Acidic oceanscould topple

base of our food chain

We often talk about the role of rain forests in absorbing carbon diox-ide and releasing oxygen into the air to help slow climate change,

but oceans do even more of that work. Since the Industrial Revolution, there has been more burning of fossil

fuels, more carbon dioxide in the air and more work for forests and oceans.But the process makes oceans more acidic, and a report from MIT says

that, by 2100, the oceans will have become acidic enough to serious harm phytoplankton, the micro-organisms that convert CO2 to oxygen.

Not only will that harm the Earth’s ability to keep climate change in control, but phytoplankton are the fi rst link on the marine food chain.

Decreases in them would disrupt that chain all the way up to the top, and the top of the food chain is us. Photo/EPA

2013

ColoradoKids CK ReporterSam Schulz,

Parker

oLd aRcade GaMes staR in ‘piXeLs’

Sony Pictures’ new movie. “Pixels.” turns out to be much better than the

trailer let on.

Intense in some scenes, though perfectly rated as PG-13, I would say “Pixels” is a hit.

Back in the days when classic video games like Pac Man, Cen-tipede, and Donkey Kong were a big production, Sam Brenner (Adam Sandler), his childhood best friend Will Copper (Kevin James), and others along with them, were huge video gaming nerds!

In fact they were the best in the world at these 1982 classics.

After fast forwarding about 30 years, our nerd friends are all grown up and it just so happens that Will is the current President of the United States.

Now, as an alien life force sends in real live video game characters to attack us, the world is dependent on these old school geeks to save them in real life.

But this time, if they lose, everyone loses a whole lot more than a quarter.

“Pixels” is a movie like I had never seen before! The pixilation is incredibility detailed and

thoughtful, from the very beginning of the movie.

It’s a pretty funny movie, too, with a few well-done in-tense action parts.

“Pixel’s” rating is very suitable for what happens, and for some of the language, thank-fully though it is quite toned down in comparison to some other PG-13 movies.

Also, get your par-ents to come along for this one: They might just enjoy it more than you.

This is basically a fl ashback to their childhood!

They grew up with these kind of games and will understand the references that our generation won’t

get.Sony Pictures did a great job incorporating each

pixilated character’s personality from the game it came from.

For example, Qbert is kind of silly, and cute, and really loves trampolines (even after he fell off!), because that’s what was in his game. It’s really quite clever.

I highly enjoyed this movie. “Pixels” really is worth your time and money to go see!

In our May 12 issue, we told of the announcement that

Captain Kidd’s old pirate ship and some of his treasure had been found in Madagascar.

But we also said that, while it would be very good for that nation’s tourist trade, not all the experts were convinced that it was the real thing.

“Is this discovery part of Kidd’s legend, or part of his true history?” we wrote.

“It may never be possible to prove if the treasure was his.

“Especially if nobody is trying very hard to spoil the legend.”

Well, UNESCO, which lists world heritage sites and keeps track of historic things, sent some experts to have a look.

They weren’t too impressed and said the “parts of the pirate ship” were mostly junk from construction projects.

As for the “silver ingot,” well, silver is the color of lead, and lead is the metal that ingot was made of. Image/Howard Pyle

ReMeMBeR tHat ‘piRate tReasuRe?’ WeLL, You

can foRGet it! By Megan Lindsey,12, a CK Reporter from Fort Collins

Decreases in them would disrupt that chain all the way up to the top, and the top of the food chain is us.

July 28, 2015

‘Little Robot’ suited for little kids

“The Little Robot”, by Ben Hatke, is a graphic novel about a little girl who finds a stranded robot

in a river while she is exploring.

She accidentally turns on the robot and then becomes friends with the robot and is able to fix him when he needs to be fixed.

This is important be-cause it helps their relation-ship and she learns how to make new robots.

There are also evil ro-bots that they must fight.

The story takes place in a countryside

town during the summer, and most of it happens in a junk yard.

This book is very good for kids on the younger side. Even though it is 133 pages long, it has many, many, many pictures and few words so it is a re-ally quick book to read.

The story is simple and easy for younger kids to follow.

Older kids, like me, might find this book to be a bit boring.

The plot doesn’t have much happening in it: On

half of the pages, the little robot is just learning one new thing, or he is walking around the junk yard.

When the action finally does pick up, the pictures don’t quite fit the story well because they are really basic and seem drawn for kids in kindergarten or first grade.

