LEGO City: Detective Chase McCain

LEGO® City: Detective Chase McCain: Stop That Heist! 

Have you met Detective Chase McCain yet? If you’ve played LEGO® City Undercover (rated E10+) on Wii U or LEGO City Undercover: The Chase Begins (rated E10+) on Nintendo 3DS, then you already know about Chase. You can read about his hilarious adventures in LEGO City: Detective Chase McCain: Stop that Heist!

Chase McCain is not only LEGO City’s most distinguished detective, but he’s also a master of disguise. You should know something else. Chase always gets the bad guy; he always does so in style, and he always has a few laughs along the way.

LEGO City: Stop that Heist! is just the first of many adventures. When the smartest crooks in LEGO City plot to rob the museum of its priceless blue diamond, it is up to Detective Chase McCain and the Elite Police to save the day!

Want a sneak peak? You got it! Check out Chase here.

New Harry Potter Covers?!!

New Harry Potter Covers

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, Scholastic has unveiled the first of 7 all-new book covers illustrated by Amulet artist Kazu Kibuishi.

Kibuishi is a longtime Harry Potter fan who called this opportunity, "more than a little surreal. The Harry Potter covers by Mary GrandPré are so fantastic and iconic," he says. "When I was asked to submit samples, I initially hesitated because I didn't want to see them reinterpreted! . . . As an author myself, I tried to answer the question, 'If I were the author of the books - and they were like my own children - how would I want them to be seen years from now?'"  

Well, here is the answer to that question for Book #1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

All 7 new covers will appear on U.S. paperback editions coming in September 2013 and will depict a "distinctive and memorable moment" from each book. This one obviously depicts Harry Potter's first visit to Diagon Alley with Hagrid.

We are curious to hear what you think should appear on the covers of Books #2-7. Leave your most distinctive and memorable moments from each book in the Comments. And tell us what you think of the new cover for Book #1! Personally, after my first reaction (which was a loud gasp!) I can now say that I LOVE it!!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

Cover art by Mary GrandPré c 1998, and Kazu Kibuishi c 2013

Sneak Peek Goosebumps Most Wanted: Son of Slappy

Sneak Peek Goosebumps Most Wanted: Son of Slappy

We've got an EXCLUSIVE preview for Goosebumps fans and Ink Splot 26 readers! The second book from the new Goosebumps Most Wanted series from fright master R.L. Stine doesn't release until January 2013, BUT we've got a sneak peek just for YOU! The evil puppet you love to hate is back for a brand-new scare in Goosebumps Most Wanted: Son of Slappy.

Jack Stander is every parent's dream. He doesn't get into trouble; he always does his homework, and he never lies. His teachers all trust him completely. He even volunteers at the local Youth Center. But that was all before Jackson came across an evil ventriloquist dummy. Now he must deal with Slappy as he wreaks havoc on his family and friends. Jackson will soon see that two Slappys are not better than one.

PREVIEW! Read a sample chapter of Goosebumps Most Wanted: Son of Slappy.

Infinity Ring Sneak Peek

INFINITY RING

Hello, readers! I'm Nick Eliopulos, editor of the new series Infinity Ring which launches on August 28th. Infinity Ring is a fun, action-packed time-travel adventure. But when I think about Infinity Ring, the first thing that pops into my head is ice cream.

Storm Runners Sneak Peek!

Action! Adventure! Survival!

In Book #1 of the Storm Runners series by Roland Smith, Chase and his friends Nicole and Rashawn have just survived Hurricane Emily, the storm of the century, but in Book #2: The Surge, their troubles are just beginning. If you love action and adventure, you won't want to miss this sequel.

Although they've made it to the safety of Nicole's family's farm -- the winter home of the Rossi Brothers' Circus -- the floodwaters are rising and they need to reach higher ground. The circus's lions have escaped their cages, and a dangerous and unpredictable leopard is also on the loose. Have Chase and his friends lived through a terrifying night only to face a new disaster? Read the first chapter of Book #2: The Surge.

AND . . .  Book #3: Eruption is coming out on March 1. Read a Sneak Peek!

Leave a Comment to tell us what you think. Personally, I am very happy to be safe and dry!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

2012 New Books Preview!

2012: New Books for the New Year

A new year. New resolutions. New trends. New hairstyles. New pop stars. And of course . . . NEW BOOKS! We've got the scoop on the hottest books coming out this year, from The 39 Clues to Gordon Korman, to awesome new sci-fi adventure series & more. AND we've got exclusive chapter excerpts, so read on to find out more!

Henry Winkler's Ghost Buddy: Zero to Hero

How would you react if you moved to a new house in a new neighborhood only to find a ghost living in your new bedroom?!? You'd be freaked out, right? But what if that ghost was funny, he could help you fit in at your new school, and most importantly, get revenge on the school bully?

