Summer Screen-Time

Ah, summer. Time for sun, sand, surf, and . . . afternoons in an air-conditioned movie theater! Now, don't get me wrong -- I like a good romp outdoors. But sometimes when I just have to beat the heat, nothing's better than a cool summer blockbuster.

Our friend, Marie (who has the awesome job of interviewing celebs for Scholastic's magazines) used her entertainment biz contacts and got us all the dirt on what's hitting the silver screen this summer. Start marking your calendar!

— Karen, STACKS Staffer

In theaters now:
Title: Land of the Lost
Release Date: June 5, 2009
Stars: Will Ferrell, Anna Friel, Bobb'e J. Thompson, Sierra McCormick, Jorma Taccome
Tagline: Right place. Wrong time.
Plot: As Dr. Rick Marshal, Will Ferrell, plays a wacky archeologist who, with his team, is transported to another dimension, an alternate universe. They land in a place where dinosaurs still roam and nightmarish creatures crawl. Their only friend is a primate named Chaka, who tries to lead them through wild adventures . . . and in the end, back to their own time.
(Universal Pictures: PG-13)

Title: Imagine That
Release Date: June 12, 2009
Stars: Eddie Murphy, Bobb'e J. Thompson, Thomas Hayden Church, Vanessa Williams
Tagline: What if your daughter's imagination . . . was the secret to your success?
Plot: Another laugh-a-minute Eddie Murphy family comedy! This time he plays a finance executive whose career is sputtering — until he takes a cue from his young daughter and enters her world of imagination . . . and success!
(Paramount Pictures: PG)

Title: Year One
Release Date: June 19, 2009
Stars: Jack Black, Michael Cera, Oliver Platt, David Cross,
Tagline: Meet your ancestors
Plot: Seems to be the summer of back-in-time! In this flick, Jack Black and Michael Cera — Zed and Oh — have moved from the caveman stage and live in a primitive village. Zed and Oh are supposed to help hunt for the food for the village, but they would rather lie around and be “stone-potatoes.” Finally the village has had enough and the two are kicked out and have to fend for themselves. Needless to say, they gather lotsa laughs!
(Columbia Pictures: PG-13)

Title: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Release Date: June 24, 2009
Stars: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Isabel Lucas
Tagline: Revenge is coming
Plot: The sequel to the action-packed Transformers, this film chronicles the Decepticons return to Earth under the command of Starscream. This time they are after the mere human, Sam (Shia LaBeouf), who helped defeat them before! And once again, Optimus Prime and the Autobots join Sam to save the earth and all mankind!
(DreamWorks SKG: PG-13)

Title: Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaur
Release Date: July 1, 2009
Stars: (Voices) Ray Romano, Simon Pegg, Seann William Scott, John Leguizamo, Denis Leary, Queen Latifah, Josh Peck, Joey King, Chris Wedge
Plot: Much has changed since Ice Age: The Meltdown. Manny and Ellie are a couple and expecting a baby. Diego thinks he has to find his saber-tooth tiger roots and give up his pussy-cat ways. Sid wants to start a family of his own and he “adopts” some dinosaur eggs — unfortunately the proud dino parents aren't too thrilled with that, so they go in search of the egg-snatcher. And the hunt is on while the crew meets up with some new characters along the way.
(20th Century FOX Studios: PG)

Coming soon to a theater near you:
Title: Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince
Release Date: July 17, 2009
Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, Robbie Coltrane, Tom Felton, Evanna Lynch
Tagline: Once again I must ask too much of you, Harry
Plot: It's Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts and, as usual, things get off to a mysterious start. Harry becomes the secret owner of a magical Potions Book, which was previously owned by someone referred to only as the Half-Blood Prince. Harry learns much from the mysterious book — but some of the spells may be very dangerous! Harry starts his one-on-one classes with Professor Dumbledore and tries to learn the secrets of the evil Voldemort so he might defeat him. Most of the time at school is taken up with studies, friendships that are strained, and romances that spark, — and Quidditch is played (Harry is the new captain of the Gryffindor team). But somehow there is a an overriding feeling that Voldemort is getting stronger and stronger and is getting ready to make the ultimate strike! It's action-packed and magical at the same time. A must-see!
(Warner Brothers: PG)

Title: G-Force
Release Date: July 24, 2009 Stars: (Voices) Nicolas Cage, Penelope Cruz, Bill Nighy, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi, Jon Favreau, Tracy Morgan
Plot: Guineas pigs with a mission! G-Force is a team of highly trained guinea pigs who work for the government. This time they have to take down an evil billionaire who plans on taking over the world . . . with household appliances!
(Walt Disney Pictures: PG)

Title: Aliens In The Attic
Release Date: July 31, 2009
Stars: Ashley Tisdale, Robert Hoffman, Carter Jenkins, Austin Robert Butler
Plot: Kids to the rescue! Believe it or not, aliens have invaded a family's Maine vacation home and they are living in the attic. The kids and their friends discover their existence and their secret — they have a mind control weapon, but it only works on adults. It's up to the kids to save their family, friends, town, and the whole world!
(20th Century FOX Studios: PG)

Title: Shorts
Release Date: August 7, 2009
Stars: Jimmy Bennett, Kat Dennings, Trevor Gagon, Rebel Rodriguez, Jake Short
Plot: Poor Toe Thompson (Jimmy Bennett) is bullied by the kids in his hometown of Black Falls. Black Falls is the home base of Black Box Industries, which manufacturers the ultimate household gadget — it does everything! That's strange enough for Toe, but then an amazing thing happens — a Rainbow Rock falls from the sky during a storm and as it lands in someone's hands and bounces to another, wishes are made and come true. Good wishes. Weird wishes. Aliens, giant boogers, and lots more! Remember the old saying, "Be careful what you wish for," before you see this fun-filled flick!
(Warner Brothers: PG)

Title: Bandslam
Release Date: August 14, 2009
Stars: Vanessa Hudgens, Gaelan Connell, Alyson Michalka, Lisa Kudrow, Scott Porter
Plot: Will (Gaelan Connell) doesn't fit in, and Charlotte (Alyson Michalka) is the most popular girl in school. They have nothing in common — right? Well, they do: music. Charlotte asks Will to manage her rock band, and not only does he make them rockers-on-the-move, but Will sheds his loser status and becomes Mr. Cool. At the same time, Will is falling in love with Sa5m (the 5 is silent), who also has a musical talent. Things are looking up, even when Will and Charlotte's band goes head-to-head with her ex-boyfriend's band, Glory Dogs, at Bandslam, the ultimate battle of the bands!
(Summit Entertainment: PG)

Photo from Imagine That © Paramount Pictures
Photo from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen © DreamWorks SKG
Photo from Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaur © 20th Century FOX Studios
Photo from Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince © Warner Brothers
Photo from G-Force © Walt Disney Pictures
Photo from Shorts © Warner Brothers
Photo from Bandslam © Summit Entertainment

ICE AGE 3 is DINO-MITE!

If you loved the first two Ice Age movies, wait till you see the third flick in the animated series. Not only are all your favorite characters back, but as the title (Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs) suggests, there are lots of other prehistoric creatures in this one.

When Sid finds a trio of dino eggs and gets snatched up by their mama T-Rex, his buddies go off on a rescue mission that takes them to a lost world under the ice.

“All kinds of perilous things happen that we have to run from and escape from and save each other from,” says Queen Latifah, who voices Ellie the Mammoth. As for the acorn-chasing Scrat, “he finds a girlfriend in this one,” says Ray Romano, the voice of Manny the Mammoth.

Adding to the fun, the visuals really pop because it's in 3D. The movie hits theaters July 1st.

Check out what the stars of Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs' told me about the movie in these exclusive on-the-SPLOT videos:

PLUS, Queen Latifah explains why she loves to read — check out the exclusive video!

— Gerri Miller, for the Ink Splot 26 Celeb Beat

Queen Latifah photo © Kevin Estrada

UP and James and the Giant Peach

Have you seen the new movie UP yet? Because I have, and it is a-maz-ing!

As you can see from the trailer, the film features a house floating through the sky, held aloft by a bunch of balloons. Which reminded me of one of my favorite books by Roald Dahl, James and the Giant Peach. Check out some of the similarities I noticed:

	James and the Giant Peach	The movie UP
The "Old" Dude	The Old Green Grasshopper	Carl Fredricksen
The Little Boy	James Henry Trotter	Russell
Unconventional Mode of Flight	Giant Peach, by way of seagulls	A House, by way of balloons
Deceased :*(	James' parents	Carl Fredricksen's darling, Ellie
There's a scary pack of . . .	Sharks	Dogs
You'll be surprised when you start chatting up . . .	A centipede, earthworm, ladybug, and more . . .	Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and more . . .
One of the antagonists is . . .	The Cloud Man	Ha! I can't give everything away!
So go and . . .	Pick up a copy of James and the Giant Peach!	Watch the movie UP!
P.S.	James and the Giant Peach was made into a movie too. Rent it!	Can you think of other similarities?

