April Pop-Corn

TV, Movies, and Music you won't want to miss this April!

The Academy of Country Music Awards will be broadcast on April 7 at 8 p.m. on CBS. Last year's "Entertainer of the Year" Taylor Swift is nominated for 4 awards!

Demi Lovato’s new album Demi won’t be out until May 14, but it’s available for  pre-order now on iTunes and Amazon. Her "Heart Attack" video will premiere on E! News at 7 p.m. ET/PT on April 9. "I’m incredibly proud of this album," says Demi.  "It's better than anything I have ever done! I experimented with a variety of different sounds and poured my heart into writing these songs. I’m so excited for everyone to finally get the chance to hear them!" She’ll be making lots of TV appearances coming up, including Good Morning America on April 10, Live With Kelly & Michael on April 11, and Ellen on May 13.

Do you spoil your pet? Even if you do, it probably can’t top the over-pampered dogs, cats, ferrets, pigs, tortoises, and more creatures that get the royal treatment on the Nat Geo Wild series Spoiled Rotten Pets, premiering April 20 at 9 p.m. You’ll see fashion shows, a “bark mitzvah,” a dance class for dogs, and even a spa for pigs!

Earth Day is April 22, and PBS KIDS is celebrating the entire Earth Month of April with programs celebrating nature and the outdoors. You’ll find eco-themed programming on Wild Kratts and The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That. On Earth Day, a Curious George special will air, and will repeat on April 26 and throughout the weekend.

Teen Titans gets animated—literally—when the series premieres in cartoon form on April 23 at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on Cartoon Network. The superhero series features the same voice cast as the original live action show, and the same but remixed theme song. Starting April 27, Teen Titans Go! will be rebroadcast each week on Saturday mornings at 10:30 a.m. as part of the DC Nation block.

On April 28, Good Luck Charlie returns to Disney Channel for its fourth season with an episode featuring the Muppets in a dream sequence. It debuts at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT. Luke Benward joins the cast for six episodes as a teenage bug expert and love interest for Bridgit Mendler’s character Teddy.

And finally, be on the lookout for Adventures in Zambezia (rated G), the first full length animated feature film from South Africa. It features the voice of Abigail Breslin, and tells the story of an adventurous young falcon that leaves his home to find the famed bird city of Zambezia, near Victoria Falls, South Africa.  

What will you be watching this month? Leave a Comment!

—Gerri, STACKS Writer

Earth Day at School

Earth Day at School

Earth Day is April 22, so let's think about ways we can make the planet more "green." Today's post is about how to make your school more environmentally friendly.

Try these tips today!

• Turn off the lights in the classroom when you don't need them.
• Don't throw away any paper until you have used both sides. 
• Don't throw away any paper at all. Recycle it!
• Bring a zero-waste lunch to school - everything in reusable containers so you don't throw away any plastic when you're done with it.
• Ask your principal to lower the thermostat by 1 degree in the winter to save on heating.

Do you have other ways to improve the green factor at school? Leave your awesome ideas in the Comments and in the Save the Planet Message Board!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

Jessie Star Answers Your Questions!

Karan Brar from Jessie Answers Your Questions!

You know Karan as Ravi, one of the newly adopted children into the ultra-rich Ross family on Jessie with Debby Ryan, and as Chirag Gupta in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies. ("Stop! Good God, man, you almost got the CHEESE TOUCH!") 

Karan grew up in Redmond, Washington, but his family is originally from Punjab, India. What he loves most about portraying the first ever regular Indian character on a Disney show is the ability to incorporate what he has learned from his own family, and from his visits to the country back into his role as Ravi.

Karan loves collecting comic books, hiking, free running, and watching old movies with his dad. He also raps for fun, and listens to 21 Pilots, and Andy Grammer.

AND, he answers fan questions! Leave your questions for Karan in the Comments today, and then come back here on April 19 for the answers. Maybe he will answer YOUR question!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

Percy Jackson Readalikes

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Readalikes

You know when you find an amazing book, and you never want it to end? How do you find another book to read after that? Our answer: Readalikes to the rescue! We hope our Readalikes will rescue you from the what-to-read-next question, and help you find lots of new amazing books.

Today's Readalikes are for the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. These books follow Percy as he discovers to his amazement that his father is Poseidon, the Greek God of the Sea, and Percy is one of many "half-bloods" in the world who must battle ancient and powerful enemies.

Future Home Personality Quiz

Future Home Personality Quiz

Have you ever played the M.A.S.H. game that randomly guesses your future spouse, your future profession, and your future home (Mansion, Apartment, Shack, or House)? Well today's Personality Quiz will just home in on the home part. Answer these questions to predict what kind of home you will live in when you grow up.  

