Twice Upon a Time: Beauty and the Beast

Twice Upon a Time: Beauty and the Beast, The Only One Who Didn't Run Away by Wendy Mass

If you like Wendy Mass's books, 11 Birthdays, Finally, and 13 Gifts, well, here is something a little different.

Beauty: "One of three things happens when someone hears my name for the first time. The worst is when they laugh. The second worst is when they start to laugh but quickly turn it into a cough so as not to appear rude. Lastly, if they are a halfway decent sort, they will squint at my face as though searching for some prettiness that perhaps they missed initially."

Beast: "I am about to poke the worm with my finger when BOOM! The furnace explodes with the loudest noise ever to ring through the castle, shattering most of the glass in the room and forming a furnace-shaped hole clear through the wall. Now THAT, Mother's going to notice."

So we have Beauty who isn't a beauty, and a prince-turned-beast who can't seem to do anything right. Beauty and the Beast each tell their own stories, so the audience gets a comic rendition of the classic fairy tale, and we see the times before Beauty meets the Beast.

From the very first sentence, you won't be able to put down Beauty and the Beast until you gobble up every last word! If you like your fairy tales with a twist see also the other books in the Twice Upon a Time series: Rapunzel, The One With All the Hair, and Sleeping Beauty, The One Who Took the Really Long Nap. Leave a Comment to tell us what you think!

—Elysse, STACKS Writer

Fruit Personality Quiz

What Type of Fruit Are You?

We have a new Personality Quiz today from DanielSurfing on the Reading Buzz Board. Your answers to these questions will reveal your fruit personality - because I know you have always wondered about that! Are you an apple, an orange, or maybe a kumquat? Answer these 3 questions and click here for the results. 

1. People would best describe you as:
   a. funny, energetic, bright, zealous
   b. kind, sweet, cheerer-upper, nice
   c. plain, average, normal, hot-headed
   d. knowledgeable, smart, sweet, energetic
2. If you saw a bully picking on a smaller kid, what would you do?
   a. Tell the bully to back off, or else.
   b. Ask the kid if she/he is okay after the bully picks on him/her.
   c. Watch. As much as you want to help, that bully will just take care of you as well.
   d. Go and tell an adult and/or higher authority.
3. The food you are most like is:
   a. hot fudge sundae
   b. vanilla cupcake
   c. vanilla ice cream
   d. Rocky Road ice cream

Thanks, DanielSurfing! This is an awesome quiz!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

Planet Earth Writing Prompt

Today's Writing Prompt comes from DarkAngel314 on the Save the Planet Message Board.

Why do you love the Earth?

There are some beautiful responses like this one from DolphinAqua944.
I love the earth because of all the cool and exotic animals and awesome places.

And this one from ApolloJunior2.
It gives us a place to live. It gives us all kinds of things to learn about. It gives us all kinds of beautiful things to look at. It gives us natural resources. It gives us land to build on and much more, and we never give back to the earth. That's why I love the Earth!

What about you? Why do YOU love the Earth? Tell us in the Comments.

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer