Hot Stuff

        Olympic ring blade: Skating fans still suffering from Olympic withdrawal, take heart. Tickets are now on sale for the John Hancock Champions on Ice 2002 Olympic Tour at 7 p.m. May 12 in Firstar Center. The star-studded show includes appearances by Michelle Kwan, Irina Slutskaya, Sarah Hughes, Michael Weiss and Todd Eldredge and an international cast of skating super stars. $46-$66. At all Ticketmaster outlets, call 562-4949 or visit www.ticketmaster.com or www.championsonice.com.

Shelf Help

        For junior page turners: Two magazines for children are worth the look, both from the Cricket Magazine Group. DIG magazine, for ages 9 and older, invites readers to unearth mysteries and secrets of the past.

        Each issue gives the latest news on archaeology with fascinating stories, photos and illustrations that inspire the imagination. Another fun mag is ASK, for science and discovery-minded kids ages 7-10. ASK is chock-full of puzzles, riddles and cartoons related to history, science and the arts.

        Other Cricket magazines include Babybug, for ages 6 months-2 years, and Ladybug, for ages 2-6. These magazines contain simple rhymes and stories to entertain the little ones. Cricket magazines are available by subscription by visiting www.cricketmag.com or (800) 827-0227.

Family Fun

        Dreams of peace: Last week, we featured family contests. Here's another. The theme for 2002 Pier 1/UNICEF's Greeting Card Contest is “Children's Dreams of Peace.” Children ages 13 and younger are encouraged to share their views and hopes of peace for children around the world.

        Ten finalists will be selected from the hand-drawn entries and their designs will be reprinted as UNICEF cards and sold at all Pier 1 stores. Two grand prize winners will receive $500 and a trip for three to New York.

        The eight runners-up receive $50, a donation to UNICEF made in their name and a framed plaque of their card. All entries must be brought to any Pier 1 location before April 12. Entry forms are available at the store and at www.pier1.com.

Wired Kids

        Check this out: Anybody who likes to read will enjoy the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County's new customized e-mail newsletter, “@ the Library”. Subscribers to this free service receive personalized information on upcoming events and notices about upcoming changes at the library.

        As an added convenience, subscribers can receive weekly updates on books they've checked out, when the books are due and when requested books come in. Subscribing is easy; all you need is an active e-mail account, log on to www.cincinnatilibrary.org and click on @ the Library to sign up.

        Contact Shauna Scott Rhone by phone at 768-8511; fax: 768-8330; e-mail: srhone@enquirer.com.

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