SPONSORED BLOG POST: Epic

Create an EPIC Caption!

This post is sponsored by 20th Century Fox.

In the new movie Epic, hitting theaters May 24th, you’ll experience an incredible world unlike any you’ve seen before! The movie is about a battle between the forces of good who keep the natural world alive, and the forces of evil who want to destroy it. When a teenage girl named M.K. is magically transported into this secret universe, she meets a crew of fun characters who do everything they can to save their world . . . and ours. Amanda Seyfried plays M.K., Josh Hutcherson plays Nod, Pitbull plays a toad named Bufo, and Beyoncé Knowles plays the Queen of this special world. Pretty cool cast, huh?

To get you in an “epic” mood, fill in this caption. It’s M.K. and Mub the Slug. (Not to be confused with a snail. “I’m a sluuuug. No shell over here, baby.”) Mub is one funny slug. What do you think he is saying to M.K.?

Fill in your caption in the Comments below!

This post is sponsored by 20th Century Fox.

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.

SPONSORED POST: Holiday Helpers

SPONSORED POST: Holiday Helpers

This post is sponsored by LIVESTRONG.

How can you help improve the lives of others during this holiday season? Be a Holiday Helper this year! Use your winter break to perform small acts of kindness throughout your community.

Talk to your teacher and join a parent or guardian to brainstorm ways that you can volunteer your time and talent this year. Making a difference in the lives of neighbors, strangers, and friends can be easy, but what can YOU do to warm hearts in this cold weather? This start-up sheet can help you to get crackin’ on your own Holiday Helper project.

Get involved. Make a difference. LIVESTRONG.

This post is sponsored by LIVESTRONG.

SPONSORED POST The 39 Clues Essay Contest

This post is sponsored by People to People Ambassador Program.

Enter for a Chance to Win a Summer Trip to England and France.

Open to kids currently in grades 5–8

Hey, middle schoolers! Check out this creepy contest! Just read the story starter available here and then create a suspenseful adventure story all your own. The contest is open to all 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. One winning writer will be selected to participate in an exciting People to People Ambassador trip during the summer of 2013.

Download the official entry form here. Get writing today and enter for a chance to win the adventure of a lifetime! 

SPONSORED POST Hotel Transylvania App

This entry is sponsored by Sony Pictures Animation.

Hotel Transylvania App

Help Dracula run a lavish 5-stake resort for lovable, quirky monsters, in Hotel Transylvania Dash! As Dracula, you’ll book rooms, deliver room service and luggage, and attend to your guests’ needs. Mayhem ensues when human Jonny stumbles into the hotel - the first human ever to discover the monsters-only retreat! The game is available in the App Store.

This entry is sponsored by Sony Pictures Animation.
Images provided by Sony Pictures Animation. © 2012 Sony Pictures Animation. All rights reserved.

SPONSORED POST Hotel Transylvania Games

This entry is sponsored by Sony Pictures Animation.

 For these free Hotel Transylvania-themed games, it's a race against the clock! When you get the chance to peek inside the cobwebbed halls of this new movie from Sony Pictures Animation, you'll become well acquainted with a handful of spooky creatures that have been lurking in the shadows for centuries. For a little taste of online monster fun, check out these FREE Hotel Transylvania games now.

Match Game: It’s the Monster Match 
Where have I seen this face before? Test your memory and match your wits against these crafty creatures!

Suitcase Sort 
Time to get (bell) hoppin'. Snag these suitcases and see that they get to the right room. Or else!

Monster Quiz: What Monster Are You? 
Got fur? Got fangs? How about a favorite monster meal? Take the quiz!

Dracula's Maze Game 
This one is tricky! Move your mouse to tilt the floor under the Count’s feet. And do it quickly, will you?! 

This entry is sponsored by Sony Pictures Animation.
Images provided by Sony Pictures Animation. © 2012 Sony Pictures Animation. All rights reserved.

SPONSORED POST Hotel Transylvania

This entry is sponsored by Sony Pictures Animation.

Hotel Transylvania, a new monster-size movie from Sony Pictures Animation, will be hitting the big screen on September 28, 2012. This computer-animated comedy features the voices of Adam Sandler as Dracula, and Selena Gomez as Dracula's daughter Mavis. It sounds like a lot of fun and gives us a glimpse into the lives of some monsters whose names you might know.  Play the Hotel Transylvania games, and read on for more about the movie.

SPONSORED POST Travel Adventures Essay Contest

This post is sponsored by People to People Ambassador Program.

