SPONSORED POST: Bubble Wrap Inventions

This blog post is sponsored by Bubble Wrap®.

Enter to Win the Bubble Wrap® Competition for Young Inventors!

Deadline: THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED TO NEW ENTRIES.

Attention, young inventors: It's time to think big! In honor of Bubble Wrap® Appreciation Day, we want you to share your ideas in the Bubble Wrap® Competition for Young Inventors. How? Develop an invention that incorporates the use of Bubble Wrap cushioning. The sky's the limit in terms of what you create! Your invention can be related to sports, entertainment, the environment, and more—anything goes as long as you use Bubble Wrap® cushioning as part of the design. Over $25,000 in prizes and a trip to New York City will be awarded. The deadline is March 23,2011—which is coming up fast!

Still looking for inspiration for your invention? Take your cue from past winners of the competition. They've used Bubble Wrap® cushioning to create everything from a prosthetic leg to wallpaper designed to help children with autism. Now it's your turn!  Remember, you might just have the next big idea!

What are some of YOUR ideas for inventions made out of Bubble Wrap®? Let us know in the Comments!

Elle Fanning Interview

Dakota Fanning's younger sister is breaking out, and making a name for herself! She debuted in films at the tender age of 2 playing the younger version of Dakota in her films. Since then she's moved on to her own roles, such as in Daddy Day Care, Because of Winn Dixie, and various other TV and film roles. We recently asked Elle to talk about the books and movies that inspire her.

Q: What is your all time favorite book and author?
Elle: My ALL TIME favorite book. . .? WOW, that's hard! I have two favorites. The first one is Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes and the second one is A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L'Engle.
Ratha: Those are two AWESOME books for sure.

 
Q: Do you like sci-fi movies and/or books? If so, which are your favorites.
Elle: I do like sci-fi movies! War of the Worlds is one of my favorites!

Q: What kind of books do you like to read?
Elle: I really like fantasy books. I thinks it's fun to imagine a whole separate world. Sometimes, reading takes you to places that don't even exist, and that's the best part!

Q: Is there a book you would recommend to a friend—why?
Elle: I'm reading To Kill a Mockingbird in school right now. There is so much to be learned from that book. I think everyone should read it!
Ratha: I agree. It's a time period book, with a timeless message.

Q: Is there a book you are looking forward to reading this summer?
Elle: A lot of my friends have raved about a book called The Phantom Tollbooth, so I plan to read that this summer.

Q: What is your all time favorite movie—why?
Elle: The Seven Year Itch!!! I'm obsessed with the look of old movies and the fashion was so neat back then as well! The 1950's style was amazing and I find myself shopping for vintage clothes that look like pieces Marilyn wore in The Seven Year Itch. Also, it was the film that started my obsession with Marilyn Monroe!
Ratha: Elle even dressed as Marilyn Monroe for Halloween one year!

Q: Is there an actor/actress you would love to work with?
Elle: Meryl Streep is for sure someone I'd love to work with!! She is an INCREDIBLE actress, but not only that, she was in one of my favorite movies, The Devil Wears Prada (rated PG-13).

What do you guys think? Let me know your thoughts in the Comments below!

—Ratha, Stacks Writer

Book Club: Shaun Tan Lost and Found

Hi! Welcome to THE STACKS Book Club where every month we all read the same book together. Here's how it works. I'll write the blog post here announcing this month's book, why I chose it, and a question that I am interested in. You participate by writing what you think in the Comments below. Anyone can join!

This month's book is: Lost and Found: Three by Shaun Tan.

Clone Codes Sequel: Cyborg

Welcome to Scholastic Booktalks where we recommend brand new Scholastic books that we think you will love. Today's booktalk is: Cyborg, book 2 in the Clone Codes series by Patricia C., Fredrick L., and John McKissack.

• Clones have no rights under a court of law and are recognized solely as property.
• Cyborgs cannot inherit real property.
• Since clones are not citizens, they cannot participate in elections.
• Cyborgs need permission from the BCA to marry and have children.

