Puppy Love Report

Puppy Love

What is the bond between humans and dogs? A Japanese scientist named Miho Nagasawa has just about the answer. His answer was to do something with the “Cuddle Chemical” The scientific name of the so called ‘Cuddle Chemical’ is Oxytocin. Oxytocin is a matter in the blood that motivates bonding within the person and animal.

Oxytocin can increase. For example, when a human looks deeply into the eyes of a dog, the oxytocin or cuddle chemical increases or if a mother feeds her baby, the oxytocin increases.

Miho Nagasawa wanted to understand better about the cuddle chemical and conducted an experiment. At the beginning of the experiment, the scientists tested the levels of oxytocin before both human and dog interacted. In a room a human and a dog were there all by themselves. They were alone in the room because they had to interact with each other so that the scientists could test the levels of Oxytocin once they interact. What did they do in the room? Well, they had to interact with each other so the human talked to the dog, petted the dog and looked into the dog’s eyes. This increased the Oxytocin between them. They interacted because the scientists outside the room, recorded the levels of cuddle chemical between them.

Researchers found out that the levels of oxytocin between them were higher when they interacted with each other than when they didn’t. However, the test results were higher when the human looked at the dog’s eyes than when they conversed and petted. This is what one of the investigators wrote, “The duration of the dog to owner gaze…. significantly explained the oxytocin change ratio,” Miho Nagasawa conducted the same test between humans and wolves, but this did not give the same results as the test with dogs.

Have you ever wondered why dogs are so friendly to humans and are usually called man’s best friend? Everything started about 10,000 years ago. Scientists believe that wolves usually followed humans when they were hunting large and big animals such as the mammoth which is extinct. The wolves would eat the leftover scraps of the dead animal. Humans realised that they could use some help from the wolves to hunt down big animals. Later on, both humans and wolves worked together. Some time after, the interaction with humans and wolves began to change. The wolves were more loyal than they used to be and they started to depend on each other more often. That is when they started to make that bond. The changes that the wolves made changed them into what we know as dogs. According to Miho’s study, the bond was formed with some help from a hormone.

Bambi Book Review

Bambi

The book Bambi written by Felix Salten is about a little deer that goes through many things in his young ages. Tragic moments happen such as his mother dying after an attack from He (human). He then had to learn how to survive without his mother along side him. Throughout the time his mother is gone, he meets new animals and makes new friends. At the end, he finally achieved all he could and is crowned with his great antlers King.

My favourite part of this book is when Bambi achieves all. I like this part though it is the ending because this is when you get to smile and be happy that it’s a happy ending and there is no more tragic. I not only have a favourite part but a favourite character. My favourite character in this book is Bambi. He is strong and brave even when he faces so many hardships he finally moves on, meets the old stag and achieves taking on the job his father took. His job of being Head of the Forest.

I recommend this book to children ages 8 and over. I also recommend this book to children that like to read books that feel very touching, heartwarming and that have a happy ending! My rating for this book is 5 stars.

Dogs That Can Sense Your Emotions

Dogs That Can Sense Your Emotions!

The scientists managed the experiment by using dogs to see if they’re happy or sad. They used a touch motion machine and they would show the dogs a part of a woman's face. The scientists showed either upper halves or lower halves because the scientist that published the Current Biology journal, said that humans express their feeling/emotions in their entire face.

Dogs have a harder time to distinguish angry expressions because they think it’ll do harm to them so they retreat immediately but when they realise they’re being rewarded their fear goes away. Dogs that have male owners have a harder time figuring out emotions. The scientists said this is a matter of the gender of their own owner so it’ll be easier for them to read emotions of the gender of their owner.

The scientists are planning to manage a similar test/experiment on different animals like cats, pigs and hand raised wolves.

A Fossil Discovery

Paleontologists long suspected that hippos evolved from a family of ancient plant-eating partly aquatic mammals. They couldn't confirm it because the old fossils have been discovered 15 million years ago.

The jaw that they stumbled on led them to investigate if they can find remains of an ancient animal. Their curiosity.  Finding the teeth was helpful because the molar patterns on it, is unique. It gives a connection to ancient animals to modern-day animals that we usually see.

The ancient hippo weighed 220 pounds though the modern-day hippos weigh 4,000 pounds. Scientists believe or have a theory that the ancient hippos are related to whales because they spent most of their time in the water. Lihoreau says that hippos are the real African mammal because the animals you see on safaris (lions, zebras, antelopes etc.) were brought to Africa from Asia. Hippos were naturally living in Africa before lions and zebras were brought there.  

Daddy Long Legs

A Little Princess

Shadow

‘Shadow’ is about a family and a dog from ‘Afghanistan. The main characters in the book is Aman and Shadow also named Polly (the dog). Aman’s friend tries to set Aman and his mother free from the center that is like prison to them. Even though Aman and his family were supposed to be legal asylum seekers, the police insisted of them to be brought back to Afghanistan. Aman’s mother didn’t speak that much for she knew very little English and she didn’t like to remember the horrible moments she experienced in Afghanistan. Though these parts are quite heartbreaking, the ending is a happy ending. Shadow is the dog that found Aman’s cave in Afghanistan and Shadow led Aman and Aman’s mum on their journey to England, Manchester.

My favourite character in this book is Aman. Aman is strong and brave even when encountering horrible situation. His personality hooked me in and made me want to read more,  he is a character who never gives up.

I recommend this book to children ages 10 and over. I also recommend this book to children that like to read books that seem so realistic as if you’re really there.

Little Women

Little Women

The book ‘Little Women’ is a story about a poor family with 4 daughters. The daughter’s names are Meg, Jo (Josephine), Beth and Amy. They go through many hard things because of their poverty. When their father gets sick and their mother goes to accompany their father, the 4 sisters have to cope by themselves. This book is mainly about their struggles and how they cope with difficulties that they encounter on their own when their parents were away.

My favourite character in this book is Jo because she is a very energetic and lively person. Not only is she energetic and lively but she is brave and friendly even though she has a hard time trying to act like a true lady.

I recommend this book to children 
ages 10+. I think people who like stories about life would enjoy this book. I also recommend this book for people who like classic books.

            

Mummies

Research: Mummies

Why are mummies organs taken out?

Egyptians took out organs of mummies because they said the mummies ‘weighed’. They didn’t really know much about brains so they used a hook to get it out because they thought it was a waste of space in the head. The brain was the only organ they took out through the nose. The heart was the only organ that was left in the body. They left the heart because they thought it was the centre of thought and intelligence. Once they took out all the organs they would put all of them inside a mini coffin and then place the mini coffin inside the mummy’s coffin.

Reference:

http://www.answers.com/Q/Why_did_the_Egyptians_remove_organs_from_the_mummy

http://www.angelfire.com/wi/egypt/mummy2.html

http://science.howstuffworks.com/mummy2.htm

Why did Egyptians wrap mummies in linen?

They wrapped the mummies in linen because it was part of the process of mummification and because it helped preserve the body for decades. Egyptians believed that you couldn’t go to the afterlife without a body so that is why they preserved the body. Preserving the body wasn’t the only reason why they used linen cloth to wrap the body, they also used it to keep treasures to protect the body from evil spirits.

Reference:

http://www.answers.com/Q/Why_did_ancient_Egyptian_wrap_mummies_in_linnen

Did the Egyptians use ointments in the process of mummification?

Yes they did. They did this because it was a religious tradition in the ancient times. They did this because it was the ending of embalming and the beginning of wrapping.

Reference:

http://www.spurlock.illinois.edu/explorations/online/mummification/pages/materials1.html

Is it only Pharaohs that are mummified?

No. Mummification wasn’t only for Pharaohs, they were for a class of people like the royal class, the elite class and the middle class. The classes lower than those were not mummified.

Reference:

http://www.humanities360.com/index.php/who-was-mummified-in-ancient-egypt-48070/

When did mummification stop?

Mummification stopped in around the 4th century A.D.

Reference:

http://www.humanities360.com/index.php/who-was-mummified-in-ancient-egypt-48070/

Combination Of My Book Reviews

King Tutankhamen

Curse Of King Tutankhamen's Tomb

Curse of King Tut’s Tomb

Is the curse of King Tutankhamen real? This spread around when Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon had found King Tutankhamen’s tomb. The Egyptians believed that if you find a tablet with the curse in a pharaoh's tomb there would be lots of records of a variety of threats that would happen in sacred locations for example, As for anybody who shall enter this tomb in his impurity: I shall ring his neck like a bird’s. or As for him who shall destroy this inscription:He shall not reach home. He shall not embrace his children. He shall not see success.

After Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon opened the tomb and studied it, Lord Carnarvon became ill and had to be sent back to Cairo. Then a few days later he died. People said that he died because of the curse of King Tut’s Tomb. Different people studied the curse and came up that the curse was not true. Dr. Ezzeddin Taha examined the health records of several people that work in museums. The records showed that most of the workers had been exposed to Aspergillus Niger which is a fungus. The fungus was black mold. This black mold is a fungus that causes fevers,rashes and fatigues. Dr. Nicola Di Paola is an Italian physician. He examined the health records and found another possible fungus. This possible fungus was Aspergillus Ochraceus. At 1999, another man wanted to find out what other possible things that might have caused illness. The German man’s name was Gotthard Kramer. He found another possible thing that might have caused the illness of several people. He found mold spores. He thinks that when the tombs were first opened and fresh air went inside the tomb, the spores might have been blown in the air. He said that when the spores go through the nose,mouth or the eye, it can cause organ failure.

Reference:

http://www.unmuseum.org/mummy.htm

By: Liezl Ceniza

Better to Wish

Better To Wish

The book ‘Better To Wish’ is about a girl named Abby (Abigail). Abby couldn’t wait what would happen in the future. She always wanted to be older than her original age. She would be moving houses and having new siblings to take care of. Later on hardships come. Firstly her mother dies and then weeks after that, her best friend Sarah drowns.

My least favourite character was Abby’s dad. Why I dislike him is because he doesn’t like Catholics and he really wants Abby to marry Zander, their rich neighbor. She didn't want to marry him though. Another reason why I don’t like him is because he doesn't accept people of who they are like Fred. Fred is Abby’s only brother and he is not normal because when he was about 1 years old, he couldn't sit on a chair instead he would almost slide off.

I recommend this book to children ages 9+. Children who love books that come in a series would love this book because it is Book 1 of 4 books.

                  

                                        Ann M. Martin               

Five on a Treasure Island

Five on a Treasure Island

The book ‘Five on Treasure Island’ is about the famous five.(Julian,George/Georgina,Dick,Anne and Timothy the dog) They rowed to Kirrin Island to have a little visit. Kirrin Island was once owned by George’s mother but now her mother had given it to George. There they explored the crumbled castle. While they were exploring, Julian and George break into the dungeon and find gold ingots but the five did not know there were 2 intruders at the castle too! As the 5 finally trap the 2 intruders, they run out of the castle. George smashes the 2 intruder’s boat so that they couldn't go anywhere. Then they all rowed back to George’s house to call the police to get the 2 men that had intruded the island.

This is book is very interesting and it is a book I couldn't put down. I also like this book because it is full of mystery solving,friendship and teamwork.

Children that like books that are part of a long series would love this book! I encourage anyone at the ages 8,9,10 and so on.

   

The Happiness of Kati

The Happiness of Kati

The book ‘The Happiness of Kati’ is about a nine year old girl named Kati. She hardly remembers her mother that left her with her grandparents and she doesn’t even know her father. Later on Kati sees her mother, that was the time she found her happiness that she had been looking for in a long time. Kati finds hardships in her life like losing the one that she really loved. This person was her mother. Her mother died because she had a disease that made her paralyzed and it made Kati’s mother have a hard time breathing.

My favourite character was Kati because she faced hard moments in her life and she still kept strong. I also like her because she is an obedient and clever girl.

I recommend this book to children ages 9-12. I also recommend this book to children who like stories that are full of drama.

The Mystery of the Vanished Prince

The Mystery of the Vanished Prince

The book ‘The Mystery of the Vanished Prince’ is all about the mystery solvers, the 5 find-outers. The prince named Prince Bongawah has gone to a camp on the hills at Peterswood. News about the prince went viral!! He had been kidnapped. Nothing could stop the 5 find-outers to solve this royal mystery. They find clue by clue and realise that the prince had been kept away at the bottom of a pram belonging to twin babies.

I like this book because it is funny how the prince was stuffed in the bottom of a pram. I also like this book because it is a book from the same author of The Famous Five. Another reason why I like this book is because it is a mystery book where a person or a group of people solve something very mysterious.

I recommend this book to children ages 7+. Children who like books full of mystery would love this book!

           

Lassie Come Home

Lassie Come Home

The book “Lassie Come Home’” is about a dog called Lassie. Lassie is the finest dog in the town. Joe Carraclough and his family were the owners of that fine and sensible collie. Every now and again, the duke of that town would offer more and more money just to get Lassie but the Carracloughs would refuse. In chapter 1, the duke offered more money and finally the parents gave in and handed Lassie over to him.Joe had no clue about this. When Joe came home and heard the very sad news he was so upset. Nothing could make him feel happy. Only Lassie could. When the duke’s kennel servant walked Lassie around streets, Lassie ran away. Many weeks went by and Lassie had nothing to eat or drink. Near the end, she finally finds her way home and meets Joe at his school gate. The ending is a happy ending because Lassie stays with the Carracloughs again.

The best setting in the book was the place where the Duke put Lassie. The author described it very nicely. The author said that Lassie was locked in a cellar and the cellar felt lonely and cold. While I was reading, I thought the author was trying to compare the cellar to miserable prison cellars.

I highly recommend this book to children ages 8+ and children who like stories about dogs.

My Invisible Sister

 My Invisible Sister

The book ‘My Invisible Sister’ is about a 10 year old boy called Frank. His family has moved nine times in eleven years. Frank has a 13 year old sister that is invisible because when she was born, she had a disease called Formus Disappearus. Frank just wants his older sister, Elizabeth to fit in.

I liked this book was because it is funny. It’s funny because Elizabeth was born with a disease which made her invisible. I like how the author described many things in the book and I also like the ending. The ending really made me ask so much questions and I really wanted to read another book that would connect to it but sadly it isn’t a book that is part of a series. The book was very interesting and I like how the author hooked me in at the beginning.

I recommend this book to people ages 8+. This is a book is also great for children that like books with lots of strange things that you discover in the middle of the book.

   

 Beatrice Colin

                                         

Flitterwig Book Review

Flitterwig

The book ‘Flitterwig’ is about a little 10 year old flitterwig that saves the kingdom of Magus. This young flitterwig is Ella. The main part of the book is that Ella has to find the 5 Sacred Dewdrops which would unfreeze the mirrors of foreverness(leads to Magus). Along her journey she meets pixies, elves and goblins.When she meets Dixon the rhyming and unbalanced pixie, everything changes in a way that is full of enchantment. Ever since the mirrors froze, all the magicals were stuck on earth. The pollution on earth could kill the magicals. Later on she meets her goblin protector,Charlie Snoppit. Together they find the 5 sacred dewdrops.

My favourite character in Flitterwig was the main character, Ella. Ella is my favourite because she is honest, kind, caring, obedient and because she has courage . She has wild, scruffy hair that grows very fast. Her feet are unusually big! She has eyes that are full loneliness but she still has a sense of humour inside her. Even though there was so many hardships in her life, she still kept on going and finished her mission of finding the dewdrops of Magus. She wears a white, cotton t-shirt, long jeans and a pair of dirty converse shoes.She is a descendent of pure elves but she looks completely human.(except for her big feet)  Ella is a flitterwig, that’s why it’s so easy to do things with her feet like skateboarding.

I recommend this book to people aged 9+ who like reading about magic and fantasy. I would also recommend this book to people who like to read books that continue just like the ‘Harry Potter’ series.

Carbonel- It's a very good book!

CARBONEL

 Carbonel is a story about an ordinary girl called Rosemary. Rosemary bought a cat called Carbonel and a witch broom. She got both of these things from a witch that she had bumped into in a marketplace. The story goes on when she discovers new things. She discovers that when she has the broom she can understand what Carbonel is saying. Another thing she discovers is that Carbonel is a royal cat and that he had been kitten-napped and still had to back and fight for the throne. I like this story because i like how the author hooks the reader and how the author made their adventures very fun and thrilling. I like Rosemary’s personality because she is a fun person and she is a character that always hopes for success. I also like her personality because she always insists to help and she looks forward to new things. I recommend this book for people who are interested in magic and for people who love adventures.