Aquila December 2012

Other guests pop in from time to time, for example NURSE NANCY with health advice, and PHILIP AND PHOEBE the argumentative twins who debate philosophy.

Not all the team appear in every issue.

PAWS FOR THOUGHT BY PEPE THE DOG

PEPE'S FESTIVE LIST OF "DON'TS"

1. Don't forget your pet may be around in the kitchen when moving hot foodstuffs or liquids from cooker to table.

2. Don't feed your pet the food bits you don't like 'secretly under the table - others around the table might be doing the same - it makes for a very fat or very sick animal.

3. Don't leave the chocolates somewhere a dog or puppy can find them - chocolate is dangerous for dogs.

4. Don't forget to feed your pets at their usual time. Animals realise something is afoot with all the festive hurly-burly, but they are less anxious when their mealtimes are kept to the same time.

5. Don't ever forget to feed them completely! It has been known. You might feel as if you never want to eat again after your Christmas blow out, but your pets could be starving.

The same goes for bird feeders - make sure they are topped up, especially if the weather freezes. Always break the ice on birdbaths and if you own a pony that's kept outdoors, don't forget to break the ice on the trough, give extra food and ensure New Zealand rugs are secure.

6. Don't leave plastic toys on the floor if you own a puppy. It takes puppies a long long time to realise that bits of plastic are not the best things to digest.

7. Don't forget to walk your dog. You might feel so stuffed you cannot move, or so cosy you can't face it outside, but they still need their routine exercise and toilet breaks.

8. Don't forget to let your cats in, if they don't have their own cat flap. It's no fun sitting outside shivering looking through the window at a cosy fire and rosy faces.

9. Don't forget the care of fish, hamsters, guinea pigs, mice, rats, rabbits or any other animals kept in tanks or cages. They may be out of sight, but don't let them be out of mind.

10. Finally, don't forget to give all your pets a HEALTHY treat - it is their Christmas too!

And DO have a great time and a happy new year!

EDITOR'S LETTER

Dear AQUILA readers,

It's December and we are planning a big AQUILA Christmas party. You can share in the fun with our special section of ideas for decorations, food and games. There's more to keep you entertained with our Christmas puzzles, and big 2012 quiz.

There are Christmas treats for all of you who love reading too. Discover the author Lucy Boston, whose old manor house in the country inspired many children's adventure stories, read our latest short story and check out our reviews of some books to make you laugh out loud!

E.B. has a look at Lapland and the Sami people who live there, and we have a feature on wolves that's packed with fascinating information.

We hope you enjoy all the end of term activities, and wish each one of you a very happy Christmas!

From Aquila and the Team

OUR WORLD - THE SÁMI PEOPLE OF LAPLAND

by E.B.

In winter, Lapland (widely believed to be the home of Father Christmas) is a dimly lit land of snow-clad forests, frozen lakes and vast areas of icy, windswept tundra, where conditions are too harsh for trees to grow. More reindeer than people live here. The amazing northern lights often shine in the dark skies. It's hard to believe that in summer the midnight sun shines all night over green forests dotted with blue lakes.

THE SÁMI PEOPLE

Lapland is home to Europe's last indigenous* people: the Sámi. About 75,000 Sámi are today spread across the northernmost parts of four countries: Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. The international Sámi Council has a colourful flag and a national anthem, but no plans to establish an independent country.

REINDEER

Reindeer herding is central to Sámi culture. Reindeer meat is very tasty, and the Sámi have traditionally used reindeer fur, skin, leather, antlers, bones and sinews to make clothes, tools and ornaments. For most of the year herders let their reindeer forage freely for their natural food - mainly lichens - in Lapland's vast forests and on the open fells.

Sámi languages have dozens of words to describe reindeer of different ages, sexes and physical appearance.

NEW WAYS OF LIVING

The Sámi once lived nomadically, following the reindeer herds regardless of national borders. They slept in wigwam-like kotas made of branches covered with reindeer skins. But today they live permanently in village homes with all modern conveniences. Herders head for the wilds to check their reindeer using motorized snowmobiles in winter, or all-terrain-vehicles in summer.

Few families depend totally on reindeer-herding for their living today, but many still keep reindeer - and catch fish, hunt game animals, and gather wild berries and mushrooms for the dinner table. Traditionally berries have been important food, because other kinds of fruit and vegetables were not available during the long winters. The most valued berry of the Sámi is the Cloudberry, as it contains high levels of vitamin C.

LANGUAGE

Ten distinct Sámi languages and dialects are spoken across the Sámi homeland. These languages nearly vanished during the 20th century, but today they are taught in local schools, and used in Sámi TV and radio programmes.

ELEN'S DOUBLE LIFE

Elen Anne Sara lives in a tiny village in Finnish Lapland. Her main job involves writing schoolbooks in the Northern Sámi language for local schools. But she also spends a lot of time helping her family look after their reindeer. "The busiest times are the autumn round-up and when we earmark new calves in the summer," she says. During round-ups Elen's talent for accurately lassoing reindeer by throwing a rope round their antlers comes in very handy!

Reindeer's earmarks indicate which herding family they belong to. "Most of our reindeer live out in the forests and on the fells, so we don't see them very often," she explains. "But we keep some like pets in the forests near the village. In winter they come home every day to eat extra hay we put out for them. We know these reindeer individually by name - and use some of the strongest, fastest males for annual reindeer races."

Elen also helps her mother to make traditional Sámi clothes. "I especially like to make peski coats and boots from reindeer fur," she says. Elen has two traditional coats: a warm peski for the cold winters, and a bright blue gakti costume with red and yellow trimming.

"Nowadays we only wear these costumes for occasions like festivals and family celebrations," she explains.

TRADITIONS

The Sámi keenly preserve all aspects of their culture, including handicrafts, the telling of folk tales, and the singing of haunting yoiksongs.

Music - A new Sámi Culture Centre known as Sajos (meaning 'Base Camp) recently opened in Inari in Finnish Lapland. Sámi singer Anna Näkkäläjärvi's band Ánnámáret Ensemble performed at the opening ceremony. Sámi musicians are proud of traditional singing styles, but are not afraid to mix in other influences from Celtic folk to rock and rap.

Crafts - The teaching of traditional Sámi handicraft skills - known as duodji - has been revived in recent years. Duodji products include useful and ornamental objects made of natural materials such as birch bark, wood, roots, lichen and berries, as well as every possible part of a reindeer.

TOURISM

Tourists are increasingly discovering Lapland, especially around Christmas when families from all over the world come to meet Father Christmas. They can also enjoy arctic activities like snowshoe-trekking, husky-sledding, snowmobiling, or riding through scenic snow-covered forests on a reindeer sleigh.

The flag shared by the Sámi peoples of four countries in Northern Europe features the bright colours of Sámi traditional costumes (red, green, yellow and blue), as well as red and blue haloes signifying the sun and the moon.

FIND OUT MORE

Listen to Sámi music (find Ánnámáret Ensemble on MySpace, and Angelin Tytot on YouTube).

Find out about the international Sámi Council at www.saamicouncil.net (and click on the Union Jack for the English version!).

*Indigenous people are the descendants of people who originally lived in a region before it was settled by outsiders. They may still have languages and cultural traditions that are quite different from many of their neighbours.

WOLVES

Wolves are the largest members of the dog family. There are a number of species and subspecies but the two most common species of wolves people know about are the grey wolf (Canis lupus) and the red wolf (Canis rufus).

WOLF TERRITORIES

Wolves were once found in more places in the world than any other mammal - except mankind. But their numbers have decreased in the past two hundred years. This was mainly due to excessive hunting and trapping by humans. Today legal and illegal hunting still goes on. It is thought that thousands of wolf skins a year are still traded for coats.

FURTHER REASONS FOR DECLINE

Wolf numbers have also grown smaller due to loss of habitat all over the world - especially in the Arctic regions. Other reasons include starvation, diseases and injuries while hunting their large prey. Also, where wolves roam near to humans, they are sometimes hit by cars. Many wild wolves die before they are age five, and it is thought that half of all pups born may die when they are very young.

THE WOLF PACK

Wolves live and hunt in packs. The number within a pack can vary from six up to twenty or more. The larger packs are most often found where their prey is larger. A pack usually consists of the parents (alpha male and female), new pups and pups from previous years.

TERRITORIES

These vary in different parts of the world, but in Canada and Alaska can be as wide-ranging as 480-1,600 kilometres. A pack will scent mark territories with urine and also howl to warn off other packs or lone wolves.

BREEDING

Depending on where they live, wolves breed once a year, either in late winter or early spring. Pregnancy lasts about 63 days. When the pups are ready to be born the mother hides away in a den. This could be in a welcome dry cave or simply under boulders, or in a suitable hole in the ground.

At first the newborn pups (the litter) stay in the den with their mother away from harm. A litter is usually between four and six pups, but in good times can be larger. Other members of the pack bring food to the mother, while she suckles (feeds her milk) to her new offspring. Once the pups are grown and eating meat, they leave the den with their mother and go to a new open site. Here they sleep, eat and play and are looked after by at least one adult, while the rest of the pack goes hunting.

HUNTING

Wolves are carnivores (meat eaters) and will travel long distances to track down their prey. Fortunately, they can last many days without food if they have to. Grey wolves like to dine on large prey such as bison, moose, musk oxen and deer. Lone wolves have to be content with the smaller, easier to catch prey. Many wolves eat hares, beavers, smaller mammals, birds and even fish. Wolves will also kill and eat cattle and sheep, and even scavenge if food in the wild is scarce.

CATCHING THEIR PREY

In short bursts a wolf can run at 65 kilometres per hour. To make it easier, the pack will target the young or sick animals, or an animal that is foolish enough to stray from the protection of the herd.

HOW MUCH DO THEY EAT?

If they haven't eaten for a while the pack sit down and devour the whole of a large prey, except for the bones and hide (skin and fur), taking short rests now and then. One wolf alone can eat nine kilograms of meat in one sitting. When food is plentiful they might leave some behind for other scavengers to find. Or, sometimes, they store a carcass for times when fresh kill is hard to come by.

HOW LONG DO THEY LIVE?

If they survive the first two years, they may live for at least another four or five years. Some even live to be nine or ten years old.

GREY WOLF FACTS

They have two types of hair: guard hairs keep the wet out, and the undercoat keeps in heat.

Colour: commonly mottled grey but can be pure white, red, brown and black.

Hearing: 16 times sharper than human. In open landscapes can hear for about 16 kilometres.

Sense of smell: 100 times better than human.

Size and weight: varies according to territory.

Size: head and body: up to 160 cm.

Tail: 33-51 cm.

Weight: 27-60/70 kg.

Height: 0.6-0.9 metres

Eyes: golden yellow that reflect light. This makes them 'glow in the dark.

Feet: larger than most domestic dogs - 10-11 cm wide, 12-13 cm long.

Teeth: there are 42 teeth. Canine teeth interlock making it harder for captive prey to break loose. Back teeth are useful for cracking bones.

DID YOU KNOW?

Grey wolves are present in the following countries: Russia, Canada, Alaska, North America, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, Poland, Turkey, Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, India, Mongolia, China.

One Ancient Roman claimed that sleeping with a wolf's head under your pillow could cure insomnia!

Wolves have a variety of distinctive facial expressions they use to communicate and maintain pack unity.

A wolf pup's eyes are blue at birth. Their eyes turn yellow by the time they are eight months old.

Five European grey wolf pups were born in May 2012 at the Scottish Highland Wildlife Park. Wolves have been known to live up to 16 years in captivity.

AQUILA PEERS INTO THE PAST AT ... LUCY BOSTON, THE AUTHOR

A bedroom door snaps shut . . . footsteps fade . . . a torch clicks . . . eager fingers snatch a tattered paperback from beneath a mattress. The Children of Green Knowe - the first of a series of six stories by Lucy Boston - has been transporting readers into a magical, ghostly world for over fifty years.

HOME AND SCHOOL

Lucy Maria Wood (who became Lucy Boston when she married) was born on 10th December 1892 in Lancashire. Her parents were called James and Mary and she had two older brothers, two older sisters and a younger brother. Her mother and father were both religious and her father was strict, believing that people should live simple lives. Their home was cold, austere and painted with religious mottoes like 'He that giveth to the poor shall not lack. The Bostons always gave to charity and so Lucy was a caring child but her life lacked warmth and fun. Nevertheless, Lucy loved her father but, sadly, he died when she was six.

At the age of ten, her life took a turn for the better when the family moved to the countryside for a year to improve her mother's health. Lucy discovered that she loved nature, which inspired her to paint, write poetry and play music and outdoor sports. When Lucy was fifteen she and her sister went to a girls boarding school in Sussex, which Lucy hated because she was teased for having a north-country accent. Lucy's sense of loneliness at times and her love of the countryside are feelings that her story characters experience too.

FAMILY AND MARRIAGE

In early 1917 Lucy's younger brother Philip, who was serving in the First World War, was reported missing. In that emotional year Lucy married an RAF man, Harold Boston. At the time Lucy was working as a nurse's aide in Houlgate, France. Lucy and Harold had one son, Peter who later became the illustrator of most of her children's books and was also a model for Tolly, the main character in The Children of Green Knowe. Lucy and her family lived in the industrial north but Lucy hated breathing the polluted air and missed the countryside. In 1935, when Peter was seventeen, she and Harold parted. In the years leading up to the Second World War, Lucy once again found happiness in art. She travelled around Europe, listening to classical music, visiting galleries and painting in Vienna.

HEMINGFORD MANOR

In the late 1930s, Lucy returned to England, choosing Cambridge because her son Peter was studying at Cambridge University. One day, hearing that a house was for sale in the nearby village of Hemingford Grey, she jumped in a taxi and went to find it. She stopped at a rustic, twelfth-century Norman manor she had seen while punting with her brothers years before, and assumed this must be the right house. The manor was situated in the middle of overgrown fields with views across the river Cam. Excitedly, she knocked at the door and told the astonished owners that she wanted to buy it. However, this wasn't the house that was for sale but a different one. Luckily, that very morning the owners of the manor had decided to sell it! What Lucy had chosen to buy was Hemingford Manor, one of the oldest houses in England. To her delight, much of the house was undamaged, despite being over nine hundred years old, although many of its original Norman features were hidden.

HAUNTED HOUSE

What Lucy didn't know was that the local villagers called it the 'poltergeist house and wouldn't go near. Lucy herself did experience strange happenings, but once she began to renovate the house and turn it back to its original Norman state the mischievous ghost stopped playing tricks. The villagers were a more difficult problem for Lucy, however. They were suspicious because she was a woman living alone in a strange house. Lucy tried not to let this worry her, and during the Second World War she held lively music recitals for soldiers, playing records on a gramophone. This gave them the chance to escape from the war for a moment by dancing, socialising and relaxing. This kindness fuelled the villagers gossip - they thought that Lucy was spying on the soldiers for the Nazis! Despite problems with the villagers, Lucy lived happily at the manor for fifty years and she died there in 1990.

TOLLY'S MANOR

As Lucy restored the manor she began to create a story - The Children of Green Knowe. She invented Tolly to reveal the manor's secrets and to keep her company. Tolly's bedroom is based on an attic room which has an old-fashioned rocking horse, a bed covered in tattered blankets and even a musty chest of toys - all these details are woven into the story. The manor is the setting for all the Green Knowe stories. The garden with its secret corners and hidden parts is also part of the Green Knowe magic.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO VISIT HEMINGFORD MANOR?

Lucy Boston's daughter-in-law, Diana Boston, lives at the manor. She gives fascinating guided tours, which you need to book in advance.

Telephone 01480 463134

Email: diana_boston@hotmail.com

www.greenknowe.co.uk

Or write to: Diana Boston, The Manor, Hemingford Grey, Huntingdon,

Cambridgeshire PE28 9BN

SOME BOOKS BY LUCY BOSTON you might like to read:

The Children of Green Knowe (1954) and The River at Green Knowe (1959), published by Faber and Faber

The Chimneys of Green Knowe (1958), A Stranger at Green Knowe (1961), An Enemy at Green Knowe (1964) and The Stones of Green Knowe (1976), all published by Oldknow Books

--end of feature--

BRAINFEEDERS - QUICK CHRISTMAS QUIZ

Test your knowledge of Noel with these questions!

1. What is the traditional thing to do when you are standing next to someone under some mistletoe?

a. Tell them a joke

b. Give them a kiss

c. Give them some sweets

2. True or false? Postmen in Victorian England were sometimes called 'robins. This was because they whistled songs while they delivered the post.

3. Every Christmas the people of Norway give the people of Britain a gift that is displayed in Trafalgar Square in London. What is it?

a. A tree b. A giant snowman c. A wooden reindeer

4. The first mince pies weren't just filled with fruit and spices. What else was in them?

a. Stuffing

b. Chopped up marshmallows

c. Meat

5. 'Stir-up Sunday is the last Sunday before Advent. What traditionally happens on this day?

6. What is the current record for the world's longest Christmas cracker?

a. 10.5 metres

b. 48.7 metres

c. 63.1 metres

7. The world's first Christmas card was designed in England for a man called Henry Cole. When was it sent?

a. 1789

b. 1843

c. 1926

8. True or false? Male reindeers have antlers but female reindeers do not.

9. What do you traditionally find decorating the top of a Christmas tree?

a. A bell b. A robin c. A star

10. True or false? We sometimes shorten 'Christmas to 'Xmas because 'X is the first letter of the Greek word for Christ.

PUZZLE

PRESENT PROBLEM

How many presents will Aquila have to unwrap this Christmas? Solve this problem to find out!

Ian the cat has eight Christmas presents in his stocking.

Calculata has twice as many presents as Ian.

EB has eight more presents than Calculata.

Astra has a quarter of the number of presents that EB has.

Aquila has three times as many as Astra!

PUZZLE

ODD ONE OUT

Spot the odd one out in each of these lists! Can you explain your answer?

List 1: myrrh / chocolate / gold / frankincense

List 2: twelve drummers drumming / nine ladies dancing / six reindeers running / four calling birds

List 3: Prancer / Snowflake / Dasher / Comet

PUZZLE

CHRISTMAS CAROL MIX-UP

Oh no! The names of these Christmas carols are all mixed up! Can you sort them out?

1. Away in a donkey

2. O Little Town of Wenceslas

3. Little Night

4. Silent Manger

5. Good King Bethlehem

Solutions on the last but one page of this edition!

WOODWORM'S CHRISTMAS CROSSWORD

CLUES ACROSS:

2. A good king from a well-known Christmas carol (9)

7. But is it a pot for your Christmas tree? (3) anagram

9. Giant made of gore (4) anagram

10. A tool, used to make 16 down? (3)

11. You do this to ribbon when you wrap your presents (3)

13. A well-known snowman you might have sung about (6)

14. Bring us some _____ pudding! (5)

17. This part of 28 down is dark green and spiky (4)

18. The essential ingredient for a white Christmas (4)

19. Don’t eat too much Christmas dinner or you might feel like this! (3)

20. Baubles, tinsel, paper chains, etc (11)

21. Turn __ the Christmas lights (2)

25. Found in a cracker, worn at a party (3)

26. To swallow quickly or drink rapidly (4)

27. Number of maids a-milking in the carol The Twelve Days of Christmas (5)

29. The Latin word for sun (3)

30. The noise Christmas bells might make (6)

32. Precious metal (4)

34. Jolly or happy (5)

35. dry ban, Santa’s favourite drink? (6) anagram

CLUES DOWN

1. Things, bits and pieces (5)

3. The night before Christmas day (3)

4. An abbreviation of company (2)

5. Alone, without others (4)

6. A place you might find Santa (6)

8. The sound your cracker makes when you pull it (4)

11. Father Christmas’s address? (3, 5, 4)

12. To try, to give something a good go, make an ______ (6)

15. A house made from ice (5)

16. A festive piece of wood or a chocolaty treat (4, 3)

18. A Christmas sock but not to wear on your feet! (8)

22. The French word for Christmas (4)

23. Macadamia, pecan, cashew (3)

24. A place to see things from the past (6)

28. A festive berry (5)

31. A plant that goes with 28 down at Christmas (3)

33. An informal way to say thank you (2)

Solutions on last but one page of this edition!

THE AQUILA CHRISTMAS PARTY KIT - HOME DECORATIONS

This special section is packed with ideas and recipes, giving you lots of inspiration for throwing a fabulous festive party! Make your own decorations, prepare some yummy food and drink and keep your guests entertained with plenty of party games and jokes. Have fun!

Home-made decorations look great and will add a personal touch to your party!

STARRY PAPER CHAINS

These strings of stars are an unusual alternative to traditional paper chains. They are also a great way to use up scraps of Christmas wrapping paper. Why not make some to hang on your doors or in your windows during your party!

You will need:

Rectangles of colourful paper

(each piece needs to be at least 24 centimeters x 14 centimeters)

Pencil

Scissors

Glue stick

Ribbon (optional)

1. For each star, take a rectangle of paper and fold it in half, then in half again, to make a smaller rectangle that is at least 12 centimeters x 7 centimeters.

2. Making sure that the two sides with the folds are on the left and at the bottom of your rectangle, draw around the template like this.

3. Cut out the shape. Don't cut the areas that are red on the template (these will be joins).

4. When you have several stars, you can start to open them up and thread them together. Keep cutting out stars and adding them on until your chain is long enough to hang across a window or down a door.

5. Dab a little glue in between the open four points of each star. Press and hold for a few seconds so they are joined together.

6. Take a long piece of ribbon and thread it in and out of the holes in your chain of stars. You can make loops in the ribbon at the ends to hang your chain. It is possible to hang up the chain without ribbon, using drawing pins or sticky tape.

To make a chain of matching stars use the same paper, or use different colours and patterns and mix them up.

JOKE: What do sheep write in their Christmas cards? Seasons Bleatings!

TORN TISSUE CANDLE HOLDERS

Decorate your table with some of these colourful candle holders. They give off a fantastic, warm glow as the candlelight shines through the torn tissue paper.

You will need:

An empty glass jar (peel off any old labels and make sure it is clean inside!)

Some tissue paper torn into small pieces (light colours like white, yellow or pale blue will work best as more candlelight will shine through)

Some coloured paper in a contrasting colour

Scissors

PVA glue and a paintbrush

A small 'tea light candle

1. Mix some PVA glue with a little water. Stir it well to create a thinner, more transparent paste.

2. Lightly coat small squares of tissue paper with the glue mixture (take care not to get them too wet or the tissue will tear). Smooth them on to the outside of your jar, overlapping so that no glass is left showing. You could use a paintbrush to help you. Put the jar to one side.

3. Cut out simple paper shapes to decorate your jar. Try Christmas trees, spots, hearts, snowflakes, stars or any other shape that you like.

4. While your jar is still damp, stick the shapes on to the background tissue. Use a paintbrush to add a thin layer of glue over the top. Finally put your jar somewhere safe and warm and leave it to dry completely.

5. Once your jar is dry it is ready to use. Ask an adult to help you light a tea light candle and drop it inside. The jar will glow and light up your design!

BE SAFE

Remember to keep your candle holder on a heat-proof surface like a cork mat. Don't touch the jar while the candle is burning - it will get hot!

Wait for the jar to cool down after the candle has gone out before touching it.

NAME CARDS & TABLE SPRINKLES

You will need:

Thin card Coloured paper

Scissors

Glitter and glue to decorate

A felt-tip pen

Cut some rectangles of cardboard 10cm by 7cm. Fold them in half so that they will stand up on their own with the fold at the top. You can then cover the front with coloured paper. Try using a background of white to look like snow and then stick on green trees to create a winter scene. Don't forget to leave space to add writing! Write your guests names on the cards to show them where to sit, or use them to label the food on the table.

Table sprinkles are a fun way to decorate your tablecloth. Start by cutting a strip of coloured paper. Then fold it up into a concertina, making it big enough to draw your chosen shape. You can then cut out lots of the same shape at once - try stars or simple Christmas trees. You could decorate your sprinkles with a little bit of glitter. Once they are dry, scatter them all over your table for a festive finish!

AQUILA CHRISTMAS PART KIT - RECIPES

Joke: How does Good King Wenceslas like his pizza cooked? Deep and crisp and even!

MINI CRISPY CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS

Transform ordinary chocolate Rice Krispies cakes into mini Christmas puddings for your party. This recipe includes some dried fruit for an extra festive twist!

Equipment:

Scales and measuring spoons

Saucepan

Cupcake or mini muffin tin

Spoon and knife

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon of butter

4 tablespoons of golden syrup

1 tablespoon of sugar

1 teaspoon of cocoa powder

25 grams of crispy rice cereal (like Rice Krispies)

2 tablespoons of dried cranberries

A couple of drops of vanilla essence

To decorate:

75 grams of white chocolate

Red Smarties (or similar sweets)

These measurements will make 6 puddings in a standard cupcake tin or 12 puddings in a mini muffin tin. If you are having a big party you could double the ingredients to make twice as many!

1. Lightly grease your cupcake tin with a little butter or margarine. If you prefer you could use paper cake cases.

2. Measure out the butter, golden syrup, sugar and cocoa powder and put them straight into the saucepan. Melt them gently over a low heat (ask an adult to help you use the cooker), stirring all the time.

3. Once you have a smooth, chocolaty mixture, take the saucepan off the heat and carefully add the rice cereal, dried cranberries and vanilla essence. Stir the mixture gently until all the dry ingredients are coated evenly.

4. Spoon the mixture into your cupcake tin, dividing it equally between the sections. Using a knife or spatula, press the mixture down firmly so that the top is flat and level. Then put your tin into the fridge and leave it until the mixture is cool and set.

5. Once your mini puddings are set, turn them out carefully with a knife and put them on to a plate. Put them flat side down so that they look like little domes. Then break the white chocolate into squares and let it melt slowly in a saucepan on a very low heat. (Watch out, if the saucepan gets too hot your chocolate will burn!)

6. Once the chocolate is melted, take it off the heat and let it cool a little so it is thick and not too runny. Then spoon a little bit onto the top of each pudding, using enough so that it begins to drip down the sides. Finally, press a Smartie into the top of each one and put the puddings back into the fridge to allow the chocolate to set completely.

For a different type of pudding, you could try adding other dried fruits like currants or chopped apricots, or perhaps some chopped nuts!

TOP TIP: Keep your puddings in the fridge until you are ready to eat them - this will keep them nice and firm and make them easier to pick up!

FESTIVE VEGGIE KEBABS

For a savoury snack, little veggie kebabs make a colourful change from crisps. Alternate red and green vegetables on cocktail sticks for a crunchy, Christmas kebab! Cherry tomatoes and pieces of green pepper work well, or you could try red pepper pieces and chunks of cucumber.

COLD TURKEY SANDWICHES

Making sandwiches is a great way to use up leftover turkey from your Christmas dinner. Add a layer of cranberry sauce and some salad or spinach leaves to make them more interesting. Use Christmas biscuit cutters to cut your sandwiches into festive shapes!

CRANBERRY & ORANGE CRUSH

1 carton of orange juice

Lime wedges and ice to serve

Clear glasses

1. First put a few ice cubes into each glass.

2. Next fill each glass half full with orange juice.

3. Slowly top up the glasses with cranberry juice, pouring gently so that the two juices do not mix completely. The cranberry juice should 'sit above the orange juice giving a cool sunset effect!

4. Finish by adding a squeeze of lime and a wedge to each glass for a refreshing crush!

MULLED BLACKCURRANT

Blackcurrant cordial or squash

1 satsuma peeled and cut into slices

1 cinnamon stick

10 cloves

Mugs or glasses to serve

1. First make up a jug of blackcurrant squash, using about one part cordial to four parts cold water. Then pour the squash into a pan.

2. Peel a satsuma and cut it into slices, cutting it horizontally into circles rather than into segments. Then cut each circle into halves.

3. Add the slices of satsuma, cinnamon stick and cloves to the pan and then heat the squash over a low heat, letting it steam but not boil. Allow the mixture to simmer gently for at least 10 minutes, giving the spices time to release their flavour.

4. Serve the mulled blackcurrant in cups or glasses with one of the satsuma slices. Delicious!

Joke: What tastes like almonds and jumps from Christmas cake to Christmas cake? Tarzipan!

AQUILA CHRISTMAS PARTY KIT - PARTY GAMES

Joke: What tastes like almonds and jumps from Christmas cake to Christmas cake? Tarzipan!

PARTY GAMES

Here are a few ideas for keeping your guests entertained

SANTA SAYS

This is a Christmas version of Simon Says! Choose someone to be Santa. They then stand at the front and call out things for everyone to do by saying 'Santa says...'. They might say 'Santa says hop on one leg or 'Santa says touch your nose. Everyone must copy, unless the order is given without saying 'Santa says first. If this happens, anyone who does the action is out!

ARTIST IN THE DARK

For this game you will need some big sheets of paper, some pens and a blindfold. Ask an adult to help you pin a piece of paper up and then choose an artist. The artist is blindfolded so that they are in the dark. The rest of the players can take it in turns to ask the artist to draw things, trying to create a picture. You might start by asking them to draw the outline of a house, then asking them to add doors, windows and a garden. The results can be very funny and your artist might be surprised at the finished picture when they take their blindfold off!

FIRST LETTER, LAST LETTER

This is a word game that can be played with any number of players. Sit in a circle and decide on a theme, perhaps you could choose 'Christmas. Someone starts and says a word linked to the theme, for example 'holly. The next person must say another word linked to the theme but starting with the last letter of the previous word, for example 'yuletide. If someone gets stuck they are out. Keep going until you have a winner!

Joke: What falls on the ground but never gets hurt? Snow!

TOWER OF FLOUR

This game can be messy so make sure you ask an adult first! It's best to prepare for the game in advance.

You will need:

A bowl

A tray

Some flour

A small round sweet like a Malteser

A knife (not too sharp!)

A blindfold

Before your party, fill a bowl with flour and press it down firmly. It needs to be filled right to the top and packed down quite hard. Then ask an adult to help you turn it out on to a tray. It should hold the shape of the bowl, making a solid dome shape. When you're ready to play the game, bring the tray out and set it on the floor, then balance a sweet on top of the dome. Going clockwise around the circle, each player should take it in turns to carefully slice a small part of the flour dome away, using a knife. They must try to make sure that the sweet stays on top of the tower of flour. As the game goes on it gets harder and harder as the dome gets smaller! The lucky player to the right of the one who makes the sweet fall down wins the rest of the bag of sweets. Let's hope they share them!

Joke: What game do cows play at Christmas parties? Moo-sical chairs!

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

This game is fun if you like acting and drama! Choose someone to be the director and let everyone else walk around them. When the director puts their hand up, everyone must stop to listen. The director then chooses a character for everyone to be. It could be Father Christmas, a witch, your teacher or a famous person - anyone that all the players will know. The director then shouts 'lights, camera, action!' and everyone pretends to be the character. The director chooses the best performer who will be the next director!

Other favourite party games: Pass the parcel, musical statues, musical bumps, sleeping lions, hide & seek

AQUILA'S GREAT BIG QUIZ OF THE YEAR!

Christmas is a great time for getting together to play games. Why not group your family or friends into teams and see who can get the most questions right in our Great Big Quiz of the Year? If you have enough people, one person could be your Quiz Master and read out the questions and answers!

You will need:

Paper and a pen or pencil for each team

A prize for the winners - maybe some yummy Christmas food served to them by the other teams!

Rules:

The Quiz Master should read out one question at a time (if you don't have a Quiz Master take it in turns to read them out).

Each team can then discuss their ideas (quietly so the others can't hear!) and write down their answer.

At the end of each round, swap your sheets and mark each others questions while the Quiz Master reads out the answers.

You could include a forfeit for the team with the fewest correct answers in each round! Here are some ideas:

- Whistle 'Jingle Bells while standing on one leg!

- Do an impression of Father Christmas squeezing down a chimney!

- Sing the first line of a Christmas song backwards!

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

1. 2012 was an important year for the Queen of England. What did she celebrate in February this year?

2. Can you name the famous ship that sank on 15th April 100 years ago?

3. A new President was elected in France this year, taking the place of Nicolas Sarkozy. Do you know the name of the person who replaced him?

a) Thierry Henry

b) François Hollande

c) Claude Monet

4. 2012 was a Leap Year so February had 29 days instead of the usual 28 this year. When will the next Leap Year be?

5. Aquila is sent out to children all over the world each month. Can you guess how many copies of Aquila are read each year?

a) Less than 1,000

b) More than 100,000

c) Over 1,000,000

SPORT

1. Which country won the most medals at this summer's Olympic Games, topping the medal table with a whopping 104 medals?

2. What were the names of the Olympic and Paralympic mascots?

3. How many medals did Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds win at this year's Games?

a) 1

b) 3

c) 4

4. Andy Murray made history this year by becoming the first British man in 76 years to win a tennis Grand Slam title. Which competition did he win to do this?

a) The US Open

b) The Olympics

c) Wimbledon

5. 2012 saw Andrew Strauss retire as Captain of the England Team for which sport?

a) Rugby

b) Cricket

c) Volleyball

SCIENCE & GEOGRAPHY

1. June was a record-breaking month for weather this year. What was measured to be more in June 2012 than in any other June since records began in 1910?

