Rats as pets (Nov. 16 Tale of Tails)? Come on. Who started having rats as pets and why? Why not get a hamster?
I’m not a big fan of rats. They cost a little too much, $10-$50. Just say you got a pet rat – what are you supposed to do with it? Nathan S. of Aurora says his rat loves to cuddle, but with what?
Rats live only about two years, so if you have a rat and think it’s going to last forever, think again.
So, if you want a playful pet that lasts longer than two years, don’t get a rat. Besides, I don’t think your parents would think much of them.
— Courtney B., 10
What is the point of buying a rat? Many rats run wild in many parts of a city or town. If you own a rat, you will probably have to change the litter box every day. You also would have to make sure the rat does not carry rabies. Some rats bite, and if you are not careful, you may get an infection. Many rat owners may be afraid of the rat getting out of its cage. I can’t imagine how I could sleep knowing a rat is loose in my home. Bridget S., 11
KidNews note: You’re not alone, Bridget – the idea of a pet rat makes lots of people squirm! But we want to point out that the rats we were talking about are bred to be pets and don’t carry the diseases wild rats often do, such as rabies. In other words, the pet rat is a whole different animal!
Chewing us out for `chunky’ line
After I read your Backstreet Boys comments (Nov. 16 Backtalk), I was very upset. But what really made me mad was your comment about Nick! Who are you to say he is “chunky”? I went to six of their concerts this tour, and he looked just fine. Nick is 6 foot 1, so he has a right to have some skin. Maybe you should quit degrading people by their looks. This newspaper always brought the image that beauty comes from the inside, and I can’t believe you would say something like that. Many are disappointed. Nick is the hottest guy whether he weighs 145 pounds or 545 pounds!
— Jessica C., 15
I can’t believe any of you thought Nick was getting “chunky”! That is a personal insult to me and all the other Nick fans. The outfit he had to wear bunched up when he danced! I went to the concert, and it was the best night of my life! Nick is 6 foot 2, people! His weight is fine for his height! I have posters from a magazine, and it had each Boy in the “Larger Than Life” outfit. They were all bunching!
Call me crazy, but I’m just sticking up for the No. 1 band in the world.
— A.A., 13
I enjoyed your article about the Backstreet Boys. I have been reading everything people have written about, and I really don’t feel as though it was nice of you to say Nick looked like he was getting chunky. I felt that was mean and rude, because, to begin with, it is not his fault, and I don’t think I would like it if someone I didn’t even know said I looked as though I was getting chunky. I also feel that the only thing that you should be worried about is their music and show… not the way they look.
— Maggie B., 16
Celebs are people too
I’m responding to Natalie S. (Nov. 16 Backtalk) about the celebrities running for president. I think it was very, very rude, and how dare you, Natalie! Some people like Britney Spears, Ricky Martin and Buffy! Buffy is Sarah Michelle Gellar, not some animated cartoon! I respect Sarah Michelle Gellar, and I don’t think you should go around insulting people like that. She wouldn’t kill anyone with oversized teeth, because vampires don’t exist. Sammy Sosa wouldn’t go around hitting people because he doesn’t agree with them; he’s too nice to do that. The celebs for prez was just an idea, after all.
— Jennifer L., 11
Pokmon patrol
Pokmon pointless (Nov. 16 Backtalk)? I don’t think so! I mean, maybe they are going too far with Fossil packs and Island packs, but kids want more, and that’s how the company makes money. I collect Pokmon original packs, and I almost have them all, but I don’t feel that I NEED them all. They won’t be worth much in a couple of years, but I think you can keep them to cherish and give to your kids.
— Wyatt F., 11
No offense, but what’s up with Pokmon? I don’t get it. How can a piece of sparkly paper be worth $75? Same with the movie: People just go to get the cards. If you collect cards, don’t bother. They are just going to come out with more and more. You are never going to, you know, catch them all. It’s just another grand scheme on the toy market.
The commercials for the Pokmon movie make it look like a great movie. I’ll give it a rating of two thumbs down and zero stars.
— Daniel F., 10
I think it is crazy not to like Pokmon cards. You think they won’t be worth something in the future? They will be. Take the rare Charizard. It is so rare, I have seen only one. It is $50, and if it is first edition, it is $75.
I really like the cards and the series, so if you don’t like it, too bad. You can’t make people dislike it. I want to enjoy it for one more year, and then I will try something else. For now, I want to collect the cards and have fun.
— Alex G., 10
I am a strong supporter of Pokmon. If you don’t like Pokmon, then don’t ruin it for the rest of us. You can buy whatever things you are interested in, but don’t bad-mouth Pokmon!
— Sean K., 11
I liked the article about “Pokmon: The First Movie” (Nov. 16 Features). I watched the movie, and I think it was really good. It teaches little kids about life and that it’s not good to fight.
— Svet S., 12
KidNews critics
You people who say KidNews is getting boring: You are wrong. I think it’s finally getting fun. We are kids, and we need articles that are not so mature. I like the articles about the boy bands, and so do other people. If you want more mature articles, go to the real newspaper.
— Roxana S., 13
This is in response to Jenni F. (Nov. 23 Backtalk) and anyone else who has written about the contents of Backtalk. I agree that the Backtalk space should not be filled with merely Britney Spears and Pokmon, but there should be stuff like that in it. I wouldn’t read it if it was all about the serious and depressing things in this world. We all hear about things like the EgyptAir crash and Decatur everywhere else; why not have a space to talk about the goofy things in life?? I don’t listen to Britney Spears, and I don’t watch “Pokmon,” but it’s funny to read people’s opinions on them.
Letters on the serious side are good, too, but to say everything else is pointless is just wrong. While a 10 -year-old writing about dating sounds stupid to you, that might be the most pressing thing in his or her life at that time. I’m sure when you were 10, you spazzed about what guys thought about you. So just relax, and if you want to focus on the depressing, watch the news or read some other sections in KidNews, but occasionally, the rest of us like to take a breather.
— Mary B., 15
P.S. To Tom P. (Nov. 23 Backtalk): The Renaissance was not a rebirth, but a flourishing of the arts. See, Mrs. N., Music History did teach me something!!
I gotta say about Ask Wendi, a lot of people don’t have worthwhile problems. “Dear Wendi: I have a problem – people of the opposite gender are hounding me like flies to used diapers! What should I dooo????” “Dear Wendi: A kid is threaten-ing to take away my best friend! What should I dooooo??” This is not worth the ink that was wasted on it!
KidNews, could you try to print the letters from teens and preteens dealing with serious issues, like drugs, alcohol, smoking, suicide, depression (for GOOD CAUSES), harassment (not like, this kid poked me) and other issues?
— Zack
KidNews note: If you kids write em, we’ll print ’em! But, just so you know, a problem doesn’t have to be earth-shaking or global to be a big deal to kids. And a problem or issue that’s a big deal to any kid is a big deal to us!
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Write letters or send editorial cartoons to Backtalk, Chicago Tribune, 5th Floor, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago 60611. We won’t use your last name, but you must include your full name, age and phone number (we may call to make sure you wrote it). You can also send us letters by e-mail (ctc-kidnews@ tribune.com).
