VII Ave Cardiff CF10 3NB Or check out our website: www.jomec.ac.cf.uk/wondergirl

13 Floâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s super science adventure

C irlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s e I OMer G ntur

CWond adve le g

jun

Katie Discovers France

Real

dges a b l to r Gir

de e 31 Won rn to pag ut the

Won de

r Meet top r Girls! adi pr Kati e, Ch esenters o : arlot te a nd L aura

Tu t abol badges u o find der Gire! Wonhis issu in t

34 3

Y HAPP Y DA H T R I ie B der Kat

NEWS

Joe

Up and

ullies USA takes on b ident, The American Pres Barack Obama, says be that bullying should s. ol banished from scho aled The President reve a kid he’d been bullied as ased te en and said he’d be ’. fo having ‘big ears s wife With Barack and hi g Michelle now leadin e os America, we bet th to g o bullies aren’t feelin clever these days!

ouse ating h

he flo

away: t

launch

ook b ’ t ‘Los rthed a une iscoveredlyton,

Nine-year-old re Rhian and he ader r big brother snap pe these cheeky d to monkeys han y gin around in the g tr the National ees at Botanic Garden of Wa les.

B nd An u l by Enid popular e nov r of the ooks, o auth us Five b rthed! a o Fam een une b s e ha cam story, y t i r w a A ch s the ne p’s s o m acr Mr Tu paying titled an after for a v Cara £40,000 lyton’s image © publik18 flickr B over ction of ction. ? now ears big Who’s colle at an au The American President is work

Monkeying around!

speaking out against bullies

Have you been a star?

Monkey business

ub : Yout

has ientists f the c s f o no eam A top t real-life versio d in the e made a house featur g n i . float ed film Up y e n ium-fill l s i e D h 0 0 3 m tied he top The tea balloons to t how r s weathe ouse for a TV tional a of the h own on the N autumn. n h i s l to be channe c i h to p a Geogr make it se t ’ n d i d e hou gh it Althou merica like th eached r South A m, this house orld l w in the fi eet, setting a f . s 10,000 n the proces imit l i record the sky’s the d to it! s in It show u put your m o when y

image

lm fi y e Disn

l! a e r e mad

rea der Girl ho turns 10 n o W o T w onder lasgow from G h 26th. Team W ppy u c on Mar hi to her pet p ic... s p Girl say Check out his ! o o Joe t

Let us know your fab news or if you’ve done something special. Here are this issue’s stars:

Big congratulations to Grace, age 11, from Fleet in Hampshire who has been accepted into the Vienna School of Ballet. Top skills!

This fortnight: OH CAR A GIANT PLAY-D

utub

e: Yo

imag

Louie

evrolet

image courtesy of Ch

by car company y-Doh car was made Pla e siz life is Th e: ing adults! Play mobil ‘inner child’ of car lov e th to al pe ap to Chevrolet

Hi Wonder Girl,

h, playing fetc Louie loves s and entering alk going for w tests. The only on ‘best dog’ c is - he’s a pig! g strange thin e film Babe, Just like in th Louie thinks old nine-month ’s even set his e he’s a dog. H g porkies to llin sights on te ritain’s most ,B s ft enter Cru . competition g famous do r ith his owne Louie lives w ales. W Sue in North re totally a s d at “The crow they see wh n e h w d e z ama . o!” she says Louie can d

Tort o two ise grow s head s Magd

Emily x Thanks Emily! We’ll have a marine life story full of pics of super sea creatures in our next issue. We hope you like it. WG x

Magda has tw

e tu b

tw oh which d Magda anity. Each o she has ea f m d h e ds r head way t akes it a Lena, ha ! s o wal k. Talkwkward to s its own b , rai de about doubl cide whichn e trou ble!

Well done to Sophie, age 9, from Carlisle for completing her ‘friend to animals’ badge at Brownies.

Yo u

o heads

Issue one was really cool. It was great showing my South Africa adventure to my friends. tortoi alena is no They all loved the magazine, Siame se – she’s a ordinary even some of the boys! I really se tor t t w o heads oise with liked the science bit. I liked the and fi ve leg animals too but would like to see She live s. s i n becom Slova some fish and sea life! k name e a celebr ia where

R YOU ERS T LET

Emily, age 10, was featured in our South Africa section of Wonder Girl issue 1. She wrote in to tell us what she thought!

ente

etitio

omp dog c

Pic of nch the bu

s Pig think ch! he’s a poo

Hats off to Rebekah, age 10, from Keighley who has cerebal palsy and raised £100 for Comic Relief by riding her specially adapted bike in a sponsored cycle.

Over To You

Photography Photography is a great hobby for adventurous Wonder Girls. Not only can you take amazing pictures of people you love, it’s also a really good way to explore things that interest you and find out more about them. As you learn more, you may also find that the most ordinary objects can make for extraordinary photos!

ograph

hot loves p t s ju , 1 1 Chloe, n. e it’s fu becaus

Top tips for taking fantastic photos • First of all, look around you and think about what you’re seeing with your eyes, rather than just your camera screen. • Before you take a picture, decide what you want to include and what you don’t want in it. • Always take pictures from different points – crouch down on the floor, move around, go closer in or further away.

Molly, 9, likes having pictures of all her friends.

How to get started You might wonder what to take photos of at first. Answer – anything that you find interesting and exciting. Keep taking photos, learning from the ones you like or don’t like, and also keep looking at the world around you.

