Trivia: Scholastic Book Scramble

Now that school's almost back in session (Is that moaning I hear?), The Stacks wants to get your brains going again. Though I'm sure you've all been reading tons of books this summer and are as sharp as whistles, I want to challenge you to take my Scholastic Book Scramble.

The following are all Scholastic book titles, but the letters have been rearranged. It's up to you to unscramble them.

Easy:
STHOG NI HET AINEHMC

Medium:
SEBT DSEFIR DAN MAARD ENEQUS

Hard:
CGIMA KELPCI NDA ETH TREACRUE OFRM HET CALBK UEELGM

Hint: All the titles have book sites in The Stacks

Good Luck! The answers will be revealed next week.

—Carly M., STACKS Staffer

Titanic Shipwreck!

On a calm April night in 1912, the world's largest ship, Titanic, sank after crashing into an iceberg . On board were 2,228 passengers including wealthy businessmen, movie stars, senior members of governments, and also poor immigrants dreaming of a new life in America. They all believed the Titanic was "unsinkable," but they were wrong. More than 1,500 died in the shipwreck.

I can't explain why, (I mean, it's totally sad that all those people died) but I have to admit being fascinated by this story. The Ship was just so huge! And so over-the-top opulent and fancy! And now all that sunken treasure is at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean!

If you're like me and you want to know more, then check out these amazing facts:

On Board Titanic

• A first-class ticket for a Titanic parlor suite started at $4,350, which would be approximately $50,000 today. The most expensive rooms were more than $80,000 in today's dollars.
• A third-class ticket at Titanic cost $35, which is approximately $620 in today's dollars. Up to 10 people stayed in each third-class room. 
• There were only two bathtubs for the more than 700 third-class passengers.
  

Disaster Strikes

• Even if all 20 lifeboats had been filled to capacity, there would only have been room in them for 1,178 people.
• At first most of the passengers did not believe Titanic was really sinking, hence the low number of 19 aboard the first lifeboat, even though it could carry 65.
• Tennis player R. Norris Williams and his father felt it was too cold to remain out on deck as the Ship went down, so they went into the gym to ride the exercise bikes.
• At the time of Titanic's destruction, the temperature of the water was a frigid 28°F (-2°C). Most people who didn't drown in the water would have died of hypothermia, while others may have had heart attacks.

The Aftermath

• Initial headlines of the Titanic disaster claimed all passengers survived and the Ship was being towed to land.(WRONG!)
• No skeletons remain at the wreck site. Any bodies carried to the seabed with the wreck were eaten by fish and crustaceans.

• 14 years before the sinking of Titanic, Morgan Robertson penned a fictitious tale about a ship named Titan that collides with an iceberg. Some of the uncanny similarities between the book and the Titanic disaster include the month (April), the length of the ship (Titanic 882.5 feet, Titan 800 feet), and the number of passengers on board (Titanic 2,200; Titan 2000). (FREAKY!)

Recovery Expedition

• Expeditions to recover artifacts have been conducted at the Titanic's wreck site, located 963 miles northeast of New York and 453 miles southeast of the Newfoundland coastline, during the summers of 1987, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2004.
• In the 2004 expedition, the Remora 6000 Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) was used for the recovery of objects. This ROV was controlled from the surface via ROV pilots.
• It takes over two and a half hours to reach the Titanic wreck site. Each dive lasts about twelve to fifteen hours with an additional two hours to come back up to the surface.

To experience the Titanic for yourself, visit "Titanic The Artifact Exhibition" in several cities around the world. This blockbuster exhibition, seen by more than 22 million people worldwide, is the largest collection of Titanic artifacts, many on display for the first time after being recovered from the ocean floor, 12,500 feet below the surface!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

Fact credits: RMS Titanic, Inc.

The FIVE: Cool Books About Back-to-School

There's no denying it, folks. If you haven't started school yet, you might still have a few days left of sleeping in, staying up late, and spending all those hours in between at the beach or the park or camp (or even inside reading your favorite books or commenting on this blog!), but let's all just admit that summer is coming to a close.

But! Have no fear, because back-to-school is actually a really fun time of year. Think about it: school supplies! Shiny new sneakers! Lockers that will hopefully open! It's a time for new beginnings, and to celebrate, here are my top five favorite books about the first day of school (in order of younger readers to older!):

1. Amelia Bedelia's First Day of School by Herman Parish: This gem of a book marks the first time readers got to see what crazy Amelia was like as a kid. Is it any surprise that she's just as wacky and hilarious as the adult Amelia?

2. Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary: Ramona the restless is more like it! It's the first day of kindergarten, and Ramona is off to school just like her big sister Beezus. Too bad it's not quite what she expected.

3. Judy Moody Was in a Mood. Not a Good Mood. A Bad Mood by Megan McDonald: Third grade is not for wimps, and Judy Moody is more than a bit wary about what the new school year will bring. Turns out, it brings a whole new perspective after her teacher assigns a “Me” collage and Judy discovers more about herself than she imagined.

4. The Fashion Disaster That Changed My Life by Lauren Myracle: It's the beginning of middle school, and Allison unknowingly arrives with the most embarrassing accessory clinging to her pant leg. The day doesn't get any easier, but Allison learns to trust herself.

5. Reluctantly Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor: Alice can't understand what's so special about the first day of seventh grade, except maybe that school ends a whole half hour earlier. She vows to make it a year to remember, though – which proves harder than she imagined.

Any of these back-to-school stories ring true for any of you? Leave a comment about your favorite back-to-school books!

–Morgan, Scholastic staffer

Book Flap: Dahl, DiCamillo, Snicket, & Silverstein

This week, Book Flap (your every-other-Friday book news column) has all the latest news about books becoming movies, new series by favorite authors, and all the book news you need to know! It's all part of our first Summer on the Splot!

Roald Dahl Month and Mr. Fox at the Movies

 September is Roald Dahl month. Why September? Well, the late author of such favorites as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, and The Witches, among others, was born September 13, 1916. The Roald Dahl website, http://www.roalddahl.com/, has plenty of games and printables to celebrate with. And, what better way to celebrate than by picking up one of his books to read?

And while it's not quite September yet, you can also get excited about his books by getting excited for the upcoming Fantastic Mr. Fox movie. The stop-motion movie, based on Dahl's book of the same title, will be in theaters November 13. The movie is chock-full of famous voices, including George Clooney as the voice of Mr. Fox, Meryl Streep as the voice of Mrs. Fox, and even Michael Gambon (Dumbledore!) as Franklin Bean.


Kate DiCamillo Writes Another Big Screen Book

The past few years have seen Kate DiCamillo's novels make a big splash on the big screen. Because of Winn-Dixie led the way in 2005, and The Tale of Despereaux followed in 2008. Now, DiCamillo's upcoming book, The Magician's Elephant is next in line. Fox will be making it into a feature film. The book doesn't come out until September, but you can get a sneak peek at the first chapter on DiCamillo's website, www.katedicamillo.com.

Snicket's Second Series

Not much news on it yet, but I'm excited to report that Lemony Snicket is working on a new series. Snicket's first series, A Series of Unfortunate Events, told the story of the three Baudelaire orphans, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny. As for the new series, Snicket had this to say: “I can neither confirm nor deny that I have begun research into a new case, and I can neither confirm nor deny that the results are as dreadful and unnerving as A Series of Unfortunate Events.”

More Light From Shel Silverstein

You've probably already read Shel Silverstein's book of poems, A Light in the Attic (and if you haven't, why not?!? You so should!). But as of next month, you won't have read all of it. A new special edition is being released with 12 never before published poems and 10 never before seen drawings.

There will be new content on his site, http://www.shelsilverstein.com to go along with the special edition.

And I'll leave you with a fun fact (because who doesn't love fun facts?)—A Light in the Attic was the first children's book to make it to the New York Times bestseller list.

—Carly H., STACKS Staffer

Book Review: Savvy

If I could have a savvy, what would I want it to be? Well it'd be cool to be able to read others' minds. However, the difficulty in being able to shut out other people's thoughts might prove to be a problem. Maybe the ability to know everything would be cool. At least then I would never have to study or bother to look things up. Unfortunately, that could also be a potential problem given that some people might take my knowledge for arrogance. I guess having a savvy wouldn't be so great after all. Now I know how Mississippi Beaumont ("Mibs" for short) feels when she gets her savvy on her thirteenth birthday.

Savvy by Ingrid Law is an amazing story filled with many great moral messages. It is about a young girl, Mibs Beaumont, who inherits a deep-rooted family trait called a “savvy.” A savvy is a predetermined power that all Beaumonts receive on their thirteenth birthdays. Some might even call these attributes superpowers.

On Mibs' thirteenth birthday, she discovers that her savvy is the ability to hear the voices of other people's body art (tattoos and doodles). Though it might sound cool, and could be the closest thing to hearing someone's mind, Mibs discovers that real people's voices often get confused in the midst of the other voices she is hearing.

