Keke Palmer in Rags

Keke Palmer Rags Interview

Did you guys catch the Nickelodeon movie Rags this week? Rags is a modern-day fairy tale starring Keke Palmer as Kadee Worth and Max Schneider as Charlie Prince. The movie is a modern New York City version of the classic Cinderella story. Charlie Prince is an orphan living with his mean stepfather and spoiled stepbrothers. Charlie's dream is to be a singer, and while he is vocally talented and can write music, he can't seem to catch a break. Kadee Worth, on the other hand, is the daughter of music mogul Reginald Worth and is an international pop phenomenon. While the world knows her as a glamorous superstar, she is secretly frustrated with singing other people's songs and wearing clothes other people choose for her. Kadee wants the world to hear and see her true talent.

Despite every obstacle that gets thrown in their way, once Charlie and Kadee find one another, they each finally get what they have been looking for – a voice, a stage, an audience, and each other. And they live happily ever after. . .

We interviewed Keke Palmer to get her take on the new rags to riches story.

Fairest of All Snow White Story

Whatever After: Fairest of All by Sarah Mlynowski

Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Rapunzel. Spin-offs of classic fairy tales have always been a popular topic for modern authors. Sarah Mlynowski's Whatever After: Fairest of All takes on the classic tale of Snow White, and it is certainly a different story from the Disney version.

Book Title Word Scramble

Book Title Word Scramble Game

We've got a scrambled word game for you this week! I've scrambled the titles of 10 books. Now it's your turn to un-jumble them. Leave the correct titles in the Comments. Here's a hint: All of the books have appeared recently in the Ink Splot 26 Reads category.

Chocolate Trivia Quiz Answers

PianoGirl6 inspired last week's Chocolate Trivia Quiz, saying, "No one has truly lived until he or she has eaten chocolate." I can honestly say that I eat some form of chocolate every day. I love it very, very, very, very, very, very much. 

Here are the answers to last week's Chocolate Trivia Quiz.

1. Cocoa was first consumed as a drink by which group of people? A) Eskimos B) Ancient Egyptians C) Ancient Mayans D) American Puritans ANSWER: C) Ancient Mayans. 
2. Cocoa was first turned into chocolate bars by which person? A) John Cadbury B) Milton Snavely Hershey C) Jimmy J. Snickers ANSWER: A) Cadbury. Have you heard of the Cadbury candy company? Yep, the same guy.
3. True or False: Cocoa grows on trees. ANSWER: True. Cocoa beans do grown on trees. They are then roasted and processed into cocoa powder and then into chocolate.
4. Which continent now produces the most cocoa for making chocolate? A) Africa B) North America C) Australia D) Antarctica ANSWER: Africa
5. What is "Fair Trade" chocolate? ANSWER: Fair Trade certification strictly prohibits slave and child labor. Sadly, there are parts of the world where cocoa beans are picked by child slaves. Buying "Fair Trade" is the only way to ensure that your chocolate was not picked by a slave.
6. Who would win? Chocolate vs. Bacon? ANSWER: Chocolate. Although, I did once try a chocolate bar with bacon bits in it. I know it sounds kind of gross, but it was surprisingly good!
7. Who would win? Chocolate vs. Greg Heffley from Diary of a Wimpy Kid? ANSWER: Chocolate every time. Greg doesn't stand a chance.
8. Who would win? Chocolate vs. Summer vacation? ANSWER: Chocolate. Summer vacation is awesome, but I would rather have hot chocolate in winter than summer vacation with no chocolate!
9. Who would win? Dark chocolate vs. White chocolate ANSWER: Dark chocolate. The darker the better! My favorite is 70%. It has more cocoa (a.k.a. chocolaty goodness), less sugar, and is healthier than both milk chocolate and white chocolate. 
10. What is your favorite way to eat chocolate? ANSWER: 2 words - Fudge Brownie

What are some of your random favorite things, either food-related or not? Let me know in the Comments. Maybe I'll make a random trivia quiz about some of YOUR favorites!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

 

Writing Prompt: Fly OR Become an Animal?

Writing Prompt: Fly OR Become an Animal?

Life is all about choices. Will I bring peanut butter or turkey in my lunch? Do I choose the minty toothpaste or the blue gel toothpaste? Well this week's Write On Writing Prompt from PuffinEagle3 presents us with another difficult choice:

Would you rather be able to fly or become an animal??

That's a tough one! Can I choose to be a bird so I can do both, or is that not allowed? I wonder what most people would choose. Let PuffinEagle3 and the rest of us know what YOU would choose in the Comments below.

— Ratha, STACKS Writer