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Math Puzzler

Two kids got all six answers correct in the Math Puzzler contest for March. One of the March winners had won previously and the other was an "almost winner."

Courtney Lauer was one of six kids who answered all the questions right in the November, 2001, contest. She also had her name picked for one of $10 Borders book certificate "extra bonus" prizes.

Kelsey Provance was the "almost winner" in the December contest. She answered all six Puzzlers right that month but couldn't be a winner because her entry wasn't postmarked before the deadline of the 15th of the month.

Kelsey made sure she wasn't late in the March contest. Her entry was postmarked March 8, a whole week ahead of the deadline.

Young Saint Louis.com congratulates both Courtney and Kelsey on answering all the March Puzzlers correctly. Both Courtney and Kelsey will be getting their "extra bonus" book certificates in the mail.

Mr. Math Puzzler and YSL.com are glad we're back on track with winning entries in the Math Puzzler contest.

To try your luck in the April Math Puzzler contest, just click here for the new questions and the entry blank.

Answers to March, 2002, Math Puzzlers

1. In the following number replacement puzzle, each letter stands for a particular digit (from 0 to 9). Can you break the code?

   ES
+  SO
 -----
  SOS 

Answer: 91 + 10 = 101

The explanation: We start with the letters on the right side of the problem. If the sum of S plus O equals S, the O must be a zero. Then the letters E and S above the line on the left side add up to O or zero. Since the answer is S O S, the first S must be 1 because two single digits can't add up to anything but numbers 10 through 18. Therefore, we now found numbers for all but one letter, E.

So far, we have:

   E1
+  10
 -----
  101

E must be 9 and the final answer is:

   91
+  10
 -----
  101

2. What number is three times one-half the number that is one-eighth less than three-sixteenths?

Answer: 3/32

The explanation:

3. A certain box of candy can be equally divided (without cutting any pieces) between three, four or seven people. What is the least number of pieces of candy the box can contain?

Answer: 84

The explanation: You need to find the least common multiple of 3, 4 and 7. Since there are no common prime numbers involved, you multiple 3 x 4 x 7 and the answer is 84.

4. Suppose you have 16 blue socks and 22 black socks in a drawer. If you reach into the drawer without looking at the socks, what is the smallest number of socks you must take from the drawer to be assured of getting one pair of blue socks?

Answer: 24 socks

The explanation: Since you aren't looking, you'll need to take out at least 24 socks to be sure of getting one pair of blue socks. As the very best (which isn't likely) you'd have to draw all 22 black socks plus two more that would have to be blue. Of course, if you took a peek, you'd probably find the blue pair sooner.

5. There are 18 people in the final round for a grand prize. The 18 must stand in a circle and be counted for elimination. Starting the counting with number one, every seventh contestant will be eliminated until one remains to win the prize. Where would you stand to win the contest?

Answer: Position 9

The explanation: You get the answer by putting the numbers 1 through 18 in a circle. Starting with 1, you eliminate every seventh contestant. You keep going round and round until the only contestant left is No. 9 In counting the seven on the second and subsequent go-arounds, you count only the "live" numbers, jumping over the ones that you eliminated in the previous rounds.

6. A strange monster has five arms and, if you cut off an arm, two more grow in its place. Assume that on the first cut, all five arms are cut off, replaced by 10. Then, on the second cut, all 10 arms are cut off, etc. How many arms will be cut off on the sixth cut?

Answer: 160 arms

The explanation: Mr. Math Puzzler encourages his students to use columns, when appropriate, to solve problems. In this case, you have one column for the number of cuts and a second column that represents the numbers of arms that are left.

Mr. Math Puzzler has come up with a wide variety of math questions for April. All of them can be solved by various types of basic formulas and "educational guessing." .

As he did last month, Mr. Math Puzzler--teacher Wayne Hesse of Green Park Lutheran School--has made the puzzlers somewhat less demanding than in previous months.

That's because Young Saint Louis.com wants to test your math skills but also wants you to have some fun.

But, these questions aren't that easy. They will still test your math skills.

Each month, YSL.com publishes a series of six Math Puzzlers. We make a little competition out of it. These Puzzlers can be a family activity.

The more fun you have with math, the easier math concepts will be to learn.

Remember, if you think a Puzzler can be answered two ways, you can print out two different entry blanks. That way you can give one answer on one entry and the other on the other.

There's no limit on the number of entries from one person or family team. Multiple answers might improve your chances of winning.

Also, multiple entries may help you qualify for our EXTRA BONUS. Remember, all entries with six correct answers are put into a hat and up to three will get $10 Border's book certificates. (YSL.com likes to award those book certificates.)

Submit your answers to this April contest by using the form below. In May, we'll publish names of those who answered all questions correctly. We'll also include explanations of the answers. (For March winners and answers, click here.)

A reminder: Although these Math Puzzlers are a little easier, they are still quite challenging, especially for younger kids. Remember, we don't mind if you get help from a parent or older brother or sister. In fact, you might want to make this a family activity.

Here's how to enter:

1. Print out the following entry form.
2. Fill out your name, address and telephone number.
3. Give your answers to the six Math Puzzlers.
4. Put your completed entry into a stamped envelope.
5. Mail your entry to:
   
   Math Puzzler Contest
   Young Saint Louis.com
   7733 Forsyth Blvd., Suite 350
   Clayton, MO 63105
   
   
6. All entries must be postmarked by the 15th of the month to be eligible for a book prize.

----------Clip here to make entry----------

Entry for April, 2002, Math Puzzler Contest:

Name: _____________________________________

Address: ___________________________________

City:_____________________, State:______ ZIP___________

Contact phone no.(____)____________________

The Math Puzzlers
(April, 2002)

1. If you built a rectangular pyramid with the bottom being a square, using ping-pong balls, how many ping-pong balls would there be in a pyramid with seven layers with only one ball at the top?

Answer:_____________

2. A woman turned to her friend and said, "Three years from now, I'll be three times as old as I was 27 years ago. How old is the woman now?

Answer:_____________

3. If you have a full glass of water and pour out half, then pour back in half of what you poured out, pour out a third of what you now have and pour back in a third of a glass, what fraction of the glass is full?

Answer:_____________

4. See if you can determine the logic needed to provide the missing numbers in the last circle.

Answer:______________

5. A picture frame that usually sells for $50 is on sale for 5% off. If a 5% sales tax were added to the sale price, what amount would be owed?

Answer:______________

6. Four friends--Dave, Mike, John and Terry--are nicknamed Stick, Batman, Atomic Head and Feaser, but not in that order. What is the nickname of each?

a. John is faster than Batman, but not as strong as Atomic Head
b. Batman is stronger than Terry, but slower than Feaser.
c. Dave is faster than both John and Stick, but not as strong as Batman.

Answer:______________

Money

The good news is kids at Ladue Middle School are learning how to invest in the stock market. The better news is that they aren't using real money.

Eleven-year-old Bill Kistner is on a five-member team that is participating in the internet-based Stock Market Game. The competition is operated by the Missouri Council of Economic Education, based at University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Kistner said his team decided, "if we're going to win the contest, we need to score big. Therefore, we decided to buy some risky stocks, in hopes of big gains the stock prices."

While many of the teams at Ladue Middle School have purchased well-known stocks, Kistner's team decided to "buy a lot of little stocks."

He added, "I'm sure I wouldn't be doing this type of investing if this was real money."

Fellow classmate Nicolas Nunn-Faron's team has taken a different approach. His team includes well-known big companies such as Coke, General Electric, Microsoft and Disney.

Eleven-year-old Nicolas' team feels that investments in big companies offer the best chance to "getting more money" from their investment. That's the same goal of Kistner's team although their approaches are just about opposite.

The current game competition started in February, when each team got an imaginary $100,000 pool of investment money. They have 10 weeks of investment time to see which team ends up with the most money when the contest ends late this month. (If you'd like to know more about the game, go to www.umkc.edu/mcee.)

The Stock Market Game holds two 10-week contests each school year. This is the first time math teacher Alice Nishiwaki has entered sixth grade teams in the 2001-2002 year.

However, several team members have had previous investment experience at school.

For instance, Kistner and 11-year-old Benjamin Young both participated in an enrichment program called Apogee, which had a stock market competition also.

Young said his team this semester is investing in "solid stocks" like Dell Computer, IBM and Pepsi. "We don't take risks," he added.

Dell and IBM are stocks he had in his Apogee investment portfolio. When the Stock Market Game started, Young's team picked Dell and IBM again.

"I made money with those stocks in Apogee. They were down when this game started so we bought them again," he said. "I didn't have Pepsi before but we saw it was down so we bought it," he added.

Twelve-year-olds Liz Eiger and Jordan Graham are on teams that have bought stocks that make products they like. Stock brokers often suggest investing in companies that make products you buy.

But, in this case, their investment in Krispie Kreme Doughnuts hasn't worked out.

Graham said, "I love Krispie Kreme doughnuts." And the stock of the fast-growing company had a big run up in price in previous months.

But, Eiger said, "It was doing well but it's now going down."

The game's 10-week time limit makes it hard to pick winners. Most stock brokers urge real-money investors to buy good stocks and keep them a long time.

For the kids at Ladue Middle, they don't have time for a stock to drop and then come back. Therefore, most of them try to pick stocks that might be historically low but have shown some recent strength.

Eiger said her team starts by picking companies whose price seems to be rising. "Then, we look at the 52-week range in prices to see if there is room for more growth," she said.

Graham said her team also has tried to predict when a stock that has increased in price might be ready to turn down. Her team faced that situation midway through the contest.

"We contemplated selling IBM because it had gone up so much," she said.

Teacher Nishiwaki said the Stock Market Game makes the kids more interested in math. "They'll ask me now to figure 2% of a number. If I tried to teach them percentages, they might not be interested.

"But, since they have to pay a 2% commission whenever they buy or sell a stock, they want to know how much money that is."

News

The famous St. Louis Zoo is winding up its multi-million dollar fund drive. And, as they have done since the zoo was founded, kids are helping raise money.

Much of that money raised will go to improve zoo displays of special interest to kids.

The total amount of money donated by kids through their schools and organizations has been totaled as yet. The overall fund drive just ended on April 1. The goal is $63 million.

Zoo officials say kids' donations are likely to continue to come in until the end of this school year.

(Young Saint Louis.com will continue to follow these fund-raising efforts by kids. We'll also cover the zoo exhibit improvements as they are completed. Be sure to watch for more articles in coming months.)

Kids have been helping to build the zoo and its collections of animals for a long time.

In 1910, local kids held penny drives to buy the zoo's first Asian elephant, Miss Jim.

From that early start, the St. Louis Zoo has continued to expand. It now includes over 740 different kinds of animals.

