Summer Times reading - Newspapers In Education

Read your way to the ballparkRead around the basesStop the presses! Summer vacation has arrived,and it is time for the seventh-inning stretch. Playinggames and sports is a great way to exercise yourbody during the summer so you can be strongand healthy for the next school year. Keeping yourmind strong and healthy is important, too. The bestway to exercise your brain is by reading.The Tampa Bay Rays baseball players knowthe importance of staying healthy and strongand keeping their minds active. That is why theRays have partnered with the Tampa Bay TimesNewspaper in Education program, Advantica andthe Tampa Bay-area library systems to encourageand reward students for reading.The choices are endlessOn the pages of this Tampa Bay Times Newspaper inEducation publication, you will see suggested readingfor students in grades three through five. Between thecovers of these books are action, adventure, romance,comedy and new worlds for you to explore and learnabout. You can find these adventures and more on theshelves of your local library.You can choose to read these books or any booksthat interest you. You also can read the Tampa BayTimes. Reading the Tampa Bay Times can help youearn hours to read your way to the ballpark, too!Within the pages of your daily newspaper, in print oronline, you will find news, sports, adventure, comics,classifieds and a lot of fun things to do and read about.You can follow articles about the Rays by Marc Topkin,Gary Shelton, John Romano or Tom Jones.Line driveFor every hour you read, you will swing the batto advance around the bases on the game cardpictured on this page. Every time you arrive ata base, you can pick up a reward at your locallibrary. When you hit a home run, you will receiveone ticket to see the Rays in action.The rules of the Read Your Way to theBallpark game are simple.• Choose your favorite books from your local library or select yourfavorite section of the Tampa Bay Times to read over the summer.• Go to your local library to get your game card.• As you read, track your hours by rounding the bases and collect Raysrewards along the way.• When you read enough hours to get to first base, ask your parent orguardian to initial your card; then bring it to your local library.• The librarian will initial your card and give you a reading reward.• Round the bases by reading a total of 24 hours this summer andreceive a ticket to a Rays game!Keeping scoreOn the back of the card, keep track of your favorite books and articlesyou read this summer. Read around the bases — 24 hours total!Read 3 hours to get from Home Plate to First BaseReward: Rays bookmarkRead 5 more hours to get from First to Second BaseReward: Rays posterRead 7 more hours to get from Second to Third BaseReward: Rays slap braceletRead 9 more hours to get from Third Base to Home PlateReward: Official Reading with the Rays certificate. One (1)ticket to a Rays home game. See your game card for details(based upon availability).THIRD BASEParent/Guardian’s InitialsLibrarian’s InitialsHOME PLATEParent/Guardian’s InitialsLibrarian’s InitialsREAD 9 MORE HOURS TO GET TO HOME PLATEREAD 7 MORE HOURS TO GET TO THIRDREAD 3 HOURS TO GET TO FIRSTREAD 5 MORE HOURS TO GET TO SECONDSECOND BASEParent/Guardian’s InitialsLibrarian’s InitialsFIRST BASEParent/Guardian’s InitialsLibrarian’s Initialstampabay.com/nie 3

Read all aboutThe ComebackChallenge,by Matt ChristopherMark Conway has a lot to deal with in hislife. His parents are getting divorced, andMark must move in with his grandparents.His only outlet seems to be the game ofsoccer. He quickly becomes a valuableplayer on his school soccer team, but thereis a lot of tension on and off the field. Readabout Mark’s challenges and achievements.The academicsof baseballSo, what do baseball and reading have in common?Sharpening your reading skills is a lot like sharpeningskills for baseball. When baseball season has ended, theplayers do not become couch potatoes. They must exercisetheir bodies to stay in shape, just as you need to exercise yourbrain even though you are not in school.A pitcher would never enter a game without warmingup his or her arm, so why would you enter anew school year without warming up yourbrain? Baseball, the thinking person’sgame, is a sport in which having a lot ofknowledge and sharp, critical thinkingskills leads to success. The best way tosharpen those skills and increase yourknowledge base is through reading.Being a team playerLearningwith the TimesBen Zobrist knows the meaning