• Surprise people with your pictures – if you’re looking at a landscape, try to find things that people might not expect to see, like unusual objects or colourful things.

Cutting out and collecting your favourite pictures from magazines, newspapers or anywhere else you see them is also a good idea. Keep them in an ‘inspiration box’ so you can look at them for ideas. You could also keep a photo diary. Use pictures you’ve found or ones that you’ve taken, and start to write about them. Or, if you like the idea of keeping a diary but don’t like spending all your time writing, you could take pictures showing how you feel...or just what you’ve done that day.

May, 1 it see 0, enjoys ms m p ore r hotogra ph eal th an pa y becau se intin g.

VV V V V V V V

Get Busy

out y a d cy a with n a F ? ked pac nture e adv n visit The wood k. r Oak me Pa e Th

What?

V V V

rides and e park. With 20 em th t es b ’s enjoy. ales for everyone to Oakwood is W g in h et m so s , there’ aster rollercoasters ooden rollerco w st lle ta s e’ p me to Euro r than four The park is ho s high, it is talle re et m 26 t A . retty high! bia called Megafo other. That’s p ch ea f o p to g on giraffes standin

Whe

om ed

HA HA

th s.

HA HA

HA HA HA HA H A

ou t

y HA

Da HA

V V V

V V V HA

HA A H HA A

V V V

ticket is £14 .50 but the do special y gro if you go w up discount rates ith a big g rou friends. Fo r more deta p of ils, take a look at the Oa www.oakw kwood website; oodtheme park.co.uk

e? b r e h y Clu

What?

Comedy c lubs in London an d Glasgow offer regu lar Sunday shows for eight to 12 year-old s. Plus, adults are only allowed in if y bring them ou with you. So if you fa ncy giggling ab ou anything fr t om giraffes to games consoles o r hearing funny son gs about sausages a nd superhero es, then this could be the day out for yo u!

ed oho Com The S th d n and n bo y Sta The lasgow Londo omed ur c in G atre in ly kids ften to k e Th wee they o other t hos s and round w sho shows the s too. Why? citie It’s a barrel of laughs an HA d a chance to giggle at the funnier th ings in life! HA Plus, it’s a c hance to let HA A HA comedians know wha the adult t you think o H their funnie f st gags.

How mu ch? A child’s

V V V

is a really n of Oakwood ’re not a fa er u o y if n e v E nty of oth everyone. there’s ple p you , rs te s a o rollerc d to kee t Oakwoo a s lake, ie it v ti c a a boating s a h c u s d t train. entertaine a 3D ghos d n a lf o g crazy

V V V

Why?great day out for

V V V

Round the b end: Oakwo od’s Speedy rollercoaste r does a full loop.

Perfect for Wonder Girls!

V V V

an Scheer

V V V

image © Stef

5/5

pa rk

re? Oakwood Theme Pa rk is in the heart of th e countrys ide in Pembroke shire, Sou th Wales. If you can’t ge there are n t to Oakwood, earl theme park y 40 other s in the UK . Visit www.them eparks-uk.c om to find your n earest one !

roun Tickets are a offered unts can be o c is d l ia c e sp parties. for birthday

HAHA HA HA HA

ch? How md u £3-4 but

HA A H HAHA

HAHAHAHA

4/5

Smiles better than a lazy Sunday!

Discover Did you know? Ancient Greece was made up of city-states called polis. They spent most of their time fighting with each other. Ancient Greece actually covered much of Western Turkey and they also had colonies in France, Spain, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Italy and North Africa. The Greeks believed in many gods, who they thought behaved like spoiled children – so they were always careful to stay on their good side! The most famous Greek was Alexander the Great – he conquered countries from Eastern Europe all the way to India by the time he was 32.

The Groovy Greeks Frightening facts The Spartans were the cruellest of the Ancient Greeks. If their children did not seem fit and healthy, the Spartans would abandon them in the countryside to die. Disease was very common in Ancient Greece. During a war between Athens and Sparta, who were always squabbling, half of Athens’ population died of the plague! The famous (and unlucky) philosopher Socrates was forced to drink poisonous hemlock by his own government, who thought he was a traitor when he wasn’t.

timeline

1200 BC

1000 BC - 750 BC 508 BC

492 BC

480-478 BC

The Trojan War. All the Greek cities join together to attack the city of Troy after a Trojan prince steals a beautiful Greek princess called Helen.

1000 BC-750 BC: The Dark Ages. People somehow forget how to write, and Greek society disappears into a primitive state that we know very little about.

At the Battle of Marathon, the Greeks defeat the mighty Persian army. We now use the word marathon because a Greek soldier called Pheidippides (Fy–dip–i–dees) ran a very long way to warn everyone that the Persians were about to attack.

The Greeks fight the Persians in four more big battles. At the most famous one, 300 Spartan soldiers fought the Persian army of 100,000 for five days all on their own. You wouldn’t want to mess with them!

Athens is made the world’s first democratic city state.

Create

Make a trojan horse Even though no-one knows for sure if it is true, the tale of the Trojan Horse is one of the most famous stories ever. The Greeks couldn’t get into the city of Troy to rescue beautiful princess Helen, so they built a wooden horse and left it outside the gates. The Trojans were good fighters but a bit thick, so they just thought the Greeks had left them a lovely gift. In fact the horse was full of Greek soldiers, and once it was inside the city they jumped out, killed the Trojans and rescued Princess Helen.

the templates onto your pieces of card, allow 1 Stick the glue to dry and cut-out the shapes. If using a knife, take extra care or ask an adult to do it for you. Cut slits along the dotted lines on the pieces marked “yoke.” Fold the rectangular piece where indicated and glue together into a box shape.

