Have you heard of the singer Manika (pronounced Ma-NEE-ka)? First of all, she is super-pretty, but also super-smart and super-inspiring. Manika was discovered by Frank DiLeo, a.k.a. Michael Jackson's manager! She recorded her first song when she was 16 years old. She has also written a book and raised $15,000 for her favorite charity, all by herself and before she even graduated from high school! Talk about Kid Power! Read on to find out more about this amazing teen.
Kid Power! Kids can make a difference! Every Thursday on Ink Splot 26, we'll show you a new idea for how YOU can make the world a better place.
One day when I was younger, a chihuahua chased me down the street and bit me. Ever since that day, I have feared and hated dogs. If a dog was close to me, I would move away as fast as possible, or go to the other side of the street because I was afraid.
But, recently, my sister bought a puppy, and I was forced to live with a dog in my house. My sister told me to pet the dog. She is small, so I wasn't that scared, and I did it. The puppy was so nice and loving, and she did not attack me. That's when I realized I really like this puppy!
I started taking care of the puppy, taking her out on walks, and taking her to the veterinarian for check-ups. Slowly I started to find love. Now, I love her so much, and I would do anything for her.
My friends are still surprised that I am no longer afraid of dogs. It was a long process, but I did it. I set my mind to stop being afraid. I confronted my fear, and I conquered it.
You can too! Is there something you are afraid of? You have the power to conquer it! Think about it and see if you can't come up with a way to confront your fear. Take a chance! It could change your life.
Leave a Comment to let me know how it goes. I'm rooting for you!
Glory Be by Augusta Scattergood -- a Civil Rights era historical fiction story.
There is just no way that the Hanging Moss Community Pool can be closed on the hottest day of the summer . . . especially since Gloriana June Hemphill has celebrated all of her birthdays there since she was little, and the Fourth of July is right around the corner. There is no way that her best friend Frankie can be mean to her over just talking to the new "Yankee" in town, even if Frankie is just listening to his hateful, good-for-nothing older brother J.T. And there is no way that her sister Jesslyn can be completely ignoring her, not after the summers she spent teaching Glory how to double dutch and play junk poker under their father's nose.
But there are big changes coming to Mississippi in the Freedom Summer of 1964, and 12-year-old Glory is in the middle of them. In a town where racism divides nearly every part of everyday life into black and white, a small thing like drinking from the wrong water fountain can have big consequences. And Glory finds out that one little letter about segregation published in the town paper can bring about all kinds of unexpected changes.
Read Glory Be for a story about an ordinary girl who decides to speak up for what she loves.
--Melissa, Scholastic Booktalker
Last week I posted a Top Trends of 2011 Trivia Quiz, featuring trivia on the most popular songs, books, cartoons, toys, and more from last year. Did you guess what was hot in 2011? Check out the answers below!
The Answers are Here!
Last week I posted a Book Titles in Other Words quiz for you Ink Splotters to work on. Now I bring you the long-anticipated answers! How many answers did you get? Did you solve them all? Check the answers below to find out!
Continue reading "Book Titles in Other Words III Answered" »
The Newbery Medal is awarded every year by a committee of librarians to recognize "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children." Past winners have included The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, The Giver by Lois Lowry, and Holes by Louis Sachar.
This year's winner was just announced today, and the 2012 Newbery Medal goes to Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos.
Have you read it yet? Do YOU think it was the best American book published in 2011? If you were on the committee voting for the 2012 Newbery Medal, which book would YOU have chosen? (Remember, only books published in 2011 by writers in America are eligible.) Let us know in the Comments.
UPDATE: Congratulations also to the Newbery Honor Books for 2012: Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai, and Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin. Both amazing books too!
Cody Simpson!
Many of you are already big fans of the Australian singer/songwriter Cody Simpson. His CD came out last year featuring the single "On My Mind," and he toured in the summer of 2011 with Greyson Chance. He just turned 15 on January 11, and now he is headlining his own sold-out tour in the U.S. and Canada. We sat down with him to get the scoop on his music and more!
Kid Power! Kids can make a difference! Every Thursday on Ink Splot 26, we'll show you a new idea for how YOU can make the world a better place.
"F is for Friends who do stuff together. U is for You and me. N is for Anywhere and anytime at all."
Do you recognize these lyrics? They come from the song "F.U.N." featured in SpongeBob. Friendships make life fun! They make activities and school so much easier because you always have something to look forward to. Friends are essential because they listen to our good news and our bad news, and they pick us up when we are feeling down.
Being a good friend is a "Kid Power" way to make the world a better place. Here's how to know if you are being a good friend, and if someone is being a good friend to you.
If you're ever questioning your friendship, review the list above. For me, trust and honesty are the most important factors in a friendship. Yes, sometimes we argue with our friends, but you should never go behind someone's back or reveal any important secrets.
Aside from having fun with my friends, I make sure they know that I appreciate them and love them by creating handmade cards and gifts, sending them funny videos, giving them books I've read, doing favors for them, and more. Friendships are effortless when they come from the heart. Let people know that you care about them and appreciate them. This good, simple deed goes a long way to improving your friendships and to making new friends.
Now that 2011 is officially over, the results are in. We have the official stats for what was most popular during the last year. Can you guess the answers to this Trivia Quiz on the top trends of 2011?
Write On! Character to Life
This week's Write On! Writing Prompt comes to us from Late Night Reader (love your Screen Name!) who asks:
Out of all the books you have read, which one book character would you transport into the real world and why? What is it that makes this one character stand out? Why would you two "click?"
That's a tough one. So many characters, so little time! Who would you pick? Let Late Night Reader and all of us know in the Comments below!
--Ratha, Stacks Writer
Bella Thorne and Zendaya (from Shake It Up) are 2 of the stars in the new Disney Channel movie, Frenemies, premiering tonight at 8:00 p.m., ET/PT. The movie follows three pairs of friends and all their ups and downs.
The first story follows science-whiz Jake and his dog, Murray. Jake is excited to introduce Murray to his new science project partner, Julianne, but there's something about her that Murray just doesn't like, and Murray tries to expose her intentions before he loses Jake's friendship to this imposter.
Continue reading "Frenemies with Bella Thorne and Zendaya" »
Seriously, Norman! by Chris Raschka
Eeeeeyouuuff! Norman Normann has completely bombed, stunk, stanked, flunked, and failed the Amalgamated Academic Independent City Schools Test. His doting but clueless parents, Orman and Norma Normann, decide to hire an eccentric tutor, Mr. Balthazar Birdsong, to prepare Norman for another crack at the test next year.
Norman doesn't want to give up valuable time with his best friends, Leonard Piquant and twins, Anna and Emma, eating Doritos and karate-chopping each other . . . but when his new tutor's assignments turn out to be reading Ingmeister's Third New International Dictionary from A to Z, cataloging clouds, and noticing his mother's outrageous outfits, Norman starts to realize that he is preparing for way more than just a multiple-choice test.
Fans of The Phantom Tollbooth and Roald Dahl should read Seriously, Norman! for its zany wordplay and magical look at the everyday world around us.
--Melissa, Scholastic Booktalker
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