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Young Reporter's Story Ideas
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Sponsored by
Foreigner at Home in Charity Concert
by Reporter Toby Chivers
Homeschool
International rock legend Foreigner came to the TCC Music Hall Sept. 21 for a concert to benefit La Paloma Family Services. It was awesome!
The opening band was the Chili’s Band. It really got the crowd excited and ready for the main act. Then Foreigner took the stage and, backed up on stage by Tender Strings and Choir, blew the crowd away with its classic hits like “Urgent,” “Feels Like the First Time,” “Cold as Ice” and “I Want to Know What Love Is.” It was the highlight of the entire concert. Foreigner also performed its brand-new hit, “Too Late.”
La Paloma Family Services is a non-profit organization that has been helping Tucson’s at-risk youth for 28 years. Many kids go to La Paloma from the child welfare, juvenile justice and mental health systems. The organization helps foster families and provides kids in need with a place to live, clothes, bedding, food and more. It offers counseling, classes to teach basic life skills, and other classes like creative photography that help build kids’ confidence.
Randy Hansen, director of creative services at La Paloma, teaches the photography class. He also happens to be the father of Foreigner’s lead singer, Kelly Hansen. So, when David Bradley, La Paloma’s CEO, asked him to help with fund-raising projects, he asked Foreigner to play a benefit concert. “They were thrilled to do it,” Hansen says.
Bradley and Hansen agreed the concert helped tremendously—not only to raise money for services for the kids but also to help raise awareness for the cause. You can continue to help with donations of money or things like baby formula, diapers and other household items. You can also volunteer to help La Paloma with services or by becoming a foster parent.
Marnie and Jason Greggs are foster parents. They say it’s a great experience and that La Paloma is “incredibly supportive” and “always there on call to help.” They add that if you are considering being a foster parent or adopting a child, you should “just go do it!”
For more info about La Paloma Family Services, go to www.lapalomakids.org. For more info on Foreigner, go to www.foreigneronline.com.
World’s Worst Director So Bad He’s Good
by Reporter Courtney Shelton
Sonoran Science Academy
Ed Wood is listed on the Internet Movie Database as “The World’s Worst Director.”
His movie, “Plan 9 from Outer Space,” will show this month at The Loft Cinema for KTTU-TV’s The Very Bad Movie festival.
We recently saw another one of his movies,“Bride of the Monster,” which was called “the newest and most daring shocker” when it came out in 1956. Given that introduction, it makes no sense that it would be a “Very Bad Movie,” right?
As soon as you see it, you’ll understand. “Bride of the Monster” features the corniest scenes you could think of—like wrestling with a limp octopus and a stereotypical Frankenstein monster.
Jeff Yanc, program director at the Loft, says Wood “had a lot of ambition but not a lot of talent,” which is what makes his movies so great. Although Wood’s movies are supposed to be horror, you can often find them under comedy. “They’re very fun,” says Yanc.
“Plan 9 from Outer Space” also had terrible effects and a not-so-great plot. Throughout the movie, which is about aliens turning humans into zombies, there is a clip of flying saucers thrown in randomly.
Not all of Wood’s movies are kid friendly. The ones toward the end of his career are not as appropriate.
Wood was born in 1924 and died of heart failure in 1978. You can tell he had fun with what he did. He often had a limited budget and couldn’t afford stunning actors.
I’m sure by now you are dying to see one of his movies. The Loft is showing “Plan 9 from Outer Space” on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 because, as Yanc says, “We wanted to celebrate the great badness.”
Strategies for School Success
by Reporter Adriana Suarez
Banks Elementary School
My shoes slapped the school floor. It was a new year, and I felt like I was in a new school—even though I wasn’t.
I looked to see if there were some familiar faces, but none were in sight. I kept on walking. I found out what room was in and opened this big door. The kids stared at me as if I were an experiment.
Then I saw a few faces from last year. The teacher came up to me. She gave me a warm smile and said, “We are going to have fun this year.” That’s when I knew it was going to be a great year.
Is this what the beginning of the school year felt like for you? If so, here are a few tips to help you feel comfortable:
- Don’t try to act too cool. You will end up acting silly.
- Never talk back to the teacher. You’ll end up in serious trouble.
- Try to stay away from troublemakers. You’ll just get yourself in trouble.
- Don’t be a show off. You’ll get ignored a lot.
- Don’t act like an alien and you won’t be treated like one.
- Respect the rules, have fun, and be yourself!
Get Off Couch, Eat Healthy to Keep Your Body Happy
by Reporter Anita Eichenaur
Holladay Magnet School
Do you want to be like swimmer Michael Phelps? Well, Phelps, who broke all sorts of records by winning eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, doesn’t lie around like a couch potato.
It’s a fact that the less junk food you eat, the better your grades are. And grades are important like your body. Your body loves exercise. The more healthy food you eat, the more energy you will have. Your body will thank you.
This may sound crazy, but the less junk food you eat and drink—for example soda, candy, chips and sugary juice—the happier you’ll be! You would think that candy and soda make you happy, but your body hates them. Your body will feel like it has been dumped in the trash. Eat better food, and your friends will like you more! You will have a better personality. We all want more friends, right?
Well, if you can’t be like Phelps, just be yourself and eat healthy. Your body is counting on you and so is the future!
Movie Follows Reporter’s Exploits
by Reporter Leighton Rickel
Harelson Elementary
“Get a Clue” is a movie that inspired me to write and report for Bear Essential News for Kids.
It’s about a young, rich girl named Lexy who who writes a gossip column for her school newspaper that makes a big mess. When one of her teachers goes missing, she decides to solve the mystery. She snoops around asking people questions until she finds out that someone had messed with her story. The two main actresses are Lindsay Lohan and Brenda Song.
I’ve never felt more happy since I wrote to Bear Essential.
Physics Helps Astronomer Understand Stars
by Reporter Luke-Adam Menke
Brichta Elementary
This story is about a boy who grew up to be a man and studied astronomy. His name is Dr. David H. Menke, and he is my father.
As a kid (when he was 8 years old), Dr. Menke always looked up at the stars and wondered how they got there. Some of the conclusions he came up with were that either God put them there or there were some scientific explanations.
So later, in his young teen years, he took science classes. He was expecting to learn how many stars there are and how they got there. He first learned about how stars make patterns, which we call constellations.
He says that, at the time, those patterns were most interesting to him because he could recognize the constellation Orion, the hunter.
Now Dr. Menke likes to study archeoastronomy, which is the astronomy of ancient peoples. He also likes to study physics. He says it helps him understand astronomy better. The laws of physics cover everything, he says.
Consider Newton’s three laws:
- Objects in motion stay in motion unless an outside force acts on the object. For example, spin a ball on a smooth surface. Gravity will pull it down, slowly causing it to stop.
- Force=mass x acceleration. In other words, put force on a mass (solid object) and it will move.
- Every force has an opposite force. For example, moving and standing still.
My conclusion is that Dr. Menke loves astronomy and wants to know everything about it.
History, Honor Mark National Monuments
by Reporter Derrick Ingram
Marana High School
When I went to Washington, D.C., with my family this summer, we saw the Washington Monument.
Made of marble, granite and sandstone, it’s the tallest stone structure in the world and the most prominent attraction in D.C. The monument is shaped like an Egyptian obelisk and was built in honor of George Washington, who led our country to independence and then became the first president of the United States of America.
At 555 feet high, the Washington Monument can be seen 30 to 40 miles away on a clear day! One of the oldest buildings in the area, it was completed on Dec. 6, 1884 and is one of the top tourist draws in our nation’s capital.
We also visited the Arlington House in Arlington National Cemetery, where the nation’s war heroes are buried.
After touring Arlington House, President John F. Kennedy remarked that the view of Washington was so magnificent that he could stay there forever. After his death, his widow, Jacqueline Kennedy, had him buried on the slope below Arlington House because she felt that the president belonged to the people.
Mrs. Kennedy chose an Eternal Flame, similar to that lighting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Paris, to mark the president’s grave. Mrs. Kennedy and the president’s brother, Robert Kennedy, lit the Eternal Flame with a torch.
On May 23, 1994, Jacqueline Kennedy was buried next to the president. About 3,000 people an hour visit the Kennedy gravesite; and on weekends it receives more than 50,000 visitors!
Laughs Galore at Gaslight
by Reporter Christina Parks
Challenger Middle School
We went to The Gaslight Theatre for the second time recently. The last show we saw there was pretty funny, so we thought we would see if another one would be funny. It was!
We saw “Beach Blanket Be-Bop,” also called “That’s for Surfin’.” It was about a roller coaster called The Tornado that had to be fixed.
I went backstage and talked to actor Mike Yarema, who played a nerd. He is a really awesome actor! I asked him why he wanted to act there and nowhere else.
“I watched other people act here,” he says. And they encouraged him to act there, too. He also played in “Secret Agent Man.”
It was very nice of Becky Diaz, the theater’s public relations director, to let me go backstage. Thanks Becky. The Gaslight Theatre rocks!
I forgot to say that after the show they did some singing.
The Gaslight Theatre is at 7010 E. Broadway. “Frankenstein Lives! or The Jolt’s on You,” is now playing. For more info, call 886-9428 or visit www.thegaslighttheatre.com.
Highland Games Highlight of Cool, Cultural Celtic Festival
by Reporter Nathan Penland
Gridley Middle School
The Tucson Celtic Festival is an insanely awesome place to hang out with family and friends. And it’s a great place to meet new friends!
There is a miniature “highland games” for the kids, just like the one for professional athletes. It includes the caber toss, Braemar stone, weight for distance and weight over bar. (Search the Internet to see what these events are all about, and check out www.tucsoncelticfestival.org for info on the schedule.) There are also dancers, clowns, jumpers, face painters and a rock-climbing wall.
For the grown-up types, there is a bunch of stuff to check out—like all the kilts and swords, bagpipes and music, and a variety of cultural foods and beverages.
The best part of the Tucson Celtic Festival is that my family volunteers for the weekend. I’ve been volunteering for three years. It is a great chance for us to spend some fun, challenging and rewarding time together!
So basically, the Tucson Celtic Festival is a great place to go for great food and drink, family fun, and an all around awesome day! Not only is this event a total blast, it gives me and other people a chance to connect with our Irish, Scottish or Welsh roots. Of course, you don’t have to be Irish, Scottish or Welsh to come to the festival. Anyone can attend just to have fun and learn about the Celtic way of life!
The Tucson Celtic Festival runs Nov. 1–2 at the Rillito Raceway Park, at the intersection of River Road and First Avenue. Admission is $12 for adults and $5 for children ages 6 to 15; kids under 6 are free.
Media Sponsors
 
Reporters Go Pro with the Phoenix Mercury!
by Reporters Brianna Buchholz, Emily Miller, Nettie Sahhar,
Amanda Brugman & Janie Unkefer
Grace Lutheran School
Adviser: Matt Herbst
“Keep working hard, never give up, and don’t be afraid to fail,” says Brooke Smith, upcoming superstar of our own Phoenix Mercury.
This is just one of several great quotes Mercury players shared with us on their home court.
All of us were thrilled when we found out that we were chosen to be Jr. Reporters for a Mercury game. We were in for an exhilarating experience as the Mercury took on the Houston Comets last month.
We arrived at the arena and were whisked down to the court through the tunnel that many superstars have walked through. We pictured Shaq, Steve Nash, Diana Taurasi and others walking through the tunnel before a big game and couldn’t hold our excitement in.
From there we sat courtside and watched the Mercury warm up, joke around and stretch prior to tip-off. One by one the players stopped by to answer our questions. They were all so nice (and tall) and answered all of our questions with smiles. One of the players that we interviewed was Kelly Mazzante, the best three point shooter in the WNBA.
After the interviews we were shown where the press hang out before the game. All of the games notes were available to us and we sat down and looked them over as we enjoyed a meal in the press lounge.
Walking to our seats, we just happened to be going through the tunnel and ran into Diana Taurasi. Can you believe it? An Olympic gold-medal winner and WNBA superstar, Taurasi was signing our press passes and notepads.
Then we went up to our seats to enjoy the action! At the end of the first quarter, the Mercury fell behind 23-30. But they fought back and pulled ahead in the third quarter with strong defensive play. In the end, the score was 99-74—we won!
It was a thrilling experience to be the media at a Mercury game. Thanks’ Bear Essential News and the Phoenix Mercury. We enjoyed everything—great food, a great game, great fun and a great experience!
Waring Wants Kids to Pursue Their Interests
by Reporter Alek Pensky
Desert Trails Elementary
Jim Waring was born in Illinois and came to Arizona after finishing college. He continued his education at ASU where he earned a doctorate. While in school, Waring did volunteer work for the Republican Party and worked for Sen. John McCain (who’s now the Republican candidate running for the White House).
In 2002, Waring ran for the state senate and was elected!
Since then, Waring has been re-elected twice and is currently running for another term against Democrat Lisa Black and Libertarian Dennis Grenier.
Waring chairs the senate’s Finance Committee and its Subcommittee on Transportation and Criminal Justice. He enjoys his job because he gets to help people. He recently won an award for his work with veterans. By being a politician, Waring is able to assist people by making laws that will benefit them.
Waring loves kids and spends much of his time trying to be a positive influence on them.
He encourages kids to learn by reading rather than watching TV and explains the importance of having patience with others. He tries to help kids understand the different points of view people may have.
Waring advises kids to be persistent at anything they enjoy or think is worthwhile pursuing. He says it will pay off in the end.
Silly Sleeping Habits of Dogs
by Reporter Caitlin Chavez
North Ranch Elementary
Have you ever wondered why dogs circle before lying down?
Here’s why: They are feeling the temperature so they don’t freeze or overheat. Also, they circle because they are feeling the ground to make sure it is a safe, sturdy environment. This keeps them from hurting themselves by lying on something sharp or hard. It’s like when you toss and turn in bed to get comfortable. They want to be comfortable all through the night.
And why do some small dogs sigh a couple of minutes after they lie down?
They sigh because they are relaxing after a long, playful day. This describes my pet Chihuahua, Kamea, perfectly!
By the way, Chihuahuas are known to be the warmest dog when they are in a deep sleep. It’s true! One of our nicknames for Kamea is “Lil’ foot warmer.”
If you think that’s funny, check out “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” now showing in theaters. It’s a movie about a super-rich Chihuahua named Chloe who gets lost while on vacation in Mexico City.
Teen Club Does Good Deeds
by Reporter Tiffany Lam
Vistancia Elementary
Kids often get a bad rap, so learning about a popular club where kids are known for doing good was cool. Even the director of the Vistancia Teen Club, Monica Hollinf, is impressed. “At the first meeting, when the kids mentioned all the community service projects they wanted to do, it was just an eye-opener.”
Ben Massouras, part of the teen club, agrees. “It feels great that we’re able to do this and people realize it.”
The teen club meets once a month at the Mountain Vista Clubhouse to plan projects and decide how they can help out with other community events. They also play team-building games during meetings.
Members must be 11 to 17, and there are about 40 members right now and one adult. Obviously, the club’s reputation is the result of the teens—not the adults. These teens come up with community service ideas, plan the projects and put them into action with a little help from the director.
Word about this spectacular group of kids is spreading quickly through the Vistancia community.
Even better, the group has no rules except these three things:
to be respectful, to be responsible and to be positive. With these three, you can accomplish anything.
For one member it means, “You’re just (going to) be a nice human being and helpful to other people.”
Teen club members are using these three motivators to run a Backpack Drive. Ben’s favorite project was going to the Phoenix Rescue Mission and handing out 14 cases of water. The community has watched them complete their one to two events a month since they began in February and is giving amazing, positive feedback, knitting the Vistancia community even closer together.
The community isn’t the only beneficiary, as the members are also given a great outlet to, as Monica says, “…to get away from parents… and just be kids.” Monica’s favorite part is watching each teen grow in [his or her] own way… I’m very proud of all the teens.” Ben’s favorite part is being able to help the community. If you are a Vistancia resident, you can join by contacting Monica at (623) 215-8646 to attend one of their meetings. For non-Vistancia residents, Monica says, “Any teens that want to get active in their community, they can. It can start with just five kids… You can ask for your parents help… It could be just in your own backyard.” As for all teens everywhere, Ben’s advice is, “that if you’re in small activities you can help people.”
to be respectful, to be responsible and to be positive. With these three, you can accomplish anything.
For one member it means, “You’re just (going to) be a nice human being and helpful to other people.”
Teen club members are using these three motivators to run a Backpack Drive. Ben’s favorite project was going to the Phoenix Rescue Mission and handing out 14 cases of water. The club usually completes one to two projects a month, helping to knit the Vistancia community closer together.
Hollinf’s favorite part is “watching each teen grow in (his or her) own way. I’m very proud of all the teens.”
If you are a Vistancia resident, you can join by contacting Hollinf at (623) 215-8646 to attend one of the teen club meetings.
Hollinf encourages all kids to get involved with their communities. “Any teens who want to get active in their community, they can. It can start with just five kids. You can ask for your parents’ help. It could be just in your own backyard,” she encourages.
Wii Game System a Blast and Beats Out the Competition
by Reporter Malhar Patel
New Vistas Academy
Adviser: Stacey Trepanier
Exciting, exhilarating and just plain fun, the Wii is great for people of all ages.
This is true because people don’t have to memorize all those complicated buttons; they only have to move the Wii remote. This console is also for all ages because games like “Guitar Hero 3” are for teens, and anybody can play Wii Sports, which features games such as baseball and tennis.
If you want a Wii, you had better save up your allowance. The Wii sells for $250. It includes the console, controller and Wii Sports. Extra controllers are $40 for the Wii remote and $20 for the nunchuck. Keep the savings coming because Wii games range from $50 to $60.
Change your mind if you even consider buying a PS3 or XBOX 360. The Wii is easier to play than the other consoles. PS3 is also too expensive for most people. The Wii is way better in my opinion and not as complex as the PS3.
If you have a Wii. I have some marvelous games to recommend. If you are a Star Wars fan and are dying for a new Star Wars game, “Star Wars, The Force Unleashed” is the game for you. This game came out in February. If you love the classic Super Smash Brothers, you will love the new “Super Smash Brothers Brawl.” SSBB came out in the summer of 2008. If you love Super Mario 64, you will love “Super Mario Galaxy.” SMG, the new hit on the Wii, is out in stores now.
If you can choose between any of the video game consoles, make it the Wii. The Wii will blast you off your feet. If you want more information, go to any electronics store and ask about the Wii.
Shows Fantastic for Horsin’ Around
by Reporter Katarina Adstedt
Rancho Solano Greenway
Adviser: Stacey Lane
A horse show is a place where riders can show off what they know.
There are many different levels of showing and many different ways of riding. For example, there are hunter classes in which the horse and rider show their control and elegance as they go around a course. In jumper classes, the fastest horse to finish with the fewest faults (knocked over jumps) wins. There are also Western classes and many others you can show in. Shows can be rated in four groups: schooling, B, A or AA.
Horse shows are life changing for the riders who participate in them. They teach you that winning is not everything, and that you should always give your best effort.
“It’s an exhilarating opportunity to show what you really know and how you connect with your horse, and it’s a lot of fun,” says Haylee Parker, a local rider.
To get to be in a show, you need to know how to ride, which can be easy for some people and harder for others.
If you’re just starting out, you may want to go to a schooling show. As you get more advanced, you can go to B then A, and then AA shows.
Horse shows can be exciting to watch even if you aren’t competing.
“I think going to horse shows and see(ing) people ride is really fun, especially when they are going over the jumps,” says Haylie Burg, who is friends with many local riders.
Riding at shows also teaches many people about important aspects of horsemanship, like good manners when you’re riding with others in a ring or what to do when someone else is having trouble with a horse.
“It’s taught me to control my horse around other horses and to just focus on me and not the other people,” says Kayla Storto, a new rider. “It has been a life-changing experience. (I’ve learned) that you can’t copy what other people are doing and that you have to be your own person.”
‘My Digital World’ Stretches Imagination, Learning
by Reporter Tiffany Lam
Vistancia Elementary
The air is crisp, yet not chilly when you enter one of the coolest new exhibits in the Valley. But excitement warms the air. The walls shimmer with light shows, and the atmosphere is chic and contemporary.
You have just been introduced to “My Digital World,” which opened Sept.1 at the Arizona Science Center.
When I entered, the first thing to catch my eye was a blown up, distorted image of a boy on a big screen. I heard the boy’s father say the image resembled Elvis with his face pinched and stretched. The station causing all the excitement was called “Warp Your Image.” I wondered if I was brave enough for that.
To the left of the entrance is a blocked-off area, called the Cyberlab, filled with computer screens labeled with titles such as “Record and Distort,” “Express Yourself” and “Animate Your Character.” These capture and alter your image or voice. Although it’s blocked off, it’s hard to miss with all the laughter coming from within.
My personal favorite in the CyberLab is “Record and Distort,” where I recorded myself singing the “ABC’s.” With a few tweaks, the song soon turned into a series of squeaks in an alien language. Another favorite was “Make Music With Light,” where light projectors shine color-coded beams down on the floor. When you interrupt the beams, a different sound in the category you chose plays. This way, you can DJ or play a song.
There’s still so much more to tell you about, like the virtual sand that cascades down a white screen. The sand waterfall flows around your shape as you move, just like a real stream of sand would.
There’s even a 3-D puzzle projected on a screen and controlled by two-dimensional cards on a table in front. Each puzzle piece is a cube that you can rotate to change the puzzle. And each puzzle is an image of movement, like cars racing along a roller coaster track or a kitten playing.
