Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides

UPDATE: See the Kid Reporter video from the Black Carpet of the Pirates world premiere!

Ahoy Splotters! This Friday, May 20th, one of the biggest movie series of all time, Pirates of the Caribbean, will release its 4th movie, On Stranger Tides (rated PG-13) starring Johnny Depp. He plays Captain Jack Sparrow (one of the best movie roles of all time!). He's captured by a ruthless con artist, Angelica (played by Penelope Cruz) and forced to sail with her and the pirate, Blackbeard and his crew of zombies. They are searching for the Fountain of Youth, and have all kinds of crazy adventures along the way.

We've got the scoop straight from mega-superstar producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and actors Astrid Bergès-Frisbey (Syrena) and Sam Claflin (Philip). Check out these behind-the-scenes interviews:

R.L. Stine's NEW Hall of Horrors Series

If you love scary books, then you probably know all about Robert Lawrence Stine (a.k.a. R.L. Stine), the author of the Goosebumps and HorrorLand series. You have probably even watched the videos and chatted with people about them on the Message Board.

But have you read Stine's NEWEST series, Hall of Horrors? In this video, the master of horror himself tells you all about it.

Here are the books in the new series so far:

• Book 1: Claws
  Mickey and Amanda are put in charge of their vacationing neighbors' cat, Bella. But Bella escapes from the house and disappears. Amanda has an idea to replace the cat with a look-alike from the local pet store Cat Heaven. They find a cat that looks exactly like Bella, but the clerk won't sell it to them, so they decide to steal it. Big mistake! These cats are more than they seem to be.
• Book 2: Night of the Giant Everything
  When 11-year-old Steven Sweeney is tricked into drinking a strange mixture of chemicals by his classmates, things begin to get strange. Either his toothbrush is growing, or he is shrinking! Will he be able to make it through the day and return to his original size?

Are you a fan of R.L. Stine's books? Let us know in the Comments!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

Community Grant Opportunity!

Hi Splotters! There's only ONE MONTH LEFT in the Be Big in Your Community Contest. That's right—time to enter now! This is your chance to do something really BIG! Submit your BIG Idea for a chance to see it brought to life with a $25,000 community grant!

Coming up with such a BIG idea can sometimes be daunting, but maybe one of our past winners can help inspire you. Meet Adrienne—who worked to build sunshades to protect kids from the harmful effects of the sun.

Kids helping kids, and helping their communities—now that's BIG! You can check out the rest of our winners here. Or better yet, submit your own. No idea is too small or too BIG. Visit the BE BIG in Your Community Contest website and let us know about your BIG Idea. But remember, the deadline is June 17th. So grab a parent, teacher or some friends and let us know how YOU can make the world a better place!

— Melissa, Scholastic Media Staffer

Summer Book Trivia Quiz

SUMMER BOOKS! With summer just around the corner, have you picked out your summer reads yet? (I personally want to finish the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series!) To get you in the mood for summer, take a crack at our Summer Book Trivia. ALL of these answers will have the word "Summer" in them. Yay Summer!

Writing Prompt: Character Horoscope

If you know your favorite book character's birthday, then invent today's horoscope based on the character traits below. (I didn't go by the new zodiac with the extra sign because I like the traditional one better.)

For example, Harry Potter is born on July 31. That makes him a Leo, i.e. ambitious but domineering. 

• Aries (3/21-4/19): Courageous but moody
• Taurus (4/20-5/22): Dependable but stubborn
• Gemini (5/21-6/20): Imaginative but indecisive
• Cancer (6/21-7/22): Caring but clingy
• Leo (7/23-8/22): Ambitious but domineering
• Virgo (8/23-9/22): Clever but cold
• Libra (9/23-10/22): Peaceful but unreliable
• Scorpio (10/23- 11/22): Dynamic but jealous
• Sagittarius (11/23-12/22): Independent but unemotional
• Capricorn (12/23-1/19): Patient but conceited
• Aquarius (1/20-2/18): Original but rebellious
• Pisces (2/19-3/20): Devoted but oversensitive

So Harry's horoscope for today is:

You will face an overwhelming enemy, but you will not back down. Face your fear and be strong!

Now it's your turn. Find out your fave character's birthday, and write his or her horoscope in the Comments.

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

Harry Potter image credit: Mary GrandPre