Cymphonique Knows How To Rock

 Fifteen-year-old Cymphonique Miller is the star of the new Nickelodeon show How To Rock. She comes from a family of rappers. Her brother is Lil' Romeo, and her father is Master P., so she has already had experience in the entertainment industry. And it shows in How to Rock! 

The show is based on the book How to Rock Glasses and Braces by Meg Hastin. Cymphonique plays the most popular and beautiful girl in school whose life is ruined when she gets glasses and braces. Her so-called friends reject her because she isn't perfect anymore, so she joins a band with some new friends who accept her for who she is.

Read our interview to find out more . . .

The Chronicles of Avantia: First Hero

New from the author of Beast Quest. . . The Chronicles of Avantia: First Hero

Have you ever wondered what it's like to fly, to soar over the clouds and into the wild blue yonder? Have you ever imagined the wind in your face as you cut through the sky at record speeds, or wished to be as free as a bird? Tanner doesn't have to imagine these feelings. No, he isn't a bird, but he has the next best thing: his best friend Firepos.

Firepos is a great bird of prey who soars over the kingdom of Avantia, and chooses to take Tanner under her wing. Tanner learns how to survive in the wild, how to hunt, and above all, how to ride his winged friend.

But now Tanner is thrust into the role of hero when a great army approaches his small town and threatens to destroy all of Avantia. Tanner learns that a long lost family secret is the reason for the army’s attack, and he and Firepos may be the only ones able to stop the invaders.

Can Tanner muster the courage to save not only his family, but all of Avantia? Find out in book #1 of Adam Blade's new series, The Chronicles of Avantia. If you love adventure and suspense, or the bond between beast and boy, you surely won't want to put this book down!

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

Leap Year Trivia Quiz

February 29, 2012 is Leap Day!

Poor February 29th. It's the only day of the year that gets added and then dropped. Every 4 years, we celebrate it; the years in between, we don't. 2012 is a leap year so this year, February has 29 days instead of 28 days. We get an extra day, but next year, it's back to 28 days in February. Crazy!

Leap days are added to keep our calendar in alignment with the Earth's revolution around the sun. It takes the Earth about 365.242199 days to circle the sun. Notice this is a little over 365. So if we didn't add an extra day every 4 years, we'd lose some time. About 6 hours every year. After 100 years, our calendar would be off by 24 days!

Suspicious? You should be. Check out our Leap Year Trivia Quiz to investigate further.

Writing Prompt: Hunger Games Movie Casting

Writing Prompt: Hunger Games Movie Casting

Attention Hunger Games fans! You’re gonna like this week's Writing Prompt. It comes to us from ChattyAqua25 who wonders about The Hunger Games (rated PG-13) movie casting, which is of course, the movie based on the blockbuster first book of the Scholastic trilogy The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (for ages 12 and up).

ChattyAqua25 asks:

What are your thoughts about The Hunger Games movie??? Will Jennifer Lawrence play a good role as Katniss??? Will Josh Hutcherson play a good role as Peeta???

If you want to get a quick refresh of the movie preview, check out the official Hunger Games trailer. And drop a Comment below to let ChattyAqua25 know your thoughts on The Hunger Games movie and casting. May the odds be ever in your favor.

— Ratha, STACKS Writer