R.L. Stine Web Chat Cancelled

Boo! Due to the severity of hurricane Sandy and the power outages affecting millions of people along the East Coast, we’ve decided to cancel the chat with R.L. Stine. Our STACKS team and R.L. Stine are disappointed. We were truly looking forward to this event! Our thoughts are with everyone who has been affected by this storm.

You can still go to the Goosebumps website and play spooky games, read about the newest Goosebumps books, and watch Goosebumps videos.

Stay safe and have a happy Halloween!

Goosebumps Readalikes

Goosebumps Readalikes

You know when you find an amazing book, and you never want it to end? How do you find another book to read after that? Our answer: Readalikes to the rescue! We hope our Readalikes will rescue you from the what-to-read-next question, and help you find lots of new amazing books.

Today's Readalikes are for the Goosebumps series. Author R.L. Stine has said that Pinocchio, the story of a wooden puppet coming to life, inspired his Slappy character, and made him want to write about an evil ventriloquist dummy coming to life.

Spooky Halloween Would You Rather

Spooky Halloween Would You Rather?

So you have your costume ready to go, your jack-o-lantern carved, and your nails painted orange and black. But in the spirit of Halloween, have you ever considered the following? Take a "stab" at our Halloween Would You Rather!

Would you rather . . .

1. Be bitten by a vampire OR a werewolf?
2. Have a bloody cut OR a broken bone?
3. Eat hair soup OR slimy booger cupcakes?
4. Have dinner with Frankenstein's monster OR Count Dracula?
5. Have to trick-or-treat forever (remember that Goosebumps one?) OR be trapped in a haunted house forever?
6. Get lots of candy OR lots of money?
7. Have a black cat cross your path OR be cursed by a voodoo doctor?
8. Wear a cute Elmo costume OR a scary grim reaper costume?
9. Be chased by a zombie OR be chased by an evil scarecrow?
10. While trick-or-treating, get only candy corn and Smarties OR only raisins and Dots?

And here are some MORE Halloween Would You Rather questions brought to you by AquaCat586!

Would you rather...

1. Dress up as a mummy OR a monster?
2. Eat a Snickers OR a Twix?
3. Stand in the window of Macy's and dress up as the Mona Lisa OR Barbie in a bikini?
4. Eat eyeball punch OR bat wing pizza?
5. Go to a house with spooky deco OR a house with more mild deco? At 7:00pm OR at 9:00pm?
6. Go to a house where they've gone but left a bowl of candy, saying that you can take 2, OR go to a house where they're not gone?
7. Read a spooky story before OR after trick-or-treating?
8. Read a spooky story under the covers with a flashlight OR in your fave armchair with ALL the lights on?
9. Get 20 pieces of candy at 5 houses OR get 20 pieces of candy at 20 houses?
10. Dress up in a costume that's easy to walk in but doesn't look as nice as you would like OR dress up in something that looks PERFECT but is totally non-walk-in-able?

Awesome questions, AquaCat! So get your spook on, and leave your answers in the Comments below! Happy Halloween!

— Ratha, Stacks Writer

Halloween Trivia Quiz Answers

Halloween Trivia Quiz Answers

Last week we posted a Halloween Trivia Quiz. Were you up for the chilling challenge? Or did you run like you just saw a ghost? Check out answers below!

Writing Prompt: Jump Into a Story

Writing Prompt: Jump Into a Story

Today's Write On Writing Prompt is a good one for all you guys who have always wanted to jump into your favorite book and affect the story. It comes to us from Ley56 who asks:

If you had a chance to go into your favorite story as yourself, what would you do? 


I love it! I would go into The Diversion (Book #49 in the Animorphs series). I would kindly explain to Ax that saying out loud to the cash register guy that you’re a juvenile delinquent is not the smartest idea.  I wonder if Ax would take my advice . . .

Let us know what story you would jump into and what you would do. Big moment or small moment – it’s totally fun to imagine. Drop it down in the Comments below!

