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Writing Prompt: Nothing is more annoying than . . .
You know how your parents are always saying not to complain? My mom used to tell me, "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." It would drive me crazy! Well finally, there's a place for you to air your grievances, because in today's Writing Prompt, we want you to finish this sentence:
Can't wait to see what annoys you guys. Let it all out!!
—Ratha, STACKS Writer
Zoey Deutch Interview
You may remember Zoey from when she played Maya on Suite Life on Deck. Since then, this teen has been busy acting on other TV shows, and she will play Emily in the new Beautiful Creatures movie (rated PG-13) coming out this year. Her mother, Lea Thompson, is also a famous actress who currently plays Mrs. Kennish on Switched at Birth. But I remember her from the 80's. Have you seen Back to the Future (rated PG)? That's Zoey's mom playing Lorraine! Find out more about this gorgeous young actress in our interview. . .
The Dogs of Winter
By Bobbie Pyron
There is a saying that goes, "Dogs are a man's best friend." For 5-year-old Ivan Andreovich, his dogs mean so much more than that.
In the wake of his grandmother's death, his mother's disappearance, and an abusive man's attempt to throw him into an orphanage, Ivan escapes to the streets of Moscow. He quickly joins a gang of children, only to find out that he is the opposite of "street smart." They push and bully him into doing things that he knows are not right, but what choice does he have in order to endure the cold winter?
Then, Ivan comes across a dog named Lucky. Lucky leads him to his pack, and they start to share a mutual relationship of helping each other survive. Why would he leave humans to go live with a pack of dogs? Ivan says, "I was better off with the dogs. They loved and protected me." But is he truly better off with his pack, or at an orphanage among abused and underfed children who are his own kind?
Through the innocent eyes of a child, we learn about love, life, death, and a bond that can never be broken. Based on the true story of Ivan Mishukov, Bobbie Pyron captures both the horrors and rays of sunlight that were the essence of life on the streets of Russia.
—Elysse, STACKS Writer
Inauguration Day Trivia Quiz
The swearing-in ceremony for the President and Vice President of the United States will take place on Jan. 21, 2013 -- Inauguration Day. It all happens on the steps of the Capitol in Washington D.C. To get you in the patriotic mood, this week's Trivia Quiz is all about Inauguration Day. See how much you know in the Quiz administered below.
Deltora Scavenger Hunt Answers
If you're into magic and monsters, good vs. evil, and just plain good fantasy, chances are you will love the Deltora books. And chances are you did our Deltora Scavenger Hunt last week. And chances are we've got the answers below!
We know who we are. Some people might call us obsessed. Some people might call us crazy. But when it comes to Harry Potter, there's nothing wrong with that!! How do you recognize other Potterheads? What are the signs of a TRUE Harry Potter fan?
Here are just a few symptoms of Harry Potter obsession. . .
Continue reading "You Know You're a Harry Potter Fan When" »
TV, Movies, and Music you won't want to miss this January!
Justin Bieber, Jennifer Lawrence (a.k.a. Katniss in The Hunger Games movie), and Adam Levine of Maroon 5 and The Voice were among the multiple nominees competing for People's Choice Awards, which were given out January 9. Other stars up for awards included Kristen Stewart, Zac Efron, Will Smith, Chris Colfer, Beyoncé, Lea Michele, Usher, Katy Perry, Carrie Underwood, The X Factor's Demi Lovato and Britney Spears.
What girl hasn’t fantasized about being a princess? In the new animated Disney series Sofia the First, fantasies come true for the title character when her mom marries a king. The voice of Sofia will sound very familiar to fans of Modern Family. It’s none other than Ariel Winter, who plays Alex on that show! Catch Sofia January 11 and every Friday.
You'll want to set your DVRs if you won’t be home on January 11 and 13. Disney Channel has all-new episodes of its series A.N.T. Farm, Jessie, Phineas & Ferb, and Fish Hooks coming your way on Friday and Dog with a Blog, Austin & Ally, and Shake it Up on Sunday. Look for more new episodes to air every weekend throughout the month.
—Gerri, STACKS Writer
Ink Splot's Top 10 of 2012
2012 was a great year that introduced the Goosebumps 20th anniversary, a new Wimpy Kid book and movie, and of course, One Direction (YAY!!). Ink Splot 26 was there to cover it all. Want to know what the most popular blog posts were last year? Read on for our Top 10 countdown of 2012. . .
No surprise that One Direction comes in at number 1 and 2 since they were voted the STACKS Person(s) of the Year. Are your favorites on this list? What do YOU think was the best Ink Splot 26 post of 2012? Leave a Comment to tell us your thoughts.
Hideout by Gordon Korman
Gordon Korman's new book Hideout features the return of the ultimate bad-guy, Wendell Palomino (also known as “Swindle” to Griffin and his gang of friends). In this 5th installment of the Swindle series, Swindle returns for the valuable Doberman Luthor, and threatens to exact revenge on the six teenagers who ran him out of town.
Somehow, the devious Swindle makes the documentation of Luthor’s adoption by Savannah disappear. She’s now faced with a court order to turn her dog over to the low-life man, which will only happen over her dead body! The kids, in an effort to outsmart the court order, shuffle the dog from summer camp to summer camp, only to find new and increasingly more challenging obstacles in their way.
Luthor only behaves for Savannah; which is an issue whenever she’s not around. Also, it’s a little hard to sneak around a 150-pound dog when people are watching your every move. To make matters worse, it’s as if Swindle predicts their every move – and with unknown henchmen sent to do Swindle’s dirty work, the kids must be wary of every adult they meet.
Can Griffin (a.k.a. The Man With The Plan), Ben (his narcoleptic best friend), Logan (the actor), Pitch (the climber), Savannah (the animal whisperer), and Melissa (the computer genius) be able to stop Swindle’s greedy paws from stealing the ferociously loved pooch? Read the book and find out!
Watch the Hideout trailer.
Read chapter 1 of Hideout.
Are you a fan of the Swindle series? Don’t forget to let us know what you think of the gang’s latest adventure in the Comments.
—Elysse, STACKS Writer
Many of you are big fans of the Deltora Quest and the new Golden Door series. Full of fantasy, magic, monsters, and more, they are easy series to get lost in. And – cool fact - author Emily Rodda actually said she wrote Deltora based on the structure of a video game after seeing how into video games her own kids were. Deltora came out around the same time as Harry Potter, and took off from there. If you're a huge Deltora fan, or just getting started, we challenge you to a Scavenger Hunt! All the answers can be found in the murky depths of the Deltora Quest and Golden Door sites. So explore the sites and see if you can find the answers to our Scavenger Hunt questions.
Did you ever experience an awkward moment like forget somebody's name when they totally remembered yours? Or fart in the dead silence of a movie theater? Or loudly scream "Mommy!" in the mall, forgetting you now call your parent 'Mom" or sometimes cleverly by their first name? These are the moments – those awkward moments – you will laugh about later but cringe at now!! Today's Writing Prompt asks you to finish the following phrase:
Here’s one of mine to get you started. That awkward moment when in seventh grade I was talking to my crush only to realize afterwards I had a large piece of, um, something (!) stuck under my nose.
Fill in yours in the Comments below. I can't wait to read these ones! That awkward moment when . . .
—Ratha, Stacks Writer
A new year brings new resolutions, new boy bands, new American Idol winners, and of course. . . new movies! There are a ton of cool movies coming out in 2013 from sequels, to remakes, to concert movies. So grab your popcorn and take a look. . .
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