(•) #1
Keep it simple; no more than 1 primary character (the protagonist) and 2 or 3 secondary characters (the kids), otherwise you may lose track of who's who and who does what.
Example: Harry Potter was the primary protagonist, with Hermoine and Ron as the secondaries, with everybody else providing motivation and/or information for Harry & Friends to act upon.
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The mere fact that science may not yet adequately explain an object, event, or experience does not mean the immediate explanation should automatically default to a conspiratorial, extraterrestrial, paranormal, or supernatural cause.