Picture of the Day – Pledge Allegiance to the Earth

 

By Shelly
August 28, 2009
US Constitution Watchdog

 

Do you want this poster on the walls in your child’s classroom? A listener sent in the following…

“My Husband and I are avid fans of the Glenn Beck show. Glenn said to send in anything strange we are seeing…so here is my strange sighting. This poster is in the very front of my son’s 2nd grade classroom…along with the latest book about Obama’s new dog….”

Thanks to Shelley for sending this in.

 

Source: Glenn Beck

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Are You A Positive Parent?

By The Schoolmarm
August 27, 2009

Dad and Jack were talking before the t-ball game.

Jack blurted out, “We’re gonna lose!”

Dad said, ” Son, you need to be more positive.”

Jack agreed, ” I’m positive we’re gonna lose!”

Okay, that story is so old that Jack is probably a grandfather by now, but it helps to make the point that we don’t always understand how to think in a positive way.

Many people approach situations from fear, and fear fosters negative thinking.  Expecting the worst perhaps is a vain effort to prepare oneself for the worst.  Anyway, it is far from life affirming.

How about you?  How do you approach daily events in your life?  Do you speak to your children from a positive or negative point of view?  Have you ever stopped to think how you sound to your kids?

For a little exercise, how could you restate these three sentences to make them more positive?

• Don’t even think of turning on that TV until your homework is done!
• If you don’t eat your green beans then forget about having the dessert!
• Why don’t you ever find your shoes before we get ready to leave?

How’d you do?  Did you think of better ways to say the same thing?  Were yours similar to mine?

• After your homework is done you can watch some TV.
• Finish your green beans so you can have some dessert.
• I really like it when you find your shoes before we get ready to leave.

It takes practicing self control to think before making threatening, or demeaning statements. You can’t un-ring a bell, and harsh words can be carried for years. Can you think of something hurtful someone said to you when you were just a kid?  I can too.

Try a more positive approach.  Censor yourself until you learn to accentuate the positive. It will make a difference in the way you feel, too.

Source: Bing Note

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

California Girl Kidnapped 18 Years Ago Found Alive

By Fox News
August 27, 2009

An 11-year-old California girl kidnapped in 1991 while waiting for a school bus has been found alive, and a convicted sex offender is accused of raping her and fathering two children with her while he and his wife held her captive in their backyard.

Despite the shocking revelations, the discovery of Jaycee Lee Dugard brought sudden relief to her family 18 years after their young girl disappeared.

Dugard was being kept with the two children in a series of tents and sheds hidden behind the Antioch, Calif., home of Phillip and Nancy Garrido, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday at a news conference.

Dugard and her two daughters are “in good health, but living in a backyard for the past 18 years does take its toll,” Undersheriff Fred Kollar said.

The Garridos were arrested Wednesday after Phillip Garrido raised suspisions of campus police at the University of California, Berkeley. Garrido was spotted there with two young girls trying to gain access to the campus library, Kollar said.

Campus police then notified Garrido’s parole officer who arranged an interview. Garrido, who was on parole from a 1971 conviction for rape and kidnapping, arrived for the meeting accompanied by the two girls, ages 11 and 15, as well as wife, Nancy, and another woman, named Allissa.

Allissa was then identified as Jaycee Dugard, the blond, pony-tailed 11-year-old who was taken from the school bus stop minutes after she left her South Lake Tahoe home in 1991.

Dugard was reunited Thursday with her mother, who was overjoyed to learn the ordeal was over and the daughter she feared dead was actually alive and well.

Dugard’s stepfather, the last person to see her in 1991 and a longtime suspect in the case, said he was overwhelmed after doing everything he could to help find her. He said the news that she was found was like winning the lottery.

“To have this happen where we get her back alive, and where she remembers things from the past, and to have people in custody is a triple win,” he told The Sacramento Bee.

The Garridos are being held in the Contra Costa County Jail in Martinez on potential charges of kidnapping and conspiracy on Wednesday, police said. Phillip Garrido also could face charges of rape by force, lewd and lascivious acts with a minor and sexual penetration.

Click here for more on this story from FOX40.com.

At the Garrido’s house, barriers were constructed to “inhibit outside viewing and prevent the victims from contact with the outside world,” Kollar said. Police described the situation as a compound with sound-proof walls and no electricity.