One current fund-raising idea draws directly from the Miss Jim campaign. Only, this time, the Zoo provided colorful cardboard banks where kids can donate "Pennies for Penguins."

In this fund drive, kids are joining with businesses, organizations and individual adults to pay for many new and expanded exhibits. New projects include the Hippo Harbor, a climate-controlled Penguin and Puffin Coast and the Fragile Forest.

There also will be improvements to the Emerson Children's Zoo, River's Edge and the Monsanto Insectarium.

The kids are using all sorts of different plans to raise money in their schools. Some classes are linking the fund-raising to such things as "dress down days" or opportunities to wear caps and even bedroom slippers to school.

One suggestion that's likely to get a lot of attention is No Homework Day.

If the kids are very successful, they can earn a lasting memorial for their class or school. If a group of kids raises at least $500, a paving brick with their group's name on it will be installed at the zoo's main entrance.

For lesser amounts, kids can earn a spot on a special honor roll in The Living World building through 2004 or be made Zoo Parents for an animal in the new exhibits. The four animals are the black rhinoceros, chimpanzee, king penguin or hippopotamus.

But, the children's' campaign includes more than fund-raising. The Zoo provided information to learn more about the Zoo and its animals.

A teacher's kit includes a variety of educational materials. These include lesson plans for animal research projects and a 32-page Children's Discovery Book about Conservation.

Much of the curriculum is designed to help kids understand about endangered animals. One class includes a research project where kids plan a new zoo exhibit.

A class is divided into research teams. They start by picking a specific animal for their zoo exhibit. The kids find out about the animal's natural habitat, what they eat and whether they live alone or in groups.

Then, they design and make a model of their exhibit.

Other projects include designing a wildlife postage stamp or creating a black-line poster. The posters could then be colored and displayed in the schools.

There's material that explains what an endangered species is. Also, there is information how the animals became endangered and how humans can reverse this.

The St. Louis Zoo maintains a Teacher Research Center year-round to help kids learn about endangered species. Also, there are websites where you can learn more about animals.

First, the Zoo has it's own website at www.stlzoo.org. Click on conservation/research to learn about programs of animals protection being done at the St. Louis Zoo.

Also, the zoo hosts another website at www.beyondzoo.org. This gives more information about research projects undertaken here and at other zoos.

Another website has been developed by the American Zoo and Aquarium Assn. It's address is www.azasweb.com. This interactive site was developed specifically to encourage kids to love and take interest in animals and nature.

Profile

When Emily Miller was 10 years old, her parents took her to a production of the Broadway musical, "Annie." On the way home, she said she'd like to stage a show like that.

So she did. The first show for her theatrical company, Broadway on the Driveway, was, of course, "Annie." It drew an audience of 60. The flyer advertising the theatrical company said most of those were "parents and bribed relatives."

Since then, her theatrical troupe has expanded to about 45 kids and adults. They've staged six other Broadway shows and are no longer performing in the driveway of her west St. Louis County home.

Last summer, three performances of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" drew an audience of 1,800.

And, after September 11, the troupe gave three more performances that raised $1,000 for two New York charities.

One charity was Service International. That group was helping small businesses near the World Trade Center get back on their feet. The other part of the money went to a Baptist church organization helping a church near the disaster site.

Emily has another enterprise also. She has joined with her sister, 14-year-old Lacy, and brother, 13-year-old Michael, to give Broadway-style variety shows. These include singing, dancing, harmonica playing and humor.

All this activity earned Emily a Do the Right Thing award given to St. Louis area kids who are helping to build their communities. The coordinator for the program is Officer Lisa Pisciotta of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.

The next project for Broadway on the Driveway probably will be the re-staging of "Fiddler on the Roof." An abbreviated version of that Broadway show was the third production by Emily's group.

But, she said, "This time we want to stage the unabridged version of the show."

Actually, the troupe has pretty much abandoned the household driveway as its staging area. Two years ago, the troupe started to hold productions in buildings so they could perform rain or shine.

Asked about the future, Emily said she'd like to start a Christian music company.

As with her current shows, Emily said she wants to offer entertainment "where the whole family can come and know there's not going to be anything objectionable to any of them."

The three Miller children are home schooled. Emily is now 16 and is the equivalent of a junior in high school. Concerning college, she's trying to find a school that excels in the arts but has a "Christian perspective."

Staging a show like "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" takes quite a bit of effort. Before putting on their first show, the cast practiced three hours a day, five days a week for six weeks. There were three dress rehearsals.

Emily was the director and the show's narrator.

Besides the practice, she and her family had to find or make costumes as well as design and build sets. And they do all that with very little money.

Emily and her family are always on the lookout for possible costumes at garage sales. "And we get a lot of community donations," Emily's mother, Sallie, said. She added, "Four of the moms in the cast sew really well."

Emily said, "Some of the cast members are really talented in making scenery."

Admission to most of their Broadway shows are free of charge. However, they asked for charitable donations for NYC disaster victims during the three performances of "Joseph" last November and December.

Emily has been building another little business associated with entertainment.

Sallie Miller said, "A number of smaller kids like what Emily is doing and want to learn also." So, Emily now gives singing, tap-dancing and piano lessons to younger kids. She charges for these classes.

Her theatrical activities have attracted national attention. Tony Award winner Marvin Hamlisch had the Miller kids as finalists in a Search for a Star competition two years ago.

The three Millers also appeared at the Sweet Adeline's International Convention in Orlando. The Adeline's have a Young Singers Foundation, which has made two small grants to the Millers.

