by A bread baker in Wichita asks if the elves are real, where the center of the lower 48 is, and how wheat becomes bread
A Letter to Santa from Wichita, Kansas
Dear Santa,
Hi Santa! My name is Eleanor and I am 8 years old. I live in Wichita, Kansas, in the wide, flat middle of the country, with golden wheat fields all around. I love baking bread with my grandma and chasing fireflies. My question is: are Santa Claus’s elves real? My geography question is: where is the geographic center of the lower 48 states? And my social studies question is: how does wheat become bread? Thanks, Santa!
Love, Eleanor (age 8)
Santa’s Reply
Ho ho ho, hello Eleanor! A bread baker who chases fireflies asks a wonderful question. Yes, my elves are very real and very, very busy! They are my cheerful little helpers at the North Pole, and they build and paint the toys all year long, feed and brush the reindeer, and keep the whole workshop humming with song. Without them, Christmas simply could not happen. They love peppermint, a good joke, and a job well done. So the next time you imagine my workshop, picture it bustling with my hardworking elves.
Your geography question: the center of the lower 48
Here is a fun fact about your part of the country: the geographic center of the lower 48 states is found right in your own Kansas. That means if you could balance the main part of the country on the tip of a giant pencil, the balancing point would be near your home state. Kansas truly sits at the heart of the nation. Read more at National Geographic Kids.
Your social studies question: how wheat becomes bread
Your own Kansas grows huge fields of wheat, which begins its journey as a tall, golden grain. Farmers harvest the wheat, and the seeds, called kernels, are ground into flour at a mill. Then bakers, like you and your grandma, mix that flour with water and yeast and bake it into warm, delicious bread. It is a long, lovely journey from field to table. Explore more at Britannica Kids.
Bake a tasty loaf for me, Eleanor. Yours warmly from the North Pole, Santa Claus.
