Hopscotch articles from August 1998

Hopscotch archives from August 1998

Put the brolly in the boot and let's go.(short story)
August 1, 1998... Jenny's stomach tightened as she looked around London's Heathrow Airport. She was glad that the airline hostess was there to help. It was her first trip outside the United States. At least her parents had been right about her not having to learn...

Randa, a girl in Cairo.(Brief Article)
August 1, 1998... Randa, who is 10, lives in a small apartment in Cairo, the capital city of Egypt. She has an older sister, Rasha, and a sister two years younger, named Shereen. Their father is an administrator in a research organization. Like most Egyptians,...

Girl's Day: a Japanese celebration. (Brief Article)
August 1, 1998... All over Japan on the third of March, girls celebrate Girl's Day with parties, special foods, and dolls. They dress in their most beautiful clothes. While some girls now wear western dress, most wear expensive kimonos (key-mo-nose). The long...

Ichi, ni, san, shi.(short story)(includes glossary)
August 1, 1998... "Konnicihi Wa," said the little girl. I liked her smile, but what did she say? "Hello," I answered. Her black straight hair fell to the ends of her ears. Her white dress was pretty. Her sandals had wooden soles. She stood on a...

Who forgot the forks?(all about chopsticks)(Brief Article)
August 1, 1998... Can you imagine trying to eat spaghetti and meatballs with two thin sticks? How about ice cream, grapes, or chocolate pudding? Think it would be hard? Well, that's how the kids in Japan eat, with two long sticks called chopsticks. ...

Nesting dolls.(Brief Article)
August 1, 1998... Have you ever seen a nesting or stacking doll? A nesting doll is brightly painted, made of wood, and opens into two parts -- a top and a bottom. Do you know why they are called "nesting" dolls? When you open the first doll, there's another...

Night sounds.
August 1, 1998... Rustles in the thickets, Whispers in the dark, Mysterious swishing wings, Flitting through the park! I'm glad to see the morning With a pink and yellow sun. It's nice to see the day again, Now velvet...

The fitting-in of Kwan Su.(short story)
August 1, 1998... The first time I saw Kwan Su, I knew I had to help her. It was rather like the time I found a hurt, baby robin. Mom was upset with me for bringing it home, but a week later that baby robin flew away. Kwan Su was small -- really small to be...

Red eggs and nu nu.(Chinese birthday celebrations)(Brief Article)
August 1, 1998... Everyone knows if she walks into a room decorated with balloons and streamers and sees party hats, presents, and maybe a pinata that she's at a birthday party. And most people could tell that if they entered a room with a decorated tree that it...

Missey's silk shroud.(short story)
August 1, 1998... Missey Saunders stood before the door of the little one-room, red-brick school house, nestled among the trees in the sleepy town of Quag Creek. The golden autumn sunshine was no inducement for Missey to be imprisoned within four walls with the...

Exploring Australia.(Brief Article)
August 1, 1998... Twelve-year-old Stephanie Harris traveled over 10,000 miles to Australia with the Massachusetts delegation of People to People, Student Ambassador Program. After three weeks she returned home to share the experience with family and friends....

How to make a batik table mat.(Brief Article)
August 1, 1998... Before machines were invented to quick-stamp a pattern on sheets, or needlepoint was used to decorate a plain dress, a Japanese art form called batik was used to make designs on fabric. Batik uses a technique known as wax-resist. This means a wax...

My hideaway.(poetry)
August 1, 1998... On days when I feel like I have to break free, I go out to my playhouse, where I can be me. It sits under a willow tree in the backyard. I go there when being a kid gets too hard. I have all of my playthings lined up on...

Down went the corners.(short story)
August 1, 1998... A little old man lived in a little old house in a little old town by the sea. Folks, especially the children, thought he was the crossest old man in the whole world. No matter how good or happy or exciting things were, instead of laughing or...

The first day of school.(poetry)
August 1, 1998... New pencils sharp crayons fresh markers clean notebooks ruler scissors and glue books galore and so much more old friends new friends apprehension anticipation...

Where in the world are you?(word puzzle)
August 1, 1998... Three girls from the same class were going to go on vacation, each to a different foreign land. Libby, Franny, and Tina were taking trips to Libya, France, and Argentina. Libby did NOT go to Libya; Franny did NOT go to France, and Tina did not go...

A delicious freezing experiment.(Science)(Brief Article)
August 1, 1998... How do you make an ice cube? Just put water in an ice cube tray, and set the tray in the freezing compartment of your refrigerator. After a few hours, the water has changed to ice, and you can take the ice cubes out. You can do the same...

Irish potatoes.(Irish candy)(includes recipe)(Brief Article)
August 1, 1998... Potatoes are an important crop in Ireland. In fact, when the potato crop failed in the mid-1800s, there was a terrible famine that sent many Irish emigrating to new lands, including America. The following recipe is really for delicious...