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

Girl Power Book List

Girl Power Book List

Anita begged her parents to let her go to the local school as one of the only girl students. They finally agreed, but after 5 years, school fees became too expensive and they were not able to pay anymore. So at just 10 years old, Anita decided she would raise money for her own school fees by tutoring other students. A few years later, her family found themselves in debt, so Anita learned how to be a beekeeper to make more money! Now Anita is 20 years old and paying her own college tuition. She's training other girls to be beekeepers too, and now that her story has been broadcast across India, millions of girls are being inspired by Anita.

Being a girl of the world is not easy, and it's especially hard if you’re growing up in a developing nation. Girls can't give back to their communities if they can't become doctors, political leaders, business owners, artists, writers, television producers, engineers, architects, teachers, librarians, beekeepers. . . the list goes on and on. And most importantly, girls are people, too! They deserve the same opportunity for a good life as everybody else. Today's Kid Power post is about girls who overcame hardships and changed the world in their own way. Here are some books to inspire you to make a difference:

Kid Power: Human Rights

Human Rights: Did You Know . . . ?

We know you care deeply about things. In addition to having fun just being kids, you want to actually do something to make the world a better place. We here at the STACKS are super-proud of you! 

Today, we are talking about human rights. The United Nations has a Universal Declaration of Human Rights which says that all people are born free and equal and deserve the same rights no matter who they are. Sadly, not everyone actually gets these human rights. 

Here are just a few facts about human rights around the world. Just talking about these things can make a difference, so go out and inspire your friends and family to do something about human rights!

Did you know . . .  

World Refugee Day Book List for Kids

June 20 is World Refugee Day

According to International Law, "a refugee is someone who, owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his or her nationality." In other words, a refugee is someone who must leave his or her country because life is too dangerous there.

How awful to have to leave your home! It is estimated by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants that there are 6 million refugees in the Middle East, over 3 million in Africa, and another 3 million in Asia. And many of them are children just like you!

While it's impossible to truly imagine what it is like to be a refugee, reading books about their stories can help you to get a better understanding of what their lives are like. Here are some amazing books to get you started.

Charity Book Drive for Kids

Charity Book Drive for Kids

Summer is almost here, and you know what that means. Summer Reading! YAY!!!! All that free, uninterrupted time to just dive into books. But I am about to tell you a very sad fact. There are many kids who don't have ANY books to read ever. They don't have any books at home, and they don't have any books at school, and they don't have a public library where they can borrow books.

As I write this, I am looking at a pile of delicious books on my desk at work. There are books in every room of my home, and I live 1 block away from the public library. I can't imagine a world where I couldn't just reach out and grab a book, but lots of kids live a book-starved life. That makes me sad. 

But there is a way we can help them. We can send them our books! There are several organizations that collect books and send them to schools and libraries all over the world where the kids have no books. Here are a few ways that you can get involved, but make sure you check with your parents first before you do any of these.

Operation Cleanup: Go through your own overflowing bookshelves, and pull out the books that you will probably never read again. Check to make sure they are in good condition. Nobody wants moldy, beat up, colored-in books. Then box them up and send them to one of the organizations below.

Books for Birthdays: For your next birthday party, request that all your guests give you a book. Then when you are done reading them all, box them up and send them to one of the organizations below.

Host a Book Drive: Put a box with a big sign by the Front Office at school (or church, or public library, etc.), and ask people to donate their gently used books. When the box is full, send it to one of the organizations below.

Mail the books (Media Mail or Book Rate is cheapest) to the organization that is nearest to where you live:

Bridge of Books NJ
P.O. Box 39
Rumson, NJ 07760

Reader to Reader MA
Cadigan Center
38 Woodside Avenue
Amherst, MA 01002 

BookEnds CA
2957 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064 

International Book Project KY
1440 Delaware Avenue
Lexington, KY 40505 

These are only a few of the organizations out there. There may be others that are closer to you. Ask your parents to do some investigating for you. 

Now while you're luxuriating in all that free reading time this summer, you can feel good knowing that other kids might have books too -- all because of you!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

SPONSORED BLOG POST: The Power of Green

This post is sponsored by Con Edison.

Student Contest: The Power of Green

How do you and your family save energy at home?

Want the chance to win a family day trip to New York City for fun, food, and fine arts? OK! Are you already saving energy at home? Good! You're halfway THERE!  

• FIRST: Create an original artwork on an 8.5" X 11" sheet of paper that explains how you and your family are saving energy. It can be a poster, drawing, comic strip, collage, or painting.
• THEN: Pair it with a short essay (50-100 words) about your artwork and your "green" ideas.
• ALSO: Read the rules and download the entry form.  
• ANNNNND . . . FINALLY: Mail your completed entry in with your contest submission!

Easy, right? Entries are due May 22, 2012. Good luck!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Part 3

Happy Earth Day!! REDUCE, REUSE, AND RECYCLE!

Every time you go to throw something away, ask yourself these questions: Is there a way I could have avoided buying this disposable thing? (Reduce) Is there a way I can reuse it before getting rid of it? (Reuse) Can I bring this somewhere to be recycled so it doesn't end up in a landfill? (Recycle) After learning about how to reduce and reuse stuff before you throw it away, you should barely have anything left to recycle. Recycling should be your last option, but for those times when there is just nothing left to do, here are some recycling ideas:

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Part 2

Earth Day is coming and we need to do more to save Planet Earth! Not just recycling, we all need to REDUCE, REUSE, AND RECYCLE. Last week I described some ways you can Reduce waste. Today we'll talk about how you Reuse the things you have instead of throwing them away.

Reuse
Think about everything you throw away today. There might be ways you can reuse them instead of throwing them away to end up in the landfill. Here are some things to try.

Napkins/Paper Towels/Tissues
How to reuse: Here is one thing I did. I got a big stain on one of my cotton shirts and could seriously never wear it again in public, but it was still really soft and pretty, so I cut it up into 8-inch squares to use as handkerchiefs. I keep a little fabric square in my purse at all times instead of tissues. After I use it, I toss it in the wash and replace it with a clean one. You can do this with any fabric. Try worn out sheets, t-shirts, or even jeans! If you can sew, try hemming the edges and adding decorative details. Ooh, you should make a pretty set of napkins for your mom for Mother's Day!Double bonus - reuse old stuff and save money on gifts!

Cell Phone/Computer/Electronic Devices
How to reuse: Like I said last week, the greenest choice is to use your phone/computer/camera/iPod/whatever for as long as possible before you get a new one. But if you do happen to get a new one for your birthday, what can you do with your old but still perfectly good iPod touch? Use it as an alarm clock. Install an Alarm Clock app and make a cute little stand for it by your bed. Another idea is to make alphabet magnets out of keys from an old keyboard. Pluck off the letters and glue them to a plain magnet. Spell out your name or whatever you want.

Clothes
How to reuse: The hard-core environmentalists wear their clothes until they absolutely can't wear them anymore. Fashion plays no part in their clothing decisions. But you *can* be environmentally conscious and fashion conscious at the same time. If you're tired of a plain old t-shirt in your closet, don't get rid of it! You can draw cool designs on it with fabric markers (They come in awesome colors!), or cut the sleeves off to make it a tank top. Cut the legs off too-short jeans to turn them into jeans shorts. Glue sparkles and beads onto your tired, old flip flops. Cut the arms off a sweater you never wear and turn them into leg warmers. There are millions of ways to be crafty and creative while reusing old clothes that would otherwise end up in the landfill. 

Snack Packs
How to reuse: For one day, try to go waste-free like Moderator Elise on the Save the Planet Board. Don't bring anything for lunch that needs to be thrown away. See if you can do it. Pack your lunch in a thermos, or a reusable fabric bag. Bring a reusable water bottle instead of a disposable juice box. This one is not easy, I know. As I type this, I am about to throw away my chocolate bar wrapper, but at least I buy a giant chocolate bar and eat a little every day instead of throwing away mini snack size candy wrappers every day. That counts, right?

These are just a few ways to REUSE, but there are thousands more ways to reuse the stuff you already have instead of throwing it away and buying more stuff. What are YOUR ideas? Let us know in the Comments. And come back next Thursday for Part 3: RECYCLE!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

BE BIG for National Volunteer Week!

BE BIG for National Volunteer Week, April 15-21!

Did you know that next week is National Volunteer Week? For more than 30 years, National Volunteer Week has been a time to celebrate people doing extraordinary things through service.

Service comes in lots of shapes and sizes and can be as simple as helping your librarian put books back on the shelf, or as BIG as organizing a camp for young people who stutter, just as Julie and her team did with the community grant their BIG Idea received in the 2011 Clifford BE BIG in Your Community Contest. Julie and her team put their grant money towards "Camp Shout Out," an overnight camp where young people who stutter can improve their communication skills while having fun in a camp setting. BIG or small, what matters is that you are helping make your community a better place for everyone!

HandsOn Network, Scholastic’s partner in the BE BIG Campaign, has action centers all over the country that can help you get involved in your community. 

Do you have a BIG Idea? Enter the 2012 Clifford BE BIG In Your Community Contest today for a chance to bring your BIG Idea to life with a $5,000 community grant! 

