J. K. Rowling News: Pottermore!

Big news! Watch J.K. Rowling's announcement about Pottermore, her new online world for Harry Potter fans. "Follow the owl" to Pottermore on July 31!

Brave Pixar Movie

It's still a long way away, but there is a new Pixar movie coming out next year that looks really fun. It's called Brave and we've got some preview pics to show ya!

In Brave, the courageous Merida confronts tradition, destiny, and the fiercest of beasts. Merida is a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus and Queen Elinor. Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin, surly Lord Macintosh, and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voice of Robbie Coltrane, a.k.a. Hagrid from the Harry Potter movies).Merida's actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric old Wise Woman for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it's too late.

This totally sounds like my kind of story! I wish I didn't have a whole year to wait for this movie to come out!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

Images courtesy of Disney/Pixar

Fall Books Preview

OK, I know the school year is over and you are looking forward to having a great summer. Hopefully you have piles and piles of good books to keep you occupied. But I am here today with a preview of the absolute coolest books coming out this fall that you will not want to miss! Mark your calendars because I'm talking new books by Rick Riordan, Gordon Korman, Brian Selznick, and Jeff Kinney!! Read on to find out more. . .

Global Warming and Climate Change Quiz

Global Warming and Climate Change Trivia Quiz

With all the very intense and serious weather lately, it has gotten a lot of us Splotters thinking about the state of our planet. The Save the Planet Message Boards have been buzzing. From the flooding of the Missouri River, to tornadoes in the south, forest fires in the southwest, extreme heat waves and blizzards – nothing seems to be "normal" lately.

As you know, global warming is when the earth heats up. It happens when greenhouse gasses (like carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels) trap heat in the earth's atmosphere. A warmer planet seems to be causing our climate to change. Warmth obviously causes ice to melt, but a warmer planet can also hold more moisture in the air. This moisture then comes back down to earth in the form of massive rainstorms and snowstorms. But in some places, the water evaporates into the air and then the wind takes it far away, leaving a dessert with no water!

Burning fossil fuels creates something called the greenhouse effect. This is like when heat is trapped in a car. On a very hot day, the car gets hotter sitting in a parking lot. This is because heat and light can get into the car through the windows, but it can’t get out. This is what the greenhouse effect does to the earth. The heat and light get through the atmosphere, but can’t get out. As a result, the earth heats up.

Global warming is not just a matter of feeling warmer in our own towns. Across the world, people are feeling the results of climate change, results like floods, tornadoes, heavy rain and snow, drought and heat waves. Try your hand at this quiz to find out more.

1. True or False? Global warming is due to only natural factors.
2. Which country currently emits the most greenhouse gasses?
   A. India
   B. China
   C. The U.K.
   D. The U.S.
3. True or False? Global warming is sped up by the melting of the ice glaciers.
4. As climate change continues, the intensity of what type of storm that hits coastlines is predicted to increase?
5. Which is something YOU can do to help in the fight against global warming?
   A. Walk short distances instead of asking your parents for a ride in the car. 
   B. Cut down a tree. 
   C. Always use lots of plastic water bottles.

 Leave your answers in the Comments, and check your answers to see how you did.

—Ratha, Stacks Writer

Summer Blockbuster Movie Quiz Answers

Trivia Tuesday: Kids' Summer Blockbusters ANSWERED

Last week I posted a Summer Movie Trivia Quiz on some of the hot movies hitting theaters this summer. How did you guys do? Answers are below: 

Writing Prompt: Virtual Yearbook

Now that the school year is over, and summer vacation is here, today's Writing Prompt is a perfect time to reflect on the school year gone by. (Do I sound like a yearbook editor?!) Maybe you made your first best friend, took a special trip, won an award in school, or made it to the championships with a sports team. Or maybe you had your first crush, got a pet, did volunteer work, or won a hot dog eating contest!

Is there any one thing that happened this year that you will remember for the rest of your life? Or maybe something you are super proud of? Something that made you learn a lot, or cry, or feel on top of the world?

Let us know in the Comments below, and we'll try to collect the most comments we can to create a virtual yearbook. Then you can scroll through, and see what other kids found most memorable from this school year. Let's see how many we can get!

—Ratha, Stacks Writer