That's what happens to Billy Broccoli in the new series Ghost Buddy, by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver. Read this sneak peek excerpt from Book #1 Zero to Hero where Billy and his ghost buddy (the Hoove) meet for the first time.

What do you think? Are you excited to read the Ghost Buddy series? Would YOU react the same way Billy does? Leave us a Comment with your thoughts.

--Vanessa, Scholastic Staffer

Tomorrow Girls

If you were sent away to a secret school, what's the one thing you would bring with you? And then, what would you do if they took it away?

In the Tomorrow Girls series by Eva Gray, four thirteen-year-old girls meet at a top-secret school, and though they’ve been sent there for their own safety, they quickly realize that their school is not what they think it is. In this terrifying future world where America’s at war and everything is chaotic, they must rely on each other to survive.

There are now four books in the Tomorrow Girls series. Check out the first chapter of Book One: Behind the Gates, and let us know what you think in the Comments!

—Vanessa, Scholastic Staffer

Sound Bender Sneak Peek

Do you love stories with fast-paced action, trips to remote islands in the Pacific Ocean, and sound bending? "Wait. What's sound bending?" you ask. It's an amazing ability where you can hear the history of an object just by touching it. When Leo turns 13, he finds out that he has this ability. As Leo touches an unusual helmet among his uncle's valuable artifacts, he hears odd noises and realizes he must find out the story of this mysterious helmet.

Intrigued? Read the first chapter of Sound Bender by Lin Oliver and Theo Baker.

If you could hear the history of one object in your house or school, what would you pick? Tell us in the Comments!

—Vanessa, Scholastic Staffer

Hall of Horrors: Why I Quit Zombie School

Great news for fans of R.L. Stine! Book #4 of his new series, Hall of Horrors, is out.

Why I Quit Zombie School
Matt was never a superstar in school, but he's definitely the most energetic and quick-witted student here. But what's up with the others? His suspicions are finally confirmed when Franny, his new friend, asks, "How long have you been dead?" To his horror, Matt realizes his parents have unknowingly enrolled him in a zombie school. When Matt overhears the zombie plans to march and claim the whole city for the undead, he has to make a frightening choice: protect himself and continue his charade, or reveal his aliveness and try to save the unsuspecting alive people in the town. 

Want to read more? We have Chapter 1 for you to read right here!

Here are the other books in the new series so far:
Book 1: Claws
Mickey and Amanda are put in charge of their vacationing neighbors' cat, Bella. But Bella escapes from the house and disappears. Amanda has an idea to replace the cat with a look-alike from the local pet store, Cat Heaven. They find a cat that looks exactly like Bella, but the clerk won't sell it to them, so they decide to steal it. Big mistake! These cats are more than they seem to be.

Book 2: Night of the Giant Everything
When 11-year-old Steven Sweeney is tricked into drinking a strange mixture of chemicals by his classmates, things begin to get strange. Either his toothbrush is growing, or he is shrinking! Will he be able to make it through the day and return to his original size?

Book 3: The Five Masks of Dr. Screem
It's Halloween and Monica Anderson is out Trick-or-Treating with her younger brother. They knock on the door of an old, creepy house and are met by a strange woman who pleads for their help. Every year she must battle for the control of five sacred masks with the evil Dr. Screem. These artifacts have the power to manipulate the world around them. Monica doesn't want to help at first but then Screem bursts in and steals the masks. This sets her and her brother off on a Halloween mission that will change their lives forever!

What do you think of R.L. Stine's new Hall of Horrors series? Let us know in the Comments!

Hunger Games Movie Preview

You've read about The Hunger Games cast. You've seen the cool Hunger Games motion movie poster, but now we have the coolest Hunger Games movie preview yet, a sneak peek video! I'm not going to say anything about this video except to tell you I screamed out loud when I saw it. Enjoy!

New Poison Apple Sneak Peek

If you are a fan of the Poison Apple series, then you're in luck. We have a sneak peek of the latest book, a spooky mystery called Curiosity Killed the Cat.

Eleven-year old Hannah can't believe she has to move from Tarrytown to spooky Sleepy Hollow to stay with her dad, stepmom, and her spoiled and nasty stepsister, Molly. So Hannah is thrilled when a sweet black stray cat begins showing up on her dad's doorstep to keep her company. Hannah's heard of the legend of the black ghost cat that haunts the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, but she always figured it was just a legend. . . right? Or could the ghost cat of Sleepy Hollow be haunting Hannah?
Read an excerpt here.

And if you haven't already added the widgets to your Profile, there are two super-fun Poison Apple widgets you can add to your STACKS Profile to show your Poison Apple love. Add the Poison Apple Daily Bite and Poison Apple Sweet and Sour widgets to your Profile! Of course, you need to have a Profile first, so if you haven't done that, then please join now!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer