Big Time Rush: Elevate

Big Time Rush has a BIG year planned for 2012. Their new album, titled Elevate, is out. They will be doing a concert tour in the U.S., and their new movie will premiere on Nickelodeon this spring. Big Time Movie looks like a hilarious, madcap adventure through London as the guys find themselves driving exotic cars and jumping out of helicopters to avoid evil henchmen, British secret agents, Swedish spies, and a billionaire businessman. 

And to top it all off, James got an adorable new puppy. If you haven't seen it yet, you should totally take a look. It's sooo cute!

We talked to them about the album, the movie, and their other plans for 2012. Plus, they revealed which of the boys is a neat-freak. It's not who I would have guessed!

Kid Power! Motivation

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.

Quotes are short and simple ways of letting us know that we are not alone. In times of adversity we may feel like no one understands us, but by reading quotes, we can see that people before us have gone through similar situations, and it motivates us to do better.

Every week, I write a new quote in my planner. The quotes motivate me to achieve my goals. Below are some favorite quotes to help inspire you to achieve your goals.

1. "Whatever you are, be a good one." -Abraham Lincoln
2. "It's kind of fun to do the impossible." -Walt Disney
3. "The Quieter you become, the more you can hear." -Ram Dass
4. "No one is perfect--that's why pencils have erasers." -Unknown
5. "There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates’ loot on the Treasure Island." -Walt Disney
6. "Writing is good, thinking is better. Cleverness is good, patience is better." -Hermann Hesse
7. "He who trims himself to suit everyone will soon whittle himself away." -Raymond Hull
8. "Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement, nothing can be done without hope and confidence." -Helen Keller
9. "They may forget what you said but they will never forget how you made them feel." - Carol Buchner
10. "Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become your actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become character. Watch your character, it becomes your destiny." -Frank Outlaw

I sometimes even print quotes and hang them up all around my room. You can put quotes anywhere, on your notebook, on a sticky note, on your hand. Re-read these quotes when you're feeling down, and remember that there is always a reason to go on and be happy.

Do you have a favorite quote? Leave it in the Comments for us and keep the motivation going!

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

NEW! Dear Dumb Diary Year 2

Jamie Kelly's world just got another year dumber in Dear Dumb Diary Year Two: School. Hasn't This Gone on Long Enough? Check out Jamie's New Year's Resolutions, and then watch her new video. (Just don't tell her you watched it.)

My Five Awesome New Year's Resolutions
By Jamie Kelly

1. I'm going to try to make the world a better place.
2. To make that happen, I may have to put certain individuals on a rocket to Mars and I can't promise I can acquire that technology in a single year.
3. So I'm just not going to make the world a worse place.
4. And by worse, I mean I won't make it MUCH worse, I might make it a little worse. Give me a break.
5. And finally, I promise to finish all of the things I . . .

What are your resoltuions for 2012? Leave us a Comment with your thoughts.

--Vanessa, Scholastic Staffer

Henry Winkler's Ghost Buddy: Zero to Hero

How would you react if you moved to a new house in a new neighborhood only to find a ghost living in your new bedroom?!? You'd be freaked out, right? But what if that ghost was funny, he could help you fit in at your new school, and most importantly, get revenge on the school bully?

That's what happens to Billy Broccoli in the new series Ghost Buddy, by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver. Read this sneak peek excerpt from Book #1 Zero to Hero where Billy and his ghost buddy (the Hoove) meet for the first time.

What do you think? Are you excited to read the Ghost Buddy series? Would YOU react the same way Billy does? Leave us a Comment with your thoughts.

--Vanessa, Scholastic Staffer

Winter Books Trivia Quiz

Good Reads for Winter Break!

The presents are opened, and cookies all gone. What to do now? Break open a good book! Can you guess the titles of these well-known books and/or series, perfect for a little wintertime reading?

 

1. Whether it's the magical winter scenes at the castle, drinking butterbeer in Hogsmeade, or the presents (like a chess set with magically moving chess pieces), I think everybody wants a winter like in these books. Even scenes in the final book, camping out with winter coming and no food, are riveting.
2. When a surprise blizzard hits, Greg and the Heffley family are trapped indoors. And just in time, as Greg is about to be nailed for vandalizing school property (of which he is completely . . . sort-of . . . innocent!). With no electricity, the family turns into crazy savages. Prepare to laugh during your winter break.
3. This is probably Jack London’s most famous book, featuring Buck, a Saint Bernard Scotch-Shepherd dog as the main character. He is stolen from his comfortable life, and sold as a sled dog in Alaska. He learns how to survive the cold winter nights and brutal owners. When I read this book as a kid, I remember crying with all the scenes of animal cruelty, so this isn’t for the faint of heart! But like the harsh winters which fade into spring . . . there’s a light at the end of the tunnel!
4. From the first time they step into this world with its dazzling white snow, and characters like the White Witch and Father Christmas, this classic by C.S. Lewis makes you feel like you’re actually there. I remember reading the whole series immediately one after the other!
5. This trilogy of books follows Lyra through parallel universes with armored polar bears, experiments on kidnapped children, and lots of unsettling winter images in the frozen Arctic. A "not to be missed" action adventure series! 
6. This autobiographical series of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder later became a TV series. It’s about a young girl and her family in Kansas, Oklahoma, and South Dakota in the late 1800s. From building their house from scratch, battling malaria, and working in harsh frontier winter conditions, the lives of these characters will keep you turning the pages as you gratefully sit by your cozy fireplace (or in my case, space heater!)
7. This Newbery Honor book is narrated by a boy who tells stories of what it was like growing up on a farm in the winter in the 1930s. The whole family gathers in the "winter room" to sit and knit, eat dinner, and tell stories, while staring at the glowing fire burning in the distance. One story changed everybody’s life. Want to know more? Read the book!

Check your answers here, and tell us which books YOU will be reading this winter!

-- Ratha, Stacks Writer

Favorite Book Series

Write On! Favorite Book Series

This week’s Write On! Writing Prompt is either really easy or really hard, depending on how you look at it. Let me show you what I mean . . .

Zoe1 asks:
What is your favorite series of books?

I figure a lot of people have this dilemma – either you know what your favorite series is immediately, or you have so many you can’t decide! I fall into the second category. I have too many favorites. Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Sisters Grimm, Cirque du Freak, Dear Dumb Diary. And does The Hunger Games count, or is that just considered a trilogy? Zoe1, you pose a tough question!

What about you guys? Let Zoe1 and all of us know YOUR favorite book series in the Comments below. We can’t wait to hear!

— Ratha, STACKS Writer