Age Altering and Body Swapping

Life is all about second chances and making the most out of them. Well, the media has taken those ideas to a whole other level! Over the past 20 years, Hollywood has become obsessed with giving people second chances by changing their ages -- younger people wanting to be old and older people wanting to be young.

Last Friday, some STACKS Staffers went to see yet another one of these films, 17 Again. Was it any different than other past films dealing with age transformation or body swapping? Not really, but it was cute and it did have Zac Efron going for it! He was certainly one of my main motivations for going to see the movie.

If you liked 17 Again, then here are some more movies that you might also like:

13 Going On 30 (2004)
Jen Garner doing the Michael Jackson "Thriller" dance is classic!

18 Again! (1988)
How many of you would like to switch bodies with one of your grandparents? Yeah, neither would I, but that's just what happens in this film.

Big (1988)
If you haven't seen this movie, I have just two words for you: RENT IT! Plus, after finishing this movie, you'll want to head out to FAO Schwartz or your nearest toy store. But remember, there should be no age limitation for playing in a toy store.

Freaky Friday (1976 & 2003)
Though originally a book by Mary Rogers, many of you probably know the story from the movie with Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis. But did you also know that the first movie version came out in the '70s and starred Jodie Foster (from other films such as Nim's Island).

Like Father Like Son (1987)
Oh, I miss Kirk Cameron! He was the Zac Efron of the 1980s!

Vice Versa (1988)
This body swapping flick starred Fred Savage, another cutie from the 1980s generation.

Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)
If I got the chance to redo high school or middle school, I might take it. But being thrown being thrown back in time without my consent . . . no thank you!

So, have books and literature caught onto this trend as well? Not exactly, but I'm sure they will soon. (And if you need a story topic for your next creative writing project, why not try this one out?) For now, here are a couple of books that have tried out the age transformation and body swapping subject:

Airhead by Meg Cabot (Young Adult)
Hmm . . . Would I mind waking up in a supermodel's body? Probably not!

Help! I'm Trapped In My Sister's Body by Todd Strasser
The title says it all! Yikes, what a nightmare!

— Carly M., STACKS Staffer

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Recently, I chopped a foot off of my body. Well, kind of. I actually cut 12 inches of my hair. Same difference, right? :-)

For the past two years, I've been growing out my hair. Yes, I'm lazy — but my real reason was to get it long enough that I could donate it to Wigs for Kids.

As you can probably guess, Wigs for Kids makes wigs for kids. (Nah, really?) They need at least 12 inches of un-dyed, un-permed hair from each donor, and it takes 20-30 donations to make each wig. The wigs are all shaped to a mold of the child's head, and the hair is cut and styled to the kid's liking.

It's a lot of work for the people at Wigs for Kids, but all you need to do is grow out your hair. Voila! An easy way to do something good — by basically doing nothing!

In fact, this is the second time I've donated my hair. Last time, I grew it out even longer:

 

Another bonus of such an extreme haircut is that sometimes people don't recognize me right away. Very good for my second job as an undercover spy. Whoops, now I guess you know my secret . . .

For more info on hair donation, check out the websites for Wigs for Kids and another similar organization, Locks of Love.

— Karen, STACKS Staffer

Book Rec: Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Over on the Hunger Games message boards (which I moderate), we get a lot of people asking for recommendations. They've just finished reading The Hunger Games (a book for ages 12 and up), and they need something to fill the role that awesome, awesome book had been playing in their lives. (You can't replace The Hunger Games. It's special. But we help out anyway.) One of the most common suggestions our friendly forum-goers give is the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Well, I found myself with nothing to read recently, and after seeing the 10th comment in one day that basically went, "OMG PJ IS SOOO GOOD!" I figured I'd give it a shot.

"PJ" is by Rick Riordan of The 39 Clues fame. Once I found that out, I was already excited. Maze of Bones, Rick's entrée into the 39 Clues series, was a great blend of action, history, and humor. I expected the same from the first book in the PJ series, The Lightning Thief, and I was not let down. Right off the bat, you like Percy. He's funny, brave, a little rebellious, and a good guy when it counts. (Might sound obvious, but that's really important. A good story is nothing if you don't like its hero.) And when things in his life get crazy — I don't want to spoil anything, but suffice it to say that at one point early on he's forced to defend himself from his math teacher with a sword — he takes it all in stride.

I should mention the coolest part about the book, of course: it's all about Greek mythology. Percy is the son of one of the 12 major gods (Zeus, Hermes, Aphrodite, Ares, Poseidon . . . ), and has the powers to prove it. Of course, there's no point in giving a character powers unless you're going to throw him at some horrific monsters and devious, plotting gods, so you know right away he's going to run into trouble. And when he does, Riordan lives up to his reputation: the plot, and the individual scenes that make it up, are fun and fast-paced.

Again, I refuse to be one of those guys who gives the plot away during a review, so you'll have to mostly take my word for it. But the way that Rick blends stories and creatures from classical mythology with the modern day elevates the book from a by-the-numbers hero story to something that feels really fresh and inventive. Percy's journey mirrors that of classic Greek heroes like Jason or Hercules — a deliberate choice, no doubt — and having that kind of story updated for the new millennium turns out to be just as much fun as you'd expect.

The Lightning Thief is highly recommended, and I'll definitely be continuing on to the rest of the series. I got the same tingles as I did when I read Harry Potter for the first time, and I need to know where the story goes! Look out for some PJ trivia next week, and in the meantime, peep these links:

Official Percy Jackson site

Rick Riordan reading the first chapter (MP3)

Have you read The Lightning Thief? What did you think? What was your favorite part? (Mine was the scene in the statue shop.) Tell me in the comments!

— Jack, STACKS Staffer

The FIVE: Best Sidekicks From Books

Imagine this: a tired hobbit is climbing up the side of an enormous active volcano. A very heavy ring sits on a chain around his neck; the weight of the ring is making the individual chain links cut into his skin. He hasn't had food or drink for days, and since leaving his home months ago he's been stabbed, tied up in a web, and chased by orcs. He keeps climbing, determined to make it to the top, but eventually fatigue wins out and he collapses on the side of the volcano. The end. Game over. Evil triumphs and proceeds to make life generally miserable for everyone.

Bad ending, huh? That's what would have happened in Lord of the Rings if Frodo hadn't had Sam at his side. As we all know (or if not, SPOILER ALERT!), what really happens after Frodo collapses is that Sam picks him up, carries him to the top, and saves his life/the world. Which raises the question: how many of our favorite stories only turned out the way they did because of a courageous sidekick? To honor these unsung heroes, I'd like to present the Five Best Sidekicks Ever.

5. Peeta, The Hunger Games (for ages 12 and up)
While the debate rages on on the Hunger Games message board about who Katniss should end up with, one thing is pretty obvious: without Peeta and the dramatized love story he helped her pull off, Katniss might not have made it to the end of the games. The fact that he actually does love her just adds a whole new twist to this hero-sidekick relationship. That relationship will probably be one of the focal points of the sequel (also ages 12 and up), Catching Fire (which comes out September 1, 2009) — at least, I hope so!

4. Snowy, The Adventures of Tintin
Part of me thinks it might be a good idea to keep a Wire Fox Terrier around at all times in case I ever get tied up by some mustache-twirling villain. Snowy has chewed through ropes that were tying Tintin's hands many, many times. Plus, he's just really funny and pretty darned cute. Snowy is actually so famous in Europe (where he's known as "Milou") that he appeared on a 10-euro coin back in 2004, next to his pal Tintin.

3. Ron/Hermione, Harry Potter
This is tricky, 'cause technically Ron and Hermione are actually two people. But there's no question that Harry needed them BOTH to defeat You-Know-Who, and how can you pick Ron over Hermione or vice versa? Hermione's so smart, always coming up with brainy solutions or providing a crucial bit of magical trivia. And Ron is unflinchingly loyal, supportive, and brave. But if I really had to pick one, I guess I'd . . . nah, I can't do it! To make up for that cop-out, here's the recently released two-minute trailer for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, out in only a couple months . . .