of determinationand teamwork. Look on the pages of the Tampa BayTimes for photos, illustrations, comics and headlinesthat represent teamwork and determination.Based on the items you find, write down how theseitems represent teamwork and determination. Next,write a fully developed paragraph discussing theimportance of teamwork at home, at school andin your community. Share your thoughts with yourfamily and classmates.Parent TipSet aside a special time each day to readaloud to your children. Fifteen minutes a dayis an ideal time. Vary your reading selections.For very young children, look for picture bookswith artwork and stories that are simple, clearand colorful.Source: Reading Is FundamentalGrades 3-5Summer Reading SuggestionsThe Bears on Hemlock Mountain, by Alice DalglieshBillions of Bats, by Scott NickelGuardians of Ga’Hoole series, by Kathryn LaskyHoot, by Carl HiaasenReal-Life Vampires, by Megan KoppThe Book That Ate My Brother, by Michael DahlGhost Hunters, by Michael MartinGhost Knight, by Cornelia FunkeHalf-Minute Horrors, by Susan RichLost in Spooky Forest, by Sean O’Reilly6 tampabay.com/nie

Fun baseball factsIn Major League Baseball, the distance between bases is 90 feet. Thedistance from the pitcher’s mound to home plate is 60 feet, 6 inches.RAYSSPOTLIGHTBaseball began interleague play in 1997. The first interleague gamewas played on June 12, 1997.Major league umpire Cal Hubbard is the only person in both thebaseball and football halls of fame.The average game life span of a Major League Baseball is sevenpitches.Baseball stars from the National League and the American Leagueplayed the first All-Star Game in 1933.The National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum is located inCooperstown, N.Y. It opened in 1936.On March 20, 2000, the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets played thefirst regular season game ever held outside of North America, at theTokyodome in Japan.Tampa native Luis Gonzalez became the first player to hit a home runinto two bodies of water: McCovey Cove in San Francisco and BankOne Ballpark (now Chase Field) in Phoenix. He also was first player tohit a ball into the Rays’ Touch Tank.On May 19, 2003, the then Tampa Bay Devil Rays became the firstteam ever in Major League history to climb over .500 after being18 games under that mark.Misty Gordon and the Mystery of the Ghost Pirates, byKim KennedyThe Underneath, by Kathi AppeltElijah of Buxton, by Christopher Paul CurtisCriss Cross, by Lynne Rae PerkinsWhittington, by Alan ArmstrongA Bear Named Trouble, by Marion Dane BauerSources: Think Quest, Factmonster and National Baseball AlmanacThe Beast of Blackslope, by Tracy BarrettBless This Mouse, by Lois LowryThe Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester, by BarbaraO’ConnorBen Zobrist“As a kid I remember reading MattChristopher sports-themed books. These daysI catch up on my reading during road trips.At home, my wife and I are already trying topass on the love of reading to Zion and Kruse,even though they are young.”Infielder/outfielder Ben Zobrist has been asuper utility player for the Rays since 2006.During the 2011 season, he led the team witha career-high 156 games played. Zobrist alsoled the team in runs, hits, doubles and extrabasehits. He believes kids need positive rolemodels. He partnered with the Boys and GirlsClubs of the Suncoast to create a SandlotClub for kids from the North GreenwoodCenter. In 2010, he met with the kids once amonth during the season to teach them thebasics of baseball and character-buildingskills such as sportsmanship and teamwork.tampabay.com/nie 7

RAYSSPOTLIGHTRays highlightsJames Shields“I love to sit down with my daughters to readtheir favorite books together. Reading is thefoundation for a good education, and helpsbuild creativity.”The team officially became the Tampa Bay Rayson November 8, 2007. In the four seasonssince, they have averaged 92 wins per season,advanced to the postseason three times and wontwo American League East titles. In the 10 previousseasons as the Devil Rays, the team averaged 97losses per season. Under the current three-divisionformat, which was initiated in 1995, only the Yankeesand Rays have won more than one American LeagueEast title over a full 162-game season.Joe Maddon has won two American LeagueManager of the Year awards (2008, 2011).The Rays as a team have won four straightAL stolen base crowns.The Rays have used only 13 different startingpitchers over the last four seasons, three fewerthan any other team in Major League Baseball.Since 