Straight from the Source: Meg Cabot talks Allie Finkle

Hey! Check it out . . .

On March 12th at 7:30 p.m. ET, tune in to see the amazingly funny and bubbly Caroline Rhea (yes! The aunt from Sabrina the Teenage Witch, who had her own talk show and does such hilarious stand up!) chat with me -- LIVE -- at Allie Finkle's Super Sleepover right here!

Anyone can watch because it's going to be right here! Yes, here! On the computer! It's a webcast! How cool is that?

We'll be talking about everything — including growing up, my family, my writing career, and of course all things Allie Finkle (because you know the new book, Best Friends and Drama Queens, will officially be out in stores March 10)!

But the fun doesn't end on there. Oh, no!

Because at 8:30 p.m. ET, right after the webcast is the Allie Finkle's Super Sleepover Dream Room Sweepstakes which gives you the chance to enter to win all of the PBteen furniture from the event! This includes two twin beds, headboards, a rug, a night table, a clock, all the adorable bedding you'll see on the webcast (don't worry, you'll get new bedding, not the bedding Caroline and I use during our sleepover!) and so much more — and it's worth a total of $3800!!!!

(How awesome would it be to win all of that???? Answer: Totally awesome. Click here to start fantasizing about what you could potentially win if you come to the webcast.)

Can't wait for the 12th? No worries! Go here for downloadable activities and a printable invitation to help you host your own Allie Finkle Super Sleepover!

(Hint: Allie totally has a Super Sleepover in Best Friends and Drama Queens. You will die when you read it. It's the best sleepover ever.)

And lastly, if you'll be in or around NYC on March 12 and want to attend the actual event where Caroline and I will be in our jammies having our sleepover, go to Allie Finkle's Super Sleepover to sign up for tickets while supplies last!!!! Attendees will get awesome gift bags (while supplies last) including a paperback copy of Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls #1: Moving Day, an Allie Finkle audio books, an Allie Finkle wipe-off board, and an issue of Girl's Life magazine. Plus, I'll be doing a book signing immediately after the event.

Phew. That was a lot to type out!

Okay, but seriously . . . that's not all. Check out our newest game on alliefinkle.com, Allie's Dream Room — NOW to design your own perfect, printable dream room!

FYI, Allie prefers CANOPY beds.

So don’'t forget . . . March 12, 7:30 p.m. ET . . . tune in to see Caroline Rhea and me for Allie Finkle's Super Sleepover (that's http://alliefinkle.scholastic.com/webcast/)!

We promise not to throw popcorn at you through your monitor.

Much love,
Meg

Fill-in-the-Blank Famous Quotations: Allie Finkle

I haven't posted a "Fill-in-the-Blank Famous Quotation" in a while, and since it's almost the new year, I thought I'd try my hand at an Allie Finkle edition — because her rules are kind of like New Year's resolutions. (In case you're not familiar with Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls, it's a series by Meg Cabot about a girl who keeps a notebook of all the important things to remember as she navigates school, friends, family, and boys.)

For this "Fill-in-the-Blank Famous Quotation" entry, I chose two of my favorite rules from Allie's notebook:

"Don't get a pet that poops in your hand."
and
"Don't put your cat in a suitcase."

Here are my twisted versions:

• Don't get a pet that urinates in your bed.
• Don't put your cat in a mailbox.
• Don't get a pet that sheds on your prom dress.
• Don't put your cat in a dollhouse.
• Don't get a pet that eats in your bathroom sink.
• Don't put your cat in a filing cabinet.

YOUR TURN!
"Don't get a pet that _____ in/on your _____."
and
"Don't put your cat in a _____."

How would YOU fill in the blanks?

— Karen, STACKS Staffer

If Allie Finkle had a soundtrack...

Music is the gateway to helping us remember certain events and
particularmovies. Since most movies nowadays have soundtracks
— which are there to remind us of the characters and specific scenes — why shouldn't books have fun soundtracks as well?

Therefore, if Allie Finkle had a soundtrack, here would
be my top choices to dance and groove to:

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Miley Cyrus
Hold On - The Jonas Brothers
Two Worlds Collide - Demi Lovato
I Want It That Way - The Backstreet Boys
It's Gonna Be Me - *NSYNC
Stronger - Britney Spears
Beautiful - Christina Aguilera
Nobody's Perfect - Hannah Montana
All-American Girl - Carrie Underwood
Time After Time - Quietdrive
Burnin' Up - The Jonas Brothers
I Don't Want To Be - Gavin Degraw
                                     Breakout - Miley Cyrus
                                    When It Rains - Paramore

   

What would YOUR ideal Allie Finkle soundtrack include?
Or, suggest a soundtrack for another book! 

— Carly M., STACKS Staffer

iGo to See Miranda Cosgrove Read From Allie Finkle!

