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March 2010 Vol. 11 Issue 3

Regular Features

St. Louis History
Things To Do
Fun & Games
Answers

News Stories

YSL.com Ball Kids
COMP music
MO books
IL books
Heifer project
Arthritis
Archeology

This Month in Missouri History

Painter of world's largest picture lectured here

Painter John Banvard, who later produced a 1,300-foot painted panoramic picture of the Mississippi River valley, made a speaking appearance in St. Louis in 1841.

Banvard was a painter of "grand moving panoramas," which were long pictures that unrolled behind the speaker as he was talking. His appearance here was to discuss his rolling panoramas of Jerusalem and Venice at the St. Louis Museum.

Lemma Barkeloo passed the Missouri Bar exam in March, 1870, becoming the first female lawyer to practice in Missouri. She also was the first female lawyer to try a case in the United States.

Other March items from past include: building of second of three Planter House hotels in St. Louis; opera singer Jenny Lind, the "Swedish nightingale," singing here and the attack of a boy by two polar bears at the St. Louis Zoo.

(Each month, the Missouri History Museum collects information of historic interest from the current month. Young Saint Louis.com then presents them in this report to give you an idea of interesting episodes from the state's colorful history.)

Largest painted picture in world

Before there were camera and motion pictures, there was something called "the great moving panoramas." These were extremely long painted pictures which were rolled up and then unrolled slowly to serve as backgrounds for speeches.

John Banvard was one of these panoramic scene painters. In March, 1841, he came to St. Louis to present his "grand moving panoramas" of Jerusalem and Venice. The presentation was at the St. Louis Museum.

One of his panorama-painting projects involved traveling the Mississippi River valley and painting scenes that illustrated life along the long north-south river through the heart of the country.

These scenes were then put together onto a 1,300-foot roll of canvas that was moving behind him while he was giving his lecture.

In 1846, the Boston Journal reviewed his Mississippi valley lecture by saying:

"While looking at the picture as it slowly passed before the spectator, one cannot but be delighted with the natural and life-like appearance which each object presents. With a very slight stretch of the imagination, the spectator can fancy himself traveling over this mighty 'Father of the Waters" and beholding the beautiful scenery."

For more about Bavard, read a NYTimes article at http://bit.ly/dy1mmb.

Also see a Wikipedia article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Banvard and a book on pioneer photographers at http://bit.ly/aVGPo2.

Lemma Barkeloo: 1st Missouri female lawyer

In March, 1870, Lemma Barkeloo passed the Missouri Bar exam and became the first female lawyer to practice in the State of Missouri. She also was the first woman in the whole country to try a case in court.

For more on Missouri women writing about their lives, visit http://bit.ly/dwGh2f.

You also can visit Missouri Digital Heritage at http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/history/timeline/
timeline7.asp

Three Planter House hotels in St. Louis

In March, 1837, ground was broken at Fourth and Pine in downtown St. Louis for a Planter House hotel. This was one of three hotels with the same name in St. Louis.

According to a genealogy of the site, the hotel was designed bv Henry Spence and was four stories high with 300 rooms. It had a classic, dignified exterior and shops and offices on the ground floor.

The hotel attracted famous visitors, including Jefferson Davis, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, U.S. Grant and William F. (Wild Bill) Cody.

Author Charles Dickens stayed there during his American tour. Dickens was notably critical of this country and St. Louis but wrote favorably about The Planter House.

He said, "We went to a large hotel called the Planter's House, a building like an English hospital with long passages and skylights above the room doors to allow for circulation of air.

"There were many fine boarders in it and as many lights sparkled and glistened from the windows down into the street below when we drove up as if it had been illuminated on some occasion of rejoicing."

For more about the hotel, visit: http://genealogyinstlouis.accessgenealogy.com/hotels.htm

For a NYTimes article about the fire that destroyed the hotel, visit http://bit.ly/bd2IAe.

"Swedish Nightingale" sings in St. Louis

In March, 1851, opera singer Jenny Lind, known as the "Swedish Nightingale," sang at a concert in St. Louis that was produced by noted promoter P.T. Barnum.

The local concert was one of Lind's 61 American concerts that Barnum had arranged before he had even hear the singer perform. Lind was wildly popular in Europe at a time before recorded music.

For more about Lind, visit http://history1800s.about.com/od/popularentertainment
/a/jenny-lind-american-tour.htm

There's more on Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenny_Lind

Two polar bears attack boy at Zoo

On March 21, 1949, the Southeast Missourian newspaper reported on a 13-year-old boy who climbed the fence at the St. Louis Zoo and was attacked by two 1,000-pound polar bears.

The boy survived but the story made the news nationally from Los Angeles to Florida.

For the Southeast Missourian article, see http://bit.ly/b8krT2.

At one from the St. Petersburg, FL, Times, visit http://bit.ly/a0xOqW.

Places to Go, Things to Do

Basketball tournaments, Zoo breakfasts, river cleanups

Of course, if it's March, it's basketball tournament time. Besides the Missouri Valley Conference men's and women's meets, the NCAA will hold its Midwest Regional men's tournament here also.

But, there are all sorts of other activities for kids.

There are the Breakfasts with Bunnies at the Zoo, Irish step dancing at the Missouri History Museum, cave exploration at Rockwoods Reservation and an early spring hike at Fort Bellefontaine.

If you'd like to help do cleanup along Missouri's rivers, the Confluence Partnership is holding a Trash Bash along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers as well as some smaller area streams.

Your family might like to watch the 41st St. Patrick's Day parade on Saturday, March 13, in downtown St. Louis.

And, a note of a special event for April: There will be the first annual St. Louis Youth and Family Volunteer Fair. That's a new event to help kids find organizations looking to fill summer jobs with younger volunteers.

Every month, Young Saint Louis.com looks for events and activities in the St. Louis metro area in which kids and their families might like to participate. Always, the focus is on fun things and YSL.com emphasizes free or inexpensive things.

Missouri Valley Conference basketball meets

The men's and women's Missouri Valley Conference basketball tournaments will be held in St. Louis in March.

The men's tournament will be Thursday through Sunday, March 4-7, at the Scottrade Center in downtown St. Louis.

The women's tournament will be the following week, Thursday through Sunday, March 11-14, at the Family Arena in St. Charles.

The winners of both tournaments get automatic berths in the NCAA national tournaments.

For information on the men's tournament, call (314) 291-1888 or visit www.mvcsports.com.

For the women's meet, call (314) 421-0359 or visit www.familyarena.com.

NCAA men's regional basketball tourney

The Midwest Regional of the NCAA Division 1 basketball tournament will be held Friday through Sunday, March 26-28, at the Edward Jones Dome in downtown St. Louis.

For information, call (314) 917-6222.

Zoo's Breakfasts with the Bunny

Two Breakfast with the Bunny events will be held be held Saturday, March 20, and Sunday, March 21, at the Saint Louis Zoo. The breakfasts are at 9 and 11 a.m. each day.

For reservations, call (314) 645-4857 or visit www.stlzoo.org/events.