2008, the Rays have committed only 346errors, fourth fewest in the majors and secondfewest in the American League.Between 2008 and 2011, the Rays have allowedthe fewest runs and the pitchers have had thelowest earned runs in the American League.As a supporter of the Rays BaseballFoundation, pitcher James Shields believesin serving his community. In 2010, Jamesand his wife, Ryane, teamed up with Eckerdand the Heart Gallery of Pinellas and Pasco tocreate an exclusive club for foster children.The Big Game James Club is designed tohelp promote normalcy along with a senseof stability and belonging in the lives oflocal foster children served by Eckerdprograms. About 50 kids participated in theBig Game James Club in 2011, attendinga series of games in a specially decoratedsuite generously donated by the Rays andthe Shields family. For his work with fosterchildren, Shields has been the Rays’ recipientof the Roberto Clemente Award three years ina row.Rays have won two American League Rookieof the Year awards: Evan Longoria in 2008 andJeremy Hellickson in 2011.Over the past four seasons, the Rays have had11 different players make the All-Star team:Jason Bartlett, Carl Crawford, Matt Joyce,Scott Kazmir, Evan Longoria, Dioner Navarro,Carlos Pena, David Price, James Shields, RafaelSoriano and Ben Zobrist.Grades 3-5Summer Reading SuggestionsPrincess Academy, by Shannon HaleA Faraway Island, by Annika ThorEidi, by Bodil BredsdorffAnimals in the House: A History of Pets and People,by Sheila KeenanBud, Not Buddy, by Christopher Paul CurtisParent TipHave your children sit where they can see thebook clearly, especially if it is a picture book.Allow time for your children to settle into thestory, as well as time afterward to talk about it.Crazy Cars, by Matt DoedenCrossing Jordan, by Adrian FogelinDare to Dream! by Carl SommerDo Not Open: An Encyclopedia of the World’s Best-Kept Secrets, by John FarndonDog Diaries: Secret Writings of the WOOF Society,by Betsy Byars, Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers8 tampabay.com/nie

Baseball terms word searchDirections: Find the following Rays players in the word search puzzle.Read all aboutBadenhopDavisGomesHellicksonHowellMcGeeMooreNiemannPeraltaPriceRodneyShieldsGimenezMolinaJohnsonKeppingerLongoriaPenaRodriguezJenningsJoyceZobristW E N S Z J Z E Z H P R I C E C P W B CT E N E E X O F R E O J E O S A E F C QY G F E U M N Y M I N W Q G T N N E M XY C N T G R O B C S W E E C N G A K Z KS M I H I M R G R E R F M L O I J J D AJ L E C R L O N G O R I A I L R P R X IJ A M R D G S N O R R F E Q G B H P S ZK E A T O B O M N O S K C I L L E H E SE W N Z R S I V A D Q L Z Z Y C R E P KK E N N N V S L E N N U W Z E S P U B JB H W H I B R P N E L Z H V K U F I F PJ L O L G N O N T Y I R F X K S H G T YJ J E Y X H A A Y W Z O B R I S T Q L XI I M U N M B S G P P E C Z I K D V A RL Q O E O J V Q P E N U Q Z T I N G K IZ R D L S V M V R J L H H Q V Z D P L UX A I D T H O A J B M Z Q I Q V M X L WB N E P S G L N D A S D L E I H S L P OA F P W T T N F I Y V V B F Z Y H A I VH J N U A F O G Z M E F U H M G W M W XRotten School #4:Lose, Team, Lose,by R.L. StineJennifer Ecch is so tough that she attendsRotten School on an arm wrestlingscholarship! Bernie Bridges calls herNightmare Girl. But Jennifer likes Bernie andwill do anything to get him to be her boyfriend,including joining the all-boys football team.With Jennifer playing, they can’t lose. Butwait. If they win, they have to play the NationalChampion team – the Bone Breakers!Setting a good exampleLearningwith the TimesJames Shields and his wife are setting a goodexample in our community. Look in the pages of theTampa Bay Times to find other people who are rolemodels to others because of their actions. Make alist of the people you find and what they have donethat shows good character. Share what you havelearned with your classmates and family.Learningwith the TimesEvery Minute on Earth: Fun Facts That HappenEvery 60 Seconds, by Steve Murrie and MatthewMurrieExtreme Pets! by Jane HarringtonLife under Ice, by Mary M. CerulloRiddle-iculous Math, by Joan HolubSarah, Plain and Tall, by Patricia MacLachlanSee What You Can Be: Explore Careers That Could Befor You! by Diane Heiman and Liz SunebyAlice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis CarrollThe Black Stallion, by Walter FarleyThe Birchbark House, by Louise ErdrichWhere the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace LinTaking actionEach of the Rays players featured in this publicationsupports the Rays Baseball Foundation. They knowthe importance of helping their community. Now it isyour turn. Create a team of at least three people andchoose a community project you can complete, suchas reading to younger children, visiting children in thehospital or picking up trash around your school. Writea letter to the editor about your community work.tampabay.com/nie 9