2. Bean, Ender's Game
Bean was already really cool in Ender's Game. The tiny supergenius helped Ender develop some of his best Battle Room strategies, and he was right there at his side when Ender started training on the asteroid. But Bean got even cooler in Ender's Shadow, the "parallel" companion novel to Ender's Game, in which it's revealed that Bean was behind a lot of the successes and "lucky breaks" that helped make Ender a star — for example, he helped put together Ender's army using undervalued, unappreciated players. (Although part of me wonders why Orson Scott Card wanted to undermine his original protagonist . . . )

1. Sam, Lord of the Rings
Not much doubt about this one, was there? Almost everything that Frodo goes through, Sam goes through as well — and in the end, he's the one who has the strength to actually pick Frodo up and carry him up that mountain. In a lot of ways, Sam is the emotional heart of that whole story, especially as Frodo becomes more and more distant towards the end. Sean Astin's strong performance as Samwise Gamgee in the movies ensures, thankfully, that this character will be remembered for a long time.

Who are your favorite sidekicks? Let me know in the comments!

— Jack, STACKS Staffer

Trivia: The 39 Clues - Who Said That?

You're reading the books. You're collecting the cards. You're playing the game. And we hope you're winning the prizes. Now it's time to solve the trivia!

For each of the quotes below, provide the character who said it and which book it's from:

1.) "I have a limited vocabulary! Linguini! Mangia! Buon giorno! Gucci!"

2.) "Excuse me, Jackie Chan, but carry-on luggage is always X-rayed."

3.) “You have intelligence and youth, and a fresh way of looking at things. I, on the other hand, have resources and age.”

4.) “It's Dijon, stupid. This is the mustard capital of the world.”

5.) “A Lucian who doesn't trust his kin – imagine that.”

Good luck at uncovering . . . the 5 Quotes to The 39 Clues! (Get the answers on 5/7)

— Carly M., STACKS Staffer

Book Titles for Opposite Day (Or Not)

Today is Opposite Day! Or should I say, "Today ISN'T Opposite Day" in order to make that true?

If you're as big of a Zac Efron fan as I am, then I bet you watched his recent appearance on Saturday Night Live. Obviously, I was glued to the TV for that. But while I loved the parody of HSM, I actually laughed the hardest at one part of "Weekend Update" featuring a band that takes classic rock songs and changes the lyrics to their "opposites" — sometimes using the word "opposites" pretty loosely. For example, the song "That's What Friends Are For" became "That's What Enemies Are Five." (Get it?)

I was inspired to do the same thing, but Splot-style. So I came up with some "opposite" book titles:

• Diary of a Wimpy Kid --> Skywriting of a Brave Adult
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire --> Harry Potter and the Collander of Ice
• Inkdeath --> Wite-Out® Birth
• Esperanza Rising --> Desperación Falling
• Because of Winn-Dixie --> In Spite of Safeway (or In Spite of Food Emporium, In Spite of Gristedes, In Spite of Stop & Shop — take your pick)

Now it's your turn. Leave a comment with your opposite book titles! Or, you know, don't . . .

— Karen, STACKS Staffer

THE FIVE: This Book Is Making Me Hungry - Part 2

After reading my blog entry THE FIVE: This Book Is Making Me Hungry - Part 1, you all must think I am either an amazing baker or about two hundred pounds after trying out all those recipes. I must admit I am not a very good baker, nor am I two hundred pounds; however, I do LOVE reading fiction and looking at fun recipes, so that’s the reason like I finding cookbooks based on fictional books.

If you enjoyed part one, then check out today's entry where you'll find more fun, festive, and no longer fictional recipes.

Mary Poppins in the Kitchen: A Cookery Book with a Story by P. L. Travers
She's everyone's favorite English nanny! With her endless bag of goodies, creative quips, and innovative methods, only this nanny would let you mix sugar with your medicine to make it taste good. Author P. L. Travers has filled this cookbook with an abundance of recipes that will certainly satisfy your sweet tooth, such as cherry pie, jam tarts, candy kisses, lemon soufflé, and a dish called the Queen of Puddings. Yum yum!