— Nancy, STACKS Staffer

Drawing Phineas and Ferb with Swampy and Dan

Hey, Splotters! I hope you're taking Dan and Swampy's advice from last week and having an awesome and creative summer (unless, of course, your school hasn't let out for the summer yet, in which case I'll take it on good faith that your summer will rock once it starts).

But if you're busy saying "Dan and Swampy? Who are they? I clicked on the link because of Phineas and Ferb," let me fill you in. Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh are the creators of Phineas and Ferb, the Disney cartoon which follows two stepbrothers in their quest to have the best summer ever. (In fact, you can see Phineas and Ferb's latest exploits TONIGHT in a new episode of Phineas And Ferb on Disney XD.)

Swampy and Dan invented the characters, write the stories, and come up with all the crazy tunes that accompany Phineas and Ferb's inventions and adventures. And now Swampy and Dan are challenging you to use your imagination this summer to invent, draw, write, create, and have fun.

If you need a little help getting your creative juices going, Swampy and Dan have something for that too. Check out these step-by-step instructions for how to draw Phineas and Ferb. Ferb's up first:

 

Now instructions for Phineas:

Summer Fun with Phineas, Ferb, Swampy, and Dan

<~~~See these two guys right there? You might recognize them. They're Phineas and Ferb from the popular Disney cartoon called -- duh! -- Phineas and Ferb. The show follows the two stepbrothers as they try to make their summer AWESOME! How do they do that? In every episode, they build a crazy-impossible invention, much to the frustration of their sister Candace, who is always trying to catch them in the act. She never quite manages it — she should get some tips from Dr. Doofenshmirtz, who in every episode manages to trap Phineas and Ferb's pet platypus, Perry. Perry is a secret agent for the OWCA (Organization Without a Cool Acronym), which is pretty darn awesome. But even more awesome than secret-agent pet platypuses are these two guys:

You probably don't recognize them. They are Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, the guys who invented Phineas and Ferb. And this summer, they want you to stretch your creative awesomeness, Phineas and Ferb style. So they got in touch with The Splot and shared 20 ways to go out, have fun, and create something this summer. Check it out!

1. Swampy says . . . KEEP IT CHEAP!
   "When it comes to art, you don't need special equipment. You can draw on anything and use anything to draw with, so it shouldn't cost too much to get into it. Whether it's a pen, pencil, crayon, or even a piece of chalk you find in the park, you can use whatever you want. And who says you need a blank piece of paper to draw on? Use scraps or anything you find that might work!"


2. Dan says . . . COPY AWAY
   "One of the things that helped me a lot in cartooning was the art of copying. If I saw a drawing I really liked in a magazine or comic book, I would copy that drawing line-for-line and it showed me a lot of shortcuts. It taught me a kind of cartooning shorthand. I don't mean trace these pictures. I'd just look at a drawing, analyze it, and copy it line-for-line to see how the artist drew the picture in the first place. I'd then incorporate the techniques into my own art."


3.  Swampy says . . . THERE IS NO RIGHT AND WRONG
   "One thing I'd love to teach children is the fact that there is no right or wrong way to draw. Draw what makes you happy and never worry about somebody saying, 'Oh, that isn't a good drawing.' There are so many, infinite drawing styles out there. Your work doesn't have to look like it's straight out of a comic book or straight out of an art book. As long as you're expressing yourself and you're getting a reaction, then that's good."

POP-Corn: Tiffany Giardina, Imagine That, & More!

Tasty tidbits on your celebrity faves!
From Gerri Miller, for the Ink Splot 26 Celeb Beat

Hello and welcome to POP-Corn, your source for cool news from the world of entertainment. You may remember the POP-Corn column from Scholastic News Online. Well, this summer it's on The Splot! We'll be bringing you a new jam-packed edition every other week, so be sure to tune in every other Friday all through the summer! (And on the other Fridays, STACKS Staffers will be posting their own Book Flap columns clueing you in to all the latest happenings with your favorite books, series, authors, and page-to-screen adaptations. It's all part of our first Summer on The Splot!)

TIFFANY GIARDINA: NO AVERAGE ANGEL

“The first time I heard 'No Average Angel' on the radio I freaked out. I was driving around blasting it,” declares Tiffany Giardina, who has a Radio Disney hit with the first single from her CD of the same name. “It's about being yourself, not being afraid to be different,” says Tiffany about the song, which she recently performed along with another tune, “Hurry Up and Save Me,” on a visit to Radio Disney with her band.

I was lucky enough to be there for the show — check out my on-the-spot (or should I say on-the-SPLOT) video footage:

Imagine That: Movie Exclusive!

Usually by mid-June I'm blockbuster-ed out. Aliens attack the White House? Been there. Beam me up, Scotty? Done that. More than meets the eye? Got the toy.

I'm ready for a movie that's light on the Autobots and Decepticons and heavy on the laughs with my friends and family. Which is why Imagine That — coming out this Friday, June 12th — is a perfect summer movie for me. In Imagine That Eddie Murphy plays a successful executive who makes more time for his job than his 7-year-old daughter, Olivia. When his job starts a downward spiral, however, he finds answers in a place he never thought he would — Olivia's imaginary world!

In keeping with The Splot's tradition of bringing you first-hand entertainment info, we've got an exclusive interview Yara Shahidi, who plays Olivia:

In the movie, your character, Olivia, has imaginary friends and she's really attached to her blanket. Have you ever had imaginary friends? Do you have a security blanket?

Yara: Well, I have a security blanket, but it's not for security. It's more like remembering, kind of. And I don't have any imaginary friends, but I do have my brothers.

How many brothers do you have?

Yara: Two. One's 6 and one's about to turn 1.

Do you like to play with them?

Yara: Yes, and when we have enough time, we'll build these houses out of Legos. And we pretend to be neighbors.

This was your first movie?

Yara: Yes, it is.

Was it exciting? Was it scary in any way?

Yara: Well, it was really exciting. I thought of it as a long, fun commercial, because I'm a commercial actress too and I work with my mom a lot. And everybody was really nice on set.

What commercials have you done?

Yara: Campbells soup with my mommy, and a Tropicana with my brother and I.

Is it fun to work with your family?

Yara: Yes, it is really fun!

In the movie, you sing a song: “All You Need Is Love” by the Beatles. Did you know that song? Had you heard it before that?

Yara: No, I had not heard the song, but during the auditions when I figured out I needed to sing it, we listened to a ton of Beatles songs and now I love the Beatles!

 What was it like to work with Eddie Murphy?

Yara: He was really nice and really funny. He gave me two movies. One was Oliver and one was the Beatles' Yellow Submarine.

Your character goes to an imaginary magical kingdom. What kind of kingdom would you like to escape to and what would you call it?

Yara: Well, the kingdom I'd like to escape to — I'd like it to have a ton of old castles like they did in ancient Rome and a ton of art, from Leonardo Da Vinci or Michaelangelo or Raphael. And it should have at least three beaches.

So I can tell you love art, the beach, and history.

Yara: Yes!

What do you love about history?

Yara: Well, you can learn about things from the past that helped us in our life or something that expressed someone's feelings.

Do you have a favorite time in history?

Yara: Renaissance.

You said you like art. Are you an artist yourself?

Yara: I'll paint. And draw. A lot. And I'm into making inventions. I was making this eco-friendly [invention]. It helps the air filter and become cleaner. You put a bunch of clean water and filtered water into this tube, and it heats it up and it turns into evaporation so then there's more clean air.

How did you figure that out? Did you figure it out yourself?

Yara: Yeah.

If you would recommend three books to a friend, what books would you recommend?

Yara: My favorite book now would be Greek Myths. So, Greek Myths, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and War Comes to Willie.

          

What do you like to do for fun?

Yara: Build Lego houses, go to museums.

Do you have a favorite museum?

Yara: No, I like them all. I really like the Bakken.
(Editor's Note: You can check it out here: http://www.thebakken.org/)

What grade are you in now?

Yara: I'm in fourth grade, except fifth grade math.

Do you like math?

Yara: It's my second favorite subject.

What's your first?

Yara: History!

What do you like about math?

