Support groups Rainbow Seekers, a program sponsored by St. Vincent Stress Center, helps 5- to 11-year old kids cope with the death of a loved one. Six discussion group sessions deal with topics like memories, coping, family sharing and self-esteem. For teens, St. Vincent Stress Center offers Building Bridges. A one-day seminar teaches participants about grief and explores their feelings. For

Even though Catherine Fawcett is a Protestant, her views are similar to those of her Catholic peers. The 14-year-old from Belfast believes religion shouldn't govern people's lives. She wishes the fighting political parties would quit bickering. And shesays leaders need to find a simple solution to the conflict.

Most families gather for the holidays. But for the Walters, every day is an important gathering to spend what time they have left as a family. We interviewed Klaus Walter, his wife, Michelle, and his 9-year-old daughter Katie on his 65th birthday. He knows he doesn't have long to live, since being diagnosed four years ago with prostate cancer. Doctors operated, hoping to give him 15 years of

For 30 years, Jan and Stan Berenstain have invited readers to visit Bear Country and wander down a dirt road to a tree house and into the lives of Mama, Papa, Brother and Sister Bear. In a recent telephone interview, Stan Berenstain's deep, calming voice turned ordinary responses into bedtime stories. He reminded us of our grandfathers, and we could almost see his streaked gray hair and a pai

The concept of smoke is nothing new to the Indianapolis 500, or to racing in general. Burning rubber in the pits, a crash in the third turn or a blown engine in the main straightaway all create those hazy fumes. There is something else, though, that creates smoke . . . cigarettes. And this is where Indy car driver Scott Pruett comes in. Although Pruett didn't qualify for the Indianapolis 500

Janet Barton uses songs to change kids' behavior. The music starts, and a little girl's face lights up with joy. She is reacting to music just as most people do when they hear a song that they like. But this little girl cannot hear the song. She is deaf. She feels the music by putting her head against the guitar. This, according to Janet Barton, is an example of the power of music. Barton is

"I don't really get into the matters that much, until I absolutely need to." Peter Faatz, 14 Greencastle Senior High Greencastle, Ind. "I guess. I'm not into politics. I don't know." Angie Conner, 12 Northridge Middle School Crawfordsville, Ind. "Not really. I don't agree with everything he does and says." Joshua Ward, 14 Emmanuel Christian School Wabash, Ind. "No. I just

Rachael Wiley gets her first lesson on ice from Kristi Yamaguchi as part of the Make a Wish Foundation's program. Ten-year-old Rachael Wiley's first ice skating lesson was not from any ordinary teacher, but from Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi. In mid-January, just three weeks before Yamaguchi performed in Indianapolis, she came to skate with one special child. And Rachael, who has a co

Many people think dieting, weight loss and eating disorders are a recent phenomenon, but they can be traced back much further. "If you go back in the medical literature, there are instances of eating disorders back in the '50s and in the '30s," says Dr. Jerry Fletcher, a psychiatrist with Indiana Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, which treats children and their families. "You'll find eating dis

For Oklahoma resident Sarah East, a "beanpole" allows her to feel the ground. That beanpole is her prosthetic leg, which allows her to play basketball, softball and tennis, and to dance, run, ride her bike and do most things other 12-year- olds do. Sarah's myoelectric leg works like this: When she puts pressure on her foot, sensors send an electric shock to electrodes on her remaining limb, l

Matt Fultz, 12; Kia Woodson, 12; Lisa Schubert, 11; Tim Ward, 13 If it wasn't for Robert Halgrim, sneakers couldn't jump, pencils couldn't erase and basketballs couldn't bounce. Children would play ball barefoot and writings would go uncorrected. Halgrim, under the direction of Thomas Alva Edison, helped invent synthetic rubber, the substance that makes these things possible. Children's Expres

Barbara Bush would make sure it starts at home. The Rev. Jesse Jackson would make sure everyone has the same amount of money for it. Lamar Alexander would make sure its standards match those of other nations. And H. Dean Evans would make sure it could be held accountable. Four different people, four different views on education. Children's Express attended press conferences in Indianapolis wi

Lisa Schubert, 11; Sam Perry, 13; Jade McGillem, 12 The Invent America program helps children develop creative, innovative thinking skills by teaching them to create their own inventions in order to solve everyday problems. It is an educational program developed by the non-profit United States Patent Model Foundation. This is the fifth year of the national competition, which took place in Was

How to subscribe Individual subscriptions to Zillions are $16 per year. Write to Zillions, P.O. Box 54861, Boulder, Colo., 80322-4861. School subscriptions are $4.95 per year, with a minimum of 10 orders to one address. Write to Zillions, P.O. Box 3760, Jefferson City, Mo. 65102. The magazine is also available on newsstands. Zillions tells young consumers how to avoid rip-offs and choose prod