—Ratha, Stacks Writer

Olivia Holt Interview

Olivia Holt

Olivia Holt is the 15-year-old actress who plays Kim in Kickin' It. She also stars in the Halloween special movie Girl vs. Monster. Besides being really pretty, she seems like a really friendly and sweet girl. Find out more. . .

Sneak Peek Goosebumps Most Wanted: Son of Slappy

Sneak Peek Goosebumps Most Wanted: Son of Slappy

We've got an EXCLUSIVE preview for Goosebumps fans and Ink Splot 26 readers! The second book from the new Goosebumps Most Wanted series from fright master R.L. Stine doesn't release until January 2013, BUT we've got a sneak peek just for YOU! The evil puppet you love to hate is back for a brand-new scare in Goosebumps Most Wanted: Son of Slappy.

Jack Stander is every parent's dream. He doesn't get into trouble; he always does his homework, and he never lies. His teachers all trust him completely. He even volunteers at the local Youth Center. But that was all before Jackson came across an evil ventriloquist dummy. Now he must deal with Slappy as he wreaks havoc on his family and friends. Jackson will soon see that two Slappys are not better than one.

PREVIEW! Read a sample chapter of Goosebumps Most Wanted: Son of Slappy.

Halloween Trivia Quiz

Halloween Trivia Quiz!

Ready for a haunted Halloween? Or do you prefer the treats to the tricks? Whether you like your Halloween super scary, or light and airy, take our Halloween Trivia Quiz to get in the mood!

Monster Personality Quiz Results

Personality Quiz: What Kind of Monster Are You?

Last week we gave you the Monster Personality Quiz questions. This week, we reveal your results! Read on to find out what kind of monster you are. . .

You Know It's Football Season When

You Know It's Football Season When. . .

When I was growing up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, there was one thing our Sundays revolved around: Steelers football. We'd go to an early church service, make sure the grocery shopping was done, and all our homework was completed. This left the rest of the day for our most important task on Sundays: rooting for the Steelers.

Not much has changed with my family in Pittsburgh, and I'll admit -- I still drop whatever I'm doing to catch the game (sorry Jets and Giants!) just like many of you guys all across the country. Whether you're a college ball fan, or NFL afficionado, you know it's football season when . . .

• Putting on your makeup means painting your face in team colors.
• You think the lunchroom should have stadium seating.
• You never leave home without shoulder pads.
• When you get a raise in your allowance, you try to body slam your parents and slap them on their butts.
• You break down play-by-play of a bug crawling across the floor.
• You don't feel silly wearing a big block of cheese on your head (Green Bay fans!).
• You ask your parents if you can tailgate before you do your homework.
• You feel the sudden urge to throw your mother's favorite vase across the room for a touchdown.
• When your teacher is done giving your class a classwork assignment, you yell, "Hut 1! Hut 2! Hike!"
• You don't even THINK about doing anything else when the big game is on. 

Do you guys go crazy for football season? What are the telltale signs for you that it's football season? Tell us in the Comments below. Until the next game day!

— Ratha, Stacks Writer

Carly Rae Jepsen Interview

Carly Rae Jepsen Interview

There is this really obscure little song. You probably haven't heard of it. Hardly anybody has but it's really good. It's called "Call Me Maybe." Have you heard of it? OK, I'm just kidding. I know you have all heard it at least a million times and watched about 300 different parody videos: the version with Justin Bieber and his friends, the Harvard Baseball team, the U.S. Olympic Swim team, Cookie Monster, and countless others. Scholastic News Kids Press Reporter Cecilia Gault interviewed the songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen. Read on to find out how Carly Rae's life was changed by this 1 little song.

Goosebumps Create a Caption

Goosebumps Create a Caption

He's the evil puppet everyone loves to hate! Slappy has been scaring readers since the release of Goosebumps: Night of the Living Dummy in 1993. With his painted-on grin and beat up bow-tie, Slappy looks like an ordinary ventriloquist dummy. But looks can be very deceiving. This troublemaking block of wood is anything but dumb! He's a walking, talking, trash-talking terror!

Leave a Comment with your caption for this menacing Slappy pic!

--Amabel, Scholastic Media