If you'd like to host a theatrical or variety show performance, you can contact Broadway on the Driveway at (636) 527-0300.

Writing

Fourth graders at Reed Elementary School have learned a valuable writing lesson. That is, there's a lot more to publishing a book than just writing it.

They also learned that book publishing involves teamwork, not just individual creativity.

Ten-year-old Andrew Lynn said, "Making books isn't as easy as it seems. They're pretty hard to make."

Several of his classmates echoed that same thought after they finished their book publishing project. The assignment to make a book was given to them by St. Louis children's book authors Patricia and Fred McKissack.

The McKissacks ran a series of closed-circuit video conferences on the subject of writing and book publishing. (Young Saint Louis.com gave samples of work by middle school authors last month. To read those articles, click here.)

The project for elementary school kids included more than writing. The McKissacks asked the Reed School kids also to illustrate and then publish their writing in book form.

Eleven-year-old Bryce Potter said the team decided to do a book about leprechauns. Those are fanciful Irish elves who "are short, greedy and happy," Bryce said.

He added, "We were brainstorming about a subject and I threw in the idea of leprechauns. Everyone else on the team liked that." The group also decided to aim the book at kindergarten and first grade kids, rather than kids their own age.

Others on the Leprechaun project were Scott Rehnquist, Matt Silverstein, Dana Lambie, Whitney Mingle and Grace Rossow. Andrew and Scott did most of the writing. Then, they also joined Bryce and Matt to do the illustration.

Dana was the editor and Whitney the book designer. Grace was the publisher.

Andrew said, "The toughest things were figuring out the plot and then getting all pieces ready for publishing."

He said the teamwork "helped our creative thinking a lot."

Ten-year-old Jessica Langsam was the illustrator for her team's book, entitled "African-American Entertainers." She also said publishing was tough. "It isn't so simple. You can't get published right away; it takes time."

But, she said her experience on illustrating the book fits right into her career plans. "I want to be an illustrator of children's books," she said. She said she was impressed by the quality of the illustrations in the McKissacks' books.

The writing in the "Entertainers" is in poetry form. Each poem is about a different person. Jessica decided to write her poem about famed singer Marian Anderson. She said she focused on Anderson because her sister had written a report on the singer.

Nine-year-old Kelsey Saettele did her poem on fashion model Beverly Johnson. Kelsey said Johnson wasn't as famous as some other entertainers such as Bill Cosby and Stevie Wonder. But, she said, "I thought she was interesting."

Others on their team included Matthew Kastigar, Johnny Nyugen, Elizabeth Tamaren, Darrell Lofton and Max MaGruder. All of them contributed an individual poem and then shared the job of getting all the material ready for the printer.

Ten-year-old Sabina Wahl did much of the writing for the book, "Rebirth in America." That was a story written in diary form about a make-believe family from Puerto Rico that came to America.

Ten-year-old Haley Millner did much of the illustration for the book. She said, "I found a picture of a Hispanic family in a book and modeled my illustrations after them." Another illustrator was classmate Danny Poon.

The team thought up names for the family. Then, the kids went to a website that suggested names that matched a person's personality. The kids then matched names to the way those family members acted in the book.

Ten-year-old Tim Burroughs was the production designer for the book. "I made sure it all went together perfectly," he said.

But, later, he admitted the production flow didn't actually go that smoothly. That's because some parts lagged behind the production schedule. Tim admitted, "Sabina and I had to do some of the coloring of illustrations because were running behind schedule."

But, he said team cooperation did get the book together on time. Other members of the team included Derrell Lofton as editor, Chris Gentsch as are director and Salena Davison as title page designer.

For a look at some of the writing and illustrations from the three books, click here.

Here are writings from three kid-published books that St. Louis kids' authors Patricia and Fred McKissack thought were interesting. The books were published by kids at Reed Elementary School in Ladue.

For Young Saint Louis.com profiles of kids in three of the publishing teams, click here.

1. Leprechans: Take an adventure into the magical world of Leprechans:

One day in the country of Ireland
     There lived a little old grumpy man.
He had a wife names Lucky.
     She liked to drive a mini van.

He was one foot tall
     With eyes of gold.
He had greenish, brownish hair
     And was chubby and bold.

He and his wife, Lucky, a skinny old elf
     With long, red, stringy hair
Lived in a wee cottage
     And they were quite a pair.

One day as they were eating Lucky Charms,
     the cereal for leprechauns,
a golden key fell from the box.
     It was shaped like a pecan.

"Oh my," the grumpy man explained.
     What do we have here?"
"It's a golden key," said Lucky.
     "Let's find what it goes to, my dear."

Suddenly, the grumpy old man dropped the key.
     A map popped out of the key.
The map showed the land of Ireland.
     "Look! X marks the spot, see."

So they got in the mini van and set off.
     The old grumpy man tried to figure
out what marked the spot.
     And then magically a rainbow appeared.
They followed the rainbow and pulled in a lot.

They got out of the mini van
     And looked at the map and its X.
Dig, dig, dig they went,
     And suddenly heard a kling.
It was a pot of gold and a
     lifetime supply of Lucky Charms!
WHAT A WONDERFUL THING!

2. African American Entertainers:

ARTHUR MITCHELL
By Matthew Kastigar

Arthur Mitchell was pretty poor,
     but he won a school dancing award.
When he was thirteen, he tried out for the performing arts
     Of course, he got one of the leading parts.
Arthur studied classical ballet,
     he was always the star in every play.