The Boxcar Children Cookbook by Diane Blaine
Growing up, I absolutely loved the Boxcar Children series! Not only did Violet, Benny, Jessie, and Henry Alden solve interesting mysteries, but these orphans (who lived out of a boxcar) always seemed to make the most delicious-sounding food with the simplest ingredients. So if you like simple and yet scrumptious food without the hassle of tons of ingredients, you’ll want to try out this cookbook. Plus, cooking in a kitchen is undoubtedly a lot easier than cooking in a boxcar.

The Fairy Tale Cookbook: Fun Recipes for Families to Create and Eat Together by Sandre Moore
Who can resist a good fairy tale? I know I certainly can't! But when you mix a fairy tale with food, it's even better! That's why I recommend this cookbook. With recipes such as Aladdin's Date Bread, Sleeping Beauty's Birthday Cake, Cinderella's Pumpkin Pie, Grinch’s Green Beans, and many more, you'll wish you had a magic wand so that you could immediately try all the recipes in here.

Disney Recipes: From Animation to Inspiration by Ira L. Meyer and Marcello Garofalo
What do you get when you mix the world of Disney with a cup of chefs, a couple tablespoons of creativity, a few teaspoons of innovation, and a dash of pizazz? Bam! You get a cookbook completely inspired by a plenitude of Disney movies and their characters. Though I don't currently own this cookbook, I'm looking forward to getting it because it is my kind of cookbook! With nutritional information, easy recipes, quotes from the characters, and most importantly, pictures of the food, this cookbook is sure not to disappoint. Plus, with recipes such as Merlin's Magical Broth, Mickey Mouse's Special Breakfast, Peter Pan's Crispy Spinach with “Pixie Dust," and more, this cookbook will have you acting and singing along to your favorite Disney movies in no time.

Fairies Cookbook by Barbara Beery
Author Holly Black is absolutely right about what people usually think of fairies. I know I think of fairies as cute pixies with wings, dressed in pink flowing gowns, and flying around sprinkling fairy dust, much like the Disney fairies we're all so familiar with. Though Holly Black would probably quiver in her shoes when seeing this cookbook, I personally find it totally sweet . . . and I mean that literally. With recipes organized according to whimsical categories — Sugar Plum Fairies, Garden Fairies, Rainbow Fairies, Snowflake Fairies, and Secret Fairies — you'll probably want to throw on some fairy wings and dance around the house when tasting these unbelievable morsels. However, I wouldn't recommend using sugar as fairy dust unless you want a sticky floor.

Now I only wish more books would come out with fun, themed recipes. For example, how cool would it be to have a cookbook based on The 39 Clues series? Or maybe an Allie Finkle cookbook of cupcakes? That sounds good to me! What kind of cookbook would you love to see?

— Carly M., STACKS Staffer

3 Qs for Mary Kay, Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls

I think Allie Finkle has the right idea. Rules are great -- they remind us to look both ways before crossing streets, to not eat too much candy before dinner, and to not blame the dog if we didn't do our homework.

I just finished Moving Day, Book 1 in the Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls series, and I decided I needed to ask Allie's former best friend, Mary Kay, some questions. See, Mary Kay ends up betraying Allie in a pretty specific way, but I think overall, she probably means well. She was just hurt and probably a little afraid.

So here's what I would ask Mary Kay if I had the chance:

1. Why do you cry so much?
2. Why would you want to be friends with someone like Brittany Hauser?
3. Do you miss Allie now that she's moved away?

Who else out there likes Allie Finkle? Tell me what you'd want to ask Mary Kay in the comments!

— Morgan, Scholastic Staffer

Peter Lerangis unveils the next 39 Clues mission!

Someone pinch me -- is it really, truly over? Whew! I started The 39 Clues Double-Dealing tour on the day The Sword Thief came out -- a blustery, wintry March 3rd. I just finished on Saturday, April 18, in the glorious outdoor Free Library Festival in Philadelphia, PA, under the bright sun and surrounded by cherry and pear blossoms! In between, I've jogged on the rocky Pacific Coast around San Francisco, chatted with students under palm trees in Los Angeles, been mobbed by happy kids at the most amazing school in San Diego, frozen my fingers in snowy Chicago, and walked the cobblestoned streets of Philadelphia. I met an aspiring writer on Long Island whose mom agreed to postpone vacation so she could attend a book store visit, been surprised by family and old friends everywhere from Connecticut to California, and heard more interesting personal stories than I could ever relate in this space. Altogether . . . 68 events! I've been astounded by the popularity of The 39 Clues coast-to-coast, and I've met some amazing fans whom I will remember the rest of my life.

