Ghost Stories for Middle Schoolers
Ghost stories for the kiddos? Isn’t this just the prescription for a night of bad dreams? Not according to the “Spooky America” series of ghost books, and most recently its “The Ghostly Tales of The Midwest.”
Perfect for Middle School students
“This series of books is perfect for middle school kids (age 8 to 12),” said Nancy Ellwood, publishing director with Arcadia Children’s Books, and creator of the “Spooky America” series. “They’re ‘creepy’ and a bit scary, but not so scary that it would bother this age group.”
“In fact,” she explained, “they’re meaty books (112 pages) for more sophisticated readers. These are nonfiction books in which we tell the truth and explain complicated processes using bigger words.”
The approach to the series is journalistic, Ellwood said. Someone believes a particular place is haunted, and so they go back to history to learn what may have happened in that spot that would have caused it to be haunted.
“Overall, we had two objectives in producing these books,” Ellwood said. “First, we wanted to make them fun and dynamic for readers, and two, we wanted to preserve the history so it’s a learning experience too.”
Adapted from adult series
The “Spooky America” series of young adult books was adapted from the “Haunted America” series for adults, which explores historical haunts in cities and regions across America. Ellwood said, “We picked the most popular in the series, and then had children’s literature writers adapt the books for young readers (with permission from the original authors).”
“The Ghostly Tales of the Midwest” represents a new approach to the series, according to Ellwood. Stories are presented from states around the region, highlighting community history and traditions along with the ghost stories. In this book, for example, you can learn about phantoms walking along Michigan beaches (looking for towns that have disappeared), family members, guests and teachers walking the halls of colleges, libraries and courthouses in Ohio, Indiana and Missouri, or summer resorts and cemeteries in Missouri, Illinois and Wisconsin.
And along the readers’ journeys through the ghost stories are the stories of Midwest history. Every chapter is full of references to the area’s geography, common attributes, historical events (and military battles) and even a discussion of what constitutes “Midwestern.” The region’s Native American nations, and their impact on the region, are described in detail throughout the book.
Another interesting treatment of these stories is asking the reader to place themselves and their family into that time in history, to get a better feeling for the times. For example, the book asks readers to imagine how they’d feel making a trip along the Underground Railroad during and after the Civil War.
Any ghosts from Toledo?
“Toledo’s got plenty of ghost stories!” said Ellwood. And while none were included in “The Ghostly Tales of the Midwest,” the adult book “Haunted Toledo,” which was released in September 2022, has everything you need to learn more about our very own ghosts. Hauntings are common occurrences at many locations around Toledo, including the Collingwood Arts Center, St. Ursula Academy, the Toledo Yacht Club and especially the Oliver House. All are featured in the new book, along with many other local stories.
And Ellwood predicts that they’re planning another compilation of Midwestern ghost stories (and possibly including the Toledo ghosts) for a new book in the Spooky America series.
The Ghostly Tales of the Midwest and Haunted Toledo are available through Arcadia Publishing, as well as most other booksellers.
Are Kids In Lucas County Vaccinated Against COVID-19?
While COVID-19 still continues to be a threat in our communities, vaccinations are widely available to everyone, and now the CDC is recommending the vaccination for children who are six months or older, according to recent guidelines published in June.
“I encourage parents and caregivers with questions to talk to their doctor, nurse, or local pharmacist to learn more about the benefits of vaccinations and the importance of protecting their children by getting them vaccinated,” said Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, CDC director in a press release.
Vaccination Rates Among Children
According to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), 27,260 children ages 0-4 have received at least the first round of their COVID-19 vaccination series in Lucas County. ODH places vaccination status into seven age groups: 0-4 years old, 5-11, 12-17, 18-29, 30-59, 60-79, and 80+. You can view all the vaccination numbers by clicking here.
“The uptake of the COVID vaccine has been slower than other age groups. We strongly encourage parents to consider getting their kids vaccinated to prevent serious illnesses,” said Shannon Jones, MBA, MPH, public information officer for the Toledo Lucas County Health Department.
The CDC reminds parents who may be reluctant to get their children vaccinated that the dosage is based on age on the day of vaccination, not on your child’s size or weight. Children also get a smaller dose of the vaccine than teens and adults.
“I have confidence in these vaccines’ ability to significantly and safely reduce the risk of serious harm from COVID-19 for our littlest ones—and that’s why I’m planning to get my son vaccinated as soon as possible, with either regimen that’s available,” said Devika Bhushan, MD, FAAP to healthychildren.org. Dr. Bhushan is a pediatrician in San Francisco, CA. “The good news is that vaccination in our littlest ones, just like for older kids and adults, is likely to prevent serious infection, complications, and death related to COVID-19,” she added.
As of Sept. 19, 2022, Lucas County has recorded 115,747 total COVID-19 cases since Nov. 1, 2020 and 39,576 confirmed deaths. 18,304 (3 percent) of those cases were among children ages 0-4 years old.
Getting Your Child Vaccinated
If your child hasn’t gotten their COVID-19 vaccination and you would like to get it scheduled, you should speak to your pediatrician. The Toledo Lucas County Health Department also offers walk-in vaccine clinics Monday-Friday. You can learn more by visiting their website here. For children ages 5-11, visit gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-427-5634.
Nature’s Nursery Animal Rescue Tails Adds New Release
Executive Director of Nature’s Nursery, Allison Schroeder, has teamed up with local illustrator Don Lee to create a series of books centered around real-life animal rescue stories that align with the Center’s mission to “improve the well-being of Northwest Ohio wildlife populations and habitats through public education and rehabilitation, with an emphasis on coexistence. These books are there to back up our mission to educate people on the importance of wildlife,” said Schroeder.
What is Nature’s Nursery?
Nature’s Nursery is a non-profit organization located in Whitehouse, where they provide medical care to injured, orphaned or ailing wild animals, and conduct conservation education outreach programs for children and adults.
Through community education programming, Nature’s Nursery is able to reach over 15,000 children and adults to teach the importance of local wildlife populations and their habitats, how to protect them, and how to best live with these animals in harmony.
“Animal Rescue Tails” series
There are currently two illustrated picture books within the Nature’s Nursery original series “Animal Rescue Tails.” Schroeder makes a promise of more books to come. She said she would like to incorporate other special animal cases and situations into future books.
“These books gave me the opportunity to put these situations down on paper and turn it into a book that [Nature’s Nursery] can use,” said Schroeder. “One specific animal case can tell the story of what we do for thousands of animals every year.”
The first book titled “One Special Owl” was released in 2020 and tells the true story of a baby owl that fell from its nest and depended on the help of Nature’s Nursery to heal.The Center was able to rehabilitate and release the owl back to its home with the help of the people who called for help and the local tree company who returned it to its nest.
“I wrote the first book during COVID-19,” said Schroeder, “We were looking at alternate ways to provide education as well as bring in funds for Nature’s Nursery, considering we were not able to do the typical fundraising activities or go out to schools to deliver education materials.”
There were several hundred copies of this book sold, and it raised $3,000 for the non-profit organization.
The newest book of the series, titled “One Friendly Fox,” was published earlier this year and takes a different approach on human interaction with animals in the wild.
“One Friendly Fox” focuses on Lenny The Fox, a current Education Ambassador at Nature’s Nursery. Education Ambassadors are non-releasable animals that are used for educational purposes.
Lenny was taken from the wild by humans with the hopes of keeping him as a domesticated pet; however, he was released into the wild and was not able to maintain a sustainable life on his own. This alarming situation called for the help of Nature’s Nursery.
Lenny the Fox has been in the care of Nature’s Nursery for about seven years, and once the renovations for their new location in Waterville are complete, the public will be invited to meet Lenny for the very first time.
Purchase Details
Both of the books in the Animal Rescue Tails series are available for purchase on the Nature’s Nursery website, Amazon, and some store websites such as Target and Barnes & Noble.
Once Nature’s Nursery relocates to the new Waterville location, there will be a full merchandise store with the books available for purchase.
“These books are written for children and late elementary school readers,” said Schroeder, “ but we have also had adults buy them and they love them because it is such an easy way to understand what we do.”
All proceeds contribute directly to the Animal Care Fund, which is used to buy items such as food, bedding, and medicine for the animals cared for by Nature’s Nursery.
Nature’s Nursery, 7790 Co Rd. 152, Whitehouse. 419-877-0060. natures-nursery.org
Friends of LCCS Anounce Duffel Bag Project
Friends of Lucas County Children Services (LCCS) is a volunteer-run, nonprofit organization that enhances the lives of families they serve. Past efforts organized by the Friends of Lucas County Children Services group have been directed at LCCS youth and their caregivers, ranging from adoption ceremonies to summer caregiver picnics.
Most recently, Friends of Lucas County Children Services launched a duffel bag initiative, which is centered around providing a new duffel bag to all school-aged children in the child welfare system. This duffel bag campaign is a combined effort of several local individuals and organizations who have noted that many children in the child welfare system lack personal belongings and proper ways of storing the items they do own.
Each duffel bag from Friends of Lucas County Children Services will include basic toiletries, a blanket, a journal, colored pencils and a small stuffed animal. The bag will also include a luggage tag to evoke pride in ownership among the youth who receive the bags. Friends of Lucas County Children Services is encouraging community support to help meet their goal in this duffel bag campaign.
To learn how you can help, read more about the project at the Friends of Lucas County Children Service website or give them a call at 419-283-7441.
Ottawa Hills Senior Elise Ansberg: A Voice for Those with Hearing Loss
Elise Ansberg knows firsthand the struggles of those who suffer with hearing loss. The Ottawa Hills High School senior was born with bilateral hearing loss and received her first pair of hearing aids at the age of three.
“My first memories are of a muffled world — soft, unclear voices around me. Even my own words were whispers,” she said.
Ansberg (17) did not let her disability hold her back. Instead, she has become an advocate for others, working with the organization HearAide to provide hearing healthcare to underserved communities, both local and around the world.
“Supporting HearAide is my biggest passion,” she said. “I know what it’s like to live in a world unable to hear. I am so fortunate my family has the resources to provide me with what I need to hear. It’s a hidden disability that I have grown up with, normalized, and would not wish on anyone else. Giving others the opportunity to live with access…that’s a priceless gift. Why wouldn’t I make that happen?”
Making a worldwide impact
In March of 2022, Ansberg traveled with HearAide to Jordan, where she worked with a team of volunteers to set up two clinics in refugee camps. Ansberg had hoped to raise $2,500 through a GoFundMe campaign. Instead, she raised over $45,000, thanks in large part to her willingness to share her own story with others.
“During my volunteer efforts at the Marka refugee camp in Jordan, I met Yousef, a 17-year-old Palestinian who has grown up with hearing loss similar to mine. He came to the health clinic hoping we could help him hear. Despite our similarities, Yousef had never visited an audiologist before. Even through the clinic’s efforts to provide a cost-effective treatment, Yousef and I will always be separated by the social determinants that leave him without access to the latest technological advancements of hearing health care.”
National Philanthropy Day
On November 16, National Philanthropy Day, Ansberg will receive the Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy Award from the Northwest Ohio Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. She was nominated by the Greater Toledo Community Foundation for her efforts.
Ottawa Hills High School Principal Ben McMurray feels that Ansberg is truly deserving of this recognition.
“Elise is a thoughtful and kind student with a passion for helping people with hearing loss. I have no doubt that she will continue to help unmet needs in our community through philanthropy, volunteering, and leadership,” McMurray said.
In addition to her volunteer efforts, Ansberg also enjoys playing varsity doubles tennis with her partner, co-captain and step-sister, Bre. A member of the National Honor Society, she also tutors at the Foundry and works at Toledo Yoga.
A Giving Heart
“Giving back is a cornerstone in my family, “ she said. “There are so many opportunities to participate in really cool things in Toledo.”
The World Health Organization estimates that by 2050, nearly 2.5 billion people will suffer from some form of hearing loss, and over 700 million will need hearing rehabilitation. Ansberg hopes to study global health. She notes that even in the United States, insurance companies are not required to cover the cost of hearing aids, leaving many without affordable access.
“As I continue to champion these public health efforts through advocacy to state and local government stakeholders, my priority is to develop cost-effective solutions so that individuals have the freedom to hear without sacrificing scarce resources. I hope that eventually, replacing hearing aids becomes as easy as swapping out a pair of eyeglasses.”