2. The next Olympic and Paralympic Games will take place in 2016. Can you name the city and country that will host them?

3. August saw the death of Neil Armstrong, the well-known American astronaut. What is Neil Armstrong most famous for?

4. In late October a hurricane hit the north-east of the USA causing damage and flooding. What was the hurricane called?

a) Hurricane Katrina

b) Hurricane Isaac

c) Hurricane Sandy

5. Scientists identified a new species of a particular animal in Africa this year. Do you know what type of animal it was?

a) Elephant

b) Giraffe

c) Monkey

BOOKS & FILM

1. This year one of Roald Dahl's best-loved books, 'The BFG, celebrated its 30th birthday. Can you name the little girl who befriends the BFG in the story?

2. The film 'The Lorax came to our cinema screens this year, based on a children's book of the same name. Which well-known American author wrote the story?

a) Dr Seuss

b) Walt Disney

c) Barack Obama

3. J. R. R. Tolkien's famous book 'The Hobbit was 75 years old this September. Can you name the sequel that Tolkien wrote that was so long it was published as three separate volumes?

a) The Lord of the Gold

b) The Lord of the Fire

c) The Lord of the Rings

4. The film 'Private Peaceful, based on the book by Michael Morpurgo, hit cinemas in October. Which other famous Michael Morpurgo story has been made into a film and award-winning theatre production?

5. J. K. Rowling's first Harry Potter book, 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, became 15 years old in June this year. What is the title of the seventh and final Harry Potter book?

SOLUTIONS on the last but one page of this edition

READ IT - BOOKS REVIEWS

Keep boredom at bay during the Christmas holidays with a nice new book. Here are some funny titles chosen by the AQUILA team to keep you chuckling and chortling into the New Year and beyond!

FIZZLEBERT STUMP

by A. F.Harrold

Published by Bloomsbury

Fizzlebert Stump lives in a circus. His mum is a clown, his dad is a strongman and his best friend is a sea lion called Fish. But Fizz just wants to be a normal boy with some real friends. In search of normality, Fizz joins a library and meets Mr and Mrs Stinkthrottle, which is when his problems really begin. . . These hilarious characters and their antics will keep you turning the pages of this story right until the end!

THE CURSE OF THE BOGLE'S BEARD

by Siobhan Rowden

Published by Scholastic

Barnaby Figg's dad has gone missing and he has been forced to move into his hideous Granny Hogsflesh's mauve mansion. If Barnaby is to escape a job in her pickling factory and find his dad then he must also try to find the truth behind some very strange goings on in Granny's house. Will there be clues in an old diary? What is a bogle? And is there anything that can't be pickled? A gripping mystery story with plenty of laughs along the way!

GRANNY GRABBERS WHIZZ BANG WORLD

by Charlotte Haptie

Published by Hodder Children's Books

Delilah Smart's parents are so busy with their brainy, important jobs that they don't have any time for her. They buy a childcare robot to be her nanny and make sure she is only playing with educational toys so they can show off about how clever she is. Little do they know that Granny Grabbers the robot is more interested in teaching Delilah about fun! But their fun is in danger of being thwarted when Happy Home Robotics send a replacement, Nanny Deluxe, designed to put a stop to Granny Grabbers. . . An exciting story that will keep you smiling from start to finish!

A JIGGY McCUE STORY: MURDER & CHIPS

by Michael Lawrence

Published by Orchard Books

Jiggy McCue and his two friends, Angie and Pete, are feeling stressed. They've got dreaded exams looming and they need to take their minds off school. To help them relax, Jiggy's mum suggests a Murder Mystery weekend at a grand old house, Naffington Hall. While the grown-ups are given impressive rooms full of fancy furniture, Jiggy and his friends are shown to a dusty old attic crammed with junk. . . and then the strange and spooky antics begin! Jiggy is sure to make you giggle in this madcap mystery tale.

NUTZ! by Virginia Frances Schwartz

Published by Tradewind Books

Meet Amos, the half-Persian, half-alley cat, who lives with ten-year-old Tyler and his mum. When Bruno, the brutish dog next door, catches and injures a baby squirrel Tyler decides to give it a home and Amos soon finds out that things in his house are about to change. As his world is turned upside down, Amos has to make a difficult decision. The colourful characters in this quirky story make it a book that is hard to put down.

S.T.I.N.K.B.O.M.B. by Rob Stevens

Published by Macmillan Children's Books

S.T.I.N.K.B.O.M.B. is MI6's branch of child agents who are tasked with tracking down and defeating dangerous masterminds and mutant monsters. Archie Hunt is their latest recruit and with his two fellow agents, Barney Jones and Gemma Croft, he must find and stop the evil Doctor Doom who is intent on creating the ultimate super-being. Can they save the day? Will they be back in time for school on Monday morning? Find out in this first hilarious book in the S.T.I.N.K.B.O.M.B. series!

2012 ROALD DAHL FUNNY PRIZE

The winner of the Funniest Book for Children Aged Seven to Fourteen is DARK LORD: TEENAGE YEARS, by Jamie Thomson (published by Orchard Books).

And if your sides are not aching too much from all the laughter, here are the other titles which were short-listed.

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG FLIES AGAIN, by Frank Cottrell Boyce (published by Macmillan)

THE DRAGONSITTER, by Josh Lacey (published by Andersen Press)

GANGSTA GRANNY, by David Walliams (published by HarperCollins Children's Books)

GOBLINS, by Philip Reeve (published by Marion Lloyd Books)

SOCKS ARE NOT ENOUGH, by Mark Lowery (published by Scholastic Children's Books)

PEN FRIEND CLUB

Hi everyone, I’m Izzy. Write to me if you’d like to be on the AQUILA Pen Friend Club page. Here’s a reminder of what to do if you’d like to write to one of the children on this page.

- Write a letter to the pen friend.

- Put your full name and address so they can write back to you.

- Put the letter in an envelope and write the pen friend’s reference number and first name on the front.

- Send it to me at the address below. I will then send the letter to the pen friend you have chosen. After that, it’s up to both of you to keep writing to each other, at your own addresses.

Send your letter to:

(Name and number of pen friend)

c/o Izzy, AQUILA Pen Friend Club,

Studio 2,

67A Willowfield Road,

Eastbourne,

East Sussex BN22 8AP

PLEASE NOTE: Requests to go on the Pen Friend Club page and first time replies to letters will only be accepted if they are HANDWRITTEN by you. Please remember to include your address when you write! The Pen Friend Club is open to AQUILA subscribers only.

1. SOFIA is 10 1/2 and lives in London. She does gymnastics at a high level and her hobbies include ice-skating, dancing, singing and writing. She plays the violin and her favourite authors are Jacqueline Wilson and Stacy Gregg. She would like a girl pen friend, aged 9-12, who will write and email regularly.

2. JEMMA is 7 and lives in Hertfordshire. She loves animals and has a hamster, two guinea pigs and a puppy. She loves reading, writing stories, gymnastics and going to the cinema. She would like a pen friend aged 6-9 from anywhere around the world.

3. LUCY is 13 years old and lives in Dorset with her family and two cats. She likes swimming, cycling, maths and reading (especially Discworld). She plays the viola and the recorder and plays in her local youth group. She would like a girl pen friend who is in Year 8 (12-13), plays an instrument and doesn't mind being emailed loads.

4. AMY lives in Northumberland and likes swimming, cycling, ballet and gymnastics. She loves animals and has two pet rabbits. She would like a girl pen friend who has similar interests, aged 7-10, from anywhere in the world including Britain.

5. JOANNA is 12 and lives in Wales with her parents and younger brother. She has two zebra finches and a budgie called Rio. Her hobbies are dancing, swimming, taekwondo, sewing, reading, writing, cooking, drawing and making things. She enjoys playing the recorder and is being taught by her dad to play the guitar. She would like a girl pen friend aged 11-13.

6. ERICA is 9 and lives in Kent and has a dog (she used to have a cat and five fish). She loves literacy and likes maths, RE and PSHE and is having piano lessons. She would like a pen friend from anywhere in the world, aged 8-10, who has good English.

7. ZOE is 5 and lives with her parents, brother and a cat called Ernie in Bristol. She likes Lego and playing with dolls and is looking for a pen friend aged 5.

8. MARY is 12 and lives in East Yorkshire with her parents, brother Robert and sister Emma. She also has a cat called Chestnut. Her hobbies are crafts, art, cooking, reading, writing and climbing, as she loves the outdoors. She plays the piano and the violin. She says she is a Christian and would like a pen friend of a similar age, with similar interests who would write regularly.