Older kids would likely prefer more action, at least some comedy, and more details in the pictures.

ck Kids and adults can find live links to information about stories in Colorado Kids at www.ColoradoNIE.com

Megan Lindsey suggests that, if you go to see “Pixels,” you take a parent, since there are things in the movie they’ll get better than you might.

Look through today’s news for events that seem more interesting for people in one generation than another. Which of them would still be kind of interesting for all ages, and which might not be?

Beyond these four pages

A

B

C

D

Any theater will do when it’s movie timeWhen it comes to watching

movies, most CK read-ers who answered our question want to go to a theater, but nearly half said it doesn’t have to be 3-D or I-MAX.

Over a quarter of you told us that you’d rather watch films in the comfort of home, and a little under a tenth admitted that they usually goof off until it’s too late to go and see the

movie in a theater anyway.Here’s what we asked you, and

what you told us:How do you prefer to see movies?A. Full-theater for everything,

with IMAX and 3D 19%B. Theater, yes, but “regular”

effects are fine with me. 46%C. Streaming or DVD at home

is more comfortable. 26%D. I usually space out until

they’re gone from theaters. 9%

Let’s stick with the subject of technology and media for our next question, but switch from movie-watching to reading:

When you read on-line, what is your tech preference?

A. Full-sized flat-screenB. LaptopC. TabletD. PhoneTo answer this question, go to

www.nextgen.yourhub.com

we asked, you answered

By Ben Vanourek,9, a CK Reporter from Littleton

Colorado Kidsis produced by

Denver Post Educational ServicesExecutive Editor: Dana Plewka

dplewka@denverpost.comCK Editor: Mike Peterson

coloradokidseditor@gmail.comWe welcome your comments.

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

www.ColoradoNIE.com

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

our programs.

Denver Post Educational Services101 W. Colfax Ave.Denver CO 80202

(303) 954-3974(800) 336-7678

Stories without bylines werewritten by the editor.

It’s called the “Colorado River,” but the name simply says where it starts.

The river is certainly an impor-tant part of our state: Not only do many Western Slope farmers and ranchers count on it for their crops, their cattle and them-selves, but it is even a source of water for Denver and some other Front Range communities.

The mighty Colorado, how-ever, is also the source of water for many millions of people in six other states, and while it’s good news that rains have come to the Western Slope recently, they aren’t enough to solve the prob-lem of the drought in California and parts of the Southwest.

There is some more good news in that meteorologists expect an “El Niño,” a weather pattern that should bring more rainfall to the West Coast. But, even if that were enough – and it won’t be – the problem would come back and probably be worse in a few years when the El Niño pattern ends.

The issue goes back many decades, to when the states and communities along the river made agreements on how to share the Colorado’s water.

Some of their science was off to begin with, and, if everyone knew the things about water and weather and geology then that they know now, they’d have probably made other decisions.

What is more important, how-ever, is other things that changed.

Once the big water projects along the river were built, it was possible to do more farming in places that had been too dry be-fore, and for more people to live in the communities along the way, including some major cities.

California not only has some of the largest cities in America, but has become a huge producer of fruit, vegetables and many other kinds of food for our nation and for many places beyond the USA.

People there are fi nding ways to save water, but everyone along the river will need to cooperate.

colorado River is key to california’s drought

IN THEATERS EVERYWHERE AUGUST 5TH!

*The screening will be held on Tuesday, August 4 at 7pm at a local theatre. Sponsors and their dependents are not eligible to receive a pass. Supplies are limited. Passes received through this promotion do not guarantee a seat. Please arrive early as the theatre is booked to ensure a full house. Seating is not guaranteed. All federal, state and local regulations apply. A recipient of prizes assumes any and all risks related to use of prize, and accepts any restrictions required by prize provider. Lionsgate Films, BIC, Denver Post and their affiliates accept no responsibility or liability in connection with any loss or accident incurred in connection with use of prizes. Prizes cannot be exchanged, transferred or redeemed for cash, in whole or in part. Not responsible if, for any reason, winner is unable to use his/her prize in whole or in part. Not responsible for lost, delayed or misdirected entries. All federal, state and local taxes are the responsibility of the winner. Void where prohibited by law. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. NO PHONE CALLS! SHAUN THE SHEEP is rated PG for rude humor.

WIN A FAMILY 4 PACK OF PASSES TO THE SPECIAL ADVANCE SCREENING OF

ENJOY FREE POPCORN AND SODA AT THE SCREENING!

HAPPENING ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 4 AT 7PM IN SOUTH DENVER.

ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN AT: WWW.LIONSGATESCREENINGS.COM /

MAIN/SWEEPSTAKES/STSDENVER

ENTRY DEADLINE: MONDAY, AUGUST 3 AT 10AM.

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Above, a Stockton, California, wheat farmer looks over his dry fi elds. At right, the Colorado River starts at La Poudre Pass Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park, but is fed by other rivers from neighboring states on its way through the Grand Canyon and several reservoirs until it reaches the Gulf of California in Mexico. AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli

SudokuRules: Every row across, every column down and each of the six smaller boxes must contain numerals 1,2,3,4,5 and 6, one time and one time only. The solution to this week’s puzzle is on Page 4.

1

4 3 6

4 5

3 4

2 4

1 4

“I had a choice – remain silent and be killed, or be killed for speak-

ing up!” Malala Yousafzai told an audience of thousands of people at Denver’s Bellco Theater recently.

Malala lives a life fighting for education and equality for boys and girls worldwide.

Her father ran a local school in Pakistan throughout her young life, and her entire fam-ily held educa-tion at a high priority. Malala was raised to have an opin-ion and speak freely, unlike so many other girls.

The Taliban shot Malala in October 2012, thinking they would silence her, but it only made her voice stronger and louder.

Malala said she wants people to know that in most other countries to this day, females are treated unfairly.

Girls in those places don’t have the right to go to school and get a quality education.

This isn’t right, and that’s what Malala is fighting for.

At the event, Malala tried to make us understand how lucky Americans are to be able to go to school freely and safely.

There are children around the world, in countries such as Pakistan and India, she said, who would do anything to go to school.

As 9NEWS reporter, Cheryl Preheim conducted the inter-view, Malala expressed her vi-sions of a perfect world: A world

where every girl and boy is free to go to school, where people would focus more on educa-tion, and where guns were not allowed.

Malala’s pow-erful story was truly inspira-tional.

Hearing what she had to say made me realize that I am ridicu-lously lucky.

I have a roof over my head, a bed to sleep on, warmth on cold days, and the freedom to go to school and get an extraor-dinary education.

If you want to be further inspired by Nobel Peace Prize Winner Malala Yousafzai, look for her current book, “I am Ma-lala,” and a movie coming soon!

MaLaLa Yousafzai’s dReaM of peRfection

Imagine if all you had to do to accomplish anything would be to think, a world

where anything is possible. Sounds pretty great, right?

This is the world created in the musical “Seussical,” a show of colorful birds, rambunctious monkeys, an excluded elephant, and a great thinker and Who by the name of JoJo, all narrated by Dr. Seuss’s own Cat in the Hat.

Earlier this month, this show was put on at Stapleton Park by the theatre company “3 Leaches.”

The cast was a mix of chil-dren and adults and there were colorful costumes and a good amount of choreography.

It wasn’t the musical that made this event special, how-ever: It was the fact that it was a free community event.

This means the park was wide

open for anyone and everyone to set up camp chairs and pic-nic blankets to enjoy the show.

Anyone and everyone came, too.

There were bicycles, dogs, adults, kids, and many happy toddlers dancing around to the music of Seussical.

Many of these people brought picnic dinners or ate at one of the food trucks that showed up to the events.

All of this contributed to the inviting atmosphere of this free event.

Everyone was joyfully chat-ting or playing, regardless of if they were a Stapleton resident hanging out with their neigh-bors or a group of people from another city looking for a good time.

You missed “Chicago” and “Seussical,” but it is not too late to plan on going to the produc-tion of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing,” August 13 through 15.

Make sure you put it on your calendar!

fRee suMMeR fun!

Photo by Brooklyn Webb

AP photo/ Muhammed Muheisen

Colorado Kids Is going digital on August 4th!

Membership

Beginning August 4, look for Colorado Kids every Tuesday inThe Denver Post Digital Replica Edition.

Access it anytime, anywhere on any device, with your Denver Post membership.

Sudoku

Solution562134

431562

623415

315246

246351

154623

By Kaiya Cox,11, a CK Reporter from Aurora

By Brooklyn Webb,13, a CK Reporter from Littleton