3 Poke holes in the wheels and horse pieces, just

Follo w own our ste Troja p-by The cut-o n Horse step ins . You truc ut te Two tion w m d Sciss rinking plates fr ill need: s to bui ld yo ee w o Glue rs or a c straws ur ith W raft o nder knife Som Girl e thi n car dboa rd (s uch as ol d ce real boxe s) Now glue the two yoke pieces to the sides of the box shape as shown. Fold the final piece from template three where indicated. This will form the base of the horse.

Use your free gift!

wide enough to fit your straws. Insert the base between the two horse pieces, and glue in place using the two flaps.

450-430 BC

336-323 BC:

146 BC

The Golden Age of Athens. Under the politician and general Pericles, Athens becomes the most powerful state in Greece. With all their money the Greeks build huge buildings like the Parthenon, which you can still see today.

Alexander the Great conquers all of Greece then builds the biggest Empire the world has ever seen.

The Greeks get a taste of their own medicine and become part of the Roman Empire after losing the Battle of Corinth.

Push the slits of one of the yoke pieces over the top of the horse pieces, just in front of the tail. Push the slits of the other yoke piece over the top of the horse pieces, just behind the mane. The body of the horse is now complete. Poke your straws throughthe holes in the base of the horse and add the wheels.

All done? You are now ready to play tricks on some silly Trojans. This Trojan Horse model was created by DLTK’s Crafts For Kids. If you enjoyed making it, go to www.dltk-kids.com for more fun activities.

The Adventures of....

One

ter s

af iday

and Mow!

.. ool.

Wow! What a nice day. I can’t wait to play outside!

Hey Katie. We’re going to the cinema, wanna come?

The cinema? But it’s such a nice day!

We’re gonna go see the Justin Bieber movie in 3D!

e...

r Late

Katie, go tell your brother to come help with dinner.

Ollie, Mum wants you... why are the curtains shut? It’s a lovely day!

Ok Mum!

Hmmm... I think I’ll pass on that .....

Go away! I’m nearly at level 10 of Jungle Warriors.

and n, Katie Later o e lying in er Mow w n... de the gar Oh Mow it’s such a nice day. The sun is making me so sleepy...

Ollie, you are such a loser. No wonder you don’t have a girlfriend...

SHUT UP!

om at h

MOW!

ly....

Sudden

Whaa?? What happened??

with -face o t e c a er! was f Katie errifying tig at

AAAHHH!

RAWR!!

Katie it’s me, Mow. I’ve been transformed into a tiger! And your garden has been transformed into an exotic jungle.

Wow! ge ly a hu n e d d Su ed! ppear bear a

Help me!!

RAWR! I am Bucko Bear, King of this jungle... and you are not welcome here!

Oh no! That baby monkey is stuck in that tree.

But ...

But if you are King of this jungle, you should make sure all the creatures are safe. The monkey needs your help!

Hmmm.. You are right, little girl.

to came Mow ue! sc the re

Oh no! Bucko can’t reach him!

Yay you saved him!

I have an idea...

Hooray!

Whaaa???!!

Katie! What are you doing? Dinner is ready.

I don’t know why you waste your time outside..video games are way more fun!

That’s what you think... right Mow?

The Adventures of Wonder Girl and Mow! will continue in the next issue of Wonder Girl!

by Hannah May

Discover

Want a wild garden? The UK has hundreds of species of birds, creepy crawlies, reptiles and mammals, and attracting this wildlife doesn’t require lots of work or a big garden!

Kate

Nia

e i fl r e utt

If you don’t have much space, you can attract butterflies to your garden by planting flowers in pots outside. Planting flowers which contain lots of nectar, such as lavender and primroses, will make them flutter straight to your garden because this is what they eat.

ge 7

ted I plan n t u b g bi ’s fu t that n patch. It ying ’ n s i y ow arden flies fl “My g owers in m and butter butterfly e fl s some g the bee there’s on at always n i – h watch my plants nd white t a d n e arou s pale blu n now.” i e which to my gard s come st you ju e a – e k ma plac asy to down and bright e s i h d bat pside ted a “A bir lant pot u top. I pain p n turn a th water o t pot.” i w plan dish n the o n r patte

a Kate,

WWhat to

age iamh,

Even a small garden can attract hundreds and hundreds of butterflies

Frogs

Frogs love hiding in dark, damp spaces between stones. If you have a pond, stack up lots of stones around the edge for the frogs to play in – it also doubles as a hide out from predators like foxes.

gs! o r f g Rainin

You might have heard people talking about ‘raining frogs.’ It may sound crazy but, it’s possible for a wind storm to pass across a pond, pick the frogs up and drop them in another area!

No garden? Why not visit one of these?

Your local park Parks are spacious, free and fun, so exploring with your friends and family is a great day out. Why not take a picnic?

The Eden Project, Cornwall This is a huge garden where visitors can learn about nature around the world. You can trek through a special rainforest dome to see a cola tree!

3 National Botanical Gardens,

Carmarthenshire, Wales This garden has 8000 varieties of plants and is home to birds, frogs, toads, lizards and grass snakes.