Finally, when you’re done, take a rest in the Meuller Family Foundation CyberLounge, where you can glance up to a quiz on everything you’ve learned in the “My Digital World” exhibit. That’s right, I had been learning throughout my visit! Even though we all use digital technology, it’s easy to take it for granted. It’s amazing what the exhibit can teach you about stuff that’s always part of your daily life.
This exhibit was included in the general admission price to the museum, which is $9 for adults, and $7 for kids age 3 and up and college students with ID. That price also includes hundreds of other exhibits. To plan your trip to the Arizona Science Center, located at 600 E. Washington St. in Phoenix, visit www.azscience.org or call 602-716-2000.
Impressive Accomplishments Inspire a Fan
by Reporter Marcos Jauregui
Liberty Traditional Elementary
Lisbet Jauregui is 13 years old, and she is an achiever.
She has been a reporter for Bear Essential News since she was 9. Lisbet won “best idea” in the Aerospace Challenge in 2006 and the Silver Apple award from Channel 3 in 2004. She has received 14 cards from President Bush.
Lisbet was nominated at Bradshaw Mountain Middle School for a scholarship in mathematics from the United States Achievement Academy. She won one from People to People, a leadership program.
Lisbet says she was able to do all this thanks to the good people around her. Her teachers have taught her the importance of being punctual; they have also given her the confidence to get in front of TV cameras and be taken seriously.
“Being a reporter is a big responsibility, but you can also have fun,” Lisbet says. “It helps you in writing, reading (and) expressing yourself. And when you leave, you will never forget what you learned.”
Lisbet just accomplished one of her reporting goals for the year—an interview with the mayor of Phoenix. Her dream is to be the first woman president of the United States. She also wants to help all kids with programs like Young Reporters, which permits you to dream, helps you check your mistakes and is a great place to hear “you can do it.”
Good luck, Lisbet—You’re a good example to follow. I am proud to be your brother!
Ed Keeylocko: Keeping America’s History Alive
by Reporter Drema Harmon
Altar Valley Middle School
Mr. Ed, mayor and sole resident of Cowtown Keeylocko, a cattle ranch about 40 miles southwest of Tucson, is never too busy to give a quick history lesson, sing a ballad or lead a quick tour.
Mr. Ed was born in South Carolina in 1931. His mother abandoned him in a field, but he was found by a woman who gave him the last name Keeylocko.
He came to Tucson, after serving with the Army in Korea and Vietnam, and attended the University of Arizona. Before graduating, he bought the site where the town now stands.
Cowtown Keeylocko was established in 1975 as a working ranch. His cattle are organically fed and are not given hormones. He breeds animals that are tough enough to defend themselves against predators.
Mr. Ed has “hoboed” all across this land and has an unimaginable knowledge of its history. I asked him about the lawn statue “Jocko,” usually seen as a black boy dressed in the cap and vest of a horse jockey and holding out one hand. Some consider the statue offensive because it stereotypes the way black people look, but it may have a noble origin.
Mr. Ed informed me Gen. George Washington (before he became the country’s first president) wanted to mount a surprise attack on a British encampment during the Revolutionary War. A young black boy named Jocko Graves wanted to fight, but Washington said he was too young. Instead, he asked the boy to, instead, hold the reins of the horses and a lantern for the troops as they crossed the Delaware River. All night long, Jocko stood there in the ice and snow. When the troops rowed back after the battle, they found the boy had frozen to death.
The story goes that Washington was so touched by the boy’s sacrifice that, as president, he ordered a statue made of Jocko stepping bravely forward to hold the horses and lantern. It was set up on the lawn of Mount Vernon, his estate in Virginia.
Take a Bite Out of New Dracula Story Mystery
by Reporter Lisbet Jauregui
Bradshaw Mountan Middle School
Everyone has heard the story of Dracula. But, “Dracula’s Heir,” by Sam Stall, is a mystery that starts 10 years after the original vampire novel takes place.
Out this month, it’s the perfect Halloween read!
Dr. John Seward is studying a string of attacks in London that have all been done at night in the same area. The victims all have the same marks on their necks. The evidence leads to his friend, Jonathon Harker, who had been held prisoner in Dracula’s castle for months. But no on has seen the attacker—the witnesses all have said a dark man just came up and bit! Harker says he is innocent, but proof is proof.
Seward, working with his assistant,
Dr. Dolores Morrigan, goes into a grave to prove Harker innocent and finds the grave empty. What he does find is the key to solving the crimes.
“Dracula’s Heir” comes with eight removable clues and a sealed “signature” that you can open, once you’ve solved the mystery, to test your sleuthing skills.
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