Yesterday I learned that I'm very similar to Miranda Cosgrove, the star of Nickelodeon's iCarly. No, I don't act on a hit TV show. No, I haven't been in movies alongside big names like Jack Black. No, I don't lead a life of glitz and glamor. And saddest of all, no, I'm not on a first-name basis with Drake and Josh . . . Okay, fine, I'm not similar to Miranda Cosgrove at all. But I really did discover one thing that we have in common: we both love Meg Cabot's new series Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls!

How do I know? Because Miranda visited the Scholastic Store in SoHo, NYC, to do a reading — and out of all the books in the world that she could read from, she picked Moving Day, the first installment in the Allie Finkle series!

Miranda chose two of her favorite chapters to read: Chapter 4 ("Brothers — and Parents — Can Be Very Insensitive") and Chapter 11 ("When You Finally Figure Out What the Right Thing to Do Is, You Have to Do It, Even If You Don't Want To"). Check out this video of Miranda reading Chapter 4.

Book Character Halloween Costumes

Book-Based Halloween Costumes

Is Halloween here already? How did it creep up on me so fast? I haven't even thought about a costume...What should I be? If you're like me and you're asking yourself these very same questions, then here's a list of Scholastic characters and easy-to-do costumes you can quickly whip up to make this Halloween the best ever!

5.) Allie Finkle – Allie Finkle Rules for Girls series by Meg Cabot

All you'll need are some hip and funky clothes! In order to get the true Allie effect, mix lots of bright colors and bold patterns.
Optional: Write up your own rules for girls on note cards and hand them out to people when trick-or-treating.

4.) Magic Pickle/Jo Jo – Magic Pickle series by Scott Morse

Magic Pickle: This super hero should be simple to pull off! You'll just need to wear all green and a yellow eye mask and paint a blue star on your forehead.
Optional: Spritz some pickle juice on your costume before going out. You'll smell dill-irific! Make sure to ask your parent's permission first; I'm guessing pickled clothing is not well-favored.

Jo Jo: As the Magic Pickle's funky little sidekick, grab a pair of blue overalls, a white t-shirt, sneakers, and a yellow flower to put in your hair.
Optional: An orange or red wig. Nothing says "spunky" like some orange hair!

3.) Fone Bone/Thorn - Bone series by Jeff Smith

Fone Bone: This costume is not only fun, but it's easy too! Here's what you'll need: all white clothing, white shoes, some white face paint for your face and hands, a white swimming cap, and a brown backpack.
Optional: Get your friends to dress up as Smiley Bone and Phoney Bone! You'll be the most vibrant characters on the block!

Thorn: Who wouldn't want to be this beautiful and heroic girl? Well, its simple! You just need to find a long pink dress (or any color will do) and a black or brown hooded cape or jacket.
Optional: Get a friend to dress up as Fone Bone. Or your little sibling will work also!

2.) Katnis Everdeen/ Peeta Mellark – The Hunger Games (for ages 12 and up) by Suzanne Collins

To dress like these two in the opening ceremonies of the games, you'll need a black unitard (black pants and a black top work too), shiny lace-up black boots, and an orange, yellow, or red (more than one color will work) cape.
Optional: To get the true effect of the costume, sport an elaborate and colorful headpiece. However, stay clear of lighting it on fire as they did in the book.

1.) Harry Potter/Hermione Granger – Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter: Now you can be the most popular boy wizard on the block! Here's what you need: a hooded black robe (colored lining optional), a burgundy-and-gold knit scarf and cap, gold or black striped sweater, black pants or jeans, plus shoes of your choice! Use eye liner to make a lightning-shaped scar on your forehead. 
Optional: Glasses, wand, owl — anything Harry Potter-ish!

Hermione Granger: The smartest girl at Hogwarts has entered! Time to get a hooded black robe (colored lining optional), a burgundy-and-gold knit scarf and cap, gray v-neck sweater with tie (Don't have a tie? Use Dad's!), and a skirt or pants — just make sure you are warm enough!
Optional: A wand and a list of memorized spells.

Happy Halloween and be safe!

— Carly M., STACKS Staffer

Illustrations (from Magic Pickle) copyright 2008 by Scott Morse. Magic Pickle is a registered trademark of Scott Morse.
Illustrations (from BONE) copyright 2004 Jeff Smith. BONE is a registered trademark of Jeff Smith.
Illustrations (from Harry Potter) by Mary GrandPré © 1998-2008 Warner Bros

Allie Finkle Trivia - Answer!

Congratulations to Sarah! She correctly identified Meg Cabot herself as the inspiration for the character of Allie Finkle in my trivia post — check out this video, in which Meg reveals more about the story behind the story than she'd like . . .

— Jack, STACKS Intern

Trivia Tuesday: Allie Finkle

I'm about to send you off on a little scavenger hunt.

OK! Here's your Tuesday trivia question: Who is the character of Allie Finkle based on?

This is a pretty tough question, but the answer is somewhere on this site — from the lips of author Meg Cabot herself. So here's a hint . . . Good luck!

— Jack, STACKS Intern

Check out the answer!