Okay, the really important question is — did I find my clue? As you all know, I've been digging around in the New York City subway, meeting exotic agents hidden behind trees (and captured on film), and consorting with Russian operatives in dark Chicago alleys. I worked especially hard on my Chicago clue, and I want to thank all you readers who have helped me with it.

Today, I am posting my latest and final episode. Watch this one closely, because there's an exciting announcement. I don't want to spoil it, because it's important to actually see the . . . oh, okay, IT'S ABOUT MISSION 3!

Fellow hunters, a clue is on the line. We are in this together, tour or no tour! As I go to work on another 39 Clues book, my deepest gratitude goes to the fans who have helped with the hunt, and especially to the thousands of awesome kids (and teachers, librarians, and booksellers!) whom I've met over the last month and a half. But our work is just beginning. So goodbye for now, but I'll see you all on the hunt!

Cheers,
Peter Lerangis, Author

Author Exclusive: Nancy Krulik Plays M.A.S.H.

Do you want to know what type of dwelling you're destined to live in? Well, any good middle school girl can tell you the easiest way to find out. Play M.A.S.H. of course!* If you're lucky, it's a dazzling mansion every time. If you're tragically unlucky (like me), it's a shack every time.

But what about for author Nancy Krulik? She's the author of the series, How I Survived Middle School, which follows sixth grader, Jenny, as she tries to make it through life at Joyce Kilmer Middle School with the help of her favorite website MiddleSchoolSurvival.com. We've brought Jenny's go-to site to you, complete with a survival guide, a place for you to keep track of your own tips for middle school, a hall of shame (be glad those stories didn't happen to you!), weekly top ten lists, and yes, M.A.S.H.!

Well, Nancy Krulik played M.A.S.H., and here's what she got:

THE FIVE: This Book Is Making Me Hungry - Part 1

Have you ever thought to yourself, "Gee, this book is making me hungry?" Over the past year, while going back and forth between reading adult fiction and childrens' fiction, I've noticed that books for younger audiences always seem to have more food references, and those food references always sound so darn good. I mean, really, would it be so hard for political fiction books or historical novels to throw in a meal or two every once in a while? I think more books should take note of the How I Survived Middle School series, which incorporates recipes throughout the books.

However, since most books and series don't include scrumptious-sounding foods, some authors and publishers have taken it upon themselves to create brand-specific cookbooks and I must say this is brilliant! Why, you ask? Just take a look at the following cookbooks below.

Nancy Drew Cookbook: Clues to Good Cooking by Carolyn Keene
This book gives readers recipes that relate to specific books and/or characters from the series. For example:

• Bungalow Mystery Salad - The mystery to me is: what kind of salad does this make? Fruit salad? Caesar salad?
• A Keene Stuffed Tomato - Author Carolyn Keene gives the recipe for one of her favorite dishes.
• Togo Dogs - aka Corn Dogs. Mush, mush!
• 99 Steps French Toast – Say what?! Don't worry; it's really only three steps.

Wookiee Cookies: A Star Wars Cookbook by Robin Davis
If you love the Star Wars books or the Star Wars movies, then you’ll love this cookbook. The photos in the cookbook are awesome! However, you may want to allow at least five hours per recipe. Here are some of my favorite recipes:

• Princess Leia Danish Dos - Create a fun and delicious breakfast that you can eat and/or wear on your head to replicate the Princess Leia hairdo.
• Darth Vader Chocolate Sundaes - Sure Darth Vader may be evil, but these ice cream sundaes are absolutely heavenly.
• Galaxy Grill Cheese - These sandwiches are out of this world.

Little House Cookbook: Frontier Foods from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Classic Stories by Barbara M. Walker and Garth Williams
Travel back to the time of horse-drawn wagons, non-electric stove tops, and good old fashioned no-nonsense cooking. Plus, you’ll learn how to churn your own butter, get instructions on how to dry your own fruit, and discover all the great foods you can make with lard. Here are few recipes you must try!