Yara: It comes into use in everyday life. Like there's the make-your-own sandwich at this one café and I multiply how many different sandwich combinations you could have and it came up like 3,510. Something crazy like that.

Is there any place you haven't been that you really would like to go?

Yara: Greece. I want to see the Parthenon and all the places where people would worship the gods, because I'm really into Greek myths, so I really want to see Athena's temple.

Last question: our new President has encouraged everyone in the country to volunteer and help. What kind of things would you suggest kids do to help their neighbors, to help other people in the country?

Yara: Well, I would suggest donating, because every year we donate at least two or three times a year. Every Christmas, our gift is we choose a place to donate to and our whole family — we donate in their names. And we donated to Water for People, which filters all the water, makes sure people have enough water and clean water, and we donated it to Zambia.

And there you have it — straight from young Hollywood to you! To see more of Yara, check her out in this video that she recorded just for our Summer Challenge on THE STACKS:

And to watch the official Imagine That trailer, check out the Imagine That website.

Are you going to see this sweet little gem of a movie? Let me know what you think, and if you've seen any other cool summer movies.

— Ratha, STACKS Writer

Photos © Bruce McBroom/PARAMOUNT PICTURES CORPORATION. All Rights Reserved.

Book Flap: American Girl, Black Belt Club, & More

Welcome to the second edition of Book Flap, your every-other-week splot for all the hottest happenings in the world of books. All summer long, Fridays on Ink Splot will be chock-full of awesome, so make sure you check back every week: we've got more Book Flap alternating with POP-Corn (all the entertainment and celeb news you can sink your teeth into). It's all part of our first Summer on The Splot!

Meet the New American Girl: Rebecca Rubin

 Last December, I was crushed to find out they were retiring my favorite American Girl doll: Samantha Parkington, the rich orphan from 1904, who lived with her grandmother and was friends with the factory worker/servant girl next door. Well, now that I'm an adult, I have the means to right all the failed birthday presents from my parents growing up, so I immediately had to go buy Samantha for myself before she was gone forever. I thought that would be it.

But now there's a new girl in the American Girl ranks. On May 31st, Rebecca Rubin joined Kaya, Josefina, Kirsten, Addy, Kid, Molly, and Julie as the newest historical doll in the American Girl collection. Rebecca is 9 years old in 1914, when her story is set (fun fact: all the dolls are from years that end in 4).

Rebecca lives on New York City's Lower East Side with her siblings and Russian-Jewish immigrant parents and grandma, who is called Bubbie (the Yiddish word for Grandmother). Rebecca loves movies and wants to be an actress, but her parents don't approve. The books that accompany the doll deal with Rebecca balancing her dreams with the cultural and religious values of her family. The six books in Rebecca's story arc are written by Jacqueline Dembar Greene.

The Black Belt Club to Become a Cartoon

For all the boys out there who couldn't care less about dolls, here's something for you: The Black Belt Club series by real-life third-degree black belt Dawn Barnes is being made into an animated TV show!

The book series straddles the divide between traditional books and comics, with illustrations by Bernard Chang on virtually every page. The story follows four karate students — Max, Maia, Antonio, and Jamie — who are invited to be part of an elite group (surprise, surprise, it's called the Black Belt Club). Together, they are transported to a magical land filled with mythical heroes and monsters, but it's the Black Belt Club who are charged with saving the day.

On board to work on the show is John Drdek, a writer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Yu-Gi-Oh!, plus the animation production studio Curious Pictures, who did Codename: Kids Next Door. The show will be hitting airwaves in 2010, at the same time the 4th book hits stores. In the meantime, you can get ready by checking out The Black Belt Club website and the first three books: #1: Seven Wheels of Power, #2: Night on the Mountain of Fear, and #3: Beware of the Haunted Eye.

Book Expo America

Last weekend was Book Expo America, a huge yearly gathering where authors, publishers, librarians, and anyone who has anything to do with books congregate in New York City to meet up and talk about what's coming up this year. I wasn't there (*tear*), but I've been following along, and two big items of children's book news caught my attention . . .

First, book-game-online-reading-writing-participating-multimedia extravaganzas are the way of the future. As all you Splot readers know, The 39 Clues is the first of this kind. In the ten-book series, you can follow the adventures of Amy and Dan Cahill as they search for the secret behind their family's power. And just this past Tuesday (June 2nd), the fourth book in the series, Beyond the Grave by Jude Watson, came out. After reading the books (or before, it doesn't actually matter), you can go on The39Clues.com and join the hunt yourself.

Meet Zeke & Luther: Disney's Newest Sk8er Boyz

Attention all skater dudes and skater girls! AND non-skater girls who like skater guys! (Oh, you know you're out there!)

You'll be totally stoked about Disney XD's new series Zeke & Luther, which is premiering on June 15th. On the show, Zeke and Luther are two friends with one shared goal in life: to become world-famous skateboarders. This includes mastering sick board tricks, entering high-level competitions, taking a road trip to the home of their idol (Tony Hawk), and taking part in skate-offs with their nemesis skater, Kojo.

Want more? Get a sneak peek of the show here. (Just click on the Zeke & Luther box.)

Want even more? You're in luck because we nailed EXCLUSIVE interviews with two of the show's stars: Hutch Dano (Zeke) and Daniel Curtis Lee (Kojo). Check it out!

Did you skateboard before the series?

Daniel (Kojo): Yes. Actually, skateboarding was my big thing when I first moved out from Mississippi because there wasn't a lot of land. We were staying in a little apartment in Long Beach and we didn't have a lot of room or at least grass to play football on, so I would skateboard. And actually I'd gotten really good at one point, and now me and Adam [who plays Luther on the show] skate together all the time.

Hutch (Zeke): The thing was, I was more of a surfer than a skater, but I did know how to skateboard and I was actually working at a skate shop . . . So when I went in for this skateboarding show, it was perfect because I knew all the fundamentals of skateboarding because I had been working at a shop.

POP-Corn: American Idol, Teens help Teens & More!

Tasty tidbits on your celebrity faves!
From Gerri Miller, for the Ink Splot 26 Celeb Beat

Hello and welcome to POP-Corn, your source for cool news from the world of entertainment. You may remember the POP-Corn column from Scholastic News Online. Well, this summer it's on The Splot! We'll be bringing you a new jam-packed edition every other week, so be sure to tune in every other Friday all through the summer! (And on the other Fridays, STACKS Staffers will be posting their own Book Flap columns clueing you in to all the latest happenings with your favorite books, series, authors, and page-to-screen adaptations. It's all part of our first Summer on The Splot!)

IDOL CHATTER

Winning American Idol came as quite a surprise to Kris Allen. “I felt shocked almost every week that I made it. And to beat Adam, I was really shocked,” he confided a few hours after Ryan Seacrest announced his name. “Adam deserved it just as much as I do. He's an amazing performer,” added Kris, who became close with Adam Lambert when they roomed together early in the competition. “The best thing is I made some really good friends — the tour is going to be a blast!”

Kris, who has dreamed of a singing career since he was 13, is proof that you should never give up on something you love. “I tried for so long, and it happened, and it's been the coolest experience ever. If you want to do something, go after it. And if you fail a little bit, just keep going.”

Kris will soon get to work on his debut album, and runner-up Adam will too. “My dream is to make a really good record, do something new, push people's buttons, push the boundaries a little bit, open people's minds,” Adam said, not upset about coming in second. “I got to sing with Queen and KISS. First or second, it doesn't matter to me. I got to sing with two great heroic rock bands!” he declared, happy to make it this far. “We both get to do great things in the future. For me, it's not about what happens tonight, it's about tomorrow.”

Adam was grateful that throughout the competition he was able to sing, be, and wear whatever he wanted. “I like things that are different, things that make you look,” he said about his style. “I don't like to blend in. I like to stand out.” When he was younger, he was sometimes afraid to take such risks, he admitted, “but I pushed myself to the point where it wasn't scary anymore.”

He and Kris are very different, Adam noted, “but we found a way to get along and have a common bond through music but also just through talking and getting to know each other. If there's anything that can come from this experience that I hope all the fans out there pick up is that even if you're really different there's a way to get along with each other.”

Season 6 runner-up Blake Lewis wished both well in the future and on the summer Idol tour. “That's where I had the most fun because you get to connect with the audience,” said Blake, who'll have a new album out October 6th. Queen Latifah, who performed with Lil Rounds on the Idol season finale, advised both to “get some sleep! You're going to need it because you're going to be working very hard,” she said. “Everyone has the potential to be a big star after they leave the show,” she added, and KISS singer Paul Stanley agreed. “Nobody lost tonight,” he said. “They're both champions.”

TEENS HELP TEENS

Last Christmas, actress Nathalia Ramos (Bratz) and her BFF Bosilika 'Bobo' An visited Children's Hospital Los Angeles and were troubled to find plenty of toys for younger kids but nothing fun for the teenage patients. “So we decided to do something just for the teens,” said Nathalia, who rounded up friends to help. The result was the Bash of All Bashes, a May 17th fundraiser that enabled the girls to outfit the hospital's teen lounge with music, computers, and games like Guitar Hero. “We're just overwhelmed to see it all come together,” said Nathalia, who plans to arrange more benefits. “This is just the start. We want to inspire other people to do the same thing. A lot of teens feel, 'I'm young, that's for my parents to do. I can't make a difference.' But you can. It doesn't matter how old you are. You can make a difference.”

Nathalia, who'll attend college at USC this fall, has been busy with her “new passion” for philanthropy, but she hasn't given up acting. She'll be seen next in the British independent movie Shadows From the Sky.

“I think it's important for everyone to reach out and help, and to see teens helping each other is really what I stand for,” said Bash guest Monique Coleman. The High School Musical star is writing a self-help advice book called From Ramen Noodles to the Red Carpet: A Guide to Becoming Who You Are Without Forgetting Who You Were. “It's about how to stay yourself in this industry and not lose sight of who you are,” she explained.

Another Bash guest, Wizards of Waverly Place's David Henrie, isn't writing a book, but he's reading a major one. “This year my New Year's goal was to read the Bible start to finish. I'm almost done with the Old Testament. It's a big book and it's hard to read it all, but it's one of my goals,” he said at the Bash event. On a break from the Disney Channel sitcom till June, he's excited about the special Wizards movie that will air in August. “Six weeks in Puerto Rico was awesome,” he said. “Getting to shoot in the rainforest, mountains, inside caves — it was great!”

WHAT TO WATCH

It'll be a hot summer on Disney Channel! Starting this weekend, there will be lots of specials, movies, and new episodes to look forward to, including a 90-minute crossover episode called Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana aboard the SS Tipton. Cody Linley guests on Hannah Montana on June 7 (7:30 p.m.), and the same day Selena Gomez guests as herself on Sonny With a Chance (8:30p.m.).

The hit animated movie Wall*E premieres on Starz May 30th at 9 p.m.

Andy Samberg hosts the MTV Movie Awards May 31st at 9 p.m.

Former American Idol contestant Sanjaya Malakar is one of the celebs who'll be dropped into the Costa Rican jungle on the reality show I'm a Celebrity . . . Get Me Out of Here!, premiering on NBC June 1st at 8:00 p.m.

In theaters, Pixar's animated hot air balloon adventure UP opens today, and on June 5th Will Ferrell discovers The Land of the Lost.

That's it for this edition of POP-Corn! Don't forget to check back June 12th for more celebrity scoop!

— Gerri Miller, for the Ink Splot 26 Celeb Beat

Photo of Kris & Adam courtesy of Michael Becker/FOX 
Photo of Adam & Kris onstage courtesy of Ray Mickshaw/Fox
Photo of Blake, Kim, Mandisa courtesy of Gerri Miller
Photos from the Bash of All Bashes courtesy of Gerri Miller

Create a Caption: Frog Edition

Q: What did the bathtub say to the toilet?
A: You look flushed.

Q: What did one hat say to the other hat?
A: You stay here I'm gonna go on a head!

Q: What did the frogs say to the ducks?

You tell me!

Leave a comment telling me what you think should go in the speech bubble for when the toys on my desk have a (hilarious) conversation.

– Carly H., STACKS Staffer

Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

Remember when history came to life in the hilarious movie Night at the Museum? Well, guess what? The sequel, Night at the Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian, opened in theaters this past Friday, May 22, just in time for the Memorial Day weekend. The movie is rated PG.

Before the movie opened, I got to go behind the scenes and talk to the director, Shawn Levy. See what he had to tell me about Night of the Museum: Battle at the Smithsonian:

For more on my visit to the set, read my article on Scholastic News.

— Mariam El Hasan, Scholastic News Kid Reporter

Get the latest on national and international events, movies, television, music, sports, and more from Scholastic News Online.

Photo of Kid Reporter Mariam El Hasan with director Shawn Levy on the set of Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian. (Photo: Doane Gregory/20th Century Fox)