Puss in Boots Answers YOUR Questions

If you have seen the Puss in Boots movie (rated PG) then you know that Puss can be a bad kitty, but we forgive him because he visited the STACKS to answer YOUR questions. Read on to find out about his boots, his favorite dance move, and working with Shrek.

Do you know who your real parents are?
Puss: Sadly, we were separated shortly after my birth, but rumor has it that my father was a hurricane and my mother a volcano. . .it makes sense to me.

Would you rather be called "adorable" or "enormously fluffy?"
Puss: I would prefer a new term. . . "adora-normous-fluff-able!!!"

What is the worst thing someone called you?
Puss: Dog.

Who is your worst enemy?
Puss: Puss in Boots has no enemies! But I do not care much for bath tubs.

Since you're a criminal, what is one place you've always wanted to rob?
Puss: First of all, I am no criminal. . . I just like to borrow things sometimes, and have a tendency to never give them back.

What is your favorite food/drink BESIDES warm milk?
Puss: There is nothing like a warm bowl of Friskies on a cold rainy day.

How much whole milk can you drink?
Puss: How many cows roam the earth?

Do you like ice cream?
Puss: I like the cream. . . ice, not so much.

Do you have a favorite dance move?
Puss: A little jig I like to call. . ."The Forbidden Gato!"

What size are your boots? And what's your favorite type of boot? Cowboy boots? Rain boots?
Puss: My favorite type of boot is located on my little feets at all times. They are comfortable for any occasion. And the size is purrrrrfect.

Do like the song, "These Boots Are Made for Walking?"
Puss: Do I like it? I live it!!

How does it feel to star in a movie about you? Is it better than working with Shrek?
Puss: The green ogre will always be my great friend, but I must admit a close-up on me is much more flattering, baby.

What was your reaction when you heard you were starring in a movie about yourself?
Puss: Meow?

Who do you like better, Shrek or Donkey?
Puss: I know whose bread needs buttering. . . give me the ogre, baby!

How did Shrek and Donkey mess up during filming? Were there any funny bloopers?
Puss: The burro is constantly falling down and forgetting his lines, and the Shrek is always burping and farting. Both of them incredibly unprofessional, but quite funny.

Puss, you're amazing! But why are you so epic? Is it genetic?
Puss: What can I say? It is a Puss thing. . .

This entry is sponsored by DreamWorks Animation.

Image courtesy of DreamWorks Animation

Kid Power! Halloween Candy for Troops

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.

Halloween is over and I know you have tons of candy, like seriously, way more than you need. You can use some of that candy to make a difference. Send it to our troops stationed overseas. They didn't get to celebrate Halloween at home this year, and opening a care package with your Halloween candy would really cheer them up. Plus they might share some of the candy with kids in Iraq and Afghanistan, spreading the love all over the world!

Here's what you do. Pack up your extra Halloween candy in a box and mail it to the address below by December 5. Operation Gratitude will make up individual care packages and send them to U.S. troops. While you're at it, why not write a nice letter and include it with your candy? A simple "Thanks for all you do!" would make the package that much sweeter for a serviceman or woman.

Send your boxes full of candy and your letters to:
Operation Gratitude/California Army National Guard
17330 Victory Boulevard
Van Nuys, California 91406
ATTN: Rich Hernandez
Print out and include this donor sheet inside your package.

Isn't this a great idea? Leave a Comment and tell us how much candy YOU are giving to the troops.

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

Sound Bender Sneak Peek

Do you love stories with fast-paced action, trips to remote islands in the Pacific Ocean, and sound bending? "Wait. What's sound bending?" you ask. It's an amazing ability where you can hear the history of an object just by touching it. When Leo turns 13, he finds out that he has this ability. As Leo touches an unusual helmet among his uncle's valuable artifacts, he hears odd noises and realizes he must find out the story of this mysterious helmet.

Intrigued? Read the first chapter of Sound Bender by Lin Oliver and Theo Baker.

If you could hear the history of one object in your house or school, what would you pick? Tell us in the Comments!

—Vanessa, Scholastic Staffer

SPONSORED POST: Arthur Christmas

Merry (Arthur) Christmas! Did you ever wonder how Santa delivers all those presents in one night? Well, the new movie Arthur Christmas (rated PG) tackles the big question.

The answer: Santa has a sophisticated, high-tech computerized operation hidden beneath the North Pole! It is run by Santa’s oldest son, Steve, who is the heir to the Santa job one day. Santa’s younger son, Arthur, is sort of a misfit with a big heart. Then there’s a dedicated and loving Mrs. Claus, and Santa’s cranky 136-year-old father, Grand Santa, who hates the modern world and grumbles that Christmas was better "when I was Santa."

One Christmas, when the high-tech Christmas present delivery goes wrong and one child is skipped, Arthur decides to take matters into his own hands. He goes on an unauthorized Christmas mission to get that child her present before Christmas morning. What could go wrong?

Take a peek at the official trailer.

What do you guys think? Are you ready for the holidays? Will you be hitting the theaters for Arthur Christmas? Let us know in the Comments below!

This entry is sponsored by Sony Pictures Animation.

