How to Train Your Dragon Continues

Last year, when the How to Train Your Dragon DVD came out, we had a Q & A with Hiccup where he answered questions submitted by you, loyal readers! Well, some of you asked if there was going to be another movie, and guess what? There is! DreamWorks Dragons, a double DVD and Online Video Game Pack, will be released on November 15.

On Disc 1, the epic story of Hiccup and Toothless continues as they take flight in a thrilling, all-new adventure to discover an island of never-before-seen dragons. You'll discover new mythology and training secrets from Hiccup, Astrid and Gobber. Then on Disc 2, test your skills in the Dragons Online Video Game where you create your own avatar then battle and train new dragons, win badges and become the ultimate dragon trainer.

We know you have all kinds of questions, and since we had Hiccup here last time, for this DVD, Astrid and Gobber will visit for a Q & A! Now is your chance to ask Astrid and Gobber everything you want to know about dragons, what it's like to be a Viking movie star, and what they really think about Hiccup!

Leave your questions for Astrid and Gobber in the Comments and come back on November 11 for the answers.

UPDATE 11/10/11: Thanks so much for all your wonderful questions, but we have bad news. We just found out that Astrid and Gobber will not be able to visit the STACKS to answer them. We are so sorry!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

Image Courtesy DreamWorks

Kid Power! Locks of Love

Kid Power! Kids can make a difference! Every Thursday on Ink Splot 26, we’ll show you a new idea for how YOU can make the world a better place.

 “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” This quote by Mahatma Ghandi means that if you want to make a difference, you can start with yourself. Get involved in your community, school, and neighborhood! You may be thinking, “I want to make a difference, but I don’t know how and for what?” This is easy. Start by asking yourself, “What am I passionate about?” Do you love animals? How do you feel about equal opportunities? Do you feel like more people need to be informed about health issues? Choose a few causes and see which one makes your heart pump the hardest, which one drives you to want immediate change.

Locks of Love is one example of how you can help other kids. Locks of Love is an organization that makes hairpieces with donated hair and gives them to children who have lost their hair due to a medical condition. That way, kids suffering from hair loss get to feel happy and confident again!

12-year-old Ashlyn Stewart, Scholastic News Kids Press reporter, donated 12 inches of her hair to Locks of Love. One of her close friends was getting teased about her hair loss from the skin condition, alopecia, and Ashlyn decided it was time to take action. Read more about Ashlyn’s experience.

As you can see, making a difference can be a simple and genuine act. Ashlyn saw her friend being teased, and she did something about it. You can start anywhere: you can help out a friend, volunteer to walk a neighbor’s dog, sign up for a national organization, and the list goes on. And, you don’t have to restrict yourself to just one cause; you can always support your friends’ causes as well. Ask your parents or school about how to get more involved.

Are you interested in donating your hair to Locks of Love? Go for it! Click here to find out how.  And keep reading Ink Splot 26 every Thursday for more ways to use your Kid Power to make the world a better place! 

— Glory, Scholastic Intern (a.k.a. CupcakeChateau4)

Create a Caption: Goosebumps

Thrills & Chills! With the weather getting chilly and daylight hours getting shorter, it's getting to be that time of year again. . . Halloween! From all the talk in the hallways about what costumes to wear, to the snarling jack-o-lanterns guarding the neighbors' front porches, Halloween preparations are well under way! For those of you who are looking for more frightful fun than "trick-or-treat," October is the perfect month to pick up your favorite scary stories, or sink your teeth into some new ones for an added chill factor! Leave it to Goosebumps to get you in the mood for the thrills and chills of the season.

Last week, you got a sneak peek of the new Hall of Horrors: Why I Quit Zombie School. This week, we want to invite you to Get Goosebumps. Get your terrific-ly terrifying creative hats on and write a caption for the Goosebumps picture below of the troublemaking ventriloquist dummy.

Dare to get Goosebumps? Post your caption in the Comments below.

—Amabel, Scholastic Media

World Series Baseball Trivia

If you are a baseball fan, you know what's going down on October 19th. Only the biggest baseball series of the year, the World Series. So batter up for some World Series Baseball Trivia. Will you score a homerun? Or strike out? Step up to the plate!

What Book Character Would You Be?

Great minds think alike, and you guys in the Splotter Universe are no exception. When picking this week's Write On! Writing Prompt, we realized 4 of you asked the same kind of question but all with a different creative spin.

Can you guess the MOST popular question posted? Drumroll please. . .

If you had the ability to go into any book, and be any character in that story, who would you be, and what would you do?

This question was submitted by 4 Splotters, who all had different twists on it.

• Legit/awesome/cool urged us: You could mix up the stories, like Harry Potter uses the wrong spell and goes into the Maximum Ride series. BE CREATIVE!!!
• Raiderthief5 upped the ante with a movie: If it was a book or a movie, what would it be?
• Amabel said to choose: “preferably a How I Survived Middle School book!”
• Redhorse20 asked: Will you fly with the Flock in Maximum Ride by James Patterson? Will you become a spy in the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz? It's all up to you!

So what book character would you be? What would YOU do in the story? Let us know in the Comments below! And while you're thinking about it, why not dress up like that character for Halloween? Here are some ideas for book character Halloween costumes!

— Ratha, Stacks Writer