The Case of the Barfy Birthday by Michele Torrey Read Free Book Online

birding, check out these bird-buddy Web sites:
    • www.birding.com
    • www.wildbirds.com
    • www.birdwatching.com
    • www.birdwatchersdigest.com

    Did you know?
    As the human population grows, it needs more land to survive. Every day a natural habitat as large as New York City is being harvested, turned into farmland, or developed for housing. Habitat destruction is the leading cause of extinction. Extinction occurs when a species of plant or animal, such as a jaguar, no longer exists. Extinction is forever. Today, animal and plant species are becoming extinct at a greater rate than ever before. Scientists say that 137 species become extinct every day.
    How Can I Help?
    “Take nothing but pictures . . . leave nothing but footsteps” is good advice when visiting a wild habitat. Don’t pick any wildflowers or berries, and don’t take anything that you didn’t bring with you in the first place. Stay on the trail provided.
    When watching wildlife, only watch.
Stay a safe distance away and respect their territory.
    Don’t litter. Trash looks terrible and can harm wildlife. Six-pack plastic soda rings can strangle wildlife. (Snip the rings apart, including the center.) Also, don’t release balloons into the air, as sea turtles and seabirds could mistake them for food and then choke.
    When a species is “endangered,” it is on the brink of extinction. Check out this Web site to learn more about endangered species and how you can help protect wildlife habitats:
    http://www.nrdc.org/reference/kids.asp

W hat was that gibberish that Nell sent to Drake? Martian? Plutonian? It’s quite simple, once you crack the code. Here’s the code breaking grid Drake and Nell used:

    (You can put the letters of the alphabet wherever you want.) Using the grid to the right, if you want to write the letter J—first find which Y row contains J, then which X column. J is found at Y2 and X3. To make it harder for your enemies to read, put the Y and X numbers together: Y2X3. Here are some other examples:

    To practice, decipher the following message:

I magine it. You’re the frozen dead. Fresh from the grave—the frozen grave . . .
    Or you’re just hot and need to cool off.
    Anyway, here’s how to build your own dry-ice blaster, just like Sloane did to scare the Snob Club.
    MATERIALS
    • heavy gloves
    • safety glasses
    • 5 lbs. dry ice cut into 1-lb. pieces (See box dry-ice safety info )
    • newspaper
    • hammer
    • scissors
    • 2 large balloons
    • PVC pipe, at least 10" long, with about 1½" diameter (dimensions not critical)
    • rubber bands
    • tablespoon
    • funnel
    • measuring cup
    • water
    • plastic or Styrofoam cooler
    PROCEDURE
    1. Read and follow the notes on dry-ice safety with an adult. Don’t be a Frisco!
    2. Put on heavy gloves and safety glasses.
    3. Fold 1 pound of dry ice into a newspaper and pound with a hammer until the dry ice is a powder. (Best done outdoors on a sidewalk.)
    4. Cut the necks off 2 balloons.
    5. Stretch 1 balloon over one end of the PVC pipe. Secure with a rubber band.

    6. Add 5 spoonfuls of dry-ice powder into the PVC pipe. The balloon will keep the powder from falling out the bottom.
    7. Poke a hole in the center of the second balloon. The hole should be just big enough to squeeze the end of the funnel through it.
    8. As in step #5, stretch the balloon over the other end of the PVC pipe and secure with a rubber band. Hole should be in the center of the pipe’s opening.
    9. Place funnel in hole.
    10. Quickly pour ¼ cup water into the funnel.

    11. Remove funnel and blast away. ( Never point the blaster at anyone’s face.)
    12. When the volume of gas dies down, shaking the pipe can help revive it. Add more water if it helps. At some point, you will need to undo the top balloon and start over with fresh-crushed dry ice.
    13. Store extra dry ice in a cooler until you need it.
    Dry-Ice Information and Safety:
    Adult supervision required! Dry ice, when properly handled, can be