We have heard a lot about heroes in the last three weeks. The terrorist attacks have produced some incredible stories of heroes that people will one day write books about. As I watched the news on TV, I was so proud of all the firemen, policemen, rescue workers, and citizens who came to help in any way they could. We have brave soldiers ready to help defend our freedoms we have here.

I wonder if some of these modern heroes ever read stories of heroes in history that inspired them to want to do what they could to help out in the tragedy? I remember reading about some women who were heroes in World War II. They were pilots that flew in the war, helping to keep the world free. We added a review of a great book called YANKEE DOODLE GALS by Amy Nathan that is about these women, and as I read it, I learned a lot about how important women were in the war.

Now for this week's news...

--Booker T. Worm

Question of the Week
Here's this week's Question of the Week:

What's your favorite spooky book?

Send your answer to YouSaid@kidsreads.com. Write "Question" in the subject line. We'll post your answers online!

Understanding Terrorism
Last week we posted a chapter from the future book BAD STUFF IN THE NEWS: A Family Guide to Handling the Headlines. Even though this book isn't due to be published until March 2002, the authors and kidsreads.com wanted to share the chapter on understanding terrorism with you before it's published.

I received so many letters from our readers, thanking us for putting the chapter up on our site, and also expressing how they feel about the attacks. So many that I couldn't list them all in this newsletter, so we created a web page of What You Said About Understanding Terrorism. I think it's great to know that we all really feel the same about this. I hope you enjoy reading what everyone has to say.

I WAS A SIXTH GRADE ALIEN Series
Tim Thompkins' new classmate is an alien named Pleskit Meenom, the son of the first alien ambassador to earth. In the I WAS A SIXTH GRADE ALIEN series, readers follow the adventures of Pleskit and Tim as they make friends new (and often extraterrestrial) friends, investigate each other's cultures and save the world!

BOOK REVIEWS:

MY HEART IS ON THE GROUND
Little Rose is a girl that comes from a Sioux reservation in South Dakota. At one point her people ruled all the land in the Black Hills which the white people gave them in a treaty in the year 1868. But then the white man finds gold in Black Hills and the treaties are forgotten. Little Rose's people are put on a reservation on the Missouri River.

Follow Little Rose's journeys in MY HEART IS ON THE GROUND.

A SMART GIRL'S GUIDE TO BOYS
A SMART GIRL'S GUIDE is full of straight talk. The author writes as if she's your big sister: she knows what she's talking about, but you can also count on her to tell you if you have food stuck between your teeth. With this book you can count on good advice, delivered in a friendly, straight-from-the-heart way. If you want to prepare for a whole new phase of your life, or enter it with grace, you'll want to read A SMART GIRL'S GUIDE TO BOYS.

CIRCLES IN THE STREAM
12 year-old Emily Fletcher is pretty bummed as CIRCLES IN THE STREAM begins. Not only does she have to deal with her parents getting divorced, but she and her Mom move from the mountains of Colorado --- the only home Emily has ever known. Now she has to get used to being in a small town in rural Pennsylvania, with a whole new set of kids and a new school.

THE SECRET SCHOOL
In THE SECRET SCHOOL 14 year-old Ida longs to become a teacher. She lives in a remote part of Western Colorado, in the 1920s, where there's no high school for her to attend. Her parents really do need her help on the farm and have only approved her going to high school on the condition that they have a good year on the farm. Although Ida understands her parents' point of view, she still lives with the hope she will be able to pass her eighth grade test, gain admittance to school and fulfill her dream of becoming a teacher.

We Asked, You Said
To see everyone's answers to the last Question of the Week: "If you could write your favorite author, what one question would you want to ask him/her?" Check out the responses at We Asked, You Said.

Quote of the Week

The mediocre teacher tells.
The good teacher explains.
The superior teacher demonstrates.
The great teacher inspires.
-- William Arthur Ward

KidsReads.com Quick Reference
To find a past review of a book, check out our index page.
For the latest info about Harry Potter, check out our Harry Potter page.
To take a sneak peek at books coming out soon, click here.
To see our latest trivia, visit our Trivia Page.

**New game added! I WAS A SIXTH GRADE ALIEN TRIVIA**

To see our latest word scrambles, visit our Word Scrambles page.
Take a look at our list of author addresses and write to your favorite author.
Want to see what author shares today as their birthday? Click here.

Mailbag

Poems from fellow Bookworms

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The Mysterious Man
Have you ever heard of the tale
Of the mysterious, shadowy figure?
He is a man with a dark brown coat
So strange, so vigor
You don't see him around the day
He only walks at night
But when you search at dark hours
He is still out of sight
Well I've seen him live in person
He knows what we don't know
And he seems incredibly perfect
Because he has no foe
He is shy but strong, hideous but nice
He only talks to me
He doesn't live in a house like us
He lives in a tree
But he's told me about a child he knew
Who was once mislead
She didn't believe that she could achieve
And now she is dead
She was a very special girl
That swam away from shame
Who drowned in the water
The man's own daughter
But who here is to blame?
So have you heard of the tale
of the misterious, shadowy man?
He was once kicked out of home
From his house on Thome
Now his future has no plan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

9-11
On the 11th day of the 9th month our 2 towers got struck,
Not many people had that much luck,
to get out, some jumped and decided to die that way,
others decided just to stay there and lay,
in the buildings with there other workers until it rose,
because of all this basically the stock market has closed,
peoples lives were lost,some hearts some loved ones
they didnt get killed with guns,
but they did get killed with one other bad thing,
the king of terriost, whic we all fear,
You don't even have to listen to hear,
the sirens,the children who lost there parents crying, and the blasts of our towers,pentagon,  going boom.
Right before this all happened they were working in there rooms,
trying to catch up on all there missing work.
Listen now and listen good,
We love you all, live happy in peace.

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I didn't have to read this hole story to also releise whats realy happend so I wanted you to here my peom but  my age is 8 and now you'll  here my peom.....................................................

Dreams
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~dreams of every day come into our lifes like bright white stars of fifty and stripes of red and white  all the tradedgys that had  happend in the past 70 uears it began  with pearl harber  and now this the atack of the  world trade center we have rights to have freedom and if thats what they want then we'll fight for our rights so kep your hopes up and work hard.

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Mail from fellow Bookworms

Note from Booker: Is there a great read that you'd like to tell others about? If so, drop me a note about it at BookerTWorm@aol.com and maybe you'll see it posted in the next newsletter!

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I love the book REBECCA OF SUNNYBROOK FARMS.I also like the book THE PETS YOU LOVE and MY APRON.  I like the book THE GOLDEN EGG and also another book I likeBROWN BEAR,BROWN BEAR, WHAT DO YOU SEE?.ARTHUR;S NEW PUPPY.and fineily THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR.

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My favorite author is Carolyn Keene. She writes the Nancy Drew books. I like the missing locket mystery book. I think she is my role model for an author.

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Hi to the person who has read His Dark Materials Trilogy (besides me!) I know how you feel about being the only one who has read something great...it happens to me all the time!!  All my friends usually don't have the same taste in books as me, so I'm pretty used to it!

I can relate to that. Hey. Bookworm if you get this please post this on the subby. Because I would like to reply to the people who write this. I can really relate to what you said because I always read these GREAT boooks and when I tell them. They don't even know!

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Ella Enchanted is the best book. I greatly suggest it if u haven't read it. It has love and suspence and drama and sorrow. A mix of everything.
a loving reader
PS- If anyone has read the Dear America book A Coal Miners Bribe or Seeds of Hope please write your reactions to the book. I'm doing a school project on this and it would help me greatly. By the way if u haven't read them u really should.

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Hi back to the person who has read His Dark Materials!! :) My friends do the same thing. I am the only one who loves fantasy, and fairy tails...have you ever read the Lord of the Rings? I thinks that they are totally awesome too. I am in the middle of the last book...

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I think The Outsider is a good novel. Try it out!!

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Here is a book review on The Series of Unfortunate Events The Ersatz Elevator
By Lemony Snicket

I really thought this book was excellent. If I were to rate this book 1 being the worst and 5 being the best book I ever read I would rate this book a 4 for its descriptive language and its humor. For example when Sunny [an orphan] climbed up from the bottom of the elevator wall with her teeth. Thank God for sharp teeth! I would recommend this book to anyone who likes adventurous books.

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I used to hate reading untill I found your website. I wanted to send an e-mail to my favorit auther but I didnt Know an auther. Know i now my auther and im geting good grades because of you.

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What does a wave say when they meet!      Nothing they just wave!                            If you want to see time fly, then just throw the clock out the window.

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THAT WAS A  GREAT DESCRIPTIVE SHE WROTE I THINK I WILL BUY
THE BOOK SOONER OR LATER IAM GLAD SHE WROTE THAT BOOK
BECAUSE ALL GIRLS ,WOMEN  NEED  A DAILY LIFE GIUDE

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I've have read Night Night Book it is really good

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I have a terrific book that I'd like to recommend. Its called Leonardo's hand.  My school librarian recommended it to me and I thought it was great.  At first its a little slow but the ending is fantastic.  I recommend it to readers!!!!!

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Hey I love your web.I cant wait for novembers!!!!!!!!!!! You guys are the best.Ilove it when u guys give info about books.well thanks sending my love

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I have read all of the Romona  books. I also have a book called conversations with J.K. ROWLING.

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It's me the one who has conversations with J.K. ROWLING . I forgot about the Shiloh Books. I read those too.

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a great bok i have read is the Ghotsts of now. it is kind of long but a great read.

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i love the baby sitters club books so much i have omosted all of the m i have the first one and alout more

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i love to read lots of books there really good i love to read baby sitters club
the baby sitters club is my favorite

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I STAY WITH MY MOM AND GRANDMOTER BUT I CALL  MY GRANDMA NANA
I LOVE TO READ ESPECIALLY ENCICAPEDIA BROWN I HAVEN'T READ ALL OF THEM BUT 1.
BUT THERE REALLY GOOD BOOKS AND I LIKE TO READ HORRIBLE HARRY. I BOUT A WHOLE COLLECITION IN THE BOOK ORDERS THAT WE GOT AT SCHOOL.

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your website is the best!!! i love jacqline wilson book's when i'm older i would like to be a athur!!

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the best book ever is Holes by Lois Sacher , next to Hary Potter of corse!!!!!!!

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the best book is the Island book 1- Shipwrecked

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