STACKS Word Scramble Answers

STACKS Word Scramble Answers

Last week, BrainyAthena30 from the STACK Back Message Board created this STACKS-themed Word Scramble game for you. Were you able to unscramble the words? 

Read on for the answers. . .

April Fools' Day Jokes

April Fools' Day Jokes

It's April Fools' Day and your Writing Prompt is to come up with the best April Fools' joke ever. It can be a prank you pulled on someone, or that someone has pulled on you. Or it can be a prank you dreamed up, but might not ever actually do to anyone.

Read these prank ideas for inspiration, including the pranks that Zach Gordon and Devon Bostick pulled on each on the set of the Wimpy Kid movie.

And, just for fun, answer our April Fools' Would You Rather questions.

Leave your best April Fools' Day pranks in the Comments, and have a fun-filled day of mayhem and foolery! 

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

SPONSORED BLOG POST: 42 Movie

This post is sponsored by Warner Bros. Pictures.

Hero is a word we hear often in sports, but heroism is not always about achievements on the field of play. 42 tells the story of two men—the great Jackie Robinson and legendary Brooklyn Dodgers General Manager Branch Rickey—whose brave stand against prejudice forever changed the world by changing the game of baseball.

In 1946, Branch Rickey put himself at the forefront of history when he signed Jackie Robinson to the team, breaking Major League Baseball's infamous color line. But the deal also put both Robinson and Rickey in the firing line of the public, the press, and even other players. Facing unabashed racism from every side, Robinson was forced to demonstrate tremendous courage and restraint by not reacting in kind, knowing that any incident could destroy his and Rickey's hopes. Instead, Number 42 let his talent on the field do the talking—ultimately winning over fans and his teammates, silencing his critics, and paving the way for others to follow.

In 1997, Major League Baseball retired the number 42 for all teams, making it the first number in sports to be universally retired. The only exception is April 15th—Jackie Robinson Day—commemorating the date of his first game as a Brooklyn Dodger. On that day alone, players from every team proudly wear Number 42 to honor the man who altered the course of history.

Opening on April 12, 2013, the 42 film will commemorate the 66th anniversary of Jackie Robinson Day.

Watch the trailer.

NanoDays 2013

NanoDays 2013 are coming!

The festival of nanoscience programs created by Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network takes place March 30-April 7, 2013 in over 200 science museums, research centers, and universities across the country.

OK, but . . . uhh. . . what is nanoscience? Nanoscience explores the miniscule world of atoms, molecules, and teeny, tiny forces that can affect them. Here’s an example. You know how when it rains, your clothes get soaked, but water just rolls off the leaves? Scientists looked at the tiniest particles of leaves and discovered how they repel water. Then, they used this information to invent a coating with similar properties to keep the water out, and now we have amazing coated fabric that can do what leaves do naturally.

This coating actually has lots of uses. It is used to make graffiti-resistant paint, a clear coating that makes it impossible for paint to stick to a wall, so no grafitti. It is used to make a protective coating for eyeglasses, cell phones, and electronic tablets so they don’t get scratched or dirty. It is even used in “Magic Sand,” that crazy sand you can buy that doesn’t get wet when you put it in water.

So that’s just one aspect of nanoscience. If you want to find out more cool ways scientists and inventors are using nanoscience, check out your local Science Museum during NanoDays March 30-April 7!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

March Books of the Month

March Books of the Month

The Books of the Month series continues! Here's how it works. You write the titles of the books you are reading right now, and I make a word cloud out of all your recommendations. So here they are! You gave me a ton of awesome books for this month's word cloud. Remember, the more votes a title gets, the bigger the print.The top 3 continue their dominance: Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and The Hunger Games (for ages 12 and up). It seems like no other book can touch them. Dork Diaries is the only other book that comes close!

Are these the books YOU are reading right now? Keep the Comments coming for next month's Book Wordle! Leave a Comment with the title of the book you recommend, and I will make a new word cloud of all our reads for the whole month. 

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

The 39 Clues: Day of Doom

The 39 Clues: Day of Doom

Greetings, Clue-hunters!

I'm writing to you from the Command Center, the secret stronghold hidden inside the Scholastic headquarters. At least, that's what I call it. Some of my non-Cahill colleagues might refer to it as a "desk," but I know better. They have no idea that I have poison antidotes hidden in my pencil sharpener, or that my stapler is protected by fingerprint recognition. (That'll teach Peter Lerangis to hide my office supplies . . .)

Tasmanian Devil Trivia Quiz Answers

Last week we posted some wild 'n' crazy Tasmanian Devil Trivia. Did you guys dig up the answers about these furry, ferocious little guys? Here they are, below!