Teens talk about what life is like in Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Fifteen-year-old Gery Kehaiova can do something few other teen-agers can: She can twirl 45 hoops around her neck, waist, arms and legs, all at the same time. She does this almost every day, sometimes three times a day, as a performer in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. This year's edition of the circ

Politicians seem to express their views more during the campaign year than at any other time. However, much of what they say revolves around what their opponents will do wrong rather than what they themselves hope to do in office. Children's Express recently talked to U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., about his work before he begins his 1994 re-election campaign. We wanted to talk to an actual

Many of us are content with our lives and don't bother to worry about problems that Tylenol can't cure. Yes, things could always be better, but mostly we sit and sip our tea, jog our miles and don't think anything at all about what we'll do in the next 15 minutes. Well, recently we met two kids who deserve a pat on the back for putting up with chronic illnesses. First we met Billy Muller. Bill

By the time most children turn 4 years old, the only hospital trip they may have made is when they received a bad cut, or maybe a minor burn. To have been to the hospital for 10 surgeries by that young age is heart-rending, but that is just what happened to Jennifer Johnson of Midland, Texas. Jennifer, now 13, was born with cleft palate, a type of craniofacial disorder in which the palate (th

When a baby is born, one of the first things parents do is take pictures and show them to relatives and friends. In Francis Smith's case, his parents had other things on their minds. Smith, now 19 years old, was born with a craniofacial disorder called Treacher Collins Syndrome. Treacher Collins is a condition in which the cheekbones and jawbone are underdeveloped. The ears are often abnormal

As a child, author Judy Blume was extremely imaginative and shy, so she made up stories in her head. And while she still makes up stories, it's not so simple for her now. "It takes a really long time to get an idea and then millions of rewrites to write it," she explained. "I've never really been able to tell a story out loud and make it up as I go along." Despite the effort involved, Blume ha

One led a delegation from South Africa to Mozambique to meet with the banned African National Congress, for which he was denounced as a traitor to his country. Another is currently finishing her first book of poetry and prose. A third started law school and then left to manage a homeless shelter. These are just some of the lives led by students who were selected to study for a master's degree

Marianna came from the Ukraine in pursuit of peace, and she found it - at the University of Notre Dame. There she studied as a member of the Peace Institute, then returned to her country with a better understanding of life and its importance in a world of peace. Now back in the United States finishing a degree in journalism at American University in Washington, D.C., she will be the first fem

Imagine how you would feel if a loved one was murdered and then the murderer's face was put on a trading card. That is what two local groups, Survivors of Homicide and Senior Girl Scout Troop 576, would like people to think about. Survivors of Homicide is a support group for the families and friends of murder victims. The group, organized in 1988 by a member of the crime victims' assistance u

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