The Denver Post •

CK Reporter of the WeekIzzie Intriago, Aurora

The Denver Botanic Gardens’

Annual Orchid Showcase is somewhere you need to be!

When I arrived at the “orangery” (the greenhouse), I expected the showcase to be focused more on the moth orchid

(phalaenopsis) and how to grow your own. It turns out, so many people came to those weekly

demonstrations that now they are being referred to the Education Department.

In those classes, you can learn things like how the orchids can last up to six months with proper care, how the hybrid orchids are made, and more.

But if you go to the Orchid Showcase, you’ll have a whole different experience in store.

The theme of this year’s Orchid Showcase is Mindfulness Journey.

Nick Snakenberg, the horticulturist, told me it shocks him when people

can just go through the entire exhibit in five minutes. The goal of this year’s Orchid Showcase is to have

people get away from the rush, slow down, and lose themselves in the beauty of the orchids.

The 2019 challenge is to be mindful and to go through the exhibit using all of your senses.

There are quotes about orchids on the glass to think

about as you walk through. For example, “When speech comes from a quiet

heart, it has the strength of an orchid, and the fragrance of rock,” by Stephen Mitchell.

If you stop, look, and read the signs, you can feel yourself recognizing the beauty of the orchids.

I would encourage people to walk down the room twice.

All of the orchids are different, some even look like other plants!

The Denver Botanic Gardens hosts an orchid show each year, always with a different theme.

This year’s mindfulness theme was a great one because, even though it was a small room, people stayed longer to immerse themselves fully with the beauty around them.

Some of the orchids were repeated, but the experience was still fabulous.

One of the take-home messages of the showcase is that even if you aren’t the showiest flower, you have meaning and importance to nature and to others.

This message helps you to admire even the smaller flowers around the showy orchids that are easy to overlook.

This showcase seems to be a real crowd pleaser.I heard people who come to the show every year

state that in the previous years they repeated quotes, but that this year the quotes are all new.

I’m not sure if younger kids would enjoy this showcase because they probably wouldn’t understand the messages, but I loved the experience.

I really appreciate the goal of making 2019 a mindful year, and the gorgeous orchids helped to start that off. See it before it closes Feb. 18.

January 29, 2019

When cats and robots clash, it means war!

“Cats vs. Robots: This is War” by Mar-garet Stohl and Lewis Peterson is primarily for entertainment, not

the type of book that is out to teach a lesson, though there is a lesson that you will learn along the way.

The story focuses on a war between cats and the robots. The robots are very organized, and cats are not.

As a result the robots and cats drive each other nuts: They are always at war because they hate the way the other one lives.

Part of this story takes place on Earth, and the rest is in space.

They find out about this technology chip that humans created that can give a cat unlimited lifespan (a great improvement for cats) or can give a robot infinite battery life (a great improve-ment for robots).

As part of the on-going war, both the cats and the robots are on a mission to get to the chip first.

The characters include Obi, an elderly, partially crippled cat who loves Max very much, who he sees as his owner even though he lives next

door. Max is a kid who is enthusiastic about video

games and loves cats and collecting figurines. There are many other cats, each with a different personality.

This book is geared towards younger kids. As a teen, I found the book to be a bit boring

for my age. There wasn’t really anything wrong with the book, it’s just that the characters and storyline create a very simple plot.

Learn to go slowly amid beauty

Stories and photosby Izzi Intriago,10, a CK Reporter from Aurora

By Ben Vanourek,13, a CK Reporter from Littleton

1

The robots are very organized, and cats

are not. As a result the robots and cats

drive each other nuts.

The Denver Post •

“The Kid Who Would Be King” is a modern version of “The Sword in the Stone. “

For those who don’t know that famous King Arthur fable, it is the story of King Arthur, then an orphaned child and the wizard, Merlin, who knows Arthur’s destiny.

In this modern adaptation Alex (Louis Ashbourne Serkis), a young boy living in modern day England, is King Arthur’s heir, a fact he is at first unaware of and then denies.

As in the King Arthur stories, Alex gathers his knights of the round table, in this case a makeshift group of teenage boys and one girl.

Led by the wizard Merlin (as a kid, Angus Imrie , as a man, Patrick Stewart), Alex and his knights must defeat Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson), a demonic queen who desires Alex’s sword, Excalibur, and intends to enslave the human race.

“The Kid Who Would Be King” takes a new perspective on an old fable.

Instead of medieval England, “The Kid Who Would Be King” is set in current day England, with knights equipped with cell phones and energized by fast food.

Alex is not an orphan, but instead is being raised by a single mom.

The modern setting and details make this version of the Sword in the Stone accessible to a younger audience.

Those familiar with the tales of King Arthur will see how “The Kid Who Would Be King” picks up the story, and will enjoy the updated version, but audiences unfamiliar with Arthurian legends will easily follow the plot and also enjoy the story.

This is particularly true because the movie adds new details to the original story that would appeal to a younger, modern viewer.

Alex and his knights learn many of their skills from

video games, and are baffled by Merlin’s reliance on the code of chivalry.

Alex and his best friend, Bedders, have to deal with bullying at school, and Merlin’s food preferences are abnormal, but very funny, and might encourage some audience members to reconsider their post-movie trip to Chick-Fil-A.

“The Kid Who Would Be King” is rated PG and has a two hour running time. It is appropriate for all audiences over ten, though younger viewers will probably be scared by some of the scenes involving Morgana and her zombie soldiers.

The positive messages about bravery, loyalty, and community, however, are much more of a takeaway from this movie than the minimal violence and scary moments.

Modern version of a great, classic tale

Eclipse reveals meteoroid hits on MoonYou may have been able to see last week’s total

eclipse of the Moon, but, unless you were watch-ing very carefully through a very good telescope, you probably missed an extremely rare treat that some astronomers were able to spot.

One of them, Jose Maria Madeido, of the Univer-sity of Huelva in Spain, took this picture, which he posted on Twitter along with an arrow pointing to a very small white spot.

That’s where, in the middle of the eclipse, a mete-oroid hit the Moon, kicking up a tiny cloud of dust that we’d have never been able to see when the Moon was either dark or was fully lit by the Sun.

Several astronomers saw a second dust cloud as another meteoroid hit the lunar surface.

The Moon, we know, is pock-marked with craters caused by meteoroids hitting it. Unlike the Earth, it has no atmosphere to burn them up as “shooting stars.”

Madiedo’s discovery had very little to do with luck. He and his team of astronomers were hoping that the reduced light of the so-called “Super Blood Wolf Moon” eclipse would finally allow them to see what happens when a meteoroid strikes the Moon.

They set up eight different telescopes with special software to spot bright flashes, and their preparation paid off with a most astonishing discovery.

“The Thrifty Guide to Ancient Greece” by Jonathan Stokes is a fun book that can’t be classified as fiction or nonfiction.

This is because the main storyline is pretending that you are a civilian who has purchased a time-traveling vacation with Time Corp.

The company transports you all around the ancient places like Athens, Sparta, and even lets you fight the Persians at the Battle of Thermopylae.

The Visit to Athens shed light on important aspects of Greek culture such as the Olympics, theater, government, and clothing.

The Spartans showed us the importance of strength. If a Spartan baby boy was weak, he would be thrown off of Mount Taygetus. Spartan boys were also often forced to sleep naked outside in the winter to prove strength.

All Spartan children that survive to age 7 are sent to war-rior academies. While the boys learn how to use the spears and shields, the girls learn wrestling, gymnastics, fighting, and endurance.

Spartan military service for men is required until either they turn 60 or drop dead, whichever comes first.

This is a terrific book that is fun to read. I think that any-one interested in history should definitely read this.

Your guided tour of Ancient Greece

Big Nate

By Jack Vanourek,13, a CK Reporter from Littleton

By Aidan Muldoon,11, a CK Reporter from Denver

2

The Denver Post •

For the first time in its 59 year history of indepen-dence, the Democratic Republic of the Congo got a new government through elections.

But just how fair and free these elections were remains a question.

First, let’s make sure we know which nation we’re talking about.

On the map, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the large, tan country in the center.

The darker brown country on its west side is the Republic of the Congo, a different nation.

Both take their names from the Congo River, one of Africa’s major rivers. But the Republic of the Congo was a French colony and, though not an ideal democ-racy today, has a much less troubled history than its larger neighbor.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo was a sort of private colony owned by King Leopold of Belgium for many years, before it was taken over by the Belgian government in 1908.

Leopold’s time in control is considered one of the cruelest colonial experiences in history and the nation that became independent in 1960 has been troubled ever since.

Its first prime minister was driven from office and murdered, and it then had decades of dictatorship,

including a civil war in which more than 5.4 million people died.

President Joseph Kabila took over after his father’s death and promised elections, but then held on to power for many years after he was supposed to step down.

In December, the long-promised elections took place, but many people felt they were not fair and that

the counting of ballots was dishonest.Last Tuesday, Felix Tshisekedi became the nation’s

new president, despite suspicions that he hadn’t really won the election.

Few African nations even sent leaders to the inaugu-ration, but most have agreed to accept the results of the election.

However, this seems another example of the idea that, when a colony is not governed fairly and honest-ly, its people do not learn to govern themselves well once they are independent.

The world is now hoping that the DRC has been through the worst and is set for better times.

DR Congo gets government in odd election

After defeating an Old One, of an interdimensional alien race with in-tentions to reclaim the Earth, Nikola Kross is lucky to be alive — and to be one of the few people to not go insane after

looking at an Old One in her true form.“The Unspeakable Unknown” by Eliot Sappingfield is

the sequel to his first novel, “A Problematic Paradox”, which introduced Nikola and the alien species she has to put up with.

The Old Ones had kidnapped her father before at-tempting to kidnap her, and she still has no idea where he is.

She’s trying to focus on her classes and spend time with her human and parahuman friends, another alien species related to Old Ones, but much more human and benevo-lent, and generally just have a “normal” life, but she can’t stop worrying about her father.

To make matters worse, Mrs. Botfly — possibly the craziest teacher at the School — is holding random “pop quizzes” on what to do if an Old One attacks the school.

One day, Mrs. Botfly decides to hold a field trip to northern Arkansas to try to find an elusive creature who she thinks is an isolated parahuman.

But when Nikola and her friends arrive at the parahuman’s house, Nikola discovers that she’s actually an Old One.

Her human disguise is perfect, she smells like baking bread, and — possi-bly the most surprising thing of all — she doesn’t want to hurt humans.

Despite making a deal with the Old One, Darleen, promising that she won’t tell anyone about her, Nikola can’t help but inform the principal, Dr.

Plaskington, about her when she gets back to the School. Dr. Plaskington doesn’t believe Nikola when she says

that the Old One was harmless, so Plaskington proceeds to bomb Darleen’s home, an apparently common re-sponse when Old Ones are discovered.

Fortunately, Darleen survives, but now both she and Nikola are being hunted down by Jakki, the queen of the Old Ones, who doesn’t like harmless Old Ones, which is why Darleen was on her own in the first place.

When she’s finally able to kidnap Nikola and some of her friends, Nikola still isn’t entirely defeated. Imprisoned in the Old Ones’ lair and eating horrible food, Nikola still hopes to find her father amidst all the random, often brainwashed inmates around her.

“The Unspeakable Unknown” is all-around a very good book, with a mix of action, science fiction, and comedy.

It does explain some background from the first book, but I think that it’s better to read “A Problematic Paradox” first so that you have a better idea of what’s going on in this one.

Action, science fiction, comedy blend in sequel

Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, right, receives the presidential sash from outgoing president Joseph Kabila after being sworn in in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (AP Photo/iJerome Delay)

By Nandi Strieker,12, a CK Reporter from Antonito

The world’s best-selling puzzle was introduced on this date in 1980, so our answers this week will each begin with “R” to honor its inventor, Ernő Rubik.

1. Author of the “Kane Chronicles” and “The Maze of Bones,” plus some books about mythology.

2. Steamboat Springs is the seat of this county between Moffat and Jackson counties.

3. In a Rudyard Kipling story, this mongoose saves a family from cobras.

4. Two 20th century presidents shared this last name (they were cousins).

5. The capital of Italy

6. A male sheep or goat

7. The money collected by a landlord from tenants

8. American revolutionary who worked as a silversmith but is remembered for riding to warn patriots in Lexington and Concord of approaching soldiers

9. Two-wheeled cart pulled by a person, once popular in Asia, especially in China

10. Rough game similar to soccer or football, named for the school where it started(answers on Page Four)Rules: Every row across, every column down and each of the six smaller boxes must

contain numerals 1,2,3,4,5 and 6, one time and one time only.The solution to this week’s puzzle is on Page 4.

5

6

16

2

3 2

3

1

6

2

3

3

The Denver Post •

is produced by Denver Post Educational Services

Executive Editor: Dana Plewkadplewka@denverpost.com

CK Editor: Mike Petersoncoloradokidseditor@gmail.com

We welcome your comments.

For tools to extend the learning in this feature, look under “Youth Content” at:

www.ColoradoNIE.com

eEditions of the Post arefree of charge for classroom use.Contact us for information on all

our programs.

Denver Post Educational Services5990 Washington St.

Denver CO 80216(303) 954-3974(800) 336-7678

Stories without bylines were written by the editor.

(see Page Three)

10 right - Wow!

7 right - Great!

5 right - Good

3 right - See you next time!

1. Rick Riordan 2. Routt 3. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi 4. Roosevelt 5. Rome 6. ram 7. rent 8. (Paul) Revere 9. rickshaw 10. rugby

Hot Links to Cool Sites!

NASA’s Space Placehttp://tinyurl.com/ckspace

NIE Special Reporthttp://tinyurl.com/ckniereport

Headline Geographyhttp://tinyurl.com/ckgeography

Pulse of the Planethttp://tinyurl.com/ckpulseplanet

How to become a CK Reporter!tinyurl.com/COkidsReporter

To read the sources for these storiesLunar Meteoroids

Congolese Elections

go to http://www.tinyurl.com/ckstorylinks

Chapter Nine – Disaster!(Our story so far: Antoine and Marcel are headed north towards Athabasca, but Marcel has doubts about working for Campbell, the new clerk in charge of their brigade.)

Marcel had been right about the clerk, and nobody was happy.

Campbell wanted to get up the river fast and arrive at the trading post early. He was sure it would please the bourgeois and make him seem better and smarter than the other clerks.

Perhaps if he had told the men this, and made it seem like fun, they wouldn’t have minded so much.

He could have offered small rewards each day if they went farther than expected, or a big reward if they managed to arrive at the trading post early.

Instead he simply shouted at them in bad French and treated them like disobedient, lazy children.

He accused them of not trying hard enough when they were paddling against a swift current, he ordered them to walk faster on portages when the ground was muddy and the packs were heavy, and he waited so late to stop at night that, even with the long days of summer, they could barely see to gather firewood to cook their supper.

He hadn’t been like this on the trip from Lachine to Grand Portage, but he hadn’t been in charge then.

Worst of all for the men in Antoine and Marcel’s canoe, when they reached the abandoned fort, theirs was the canoe that would stop. Campbell would be their boss through the rest of the summer, through fall and winter and into the next spring.

One morning, two men from the third canoe had disappeared, along with two rifles, some powder and shot and several pounds of salt pork. Campbell sent men to look for them, which meant an even later start that day.

The search party came back empty-handed, and one of the men in Antoine’s canoe muttered that, even if the pair didn’t survive in the woods, they were still better off.

One of the men from the first canoe was ordered to the third, so that those two canoes had five men each instead of six.

But the boss was the boss and voyageurs had to follow orders, so the brigade went on, and, after a while, they became used to Campbell’s bullying, until they were far enough upriver to know they soon would arrive at their first destination.

Then, even those who would have to work at Campbell’s fort could at least go hunt or cut wood or gather berries, not sit trapped in a canoe all day listening to him shout orders.

Seven weeks had passed. If they could no longer arrive early, they could at least still be there on time.

One of the older men said that, when they came to a set of hard rapids, they would be just a few days from the abandoned fort, and, after that, it was five more days to the main post. The portage around those rapids was long, but, after that, the river was clear the rest of the way.

They reached the rapids at midmorning on the next day, and began to head for the spot on shore where the portage would begin.

But as the first canoe stopped near shore and the men got out to begin emptying it, Campbell had his small canoe paddled up near them. “Get the ropes out,” he ordered.

The men all looked at each other, and one called from the first canoe, “Monsieur, this is a portage.”

“We’ve no time for that!” Campbell snapped. “We can save half a day by hauling them over the rapids instead!”

“But, monsieur …” the man began, and Campbell cut him short.“Rig the ropes for hauling,” he demanded, and the voyageurs reluctantly fetched two

long ropes from the canoe and tied them to the thwarts and braces.One man remained in the stern to steer the canoe, another en avant to call out

directions, and the others took hold of the ropes and began to climb from rock to rock up the white, cascading water, pulling the canoe through the narrow, rushing channel, while, below, the voyageurs from the other canoes watched, holding their breath.

They had nearly gone around the first bend and out of sight when there was a shout and the canoe suddenly shot back down the falls.

The man in the stern flew out into the water, and another man, his arm caught in the rope, fell with the canoe as it tumbled over in the middle of the green rush between two rocks and into the river below.

Antoine had often swum in the broad St. Lawrence at home, now he and two other voyageurs plunged into this cold, swift river. He grabbed one of the ropes and struggled to find footing on the riverbed so he could stop the canoe from going downstream. Another voyageur joined him and they managed to swing the canoe towards shallow water.

A third voyageur had rescued the man whose arm had caught in the rope, but the man who had fallen from the canoe was not in sight. On the rocks above, two voyageurs appeared, but another was also missing.

One bundle of supplies was caught on a rock in midstream, another was bobbing against the shore on the far side of the river. Several others were still lashed in the canoe, but, as Antoine and his companion pulled the water-filled vessel closer to shore, they could see a long, wide gash in its bottom, and smashed wooden ribs.

The rescued man had broken his shoulder. Two were safe ashore. The other two were nowhere to be found.

The voyageurs unpacked the canoe and hoisted it up on the riverbank, turning it over so its ripped and shattered bottom was in the sunlight.

Meanwhile, the other two canoes stayed just off shore, a voyageur standing in the water by each to hold it in place, while they waited for Campbell’s next order.

Text c. 2014, Mike Peterson – Illustrations c. 2014, Dylan Meconis

For a teaching guide, go to http://tinyurl.com/ckserial

3

6

5

1

4

2

1

4

3

2

6

5

2

5

6

4

3

1

4

3

2

5

1

6

5

1

4

6

2

3

6

2

1

3

5

4

4

Au Pays d’en Haut (To the High Country)