Irish step dancing at History Museum

The St. Louis Irish Arts group will present an Irish Step Dancing program on Sunday, March 14, at the Missouri History Museum. The program starts at 2 p.m. and admission is free.

For information, call (314) 746-4599 or visit www.mohistory.org.

Cave exploration at Rockwoods Reservation

A cave exploration event for kids 7 and up will be held Tuesday, March 30, at the Rockwoods Reservation from 2-3:30 p.m.

Be sure to wear appropriate clothing because the exploration requires kids to crawl on their stomach for several feet.

Reservations are required. Call (636) 458-2236 or you can visit www.mdc.mo.gov/areas/stlouis/.

Early Spring Hike at Fort Bellefontaine

Kids 6 and up are invited to get an early look at spring with a 3-mile hike at Fort Bellefontaine County Park on Sunday, March 28, from 1 to 3 p.m.

The park trail follows Coldwater Creek through the woods where a variety of plants will be coming out for spring. You will explore the site of the first American fort.

For reservations, call (314) 877-6014 or visit www.mdc.mo.gov/areas/areas/bottom.

"Trash Bash" to clean area rivers, streams

Volunteers are needed for the Confluence Trash Bash which will clean up along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and several smaller streams that flow into the rivers.

The cleanup will be Saturday, March 27, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lunch will be provided for all volunteers.

Volunteers will meet at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge and at Creve Coeur Park.

For more information, visit http://www.confluencegreenway.org/m-events.php.

Meramec River float trip

St. Louis County is sponsoring a St. Patrick's Day float on the Meramec River on Wednesday, March 17, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Canoes, paddles and life jackets will be provided. But, you need to bring a lunch, water, binoculars and other personal items for the all-day float.

Reservations are required and the cost is $15 per person.

For reservations, call (314) 615-8481.

St. Patrick's Day parade

The 41st annual St. Patrick's Day Parade will be held in downtown St. Louis on Saturday, March 13. There also will be an Irish Village in Kiener Plaza.

For information, visit www.irishparade.org.

Fossil Hike at Greensfelder Park

A fossil hunt for kids will be held at Greensfelder Park on Saturday, March 6, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. The event is for kids 7 to 14.

Admission is $3 per person. Advance registration is required. Call (314) 615-8481.

Science Center's Dinosaur exhibit is ending

The long-running Dinosaurs Unearthed exhibit at the St. Louis Science Center is tentatively scheduled to close on Sunday, March 28. If you haven't seen this exhibit at the Center's Exploradome, you and your family have only a couple more weeks.

For information, call (314) 289-4444 or visit www.slscl.org.

In April, Volunteer Fair at Magic House

If you're a teenager who'd like to do volunteer work during the summer, you might have found that it's hard to find organizations that will hire younger kids.

If you're interested in knowing groups that are looking for younger volunteers, you might like to set aside the date of Sunday, April 11.

That's when the first-ever St. Louis Youth and Family Volunteer Fair will be held at the Magic House. Admission will be donation of one can of food which will be donated to needy families.

The fair will be a good place to learn about agencies and organizations who use younger volunteers and how you can apply for positions.

You can learn more about this new program, by visiting www.stlouisvolunteen.com.

This month's book reviews

A boy takes part in the battle between the Monitor and the Merrimac

When the Confederacy turned the large sailing ship, the Merrimac, into an iron covered vessel, the Union feared that it could be used to break the Northern blockade of Southern ports. The Union's Navy Department contracted with a Swedish inventor, John Ericsson, to build a new kind of fighting vessel. It was to be an iron-clad engine-powered vessel with a round turret that rotated to fire the ship's cannons. Nothing like it had ever been seen before. The new warship, later called the Monitor, was to be built at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Thirteen-year-old Tom Carroll lived with his mother and Dora, his older sister, in a tenement in the Vinegar Hill section of Brooklyn. Tom's father had been killed in battle early in the war. His mother and sister took in washing to try to support the family. Tom sold newspapers, but he could only make a few cents each week. He needed to find a job where he would make more money. That's how he ended up getting a job at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The man who hired him gave Tom a note to take to a Captain Ericsson. At the time, Tom didn't realize he was to work for the inventor and builder of this strange new vessel that some called "Ericsson's Folly." Tom, it turned out, was to be Ericsson's messenger boy.

When Tom was first interviewed by Ericsson, the Captain warned him that Confederate spies were everywhere, and that they wanted in the worst way to find out how the ironclad was coming along and all the details about its construction. Tom was warned not to talk to anyone about what he was doing. However, early in his new job, he was contacted by a Mr. Quinn, who clearly was a Confederate spy who intended to force Tom to provide details about the ironclad. Of course, Tom resisted, but Quinn kept increasing the pressure. For awhile Tom relied on some of his friends to help keep Quinn and his thugs away from him. That could only be temporary. Tom would have to come up with a better solution.

Finally, Tom was allowed to sleep aboard the Monitor. That way the spies could no longer be a threat to him. As a result, Tom became even more aware of every detail of the vessel. He became concerned as to whether the ship could be finished in time to take on the Merrimac. When the ship finally was ready to go, Tom was kept aboard to help Captain Ericsson communicate with his officers and crew members. So that's how a thirteen-year-ld boy ended up taking part in the most famous naval battle of the Civil War.

A girl knows two unusual adopted brothers
that are her best playmates

Martha Glimmer is a thirteen-year-old who lives in Oak Grove. The town is dry and dusty and populated mostly by people who feared water. Fifteen years earlier the town had flooded when a nearby creek overflowed and people in town couldn't forget. Martha's two best friends are a pair of adopted brothers, thirteen-year-old Trevor and eleven-year-old Eli McGill. The two boys are nicknamed Trout and Eel because they are fascinated by water and have thin webbing between their fingers and toes. The two preferred tuna and sardines to pizza and burgers and were known to add handfuls of salt to their drinking water.

Martha was not happy about living in Oak Grove. She had lost her mother the year before. A neighbor woman, Hildy Swoon, soon started "helping" Mr. Glimmer by coming over to cook meals and helping keep the house clean. Clearly, Hildy did not like children and wanted Martha to eat in the kitchen rather than at the table with adults. Hildy also did not like the McGill boys when they came around. But Martha's dad appreciated Hildy's efforts to help and seemed unaware that she was looking for a husband - him.

Martha was tall for a girl and she really loved to dance. She hoped to be a professional dancer when she grew up and travel to places like New York or San Francisco or even Paris. Her mother had encouraged her dreams but her dad was still grief stricken and tuned out Martha's attempts to tell him her dreams. Trout and Eel sympathized with her ambitions and encouraged her. They had their own dreams of someday living near the sea and having easy access to the blue waters.

Well, Oak Grove flooded again. The brothers saved Martha from drowning although she did break her arm. They managed to bring down the flood wall so the waters would recede from the town and homes would be saved. After the flood, dreams began to come true for the kids. Mr. and Mrs. McGill decided to move with the boys to the seashore. Hildy left town and moved up the mountain, never to return to Oak Grove. Martha's dad lined up dance lessons for Martha in a neighboring town. This was one flood that had a happy ending.

