Spider Magazine Stories, Games, Activites and Puzzles for Children and Kids July/August 2015

Dear Thistle, Have you ever wanted a dog? Well, you can adopt this Dalmatian, Charcoal! I like the November/December 2014 issue. Grover M., age 7 South Orange, New Jersey Dear Spider, I loved the poem “Dragon Games” in the January 2015 issue. I like that the dragon cheated at ping-pong. That was funny. Do you know what game mermaids cheat at? Underwater baseball! They cheat by catching the ball, then putting it down at the edge of the field and swimming to first base! Molly T., age 6 Fort Lauderdale, Florida via spidermagkids.com Dear Molly, We didn’t know that about mermaids. How dare they cheat! Play ball! Sam Dear Everybuggy, I love Spider. Please adopt my horse Philip. Clara Tigard, Oregon Dear Everybuggy, My hen just hatched some chicks! I…

“I KNOW YOU’RE crying your eyes out that you can’t come, too, Dandelion,” Doodlebug Pinkley said to his sister. “But don’t worry. I’ll bring you a dead fish.” Doodlebug chortled at his own joke, and so did the bunch of boys standing around him at the end of the dock. Even their cousin Rudyard and their friends Boggington Bogsworth the Third and Sherwin Winsher were smiling. Dandelion was peeved. A life-size Viking longship floated nearby, its gangplank down. A banner slung between two poles read “All-Day Viking Cruise—Boys Only!” Dandelion glanced at her friend Tomiko standing beside her. Tomiko didn’t look too happy herself. Mr. Pinkley had brought the girls along to see the boys off. Then he was shuttling them to an all-day robot-building workshop. Both girls had been…

THIS IS HOW I learned about Calvin. I came out of my room this morning and found Mom and Dad standing in front of the TV. Standing meant they weren’t watching for fun—something was happening. On the screen, Tony Verrazo pointed to an orange pinwheel. Calvin, he said, had turned west and was headed for land. I didn’t understand what was happening, but suddenly Mom and Dad were in a big hurry to do stuff. “I’m going to check on the generator,” said Mom. “I’m going to the grocery store,” Dad said. He turned to my brother, Mike. “You can start closing the shutters while I’m gone.” “You pick up coconuts, Jason,” Dad said, pointing at me. “Coconuts?” I couldn’t think of anything else to say, so he left. I…

Storms that begin over the ocean and develop winds greater than seventy-four miles per hour are called hurricanes. (In some parts of the world, such storms are called typhoons or tropical cyclones.) To keep track, the National Hurricane Center names hurricanes as they form each year. The names go alphabetically, with the first hurricane of the season beginning with an “A,” the second with a “B,” and so on. Women’s and men’s names are alternated. Hurricane names are determined years in advance. Before 2015 ever rolled around, scientists knew that the first Atlantic hurricane of the season would be named Ana—the second, Bill; the third, Claudette; and the fourth, Danny. Some hurricanes spend themselves at sea. Others reach land and cause great damage. When a hurricane is especially strong and…

SUMMER WEATHER— one minute it’s stormy, and the next minute you’re reaching for your shades. Take advantage of summer’s sunnier moments by making your own solar pizza oven! What You’ll Need: 1 cardboard pizza box 1 defrosted frozen pizza plate scissors glue clear tape black construction paper clear plastic wrap aluminum foil newspaper ruler pencil What to Do: 1. Draw a square on the lid of the pizza box 1 inch from the edges. Cut along three lines of the square, leaving the fourth line at the back of the lid uncut. Fold the lid back and crease the cardboard along the fourth, uncut line to make a flap. 2. Glue aluminum foil to the underside of the flap with the shiny side visible. Be sure to make the aluminum…

IT WAS TOO hot for hopping about. Rabbit decided to sit in the shade of a mango tree instead. He was just settling down for a nap when Tiger sprang from behind and grabbed him. “I’ve got you now!” growled Tiger. “And I’ve brought some rope. I’m tying you to this tree so you won’t use those quick feet of yours to get away. Later, I’ll have you for my supper.” “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” exclaimed Rabbit. “In fact, it would be a big mistake.” “What are you saying, Rabbit?” Tiger tilted his head suspiciously. “Don’t you know anything?” Rabbit asked, looking surprised. “Everyone’s talking about it!” “About what?” demanded Tiger. “Why, the terrible storm that’s coming,” said Rabbit. “It’ll be here any minute!” Tiger’s eyes widened.…