BEVERLY JOHNSON
By Kelsey Saettele

Beverly Johnson was the best.
     She would always practice modeling and never rest.
She loved the life of fashion.
     Being a model was her passion.

BILL COSBY
By Johnny Nyugen

Bill Cosby was a comedy master.
     Each year, he won an Emmy award for best actor.
He earned a doctorate's degree in education.
     He swept away laughs from the whole nation.

CICLY TYSON
By Elizabeth Tamaren

Cicly Tyson is a well know actress
     on TV, stage and screen.
She was the best, because she practiced,
     and she wasn't afraid to be seen.

MARIAN ANDERSON
By Jessica Langsam

Marian Anderson was a star.
     Her career went very far.
She sang at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939.
     She was the best opera singer of her time.

MAYA ANGELOU
By Darrell Lofton

Maya Angelou did many things.
     She danced, she acted and she loved to sing.
She participated in the Civil Rights,
     But she didn't take part in any fight.

STEVIE WONDER
By Max MaGruder

Although Stevie Wonder was blind,
     In all things he was very kind.
Stevie knew he wanted to be a musician;
     His life was an adventurous mission.

3. Rebirth in America: the dairies of Jaen and Maria Mial

          January 1, 1980, New Years Day, by Jaen

Mama has given me a new diary. It was made right here in San Juan, Puerto Rico. With a vibrant green cover and a beaded Puerto Rican flag on the front, I think it will become my best friend. All of our familia is here for the holidays. Since our casa is very large, we have all our cousins staying with us. The whole familia is visiting, but there is one element missing. Aunt Josephine. Everyone loves her. She plays with the children and listens to our problems. Sadly though, no one has seen her since she moved to America. How I envy her! My sister misses her the most though, poor Maria. Must hurry! Uncle Fernando is cooking his famous arroz con pollo.

          January, 8, 1980, by Jaen

I thought "the three kings" would stop all the layoffs at the factory, but all they did was leave me a gift! But, because of the layoffs, Papa has lost his job! Many people around here have lost their jobs and have gone to America to find employment. What if we move to America? How eager I am to find out!!!

          January 17, 1980, by Jaen

Mama and Papa are ill! They are so sick that people from the government are here with a doctor. They say that Papa has it much worse than Mama and will surely die! As if that is not bad enough, they are to take Mama to Miami, in America, to see a real, practiced doctor. Marie and I are to go to an orphanage. Maria is very upset. Who can blame her?! The worst part is that no one will tell me what is wrong with my parents! I must stop now. I'm too exhausted and sorrowful to write any more.

          January 23, 1980, by Jaen

Today, I can only find comfort in these pages. Papa is dead! I've been so busy tending to Papa and Mama and taking care of Maria. Tomorrow, we leave for the orphanage. Everyone says that there, there's no " Day of the Three Kings," and all they feed you are beans and rice! I try not to cry, but I just can't get myself to hold back tears. Despite the fact that Mama feels much better, the government is still sending her to Miami. How I despise them! I'll find a way to get to America, no matter what!!!

          February 2, 1980, by Maria

Jaen has a plan! He has heard that on the 5th of February, there is a ship leaving for Miami. He shall dress as a sailor and make me a fake ticket. Oh, Mama. Should I sneak onto the ship with him, or wait here for you?!

Thirteen years later....

          January 1, 1993, by Jaen

This will be my last entry in this diary. I wanted to tell you the end. Maria and I found Mama 5 years ago. I am now married and have a one-year-old son. I'm on my third year of law school. We never did find out how Papa died, but, because of that, Maria wants to be a doctor. At 19, she's already on her first year of medical school. Aunt Josephine went back to Puerto Rico to be with Kasandra. I have a feeling that everything turned out right after all.

Books

This month's book reviews

Can a young baseball fan find happiness
in a family that doesn't like sports?

Ten-year-old fourth grader Ezra Feldman is a smart kid and he does well in school. His dad is a college professor and his mom is a medical doctor. Ezra's trouble is that he is nuts about baseball and his dad thinks baseball is a complete waste of time. His mother and his college-age older brother don't care about baseball, but they aren't always on Ezra's case like his father is.

Ezra lives in New York City and is a Mets fan. Of course, nearly everyone else is a Yankee's fan, but that doesn't bother him. What embarrasses him is that his own father doesn't even know anything about baseball. For instance, his dad calls a "double header" a "two-timer." He yells at Ezra for watching the Mets play on TV. He really got angry when he caught Ezra listening to a game at 11 p.m. in his room on a school night.

Ezra's dad is always trying to get Ezra to play chess with him. Ezra, on the other hand, is always hopeful that sometime his dad would take him to a baseball game. Instead, his dad bought him an electronic chess game for his birthday. Ezra tricked his dad into promising to take him to a ballgame if Ezra could beat him at a game of chess. Ezra practiced enough that he began to better understand the game of chess. He also learned to sit on his hands so that he would not be forced to take moves that he really didn't want to make. Wonder of wonders, he finally beat his dad in a game! It was a first, but it was enough to start some changes in his dad's attitude toward Ezra as well as toward baseball.

"Baseball Fever" by Johanna Hurwitz is a fun book to read. There are a number of humorous incidents in this little book about baseball and about how a boy gets his dad to better appreciate having a son that has "baseball fever."