At the end of the story we find out why Trout and Eel loved water so much and why they had webbing between their fingers and toes. You need to read "Indigo" by Alice Hoffman to find out who the boys' real parents were.

A hobo in Paris finds a family living
in his old home under a bridge

Armand was an old hobo. He lived what he thought was a happy life without any responsibilities. Besides begging, he did occasional odd jobs just to make enough money to pay for meals. He pushed his few belongings along in an old baby carriage. He thought he didn't like kids. He called them "starlings" and knew kids meant a home and responsibility and regular work. That is what he'd spent his life avoiding as he roamed the streets of Paris.

As winter approached, Armand decided to move back to his favorite spot under a bridge. He was angry when he found the hole covered by gray canvas. To his astonishment, he saw there were three children and a dog huddled in his old home. The kids were all redheads and were dressed in poor, ill-fitting clothes. The oldest was Suzy and the younger ones were Paul and Evelyne. The dog was JoJo. Suzy seemed to be the boss and she quickly told Armand that their mother had left them there as she worked her job. Their father had died and they had lost their home for lack of money. Their mother was trying hard to keep them together because they were family. She didn't want them taken from her and put in a home for poor children.

Armand told Suzy they were putting him out of his home. So an apologetic Suzy invited him to stay there with them. With a piece of coal she drew lines for a room for Armand and even drew a window so he could look out at the river. Suzy pleaded with him to stay and pretend to be their grandfather. Armand knew he should move on, but, instead, he began to unpack his things from the baby carriage.

Armand built a small fire and began to cook some food. It was then he realized the kids had not been eating and were starving. So he told them to bring their plates and divided up his food. He even gave some to Jojo. When it was turning dark, the kids' mother showed up. After some arguing over whose place it was under the bridge, Armand spread his canvas in the space Suzy had drawn for him and went to sleep. When he awakened in the early morning, the mother had gone to work but the kids were still there. Armand started to leave, but the kids begged to be allowed to go with him around Paris. So they did.

You know that during their adventures around Paris, the kids would steal Armand's heart. No way was he going to let them live on the streets and not have a home and go to school. With the help of his Gypsy friends and other hoboes, Armand found he could accomplish great things. You will enjoy reading how Armand changes life for the kids and how the kids dramatically change Armand's life as well.

A boy's new pet brings unusual problems
with him as an escape artist

Parker Green hadn't really expected to get a dog as a pet. A friend of his older sister, Camellia, however, wanted to get rid of her golden retriever. Since Camellia was going away to college, she thought a dog might help keep Parker from missing her too much. Actually, Parker was almost relieved his sister was leaving, but he was happy to have a dog. He loved the big active retriever right away. Because the dog was so smart, he named him Merlin after the wizard in the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

Camellia thought pets should be kept under control. It was though her efforts to control Merlin that Parker discovered the dog pretty much did what he wanted. Merlin managed to evade about anything that Camellia did to constrain him. It was only when Merlin showed up outside of school the first day that Parker realized he might have a problem. Merlin had been left in a yard with a fence and a lock on the gate. Still, he showed up at school and embarrassed Parker. Luckily, this one time, the new principal was understanding of Parker's problem. She had a dog of her own. The real question was how long she would be patient if Merlin kept showing up and disrupting school. Unfortunately, Merlin managed to overcome every trick they tried to keep him at home. He really was disrupting school. The kids even staged a food fight to cover Parker's problem. What could be done?

You need to read "Pet Trouble: Runaway Retriever" by T. T. Sutherland to find out how Parker finally was able to get Merlin to stay put.

At Missouri Valley basketball meets

Two boys, two girls named YSL.com
ball kids for meets

Two boys and two girls have been named Young Saint Louis.com ball kids for the Missouri Valley Conference basketball tourneys this month.

The two boys already have had some ball-kid experience. And the two girls have scrimmaged with college players.

Bradley Ramsey and Luke Jacobson, both of Fenton, will work one of the Thursday, March 4, sessions for the men's tournament at the Scottrade Center in downtown St. Louis. The men's tournament is from March 4-7.

Jessica Daube of Oakville and Megan Brandt of Sullivan, MO, will work one of the Thursday, March 11, sessions of the girl's tournament at The Family Arena in St. Charles. The women's tournament is from March 11-14.

MVC tournament officials have cooperated with YSL.com for several years to make it possible for some area youth basketball players to get the experience of being on the court during the college tournaments.

The MVC-YSL.com collaboration began several years ago with the men's tournament. And, since the girl's meet has been moved to St. Louis, the MVC allowed us to give some of the young area girls' players the same experience.

Matt Brobeck, who heads up the AAU's youth basketball program in St. Louis, has selected the ball-kids for YSL.com for the last three years.

Eleven-year-old Luke and 11-year-old Bradley are 5th graders at Sacred Heart Catholic School in Fenton. They play for their school team and also play on select AAU teams.

They've also had prior experience as ball kids at Saint Louis University games at the new Chaifetz Arena on the SLU campus. Bradley's father, Bob Ramsey, is one of the announcers for Billiken basketball games.

Bradley said he usually watches MVC tournament games, "especially if my dad is announcing games." Luke said, "I usually go to some of the (MVC) conference tournament games."

Luke said he also likes the Texas Longhorns and Duke Blue Devils among the college teams. He said he likes Jon Scheyer of Duke "because he's a guard like I am."

Luke, who is 4'9" tall, plays guard on his school and AAU teams.

Bradley is 5'1" and plays both forward and center for his AAU team and forward for his Sacred Heart team.

Both of the boys said their best basketball experiences so far involved making late-game, winning baskets.

Brad said his was during a game for Sacred Heart this year. "The winning shot came with a couple seconds left," he said.

Luke said his best experience was a winning basket "at the buzzer" in a game last season.

Both boys said they wanted to play basketball in high school and college. Bradley said he'd like to go to Saint Louis University while Luke said he'd like to go to the University of Texas in Austin.

Luke said he isn't decided on a career but Luke said he'd like to be a movie director. He said his favorite film is "Dark Knight."

Ball girls Jessica Daube and Megan Brandt both have played on the same AAU team, the Rockets. But, Jessica is moving to a new team, the Hot Shots, which will be coached by her father, Todd.

Jessica started playing basketball when she was in kindergarten. She played for her church team. The 13-year-old Jessica goes to Bernard Middle School in the Mehlville School District.

She's 5'4" and plays guard. She said she's able to dribble with either hand. She said she also can drive either left or right, depending on the game situation.

Twelve-year-old Megan said she played her first basketball game when she was in 3rd grade while playing for a town team from Sullivan.

Her father said she scored 20 points in that first game.

She said her best basketball experience so far came this year. "We beat a team from Union this fall," she said. Sullivan and Union are neighboring towns in Washington County.

Jessica said her best basketball experiences center around times "when I get to play against older girls." She added that she often gets the chance to play against 8th grade girls.

The two also have had a chance to work with Katie Paganelli, a guard from Saint Louis University.

That goes a long ways in showing why both girls say that SLU is their favorite college team.

Jessica said her worst experience in basketball came when another player stepped on her foot in a game and she sprained her ankle. "I had to wear a boot for a whole week," she said.

Both girls said they'd like to play basketball in high school and college.

Jessica said she'd like to be a pro basketball player but said, if that didn't work out, she'd like to coach young kids.

Megan said she'd like to be either a nurse or teacher when she grows up.

Missouri young composer contest

Some kids use technology when composing music

Some entrants in a Missouri state competition for young composers turned to computer technology when they ran into snags while working on their original musical scores.

The University of Missouri-Columbia's School of Music is holding a composing competition for Missouri kids called the Creating Original Music Project (C.O.M.P).

The Providence Fine Arts Center in the suburb of Edmundson, MO, had the largest number of students of any St. Louis-area schools entered in the 2010 competition. Seven of the school's 110 students submitted original compositions.

MU officials say they plan to announce the winners the first week in March and then hold a concert for the winning pieces in April.

One of the entries was from 14-year-old Nick Simon of O'Fallon, MO. His entry is entitled, "War," and includes parts for five different instruments.

He said the hardest part of his composition effort was writing music for "instruments I don't play." He started playing music on a recorder trumpet when he was seven and has added the guitar, bass and piano to his instrument list.

But, his original composition also included the flute, violin, cello and drums. A part of the composition involved a violin solo.

That's when he turned to his computer for help.

He has a program which allows him to write the music notes on the screen and what instrument he wants to play the music. Then, the computer translates the notes into sounds from the requested instrument.

Even with the computer help, Nick said he went through "numerous drafts" before he achieved a satisfactory mix of music from all the instruments.

He said his composition has a story line but doesn't involve a shooting war.

"It's about the spiritual war of words that individuals engage in among themselves," he said.

He said many people don't like to argue about spiritual ideas and therefore just hide their feelings. Nick said his composition talks about individuals calling on God to help them come to grips with their internal turmoil.

Although the subject is conflict, Nick said he considers his piece to be uplifting because God helps the individuals to find personal solutions.

Fifteen-year-old Hannah Kehe of Florissant is another student who used computer software to help form her original composition, entitled "Shadows of Love."

Although she plays the piano, violin and harp, her composition has music for eight different instruments. They are the flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, violin, cello and timpani.

She needed to write musical scores which were different for each instrument.

Hannah said her original piece doesn't have a storyline. She was looking for a piece that "would be calming, soothing and uplifting" even without a storyline.

She said she's been "playing around" with composing for several years.

She uses a computer program called "Finale Notepad." The composer puts musical notes on a computer screen music grid and designates the instruments she wants to hear.

Hannah said she started playing the piano when she was in first grade. Then, she took up the violin in third grade and the harp in fifth.

"My dream is to have a career with the harp," she said.

Asked about making a living in the music field, Hannah said, "God gave me an ear for perfect pitch and I feel I should use that gift."

Recently, she was named the outstanding soloist on the harp at a competition at Principia High School.

Fourteen-year-old Julia Martin of Hazelwood is one of the Providence entrants who already has won a prize in the UMC musical competition. Last year, she won a 3rd place in the junior high division.

This year, she has an entry entitled "Fusion." It is a piece for piano, violin, electric bass guitar and drums. The name of the piece comes because the composition is a mix of classical and more modern music.

Julia said her piece "is a blend of the sounds of classical music with the electric sound played in a classical style."

Although she is a young girl, Julia said her favorite type of music is still classical "even with all the other musical choices available."

She said she hasn't made a choice of colleges as yet but wants to study dance. She is taking dance lessons which include ballet, modern dance and jazz.

She said she wants a career in ballet.

Julia's sister, 16-year-old Anna, is another of the Providence students who has an entry, "Star Breather," in the composition competition. It tells the story of a person who leaves home and tries to find God.

Anna said she looks on her composition as a "secular worship song."

She started her musical preparation on the piano. But, she plays flute in the school's orchestra and also plays the acoustical guitar and a keyboard instrument named the "melodica."

She said the music comes out when you touch the keys while blowing into an air-pipe attached to the instrument.

Anna said "mellow acoustical music" is her favorite. She said she likes music that mixes the instruments with voices."

Missouri voting ends in March

Balloting for Twain, Truman kids' book awards

Missouri elementary and middle school kids are voting to select the winning authors of the 2009-2010 Mark Twain and Harry Truman book award competition. Balloting ends March 10.

Twelve books have been nominated in each of the elections. The Twain list is for kids 4th through 6th grades while the Truman list is for 7th and 8th grade kids.

Missouri school libraries sponsor the annual competitions as a way to encourage kids to read more books and to build awareness of the value of book reading.

The awards are named in honor of two notable Missourians, author Mark Twain of Hannibal and President Harry Truman of Independence. (To learn more about the competitions and past winners, visit www.maslonline.org.)

As another way to introduce you to good reading materials, Young Saint Louis.com is providing the lists of the 12 Twain and 12 Truman nominees as well as a brief description of each book's plot.

The list of the Twain books and authors:

"Seer of Shadows," by Avi.
The time is 1871 in New York City. Horace Carpetine is an apprentice to a photographer who's to picture a society matron. The first photo comes out as the image of the matron's dead daughter. Horace and a black servant girl must solve this mystery of revenge.

"The Magic Half," by Annie Barrows
Miri is a single child with a set of older twin brothers and younger twin sisters. The family moves to an old farmhouse4 where Miri accidently travels back in time. She finds Molly, a girl in need of a family to call her own.

"Margret and Flynn," by Kathleen Duey
This book is part of the Hoofbeat series. Margaret and Libby are orphans who live in a sod house with an elderly widow. A tornado comes and leaves them a fancy horse that Margaret wants to keep and settle down for good.

"Found," by Margaret by Peterson Haddix
An airplane lands but has no pilot or crew, just 36 babies strapped in seats. Thirteen years later, two of the kids have been adopted and get messages that someone is coming for them. They search for their past and find they are connected to a nearly impossible event.

"Go Big or Go Home," by Will Hobbs
A meteorite with rare powers smashes into Brady Steele's home. It is stolen by the Carver boys, Brady's rivals. Brady finds he has strange powers, that take a deadly turn as he tries to retrieve the meteorite.

"Stolen Children," by Peg Kehret
Amy is babysitting when two thugs kidnap her and infant Kendra. They are holed up in a cabin in the woods while held for ransom. Amy tries to escape but fails. Then, she tries one more time in a last, desperate attempt.

"School Spirit," by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
Kat isn't thrilled that she's inherited her mother's gift of communicating with the dead. But, she takes on the spirit world and the miseries of the school cafeteria in an effort to find who she is and what she wants to be.

"Safe at Home," by Mike Lupica
From the Comeback Kids series, the book focuses on 12-year-old Nick Caldwell who only feels at home playing baseball. He finds acceptance from adoptive parents but struggles when he's the only 7th grader to make the varsity team.