• Apple Pie - There's nothing like a made-from-scratch pie! Plus, apple pie always tastes better with this one secret ingredient: love.
• Buttermilk Biscuits - Ten times better than what you can find at a restaurant or in the store.
• Homemade Lemonade - You might want to put together a lemonade stand after making this cool and sweet drink.

Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook by Georgeanne Brennan
Ah, the age-old question: will I eat green eggs and ham? Sure, I suppose I will try them because I am not Sam. What else would I try?

• Green Eggs and Ham - The book offers lots of different concoctions for the famous combo, but my favorite is the fried eggs with guacamole.
• Pink Yink Ink Drink - This recipe is a lot more difficult to say than to drink! You'll want an mini umbrella when sipping this!
• Who Roast Beef - WHO knew this would be chicken!

Roald Dahl's Revolting Recipes by Felicity Dahl
This is one time you'll want to not judge a book by its cover. Why, you ask? Because the recipes in this book are anything but revolting. Test your chef skills, and maybe you'll be the next Willy Wonka!

• Strawberry-Flavored Chocolate-Coated Fudge - Chocolate and strawberries combined together? Time to get out the mixer!
• Mr. Twit's Beard Food - The idea is to make a face shape out of hash browns and then use condiments for the eyes, nose, mouth, etc. This tasted great once I came to terms with the notion of ruining my glorious creation of Mr. Twit's face.
• Fresh Mudburgers - Don't worry; these aren't actually made with mud!
• Hair Toffee to Make Hair Grow on Bald Men: Unfortunately, this decadent candy doesn't really affect hair growth. But the toffee is so delicious, no one will even care.

Check back next week for Part 2 of "Books with Cookbooks." Until then, I challenge you to come up with your own recipes based on your favorite books.

— Carly M., STACKS Staffer

Stacks in the City: Seattle Central Library

Last month I visited a friend in Seattle, and the very first place she took me was not the famous Space Needle, not the legendary Pike Place Market, not the acclaimed aquarium, and not the unique Chittenden Locks and Fish Ladder.

Nope; believe it our not, our #1 stop was the main branch of the Seattle Public Library! I guess birds of a feather really do flock together. (Or in this case, super book-lovers.) So I decided to give Carly M. a break and take over "Stacks in the City" for this month. Ready for my take on Seattle's Central Library?

  Well, the Seattle Public Library's mission is "to become the best public library in the world." That's a pretty tall order, but I was definitely impressed with what I saw.

The Central Library is pretty new — it went through a major redesign and re-opened to the public in 2004. It grew in size from 206,00 square feet with no public parking to 362,987 square feet plus underground parking.

But the improvements weren't just about making the library bigger — the library is also now a whole lot greener! Not only was the building designed for maximum energy efficiency, but it's also made out of recycled materials where possible. AND there are places where people can plug in their hybrid cars!

Of course, the building is meaningless without the books. So let's get to the stacks! Or actually, the Central Library calls theirs a Books Spiral. Instead of taking the stairs to go between floors, you can walk around and around to look at all the books. Floor mats with Dewey Decimal numbers tell you which section you're in.

After getting a little dizzy in the Spiral, I made my way to the Faye G. Allen Children's Center. It really is a center and not just one room. There's an area for little kids and an area for older kids (color-coded so that you don’t accidentally end up in the wrong section), plus a story hour room. Sadly, no performances while we were there — unless you count when my friend put puppets on her hands and said hi to me in funny voices, but I don't count that at all and neither should you.

Luckily, my friend kept her hands occupied the rest of the time by taking photos, and so did I. Check out our pictures to see the rest of the Central Library — including the teen center, the automated book sorter, and the kind of spooky "heart of the library."

By the time we had finished exploring every nook and cranny of the library, I was ready to sit down and take a break. So we settled in for a little rest at the computer area in the Children's Center. Unfortunately, as you can see from this picture, I somehow scared all the kids away.

It might have been that I was a little sweaty after running around the library all morning, but let's just say it's because they were overcome by my staggering beauty . . . At any rate, at least I enjoyed my time at the Seattle Central Library that day!

— Karen, STACKS Staffer