RAYSSPOTLIGHTEvan Longoria“I enjoy the challenge of doing the dailycrossword puzzle in the newspaper duringmy down time in the clubhouse. Readinghelps me expand my vocabulary and givesme a sense of accomplishment.”Negro National LeagueYou wouldn’t know it from watching baseballtoday, but integration of African-Americansinto Major League Baseball was not always thecase.African-Americans eventually found their way toprofessional teams with white players; however,racism and Jim Crow laws would force African-American players off of the teams by 1900.As a result, black players formed their ownteams.In 1920, an organized league structure calledthe Negro National League was created in theMidwest under the guidance of Andrew “Rube”Foster. Soon, competitor leagues formed inEastern and Southern states. These leaguesmaintained a high level of professional skilland became the nucleus for economicdevelopment in many blackcommunities.Things began to change in 1945,when Major League Baseball’sBrooklyn Dodgers recruitedJackie Robinson from the Kansas CityMonarchs. While this historic event wasa key moment in baseball and civil rightshistory, it prompted the decline of theNegro Leagues. The last Negro Leagueteams ended play in the early 1960s.Source: Negro Leagues Baseball MuseumThird baseman EvanLongoria knows theimportance ofeducation. Hestudied criminologyat Long Beach StateUniversity in California, and he has enjoyedreading since he was a child. During the2010 season, at the age of 24, Evan becamethe first third baseman to make the All-Starteam in each of his first three seasons. Lastseason, Longoria led the Rays in home runs,runs batted in and walks.Grades 3-5Summer Reading SuggestionsHurricanes: Earth’s Mightiest Storms, by Patricia LauberHorses, by Seymour SimonA History of Us, by Joy HakimDiscovering Mars: The Amazing Story of the Red Planet, byMelvin BergerAquiferious, by Margaret Ross TolbertA Nest for Celeste: A Story about Art, Inspiration, and theMeaning of Home, by Henry ColeHeroes for My Son, by Brad MeltzerThe Last Egret, by Harvey E. Oyer IIIQuest for the Tree Kangaroo, by Sy MontgomeryWhy Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears: A West AfricanTale, by Verna Aardema10 tampabay.com/nie

Parent TipD i d y o u k n o w ?Children like a sense of completion, so finish whatyou begin. If the book is lengthy, find an appropriatestopping point, such as the end of a chapter.Learning abouthistoryThe history of the Negro Leagues of baseball is importantand extensive. From the late 1800s through the end of theofficial Negro League in 1960, more than 2,500 men andwomen participated as players, coaches, managers andofficials. Research the players and teams at the NegroLeague Baseball Museum’s website, nlbm.com. Choose oneof the many players and research his or her story. Share theinformation you learn with your classmates and family.• The Jacksonville Redcaps were the only Florida African-American baseball team. The teamwas a member of the Negro American League.Read all aboutIn the Year of the Boarand Jackie Robinson,by Bette Bao LordIn 1947, a young Chinese girl comesto Brooklyn and discovers her love forbaseball while adjusting to a new life inAmerica. Shirley Temple Wong and hermother sail from China to America to joinher father, who is an engineer in Brooklyn.America is world of wonder to Shirley, butit makes her feel afraid, stupid and clumsy.Then Shirley discovers baseball, andplaying right field, she no longer feels smalland stupid. Shirley becomes a big fan ofJackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers.Baseball, America’s pastime,helps Shirley make friendsand be accepted in astrange and foreign land.• There were eight organized Negro Leagues from 1920 to 1960.• In 1885, the Cuban Giants became the first group of professional black players.• In 1945, Jackie Robinson became the first black player to sign a formal Major League contract.• In 1947, Cleveland Indian Larry Doby became the first black player in the American League.• In 1948, Satchel Paige became the first black pitcher to play in an American League game.• Jackie Robinson was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.Source: Baseball AlmanacLearningwith the TimesBig Wolf and Little Wolf, by Nadine Brun-CosmeWhat Do You Do with a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins andRobin PageThe Storm Book, by Charlotte ZolotowMogo, the Third Warthog, by Donna Jo NapoliSomeone Named Eva, by Joan M. WolfThe London Eye Mystery, by Siobhan DowdThe Middle of Somewhere, by J.B. CheaneyOperation Redwood, by S. Terrell FrenchOperation Yes, by Sara HolmesPeter and the Starcatchers, by Dave Barry andRidley PearsonThe Porcupine Year, by Louise ErdrichRedwall, by Brian JacquesRoberto and Me, by Dan GutmanFollow the leaderJackie Robinson was a leader, not just in thecontext of baseball, but in life. Leadership requirescommitment, responsibility and hard work. Whatdoes being a leader mean to you? Read through thearticles in the e-Edition of the Tampa Bay Times tofind three examples of people who you think areleaders. Write a few sentences explaining why youhave chosen these people. Share your ideas withyour classmates and family.tampabay.com/nie 11

Read all aboutBreaking gender barriersTed & Me (Baseball CardAdventures),by Dan GutmanStosh should have figured that the FBIwould find him eventually. Now they’veturned up on his doorstep – and they knowall about his ability to travel through timeusing baseball cards. In fact, they wantto send him back in time on a mission: towarn President Roosevelt about the attackon Pearl Harbor! But when Stosh findsout that his “ticket” back to 1941 is a TedWilliams card, he starts planning a missionof his own.Parent TipTeenagers may enjoy reading aloud to ayounger sibling. They often like to revisitsome of their old books.World War II: a game changerThe year was 1942 and Major League Baseball was inserious trouble. Young men 18 years of age and olderwere being drafted into the armed services to helpfight in World War II. Major League Baseball parksacross the country were in danger of closing. That iswhen chewing-gum industrialist Philip K. Wrigley tookcharge of the situation. The solution was to create anall-girls’ baseball league.Clara Schillace, Ann Harnett, Edie Perlick and ShirleyJameson became the first women signed in theleague. When women took the field for Spring Trainingin 1943, there were four teams: the Kenosha Comets,Racine Belles, Rockford Peaches and South BendBlue Sox. You can read more about these teams, aswell as the rest of the history of the AAGPBL, on theofficial website of the All-American Girls ProfessionalBaseball League: aagpbl.org.Source: Official website of the All-American Girls ProfessionalBaseball LeagueFollow the leaderWade Davis knows the importanceof reading, especially the dailynewspaper. The daily newspaperoften contains stories with anunderlying theme of individualsshowing respect for others. Find anexample of an article showing thetheme of respect in the Tampa BayTimes. Think about the points thatcontribute to the theme of respect.Share your thoughts with yourclassmates and family.Grades 3-5Summer Reading SuggestionsScience Fair: A Story of Mystery, Danger, InternationalSuspense, and a Very Nervous Frog, by Dave Barryand Ridley PearsonHaunting at Home Plate, by David PatneaudeThe Young Man and the Sea, by Rodman PhilbrickThe Stupendous Dodgeball Fiasco, by Janice RepkaNot My Dog, by Colby RodowskyThe School Story, by Andrew ClementsGregor the Overlander, by Suzanne CollinsThe Beloved Dearly, by Doug CooneyRuby Holler, by Sharon Creech12 tampabay.com/nie

Rules of playHow does baseball as played in the All-American Girls ProfessionalBaseball League differ from men’s baseball? With only a fewexceptions, girls’ baseball followed the same rules as men’sprofessional baseball. Basically, the rules, strategy and general playwere the same. There were differences in the distances betweenthe bases, the distance from the pitching mound to home plate, thesize of the ball and pitching styles. Although the pitching rules didchange during the decade of women’s professional baseball, thelength of the base paths remained shorter than regulation baseballby five feet.RAYSSPOTLIGHTSource: Official website of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball LeagueLearning about historyResearch one of these notable women athletes on the Internet.Babe Didrikson Zaharias Nadia ComaneciSonja HenieMartina NavratilovaChris EvertBonnie BlairPeggy FlemingMichelle AkersJanet EvansBillie Jean KingMia HammAlthea GibsonFlorence Griffith-JoynerVenus WilliamsSerena WilliamsWilma RudolphClara SchillaceAnn HarnettWade DavisUnited Tates of America, by Paula DanzigerThe Missing Manatee, by Cynthia DeFeliceBecause of Winn-Dixie, by Kate DiCamilloWhen Mack Came Back, by Brad StricklandSurviving the Applewhites, by Stephanie TolanSeaward Born, by Lea WaitThe Victory Garden, by Lee KochenderferChasing the Falconers, by Gordon KormanD i d y o u k n o w ?