9. ROANNA is 10 (nearly 11) and lives in London. She goes to a drama club every week and her interests include acting, reading and writing stories. She LOVES the Harry Potter books and is writing her own book called 'Mind's Eye. She would like a boy or girl pen friend, aged 11-14 from anywhere in the world, who is fluent in English.

10. RHIANNA is 10 and lives in South Yorkshire and has two guinea pigs. Her interests include stamp collecting, tennis and Brownies. She also plays the violin and a bit of piano. She would like a girl pen friend, aged 9-12 from anywhere in the world who would write often and be able to put interesting stamps on their letters for her collection.

11. APHRA is 9 and lives in London with her mum, dad, little brother and older brother. She loves spaghetti and enjoys writing and reading stories - especially Jacqueline Wilson and Roald Dahl books - playing music (she plays the piano, violin and recorder), doing maths and art (mainly drawing). She also likes watching gymnastics and doing sprinting. She adores puppies and cats and longs for a pet. She would like a pen friend who is age 9-10.

JUST THINK - ARE MIRACLES POSSIBLE?

with Philip and Phoebe, the terrible twins!

"It's a miracle!" Phoebe stared at her maths exam result in disbelief. 93% was impossibly good! "Don't be silly," scoffed Philip, her twin brother. "Miracles don't happen. They're against the laws of nature. You were just lucky, that's all."

But Phoebe was not convinced. It felt too much like the Universe stepping in to help her out for that. "But I didn't understand the questions! And I was ill the night before so I couldn't revise properly. Someone has been looking after me, I'm sure of it."

"Look, there'll be a rational explanation if you think carefully enough," replied her sceptical brother. "There's no need to bring God into it just because something unexpected and good has happened. Nice things are bound to happen to people sometimes; it doesn't mean there's been divine intervention when they do."

Who is right? Should Phoebe feel grateful to God, or the Universe, for giving her an unexpected gift? Or should she agree with Philip that it is just a matter of pure chance?

Have a think about it, and then read on...

DO MIRACLES EVER HAPPEN, or can unexpectedly good events always be explained in some other way?

The philosopher David Hume argued against the possibility of miracles in 'An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding written in 1748. A miracle involves breaking the laws of nature, he wrote. And as these have been firmly established by experience, it is always more likely that an alleged miracle has occurred in some other way.

For example, imagine someone tells you that he saw a dead man raised to life. It is always more likely that your informant is mistaken, or is deliberately lying to you, than that the actual event happened.

Philip is siding with Hume in his argument with Phoebe. But there are two problems with Hume's position.

Firstly, we are not really too sure what 'the laws of nature actually are. Scientists over the years have changed their minds about them an alarming amount, which makes Hume sound much too confident about our knowledge of them.

But secondly, and more importantly, when most people use the word 'miracle, they are not interested in whether the 'laws of nature have been broken at all.

For example, imagine a couple whose daughter is dying of leukaemia (a fatal blood disease). They pray that she will be cured, and, after a lengthy course of treatment in hospital she is. They experience their daughter's healing as an answer to their prayers, and therefore as a 'miracle. They are not concerned with whether a 'law of nature was broken in her getting better. They are just grateful that she is, and experience that as a gift, not just as a matter of chance.

This is what Phoebe means by the result of her maths exam being a miracle. Whatever the reason for it, she feels grateful.

So - do miracles ever happen? In Phoebe's sense, all of the time. In Philip's sense, who knows? Whenever you hear the word 'miracle, always ask yourself carefully what is meant by it!

EXTRA TRICKY QUESTIONS FOR BUDDING PHILOSOPHERS

1. How can we be sure that today's 'laws of nature will not be disproved by science tomorrow?

2. 'Miracle goal saves Man U.' What does the word 'miracle mean here?

3. 'There is no testimony that is sufficient to establish a miracle.' (David Hume) Is Hume right?

Further research:

You can find out more about David Hume on miracles at section 3.7 of the following website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hume#Problem_of_miracles

STORY - VANISHING ACT

by Pamela Morrison

"Mum and Dad will be furious," said Toby. "What are you going to do?" Uncle Joe looked anxious. "I'll think of something," he said. "It can't be that difficult."

Toby wasn't so sure. Uncle Joe was notorious for bungling his experiments, but nothing had gone this far wrong before. His uncle was working on a time machine. Only last week, he had taken himself to Ancient Egypt and back. Toby wanted to go to Roman Britain, but when he did the time machine had malfunctioned. Toby had disappeared, and he couldn't reappear in either the Roman world or this one. He was completely invisible.

"I'll email other scientists," said Uncle Joe. "Maybe one of them will have a solution. We've got until Monday. Your parents won't be back until then."

Toby's parents had gone to Paris, leaving Toby with Uncle Joe for the weekend. "I really need to be visible by Sunday," said Toby. "I'm playing in a football match. I won't be much good like this." "Don't pester me," said Uncle Joe. "Pestering makes me flustered, and I can't think when I'm flustered. You'd better go for a walk, and leave me in peace."

"I can't go out like this!" "Why ever not? No one is going to see you. Just be careful when you cross the road."

Toby walked towards the park. It was a strange sensation to be unable to see his own feet, even stranger to walk past people who looked straight through him. As he turned a corner, he came face to face with Buster Smellie. Buster was the school bully. On many occasions he'd forced Toby to hand over his lunch money. Buster was with his gang, the Smellie Boys. Toby automatically flattened himself against the wall as they went by but, of course, no one looked in his direction. They crossed the road and went into the park. Toby followed at a short distance.

Soon the gang came across a couple of small boys who were playing with a bat and ball. Ah, this was what Buster liked, an opportunity to bully some boys who were smaller than himself. He dashed forward and grabbed the ball, tossing it to his friend, Ginger.

"Here we go, lads. Let's have a game of rounders." "That's our ball. Give it back," said one of the small boys. "Push off, shrimp," said Buster, and he gave the boy a shove that sent him headlong into the mud. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" said Toby, and he tweaked Buster's nose.

"Ow!" Buster clutched his nose and looked around, but there was no one near him. The rest of the Smellie Boys had moved away, still passing the ball back and forth between them. Toby tugged Buster's hair.

"I said why don't you pick on someone your own size?" "Who is it? Who said that?"

Buster was afraid now, and flailed his arms around to fight off his invisible foe. The two little boys watched and began to giggle.

"What's the matter with him? He's going crazy," said one.

Buster started to run towards his gang. Toby followed. "Tell them to give the ball back," said Toby, "I'm the ghost of bullied boys, and I seek retribution."

Buster wasn't sure what retribution was, but he didn't like the sound of it.

"Give the boys their ball back," he yelled to his gang. "What?" said Ginger, "Not likely."

"Give it back. Ouch! Ouch!"

Toby was pinching Buster's arms now as well as tweaking his nose. "If you want the ball, go and get it," said Ginger, and he hurled the ball as far as he could. It landed with a loud splash in the middle of the boating lake. Ducks scattered, quacking loudly.

Toby whispered in Buster's ear: "Fetch the ball - or else!" He gave Buster's nose a good, hard tweak.

"Stop it! Stop it!" screamed Buster, clutching at his nose. "I'll get the ball. Look, I'm going now." He plunged into the filthy water up to his waist.

"What's he doing?" said Ginger. "Buster's gone barmy. Look at him." "Throw him a stick," yelled one of the gang, "maybe he'll bring that back too."

Laughing, the gang threw a few sticks into the water. A passing labrador decided to join in the fun and jumped into the lake. Buster could hear something panting behind him, but he didn't dare to turn round. He was sure that the ghost of bullied boys was right behind him.

The ball was bobbing in the water. Buster lunged forward to grab it, but the dog had seen the ball too. Just as Buster's fingers were closing around the ball, a huge dribbling mouth filled with large white fangs seized it from his grasp. Buster gave a scream of terror. He lost his balance and toppled headfirst into the lake. The water wasn't deep. He soon emerged, covered in mud and duck poo and with a fine hat of slimy weeds.

"What's he doing?" said one of the gang. "I think he's out for a duck," said Ginger. At that moment there was an almighty roar. "Bartholemew Smellie! What are you doing? Get out of there at once!" A small angry woman had appeared at the edge of the lake. It was Buster's mother. She had come to the park to walk his dog. The fierce, ugly mutt was straining at the leash to join his master. How dare he play ball with a strange labrador!

"Bartholomew, do you hear? Get out of there immediately." Bartholomew! The gang looked at one another. He'd always been known to them as Buster. They laughed even louder. Buster struggled towards the edge of the lake.

"Look at the state of you," shrieked Mrs Smellie. "Just wait until your father gets home!" By this time, the labrador had also come out of the water. As Toby reached out to take the ball from its jaws, he felt his whole body begin to tingle. He looked down and could see the faint outline of his feet. He was becoming visible again! He quickly dived under the cover of a nearby willow tree. The drooping branches nearly touched the ground making a green cavern. The strange sensation stopped, and Toby twisted and turned to see as much of himself as possible. Yes, he had reappeared, but he wasn't quite the same as before.

He stepped out from under the tree just as Mrs Smellie went by, yanking Buster along by the collar. Mrs Smellie didn't notice Toby, but Buster did. A look passed between them. Buster's eyes darted to Toby's hand, which was still clutching the ball. Toby smiled and gave a slight nod, and Buster whimpered in fear. Toby didn't think he would have any more trouble with him. Now his only problem was how to get home - without being seen in a Roman toga. Uncle Joe had some explaining to do!

READERS LETTERS - OVER TO YOU

Dear Aquila

I live in Ottawa, Canada, and I like reading comics like Judge Dredd. Does anyone else like reading it? In response to Beth Moore (June issue), an oceanographer would be interesting. In response to Ezri Mannion (September issue), I probably won't go to the Olympics any time soon because of where I live but I watched them on TV. Some day I'd like to be in the Olympics as a swimmer. My favourite pages are Brainfeeders, Ian and Over to you. Could you do more Ian? What address would you use to send in jokes? From Emma Bainbridge, age 93/4 PS. I drew a cat. Does anyone else like cats?

Aquila replies: Send your jokes to 'AQUILA Jokes, Studio 2, 67A Willowfield Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN22 8AP

Dear Aquila

A few weeks ago the October 2011 issue (parasites) came in handy. We were in Scotland and one day we went out and when we came back to our cottage I had a wash and when I got dry I found what I thought was a splinter on my leg. I ignored it but when my brother got back he pulled it off. Then my Dad saw it and he said it was a TICK. It hurt when my Dad got the head out with a pin. It's still a scab now but I hope it doesn't get infected and gets better soon. In the same holiday we went up Ben Nevis! PS. Can you do an issue on Ancient Britain?

Aquila replies: You didn't give us your name but we hope your leg gets better soon! If other readers get a tick, try to see a doctor who can remove it carefully for you.

Dear Aquila

This is the first time that I have written to you so I am a bit nervous. I really LOVE your magazine and every day I ask my dad when the next magazine will arrive. My favourite pages are Over to you, Pen friend club and Who told you that? at the back. This October I am going to Germany and I cannot wait! I live in Greece but my mother is Dutch and my father is English, so I speak three languages. I go to a Greek school and I have recently started year 6. It is quite difficult but that is because I am not Greek. I have a little brother called Sam and I have a dog called Bell and a cat called Clio and I would love to get a rat! I love acting, singing, dancing and going mountain biking with my dad! At the moment I am reading a book written by Roald Dahl called Boy Tales of Childhood. I love to play the piano but I don't think I'm that good at it. From Sara Cole, age 10

Dear Aquila

I love your magazine, it is so fascinating. I really loved the one about the sun. I like Brainfeeders and Pepe because I adore animals. I want to be a vet when I grow up, I love helping animals. My cat Merlin is always catching mice and I always pick them up in my bare hands and make sure they're not bleeding and then rest them in cotton wool in cardboard boxes. I usually free them but once I took one home in a box. My twin Astrid and I named him Gruyere. The trouble is my Daddy is terrified of mice. Does anyone else have a twin?

MY SECRET

My secret is made from:

The roots of stars,

A parent's love for their child,

A baby dragon's first breath,

And the first buzz of life.

My secret can:

Change destiny,

Calm a stormy sea,

And make nature.

If I lost it:

Life would be everything but nothing,

The world would be meaningless,

Life would slowly crumble.

Thank you to my Grannie for subscribing us. From Theodora Shillito, age 9 PS. I love the Alex Rider books, they are amazing.

Dear Aquila

I have been reading your magazine for quite a while now and I like to trace and draw. I have done a tracing of the front cover of The Butterfly Lion book. I did not trace it all, I only traced the lion. The thing I love about your magazine is that it is full of facts and I think it's phenomenal! From Ariadne Morrison, age 8

Dear Aquila

I love your magazine. My favourite pages are Brainfeeders, Pen friend club and Over to you.

It's AQUILA

It's A-Q-U-I-L-A, AQUILA!

And AQUILA is a magazine for children who enjoy challenges.

Every month there's an issue

Like the sun, outdoor fun or why you need a tissue.

What fun reading about the sun.

I read a joke, laugh a bit

Then say "oh no, I finished it!"

I love writing poems and drawing pictures. Could you do an issue on the ocean? From Poppy, age 10 PS. Hi to my pen friend, Maisie Ellis.

Dear Aquila

I am another of your fans. I have 60 different issues at the time of this letter. AQUILA never disappoints and I always look forward to receiving every new issue. I was writing in response to some of the articles in the 2012 summer double issue. You wrote about the National Children's Orchestra, which I have been in for three years. In fact, I am going on a course (under 12s) in two days. I advise you to join us if you enjoy playing an instrument. I enjoyed the Big Cats article, especially when you mentioned Wye, which is where I live! It is a quiet village, I could never imagine seeing a black leopard here. I enjoyed all the outdoor fun activities and made the bubbles. I also made the moustache biscuits.

Does anyone else have ducks? We have two called Becky and Amelia and we used to have another called Jemima. I only know one other person with ducks so I would be interested to know if anyone has them.

Please could you do an issue or article on the London 2012 Games? I know you did in January but it would be nice to have the results and pictures in a magazine. Did anyone else enjoy the Olympics? I thought it went really well and Team GB was amazing. Everything was planned well but I preferred the opening ceremony to the closing one. I really wanted to go to at least one event but we didn't. Did anyone else go? From Giselle, age 12. PS. Hi to Kasia, Lily, Madeleine, Zoe (who I introduced to AQUILA) and Rosie McLeigh. I think Rosie gets AQUILA and she does viola with me on the National Children's Orchestra courses.

Dear Aquila

I have been reading this magazine since May and I love it. Well, actually, May was when I got a subscription. I have been reading it since a recent trip to South Africa for three months where a friend sent me some back issues from 2010 that he had finished with. When I went to South Africa for three months I started to realise just how lucky I was. I spent most of my time in a part of South Africa called Zululand. I learnt a lot about the different culture there and when I came back I was freaked out by how different it was here in England. I was also very chilly when I came back.

I am absolutely in love with animals and hope to soon get a hamster. At the moment I have no pets but I used to have ants and butterflies. If I had to choose my favourite animals I would choose hamsters, tigers and giraffes.

If I could have just one wish then it would definitely be to get a cure for cancer. Could you do an article about it? My favourite features of AQUILA are Brainfeeders, stories, Over to you and Ian. I loved it when you did the article about Oliver going to secondary school because even though I only went into Year 5 in September, I am worrying about high school. I also liked the article about D of E (I am so going to do it when I am fourteen) and the interview with Kieron Williamson.

My current hobbies are reading, basketball (playing and watching), going for jogs around the park, riding my bike, reading AQUILA, writing, reading First News (a newspaper for kids) and singing. I think that if you like AQUILA then you'll definitely like First News. My favourite AQUILA characters are Pepe, Kit (you need to add him in more because I love sport), Harvey and Astra. I will finish off my letter by asking if you think that collecting cards, cuddly toys and foreign dolls is weird? From Jessica Cargill Thompson, age 9. PS. Please do an article on Harry Potter. PPS. Does anyone else come from New Zealand like me?

Dear Aquila

I love your magazine so much. I really like the Stone Age articles in the September issue. I tried the Stone Age wordsearch and found all of the words! My dad and I have recently made a combination lock joined onto a box and it works by having notches in the discs inside the lid and cards with numbers to 8 on them on the outside. First you turn all the arrows to the correct combination then you open the lid of the box. From Robert, age 6

Dear Aquila

I have been reading your magazine for a few months now - my aunty sends them. I think AQUILA is a great magazine. Because my teachers say I need to read more, I read much more but I only read AQUILA magazines, they are full of all the subjects I learn at school, and Wildlife Watch magazines. I really like your magazines, I learn a lot and it really helps me with my schoolwork. We are learning about volcanoes in geography. We don't have a TV at home so I have not much to do. I have lots of pets. Five owls, one snowy owl, which is called Snowy, one European eagle owl and one great grey owl which is called Matilda and two burrowing owls, called Alleya and Lily. I also have an African grey parrot called Julie and a cat called Mime. We are looking after a baby seagull because it is injured - we call it Fred. I have three sisters and one brother and my favourite colour is orange. From Lulua Atcha

Dear Aquila

I really enjoy reading your magazine. My favourite pages are Over to you and Jokes. I have two cats called Sosage and Purrdy and a dog called Ruby. Can you do an issue on snails? They're my favourite animals. This is a poem I made up about space:

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five,

Four, three, two, one, blast

Off to Mercury it's like melting lava

Off to Venus that is like a stripy zebra

Off to Mars to see shooting stars

Off to Jupiter to see its red spot

Off to Saturn to see the ring

Off to Neptune to see its blueness

Off to Pluto it's the smallest

Back to Earth to see our human family.

From Imogen, age 10

Dear Aquila

I have written about one of my Olympic Games experiences. I do hope that you will have space to print it. Thank you. From Joshua Breadmore, age 9

Aquila replies: You can read Joshua's piece on our website, Readers Pages.

Dear Aquila

I have been a subscriber for three years now and I've always wanted to write to you so I've plucked up the courage to do so. Here is a poem I wrote about dogs:

Dogs

Dogs, dogs, as cute as can be,

They fill us with joy, they fill us with glee,

Their small little eyes, their cute little paws,

And their titchy witchy, tiny claws.

Their wet little nose, their fast little legs

The way that we smile as they sit up and beg,

The quiet companion, the loyal hound

That makes our greyhound Tom the best to be found.

From Isabelle Mason, age 9

PS. I loved that poem by Lydia Carlisle in the October issue. PPS. Can you do an issue on greyhounds?

Dear Aquila I love your magazine! Please could you do an edition on karate because it is my favourite hobby! I really enjoy art, I have drawn a volcano for you. From Alex Harris, age 81/2

Dear Aquila

I have been getting your magazine for two years now and I love it! I live in Singapore. However I travel across the border twice a day to Malaysia and back for school. The school I go to is a new school and my brother (twin) and I are the founding pupils. I have lived in Singapore for four months or so and still have to get used to the climate. My twin brother is called Oliver. We share the magazine because we both love it. My cousin Finn who lives in Berlin introduced us both to this magazine. Thank you Finn! I am British, however my grandmother is Hungarian and my dad was brought up in France. My mum is Canadian and my grandparents on mum's side are Canadian and British. I have a half brother called Toby and a half sister called Emily. My favourite pages in your magazine are probably Over to you, Brainfeeders and arty pages. Do you think you could do an issue on humming birds please?

Here is a riddle:

One night, a man and his son went into a room. No one else went in the room and no one was already in the room. The next morning three men came out. How?

From Isabelle Feremczi

The answer: (it was a spelling mistake) One knight (as in 'a knight in shining armour), a man and his son went into a room.

WHO TOLD YOU THAT ? . .

If you get cold and wet on a snowy winter's day, you'll catch a cold. Has your mother ever said to you in the winter, "Wrap up well, or you'll catch a cold." Sadly, in this case, mother is wrong. You can't catch a cold simply by being cold and wet. Colds are caused by what are called viruses, which are teeny, weeny, non-cellular particles (droplets), so small you can't even see them.

If a person with a cold coughs or sneezes, these invisible droplets are sprayed into the air. Anyone standing nearby could inhale these droplets through their nose or mouth and the cold virus has been caught. You can also absorb these droplets through your skin by touching something like a door handle, which has recently been touched by someone who has a cold.

And, by the way, Inuit people who live in very cold regions and scientists working in the Arctic and Antarctic don't catch colds any more frequently than the rest of us!

CHRISTMAS CRACKERS - HO, HO, HO!

What's the best thing you can give to your mum and dad at Christmas?

A long list of everything you want!

Where do you find a reindeer with no legs?

Where you left it!

Why did hungry Emma eat her Christmas dinner with a spade?

She wanted to shovel it down!

What do snowmen sing at parties?

Freeze a jolly good fellow!

Which hand does Santa use to stir his Christmas pudding?

Neither. He uses a spoon!

What do angry mice send to each other at Christmas?

Cross-mouse cards!

What does Santa's cat want for Christmas?

Some new claus!

Who hides in the bakery at Christmas?

A mince spy!

How many presents can Santa fit in an empty sack?

One, after that it's not empty any more!

Why do reindeer wear bells?

Because their horns don't work!

SOLUTIONS TO QUIZZES

Solutions to BRAINFEEDERS QUICK QUIZ:

1. b) Give them a kiss!

2. False! Postmen in Victorian England were sometimes called 'robins but it was not because they whistled songs, it was because their uniform was red.

3. a) A tree. Every Christmas the people of Norway give the people of Britain a Christmas tree as a symbol of gratitude for their support during World War II.

4. c) Meat. Early mince pies were typically filled with a mixture of meat, fruit, spices and suet. Modern mince pies do not include the meat.

5. 'Stir-up Sunday is traditionally the day to make your Christmas pudding. It is considered good luck to let everyone in the family give the mixture a stir.

6. c) The current record for the world's longest Christmas cracker is 63.1 metres.

7. b) The first Christmas card was sent in 1843.

8. False! Both male and female reindeers have antlers.

9. c) A star is the traditional decoration for the top of a Christmas tree.

10. True! X is the first letter of the Greek word for 'Christ.

PRESENT PROBLEM: Aquila has 18 presents.

ODD ONE OUT:

1. Chocolate - myrrh, gold and frankincense are the gifts given to Jesus by the Three Kings in the Christian nativity story.

2. Six reindeers running - the others are all featured in the song 'The Twelve Days of Christmas.

3. Snowflake - the others are names given to some of the flying reindeer that pull Father Christmas's sleigh. These come from a poem called 'A Visit from St Nicholas, written in 1823!

CHRISTMAS CAROL MIX UP:

1. Away in a Manger.

2. O Little Town of Bethlehem.

3. Little Donkey.

4. Silent Night.

5. Good King Wenceslas

Solutions to Aquila's GREAT BIG QUIZ OF THE YEAR!

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

1. In February 2012, the Queen celebrated her Diamond Jubilee - a celebration of her 60 years on the throne.

2. The Titanic was the name of the ship that sank on 15th April 100 years ago.

3. b) François Hollande is the name of the new President of France.

4. 2016 will be the next Leap Year. They happen every four years.

5. b) More than 100,000 AQUILA magazines are read each year.

SPORT

1. The USA won the most medals at this summer's Olympics.

2. The Olympic and Paralympic mascots were called Wenlock and Mandeville.

3. c) Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds won 4 medals at the Games.

4. a) Andy Murray won The US Open.

5. b) Andrew Strauss retired as captain of England's cricket team.

SCIENCE & GEOGRAPHY

1. Rainfall - it was the wettest June ever recorded.

2. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will host the next Olympics.

3. In July 1969 Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the surface of the moon.

4. c) Hurricane Sandy.

5. c) A new species of monkey was identified in Africa this year.

BOOKS & FILM

1. Sophie was the little girl who befriended the BFG in Roald Dahl's story.

2. a) Dr Seuss wrote 'The Lorax.

3. c) 'The Lord of the Rings was the sequel to 'The Hobbit

4. 'War Horse is the other Michael Morpurgo story made into a film and theatre production.

5. 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the seventh and final Harry Potter book.

SOLUTIONS TO WORDWORM'S CROSSWORD:

CLUES ACROSS

2. Wenceslas

7. Tub

9. Ogre (anagram)

10. Axe

11. Tie

13. Frosty

14. Figgy

17. Leaf

18. Snow

19. Ill

20. Decorations

21. On

25. Hat

26. Gulp

27. Eight

29. Sol

30. Jingle

32. Gold

34. Merry

35. Brandy

CLUES DOWN

1. Stuff

3. Eve

4. Co

5. Solo

6. Grotto

8. Bang

11. The north pole

12. Effort

15. Igloo

16. Yulelog

18. Stocking

22. Noel

23. Nut

24. Museum

28. Holly

31. Ivy

33. Ta

NEXT MONTH IN AQUILA

SPECIAL SCIENCE ISSUE

Meet the scientist Andrea Sella

Space travel - book your ticket now!

Measuring millipedes and weighing meerkats at London Zoo

Which are the most endangered species?

Philip and Phoebe ask: Has science found the truth?

Part one of a new story

Puzzles, jokes, letters

N.B. The scientist referred to above is a man - probably pronounced An-DRAY-uh (but you knew that!).