from the mini page © 2009 universal press syndicate little ...© 2009 universal press syndicate...

© 2009 Universal Press Syndicate

release dates: August 15-21 33-1 (09)

from The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press Syndicate

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The Mini Page®

Book of StatesNEW!


Supersport: Roger FedererHeight: 6-1 Weight: 187 Birthdate: 8-8-81 The usually cool Roger Federer finally released his feelings. There was a quick burst of excitement, a leap of joy — and no doubt a sigh of relief. After almost five hours, he had at last beaten the amazing Andy Roddick in a Wimbledon championship classic to claim his 15th grand-slam tennis title and break Pete Sampras’ old mark of 14 victories.

It was fitting that Sampras was at the All England Club to congratulate Federer. The match was suspenseful, dramatic — and memorable. The 28-year-old Swiss also has won the other grand-slam tournaments: the U.S., French and Australian Opens. Federer, who has been dubbed the “Federer Express,” previously held the No. 1 world ranking for 237 consecutive weeks, another record. Breaking Sampras’ record was another accomplishment in a grand year for Federer, who recently married girlfriend Mirka Vavrinec, a former women’s pro player. Federer, who speaks three languages, serves well off the court. He helps disadvantaged people with his Roger Federer Foundation and contributes to several charities. He is a popular champion and may be the best ever. On center court, in the world’s biggest tournaments, no male player has ever matched his grand-slam singles success.

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At the World Series

The Mini Page StaffBetty Debnam - Founding Editor and Editor at Large Lisa Tarry - Managing Editor Lucy Lien - Associate Editor Wendy Daley - Artist

All of the players live in dorms during their stay, where they can

rest, eat and hang out with one another. Before the games start, there is a parade through town with all the teams and coaches.

The World Series lasts for 10 days, and all of the games are

televised on either ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC. The 2009 championship game between the best U.S. team and the best international team will be played on Sunday, Aug. 30. Nearly 30,000 people are expected to fill the stadium, and millions of people around the world will watch at home.

Maybe the best part of the Little

League World Series is that it’s free. There is no charge to watch any of the games, though you have to win a ticket through a drawing to attend the championship game inside the stadium. Snacks, candy and soft drinks cost about what they would at your local Little League ball field.

Since 1947, U.S. and international teams have each won 31 World

Series championships. Chinese Taipei (tie-PAY) leads all international teams with 17 titles. California leads all states with five.

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Girls have been allowed to

fully participate in Little League Baseball since 1974. Thirteen girls have played

in the World Series, including last year’s. The Little League

Softball World Series also began in 1974, and it’s played every year in

Portland, Ore.

Unlike the the Major League World Series, the Little

League version includes teams from all over the globe. International

teams first played in the World Series in 1952, when a team from Montreal, Quebec, Canada, made it. The first international team to win the World Series was Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, in 1957. That team also won in 1958 to become the first back-to-back champions.

The Mini Page thanks Stephen Keener and Chris Downs of Little League Baseball and Softball for help with this issue.

Mini Spy . . .Mini Spy is the catcher on her Little League team. See if you can find: •letterA •number3 •kite •exclamationmark •tooth •letterD •heart •net •ruler •alligator •ladder •wordMINI •snake •letterO •pencil •bell


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Meet Bonnie Wright Bonnie Wright stars as Ginny Weasley in the movie “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” She has played the same role in the previous “Harry Potter” movies. She has appeared in other movies and TV

shows, including the Hallmark TV show “Stranded.” Bonnie, 18, was born in London, England. She plays the guitar, piano and saxophone and enjoys singing. She also takes lessons in ballet, modern dance and African dance. She enjoys playing soccer and surfing. She also likes working with clay to create art. Her parents are jewelers, and she has an older brother.

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Rookie Cookie’s RecipeEasy French Toast

You’ll need:•4sliceswhole-wheatorwhitebread•2largeeggs•1/2 cup reduced-fat milkWhat to do:1. Cut bread diagonally in half and then again to quarter (16

triangles).2. Whisk eggs, milk, sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl until well

mixed.3.Dipbreadtrianglesinmixtureuntilsoaked.4. Spray a griddle with cooking spray and cook bread triangles on

both sides until lightly browned.5. Serve with pancake syrup. Serves 2.You will need an adult’s help with this recipe.


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•1/2 teaspoon sugar•1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon•cookingspray•pancakesyrup


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All the following jokes have something in common. Can you guess the common theme or category?

Fiona: Why do Little League baseball players make good pals?

Farris: They always go to bat for you!

Fabian: What has 18 legs and catches flies?Faye: A Little League baseball team!

Farrell: Why did the Little League player blink his eyes all day?

Forrest: He needed “batting” practice!

Words that remind us of baseball are hidden in the block below. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally, and some letters are used twice. See if you can find: LITTLE, LEAGUE, BASEBALL, WILLIAMSPORT, DIVISION, WORLD, SPORTSMANSHIP, TOURNAMENT, ELIMINATION, ROUND, CHAMPION, REGION, GIRLS, INTERNATIONAL, SERIES, BOYS, SOFTBALL.

Little League try ’nfind

Playing in little league is

a ball!

D Q P I H S N A M S T R O P S J N O I T A N I M I L E B G W T O U R N A M E N T H V A I O E Z N O I S I V I D G B S R R L K S E R I E S E U G A E L L T L L A B T F O S Y O B B S D T X R E G I O N O I P M A H C I N T E R N A T I O N A L W J L Y V T R O P S M A I L L I W


Basset Brown

the news

Hound’s

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ready resources from The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press Syndicate

The Mini Page provides ideas for Web sites, books or other resources that will help you learn more about this week’s topics.

On the Web:www.littleleague.org

At the library: “Let Them Play” by Margot Theis Raven “Girl Wonder: A Baseball Story in Nine Innings” by Deborah Hopkinson


The Little League Baseball World Series is the final stage in the world’s largest elimination tournament (e-LIM-in-NA-shun TUR-na-mint), called the Little League International Tournament. (A tournament is a competition where a team moves on to the next round by winning its games.) More than 7,000 separate teams enter this tournament. Each team is really an all-star team made of players from a local league. A single team may represent an entire city, a town or a county. The first round of games is among teams in the same area, such as nearby towns and cities. These games are played in late June or early July. Fewer than 500 teams move on to the second round.

Travel time Thousands of kids, parents and baseball fans head to Williamsport for the Little League World Series. Some teams, especially those from other countries, have to travel a long way to get to Pennsylvania. Little League pays for everything, including airplane tickets, food and uniforms.

Let the Games Begin!

Moving on In the second round, winning teams are considered state champions. They advance to the regional round. There are eight different regions in the United States and eight international regions. The 16 teams that win their regions advance to the Little League World Series. Getting from 7,000 teams to 16 takes about six weeks.

The U.S. regions are:1. Great Lakes2. Mid-Atlantic3. Midwest4. New England5. Northwest6. Southeast7. Southwest8. WestThe eight international regions are: Asia-Pacific, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe, Japan, Latin America, Mexico and Middle East-Africa.

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Doyouplaybaseballorsoftball?Ifyou do, you may play Little League. The Little League Baseball World Series is one of the biggest sporting events in the world. This year, it is scheduled from Aug. 21 to 30. This week, The Mini Page looks at this exciting event that’s fun for all ages. The first league In 1939, a man named Carl Stotz organized a baseball league in his hometown of Williamsport, Pa. He wanted local boys to have something worthwhile to do during the summer. Three teams played each other. The first Little League Baseball World Series was held in 1947 for teams from Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Because the first league began in Williamsport, that’s where officials decided to play the games. This year’s World Series will be the 63rd annual (ANN-yoo-all), which means something that happens every year.

Be a good sport Stephen Keener, the president and chief executive officer of Little League Baseball and Softball, says: “Children who participate in Little League have the opportunity to learn and appreciate good sportsmanship*, teamwork, respect for authority and other life lessons than can help them develop into good citizens as adults.” These have been the values and goals of Little League since the beginning.

* Sportsmanship is about how you play the game. Respecting your opponent, playing fair and being nice whether you win or lose are all a part of good sportsmanship.

The sport grows Little League soon spread across the country and around the world. Differentdivisions, or groups, were formed based on players’ ages. Today there are 21 different divisions for baseball and softball, from Tee Ball for 5- and 6-year-olds to Big League for 16- to 18-year-olds. The Little League World Series in Williamsport is for 11- and 12-year-olds. Seven other divisions also have a World Series event. They are played in different places in the United States, and many of the games are shown on TV.

Little League World Series

Play Ball!

Carl Stotz

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A runner is tagged out at home in the Little League Baseball World Series. More than 2.6 million boys and girls now play in Little League in more than 80 countries and all 50 states.

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