The story of a twelve-year-old drummer
boy in the American Civil War

Charley Quinn is a member of a street gang in the Bowery section of 1860's New York City. When the story begins, Charley has just recently learned that Johnny, his older brother, had been killed in the Battle of Gettysburg. Although Charley was only twelve years old, he dreamed of going to war and shooting Confederates in order to avenge his brother. Johnny had been a hero among the street gang members and had died a true hero in the war. Charlie didn't want to die but he wanted to be a hero like Johnny.

Through a series of incidents, Charley ends up a drummer boy in the same army unit in which his brother had served. He worked hard at being a good drummer. In his first real battle in the Wilderness in Virginia, however, an enemy bullet ruins his drum. Charlie decides to fight like a real soldier, so he picks up a rifle from a dead soldier. He takes careful aim and hits a Confederate just across the field. He sees the man fall. At that point, Charlie decides he really doesn't like war at all. Friends are falling all around him. Men are running in terror in all directions. Charlie throws the rifle down and runs away from the battlefield. He heads west to get away from armies and fighting. Eventually, he hopes to find his way home to New York.

Charley learns later that some of his comrades saw him running away and had nicknamed him "Charley Skedaddle." He is so ashamed that he begins to call himself by that name. The rest of the book is concerned with what Charley does as he tries to get away from the war yet restore his confidence in himself.

"Charlie Skedaddle" is an exciting adventure novel. While enjoying the story, a reader can learn a lot about how life was in those days of terrible fighting between the States.

A book that has been made
into a movie several times

"Anna and the King" is the story of an Englishwoman who went to the Far East to serve as a teacher for the wives and children of the King of Siam. The time was the 1860's, the time of the Civil War in the United States. Siam, which is now called Thailand, was ruled by a king who was treated almost as a god by his subjects. The king, although ruling much as previous kings had done for a thousand years, was trying to bring his country into "modern" times.

Anna Luonowens' husband, an army officer, died while they were living in India. Anna had a daughter and a son and no regular income to support herself and her children. Since she was well educated, she opened a school for army officers' children. Even though the school failed, the King of Siam heard of Anna and requested that she come to Siam and conduct a school for the royal children.

After placing her daughter in a boarding school in England, Anna and her six-year-old son traveled to Siam. An Indian servant and her husband went along with them. Once in Siam, Anna was left waiting for some time, before the King of Siam even acknowledged that he had sent for her. In the letter inviting Anna to come, the King had promised her a specified salary and a house of her own. When she finally met with the King, he refused to pay her the agreed upon amount or to honor her request for a home of her own. Rightfully, Anna refused to do the job she was expected to do unless she received the pay and home the King had promised.

So Anna began her time in this isolated land by angering the powerful King who never had the experience of anyone questioning his commands or even his slightest wish. Luckily, the King would cool off from his spells of anger. So eventually Anna began tutoring his children and was allowed to move into a house of her own near the royal palace walls. Anna and her son came to love the beautiful country and its people. The royal children and the King's wives came to respect and love Anna. Even the King came to admire her and to depend on her counsel and advice.

The book "Anna and the King" tells such a great story that three major movies have been made that were based on Anna Leonowens' story. A long-playing musical called "The King and I" also was based on the book. Although the story is factual, it reads as well as any adventure novel.

Shakespeare's London and his theater through the eyes of an orphan from the country

The main character in "The Shakespeare Stealer" was born in the year 1587. An orphan, he never knew his mother or his father. He was nicknamed "Widge" in the orphanage where he had been placed by neighbors.

When he was seven years old, Widge was apprenticed to Dr. Bright, a physician who was also a preacher. He had to work assisting Dr. Bright prepare different types of medicines and do other general chores. Widge also was expected to learn to read and write in both English and Latin, which was very unusual for servant boys in that era. Still more unusual, he was required to learn to use a version of shorthand, which Dr. Bright had invented himself. The doctor expected Widge to rapidly write scientific notes and religious sermons while using the invented shorthand.

By age fourteen, Widge was very good at recording what he heard spoken. His life was changed again when a mysterious, sword-carrying stranger showed up and forced Dr. Bright to sell the young apprentice to him. The stranger had insisted on insuring that Widge could apply the shorthand that Dr. Bright had invented, before he whisked Widge away.

Under his new master, we find out why the book is called "The Shakespeare Stealer." Widge is expected to go to the theater in London and record the plays that he hears performed. Another group of performers wants to use Shakespeare's plays without having to pay to use them.

Widge is impressed by the hugeness of the city of London. By accident, he becomes part of the cast of performers at Shakespeare's theater. The mysterious stranger is always lurking in the background. He threatens to kill Widge, if copies of the plays are not turned over to him.

"The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary Blackwood is an adventure novel, filled with suspense and surprises. The historical background it provides is a bonus.

Entertainment

Eleven-year-old Tony Cao of Ballwin is the youngest of three St. Louis area state chess champions. They won titles in last month's Missouri state youth tournament held in Jefferson City.

The Chinese-born fifth grader at Henry Elementary School took the 5th-grade-and-under title. He was unbeaten in his six matches in the state meet.

A fellow fifth grader at Henry School, William Cheng, won second in the same division. The Chinese-American Cheng had five wins and one draw to earn the runner-up spot.

Tony said, "I wasn't the favorite to win. But, I beat the favorite in my fifth match." He added that Cheng fought to a draw with the favorite to help him finish second.

Cao said there were between 40 and 50 entrants in the 5th-and-under division.