As Mibs struggles to gain control of her new-found savvy, she embarks a wild journey with her brothers, fourteen-year-old, Fish, whose emotions can determine the weather, seven-year-old Samson, whose quietness and tranquility get lost in the crowd, and friends-of-the-family, Bobbi and Will Junior, in order to save her critically hospitalized poppa.

I found this book exceptionally intriguing and entertaining while at other times quite touching and sad. At every moment Law managed to incorporate an underlying message which made this book all the more enjoyable. Messages such as learn to live with what you are given, listen to your own voice instead of others, and take the bad with the good, are just some of the thought-provoking concepts Law brings to the table.

I give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

—Carly M., STACKS Staffer

LIVE CHAT! The 39 Clues Author Patrick Carman

Breaking News about The 39 Clues -- the next live chat will be with Patrick Carman, author of Book 5: The Black Circle!

WHEN: Wednesday, August 26, 6-7 PM E.T.
TOPIC: The 39 Clues!

The worldwide hunt continues. And to celebrate August's release of Book 5, we'll have the author of that book, Patrick Carman, as a special guest! Join in the chat to get the latest intelligence on Amy and Dan's quest to unlock the most powerful secret the world has ever known. Who knows what Clue leads will be revealed!

And if you're new to the race for The 39 Clues . . . it's never too late to join the hunt! Visit The 39 Clues book site to find out all about the books, the games, and even some great prizes* you could win.

—STACKS Staffers

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. For complete details and official rules go to www.the39clues.com/info/prizes

---

UPDATE: 8/26 — Thanks for joining today's chat! We'll be posting the transcript soon, and also announcing the date for our next chat, where YOU will get to decide what books we talk about!

UPDATE: 8/31 — Check out the transcript here, and find out where Book 6 will take place! Details about the next chat will be announced here on September 2.

39 Clues Live Chat Today!

If you love The 39 Clues, then don't miss the live chat with Patrick Carman, author of Book 5: The Black Circle!

WHEN: Today, 6-7 PM E.T.
WHERE: The STACKS (Click here at 6 PM for instructions on how to join the chat.)

Get ready for the chat by reading Mr. Carman's The 39 Clues Agent File (PDF). This top secret document will brief you on the important details you need to know about the author of Book 5, like what family branch he is in, and what he likes to do when he is not writing or conducting surveillance on the Cahills.

Check it out and we'll see you later at the chat!

— STACKS Staffers

Catching Fire Sneak Peek

If you've read The Hunger Games, I just know that you CAN'T WAIT for the sequel Catching Fire. (If you haven't read it yet, you totally have to!!! It is by far the BEST BOOK EVER for kids ages 12 and over. Go. Read. Now.)

Well, like I was saying, the wait is almost over for Catching Fire. It will be in bookstores on September 1, so cancel all your other plans, clear out your schedule and just block out all day for reading because once you start, you are not going to want to stop reading for anything! I would suggest asking people to bring you food so you don't starve to death — seriously, you will not be able to put this book down!

So, do you want a sneak peek now? We have Chapter 1 for you to read, and an audio excerpt of Chapter 2 read by the author Suzanne Collins.  For more about The Hunger Games trilogy including downloads and a message board where you can talk to other fans of the book, visit The Hunger Games Web site.

Enjoy!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

Dear Dumb Diary Trivia Answers: Take Two

Hello wonderful internet! You guys did it! You got all the answers to my Dear Dumb Diary trivia questions! Just for the record, the answers are:

1. What does Isabella buy with the money that is donated to The Juvenile Optometry Foundation?

Isabella buys contact lenses with the money.

2. Jamie's mom claims the children in what (made-up) country would appreciate her cooking?

Wheretheheckistan

3. What does TUKWNIF stand for?

That Ugly Kid Whose Name I Forget

4. What number is Hudson on the list of cutest boys at Mackerel Middle School?

#8

5. Which two guys at Mackerel Middle School can go by the initials M.P.?

Mike Pinsetti and Mr. Prince

—Carly H., STACKS Staffer

The FIVE: Best Things about Summer in the City

I'm convinced that I'm solar-powered. If it's cloudy out, I'm in a bad mood. If it's sunny out, I feel like I could run a marathon, do a 4-hour stand-up comedy show for a crowd of thousands, and write a novel. And wail at guitar. All at once. So it's a good thing summer is here, because a few more weeks of bad weather and I probably would have alienated my friends and family for good. But that's just one of . . .