The neighborhood is described as a residential area, with the Garridos home raising no suspicion from the outside world as to the horrific compound concealed in the backyard.

Neighbor Helen Boyer, 78, described the Garridos as nice and friendly and said they cared for Phillip Garrido’s elderly mother.

“If I needed something, they would be the first I would call on,” Boyer said.

Dugard left for school the morning of June 10, 1991, dressed all in pink and stood at the bus stop two blocks from her house. As her stepfather watched from the driveway, a gray car with two people inside pulled up, grabbed the child and sped away, according to witnesses.

In media reports at the time, the girl’s stepfather said he heard Jaycee scream then jumped on a bicycle and frantically pedaled after the car in a failed effort to follow it up a hill. He then turned around and shouted at neighbors to call the police.

The case attracted national attention and was featured on TV’s “America’s Most Wanted,” which broadcast a composite drawing of a suspect seen in the car.

Probyn said his wife, Terry, spoke with Dugard by phone on Wednesday.

“She got a call from the FBI, they said they had found Jaycee and she was alive,” Probyn told KTVU. “My wife talked with her and is convinced she is Jaycee. Jaycee remembers everything.”

Click here for more on this story from KTVU.com.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Editor”s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Source: Fox News

Tips for New Kid in Class

By Kathie Felix
August 26, 2009

For students of any age, there is nothing that compares to the first day at a new school. It’s a mix of excitement for a new start and apprehension about the unknown—combined with a powerful need to fit into a new setting. As a parent, you’ve been focusing for weeks now on the good parts of the new school year ahead—the opportunity to make new friends, the bigger and better features of the new school, and even new class selections that the old school may have been unable to offer. You’ve still got a few more weeks ahead to help your young learner develop a sense of confidence about their new school experience. This is the perfect time to develop a checklist designed to make the first day of school a breeze.

Before School Starts

Make an appointment to tour the new school. The month of August is a good time to work with school staff members to make sure your new student gets a leisurely and comfortable start in his or her new surroundings.

A tour of the building can be a real confidence booster. When students know where things are, they will feel much more secure about a new setting. It’s a great relief for youngsters to know in advance how far they may be from their classrooms, the cafeteria, the gymnasium, and other locations.

Ask if you can make an appointment to meet your child’s new teacher or teachers in advance. Learners of any age will welcome seeing a familiar face when they walk into a new class setting for the first time.

Help your student to make appropriate clothing choices by obtaining a copy of any student dress code well in advance of the start of school. If the school has a uniform, buy it early and let your child get accustomed to their new daily look. Some students entering Kindergarten may enjoy putting their uniform on in a game of dress-up for friends and relatives; just make sure to hang the clothing up out of reach to keep it in the best possible condition for the start of school.

If possible, make new friends before the school year begins. For any child, life at a new school is all about making friends quickly. Once you’ve looked around the neighborhood, check a little farther afield. Some local libraries welcome volunteer workers of school age; some youth centers and swimming pools offer paid or unpaid employment opportunities. Get creative; brainstorm with your new neighbors and see what you can come up with.

Youth-oriented membership service organizations are another great way to make new friends—for parents, as well as for children. Camp Fire USA, Girl Scouts of the USA, and Boy Scouts of America offer supportive environments and activities for a range of ages. Each organization has an online locator feature that will help you find the group near your home.

Encourage students who may be struggling with starting over in a new place by reminding them that a new school is a new opportunity to reinvent their image. They can emphasize interests that may have been under the radar at their old school. It can be very cool to be the new girl or guy in town; new classmates will be trying to figure out this mysterious new person who suddenly appeared in the classroom.

The First Day of School

Make sure you know what time school starts. This may seem obvious, but some schools don’t include start time information on their advance paperwork or web sites. You don’t want to be guessing at information this important on a stressful first day.

Keep an eye on your child’s first-day clothing choices. Although younger children may look charming in sweet little outfits and dressy shoes, these may not be the best choices for the rough-and-tumble world of the playground or the long (for a Kindergartner) school day. With older kids, talk about first impressions and ask them how they’d like to launch themselves at their new school by dressing for success.

Know how the lunch plan works. If your child will be bringing lunch, make sure it’s something they will eat. Have prepaid lunch cards or lunch money ready well in advance to avoid morning scrambling.