Other individual division winners from St. Louis included:

In the 9th and under division, Jeremy Volkmann from Francis Howell High School. In the 6th-and-under division, Stephanie Hulsey of Barrington Elementary School.

Cao said he started playing chess when he was very young. But, he didn't get serious about the game until his family moved to St. Louis and he joined the chess club at Henry School in West St. Louis County.

"I had played chess before but I think I was playing it wrong," he said.

While in the Henry School chess club, he began playing in the Gateway Chess League. That's an organization that puts on a wide variety of chess competitions throughout the St. Louis area.

"I played in my first tournament in Belleville, Ill., in November, 2000," he said.

Brad Schmidt of Belleville is the administrator of the Gateway Chess League. He can be reached at (618) 566-2951. The group is also affiliated with the U.S. Chess Foundation.

Another good local contact is Ed Bauer of Vianney High School. He is the president of the Missouri Chess Assn. His school number is (314) 965-4853.

Chess is a fast-growing activity for kids in the St. Louis area. And there are plenty of chances for competition. Just one week after the state meet, Cao was back competing in a league meet at Parkway South High School.

Tony said his father, Shimin Cao, gave him good advice on how to improve his game.

"He noticed I was playing mostly with other kids. He suggested I start playing with adults," Tony said.

"So I started to go to the Borders Book Store on Olive on Thursday nights. I got a chance to play against adults. And, after awhile, I started winning there too," he said.

Also, in the Parkway regional competition, the players get a chance to play against kids of different ages.

Although he likes chess a lot, Tony said, "I don't want to be another Bobby Fischer."

He was referring the American who was the first U.S. citizen to win the title of world chess champion. He won the title years ago when he defeated Boris Spassky, one of a series of Russians to hold that title.

Fischer then refused to defend his title against Spassky in a rematch because he felt the tournament conditions favored the Russian. Fischer pretty much dropped out of the world chess scene after that.

Tony said he wanted to keep chess as a favored hobby as he grows up. "But, I don't think I could make a living as a chess player," he said.

Rather, he wants to make a career in the medical field, like his father.

Tony said his family moved from China to the U.S. when he was three. First, the family lived in Galveston, Tex., and moved to St. Louis nearly two years ago.

Asked about chess in China, Tony said, "China has the best women players in the world. But, the men aren't quite as good." He said the Russians continue to be dominant in world chess competitions.

If you are interested, you can get involved in chess. The U.S. Chess Foundation's website is www.uschess.org. The Gateway Chess League has a website at www.gatewaychess.org.

Sports

Fifteen-year-olds Whitney Sykes and Whitney Smith have played for the St. Louis Comets basketball team since they were in fourth grade. They've been to the AAU national finals with the team four times.

This year, they and their teammates hope to improve on their fifth place finish in last year's nationals.

This year's version of the Comets just started playing in AAU competition last month. Until mid-March, many of the players were playing in their first season of high school basketball.

Sykes was the leading scorer on her Granite City (Ill.) High School team. She was a point guard on a team that finished 17-9.

Smith was a starting forward for Visitation Academy, that finished second in its division in the Missouri high school state tournament.

Fifteen-year-old Sarah Young of Belleville, Ill., said, "This year's team is definitely going to the nationals." She said the fact so many Comet players competed against older girls on their high school teams is definitely a plus this year.

Young was a freshman guard on her Belleville West Township High School team this year. About the Comets, she said, "We're a very good team."

Young also started playing basketball when she was in fourth grade. But, this is only her fourth year with the Comets.

The Comets are coached by Rick Newkirk and is a select team. That means the team can pick players from throughout the metro area on both sides of the river.

Fifteen-year-old Rachel Viehmann is the Comets' tallest player at 6'3". She also had a fourth grade start to basketball but is in only her second year with the Comets.

Sixteen-year-old Ashley House came to the Comets 1 1/2 years ago from a rival AAU team, the Hoops of the Matthews-Dickey Boys and Girls Club. Asked what her former teammates thought of the defection, Ashley said, "They weren't too happy."

The 5'10" Ashley was a starter for the Cardinal Ritter girls team. She had a 15.7 ppg average during her first season of high school play.

With most of the Comet players now in high school, the number of games they play in a season actually goes down. As elementary and middle school students, the Comets would play year around.

Whitney Sykes said, "I'll play about 70 games this year. Before high school, we'd play year around and play as many as 100 games."

Fourteen-year-old Kelsey Luna is the only eighth grader on this year's Comets team. Although she started playing when she was in second grade, she's only been with the Comets for one year.

The 5'5" point guard is a student at Parkway Northeast Middle School.

She's one of the kids who wants to be a professional basketball player in the WNBA. Concerning her current height, she said, "I think I'm still growing."

But, Whitney Smith is a girl who isn't planning to play even college basketball. She said, "I haven't grown since I was in fourth grade and 5'11" is pretty short for a post player."

However, she said, "I'm going to miss basketball a lot so I want to stay in sports as an athletic trainer."

The Comets' tallest player, Rachel Viehmann, also thinks she's "just about done growing." But, at 6'3", she is tall enough for basketball at higher levels of competition.

She said her challenge now will be to "bulk up," get stronger, more coordinated and more confident. "I grew five or six inches when I was in seventh grade," she said. That growth spurt forced her to readjust her whole game, especially the way she shoots the ball.

With her growth about over, Rachel thinks she can start some weight-lifting. Most trainers urge kids not to do much weight lifting while their bones are still growing. While the growth "plates" at the joints are soft, weight lifting can put on too much strain.

