ChaseR: Hunting for Solutions
Age 10 and up

ChaseR: a novel in e-mails
In this clever novel by Michael J. Rosen, 14-year-old Chase Riley has just moved from Columbus, Ohio, to a farmhouse in the country. It may as well be on another planet. First of all there's a bizarre invasion of cicadas. Then Chase starts to see deer everywhere, often tagged and strapped to hunters' cars. A case of culture shock leads him to seek refuge at his computer, firing off e-mails to his college-age sister and his buddies back home. How can an animal lover like Chase find friends in a place where everyone wants to go out and shoot something? And then a freak accident changes everything--and he begins to devise his Big Plan. . . .

Download Activity Kit now.
Activity Kit includes:
"Make a Mystery Smiley" step-by-step instructions
"What Would YOU Do?"--predicaments to debate
"Crimes of the Countryside"--funny newspaper anecdotes
"Chocolate Chirpie Chip Cookies"--a recipe with a surprise!

A Smiley for Every Occasion
ChaseR is written totally in e-mails, and Chase is a master of the medium, making up "smiley" icons to represent each of his friends or to illustrate what he's writing about. If you'd like to get more creative with your own e-mails, here are some smileys that you can cut and paste (or re-key):

: - # someone with braces
: -{#}
[ :-) someone wearing a walkman
q :-) someone wearing a baseball cap backwards
( :-D a blabbermouth
@L@ a person who has spent too long in front of a computer (sideways)
C= :-) a chef
;-)}< / / / / > a businessman (with tie)
O :-) an angel
*<l :-) Santa Claus
< : > = = a turkey
(OvO) an owl (sideways)
( : <> a duck
: =8] a baboon
: 8 ] a gorilla
( : = a beaver
/\o/\ a spider (sideways)
>< ) ) ) * > a fish (sideways)
3 : -o a cow
: (:) ( a sad pig
: (:) ) a happy pig

For more fun, try making a "Mystery Smiley"! It's just one part of the ChaseR activity kit, which includes:

What Would YOU Do? Put yourself in these predicaments
When Chase moves to the heart of hunting country he finds himself in a moral dilemma, a complex situation that has clear arguments on both sides. Download the ChaseR activity kit for more on Chase's situation and other debatable predicaments suggested by author Michael J. Rosen.

Crimes of the Countryside
A regular feature of the e-newsletter Chase sends out to his friends is "Crimes of the Countryside"--an amusing sampling of real-life anecdotes he finds printed in his local newspaper, the BEAVER CREEK BEACON. To check out some examples, download the ChaseR activity kit--and then start your own collection.

Cook up some Chocolate Chirpie Chip Cookies
Yes, you can put your own crispy critters to good use by following this recipe, which is included in the ChaseR activity kit. Chase found it in his local newspaper during an invasion by 17-year cicadas!