Image and video courtesy of Sony Pictures Animation

SPONSORED POST: Nintendo Kirby's Return to Dreamland

Remember Kirby™, the tough pink puff made popular by Nintendo? Well now he’s back in a new game for the Wii™ system! If you were a fan of old-school Kirby, there’s plenty of his cute butt-kicking charm in this latest game.

When a spaceship crashes into the otherwise peaceful planet of Popstar, its pieces are scattered. Players have to help Kirby retrieve the ship’s parts to help an alien return to his home planet. Check out the trailer.

Up to four people can play the game together as Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede or Waddle Dee. (Additional accessories required. Sold separately.) Kirby has his famous Copy Abilities and new Super Abilities. He basically inhales an enemy and gains their abilities. . . but amplified! He has Ultra Sword, Monster Flame, Flare Beam, Grand Hammer and Snow Bowl Super Abilities. They’re pretty cool and involve things like summoning giant fire monsters and collecting snow to turn into an oversized snowball and plow over enemies.

Want to know what Super Ability best suits you? Take the Kirby Super Ability Quiz to find out!

This entry is sponsored by Nintendo of America.

Autumn Trivia

Fall into our Fall Trivia!

Personally, I'm a summer gal, but lots of my friends absolutely insist fall is their favorite season. The leaves are changing; there's a chill in the air, and Halloween and Thanksgiving lead into the holidays. I can see the draw. And I certainly can't argue against hot chocolate by the fireplace (not that I have one - but when I visit people that do). So to celebrate the season, check out our Fall Trivia below.

1. What year was the first Thanksgiving held?
2. Which is associated with fall?
   A. Bunnies B. Santa C. Scarecrows D. Beach Balls
3. Why do leaves change colors in the fall?
4. The day after Halloween, November 1st, is celebrated by various religions. For the Catholic and Episcopal religions it is known as All Saints Day. What is it known as in Mexico?
5. Approximately what percentage of American homes eats turkey on Thanksgiving?
   A. 55% B. 82% C. 90%
6. What sound does a female turkey make? "Gobble" or "Cluck?"
7. True or False? According to the Farmer’s Almanac, one sign that a harsh, cold winter is coming is a large amount of acorns on the ground in the fall.
8. What was YOUR costume this Halloween?

Let us know your answers in the Comments below, and check back next week for answers!

— Ratha, Stacks Writer

Most Popular Halloween Costume of 2011?

Halloween is here, and we thought it would be fun to hear about YOUR Halloween costumes to try to guess what the most popular Halloween costume of 2011 will be. Our Scholastic Kids Council sent us pics of some of their Halloween costumes (past and current). We are trying to predict what the most popular Halloween costume will be this year, so let's see what the trends are. . .

I SPY Castle Nintendo Game

I SPY Castle Nintendo DS Game (rated E)

Meet Sam, a producer of I SPY Castle Nintendo DS game, as he answers our questions about making this brand new game! Sam will give you a sneak peek at some exciting and unique features of this game, as well as a glimpse into the creativity behind bringing your favorite series to life on the DS screen.

Q: One unique feature of I SPY Castle is the castle environment. How did you come up with the ideas for the setting?
Sam: The setting for any I SPY game has to be immediately interesting. And it has to have cool rooms with lots of stuff in them so that you have places to hide things. A castle obviously has both of these things. Of course, creating a new setting meant that we didn’t have the I SPY book pages to give us direction, which was both a tremendous opportunity and a challenge.

Q: How did you come up with the ideas for the game narrative and story?
Sam: We started with the question, "What do kids want to do in a castle?" We imagined kids on vacation at a castle with their parents in modern times. What do they wish would happen? They want to find hidden rooms and ancient secrets. We thought about finding a lost treasure, but that felt too much like our I SPY Treasure Hunt game. We finally settled on a story about dragons where kids get to do something very, very cool at the end.

Q: Where did you get the inspiration for what the castle and each of the rooms would look like?
Sam: We looked at lots of web sites about castles, lots of floor plans, lots of castle books, and made a list of all the places that a kid would like to visit: an armory, a throne room, a princess’s bedroom, a dungeon, the top of the tower, the moat. Once we had the list, our lead designer created a floor plan.

Q: What was the most challenging part of working on I SPY Castle?
Sam: The art is almost always the most challenging part of an I SPY game because the books set such a high standard, and this is what sets I SPY games apart from other hidden object games. I’m proud of all the various, beautiful, clever scenes that the art team created.

Q: What makes I SPY Castle different from the other I SPY DS games?
Sam: I SPY Castle is the most story-intensive I SPY game that we’ve done. Most of the castle is closed at the beginning and you have to figure out how to open doors to hidden places, so the world of the game keeps getting bigger. There are really two storylines. You have a quest that you’re trying to complete in the present, and at the same time you’re finding out what happened in the castle a thousand years in the past.

Q: Do you have a favorite part of the I SPY Castle?
Sam: My favorite part is the mini-games that are hidden in every scene. You get to do things like shoot an arrow, train a falcon, mix a potion, and lots more.

--Amabel, Scholastic Media

UPDATE: The new I SPY Castle game will be one of the prizes in the STACKS Blast Sweepstakes! Sign up now so you can enter for a chance to win!