A Search for the Northern Lights. Elizabeth Rusch

      Text © 2020 by Elizabeth Rusch and Izzi RuschIllustrations © 2020 by Cedar Lee

      Edited by Michelle McCann

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the publisher.

      Libraryof Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      Names: Rusch, Elizabeth, author. | Rusch, Izzi, author. | Lee, Cedar, illustrator.

      Title: A Search for the Northern Lights / by Elizabeth Rusch and Izzi Rusch; illustrations by Cedar Lee.

      Description: [Berkeley] : West Margin Press, [2020] | Includes bibliographical references. | Audience: Ages 7–9. | Audience: Grades 2–3. | Summary: “A mother and daughter go on adventures as they search for a glimpse of the northern lights”— Provided by publisher. Includes scientific notes and a guide to aurora hunting.

      Identifiers: LCCN 2019045010 (print) |LCCN 2019045011 (ebook)|

       ISBN 9781513262901 (hardback) |ISBN 9781513262918 (ebook)Subjects: CYAC: Auroras—Fiction. | Mothers and daughters—Fiction. |

      Adventure and adventurers—Fiction.

      Classification: LCC PZ7.1.R863 Se 2020 (print) | LCC PZ7.1.R863 (ebook) |

      DDC [E]—dc23 LC record available athttps://lccn.loc.gov/2019045010LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019045011

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      Printed in China24 23 22 21 20 1 2 3 4 5

      Published by West Margin Press

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      WEST MARGIN PRESSPublishing Director: Jennifer NewensMarketingManager:Angela ZbornikEditor: Olivia NgaiDesign & Production: Rachel Lopez Metzger

      A Note from the Authors

      This fictional story is inspired by a real hunt for the northern lights that co-authors Izzi Rusch and their mom Elizabeth Rusch embarked on when Izzi was homeschooled for 8th grade. During the year, they searched in Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska; outside Reykjavik, Iceland; in Glacier National Park, Montana; and in the darkest areas near their home in Portland, Oregon.

      Though they saw auroras in Iceland and near Portland, they talked to many people who witnessed colorful shows in Alaska and all along the northern UnitedStates. In addition to all the coolscience they learned, Izzi and Liz discovered that half the fun was the search itself, all the amazingexperiences they had, and the wonderful people they met.

      Happy hunting,everyone!

      From the top of Table Rock Mountain in Oregon, Alix watched a black moon slide slowly across the morning sun, blotting out all the light. In an instant, the temperature plummeted and twinkling stars appeared. A pearly white halo shimmered against the darkened sky.

      “Wow,” Alix whispered.

      “Amazing,” her mom said.

      They kept their eyes glued to the sky until the eclipse was over, until the halo and stars faded, and the sun and warmth returned.

      “I’ve never seen anything like that,” Alix said as they hiked down the mountain. “What if I never see anything so wonderful again?”

      “Auroras are supposed to be pretty cool,” her mom said. “They’re lights that dance across the sky in green and pink and blue.”

      “Like a nighttime rainbow? Can we see one?”

      Her mom laughed. “Maybe.”

      When Alix got back home, she pored over books and websites. She learned that auroras, also called northern lights, glow in a large oval over the North Pole.

      One day Alix overheard her mom talking about a work trip to Alaska. “Alaska is a great place to see the northern lights,” Alix called to her. “The next display is coming up soon!”

      “How do you know?”

      “Auroras erupt in 27-day cycles. The new moon is coming up too. That makes it dark, and even easier to see.”

      “Really?” her mom said.

      “Can I go with you?” Alix asked. “I’ve saved enough for a plane ticket.”

      “If you think it’s worth your money. There’s no guarantee we’ll see an aurora.”

      That sounded like a “yes” to Alix. She danced around the room. “YAAAAY!”

      Alix and her mom boarded a plane bound for Anchorage, Alaska.

      Alix peered through the window as the plane rose above the clouds, revealing a clear night sky blanketed with stars. “Ohhh,” she breathed. “Look!”

      Her mom leaned in. “Maybe we’ll see the aurora from here…”They spent the whole flight searching the sky for a glow of green. But they never saw one.