Houston Ye and Leanna Deberry are on the run again. Houston has been a cyborg since a tragic boating accident when he was seven, and Leanna just discovered that she is actually a clone. In 2161, according to the World Federation of Nations, this makes both of them second-class citizens. They're fleeing to the Shackleton City biosphere and mining community on the Moon along with Carlos Pace, a 10-year-old genius, and the super-spaceship RUBy. . . oh, and there's a million dollar bounty on their heads.

At Shackleton City, they come under the protection of Li Rizin, a battlefield cyborg and Houston's guardian. Houston becomes outfitted with a biofe ear that allows him to hear the true meaning in a conversation and a wolf Familiar, Apache, that he can call out from a tattoo on his skin to defend himself. But even with his guardian's protection and his new powers, who can protect Leanna from bounty hunters and Chancellor Taylor Graham's new Cyborg laws?

Read Cyborg for a high-speed adventure through space and time!

— Melissa, Scholastic Booktalker

Allie Finkle Inspiration: Answer

Last week's Trivia Quiz asked you to find out who was the inspiration for the character Allie Finkle in Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls. Well, the answer is in this video, where Meg Cabot reveals the story behind the story  . . .

Do YOU keep a diary? Think about it. The things you write now could become the inspiration for a popular book series when you are older!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

Reed Alexander Nutrition Trivia

You all know Reed Alexander from iCarly, but did you also know he recently lost 15 pounds, and now has his own website about food and nutrition called KewlBites? Scholastic News Kid Reporter Grace McManus talked to him about his weight loss, and how you can motivate yourself to live a healthier lifestyle too.

How much do you know about food and nutrition? See if you can answer Reed's questions.

1. Is it healthy to eat a certain amount of fat everyday, or is it off limits?
2. Can I eat carbs or should I avoid them at all costs?
3. What's better: Eating three large meals and two snacks daily, or six mini meals?
4. Do I need to work out every day?
5. Do I need to get 8 hours of sleep every night?
6. Is all fast food evil?

Leave your answers in the Comments. Then come back next week for the answers AND an exclusive recipe for Reed's favorite snack!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

Hoodwinked Too EXCLUSIVE Movie Poster

There's more to every tale than meets the eye! If you liked the movie Hoodwinked, the zany fractured fairy tale of Red Riding Hood, then get ready for an all new story that needs a happy ending. Coming to theaters April 29, 2011 is the animated family comedy Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil in 3D. And we have an EXCLUSIVE first look at the movie poster.

No one else gets to see this until tomorrow, so you should feel extremely special!!

The sequel finds our heroine, Red (Hayden Panettiere), training with a mysterious covert group called the Sisters of the Hood. But Red is forced to cut her training short when she gets an urgent call from Nicky Flippers, who returns as head of the super-secret Happily Ever After Agency, aka the HEA. A wicked witch has abducted two innocent children, Hansel and Gretel, and Nicky needs Red for the search-and-rescue mission. Thankfully, Granny and the rest of the gang—including the ever-clueless Wolf and his hyper little partner, Twitchy, join Red to solve the forest's latest caper.

It sounds pretty funny. Leave a comment to let us know what you think about the movie poster, and how special you feel for being the very first people to see it!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

Image courtesy of the Weinstein Company

New Shout-Outs for March!

You know how on your STACKS profile you can send shout-outs to other people on the STACKS? If you don't know what I'm talking about, then try it now. Click on my screen name, Sonja STACKS Staffer and then click "My Shout-Outs" in my stack. Make sure you're signed in first, and then send me a shout-out. It's fun!

OK anyway, when you send one you have to choose from that list of shout-outs. We want to know, what shout-outs would YOU like to send? You awesome people will be great at coming up with some zingy new shout-outs for our list.

So your Writing Prompt for today: write your friendly, creative shout-outs in the Comments. We will choose the ones we like the best and add them to the real STACKS shout-outs!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer