Back to School in US but here's children getting ready for the First term exams to be held as the first term syllabus almost completed. Some schools have been conducting Drawing, Recitation, Environment, Dance competitions too. I gather, some school children are using their computers to surf the web to make school mags and even encouraged to write their comments on their school activities.

What concerns most is the Internet Safety and Privacy! When at school, there's homework assignments, talking to classmates, research projects, much more! Net is a scary place if children are not careful! There might be school data and the search may end up giving your name, email id and more to the information seeker. It is best to keep an impersonal email id at a gmail, yahoo or aol which has no details. Being suspicious is better than revealing your info. The email and chat etiquettes tips I wrote in my Book Guardian of Angels in 4th Chapter-New Waves of Technology, might be useful. (You can view the more contents in Guardian of Angels 'Look Inside' Feature at Amazon.) Also, here is a Byte Crime Booklet "Mind what you do Online". You can even download the Tip Sheets. Like I said earlier, What every child on net needs to know is "You are Watched". And with Google Accounts and it's search features, even what you searched is stored in Web History. Here are two sites for safety that might interest you - Online Guard and Web Safety for kids.

So, watch out there - whether you are a parent, teacher or a kid - follow the simple ethics of being "Good" and there, guardian angel watches you with loving care.
Btw, if children do freak on Social Networking sites, Parents need to beware - Be Aware! A recent case of Adnan is a scary example of fake profiles on such social networking sites. Earlier, Pew Internet Org conducted a survey and here is the Project Report stating details on Social Networking Websites and Teens:An Overview. Here is a Podcast, I thought you might be interested to know more on what Pew Senior Research Specialist Mary Madden has to say about it.

- Ilaxi Patel
Editor, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for Kids with Resources for Parents & Teachers

Here's what I read - HP Author is spotted writing a Detective Novel. The All time great reads for Young Readers are Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys. Ginny Gordon, Three Investigators, Boxcar Children, Judy Bolton and many more fall in this Young reader Detective category.
You can find the list of Nancy Drew series - Books, movies and Games here at the Wiki. A number of Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys are found in Kidsfreesouls Library Shelf - the whole collection purchased by Swagat ex-students.
Well, here's profile of Sherlock Holmes, the well-known Detective and some Mystery Cases - You Be the Detective. These pages were featured earlier in 'The Telegraph' - Mixed Bag column too.
Well, here's a great suggest of Dr. Jekyll and Hyde which has always been a great supplementary reading in the classroom. It has a well-crafted theme and a plot with investigative work. A Research done by Pamela M Price-Anisman - Teaching Detective Fiction in Development class might be useful on teaching Detective Fiction. Enjoy!

- Ilaxi Patel
Editor, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for Children with Resources for Parents & Teachers

Rajiv Gandhi once said, "Of every rupee the government spends, 15 paise reaches the common man." He spoke of the taking India to the 21st century and here, the future seems to be 'India Shining.' He gave Indian Diplomacy a new direction.

A Pilot with an accidental political career, Rajiv Gandhi was born on 20th August 1944 but died a very unfortunate death as he was blown to pieces with his assassination at a political rally. The worst part is, his mother too died a similar way and so did his brother Sanjay Gandhi.
Osho always said, "Beware of Politicians - the three Ps". Click for the profile of Rajiv Gandhi Here.

Btw, explore the contents as I move for a three day outing to a nearby hill station, Abu. As it's been Back to school, here's the tips for better handwriting and setting up goals. And here's a link of AOL for Kids and I am sure, the links will be interesting. You can even Register as a Teacher at the Scholastic for the Class Home Page Builder here. Enjoy!



- Ilaxi Patel
Editor, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for Kids with Resources for Parents & Teachers

A massive earthquake hit Peru with a 7.9-magnitude quake on Wednesday. Hundreds of people are killed in the rubble of collapsed homes and Lima is the hardest hit with it's main tower of the Senor de Luren church in the city of Ica is toppled.

The news in Kidsfreesouls-Reuters also show the videos of Landslide swamps the Himalayan village that buried all, Japan suffers a Heat Wave, Flood cripples North Korea, Hurricane season with the tropical storms brewing in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans & more...
Is the world at a brink of extinct? Are humans to suffer the wrath of heavens? The Nostradamus predictions with the book of The Nostradamus Code, World War III by Michael Rathford which I mentioned at the start of the year, seems to be turning true. You can read a chapter here on some of the mentions.

The Coming of World War III
http://www.nostradamusonline.com/images/banner100x150.jpg

Charles Berlitz in Doomsday 1999 AD predictions reveal that the earth will suffer a major global disaster. Civilization will cease to exist! We are on no point of return. Whether the predictions turn true or not, it's time we pray to almighty and say, "May god grant humans, the serenity to know, accept and face the challenges to fight the catastrophic disasters and live in Peace, Harmony and Unity." In India, we call this the Kalki Yug when Lord Vishnu in a Avatar will come on a white horse and destroy evil and than peace would prevail!
Here are Kidsfreesouls Earthquake pages and link to BBC Earthquake and other natural disasters info there.

Press news in Peru-Lima:El Comercio - Lima daily Gestion - Lima daily El Bocon - Lima daily Ojo - Lima dailyLa Republica - Lima daily Correo de Arequipa - Arequipa daily
Keep the Faith!

- Ilaxi Patel
Editor, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for Kids with Resources for Parents & Teachers

On 15th August 2007:

Happy Independence Day! Yeh Mera India, I Love my India! Each of us love our own respective country. However, in real sense it's our very own Freedom that matters the most.

“Long years ago, we made tyrst with the destiny and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge. At the stroke of midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom” said Jawaharlal Nehru. Today, India is a Can-do Nation, Democracy intact, jubilation in real. India, the land of Free, proudly stand independent and as we commemorate the nation on its Anniversary of Independence, Kids Free Souls salutes all those immortal souls for their gallant undying contribution for the cause of the freedom.

Btw, if you are an Indian or even celebrating India's Independence Day, here is your chance to get to Pen Your Patriotism. You got to Hoist your Spirit in You at Sulekha and if lucky, be a winner! I've heard, Sulekha.com and publishing house Penguin India have launched a blogprint contest too. Bloggers can write fiction as well as non-fiction. From short stories, flash fiction and comic strips to writing interviews, travelogues, features, personal experience - Just write and keep Blogging! The contest started on 10th August and completes on 31st Jan 2008. The jury will select the best 25 blogs and these blogs with be featured in a book. So, start blogging - Enjoy!

- Ilaxi Patel
Editor, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for children with Resources for Parents & Teachers

Dickens is now labeled - Literature for lazy readers! Instant goes Potter! I read in Reuters, the actors Dan Clarkson and Jeff Turner have condensed the Seven Potter books into a parody of J K Rowling's saga. For inspiration, the pair even sat writing their script in the same Edinburgh cafe where the single mother, claiming state benefits penned the books that turned her into the world's first dollar billionaire author.

I think, now is the need for the Dickens and Enids to go global with the the same zing like HP. Why, we find a great picks of Enid Blyton even here with very affordable price. Btw, Enid Blyton, the most successful British writer to this date, was born on 11th August 1897 in London. She wrote many books, got too many criticisms too and even at the end of fifties, many Libraries refused to stock her books calling that kids would not read the great works of Literature if they picked these books. Due to Enid Blyton reads, many went ahead to read Harry Potter. Many have even switched over to Pop Music, playing computer and Playstation or X Box and watch Television. Enid Blyton filled kids with joy of reading and developed their reading skills and discovery of world around them. Enid's Books and stories had excellent powerful narratives, filled kids with excitement and let children use their imagination to flow. The style of writing was clear as she created excitement and adventure with books like: Five on a Treasure Island (Famous Five), Secret Seven Collection, The Circus of Adventure (Adventure Series) and The Mystery Series, school stories such as Malory Towers, St Clare’s and The Naughtiest Girl, fantasy tales such as The Faraway Tree, The Enchanted Wood and The Wishing Chair, and of course the much-loved Noddy stories for younger children.

Enid Blyton's works were owned by Chorion who announced in last January of it's emerging brands into global franchises. As a result, we find a number of Books in Indian markets and last, when I was at a newly opened Mall, I almost got tempted to buy Enid Blytons for children and add to my current Enid Blyton collections. No wonder, my ex-students and me - are all fans of Enid Blytons to this day! You can find Enid Blyton books here at Kidsfreesouls Store. Btw, did you know, Enid Blyton day is celebrated by the fans here by the Enid Blyton Society . And Here's a fan site where you can post your fan message too. You can find more in the above search for Enid Blyton. Enjoy!

-Ilaxi Patel
Editor, http://www.kidsfreesouls.com/
Newspaper for Kids with Resources for Parents & Teachers

Poetry and Pictures - This is a great combination of any artistic character who lives with imagination. William Blake was a Brilliant but unconventional English Poet, engraver and painter. His symbolic pictures and visionary poems are not always easy to understand because he invented his own mythology to express his ideas. But his pictures and poems reveal a powerful artistic imagination. He once removed a drunk soldier, John Scofield from his garden in Felpham. The soldier later claimed that Blake damn the King and the Soldiers were slaves. For this statement, Blake was charged and taken for a trial at Chichester which was originally build by the Romans in 1st century AD. William Blake and John Milton lived through two of the most tumultuous periods of European history, so perhaps it is not surprising that Blake would have been drawn to illustrate Milton's great epic. Blake completed two sets of water color illustrations to Paradise Lost.

You can find view some pictures here. And here's the Profile of William Blake who died on 12th August years ago.

- Ilaxi Patel
Editor, www.kidsfreesouls.com
Newspaper for Children with Resources for Parents & Teachers

Everyday we need to spring new ideas as we teach kids to read and write. Boring lessons almost make them less interested as the kids today are more in for play and computing. When kids have to copy textual answers in the classroom, they take lot of time to finish or even leave incomplete work. If they've to get to color fun or chat - why, even sing and dance - may of the slow learners are too quick to respond.

Games is always their first pick online and I find many students in clubs, home or schools, playing computer or video games and even discussing on their fav game or the music. However, Puzzles, jokes and activities always interest kids. This stimulates child's interest and they are ready for reading text later. We find a lot of pencil grabbing games, puzzles and game teasers in print newspapers and a bit of here and there scoops. However, the academic remains only up to school lessons. Hence, online resources are great way to boost academic performances. If you are a teachers or a parent, you probably must have come across NIE Kidscoop used by newspapers for NIE and used the contents for children. It is not about just subscribing and giving the child a kids newspaper to read but also encourage and sit together and create interest.

Click to the link and explore kidsfreesouls pages too. Enjoy!

- ilaxi patel
Editor, www.kidsfreesouls.com