Before we dive into today’s adventure, we have a very special shout-out! This story was written, performed, and discussed by the talented students at SAFA Community School. They took part in our Schools Storyteller Program, where kids get to become the stars of their own podcasts!

If you want your school to join the fun and share your stories with the world, head over to bykidsforkids.co/schools to see how you can get involved! Stick around after the story to hear a lively conversation where the students discuss the tricky vocabulary and the important morals found in this tale.

The Mystery of Lumo City 🛸🏙️

Welcome to Lumo City, an extraordinary settlement on a brand-new planet, protected by a giant glass dome where sparkles fly and cars zoom through the air! ✨ Best friends Evelyn and Izzy think they live in a perfect wonderland, until one morning they wake up to a "dun-dun-dun" moment: the magical river that powers the entire city has vanished!

But it’s not just the water—the city’s heart (the park) and the colossal bridge are disappearing too! 😱 Left in their place are mysterious riddles that challenge the girls to save their home before the season ends.

Accompanied by their teacher, Mrs. Cooper—who has a secret ability to transform into a ginger cat (though it is a bit distracted by sandboxes and mice!)—Evelyn and Izzy must race to the Nova Lumo statue. There, they face off against Zoba, an environmentalist alien from Planet Messon. Zoba has a message: the landmarks are gone to teach the citizens a lesson about protecting their world. 🌍🛰️

Can the girls come up with five ways to save the environment before the clock strikes nine? Join Evelyn and Izzy on this adventure about teamwork, sustainability, and... a lifetime supply of chocolate! 🍫

Stay Tuned for the Discussion! 🎤

After the episode, join the creators from SAFA Community School for a fun, high-energy chat! They’ll break down the big words used in the story and dive deep into the lesson Zoba the Alien taught the city. It’s a great way to learn while hearing from the storytellers themselves!

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The Life-Bot: Too Efficient for Fun? 🤖🥧

Sparky Flarkbottom is tornado busy! 🌪️ Between the "Self-Buttering Toast-Launcher" and her friends constantly dropping by with beetles, stories, and muffins, she’s had enough. She decides that life is just one big distraction!

To fix the problem, Sparky invents the Life-Bot—a shiny metal gnome designed to handle all the "boring and irritating" parts of being human. 🛠️

• Jinx has a cool bug? Tell the robot. 🐜
• Sir Chucklenugget has a brave tale? Tell the robot. ⚔️
• Gerta brings a delicious, sticky blackberry pie? The robot eats it. 🥧🤖

At first, Sparky loves the silence. She’s the most efficient inventor in Snaggleton! But soon, her workshop feels dark and lonely. While Sparky eats dry, dusty crackers in the dark, she looks out the window and sees the Life-Bot having the time of its life—playing with her doglin, smelling flowers, and laughing at jokes! 🌸🐶

Wizzlethorp the Wizard drops by to ask a very important question: If the robot is out there living her life, what is Sparky doing? Sparky realizes that the "annoyances"—the crumbs, the barks, and the interruptions—aren't distractions; they are life! 💖

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The air in Wizzlethorp the Wizard's tower usually smells like magic, but today it smells like... burnt broccoli? 🥦 Wizzlethorp is thrilled because he has finally brewed the legendary Elixir of the Iron Mountain! According to an ancient goblin scroll, this grey sludge makes anyone invincible—swords will shatter against them and dragon fire will feel like a tickle!

Wizzlethorp is so sure of his "cherished belief" in the scroll that he refuses to test it. He wants to pour it straight onto Sir Chucklenugget’s armor before the knight goes on patrol! ⚔️ But Sparky Flarkbottom and Stanky aren't so sure. They insist on a "science test" using a pumpkin from Granny Gigglesnort’s garden.

Snotbeard the Giant gives the coated pumpkin a tiny tap, and—CRACK!—it doesn't just dent; it explodes into a thousand brittle pieces! 🎃💥 Wizzlethorp is shocked. His "invincible" potion didn't turn the pumpkin into iron; it turned it into thin, fragile sugar!

Sparky realizes the mistake: Wizzlethorp used Sugar-Root instead of Stone-Root. He didn't make a potion of invincibility; he made a heavy-duty candy glaze! 🍭 Wizzlethorp learns a big lesson: no matter how much you want to believe an ancient scroll, you must always look at the facts and test your ideas before you put your friends in danger.

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