SPONSORED BLOG POST Disneynature Chimpanzee

This post is sponsored by Disneynature Chimpanzee.

The new documentary film Chimpanzee will open in theaters on April 20, and if you go see it between April 20-26, 2012, Disneynature will contribute 20 cents per ticket to the Jane Goodall Institute. The funds will help protect the chimpanzees' tropical forest home, and care for orphaned chimpanzees at the Jane Goodall Institute's Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center in the Republic of Congo. By going to see the movie, you can actually help the baby chimpanzees! The movie is also an opportunity to see amazing footage of chimpanzees in the wild habitat they love. 

Take a look at these photos of Oscar the chimpanzee from the film, and create a caption for what you think this cutie is saying.

Leave your captions in the Comments!

Photos courtesy of Disneynature.

 

 

BE BIG for National Volunteer Week!

BE BIG for National Volunteer Week, April 15-21!

Did you know that next week is National Volunteer Week? For more than 30 years, National Volunteer Week has been a time to celebrate people doing extraordinary things through service.

Service comes in lots of shapes and sizes and can be as simple as helping your librarian put books back on the shelf, or as BIG as organizing a camp for young people who stutter, just as Julie and her team did with the community grant their BIG Idea received in the 2011 Clifford BE BIG in Your Community Contest. Julie and her team put their grant money towards "Camp Shout Out," an overnight camp where young people who stutter can improve their communication skills while having fun in a camp setting. BIG or small, what matters is that you are helping make your community a better place for everyone!

HandsOn Network, Scholastic’s partner in the BE BIG Campaign, has action centers all over the country that can help you get involved in your community. 

Do you have a BIG Idea? Enter the 2012 Clifford BE BIG In Your Community Contest today for a chance to bring your BIG Idea to life with a $5,000 community grant! 

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United Sates and District of Columbia. Contest ends June 22, 2012. Void where prohibited. Subject to all applicable laws. See Official Rules for details.

Dogs of the Drowned City: The Storm

Dogs of the Drowned City, Book #1: The Storm . . . a blog post brought to you by the author Dayna Lorentz!

Writing from the dog's point of view was not that strange for me. Growing up, my family would often speak from the point of view of our dogs—"Benny, what do you think of dinner?" "Dinner?! I would love some dinner, thank you." This habit persists with my own pets, Kerry and Peter the dogs, and Oscar the cat.

Even though it felt natural to think from a dog's point of view, once I started outlining what would become Dogs of the Drowned City, I wanted to really get into the head of my main character, Shep the German shepherd.

Titanic Trivia Quiz

Titanic Trivia Quiz

The RMS Titanic, the unsinkable ship. April 15 will mark the 100th anniversary of the tragic sinking of the Titanic on its maiden voyage. The largest ship to sail the seas at that time, the cruise liner's first ever trip across the Atlantic Ocean was met with tragedy when the boat struck an iceberg, and sank. To commemorate the anniversary of that tragic night, we bring you a Titanic-themed quiz on this Trivia Tuesday.  The Titanic facts here will give you some of the answers, but that's your only hint!

1. What was the starting price for a first-class ticket on the Titanic?
   A) $3,550
   B) $4,350
   C) $5,250
2. What was the starting price for a third-class ticket on the Titanic?
   A) $35
   B) $40
   C) $45
3. How many lifeboats did the Titanic have?
   A) 10
   B) 15
   C) 20
4. What was the temperature of the water when the Titanic sank?
   A) 28°F
   B) 30°F
   C) 32°F
5. How long was the Titanic?
   A) 800 feet
   B) 882.5 feet
   C) 950 feet
6. Who was the captain of the Titanic?
   A) Edward Smith
   B) Brendon Brown
   C) Seymour Carroll
7. How many passengers could the Titanic accommodate?
   A) 1,998
   B) 2,107
   C) 2,566
8. What day did the Titanic leave on its maiden voyage?
   A) April 9
   B) April 10
   C) April 11
9. How long did it take the Titanic to sink?
   A) 2 hours, 40 minutes
   B) 3 hours, 5 minutes
   C) 4 hours, 10 minutes

Post your answers in the Comments below and then check your answers!

— Brian, STACKS Writer (a.k.a. BlackBird268)

April Word Scramble Answers

KID-SUBMITTED WORD SCRAMBLE!

Last week's terrific Trivia Tuesday Quiz was an April Word Scramble sent to me by FairyEmerald31 on the STACK Back Message Board. Were you able to unscramble all the jumbled up letters and make them into normal words about April and springtime?

Here come the answers . . .

1. ATSREE NYNUB           Easter Bunny
2. ATSBEK                      Basket
3. GEG NUTH                 Egg Hunt
4. TINSMRGPIE               Springtime
5. LHOCEOTAC GGES      Chocolate Eggs

Thanks, FairyEmerald31 for the awesome April Word Scramble! Happy Spring, everybody!!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

Cartoon Character Writing Prompt

There's nothing like a good cartoon. I love my live-action shows, but give me a cartoon any day to relax and have a good laugh. . .which brings me to this week's Write On Writing Prompt from Cheerfulsong3:

"What if you got to hang out for a night with your favorite cartoon character? Pick your cartoon character and then include all the details. What did you eat for dinner? Who made it? What did you do after dinner? Were you surprised?"

My favorite characters are Scooby Doo, Candace from Phineas and Ferb, and Gumball. I love watching, but I’m not sure I would want to hang out with them, because they’re totally crazy! I am more entertained by them.

If I had to pick someone to hang out with, I’d pick Yoda from Lego Star Wars. I love his wisdom and how annoyed he is with the universe. (“Always right, why must I be?”) We would eat spaghetti with meatballs for dinner, and ice cream sundaes for dessert. The food would be prepared by Luke and Leia, and served to us by Boba Fett. Then we would fly around the universe. Yoda would impart his wisdom and sarcasm as we toured the galaxy.

Which character would you guys choose? Let Cheerfulsong3 know in the Comments below!

— Ratha, STACKS Writer