‘Wizards of Waverly Place’ focuses on the Russos. A typical family, which includes a mom, Theresa Russo; a dad, Jerry Russo; a son, Justin Russo; a daughter, Alex Russo; and another son, Max Russo. The kids and the family live normal lives but what their friends don’t know is the kids are wizards in training and the dad is a former wizard. They inherit their magical abilities from their dad, Jerry Russo who is also their magic teacher. How-

ever, there is a twist; only one child from each wizard family is allowed to keep his or her powers. When they all turn 18 the Russo children will have a family competition between

siblings to decide who gets to keep their powers.

Story of the weekThe Sparrow

Spot the difference

MatildaEpisode: 4

Children of all ages have read and enjoyed books by Roald Dahl. Many of his stories, such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach, have become clas-sics in their own time. Matilda is a novel by Roald Dahl and illustrated by Quentin Blake. It’s a story about an intelligent girl whose quest of knowl-edge never ends even by reading books from libraries. This series is about Matilda who explores world with her aptitude and intellect.

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck The Good Companions by J. B. Priestley Brighton Rock by Graham Greene

Animal Farm by George Orwell. It was a formidable list and by now Mrs. Phelps was filled with wonder and excitement, but it was probably a good thing that she did not allow herself to be completely carried away by it all. Almost anyone else witnessing the achievements of this small child would have been tempted to make a great fuss and shout the news all over the village and beyond, but not so Mrs Phelps. She was someone who minded her own business and had long since discovered it was seldom worth while to interfere with other people’s children. “Mr Hemingway says a lot of things I don’t understand, “ From then on, Matilda would visit the library only once a week in order to take out new books and return the old ones.

Her own small bedroom now became her reading-room and there she would sit and read most afternoons, often with a mug of hot chocolate beside her. She was not quite tall enough to reach things around the kitchen, but she kept a small box in the outhouse which she brought in and stood on in order to get whatever she wanted. Mostly it was hot chocolate she made, warming the milk in a saucepan on the stove before mixing it. Occasionally she made Bovril or Ovaltine. It was pleasant to take a hot drink up to her room and have it beside her as she sat in her silent room reading in the empty house in the afternoons. The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives. She went on olden-day sailing ships with Joseph Conrad. She went to Africa with Ernest Hemingway and to India with Rudyard Kipling. She travelled all over the world while sitting in her little room in an English village. Mr Wormwood, the Great Car Dealer Matilda’s parents owned quite a nice house with three bedrooms upstairs, while on the ground floor there was a dining-room and a living-room and a kitchen. Her father was a dealer in second-hand cars and it seemed he did pretty well at it. “Sawdust”, he would say proudly, “is one of the great secrets of my success. And it

costs me nothing. I get it free from the sawmill. “ “What do you use it for?” Matilda asked him.“Ha!” the father said. “Wouldn’t you like to know.” “I don’t see how sawdust can help you to sell second-hand cars, daddy. “ “That’s because you’re an ignorant little twit,” the father said. His speech was never very delicate but Matilda was used to it. She also knew that he liked to boast and she would egg him on shamelessly.

(to be continued)

2

I glide gracefully, looking down at the world below me. I swoop over the trees, adjusting my wing to catch the breeze. I feel the strong winds blow over me, calming my thoughts. I am a sparrow, I think to myself. I am me. As I think this, I get a bad feeling. I look up. Up, high in the sky, regarding me with beady eyes: a hawk. Knowing I’ve noticed it, it dives at me, screaming. Knowing it will be easier to escape, I dive, too. Down, down towards the trees. Though I am already lower, the hawk is faster. It is a race for safety. We both fly to live. I fly to escape the hawk, a preda-tor. It flies to catch prey, to eat. One of us must lose. I realise quickly that speed is not the answer to survival. I am a spar-row. I am agile. The question lies in the unknown, though. It may be intimidating, but is it any match for me? There is no time to think. It rakes its talons forward, hoping to win the contest of survival, but I am not ready to give myself up.The hawk flies a sharp turn around, and as it streaks at me, I feint to the right and dive down again. Swooping and diving, he chases me where I hoped he would: down into the trees, where there is an obstacle course of branches as an arena. As I pass under the treetops, I am surprised by the sudden dimness. I can’t see him for a second, but then he is there right behind me. My wings are sore, and I am getting tired, and yet, I still fight for my life. Suddenly, I see him putting on an extra burst of speed, and I feel his sharp talons finally closing around me. I tuck my wings into my body, knowing he will carry me away. The claws cut into me, causing pain throughout my entire body. The talons pierce further into my body. The hawk flaps his wings, lifting us higher, up past the treetops into the bright light of the sun. I twist my head to look up at him. In the glare of the sun, I make out his eyes staring straight ahead of him. They seem to tell me, “That’s just the way it is.” And I know that it is true. The race has ended. And I have lost. I close my eyes.

By: Mohammed Khan

Answers:Tie colour is differentShirt colour is changedPicture on the wall is missingCandle flick is missingNecklace is missingRing is not present.

Join the dots Find the way

3

6

Colour me in

Exchange for

changeThe Citizens Archive of Pakistan [CAP], in collaboration with Routes2Roots, an Indian non-profit organisation working for peace and dialogue between Pakistan and India, introduced “Exchange for Change”, an interactive exchange between 2400 school children of Lahore, Karachi, Delhi and MumbaiThe project officially began in Lahore on 6th January, 2011. Orientations were held at the City School, Ravi Campus and ILM School, to introduce the initiative to the children.The project will be spread over four distinct phases: “Letters to the Past”, “Postcard Series”, “Photography Series” and “Oral History DVDs.” As a final medium for the exchange of information, students will each create their own scrapbook of all the information collected on the neighbouring country as shared by students throughout Exchange for Change. Indeed the vision behind Exchangefor Change is to open avenues for children within Pakistan and India for dialogue and understanding of a shared history, culture and lives. Bushra Shehzad

Word

7

Drawing of the week

Dear Kids!!I hope you are enjoying this frosty weather and not neglecting your homework. This week I’ll advise you to use correct English grammar, spelling and punctuation in your school work. You can improve your vocabulary and creative writing through the regular use of a good dictionary and by reading up on good English novels. Please send us your views, stories and drawings at the following address: Pakistan Today, 4 - Shaarey Fatima Jinnah, Lahore; and email us at kidstoday@pakistantoday.com.pk Sahar Iqbal.

Editor’s Note

By: Mahnoor-Afeef

Word Scramble

8

Episode 1

To be continued...