• Members of the All-American Girls Professional BaseballLeague had to follow specific rules of conduct and followthe behaviors set forth in the Charm School Guide.Check out the official website of the All-American GirlsProfessional Baseball League at aagpbl.org for details.• Although they did not all play during the same years, therewere 14 teams in the AAGPBL throughout its history: RacineBelles, South Bend Blue Sox, Kenosha Comets, RockfordPeaches, Milwaukee Chicks, Minneapolis Millerettes,Ft. Wayne Daisies, Grand Rapids Chicks, Muskegon Lassies,Peoria Redwings, Chicago Colleens, Springfield Sallies,Kalamazoo Lassies and Battle Creek Belles.Rules, by Cynthia LordGet Ready for Gabi: A Crazy Mixed-Up Spanglish Day, byMarisa MontesThe Boy Who Spoke Dog, by Clay MorganLewis and Clark and Me: A Dog’s Tale, by Laurie MyersThe Spy Who Came In from the Sea, by Peggy Nolan“When I was in school, I enjoyed reading.Now I read the newspaper often to keep tabson current events in the U.S. and overseas,as well as baseball. It’s a part of my dailyroutine, and I like to stay informed.”Pitcher Wade Davis loves working with kidsand organizes the Full Kount Foundation tohelp children, especially those who are at riskor have special needs or chronic diseases.Full Kount sponsors the Dutchess Debs, a12-and-under girls travel softball team basedin New York, and provides them with jerseys,uniforms, equipment and more. Davis, aUniversity of Florida, Gator football fan, lovesthe outdoors and loves to hunt, but he alsolikes to work with kids.tampabay.com/nie 13

Read all aboutRead your way to theSuper-sized Slugger,by Cal Ripken Jr.Cody Parker is the new kid in school. He’soverweight, scared and hates his newlife in Dullsville, Maryland, where he is atarget for teasing and bullying. But Codyloves baseball. And despite his size, he isvery good at playing third base. Too badhe’s competing for the starting job againsthis enemy, Dante Rizzo. Life gets evenmore complicated when Cody’s school isbeset by a crime wave that threatens tosideline Cody – and ruin a golden seasonfor the Orioles.ballparkAmerica’s favorite pastime …readingIn addition to reading the Tampa Bay Times,Raymond, the Rays mascot, loves to read books.His favorite books are The Little Book of the Sea,by Lorenz Schroter; Into the Sea, by Brenda Z.Guiberson; Sea Dog, by Dayle Gaetz and TheLucky Baseball Bat, by Matt Christopher. You cancheck out some of these fun summer readingbooks at your local library.Relaxing at yourlibraryAfter a hard day at the ballpark,some of the Tampa Bay Rays liketo relax with a good book or theTampa Bay Times. Reading can berelaxing as well as entertaining. Youcan enjoy the best of both worldsthis summer by participating in theReading with the Rays program.Parent TipContinue to read aloud to your children evenafter they begin school and are independentreaders. There is no age limit to reading toyour children.Times Newspaper in Education Reading with theRays program. Have your children keep up withthe Rays’ games and chart their favorite players’statistics.Learningwith the TimesHonesty is the best policyRaymond loves reading books, but he also likesreading the comics in the Tampa Bay Times. Thecomic strips in the newspaper often reflect real life.We can be pleased with this because there is muchhonesty that can be found among the characters invarious comic strips. Read through the comic stripsin the Times. As you read, look for examples of honestyor truthfulness in each character’s speech andactions. Write a brief paragraph about the comicstrip and the qualities you have discovered in thecharacter or characters. Share your thoughts withyour classmates and family.Your local library can be a greatplace to have fun during the summerbreak. By reading books andexploring the Internet, you can havea lot of adventures. Books are yourticket to learning about the pastand traveling around the world thissummer. Be your own travel agentand choose your destinations thatwill lead you right back to the TampaBay area and Tropicana Field. Thebest place to find your favorite booksis at your library.Hey, parents!The No. 1 way to keep your familyreading is with the Tampa BayTimes. Encourage your childrento participate in the Tampa Bay14 tampabay.com/nie