Discover Birds Even if you don’t have a very big garden, you can still attract birds by making a bird feeder. Birds often take a while to try out new feeding areas, so don’t worry if it takes some time for them to flock to your garden. Be patient and keep putting the seed out for them. Once they know it’s there, they’ll keep coming back.

This is a birdhouse carved out of wood

How to... MAKE A BIRD FEEDER

You’ll need: a pine cone, string, peanut butter and bird seed. cone y pine l k c i Tie the piece of string r 1 Ap tightly to the top of the pine cone. 2 Cover the pine cone in peanut butter, then roll it in the bird seed. The seed should stick to the peanut butter. 3 Hang the feeder outside and remember to put more seed on after it’s all gone because when the birds come to visit they’ll expect food to be there.

How to...

Hedgehogs

Hedgehogs are top animals for your garden. “They are considered the gardener’s friend as they can help keep some of the garden pests under control,” says the British Hedgehog Preservation Society. Making a hedgehog shelter is a good way to welcome them into your garden.

Prickly hazards! Hedgehogs can be easily disguised in compost heaps, so check carefully before raking through to make sure no hedgehogs are having a nap inside!

Be car ef He’s d ul not to tr e ifficu lt to s ad on him! ee am ong th e leave s

MAKE A HEDGEHOG SHELTER

You’ll need a crate or large plastic tub, bin liner, stones.

1 Turn your crate upside down and line it with

a bin liner. 2 Hedgehogs like to find their own bedding, so don’t put anything else inside. 3 Cover the top of the crate with stones and soil to keep it weighed down. 4 Make sure that there’s an entrance to the shelter but keep it small so that bigger animals can’t get in. 5 Place the crate somewhere quiet so the hedgehogs can sleep happily inside. If possible, leave the shelter in a damp, leafy area 6 so that the hedgehogs feel safe when they come out to look for food. 7 If you do get some hedgehogs, then be really careful not to disturb them – they get scared when they’re woken up.

Try making a hedgehog shelter, a bird feeder or Niamh’s bird bath and earn yourself a WG badge. If you don’t have a garden, head to your local park to spot some British wildlife!

Discover

Fuzzy buzzy bees

Find out how you can help Britain’s bees in your garden

You may have heard that Britain’s bees have been disappearing over the last few years because of something called colony collapse syndrome. This means that the bees’ hives are slowly emptying of workers. Scientists think that this is because of a disease or parasite that makes the bees confused and unable to remember where their hive is. Bees are essential to our environment. They pollinate flowers which grow into fruit and vegetables, as well as making yummy honey. Wonder Girls should do all they can to help these poor little insects. Take a look at the bee spotter’s guide below and see which kinds of bee you can find.

Top tips for helping bees

Spotter’s guide

Spring is just around the corner and the bees will be buzzing around. Use our spotter’s guide and see what bees you can find! c): ge (

Ima

aig

el Cr

Isob

If it weren’t fo r bees we would n’t have yummy honey

at local honey – ask an adult to buy local honey. Not only is it full of vitamins and tastes great on toast but you’ll also be helping out local bee keepers who are looking after the insects. et dandelions and clover grow, bees love these garden treats so don’t pick them - let the bees enjoy them!

Bumble bees are a bit chubbier than honey bees and have a coloured patch, usually red or white, on their belly.

ey b

Hon

m Catch

Image (c): Sa Imag

e (c):

Maja

Dum

ble bee

Red tailed bum

Did you know? Comm

on ca

A honey bee swarm is made up of several thousand insects.

rder b

Bees have been on earth for 25,000,000 years. g

m Hong Leun

Image (c): Ka

mble bee

Buff tailed bu

l’s nder Gir ed o W , 8 xplain In 200 show e aring. V T e it r pe favou e disap ho, the r a s e e or W why b to Doct ho are g in d r o w Acc e aliens bees ar ing to their return lanet! home p

Bees are gentle creatures and only sting when scared. If you spot one, act calmly and it Honey bees should buzz awa y have five eyes.

Puzzle mania! Scrambled snack! Can

you unscrambl e tiles below to reveal the name of ea th tasty treat?

re s? o M zzle pu ck outy

k e Ch tric on e th sers ! tea e 3o g pa

t or rue fa ls Co e w

? do s can wn ’ sta t wal irs k . A:

BLIZZARD CLOUDY FORECAST FREEZING HURRICANE LIGHTNING RAIN RAINBOW SLEET SNOW STORM SUNNY TEMPERATURE THUNDER

A: chocolate cake

ot the Weather Sp words below wordsea rch

Tru e

Science Sam’s assistant Quackers has managed to get lost! Can you help him find his way home to the duck pond? 15

Over To You!

Competition! W

! in

Write in! If you send us a pre-paid envelope with your address on and we will send you a packet of bee attracting plant seeds, absolutely free!

a e what e s o t nt We wa youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done e ob great j r Trojan Hors u with yo eatured on sf model e. in r page n of you c i p a s Send u he best one y .T model heir own cop nt will wi oovy Greeks Gr of The le Histories. rib by Hor

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget the Wallace and Gromit cracking ideas competition on page 25! The winning invention sketch will be made into a poster in the next issue.

Send your entries to: Wonder Girl Head Office Bute Building King Edward VII Avenue Cardiff South Glamorgan CF10 3NB All competitions close on the 30th March

Poster!

