Austin Mahone Interview

Austin Mahone Interview

Austin Mahone is an average 16-year-old 10th grader from San Antonio, Texas. . . except that he has a massive number of fans on his video channel where he puts up his own music videos. He now has 2 original songs, "11:11" and his newest song which I am addicted to, "Say Somethin." Marie Morreale, famous for her interview with One Direction, met Austin a few weeks ago and got the scoop on this all-American hottie. Read on for the interview and the adorable picture of Austin in his room with all his fan mail plastered all over the walls.

Dumbledore's Army

Dumbledore's Army

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry, Ron, and Hermione form a secret organization called Dumbledore’s Army (D.A. for short). Its purpose is to stand up against High Inquisitor Dolores Umbridge, and practice Defense Against the Dark Arts (which she has forbidden). Harry, Ron, and Hermione recruit members from all the Hogwarts houses, bringing everyone together for this common purpose. Together they prepare to battle against and defeat Voldemort.

This got us thinking . . . what if YOU could form your own Dumbledore's Army? If you could start a real live group to deal with the problems of the world, what would you fight against? Would you want your army to bring food to hungry countries? Work on cures for certain diseases? Find homes for all abandoned animals? Clean up the earth, and punish corporations who do damage? The sky is the limit.

What kind of change would you want to see in the world? We want to know what's most important to you. Let us know what your Dumbledore's Army would do in the Comments below.

— Ratha, Stacks Writer

The 39 Clues 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 39 Clues series. When their grandmother dies, Amy and Dan Cahill find out that they are members of the most powerful family in the history of the world, descendants of people like Thomas Jefferson and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart! But the secret to that power lies in 39 clues hidden around the world, and Amy and Dan must find them -- before they fall into the wrong hands.

There are a bunch of books in that series. But once you've finished all those, what to read next? Look for these other adventure books about secret agents, danger, and intrigue for ages 9-12. Click on the book cover below to see a whole bunch of other The 39 Clues Readalike books you might also love.

 

 Hope you enjoy our Readalikes!

—Emily, Scholastic Booktalker

Summer Fun Would You Rather?

With all this hot weather we're having, there's nothing more fun than spending a day at the beach or the pool! The smell of sunscreen, the cool waves lapping against your feet, and the sounds of laughter all around are what summer is all about. That, and, of course, NO SCHOOL!!! This summer, while you are splashing around and cooling off with your friends at the pool. . .

Would you rather. . . .

Fruit Personality Quiz Results

Here are the answers to last week's Personality Quiz. What type of fruit are you?

Check your answers to the questions from last week, and count how many times you picked A, how many times you picked B, how many times you picked C, and how many times you picked D. You might be evenly split between all 4. That means you are pretty balanced between all these personalities like a perfectly blended fruit salad! But if you picked one letter more than the others . . . 

MOSTLY A's
You are most like an orange! Bright and energetic, you are very athletic and funny! Be careful though! You don't want to cross the line between energetic and annoying!

MOSTLY B's
You are most like an apple! The same flavor every time, you always fulfill everyone's needs and you are extremely friendly and loyal! Yet with your awesome personality, don't be afraid to stand up for yourself! You deserve respect!

MOSTLY C's
You are most like a banana! You are the average fruit. You have your ups and downs, but overall you're a good friend. Don't be afraid to stand up for your friends!

MOSTLY D's
You are most like a strawberry! You have a little orange in you, a little apple, and a little banana! You are equal of all skills. Be proud of that, and don't be afraid to show your feelings. You are a great person, and you should show that!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

Writing Prompt: First Sentence

Write Your Own Mystery or Fantasy

Today's Write On Writing Prompt is a great call out to all you aspiring writers. It comes to us from Fulafuj (who has the most awesome Profile Avatar I've ever seen). Fulafuj prompts:

Write your own mystery. Or fantasy. It has to be adventurous.

Since we wouldn't have room to post an entire story, we challenge you to write the first line of your epic mystery or fantasy. There are some great first lines to stories that suck you in. Like . . .

"It was a dark and stormy night." (from A Wrinkle in Time)
Or
"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say they were perfectly normal, thank you very much." (from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

Got a great first line for a mystery or fantasy story? Or if you'd rather, post a summary paragraph for your story idea! Be as creative and crazy as you like. Thanks for the great prompt, Fulafuj!

—Ratha, Stacks Writer