"The Totally Made Up Civil War Diary of Amanda MacLeish," by Claudia Mills
Amanda is a 5th grader whose family has broken up. She finds solace in writing a fictional diary of a Civil War family that reunites after one brother fought for the North and the other the South. She wonders if her family could get back together like that family did.

"Bringing the Boy Home," by N.A. Nelson
This is a story of two boys from an Amazon tribe who are reaching maturity. One with a physical handicap is sent to America. The other's father dies before he can sponsor his boy. The two find a connection that affects their lives.

"The Leanin' Dog," by K.A. Nuzum
In the Colorado mountains as Christmas nears, 11-year-old Dessa Dean has about given up on being happy again. Her mother who also was her best friend has died. Then, a huge dog comes into her life, which is changed forever.

"The Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy," by Diane Stanley
Franny and her twin sister and brother go to Allbright Academy, an elite private school. Franny sees something is wrong. The kids become investigators and draw up a stunning report to the school board.

The list of the Truman books and a brief description of the plots:

"Shark Girl," by Kelly Bingham
One morning in June at the beach, 15-year-old Jane Arrowood finds everything changes. Now, she must return to school with a fake arm where she knows kids will whisper-that's her now, that's "Shark Girl"-as she passes.

"Eighth Grade Bites: The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod," by Heather Brewer
Junior high really sucks for 13-year-old Vladimir Tod. A gang of bullies harasses him daily. The principal is dogging his every move. The girl he likes prefers his best friend. And, Vlad has to hide the fact he's a vampire.

"Atherton: The House of Power," by Patrick Carmen
In the shadow of earth (now known as the Dark Planet) is the intriguing world of Atherton. The planet has three levels and water is the most valuable resource. The hero is 11-year-old Edgar who is always studying his world.

"Diamonds in the Shadow," by Caroline Cooney
The Finch family takes in an African refugee family. A fifth refugee on the African flight ls a dangerous killer who wants something the other family brought. Meanwhile, the Finch family is fighting an embezzlement law suit.

"Carpe Diem," by Autumn Cromwell
A world-traveling relative blackmails 16-year-old Vassar Spores' parents into forcing their only child to backpack with her through Southeast Asia. Vassar learns a family secret that turns her world upside down.

"Into the Wild," by Sarah Beth Durst
In this fairy tale, Julia is the daughter of Rapunzel, the woman trapped in the tower. Julia is determined to save her mother and rescue her grandmother from the wicked witch.

"Games: A Story of Two Bullies," by Carol Gorman
This tale features two bullies who enjoy taunting each other. The boys, Boot and Mick, both have crushes on manipulative Tabitha. The boys finally bond but Boot runs away and Mick is the only one knows where to find him.

"The One Where the Kid Nearly Jumps to his Death and Lands in California," by Mary Hershey
Thirteen-year-old Alastair is an amputee who spends a summer with his estranged father. Five years before, the boy lost a leg in a skiing accident. This is a coming-of-age tale of how the boy comes to grip with life.

"Cracker," by Cynthia Kadohata
Cracker is a bomb-sniffing dog. Rick Hanski is headed to Vietnam, where he is paired with Cracker. They have to prove themselves to each other before they share a trust. Part of the tale is written from the dog's standpoint.

"Tapestry: Hound of Rowan," by Harry Neff
Max McDonald discovers he has magical power when he receives an invitation to attend Rowan Academy, a secret school of magic. But, some of the students are disappearing. An ancient enemy may be reawakening and searching for him.

"Zen and the Art of Faking It," by Jordan Sonnenblick
Eight-year-old San Lee is in a new town and a new school for the umpteenth time. He plays the loner until he answers too many questions on Zen in history class. He becomes the Zen Master and everyone believes him.

"First Light," by Rebecca Stead
Peter goes to Greenland with his parents but he has visions that both frighten and entice him. Thea has never seen the sun because she lives deep under arctic ice. She's looking upward just as he's searching underground.

Illinois balloting in February

Voting for 2010 Caudill
Young Readers' book award

Illinois elementary and middle school kids voted last month to select the author to receive the 2010 Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award.

Twenty books for kids in 4-8 grades were nominated for the current annual ballot.

Illinois schools and libraries sponsor the contest as a way to encourage kids to read for their personal satisfaction. The contest also seeks to develop statewide awareness of outstanding literature for kids and young adults.

The award is named in honor of Rebecca Caudill who lived and wrote in Urbana, IL, for nearly 50 years. (To read more about the award and to check past nominees and winners, visit www.rcyrba.org.)

As a way to introduce our readers to good reading material, Young Saint Louis.com is providing a list of the 20 nominated books for the 2010 Caudill award along with a brief description of each book's plot.

The listing includes the title, author and interest level by grade:

"Naked Mole-Rat Letters," by Mary Amato (4-6)
When her father began a long-distance romance with a zookeeper from Washington, DC, 12-year-old Frankie attempts to sabotage the relationship.

"Home of the Brave," by Katherine Applegate (4-8)
After his mother disappears, Kek weathers a cold Minnesota winter and finds warmth in friendships, strength in his memories and belief in a new country.

"Shark Girl," by Kelly L. Bingham (7-8)
One morning in June at the beach, 15-year-old Jane Arrowood finds everything changes. Now, she must return to school with a fake arm where she knows kids will whisper-That's her now; that's "Shark Girl"--as she passes.

"Shooting the Moon," by Frances O'Roark Boswell (5-8)
Twelve-year-old Jamie Dexter's brother joins the Army and goes to Korea, following in the footsteps of their idolized father, known as The Colonel. But, the letters back include film that shows the other side of war. Jamie finds her father now is as helpless to help as she is.

"Freedom Walkers, The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott," by Russell Freedman (4-8)
On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give her seat on the bus to a white man. This refusal sparks the Montgomery bus boycott, a year-long struggle and a major victory in the civil rights movement.

"Dragon Slippers," by Jessica Day George (5-8)
Creel is sacrificed to a dragon but she talks her way out of trouble. She returns to find her city on the verge of war. She also finds the magic slippers she possesses have the power to either destroy or save her home city.

"The Thing about Georgie," by Lisa Graff (4-6)
The thing about Georgie is she doesn't like to walk her dog. The thing about Georgie is her mother is going to have a baby who'll soon be taller than Georgie. The thing about Georgie...well, what is the thing about Georgie?

"All the Lovely Bad Ones," by Mary Downing Hahn (4-8)
Travis and his sister, Corey, decide to do some "haunting" in their grandma's Vermont Inn and scare the guests. But, the kids awaken real ghosts. They then have to find out past dark secrets to put the real ghosts back to rest.

"Crossing the Wire," by Will Hobbs (5-8)
Fifteen-year-old Victor Flores journey to "cross the wire" from Mexico to the U.S. to find work is fraught with danger, freezing cold, scorching heat, hunger and dead ends. The tale is one of our time's great human dramas.