Rachel said she was fortunate that her rapid growth didn't diminish her running speed.

This year's Comets basketball team got back together in mid-March and was playing in AAU tournaments before the end of the month.

Coach Newkirk said, "With the high school experience, it won't take them long to get together as a team."

He and the girls think they will be able to be in top form before making their bid for the AAU national finals in July. They're looking to do even better than last year, when they were fifth among 86 teams in the national tournament.

Lifestyle

Kids on the North Riverfront Trail Ride Saturday, April 20, will do more than just ride their bikes along the Mississippi River. There are lots of other activities during this unusual Earth Day activity.

In February and March editions, Young Saint Louis.com featured articles on upcoming Earth Day 2002 activities. This trail ride article is the final one leading up to the Earth Day 2002 weekend, Saturday and Sunday, April 20-21.

(For other special Earth Day activities visit the website www.stlouisearthday.org)

Nineteen-year-old Shemika Jackson is an Americorps members who will help along the trail route. This is her second year of helping with the Earth Day trail ride.

The 11-mile trail route runs from LaClede's Landing in downtown St. Louis north to the Chain of Rocks Bridge. That bridge is located south of where Interstate 270 crosses the Mississippi River.

The old Chain of Rocks Bridge has been reconditioned. It now links the Missouri and Illinois parts of a bicycle trail that's open to the public. The Earth Day ride is a good chance to check out other riding possibilities along the Mississippi. .

One of the first extra kids' activity on LaClede's Landing will be making clay models of fossils and bugs. Those clay pieces will be fired later and used to complete the very large North Riverfront mural project.

Artist Catherine Magel is coordinating work on the mural. She's using a variety of artwork, including the kids' clay art. After the trail ride, she's going to bake the clay models and then make them a part of the floodwall mural.

Shemika said, "After the entire mural project is completed, kids are going to be invited back for the dedication. At that time, they can see how their models were used."

The riders will then travel north to the U.S. Coast Guard building. They'll get a chance to see how the Coast Guard personnel control activities on the Mississippi River.

While there, the kids will get a chance to plant native wild flowers and other plants. There is a nearby prairie restoration project in that area.

Also, riders can get a tour of the water purification plant operated by the Metropolitan Sewer District.

A nearby tourist attraction features a plaque remembering the Underground Railroad during Civil War times. This wasn't an ordinary railroad. Rather, it was the name given to places where slaves fleeing north could find food and shelter.

Many places in the St. Louis area--on both sides of the river--were a part of that secret escape network.

Further upstream at the Humboldt rest site, kids will be a chance to buy a reconditioned bicycle. The Seeds of Change is a group of Northside kids who meet every week to repair and recondition used bikes for resale. That is another Americorps activity.

Shemika said there will be "lots and lots of bikes for sale." Half of the proceeds from the sales go to the kids who did the repairs. The other half is put back into the program to buy new parts needed to fix more bikes.

"We'll have a big selection of bikes with prices usually below $40," she said.

Also at Humboldt Park, kids will be able to use spotting scopes. They allow you to see long distances up and down the river.

The trail ride route then goes to North Riverfront Park. That's just a little ways south of the Chain of Rocks Bridge.

At the North Riverfront Park, there will be refreshments and food. Also, kids can have unique balloon sculpture done for them.

Shemika said riders can join the trail ride at different parts of the route. They also can stop and turn around whenever they want. The ride starts at LaClede's Landing at 10 a.m. Saturday. Those riders then head north.

But, some kids and their families might want to start at the north end, at the Chain of Rocks Bridge or North Riverfront Park. Other might start in the middle, near the Coast Guard facilities. Parking is available at all of those locations.

On the day of the ride, there will be signs showing the way to the various parking spots

Fun & Games

Fun & Games

Note that the words used in Young Saint Louis.com crossword puzzles are all taken from the articles appearing in this month's issue. When you have completed the puzzles, you can look below to find the answers!

Young Saint Louis.com - April #1

Young Saint Louis.com - April #2

Spring Fever

More Useless Inventions

• Non-stick scotch tape
• Smooth sandpaper
• Fireproof matches
• Inflatable dartboard
• Silent alarm clock
• Braille driver's manual

Kids' exam answers

• H2O is hot water and C02 is cold water!
• When you smell an odorless gas, it is usually carbon monoxide!
• The equator is a menagerie line running around the earth through Africa!
• Rhubarb is a kind of celery gone bloodshot!
• A vacuum is a large empty space where the Pope lives!

Ghost Jokes

When do ghosts usually appear?
     Just before someone screams!

What do little ghosts drink?
     Evaporated milk!

Why are ghosts such poor magicians?
     Because you can see through all their tricks!

What do you call a ghost who haunts the city hall?
      A night mayor!

And some more that can't be classified (except as dumb jokes!)

What did the policeman say when the spider ran down his back?
      You're under a vest!

Where does the king keep his armies?
      Under his sleevies!

What do you get if you poor hot water down a bunny hole?
      Hot cross bunnies!

On what side does a chicken have the most feathers?
      The outside!

Why did the snowman call his dog "Frost"?
      Because Frost bites!

A knock knock joke for a big finish!

Knock. Knock.
      Who's there?
Boo.
      Boo who?
Well, don't cry about it!

Answers to Fun & Games

Note that the words used in Young Saint Louis.com crossword puzzles are all taken from the articles appearing in this months issue.

Young Saint Louis.com - April #1

Young Saint Louis.com - April #2

Spring Fever