Image copyright: JoshuaDavisphotography.com

Poster!

Image copyright: John Good

Poster!

Image copyright: Keven Law

Poster!

Image copyright: Claus Rebler

Inside next issue! If you’ve enjoyed this issue of Wonder Girl, then you’re going to love what we’ve got in next fortnight’s bumper summer special!

Surf school with Kim PLUS! •Angry Aztecs •Picnic recipes •12 things to do before you’re 12 •Cool camping

Make your own kite

Build super sand castles Subscribe to Wonder Girl... Four issues for £1 introductory offer £33 for 26 issues, saving you over £20! FREE poster book Free monthly subscribers’ newsletter! FREE membership to our awesome Wonder Girl subscribers’ club Visit www.jomec.cf.ac.uk/wondergirl or call our subscription line 08000 123456 21

Get Busy

Climbers come out on top Scrambling up walls, growing strong and looking down on other people are all things boys like to think they are better at than girls. Well they’d be wrong - climbing is a sport perfect for Wonder Girls! We find out why... At climbing centres like Boulders in Cardiff, you can get involved from age seven. You’ll normally begin by getting used to being on the wall for an hour and a half, but from there on the sky is the limit. At eight-years-old, you can start the National Indoor Climbing Award Schemes (NICAS).

You do an eight week course learning how to climb properly, how to use ropes, what other equipment you need, and even how to catch someone if they fall off! Once you really get a taste, you can work through the different levels, all the way up until you are 16-years-old.

Wonder Girl loves climbing “I’ve been climbing ever since I met my cat Mow. He taught me everything I know. I love climbing because it’s like a new adventure each time you try it, and it makes you strong. These days I can follow Mow everywhere he goes!”

Get Busy Sam, 12:

“I’ve been climbing for about two and a half years. I got into climbing when it was my friend’s birthday party, we were supposed to meet at Boulders and I got into it then. I heard about the kids’ club, and I’ve gone on from there to do NICAS. I like it because it’s not like a normal sport, it’s not girly, like dancing. You get to try and challenge yourself every time you go.”

Five reasons to take uping rock climb are great at

1 Giclirlsmbing! You

may not start out as strong as the boys, but this means you’ll learn how to do things properly rather than just dragging yourself to the top.

2 Rebeca, 11:

“I’ve been climbing for two and a half years now, and I love it just because it’s something fun to do. I got into it just from doing a little course - my dad found it during the summer holidays. I just like it because it’s climbing, really!”

Teaching Wonder Girls to climb Jenny is a climbing instructor at Boulders. When she was younger, she always loved the outdoors, swimming and snorkelling, and riding her bike. But despite being so adventurous, Jenny was once scared of heights. “I once went on a tree-top walk and had a really bad time,” she told us. There’s a video of me screaming my head off, which was quite embarrassing! So I decided

to combat my fear of heights. My friend took me to an indoor wall, I got to the top a couple of times and it just went from there.” Once she had started, Jenny loved climbing so much that she trained to be an instructor and now mainly takes beginners’ classes, at least half of which are girls.

If you’re scared of heights now, you won’t be for long!

However good you get, there are always new levels to test your skills.

Climbing is fun AND great for strength and fitness – what’s not to like?

Climbing is also a fantastic way of meeting new friends. Try a new activity or sport this week that you’ve never done t before and earn the Ge r fo low Busy badge be your project book!

“Girls take to climbing quickly, because they’re not as strong as boys,” says Jenny. “They develop technique a lot faster than a boy does, so that’s quite a good thing in the climbing world. You’ve always got a head start on the boys and as soon as I tell the girls that they love it!”

13 23 23

Discover

The fun side of science

Wonder Girl goes on a sensational science adventure at Techniquest in Wales with volunteer Flo

ancy seeing the surface of Mars, firing a vacuum bazooka or rocking out on a futuristic drum kit? These are some of the cool things to try at Techniquest, a science centre in Cardiff – the capital city of Wales. Science centres are a great way to get a break from textbooks and test tubes and start seeing the fun side of science in action. At Techniquest you can explore space and the planets in the star dome, check out how photos work in the light zone and play with hot air balloons or make music on a giant piano in the main hall’s sound section. Flo Brockway, 21, is a scientist who volunteers at Techniquest twice-a-week giving talks to school children about the cool parts of science. At school Flo always loved animals and after enjoying science she studied Zoology, the biology of animals, at university. She’s now training to become a science journalist, so look out for her in a newspaper or magazine near you soon!

Flo

Superstars: Flo loves Techniquest’s star dome

We caught up with Flo at Techniquest’s planetarium, where she can use a computer programme to project images of the night sky and different planets onto the ceiling. “It’s great fun working at Techniquest. Where else do you get to play with all the different planets and stars?” she says. “There’s so much to see in the sky. I love zooming in on Saturn. It looks really cool with all the rings round it. It’s one of the only planets you can see for yourself in the sky at the moment as most of the others get hidden in winter.” You can check out some of Flo’s favourite parts of Techniquest across the page. But she’s also let slip one of her less favourite moments of working there. “I had to dress up as a farting reindeer for Techniquest’s Christmas show,” she laughs. “There was a character called Elvis the evil elf who gave my reindeer a mince pie full of baked beans. I mean I love animals but that was pretty embarrassing!”

Flo’s favourite Techniquest tricks “I love the light zone. There’s this cool wall where you jump in the air and it takes a photo of you mid-jump. When you land it leaves a photo of your shadow up in mid-air so it looks like you’re floating,” Flo says.

Disappearing act: The mirror trick makes Flo float

“The invisible body table is awesome too. You climb under the table and stick your head through a hole in the top but there are loads of mirrors which hide your legs. It makes you look like you’ve lost your body or you’re floating. Maybe I just love looking like I’m floating!”

Discover

Your views Kaci-leigh, 11, “I had such an awesome time. This place is sooo fun! I’ll definitely come back.” Courtney, 9, “Techniquest was brilliant. I loved playing the drum kit and the giant piano. It’s much more fun than music class!” Alice, 10, “I loved seeing all the planets in the star dome and Mars looks really cool close up.”

Find your nearest science centre From Aberdeen to London there’s over 70 science centres across the UK. We have mapped them out on the Wonder Girl website too, so log on to find out the nearest centre to you!

competition Cracking

Techniquest lets you see science in action

Seven-year-old Aurora Carter from Powys in Wales is pictured above after winning Wallace & Gromit’s Cracking Ideas 2010 competition. Techniquest has started running special Wallace & Gromit invention sessions so we thought we’d see what cracking ideas you guys can come up with? Can you invent a gizmo to beat Wallace’s Snoozatron sleeping machine or KnitO-Matic jumper maker? Sketch your invention and send it in to us. Science Sam’s favourite idea will be printed as a poster in the next issue! Send your invention to: Wonder Girl Head Office Bute Building King Edward VII Avenue Cardiff South Glamorgan CF10 3NB

Good luck!

Shopping list

Cut me out

Create 1 tin chopped tomatoes 1 clove of garlic 225g self-raising flour 50g butter 1 egg A splash of milk Mozzarella cheese

In the kitchen Pizza faces

e ces ar ke a f a z a z Pi n to m s. u f t a gre iend our fr with y ipe makes t c ec This r zas – perfe z i four p eepover! sl for a

Personal pizza

Preheat the oven to 200*c

Use your favourite pizza toppings. We used red and green peppers, mushrooms, bacon and chorizo.

Weigh out the flour and using a sieve to separate any lumps, put into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub the two together with your fingers until it looks like breadcrumbs.

Add the egg and a tiny splash of milk, then mix together to make a lump of soft dough. Knead this lightly with your fists.

4 Get an adult to help you fry some garlic in a tiny bit of olive oil, adding a tin of chopped tomatoes. Leave it to simmer for five minutes and then it will be ready to spread on your base.

Don’t forget to cut out your badge for your project book when you give these pizza faces a go.

Divide the dough into four pieces and pat each piece into a round shape. Then put your pizza base onto a greased baking sheet on top of a baking tray.

Cut the mozzarella into thin slices and spread out on the tomato sauce. Now you’re ready to make the face on your pizza! We used chorizo slices for the eyes, peppers for eyebrows and mushroom slices for the noses with bacon and pepper smiles. Be creative with your favourite foods.

7 Put the pieces into the oven for 15-20 minutes until the bases are golden brown and the cheese has melted. Then grab a plate and enjoy!

Difficult to make, but worth the effort!

4/5

We’d love to see how your pizza faces turned out. Send photos to: Wonder Girl Head Office, Bute Building, King Edward VII Ave, Cardiff ,CF10 3NB Or email us at wondergirlmag@gmail.com

Over To You

Book club

This fortnight we investigate Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

Summary

Eleven-year-old Harriet, from New York, dreams of becoming a famous writer when she grows up. Encouraged to follow her ambitions by her nanny, Harriet starts spying on people and writing about them in her secret notebook. Harriet’s spying takes her on lots of fun adventures in New York but she often writes mean things about the people she spies on, even her best friends. One day Harriet loses her notebook in the school playground and her friends find it. Our book of the fortnight!

Review

Will Harriet’s friends forgive her for the horrible things she wrote about them and will Harriet’s mean comments spell disaster for her dreams of being a writer?

Louise Fitzhugh has written a book full of adventure that also touches on the tricky times you can face when you’re growing up. Harriet’s spying trips lead her into all sorts of crazy situations – even into her neighbours’ houses from time to time! But Harriet’s story also deals with some of the difficulties of growing up. Harriet finds her family life hard and when her friends are annoyed at what she has written about them, she feels really lonely and has to work to win her mates back. We won’t ruin the ending for you but Harriet’s story shows how you can achieve your dreams with a little help from your friends and by learning from your mistakes. It’s a great read full of adventure and heart! Reading level: Harriet the Spy is aimed at 9+ but if you’re a confident reader who is a bit younger then why not give it a try? You can always ask your family to read it with you!

Join the club! Tell us what you think about Harriet The Spy once you’ve read it. You can talk to other Wonder Girls about your favourite books and the latest releases at: www.jomec.cf.ac.uk/wondergirl You may even be featured in the next issue of Wonder Girl!

Your opinions Wonder Girl reader Amy, 10, from Sidcup in Kent, loved Harriet the Spy: “I love all the adventures Harriet goes on and she’s a really funny character. The way Harriet and her friends get through things when they fall out feels really real too.”

More super spies Jazmin Dawson from Spy Girl Profile: Sharp and sassy Jazmin Dawson wants to be a secret agent like her mum. Jaz’s life is transformed from school girl to spy girl when she gets tangled up in her mum’s investigations and uncovers some terrifying truths!