Calling all 5th to 8th graders! Enter The 39 Clues-inspired creative writing contest for a chance to win a trip to Europe!

Imagine that you're a member of the Cahill family and you're suddenly on the hunt for the 39 Clues! Using this story starter, write a 200-word essay for a chance to win an exciting People to People Ambassador Trip to England and France during the summer of 2013.

Story Starter:
You wake up in a hotel room. You look around you. The room is empty. On the mirror is a note written in thick black marker. It says, “The final clue is just around the corner. Be careful!!” You hear a knock on the door. Your heart is thumping in your chest. You look through the peephole. What happens next?

Enter now! Essays are due December 3, 2012!

SPONSORED BLOG POST Ice Age Continental Drift

This post is sponsored by Ice Age 4: Continental Drift.

In Ice Age 4: Continental Drift, Scrat's nutty pursuit of the cursed acorn, which he's been after since the dawn of time, has world-changing consequences: a continental cataclysm that triggers the greatest adventure of all for Manny, Diego, and Sid. In the wake of these upheavals, Sid reunites with his cantankerous Granny, and the herd encounters a ragtag menagerie of seafaring pirates determined to stop them from returning home. 

To celebrate the movie coming in July, you can have a chance to win a private screening for 50 of your closest friends, plus a Nintendo DS system. How can you enter, you ask? Pledge to do a random act of niceness to enter the sweepstakes. After you show your kindness, come back and enter again by making another pledge. You can enter as many times as you like! Plus, take the Ice Age Personality Quiz to figure out how nice you are!

Sweepstakes ends May 21, 2012. See the Official Rules for prize details and restrictions. 

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!

SPONSORED BLOG POST Disneynature Chimpanzee

This post is sponsored by Disneynature Chimpanzee.

The new documentary film Chimpanzee will open in theaters on April 20, and if you go see it between April 20-26, 2012, Disneynature will contribute 20 cents per ticket to the Jane Goodall Institute. The funds will help protect the chimpanzees' tropical forest home, and care for orphaned chimpanzees at the Jane Goodall Institute's Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center in the Republic of Congo. By going to see the movie, you can actually help the baby chimpanzees! The movie is also an opportunity to see amazing footage of chimpanzees in the wild habitat they love. 

Take a look at these photos of Oscar the chimpanzee from the film, and create a caption for what you think this cutie is saying.

Leave your captions in the Comments!

Photos courtesy of Disneynature.

 

 

SPONSORED BLOG POST Lorax Writing Contest

This post is sponsored by Every Inkling Writing Contest from HP.

Write about how the story of The Lorax has changed you! If you're in grades 3–8, you can create a 20-page online book about how you, your family, or your community can be more like Dr. Seuss' Lorax and live more sustainably.

Prizes include a $10,000 scholarship and HP computers! Entries are due by April 6, 2012.

Download this PDF for registration information to share with your parents. All entries must be completed online. Click here for official rules.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. All students who are legal residents of the United States and who are currently enrolled in grades 3–8 are eligible to enter. Contest begins March 2, 2012, and entries are due by 11:59 PM on April 6, 2012. Entries will be submitted online at www.scholastic.com/thelorax. Prizing: One grand-, 2nd-, and 3rd-prize winner will be selected from students in grades 3–5 and 6–8 for a total of six winners. Winners will receive: Grand Prize—$10,000 Scholarship, HP Omni 120Z All in One Computer or equivalent, HP Envy All in One Printer, printed and signed copy of the winner’s submitted book (ARV: $10,700). Second place—$5,000 scholarship, Omni 120Z All in One Computer or equivalent, HP Envy All in One Printer, printed and signed copy of the winner’s submitted book (ARV: $5,700). Third place—$2,500 scholarship, Omni 120Z All in One Computer or equivalent, HP Envy All in One Printer, printed and signed copy of the winner’s submitted book (ARV: $3,200). See official rules at www.scholastic.com/thelorax for additional details about the scholarships. All entries must be a 20-page true story, including HP-provided images from the movie, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, on the following topic: Tell the true story of your environmental journey! Use words and characters from the movie The Lorax to explain what it has been like to explore the importance of making sustainable choices that will keep the earth healthy and safe for future generations. Entries must respond to the following questions and statements: What does it mean (to you) to live a sustainable life? What has it been like to learn about making sustainable choices? Describe one creative new idea for how you, your family, or your community could live more sustainably. Sponsors: Scholastic Inc., 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012. Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P., 3000 Hanover St., Palo Alto, CA 94304-1185.