The World Around Us

September, 2004

Welcome to September’s



          O U T E R


                    S P A C E


                              B O U N D

Where anything is possible,

If you close your eyes and dream . . .



It's where unicorns run free,


And where we can fly to any galaxy,


Racing around asteroids like barrels in a rodeo.


Where skateboarding mice outsmart cats,

And fathers are sometimes friendly aliens.

So come on in and play and read

In the pages of this e-zine.


Welcome to the world

Of the Outer Space Bound


I m a g i n a t i o n !

And just as I ask you every month, please write to me and let me know what you think. Drop a letter, drop a poem, send a note, wrap a cassette, find me a story from inside your mind, and send them all to:

Outer Space Bound
Venus 88
2651 HW Berkel en Rodenrijs
The Netherlands

(Yes, that really is the address! Bianca lives In the Netherlands. The rest of us live all over the world. I live in California.

Isn't it cool, though that Outer Space Bound has headquarters on Venus? LOL)

Oh, and kids, don't forget we need permission from your parents to publish anything you write:

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And Moms and Dads, join in. If you have poems or stories, please send them to us at the same address, but slip in this form, so we have permission to publish YOUR work:

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Remember, being published is a lot of fun, and you can tell everyone you meet that you've been Outer Space Bound

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

First this month, I have a magical story about a unicorn. It's in a poem format, but if you read it, you'll know the sad story. It's what happens when a unicorn gets hurt.

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I would love to save that unicorn, or even just see a unicorn. I know what he'd look like -- he'd be the white of ocean froth, and he'd have a horn that glowed like sunshine. I would reach out and touch his forelock, and do you know what I would say? I'd tell him how sorry I felt that he's the only one there is, and I would promise to tell him a hundred stories. Would you help me, please?

Send me a story about a unicorn, or a poem, if you prefer. What happens to the unicorn in your story? Does your tale have a happy ending like this one? (I hope so. I hate to cry.)

But I'm still thinking about the story I'd pick to share with my imaginary unicorn. What story would you tell a unicorn? Or would you sing him a song? What words would make his ears flick forward and his smile shine like his horn? How would we let him know you cared?

Jot me a note. I’m always curious about your ideas and stories. Maybe we could publish your poem, story, or thoughts right here in The World Around Us, or maybe, if it’s just notes, it could be the start of a new story I’d write, and I’d put your name at the bottom to tell everyone you gave me the idea.

(Don’t worry, Moms and Dads, we’d only use your child’s first name.)

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Now let's head for the stars!


Teen, imagine what would happen if you drove too fast in outer space. Are there speed limits out there? Do the police flash warning lights? Do you need a driver’s license to fly a spaceship?

Those are all questions we may be asking one day. Here’s a story where it’s happening RIGHT NOW. It's a good thing the pet saves him, or the boy might be heading off to jail!

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For those not thinking about driving yet, I have a second tale of speed. This one is about a skateboarding mouse:

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What other animal would be fun to put on a skateboard?

Could we have a skateboarding rhinoceros? A hippo on skates, a dinosaur on a bike?

{Which tale would be the funniest. Send a picture and maybe I can write the tale, if you don't want to.


Here's a science fiction story for the younger set:

The Galaxy Police

I sped around the corner, first star on the right to Kadshur. There I picked up my best friend, Petey, and we whizzed around the meteorites, zipping in and out. Everything was going fine when the motor of my ship buzzed out.

It coughed. It hissed. It spat, and then it stopped.

“Oh, no,” said Petey.

“Oh, no!” I said.

And we looked at the dials to find the reason why everything was still.

Petey stood up and asked the computer. I stood up and paced. The computer wasn’t talking. The silence was even worse.


“Oh, no,” said Petey.

“Oh, no!” I agreed, and our eyes grew big and scared as our scooter ship drifted toward a star.

Knowing I had to do something, I called Dad on my little phone. But all I got was a taped message saying he was flying off to Mars.

Petey called his parents, but they were visiting friends, in a faraway galaxy out of our caller zone.

“Oh, no,” said Petey.

“Oh, no!” I repeated, and we exchanged an awful look as the overly large star seemed to gobble up our window.

“Ok, I’ll call the police,” I told Petey just as he loudly moaned. He nodded rather palely and passed out on the hard ship’s floor.

911, I dialed, and an officer came right on.

“We’re in a terrible fix,” I said. “We need help as soon as you can.”

Before I could check on Petey, the police were right beside us. They cast a heavy line and pulled us back to Kadshur.

I woke up my best friend, Petey. He staggered onto his feet, and we stepped out on his planet.

The police were smiling broadly. I shook the hand one offered, and with sincere appreciation I thanked our Galaxy Police.

So if you're ever in a spot, where you don't know what to do, I heartily recommend it. Just call their number, 911.

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Here’s another tale for you about travel, but this one is fantasy.

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As long as we’re zooming from place to place, I must as well share the story about taking a trip to another planet. In this tale a young girl discovers that her father is an alien, and therefore, so is she. Wouldn't that be a shock?

STATIC

Me and My Dad  (E) When her dad told her he was an alien, he worried that she wouldn't love him. #849562 by Shaara

Are you ready for a tear jerker? That’s what we call a really sad story. (But this one has a happy ending, so don’t worry.)

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Did you cry? This one is even sadder.

STATIC

The Tales of Great, Great Grandmother  (E) This is a science fiction short story about a little girl and her Nana. #791128 by Shaara

Now to cheer you up: The following tale ends happily with a really funny twist. Welcome to the royal house of frogs:

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And since we’re visiting the animal world, how about a tale about a donkey? It's very, very cute:

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And now, for a horror story. No, not really, but this boy thinks it is, proving with imagination, anything can happen.

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I have a sweet tale for the littles ones. This is about a little fish who wants to get his mother a present:

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And a last one for teens. What happens if you save the world, could you put up with the fame?

Fame and Blowing Bubbles  (ASR) When a person saves the world, he does tend to meet beautiful blondes. #848280 by Shaara

Just to bring you back to Earth, so to speak, here's another fantasy. This one's about walking in the moonlight and meeting a bobcat!

Moonwalking and the Courageous Bob Cat  (E) While walking in moonlight a young lad stumbles upon a huge beast. #816835 by Shaara

Okay, I know this isn't a bobcat. Can you draw one for me???


Have a wonderful September. I can’t wait to visit with you in October.

We’re going to have lots more science fiction stories then, and I have some wonderful tales about magic and fantasy, too. See you soon!


Smiles,
Shaara