Alex Rider from Stormbreaker Profile: 14-year-old action boy Alex decides to investigate his spy uncle’s suspicious death. Alex then sets out on a rip-roaring adventure to finish his uncle’s last spying mission for him!

Cut out this book badge for your project book once you’ve read Harriet the Spy and write down what you thought of Harriet’s story!

Discover

Science myths: Ever heard something and thought there was no way it could be real? Science Sam is here to tell you what’s true and false in the world.

TRUE

1 ELEPHANTS CAN SWIM Sam’s result: “I went on safari for last year’s holiday and saw a family of elephants swimming across a lake . Apparently they can swim up to two miles per hour. Unfortunately, though, they can’t jump.”

2 Nelly doesn’t need any arm-bands when she goes for a dip.

YOU CAN WALK ON CUSTARD Sam’s result: “Now this is a very odd one. I saw it proved on television show Braniac a few years ago that a person can actually walk on custard. The impact caused by your feet pressing down on the custard makes it thick enough to support you. The trick is to keep moving very fast because otherwise you sink and it’s very difficult to get unstuck.”

4 MIXING COCA-COLA AND MENTOS CAUSES AN EXPLOSION Sam’s result: “Believe it or not, this myth is actually true. If you drop a sweet into a glass of coke then it will fizz up, but don’t try this at home – you will end up in a sticky mess.”

3 A DECAPITATED HEAD CAN LIVE FOR UP TO 20 SECONDS Sam’s result: “Beheading has been a very common – and very gruesome – form of capital punishment for hundreds of years. In 1905 a French doctor who was at the execution of a murderer discovered that the myth that a 5 decapitated head could live for up to 20 seconds was actually true!”

5 IF A TIGER LOST ITS FUR IT WOULDN’T LOSE ITS STRIPES

Emily ended up drenched in diet coke!

Sam’s result: “A tiger’s stripes are not only in their fur but also on their skin so a tiger can never lose its stripes. The same goes for house cats too!”

Discover

true or false? FALSE 2

LIGHTNING NEVER STRIKES TWICE

THE FIVE SECOND RULE Sam’s result: “This is completely wrong. If food falls onto the floor then any dirt and germs will stick to the food straight away. But eating germs isn’t always bad for you, they help you to have a healthy immune system. When I’m in the laboratory I always munch my sandwiches over the sink so I don’t get crumbs in my experiments!”

3 CHEWING GUM TAKES SEVEN YEARS TO DIGEST Sam’s result: “My favourite bubble gum is sour apple and, as much as I enjoy a good old chew, it’s not a good idea to swallow gum. Even though it doesn’t take as long as seven years to digest, the ingredients in chewing gum aren’t suitable for your stomach.”

Sam’s result: “Now I don’t know which bright spark came up with this one but the idea that lightning will never strike twice in the same place is simply not true. Once lightning has struck a certain spot, it is no less likely to get hit a second time. For example, The Empire State Building in New York is hit by lightning around 25 times every year!”

Fun Fact: US Park Ranger Rory Sullivan got struck by lightning seven times between 1942 and 1977. Ouch!!!

Make sure you spit out your gum when done!

4 A DUCK’S QUACK DOES NOT ECHO Sam’s result: “I took my pet duck Quackers down to the caves yesterday and tried this one out for myself. Well I never! Her quack went on for a good few seconds!”

5 THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA IS THE ONLY MAN-MADE STRUCTURE VISIBLE FROM SPACE Sam’s result: “Being a man of science I had to ask my friend Astronomy Andy for advice on this one. He told me that alongside the Great Wall, astronauts are able to see lots of other man-made structures, like the pyramids in Egypt, from space.”

30 Answers: 1. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lightning bolt in the Wonder Lab title 2. The test tube liquids are different colours 3. Quackersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tie is a different colour 4. He has no glasses in pic 2 5. He has eyebrows 6. He has blue eyes

between the pics of Quackers below? Can you spot the 6 differences Answers a monkey and a tiger

apro

r suga flou r eg b gs ak in g oven salt u fit o y n Ca ords w e h t into w o l e b kery o o c the ord? w s s o cr

c y r e ook

als m i an ? t a Wh these are

Jungle shadows!

or w s s ro

Puzzle mania!

What are the badges all about? You may have noticed the badges dotted throughout this issue of Wonder Girl. Want to know what they’re for? Well, just read on...

we irl issue one In Wonder G free project gave away a . u guys to use book for yo e v a h e we’ll In every issu s for r Girl badge four Wonde ne ct. There’s o you to colle Get ch section badge in ea er o c You, Dis v Busy, Over to and Create!

If you try each of the activities linked to the badge then you can cut it out and stick it in your project book, with a note or doodle explaining what you did to earn it.

The free project book Once yo u your bo ’ve finished ok, send it to us with a s e lf address ed and s envelop tamped e to: Wonder G Bute Bu irl il d ing King Edw ard VII A ve Cardiff C F10 3NB

the t get er ’ n d i d nd If you ue of Wo site b ss last i sit the we f.ac. i .c v Girl, w.jomec rl i at ww wonder-g uk/

Free b

adge! Everyon e who s end their pro ject boo s k to us will receive an offic Wonder ial Girl bad ge!

