Just for kids

BE A 4KIDS DETECTIVE

When you know the answers to these questions, go to www.4Kids.org/detectives/

What is the oldest rescue group in the world? (Go to www. pathfinder.com/TFK/ to find out.)

What is the science of scrambling messages?

What invention is Gertrude Elion famous for?

IT'S A SECRET!

Whether you want to write secret notes to friends or sign your name in mysterious code, you can code with the best of them at www.thunk.com/ Here you can create secret codes by typing in your text and clicking the scramble button. Soon, you'll be dazzling your pals with your strange, sometimes funny, codes. You'll also go back in time and learn how the ancient Spartans were the first to use secret messages more than 2,000 years ago. Who's using secret messaging today? Spies, the military and even credit card companies use encoded messages every day. For kids who love goodies, Thunk also has downloadable sounds and graphics. At the site you'll find scrambled punch lines to the corniest of jokes, including the one about the flying skunk. Don't forget to check out links to James Bond, the FBI and more. Thunk.com is no longer a secret to kids.

GIRL POWER

If you fancy yourself a future inventor, then you need to visit this site for a lightning bolt of inspiration. Here's the formula that will get you to the Women Inventors lab: www.inventorsmuseum.com/women.htm Meet some amazing people you've probably never heard of, such as Sybilla Masters and Gertrude Elion. Chances are you have heard of their inventions, things such as cures for diseases, new kinds of food and bulletproof vests! Learn all about the first American woman inventor and the latest '90s lab whiz on the scene. There are lots of recommendations for books to check out and links so you can surf to the inventors' Web sites. Get inspired and get inventing!