Cars 2 Wii Game Giveaway!

Cars 2 is coming to theaters on June 24, and to celebrate, we are offering you a special chance to win a free Cars 2 Wii game! But, here's the thing. You can ONLY enter if you subscribe to the STACKS Blast Newsletter.

So right now you may be thinking. . .

YOU: Oh no! I'm not a STACKS Blast subscriber and I don't even know what the STACKS Blast is!

ME: The STACKS Blast is our free monthly e-mail newsletter. You give us your e-mail address and an e-mail address for one of your parents, and once a month (usually around the 15th), we give you a newsletter full of games, videos, celeb news, books, message board happenings, and a sweepstakes you can enter.

YOU: Cool! I want to get that newsletter! But wait, I want to enter to win that Cars 2 Wii game now. How do I enter?

ME: First, you sign up for the newsletter. Then you patiently wait until June 15 when Hooray! the STACKS Blast will arrive in your e-mail inbox. Hurry up and open it! Inside, you'll see a special section for the STACKS Giveaway. That's where you enter. OK?

While you're waiting for your newsletter to arrive, you can check out this preview of the Cars 2 video game.

Don't forget to sign up for the STACKS Blast Newsletter and enter the sweepstakes. Good luck!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

Images and video courtesy of Disney

Calling Kid Activists!

Time is running out! The 3rd annual BE BIG in Your Community Contest is still going on but there's just ONE WEEK left! If you've been thinking about a BIG Idea, it's time to act. Submit your BIG Idea to win a $25,000 community grant! Thousands of kids entered over the past two years, and kids (just like you!) have seen their BIG Ideas come to life.

Hauntings and Heists (The Mysterious Four)

A detective, as defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is "one who is employed or engaged in detecting (determining the facts) lawbreakers or in getting information that is not readily or publicly accessible."

So, when you think of detectives, do the names Sherlock Holmes, Nancy Drew, and the Hardy Boys come to mind? While these notable figures are certainly some of the most well known crime-solvers in literature, the characters in Hauntings and Heists, Book #1 of The Mysterious Four series by Dan Poblocki, can be called detectives in their own right.

In this book, you'll meet Viola, Sylvester, Rosie, and Woodrow, the members of the Mysterious Four group, as they try to solve various unknowns and mysteries in six questions or less. And if you're thinking, how are these four middle schoolers solving crimes in six questions or less? Not to worry because these "mysteries" are really stepping stones to becoming superb detectives. The characters focus on finding all of the facts, observing their surroundings, looking for minute details, and thinking outside of the box in order to come up with the final answer to the question.

I highly recommend this short yet entertaining read to anyone who's interested in coming up with the right question(s) to solve a mystery.

— Carly M., Stacks Blogger

Trivia Tuesday: 1980s Cartoons

Cartoon Classics!
How many of you have ever heard these words from one of your parents: "That was MY favorite TV show when I was a kid!" Chances are, many of you have experienced this crazy phenomenon. Cartoons from the 1970s and 1980s have made a huge comeback. Or maybe. . . they never really left! See if you can guess these 1980s cartoons that are still popular today.

1. These three chipmunks started out as a song, became puppets, a hit TV show, then movies, including a "Squeakquel."
2. These little blue cartoon creatures feature only ONE female, a villain named Gargamel (with his sidekick cat, Azrael) and will have their own feature film hitting theaters in July!
3. These "meddling kids" and their dog have been solving spooky mysteries since 1969. They drive around in a van called The Mystery Machine.
4. This 1980s cartoon started with a toy line of warring alien robots – The Autobots and Decepticons. It grew into a giant franchise with movies starring Shia LaBeouf.
5. This was actually a movie series by George Lucas. It started in 1977, and continued through the 2000s. The cast of characters includes Luke, Anakin, Princess Leia, and more. Now it is a series on Cartoon Network, and it also has a bunch of spin-off books.
6. This "berry" nice character started out as a greeting card, became various products, then a cartoon. Her friends include Lemon Meringue, Blueberry Muffin, and her cat, Custard.
7. These two brothers, Mario and Luigi, were a Nintendo video game, and then had a short run as a TV cartoon back in 1989.
8. These cute little ponies began as a Hasbro toy. Hint: Their name would contain the opposite of each word in "Your Big Horse." (__ ______ ____)

Leave your answers in the Comments below, and check back next Tuesday for answers. Help from parents who grew up in the 70s and 80s is totally allowed!

—Ratha, Stacks Writer

Create a Caption: Say Cheese!

Ugh. . . the dreaded family portrait. The matching outfits, corny poses, fake smiles, and the ongoing phrase, "Are we done yet?" springs to mind.

Could it really be worse than school picture day? Quite possibly. . .

Though it is rare for me to enjoy taking a family photo, my dad and his sisters very much enjoy striking a pose in front of the camera to create an entertaining greeting card for their friends.

This past year was their best card yet. Being that my dad is dentist, he decided to pose as himself along with his youngest sister as the hygienist and his oldest sister as the patient.

Now it's your turn to get creative and fill in the blanks! Write your Captions in the Comments.

NOTE: For safety purposes, all appliances are off.

- Carly M., Stacks Blogger