"Kimchi & Calmari," by Rose Kent (4-8)
Fourteen-year-old Joseph Calderaro is a Korean adopted into an Italian family. For school, he has to write a story of his ancestry, about which he knows little. This quirky story tells about his search for information.

"Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life," by Wendy Mass (5-8)
Jeremy Fink doesn't venture more than four blocks from home and he doesn't like surprises. On the other hand, his best friend, Lizzy, isn't afraid of anything and even might get in trouble now and then.

"The Mozart Question," by Michael Morpurgo (5-8)
Like any boy, Paolo, wants something he can't have; in this case, the violin in his parents' room. The violin holds a secret from World War II that changed their lives. Once out, the secret reunites the family in an unusual way.

"A Small White Scar," by K.A. Nuzum (5-8)
This is a story about two brothers and a father who told the one boy, who wanted to be a rodeo rider, he had to take care of his brother. Ahead lies adventure; behind, responsibility. Brothers are linked together by blood.

"The Wednesday Wars," by Gary D. Schmidt (5-8)
This is a funny story of Holling Hoodhood, a 7th grader who's bullied and can't attend his baseball hero's autograph session because he's in costume in the school play. But, he finds a strange motivation that helps him survive.

"Elephant Run," by Roland Smith (4-8)
In 1941, when German bombs destroyed Nick Freestone's family apartment in London, his mother sends him to live with his father in Burma, hoping he will be safer on the family's teak wood plantation.

"The White Giraffe," by Lauren St. John (4-6)
Martine is 11 when she's sent to live on an African game reserve, a place of mystery and secrets. One night, she looks out her window and sees a young, white giraffe. She knows she's willing to risk everything for the animal.

"First Light," by Rebecca Stead (5-8)
Peter goes to Greenland with his parents but he has visions that both frighten and entice him. Thea has never seen the sun because she lives deep under arctic ice. She's looking upward just as he's searching underground.

"Emma Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree," by Lauren Tarshis (4-7)
Quirky Emma-Jean loves to observe her fellow 7th graders behavior from afar. When she decides to help a few of those classmates with their problems, tension and humor ensue.

"A Crooked Kind of Perfect," by Linda Urban (4-7)
Ten-year-old Zoe Elias dreams of playing perfect music on a new piano. Her father buys her a wheezy organ instead. But, she enters the Perform-O-Rama organ contest and finds that perfection can be just a little off center.

"Someone Named Eva," by Joan M. Wolf (5-8)
Milada is taken from her home in Czechoslovakia by the Nazis. Her blond hair and blue eyes make her a candidate to become an Aryan. The story tells of her struggle to hold hope and her identity against efforts to destroy both.

Heifer International

Kids donate to unique international food program

Kids from a West County Methodist church raised thousands of dollars for Heifer International to buy farm animals to help poor people raise their standards of living.

Kids in the choir and drama program at Manchester United Methodist Church (MUMC) raised $15,000 with performance of a musical, "A Technicolor Promise." The musical was about Noah's Ark, with its pairings of animals so the earth can be re-populated after the 40-day flood.

Significantly, one of the most popular Heifer animal gifts is called an "ark." That includes 15 pairs of farm animals and birds.

The Heifer International program gives farm animals and birds to families in poorer lands so they can improve their food supply and their standards of living.

After getting gift animals, a needy family promises to give the first offspring of the gift animals to another needy family. The next family makes the same promise.

That way, the original gift becomes a perpetual gift to spark further development for more families. One of the slogans for the Heifer program is "Pass It On."

Eleven-year-old Katie Edwards of Valley Park was one of the MUMC kids who took a trip to the Heifer International ranch in Perryville, AK, where the group gathers the animals for shipment to poorer areas.

At the ranch, there were demonstration villages to show the kids the living styles of families where the farm animals will go.

Katie said, "I found out that there were people in our country who also were getting help from the Heifer Project."

MUMC will sponsor a week-long trip to Perryville this summer where other kids and adults will get a more thorough lesson in the Heifer program.

In addition to putting on the fund-raising musical, the MUMC kids also helped with the church's Fair Trade Market at Christmas time. This was a week-long sale of arts and crafts from artisans in poorer countries.

This effort netted an additional $30,000 for the Heifer International program.

Heifer International officials said the total of $45,000 raised represented one of the largest gifts ever generated by one organization in a single year's time.

MUMC has supported the Heifer Project for several years but the involvement of the kids' choir and drama groups gave the financial support a big boost. This was part of the church's year-long program to increase the number of members involved in outreach efforts.

The kids also were urged to spread the word about their outreach programs to others.

For instance, Katie and 11-year-old Brad Pittman are both from Valley Park. They are participating in an after-school program where they and others worked with kids with behavioral problems.

One goal was to help those kids get involved in worthwhile community aid programs to help others. The Heifer Project is one of those charity programs being studied.

Both Katie and Brad also wrote articles about their trip to Perryville to view the Heifer International ranch, where animals are gathered before shipment to needy families.

Brad said one of the things he likes about the Heifer Project is that the gifts can be "everlasting" and the families pass on the first-born of their animals to new families.

He's planning to take the week-long camping trip this summer to the Heifer farm in Arkansas to learn more about the program.

The Learning Center at Heifer Ranch in Perryville has a number of programs to help people understand the idea of "sustainable agricultural programs."

This spring, the center will provide training on beekeeping and organic gardening. Some of this training is for people who will go along with the gift animals so show the recipient families how to care for their new animals.

Twelve-year-old Tyler Hoeken of Ballwin is an MUMC member as well as a 6th grader at Southwest Middle School.

She was in the musical production but her involvement with the Heifer Project also included helping her mother, Becky Seger, who is one of the music and drama ministry workers at the church.

She said one of the most interesting parts of the work on the Heifer Project was to "find out how many people can be helped by just one 'ark' of gifts." The MUMC donations in 2009 were enough to fund nine "arks."

Here's a sample of the prices for various individual gifts:

You can donate a heifer for $500 or a water buffalo for $250. A sheep is $120 or a llama is $150.

A flock of chicks, geese or ducks is $20 each. Or three rabbits cost $60.

(You can learn more about this international aid program by going to the Heifer International website at www.heifer.org.)

The MUMC kids will perform another musical this year. They plan to put on the musical in April. This one is entitled "Rescue in the Night" and tells the story of Daniel in the Lions' Den.

The kids will be donating proceeds from this musical to Smile Train. That's a charity that provides operations to correct cleft lips and palates, a common deformity in some developing countries.

Despite her arthritis

Teen plays competitive sports, enjoys "tubing"

Seventeen-year-old Kayla Killoren was diagnosed with arthritis four years ago after she developed a painful cyst on her hand and her finger tendons stiffen up.

But, this year, she's playing field hockey and also is the goalie on her Oakville High School soccer team.

And one of her favorite outdoor activities is "tubing" behind a speedboat at the family's vacation home at Table Rock Lake in southwest Missouri.

On May 14, Kayla will serve as a 2010 Hero at the Greater St. Louis Area Arthritis Walk in Forest Park. Highlights of the annual fund-raiser will be a 5K and 1-mile walks, with Kayla leading the way.

She also will be a speaker at the campaign kickoff for the 2010 Walk at the Magic House on Tuesday, March 2.

Asked what advice she would give to other kids who might get arthritis, Kayla said, "You've got to stay active and keep your joints in motion."

She said she's been able to keep her arthritis under control with a combination of medication and vigorous activity.

She said there's a possibility her form of arthritis might go into remission in the future. But, for now, she expects to need medication and therapy more or less permanently.

But, for Kayla, she has no dietary restrictions and can take part in just about any sort of activity she wants.

She is a junior at Oakville High School and has a class schedule this semester that includes five college-level courses.

She's in her third year of Spanish, in advance-placement English and U.S. history and has two math classes, college algebra and trigonometry.

Although she's gotten back into sports, her start in high school athletics wasn't too promising.

At that time, her favorite sport was volleyball. But, because she was starting to have trouble with her hands, she wasn't picked for the team during tryouts.

She and her mother started making the rounds of doctors to find out what might be the problem.

Finally, during a visit to Saint Louis University, doctors finally gave her medical problem a name. They said she had polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Once diagnosed, she set out on a treatment schedule, which involved medication and physical therapy.

Much of the medication is designed to fight inflammation and swelling that are common with arthritis.

She said the fact that she had to curtail her sports activities was a hard blow. But, later she said this void in her life also provided the motivation to stick with the doctors' rehabilitation plan.

"Physical therapy and taking my medicines brought me back," she said.

Now, she said she's back into sports and "I have never been better at tubing."

But, she admits that volleyball is still out. "It creates too much stress on my fingers," she admits.

She said she is participating in several research projects which are aimed to finding a cure for her arthritis.

"My arthritis has made me thankful that I am this healthy and taught me not to take things for granted as much," she said.

In a promotional letter she wrote for the Eastern Missouri Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation, Kayla said:

"If we all work together to raise awareness and funds for this disease, we will find a cure."

She also knows that her personal example of her fight against the disease and returning to near-normal life is a good lesson for other kids.

She then urged people to join in the Greater St. Louis Area Arthritis Walk in May.

(For information about arthritis and about the fund-raising efforts, you can visit www.arthritis.org or www.letsmovetogether.org. There's also another website for specific walk information: http://arthritiswalkstlouis.kintera.org.)

Mrs. Killoren, who is also active in the arthritis foundation's work, said volunteers know they are going to have to work hard this year to meet funding goals.

"Because of the economy, we know we'll need more individual donations and can't rely just on big corporate gifts," she said.

She said she and Kayla are working hard to get individuals to form walk teams to get more people involved in the May walks. Teams that raise more than $100 in pledges can qualify for various incentive-level prizes.

Walk information even includes a suggestion that walkers bring their dogs along. The sheet said, "Dogs get arthritis too."

While working on her school work and activities associated with the arthritis walks, she's also thinking about the future.

She said she wants to go to college but hasn't as yet settled on a course of study.

'I'm pretty sure my occupation will be in a helping field," she said.

Ask Dr. MAC

Kids can learn about ancient civilizations locally

Whole Indian civilizations prospered in our metro area thousands of years ago. And present-day kids can get involved now in archeological studies of those long-ago times.

All they have to do is visit Dr. MAC at his MAC Quest website.

The MAC Quest Program is on the internet and it's got tons of information about civilizations that thrived here up to 12,000 years ago. You can even learn how to make flint arrowheads and tools the way the ancients did.

Then, kids at one local elementary school are among filming teams planning to enter the first annual Mound City Archaeology Film Festival this fall.

And you can view a 30-minute documentary on an archeology channel titled "Uncovering Ancient St. Louis."

Groups are seeking volunteers to help preserve and protect remaining examples of Indian burial mounds dotting the metro area.

There's even a locally-written book, "A Guide to Chesterfield's Ancient History," which explores the past 10,000+ years of the Chesterfield valley in western St. Louis County along the Missouri River.

The author of the book is Mark W. Leach of Chesterfield, who first got interested in archeology 13 years. That's when his youngest son found an Indian arrowhead while they were hiking along a creek behind the family home in Chesterfield.

Mr. Leach said, "I thought the arrowhead was probably about 300 years old. But, an archeologist told me it was probably 3,000 to 4,000 years old."

He said, "I had lived in this area all my life and I had no clue about all this. My only experience had been a school trip to Cahokia Mounds in Illinois when I was a fifth grader."

Since then, he's immersed himself in a study of the history of early civilizations that populated this area as a natural meeting place.

(Young Saint Louis.com featured a story about an archeological dig in the Chesterfield Valley last September. To view that story, click here.)

For kids just getting started with their interest in ancient Indian cultures, Mr. Leach suggests checking in with Dr. MAC on the internet. (The cartoon character's name stands for Missouri Ancient Cultures.)

(To access the MAC Quest Program go to: http://www.associations.missouristate.edu/mas/macquest/
index.html.)

One of the first things on the website is an explanation of the various prehistoric periods involved in the local archeological history. Those periods start with the Paleoindian Period, which was 9,500-8,500 BC. Those periods that extend forward to the Mississippian Period (1,000-1,400 AD) were all before any European settlers ever got this far into the continent.

Then, there are detailed descriptions of excavations of four sites in the Chesterfield area.

They include the Martens Paleoindian Site (9,500-8.500 BC period; the Hayden Late Archaic Site (3,000-600 BC); the River Bend Late Woodland Site (300-800 AD) and the River Bend Estates and River Bend East Mississippian Site (1,000-1,400 AD)

One of the most interesting parts of Dr. MAC's website is the "messy desk" section. That's a collection of miscellaneous information on various archeological and early-Indian resources.

For instance, there is a section called Plant Tamers. This is a discussion of the various factors involved in changing Indians from "hunter-gatherers" into farmers. That changed the Indians from nomadic tribes in search of wild game to stationery inhabitants who tended their crops.

There's also a section that explains the Missouri Mound Adoption Project. That's a group of professional archeologists and volunteers who band together to try to preserve examples of Indian burial mounds that haven't been leveled during more recent development projects.

You might like to get involved in one of these groups that's working on preserving an Indian mound near where you live. For instance, Mr. Leach is a member of a group seeking to preserve what is known as the Blake Mound.

There's another listing on Dr. MAC's "messy desk" that has a description and pictures of a unique Indian weapon called the "atlatl." This is a launching tool that allowed Indians to throw spears up to 100 yards with accuracy.

You'll also get to meet a modern-day "flintnapper." Larry Kinsella from Illinois offers classes to show how the Indians were able to shape their flint arrow and spear heads and tools.

There's even a video clip of Mr. Kinsella at work shaping flint tools.

Here are some other programs to give you background on archeological activities in this Missouri-Illinois area:

*You can access a 30-minute documentary film for free entitled "Uncovering Ancient Saint Louis." There are two ways to find the film.

Visit http://www.archaeologychannel.org/content/video/
uncovancstlouis.html.

