Newspaper Page Text
ThinUjiimil
Money Smart walecia konrad
Dodge phone rate hikes
Several states recently deregulated
prices on elective telephone services
for land lines, such as call waiting and
call forwarding. Translation: bigger
phone bills for you. In Ohio, for in
stance, Verizon now charges $3 a month
for call forwarding, up from 75 cents,
says Janine Migden-Ostrander of the
Ohio Consumers’ Counsel Office. To
combat such hikes:
READ YOUR BILL Price increases
vary by state and may appear on bills
without a separate notice. Quiz your
carrier if you notice new charges.
UNBUNDLE. Some companies are
raising prices on bundled packages,
too. Extra services that were a good
deal when you signed up now may be
cheaper a la carte. And you may have
found you don’t use some at all.
CHECK THE COMPETTnON A
if you’re in an area served
by several carriers. Stait ■|J
at nasuca.org, the Na
tional Association of State
Utility Consumer Advocates. Click on
“NASUCA members” to see whether
your state is one of 40 with a con
sumer utility advocate, which often
posts useful pricing information.
t USA
WEEKEND
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4
USA WEEKEND • June 20-22, 2008
Parent Smart By ANN PLESHETTE MURPHY
Great new beach reads for kids
□
hot titles will entertain even the
most reluctant reader.
F 0« AGES 8-12:
■ The Mysterious Benedict Society
and the Perilous Journey by Tren
ton Lee Stewart This sequel to
the award-winning The Mysteri
ous Benedict Society follows the
adventures of four children, each
with a special talent, such as a
photographic memory and logic
skills, as they pursue an interna
tional scavenger hunt to find then
kidnapped benefactor.
■ Goose-bumps Horror Land by R.L.
Stine. This best-selling series re
turns with new installments after
a decade. The projected 12-
book run features strange
and terrifying goings-on at
an amusement park where
fun can be fatal.
President A CEO • Marcia L. Bullard
Publisher * Charles Gabrielson
Executive Editor A VP • Jack Curry
SVP/Advertising • Rob Harrison
OirJPinance • Edward Maxwell
SVP/Nempsper Relations • Ed Graves
Dir/Marfceting • Sonia David
Dir./Nesearch • Frank Dolcimascolo
To aik any USA WEEKEND columnist a question, visit usawMkwfxl.com.
HELPFUL TIPS FOR YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE
AS YOUR chil
dren pack for
the beach or con
template lazy days
on the couch, these
Eat Smart jean carper
Caution on sugary soft drinks
Jr If you worry about gout the
1 painful arthritic condition much
more common in men than in
women give up sugary soft
drinks. In new Canadian research,
r men who drink two or more sugary
sodas a day are 85% more apt to get gout
Managing Editor: Brenda Turner Creative Manager: Casey Shaw
Sanior Editors: Craigh Barboza, Pamela Brown (Make A Difference Day), Carol Clurman,
Constance Kurz. Lome Lynch, Priscilla Totten Copy Chief: Jill Golden Copy Editor: All Cybulski
Sanior Writer Dennis McCafferty Associate Editors: Brian Truitt TJ. Walter
Assistant Editor Kathy Rowings Fact Checker Elena Keithley
Editorial Assistant: Reyhaneh Fathieh Design Director: Leon Lawrence 111
Art Director Pamela Taylor Associate Art Director Christina Cook
Senior Photo Editor David Baratz Deputy Photo Editor Sarah Claxton
Online: Amelia Stephenson Office Coordinator Troy Artis
FOR AGES 9-12:
m Six Innings by James Preller. “If
Judy Blume could write a book
about Little League, it might come
out something like this,” says
Elizabeth Devereaux, Publishers
Weekly children’s book editor.
The novel goes beyond fastballs
and first base to the heart of the
game the players in a way
even non-sports fans will love.
FOR AGES 12-17:
m Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway.
Audrey finds herself the object
of media attention after her
ex-boyfriend pens a break
up song that quickly ai |Sp
climbs the charts. With
a biting sense of hu
mor, the plucky
heroine tells her
These books
entice even
reluctant
readers.
side of the story one of instant
fame followed swiftly by fallout
■ The Disreputable History of Frankie
Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart.
Grown-up themes such as femi
nism and class are explored in this
must-read novel about a boarding
school sophomore girl who infil
trates an all-male secret club.
Ann Pleshette Murphy is the
parenting expert for ABC’s
Good Morning America.
A MOB
• * MBSas *** %
than men who drink less than one a month.
Even one a day ups risk by 45%. Reason: Fruc
tose (a sugar) in soft drinks boosts blood uric
acid, leading to uric acid crystals around the
joints, along with swelling and pain. Note: Diet
soft drinks don’t promote gout. And in earlier
research, coffee (four cups a day) cut risk. C 3
Contributing Editors
Pam Anderson, Ken Bums, Jean Carper,
Stephen Covey, Jorge Cruise,
Steve Dale, Kenneth C. Davis.
Sharon Epperson, Dennie Hughes,
Walecia Konrad, Lisa Ling,
Lou Manfredini, Dr. Tedd Mitchell
Ann Pleshette Murphy, Cokie Roberts,
Steve Roberts. Tavis Smiley,
Terry Stickets
To e-mail any of these
helpful articles to a
friend, get the links
at usaweekend.com
Regional Directors/
Newspapers
Charlie Williams
Taaz Williams
w Copyright 2008
USA WEEKEND.
A Gannett publication.
Printed in the USA.
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makes a difference.
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