The Case of the Mossy Lake Monster by Michele Torrey Read Free Book Online

in diameter
    • string
    • Halloween monster mask
    • small cork (optional)
    PROCEDURE
    (Hot tip: Practice this first in a bathtub to make certain everything works.)
    1 . Lay the bottle on its side. Ask an adult to help you cut four holes in the bottle—two on the top side, and two on the bottom side. (If someone asks you what you’re doing, say, “Oh, nothing really. Just an experiment on buoyancy.”)

    2 . Stack the quarters into three piles and tape each pile to the bottom of the bottle, in line with the two bottom holes. These are your weights. (If you’re broke, use three rocks of similar weight.)

    3 . Slip the mouth of the balloon over one end of the tubing. Wrap a twist tie around both the balloon and the tubing. Twist the two ends of the twist tie together until the seal is extremely tight. Check the tightness by blowing into the other end of the tubing. If the seal leaks, use several twist ties.

    4 . With the tubing still attached, insert the uninflated balloon through the mouth of the bottle. (Tubing will extend out of the mouth of the bottle.)
    5 . Use string to tie the monster mask securely onto the bottle.
    6 . When no one is looking, submerge the bottle in the lake. Make certain there are no air bubbles in either the bottle or the mask. Keep hold of the end of the tubing.

    7 . Hide the end of the tube behind the bush.
    8 . Join your family around the campfire, roast a few marshmallows, and act casual.
    9 . When your family goes fishing, pretend you have to … well … you know. Anyway, hide behind the bush.
    10 . Inflate the balloon by blowing into the tubing. (You may not be able to blow up the balloon with one puff of air. Just hold your finger over the end of the tubing between breaths.)

    11 . Once the balloon is filled, either hold your finger over the end of the tube or stick a cork in it.
    12 . As your family sees the monster rising from the deep, scream something monsterish like “AARRGGGG!” or “GRRRRUURRR!”
    13 . To sink the monster, pull the cork from the tubing or remove your finger.
    14 . Pretend it wasn’t you.

W arning! Warning! Your archenemy is lurking outside your door. You must send a secret message to your fellow detective or all is lost. You write your message. You send it “special delivery” right out the door and into the enemy’s hands.
    But, never fear, all is not lost. Instead of reading your secret message, your archenemy says, “Rats! It’s just a blank piece of paper.” And he lets your messenger go. The day is saved.
    (Of course, only you and your partner know the real secret. Read on to find out how it’s done. Once again, this is detective work at its best.)
    MATERIALS
    • oil-free sunscreen lotion (SPF 15 or higher)
    • cup or plate
    • cotton swab
    • blank piece of white paper
    • ultraviolet (UV) “black” light
    Note: Black lights are available at hardware stores, lightbulb supply companies, novelty stores, and online. Beware. Not all “black lights” are real black lights. Make sure you buy an ultraviolet (UV) black light instead of a regular lightbulb that has been painted purple.
    PROCEDURE
    1 . Pour a small amount of sunscreen into a cup or onto a plate.
    2 . Dip the end of the cotton swab into the sunscreen.
    3 . Using the cotton swab like a pen, write a message on the paper. (Hint: Use a small amount of sunscreen—so small you can barely see it when you write. If you use too much, it will soak through the paper, and the enemy will be able to read your message. You may have to practice a few times to get it just right.)
    4 . Let the sunscreen dry.
    5 . To read your secret message, hold the paper near a fluorescent black light in a dark room.

    How does this work?
    Black light emits ultraviolet (UV) light. UV light cannot be seen by the human eye. White paper contains brighteners. (So does white clothing.) When exposed to a black light, the brighteners change the ultraviolet light into visible light, and the paper glows. However,