THE FIVE REASONS SUMMER IN NEW YORK CITY IS SO GREAT!

1. The weather. ‘Nuff said I think.
2. The sunsets. Alright, so it's a little mushy, maybe, but picture this: you're playing Frisbee in the park. Your parents are cooking up some food on the grill, and that mouth-watering smoky smell is kinda hanging in the air. The sun is going down, and just as it's getting too dark to play, your parents call you over for tasty chow. You sit back on the grass, fresh burger in hand, and watch the sky turn purple and orange. Isn't that the definition of summer bliss?
3. The concerts. I don't know if you've seen the lineup of FREE summer concerts in New York, but it includes such favorites of yours and mine as Green Day, The Jonas Brothers, Kelly Clarkson, Kris Allen, Adam Lambert, Black Eyed Peas, All-American Rejects, Natasha Bedingfield, et al. What other city can boast that? I love my hometown of Chicago to death, but we never had anything like the free shows that Today and Good Morning America put on. Of course, you've gotta convince your parents to get up around 5 AM to see them . . . or you could always watch the concerts on TV if you can't make it to the live show in New York!
4. The fashion. Now I gotta admit — I'm no fashion connoisseur. I wore nothing but sweatpants until I was 12, still own (and wear!) t-shirts I had when I was in 8^th grade, and wear white flip-flops, much to the dismay of pretty much everyone I know. (I think they look cool . . .) But living in New York has definitely made me step up my fashion game. Just by being around all these amazingly well-dressed people, their classiness and taste tends to rub off on you. If you feel stumped about wardrobe assembly, take a trip to NYC in the summer — when people dont have to hide their outfits in bulky overcoats — and take some notes.
5. The mood. Maybe I'm not the only one who's solar-powered, ‘cause it seems like everyone is happier between May and September. New York is notoriously grumpy, but in the summer everyone walks around with . . . well, not a smile on their faces, but something close to that. There's just less stress, less worry. It's like everyone wakes up in the morning and thinks, "Relax, baby! It's the summer!" Chicago is definitely like that too, though, and so is D.C. Hmm . . .

OK, so maybe it's not the best things about summer in NYC — maybe it's just the best things about summer, period! Whatever, who cares. I'm gonna hit the park! Later, Splotters!

— Jack, STACKS Staffer

Trivia: Guess the Book!

I would argue that the opening line of any book is the most important one. From it, you can usually tell what kind of story it’s going to be (outlandish? hilarious? weird? somber?), and there are several books whose opening lines stand out as being perfectly exact in foreshadowing the adventure that lies ahead.

So, readers, I issue you a challenge: I’ve pulled some of my all-time favorite opening lines. Can you name the books?

1. “The sun sets in the west (just about everyone knows that) but Sunset Towers faced East. Strange!”

2. “Mrs. Gorf had a long tongue and pointed ears.”

3. “I have been accused of being anal retentive, an overachiever and a compulsive perfectionist, like those are bad things.”

4. “There is no lake at Camp Green Lake.”

5. “Five minutes before she died, Grace Cahill changed her will.” 

Leave your guesses in the comments. Good luck!

— Morgan, Scholastic staffer

Action! at the Percy Jackson Movie Set

Seriously, the kids at the Scholastic Kids Press Corps are like the luckiest people ever! First Danielle A. met Daniel Radcliffe and other stars on the red carpet event for the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie premiere. Now I hear that Grace C. spent a day visiting the set of the Percy Jackson movie! The movie is being filmed in Vancouver, Canada, and will be in theaters February 12, 2010. Read Grace's post in the Kids Press Corps Blog to find out all about her experience on the set.

How amazingly cool! The movie, based on the book The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, is about a boy named Percy who discovers that he is a demi-god — his mother is human, but his father whom he never met, is the god Poseidon. Pretty intense, and then he discovers that his best friend, Grover, is also a mythical creature, a satyr —half human, half goat! (That's him in the pic.) Things just keep getting stranger, and Percy and his friends end up on a wild cross-country adventure involving gods, goddesses and mythical monsters.

It's a really great book, so if you haven't read it yet, you definitely should! There are five books in the Percy Jackson series so there is plenty of reading to keep you busy until next February when the movie comes out!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

PHOTO: Grace and and Brandon T. Jackson, who plays Grover, on the set of The Lightning Thief in Vancouver, Canada, summer 2009. Photo Courtesy Grace Choi.