Or get there through Google by typing in "archeological channel." Then, scroll down through the videos listed in the "video" tab.

The 1st annual Mound City Archaeology Film Festival will be held at the Missouri History Museum next September. Student film teams are pairing up with archeologists to film 7½-minute films on specific archeological sites.

Mr. Leach said teams from several colleges and universities are going to enter.

But, at least one elementary school class is planning to enter. That class is from the Rockwood School District's Center for Creative Learning, a gifted program.

After checking out these sources, you'll probably be interested enough in archeology to do some exploring of your own.

Questions for March "Fun with Math"

An adaptation of a "pick up sticks" game

"Fun with Math" author George Yu decided to adapt the old "pick up sticks" game to make the math puzzlers for March.

Only Francis knows his math better than Eddy so he seems to win all the time.

See if you can figure out how to avoid Francis' "math traps" and earn an upset with answers to the four questions.

(To review the February contest and learn the winners and the answers, click here.)

The monthly "Fun with Math" contests follow the same rules YSL.com has followed for several years. They are:

Print out the following entry form.
Fill out your name, address and telephone number. (Print clearly please)
Include the name of your school and math teacher.
Answer the puzzle questions for March.
Put your completed entry into a stamped, addressed envelope.
Be sure to print the entry form so we can be sure of spelling.
Mail the entry to:

Math Mania Contest
Young Saint Louis.com
813 Rotherham Dr.
Ballwin, Mo. 63011

(All entries must be postmarked by the
15th of March 2010 to be eligible.)

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

Entry for March 2010, Fun With Math Contest:

Name: __________________________________ Age: _____

Address: __________________________________________

School: _____________________ Teacher: ________________

City: _____________________ State: ______ Zip: __________

Contact phone: (_____) _____________________

March Fun with Math Contest Challenge:
Adaptation of Pick Up Sticks

Eddy and Francis are playing a game of sticks. They take turns removing individual sticks from a pile of sticks. On their turn, they take 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 sticks from the pile. Whoever takes away the last stick wins.

There are 6 sticks in the pile and it is Eddy's turn. Who will win?
There are 12 stocks in the pile and it is Eddy's turn. Who will win?
There are 18 sticks in the pile and it is Eddy's turn. Who will win?
There are 52 sticks in the pile and it is Eddy's turn. How many sticks shoud be take away?

Answers for February "Fun with Math"

Twelve kids get all answers correct

There were 12 kids who got all the "Fun with Math" questions correct in the February competition.

So far, the "Fun for Math" creator George Yu hasn't been fooling too many contestants.

Because of the number of winners, Young Saint Louis.com is going to up the number of winners who get the $10 Borders gift certificate. The four were picked randomly from among the 12 winners.

Tori Harbison, Glen Carbon, IL; Danielle Kirsch, Edwardsville, IL; Henry Lu, Edwardsville, IL, and Ryan Wahiki, Creve Coeur, MO.

The other eight who got all answers correct were:

John Bentley, Edwardsville, IL; Monica Chavan, Edwardsville, IL; Kim Johnson, Edwardsville, IL; Mickaela Kulasekara, Edwardsville, IL; Durga Kullakanda, Maryland Heights, MO; Wes Schoenthal, Edwardsville, IL; Chad Turner, Edwardsville, IL, and Jacob Vieth, Edwardsville, IL.

(If you'd like to enter the March, 2010, "Fun with Math" contest, click here.)

Solution for the February, 2010, "Fun with Math" questions

1. 12x12=144, 13x13=169, 14x14=196, and 15x15=225. The answers are 169 and 196.
The square numbers less than 18 are 1, 4, 9, and 16. We have to choose two of these numbers so that their sum is a perfect number. We find 9+16=25 by trial and error. Bob is older than Carl, so Bob is 16 and Carl is 9.
The square numbers less than 100 are 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, and 81. We have to choose two of these numbers so that their difference is 32. We can use trial and error, or test each number by addition. 1+32=33, but 33 is not an option. 4+32=36. If we look back at the list, we find that 36 is an option.

Diana ended up with 4 pages, a perfect square. Adding the 32 pages she tore out the second time, we have 36 pages, another perfect square. Adding the 32 pages she tore out the first time, we have 68 pages. 68 pages were originally in the notebook.

Fun & Games

From "Outside Jokes" book of wildlife cartoons
(Copyright: Betty C. Grace)

"Go ahead, but remember what happens
to the early worm ."

(Reprinted by permission of artist)

Editor's Note: Copies of the "Outside Jokes" book are on sale through:
The Nature Shop, Missouri Department of Conservation
P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-018
or call toll free: 887-521-8632

Crossword Puzzles
When you have completed the puzzles, you can click here to find the answers!

Puzzle #1

Across	Down
2. studies old cultures 3. digging sites 5. limits placed upon 7. maker of tools 8. an infection 9. branch of math	1. restore to health 4. highly energized 6. people from past

Puzzle #2

Across	Down
1. make understandable 3. wind instrument 5. job, type of work 6. show how it works 8. make arts and crafts 9. not religious 10. in its first form	2. keep in production 4. form of dance 7. next generation

Puzzle #3

Across	Down
1. game play 2. calls game action 6. before grade one 8. South American mammal	1. can be kept going 3. living close by 4. physical distortion 5. bounce the ball 7. roof of mouth

From book reviews

Across	Down
1. to be sorry 5. for a short time 7. lived in 9. heavy cloth 10. interfere with	2. infrequent 3. a closing down 4. common birds 6. a magician 8. poor housing

Jokes

How about some "pay close attention" jokes?

Question: If a plane crashed on the border of England and Scotland, where would they bury the survivors?
Answer: You don't bury survivors!

Question: David's father has three sons - Snap, Crackle, and _____?
Answer: David, of course!

You are a bus driver. At the first stop four people get on. At the second stop eight people get on. At the third stop, two people get off. At the fourth stop, everybody gets off. The question is what color are the bus driver's eyes...
The same as yours. Remember that you are the bus driver!

If the red house is on the right side and if the blue house is on the left side, where is the white house?
Washington, D. C.!

If two's company and three's a crowd, what are four and five?
Nine!

What is the best hand to write with?
Neither - it's better to write with a pen!

Plays on words

When is a car not a car?
When it turns into a garage!

How much do pirates pay for their earrings?
A buccaneer!

How many ears did Davy Crockett have?
Three - his left ear, his right ear, and the wild front ear!

Did you hear about the fifty-pound jellybean?
It's pretty hard to swallow!

How did the soaking wet Easter Bunny dry himself?
He used a hare dryer!

And, finally

Knock. Knock.
Who's there?
Dewey.
Dewey who?
Dewey have to keep telling knock knock jokes?

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Ocelot.
Ocelot who?
Ocelot a questions, don't you?

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Olive.
Olive who?
Olive just around the corner.

Answers to Fun & Games

Crossword Puzzles Note that the words used in the first three Young Saint Louis.com crossword puzzles are all taken from the articles appearing in this month's issue.