The project book with the best doodles and notes will get a very special prize: a chance to come to the Wonder Girl office with a parent or guardian and help make the next issue!

Find out in the next issue of Wonder Girl what our official WG badge looks like: on sale March 30.

P.S.

t rojec p e h t . ck of Club Log t a b e At th is a Book ll in wha book you can fi ut any o , Here think ab read. u yo e at s you book ore onlin k/ sm .ac.u Tell u .jomec.cf kclub o www ergirl/bo wond

Discover DER

WON

DKatie

L WOR

FRANCE

discovers Fra nce der Girl why she lo

Katie, 9, tells Won

ves France: good place to go on holiday with your family as there’s loads to do there. I’ve been skiing in Fran ce which was real ly fun and I’ve also been on a be ach holiday there too. When we went to the beac h we went swimm ing, built sand castles and I did bo dy boarding with my dad - that was really cool! “I’ve also been to Paris where I wen t to the top of the Eiffel Tower . It was so high th e cars on the roads looked like ants. We also wen t to Disneyland in Paris as well bu t I was three whe n we went there and I think I’d like it even more now.” “France is a really

s l: Pari Capita rench age: F u g n a 6,488 L : 62,61 n o i t iles a Popul uare m q s 0 3 547,0 Area: ro cy: Eu Curren Katie, pictured here with her mum, loves France, especially skiing Katie, wrapped up warm and ready to hit the slopes

Beaches

There are hundreds of beaches in France. The beaches in Brittany are great for surfing, and the ones in the south of France are beautiful – great fun for relaxing or swimming.

PARIS

You can play in the snow and play on the beach in the same country!

Katie loves skiin g!

France is a fav destin ation f ourite skiing or ma and th ny er choos e are plent people, yo e from as the f areas to 200 sk re are i resor over ts. Katie l oves s kiin French Alps: “ g in the two ye I first w a it. I’m rs ago and r ent skiing go ea I’ll hav ing back in lly liked e lesso April a nd n childre n. The s with other going best p re ar moun ally high up t is tains in in the ca to the ble ca rs.”

Bordeaux

Bastille Day

This is a national holiday celebrated in France every year on 14th July. It commemorates the storming of the Bastille which signalled the start of the French Revolution. The Bastille was a prison and was a symbol of power for the French king. The French people burnt the prison to the ground and many prisoners escaped!

Monuments

Eiffel Tower The Eiffel Tower is the most visited m onument in the world. It’s th e tallest building in Paris and was built to m ark the 100th anni versary of the French Revo lution. The struct ure was designed by Gust ave Eiffel and took just over two years to build . Arc de Triomphe The Arc de Triomph e is as a memoria l for the soldiers who foug ht in the French Re volution and the Napoleoni c Wars. The names of the soldiers who died in these wars are in sc ribed on the arches of th e monument. You can get to the top to see amazing views of Paris, but there are 284 stai rs to climb first!

The Eiffel Tower takes 18 months to paint and is painted every seven years!

Lyon

Frogs’ legs & snails France is famous for the strange delicacies, frogs’ legs and snails! The frogs legs are covered in flour and then deep fried. Snails are usually served as a starter with a butter and garlic sauce. However, despite France’s reputation for these strange delicacies, they’re not as common as you might think. Neither of these foods appear commonly on restaurant menus and some French people are even reluctant to try them.

Pâtisseries Pâtisseries are a type of French bakery which specialise in pastries and sweet treats. In France, the name ‘pâtisserie’ can only be given to a bakery which has its own special pastry chef. Pâtisseries offer delights such as pain au chocolate, macaroons as well as pies with juicy fruit on top. Yum!

The Arc de Triomphe is the largest arched monument in the world

Strasbourg

Discover

Make fresh fruit Tour crème pâtisseries de Fr ance

The To u year in r de France is F weeks rance and l a bicycle ra ce hel asts fo . The r de ra ac stages which e is separat n impressiv very ed into e thre from e last a e da a d out th ch stage are y each. The ifferent e over c then c al ombin yclist’s time chang s es eac l winner of e d to w the hy in Paris o , along ear but the race. The ro rk ra Champ u t s-Elyse he famous ce always fi te road c nishes es. alled t he

! h c n e r F k a e p S Marseille

of . Some if h c n e r is F but France rds already, f o e g ch wo angua e Fren ases. ional l t m a o n s e Th ow phr ight kn a few you m ’t, here are n you do jour ’ = Bon o l l va? e H ‘ ’ = Ca ? u o y are ien ‘How a va b C = ’ e ‘I’m fin erci ou’ = M y k n a oir ‘Th Au rev = ’ e y b ‘Good

Buy some ready made pastry cases and fill with custard (crème pâtissiere), bought from the supermarket. Top with fresh fruits of your choice. Glaze with a supermarket sachet of Quick Gel which you mix with water. Gobble up before everyone realises how good they are!

These gorgeous desserts are made with tinned peaches, raspberries and strawberries

Mmmm... fresh French baguette

Over To You

l a e r e d R Won s l r i G p ls’ to r i g e

tip:

t t o l ar

Ch Laura

Katie

Girl “Real o t n ys Liste Sunda nd ” r e Pow ma en 4p w. betwe line at ww n e o g 5pm forestvilla d tircoe k .org.u

Poster!

Image copyright: Michael Hartl

Meet Rebeccaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dog Poppy. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to have your pet featured in one of our posters, send a photo to the address on page two.

Poster!