Be sure your child understands how their school transportation will work and where to find their ride home. Children of all ages need some type of reassurance in this area. Make sure younger children understand that Mom or someone will be there for them when they get home.

The School Days Ahead

A routine has been established; it’s time to explore and enjoy the new school. Your child may enjoy blogging about the start of school with friends from the previous school.

As the days go by, new friendships will bloom and the new school will begin to seem less strange. Talk to your youngsters often and let them tell you what they think of their new surroundings; help them find the best parts of the new world around them.
 

Editor’s Note: Kathie Felix writes about education for a variety of national news media outlets.

We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Source: Apples 4 Teachers

How To Pick Pediatrician

By Parents
August 27, 2009

Please speak for all doctors.

What is the most annoying thing we parents do?

Overreact to the little ills of childhood. American kids are the healthiest humans who have ever lived. But their parents often fear they’re one sniffle away from certain doom. So, please, have confidence that you can handle most of the little throat itches, earaches, goopy eyes, and low fevers your child has. You don’t need me; you just need a little chicken soup and love.

As much as you want a prescription to fix everything, your kid probably doesn’t need antibiotics. For example, 80 percent of ear infections go away without them. It’s a dirty little secret of pediatrics that ear infections pay our bills. Doctors are nice, and sometimes we write prescriptions because we want to feel like we’re doing something to help, even though you’ll be fine without it.

But what about medicine?

What’s another secret?

There’s a syndrome called “Sick enough to see the doctor, but well enough for baseball.” The kid absolutely must see me on Sunday, but just not until after his game. If your child is well enough for school or practice, he’s really not sick enough to see me. On the other hand, if your kid is sick enough to see me, he’s probably sick enough to have an adult stay home with him. I can’t magically make him well enough to get back to school or daycare.

P.S. The people pictured here are all models — we had to swear to protect our sources.

Source: Parents

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Childcare – While at Work

By ARW
August 27, 2009

When you decide to return to work after having your children you will need to arrange adequate childcare provision.

This is one of the most important decisions that you can make as it affects the upbringing of your child. You will need to pay a great deal of attention to this decision and as such you need to allow plenty of time. Many of the best childcare providers have long waiting lists, especially those in high income areas where people are prepared and able to pay for the best possible care.

The various types of childcare may not all be available in your area. Give yourself plenty of time before you return to work to weigh up the possibilities and to see which option best suits your circumstances. Please be aware that some childminders and nurseries accept children on their waiting list when the mother is only three months pregnant!

Be armed with a list of questions to ask whoever will be looking after your child, so any expectations are clarified from the beginning. Depending on your preferences and attitude, the list may include such questions as –

• Do you have any outdoor space for the children to play?How many other children do you look after?
• How flexible are you if I am required to work late at short notice?
• What transport do you have?
• What insurance do you have?
• What food will you provide for the children?
• What relevant qualifications do you have?
• What fees will you charge during holidays (i.e. when you look after your child)
• What would you do in an emergency?

Do check if you are entitled to any financial help to pay for childcare. The current tax credits system allows families with an income of up to £55,000 to receive some help. Look at the government website to find out what you are entitled to claim.

Relatives

You will truly be subject to ‘babysitter envy’ if your mother, mother in law or another relative is happy and able to look after your child on a regular basis after you return to work. This has a great number of benefits – invariably you will have similar views on childcare, such as healthy eating and manners – and your child will be able to bond with a family member rather than a ‘stranger’.

If you are lucky enough to be able to have regular childcare from a close relative, make sure that you confirm the terms of employment, however happy they are to do it. Over time, goodwill can be eroded by differences in expectation, so be honest and open upfront. If they do not want to be paid for their time, you could still arrange some sort of monetary remuneration – vouchers or payments directly into their bank. It may just be that they don’t want to ask for money but it would still be appreciated.

Childminders

Childminders vary greatly. The best way to find a reputable childminder is through word of mouth – ask your friends with children if they know of any vacancies. Arrange to meet the childminder and take your child with you – you will be able to sense if they will be compatible and you can see how they interact with your child.

Work Crèche

Large organisations may have a subsidised crèche for you to use. This is very practical because you will be able to take your child to work with you and will be nearby if required. You will also be able to call in unannounced to assess the environment.

Work crèches tend to be well run, with plenty of qualified staff and good learning and playing facilities.

Nursery

Nurseries are actually the least regulated of all non-family childcare facilities, so it is worth checking the government approved list before you commit. This can provide the most flexible type of childcare though, as there will usually be a number of staff able to provide early and late cover.

Source: Return To Work

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@goldcoastchronicle.com

National Zoo – American Alligator

By FNZ
August 25, 2009

The average size for an adult female American alligator is 8.2 feet (2.6 m), and the average size for a male is 11.2 feet (3.4 m). Exceptionally large males can reach a weight of nearly half a ton or 1,000 pounds.

Both males and females have an “armored” body with a muscular flat tail. The skin on the back is armored with embedded bony plates called osteoderms or scutes. They have four short legs; the front legs have five toes while the back legs have four toes.

Alligators have a long snout with upward facing nostrils at the end; this lets them breathe while the rest of the body is underwater. The young can be distinguished from adults by the bright yellow stripes on the tail; adults have dark stripes on the tail.

Distinguishing Alligators from Crocodiles

The easiest way to distinguish an alligator from a crocodile is by looking at the teeth. The large fourth tooth in the lower jaw of an alligator fits into a socket in the upper jaw and is not visible when the mouth is closed. This does not happen in crocodiles. Alligators have between 74 and 80 teeth in their mouth at a time. As teeth wear down they are replaced. An alligator can go through 2,000 to 3,000 teeth in a lifetime.

Female alligators usually remain in a small area. The males occupy areas larger than two square miles. Both males and females extend their ranges during the courting and breeding season. Young alligators remain in the area where they are hatched and where they are protected by their mother. After two to three years, they leave that area in search of food, or are driven out by larger alligators.

One interesting aspect of alligator biology is that they undergo periods of dormancy when the weather is cold. They excavate a depression called a “gator hole” along a waterway and use it during dormancy.

In areas where the water level fluctuates, alligators dig themselves into hollows in the mud, which fill with water. These tunnels are often as long as 65 feet (20 m) and provide protection during extreme hot or cold weather. Many other animals also use these burrows after they are abandoned by their creators.

Distribution and Habitat

The American alligator is found from North Carolina to the Rio Grande in Texas.

Alligators are usually found in freshwater, in slow-moving rivers. They are also found in swamps, marshes, and lakes. They can tolerate salt water for only brief periods because they do not have salt glands.

Diet in the Wild
Crocodilians are carnivorous. They have very strong jaws that can crack a turtle shell. They eat fish, snails and other invertebrates, birds, frogs, and mammals that come to the water’s edge. They use their sharp teeth to seize and hold prey. Small prey is swallowed whole. If the prey is large, crocodilians shake it apart into smaller, manageable pieces. If it is very large, crocodilians bite it, then spin on the long axis of their bodies to tear off easily swallowed pieces.

Zoo Diet
At the Zoo, the American alligator is fed rats and occasionally chickens and rabbits.

Reproduction
Both males and females reach sexual maturity when they are about six feet (1.8 m) long, a length attained at about ten to 12 years. Breeding takes place during the night, in shallow waters. Males roar to attract females and to ward off other males. The male circles the female and mounts. Courtship starts in April, with mating occurring in early May.

After mating, the female builds a nest of vegetation. The nest measures seven to ten feet (2.1 to 3 m) in diameter and is two to three feet (.6 to .9 m) high. Then, around late June and early July, the female lays 35 to 50 eggs. Some females lay up to 90 eggs. The eggs are then covered with the vegetation nest through the 65-day incubation period. The sex of the juveniles is determined by the temperature of the nest: above 93° F (33.8° C) all are male, below 86° F (30° C) all are female, and temperatures in between will produce both sexes. Red-bellied sliders may sometimes deposit their eggs in alligator nests.

Toward the end of August, the young alligators begin to make high-pitched noises from inside of the egg. This lets the mother know that it is time to remove the nesting material. When the alligator hatches it measures about six to eight inches (15 to 20 cm). Newly hatched alligators live in small groups called “pods.” Eighty percent of young alligators fall victim to birds and raccoons. Other predators include bobcats, otters, snakes, large bass, and larger alligators. Females aggressively defend their young during these first few years. Crocodilians are unusual among reptiles in providing maternal care to their young. The juveniles grow about a foot a year. Maturity is reached during the sixth year.

Life Span
American alligators may live to about 50 years in the wild. After it is four feet long, an alligator is safe from predators except humans and occasionally other alligators.

Status
Once on the verge of extinction, the American alligator has made a remarkable recovery. Due to strict conservation measures and extensive research, it is no longer endangered except in scattered areas of its range. However, the American alligator is listed as threatened on the U.S. Endangered Species List because it is very similar in appearance to the American crocodile, which is endangered, and hunters are likely to confuse the two species. Hunting is allowed in some states, but it is heavily controlled. The greatest threat is currently destruction of habitat; this includes water management systems and increased levels of mercury and dioxins in the water.

Because alligators will feed on almost anything, they pose a mild threat to humans. In Florida, where there is the greatest alligator population, there were five deaths to alligator attacks from 1973 to 1990. Dogs and other pets are also sometimes killed.

Fun Facts
The alligator became the official state reptile of Florida in 1987.

The alligator family includes the American and Chinese alligators and all caimans. Spanish sailors visiting the New World thought the unfamiliar alligator was a huge lizard. In Spanish, el lagarto means the lizard. English sailors took the name as allagarter and in time it has become alligator.

Alligators are hunted mostly for their skins, but also they are hunted for meat. Today, there is a multi-million dollar industry in which alligators are raised in captivity for the production of meat and skin. Also, alligators are a tourist attraction, especially in Florida, where visitors enjoy feeding them.

Taxonomy
Order: Crocodylia
Family: Alligatoridae
Genus/species: Alligator mississippiensis

Editor’s Note: For more information, including references, see the Animal Diversity Web account for this species, here: Animal Diversity Web

All or part of this information was provided by the Animal Diversity Web and Museum of Zoology of the University of Michigan.
It appears here with their permission. The original author of this information was Benjamin Schechter and Robin Street.

We would like to know what you think: dan@goldcoastchronicle.com

Source: National Zoo

Who Were Our Presidents? Part 5

By Dan Samaria
Publisher/GCC
August  24, 2009

Editor’s Note: How many of us along with our children? Know who our Presidents were and what they have done in Office.

Each week we will pick a President and tell you about them and their accomplishes.

We hope that you will enjoy this series. And let us know what you think? dan@goldcoastchronicle.com

5. JAMES MONROE 1817-1825

 

On New Year’s Day, 1825, at the last of his annual White House receptions, President James Monroe made a pleasing impression upon a Virginia lady who shook his hand:

“He is tall and well formed. His dress plain and in the old style…. His manner was quiet and dignified. From the frank, honest expression of his eye … I think he well deserves the encomium passed upon him by the great Jefferson, who said, ‘Monroe was so honest that if you turned his soul inside out there would not be a spot on it.’ ”

Born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, in 1758, Monroe attended the College of William and Mary, fought with distinction in the Continental Army, and practiced law in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

As a youthful politician, he joined the anti-Federalists in the Virginia Convention which ratified the Constitution, and in 1790, an advocate of Jeffersonian policies, was elected United States Senator. As Minister to France in 1794-1796, he displayed strong sympathies for the French cause; later, with Robert R. Livingston, he helped negotiate the Louisiana Purchase.

His ambition and energy, together with the backing of President Madison, made him the Republican choice for the Presidency in 1816. With little Federalist opposition, he easily won re-election in 1820.

Monroe made unusually strong Cabinet choices, naming a Southerner, John C. Calhoun, as Secretary of War, and a northerner, John Quincy Adams, as Secretary of State. Only Henry Clay’s refusal kept Monroe from adding an outstanding Westerner.

Early in his administration, Monroe undertook a goodwill tour. At Boston, his visit was hailed as the beginning of an “Era of Good Feelings.” Unfortunately these “good feelings” did not endure, although Monroe, his popularity undiminished, followed nationalist policies.

Across the facade of nationalism, ugly sectional cracks appeared. A painful economic depression undoubtedly increased the dismay of the people of the Missouri Territory in 1819 when their application for admission to the Union as a slave state failed. An amended bill for gradually eliminating slavery in Missouri precipitated two years of bitter debate in Congress.

The Missouri Compromise bill resolved the struggle, pairing Missouri as a slave state with Maine, a free state, and barring slavery north and west of Missouri forever.

In foreign affairs Monroe proclaimed the fundamental policy that bears his name, responding to the threat that the more conservative governments in Europe might try to aid Spain in winning back her former Latin American colonies. Monroe did not begin formally to recognize the young sister republics until 1822, after ascertaining that Congress would vote appropriations for diplomatic missions. He and Secretary of State John Quincy Adams wished to avoid trouble with Spain until it had ceded the Floridas, as was done in 1821.

Great Britain, with its powerful navy, also opposed reconquest of Latin America and suggested that the United States join in proclaiming “hands off.” Ex-Presidents Jefferson and Madison counseled Monroe to accept the offer, but Secretary Adams advised, “It would be more candid … to avow our principles explicitly to Russia and France, than to come in as a cock-boat in the wake of the British man-of-war.”

Monroe accepted Adams’s advice. Not only must Latin America be left alone, he warned, but also Russia must not encroach southward on the Pacific coast. “. . . the American continents,” he stated, “by the free and independent condition which they have assumed and maintain, are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European Power.” Some 20 years after Monroe died in 1831, this became known as the Monroe Doctrine.

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? Can you answer this question? What has James Monroe accomplished as President? dan@youngchronicle.com. If you know the answer you can win a prize.

Source: Whitehouse

China Loves their Olympics of Magic

By Laura Leigh Davidson
August 24, 2009

In 2008, China hosted one of the most spectacular Olympic Games in recent memory. This year, the country’s capital city of Beijing played host to another dazzling competition: the World Championships of Magic.

The weeklong event is also known as the “Olympics of Magic.” Every three years, magicians from around the world unveil their best tricks to compete for a gold medal in their area of the ancient art of illusion. An illusion is something that appears to exist but does not.

Shawn Farquhar of Canada won the 2009 gold medal for close-up magic. Close-up magic, or micro-magic, is performed for an audience that is generally no more than 10 feet away. Farquhar tricked the eyes of even the closest observers with his deck of magic playing cards. He showed the audience an ace of spades, and that he had nothing up his sleeves. The next moment, the card was clearly an ace of clubs!

A magician from Hungary named Soma captured the gold medal for stage magic. Stage magicians perform large-scale illusions, or tricks. Soma used everyday objects in his stage act. He ripped up every section of a newspaper into tiny pieces. But, much to his own apparent surprise, the newspaper kept putting itself back together.

Mad for Magic

Farquhar and Soma may have gone home with the medals, but the country of China is perhaps the biggest winner in this year’s World Championships of Magic. Thousands of people around the country have gone mad for all things magic.

Lu Chen, a popular magician from the neighboring country of Taiwan, helped spark the magic craze on a TV show this past spring. People could not stop talking about one trick in particular. Lu made a ring disappear and then reappear inside an egg. How could the audience see the ring reappear in the egg? Lu cracked the egg open for all to see.

But many in Lu’s audience wanted more than to be entertained. They wanted to know how the trick was done. This curiosity is helping spread “magic fever,” as many call it, throughout China.

To learn the secrets behind magic tricks, people are flooding magic training schools. Many magicians have started their own schools to teach the tricks of their trade to curious beginners.

China has a long history of magic for teachers to draw on. Baofeng (bow-fung), a region in the southeastern part of the country, is the home of Chinese magic. There are records of magic acts being performed in Baofeng that date back more than 1,400 years.

Magic Money in Tough Times

Magic fever is helping local businesses cope with tough economic times too. In addition to booming business at new training schools, stores that make stage costumes and tents for magic shows have seen a big jump in sales.

The town of Zhouying (joe-yeeng) takes in about 75 percent of its income from magic schools and related businesses. Magician Wang Xianbo (sheon-bo) was born in Zhouying. He spoke to USA Today about his hometown, which is known as “Magic Village.” Wang says many residents of the village have turned from farming to magic-related businesses to make a living.

“Magic is hot now,” Wang said. “Many of my neighbors are traveling around China performing.”

Wayne Wang, author of the book China Magic!, agrees. This “is [an important] year for magic in China,” he told USA Today. “Dancing and pop music are no longer fresh, but magic makes people’s eyes pop out. Magic is new and fashionable to a lot of young people.”

Source: Scholastic News Online

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

2009 Fire Prevention Week – Bath Safety

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