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of the fifty (50) United Sates and District of Columbia. Contest ends June 22, 2012. Void where prohibited. Subject to all applicable laws. See Official Rules for details.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Part 1

Landfills are loaded up with waste, poisoning the water and oceans, and it's gross. What can you do to make a difference? A lot! You all know the importance of recycling, but recycling is only part of the solution. For the next 3 Thursdays, I'm going to give you tips for how you can REDUCE, REUSE, AND RECYCLE!

Reduce
Think about the fresh, new things you buy or use every day. There might be ways you can reduce or use fewer of these things so less garbage ends up in the landfill. 

Napkins/Paper Towels/Tissues
How to reduce:  Don't be so messy! Just kidding, although that might help if you are a real slob. But seriously, you can use cloth ones that you don't throw away. You just toss them in the wash when they get dirty. (I'll tell you how to make your own in next week's Reuse post.)

Toilet Paper
How to reduce: OK, I understand this is a necessity of life, but um . . . maybe you can use a little bit less. We'll say no more about that. Moving on . . .

Cell Phone/Computer/Electronic Devices
How to reduce: I know like every six months there is some new and improved gadget that you just have to have, but electronic waste is growing into a HUGE problem. The greenest choice is to use your phone/computer/camera/iPod/whatever for as long as possible before you get a new one. My phone is 5 years old --it is not cool looking, but I'm proud to keep it out of a landfill!

Clothes
How to reduce: Same thing with clothes. Having the latest new clothes all the time is not environmentally friendly. Keep your clothes for as long as possible before you buy new ones. (I'll talk next week about how to add new style to your old clothes.) Another way to reduce is to wear used clothes. Hand-me-downs and used clothing stores can be fun. Or do a clothes swap with your friends, and you can feel good knowing that you are reducing the amount of garbage in landfills!

Snack Packs
How to reduce: You know those individual size foods that get put in your lunchbox? Have you ever thought about all the trash you throw away at lunchtime? You can reduce that! Instead of plastic baggies, you can find plastic-lined reusable bags that can be washed. Instead of apple sauce in a plastic container, bring a whole apple. Instead of packaged cookies, bake your own treats. Instead of single serving plastic yogurt cups, you can spoon yogurt from a large container into a small tupperware. Think thermos. Make it your goal to go waste-free like Moderator Elise on the Save the Planet Board.

These are just a few ways to REDUCE, but there are thousands more ways to reduce the amount of stuff you buy and throw away. What are YOUR ideas? Let us know in the Comments. And come back next Thursday for Part 2: REUSE!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

Kid Power! Disaster Preparedness

March is American Red Cross Month. The American Red Cross does a lot to help victims of natural disasters, but it also helps educate people about preparing for disasters. Being prepared is definitely Kid Power!

Would you know what to do in an emergency? Are you prepared? See how you stack up with the Red Cross Ready Checklist. If you can answer "YES" to each of these questions, then you are ready for anything!

• I know what disasters or emergencies are most likely to occur in my community.
• I have a family disaster plan and have practiced it.
• I have an emergency kit (including extra supplies for my pets).
• At least one member of my household is trained in first aid and CPR.

If you're not sure about some of these, this poster tells you everything you need to know to be Red Cross Ready. Talk to your parents! Get your emergency kit together. Practice your disaster plan, and make sure you're all prepared!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

Kid Power! No Texting While Walking

Pedestrian Safety

Everyone knows that texting, playing Angry Birds, or listening to music through headphones while driving is extremely dangerous. You know that, right? RIGHT?? Well, recently, people have been wondering if it's even safe to walk or ride your bike while using distracting gadgets. If it keeps you from paying attention to the traffic, it could be dangerous.

Here are some facts from Grolier Online. Did you know. . .

• The number of traffic deaths involving pedestrians (walking people) increased in 2010.
• According to Hal Pashler, a brain scientist at the University of California, San Diego, even if you try to listen for traffic, loud music through your headphones can still confuse your brain.
• State Senator Carl Kruger of New York is now trying to pass a law that would fine citizens $100 for using electronic devices while crossing the street.
• In California, State Senator Joe Simitian is trying to pass a similar law to ban bicyclists from using tech gadgets.

It's easy to get distracted and forget to look for cars, especially when your song comes on and you start singing it real loud and dancing. (Yeah, you know who you are! I've seen you!) If the driver hears HIS song at that moment while you're crossing the street, and he's singing real loud and not paying attention, and texting his friend too. . . well, the next thing you know, KABLAM!

I am saying this because I love you. I don't want to scare you, but Kid Power means being responsible for yourself and not letting your brains get confused. Now that you know about the dangers, please tell your friends. Make posters and hang them up at school. Don't let anyone you know get distractified by their tech toys! And that includes your parents. You could save a life.

OK. That's all for now. I'm glad we had this little talk.

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer