On Our Minds @ Scholastic

We've moved! Please update your RSS

2011-02-28T10:24:00.000-05:00

If you read OOM through an RSS, take note: we've moved platforms, which means you'll need to update your RSS feeds.

Simply go to oomscholastic.com where you'll see the new OOM -- with a new look, and more bloggers! -- and where you'll be able to easily update your subscription. Just follow the "Join OOM" prompts on the top right of the screen. Or, go directly here to re-subscribe.

We hope you'll join us on the new OOM, and thanks for being a reader!

Get ready...

2011-02-11T14:00:00.003-05:00

When you stop by OOM on Monday, you might notice a few changes.

We’ve long been thinking about updating the look of this blog, and thanks to our incredible design and production team here – shout out to Maria, Erin, and Miles! – that’s just what you readers will see next week! They took our wish list (that image you see? Yeah, that’s our wish list. We’re bloggers, not designers!) and turned it into something incredible, and we can’t wait to launch it.

Most of you won’t need to do anything differently to access this blog – you’ll still come to the same URL, and we’ll still continue linking to our posts through our Facebook and Twitter accounts. However, those of you who subscribe to OOM through a reader will need to update your RSS feed when we relaunch next week. Stay tuned for details on how to do that in Monday’s post.

Also coming on Monday? Some new bloggers! You’ve been reading guest posts from them for quite some time, so we thought we’d make it official by adding Dante A. Ciampaglia, Yanique Hart, Kristen Joerger, and Michael Strouse to the masthead.

We love writing for OOM, and most of all, we love hearing from you – our readers – about what you’re doing and what you’re thinking in the worlds of literacy, books, education, libraries, technology, and the world around us. Our new look and functionalities should make it even easier for you all to comment and share. You'll learn all about what's changed -- and what hasn't -- in Monday's post.

Have a great weekend, and we'll be back, all shiny and refreshed, on Monday!

image via

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Previously On Our Minds:
* In Our Feeds: E-learning, books that break stereotypes, and ebook incompatibility
* We're sharing the Valentine's love
* How it happened: the big "get" for our Kids Press Corps

In Our Feeds: E-learning, books that break stereotypes, and e-book incompatibility

2011-02-11T09:28:00.006-05:00

We're reviving an OOM tradition today! Every Friday, we'll share a handful of links we found interesting, provocative, funny -- or just plain cool. We call it In Our Feeds. Enjoy!

As more and more public school students take virtual courses, will full-time e-learning opportunities only be a good option for students with involved parents? (Ed Week)

NY Times' Motherlode blog gives a nice list of children's books that help break down traditional stereotypes. (NYTimes.com) Aside: OOM blogger Michael Strouse wishes he'd seen Cornelia Funke books on this list.

How hard should you fight to keep reading a book? Publisher's Weekly takes on this question. (PW) And it's a question we've contemplated on OOM before.

Is the issue of incompatibility between e-book formats going to make it next to impossible for consumers to easily grab a book to read from their "pile" in the future? (PC World)

Should major contributors to parochial schools be given a bigger say in how the school is run? NY Times reports that more of them are looking for decision-making power. (NY Times)

(Photo credit: Flickr photo by scobleizer)

---Previously On Our Minds:
*What's new in my feeds: QR codes, value-added scores and unemployable students
*In Our Feeds: Teacher evaluations, ebooks, used books, $5 fines for tardiness
*What's new in my feeds?

We're sharing the Valentine's love

2011-02-10T17:43:00.000-05:00

Valentine's Day is right around the corner and love is definitely in the air. I’ve always been kind of indifferent to this holiday, but working at Scholastic, where that famous Big Red Dog lives, has changed my thinking a bit. So, thanks to Yanique Hart and Natalie Romatz, who each contributed greatly to this post, we have some advice on how to share the love with the young people in your lives!

Books, of course, make great gifts. The Scholastic Top Picks site has a variety of books for readers of all ages that fit the holiday – books like I Love You Always and Forever, the ever-so-popular How do Dinosaurs Say I Love You? and books for older readers (and YA fans of any age, like me!) like The Lonely Hearts Club. There is truly something for everyone! And if you’re on Facebook (and let’s face it, who isn’t these days?), check out this Gift Ideas tab if you need further inspiration!

We’re celebrating the season in other ways, too. For starters, if you or someone you love has an iPad, make sure to visit our Apps page on Scholastic.com so you can pick up our new I Love You Through and Through book app, which offers the perfect Valentine’s message! And if you love that message as much as we do, you’ll probably want to share the love on your social networks. We’ve made it easy: use our I Love You Through and Through Facebook app to send your friends Valentine gifts. After all, there’s nothing wrong with showing the love on the one day each year that’s dedicated to doing just that!

And how could we forget…Valentine’s Day is Clifford’s holiday, and he’s pulling out all the stops to celebrate! Today, tomorrow and Monday, check out PBS to watch “Clifford’s BIG Valentine Celebration” with special Valentine’s Day episodes. In fact, right now, you can view a preview of a special episode on the Clifford Facebook page! While you’re there, check out the Clifford Valentine’s Day app, where you can post a very BIG – and very fun – badge to your profile.

And finally, if you’re in the New York area, you’ll want to swing by The Scholastic Store in Soho on Saturday, February 11 at 3:30pm. That’s our annual Clifford Valentine’s Day event, and you’ll actually have a chance to meet Clifford! (Our store windows are pretty cool, too – that’s them in the image!). At the event, which is free, kids can enjoy crafts, a love-themed storytime and Valentine's Day photos with the Big Red Dog himself. Plus, visitors to the city can view Clifford on the big jumbotron in Times Square as he and his friends here at Scholastic open the NASDAQ.

And finally, stop by You Are What You Read for more Valentine’s fun – including some polls and quizzes about the Romantic authors and to view the Bookprints of some famous “names you know.”

Are you a fan of Valentine’s Day, readers? Let us know in the comments!

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Previously On Our Minds:
* 5 new Facebook pages that are sure to bring back Scholastic memories
* BIG news...the third annual BE BIG In Your Community contest is here!
* Three new iPad apps, one new reading experience

They'll get over it: a "My Bookprint" guest post

2011-02-10T12:25:00.000-05:00

The weeks just fly by, don't they? It's Thursday again, which means it's time for another My Bookprint post! This time it's from Russell Thomas from Scholastic's Internal Communications team. As you can see, he had a tough time choosing the five books for his Bookprint -- a common refrain! Have you chosen your five books yet? Share a link to your own Bookprint in the comments!

Since the magic day in the first grade when I learned to read, I have always revered writers and books. And that made it especially hard to choose, from the universe of books I’ve consumed and incorporated, the five singular stars that had the largest part in shaping what passes as me. After all, I used to play hooky from school to sit in a dark closet with a flashlight reading books I couldn’t wait to finish, while my night-worker father slept just a few feet away, largely because the books my teachers wanted me to read didn’t really appeal to me. And having read Alfred Tatum’s work and been blown away by the power of the textual lineage concept, the idea of picking just five books seemed somehow disloyal to all the ones not chosen. But they’ll get over it. Here are my five.

365 Bedtime Stories by Nan Gilbert: This was the first book in my life, the book that I learned to read with. It was refuge, sanctuary, and magic wand. I could open the covers, turn to a page, and escape from reality into an idyllic suburban world where the grass was always green, people were always nice, and big brothers were helpful. Unfortunately, the 365 stories were consumed in something less than three weeks.

Being and Nothingness by Jean Paul Sartre: Yeah, I know. How tedious. But I read this when I was 18 and a freshman in City College of New York. It was recommended by a teacher and that was good enough for me. Having left home at 17, I was searching for meaning, structure, and some guiding principals to help make sense of life. And I’ve always felt that Sartre, and existentialism, offer a blueprint on how to create meaning in a world that offers precious little of it.

Walden by Henry David Thoreau: This is another book from college, from a course taught jointly by professors of American literature and a professor of American history. Personal freedom has always meant more to me than just about anything else. This book spoke to me about what to do with that freedom, and how to separate the meaningful and important in life from the trivial and worthless.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain: I read Tom Sawyer when I was 11. I read Huckleberry Finn a couple of years later, thinking it would be just another splendid adventure story. On one level it is, but this book has so many layers of meaning that every time I touch it, I learn something from it, about morality, about the character of individual people, and about the American character itself, which I think is unique. To me, Huckleberry Finn is like a magic treasure chest that spews gold coins every time you pop it open.

Just Me and My Dad by Mercer Mayer: I was 23 when my son, my first child, was born. And having had first-hand experience about how not to be a parent I was eager to do everything right. So I read to him every time he would let me and this became his all-time favorite book. Silly as it sounds, my son’s response to other books and to this one helped guide some of the child-rearing decisions I made as a new parent. And when my son was three, we rewrote the book together and renamed it Just Me and My Son.

There you have it -- Russell's Bookprint. Even if you're not ready to create your own Bookprint yet, check out You Are What You Read -- it offers a fascinating glimpse of what the world is reading, including some amazing Names You Know, and even an intriguing look at the books that are included in Bookprints the most often. Maybe one of yours is on there, too!

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Previously On Our Minds:
* The books worth sharing: A "My Bookprint" guest post
* Reading full circle: A "My Bookprint" guest post
* Introducing You Are What You Read!

How it happened: The big "get" for our Kids Press Corps

2011-02-09T15:01:00.001-05:00

Ever wonder what it takes to secure those inspired, interesting interviews between the Scholastic News Kid Reporters and the big names they meet? We asked Dante A. Ciampaglia, who works with the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps, and he shared the behind-the-scenes info about how one of their most important interviews came together. Check it out! -- Morgan

Every year, the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps puts together a special report to mark Black History Month. And every year, an interview with one person sits at the top of our editorial wish list: John Lewis.

The U.S. Representative from Georgia is one of the most important living connections we have to the Civil Rights movement. And befitting his status as a civil rights legend, Lewis is a tough interview to secure, if only because he’s so busy. And as it turns out, this year was not going to be any different, particularly with attention focused on Lewis and the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Rides. It was a great lesson for the Kid Reporters in journalistic perseverance!

Here’s how it happened.

Lewis was scheduled to be in New York to receive an award at an ImageNation event at Lincoln Center. When Kid Reporter Fred Hechinger and I arrived at the event, we found out at the last minute Lewis had to stay in Washington for a crucial House vote. He would be there for the theater audience via Skype, but that still meant no interview. Strike one.

A couple weeks later, we played the Skype angle and set up an interview with Lewis from Scholastic HQ. Everything was ready. Then his office called. Lewis was tied up in a committee meeting, they said, but he would be available to talk in a few hours. Then they called again. The Skype-enabled equipment wasn't available. Strike two.

Things looked bleak. We tried getting another Skype interview together, but Congress had changed its rules and prohibited congressmen from using Skype in their offices. We were about to throw in the towel, but then we remembered, we’re the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps – quitting is not an option! So as a last ditch effort, we tried setting up an interview with Lewis at his office in Washington.

It worked. We got the interview. Kid Reporter Henry Dunkelberger met Lewis at his office and they talked about Lewis’ life as a civil rights leader, the Freedom Rides, and what he hopes his legacy has been. In other words, it was an oral history of the Civil Rights movement from one of its last remaining voices.

We couldn’t have asked for a better payoff. And for those of us who doubted it would ever happen, we were reminded that we should instead always work for the best results.

But now the question is: who do we want to interview next year?

Check out the Kid Reporter interview with John Lewis below:

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Super Bowl recap from Scholastic Kid Reporters
* Kids report on the crisis in Haiti, one year later
* And the top five kids' news stories from 2010 are...

Should students (or any of us) be expected to fit in?

2011-02-09T14:45:00.010-05:00

Maybe you've been in a situation like this before...

You joined a book club, or went to a conference or party, or started with a new team where you thought you would fit in. You expected and were excited to learn a lot because people said you would -- and because they had. Maybe you expected to meet a lot of cool, interesting people -- or you thought the ideas shared would inspire you and motivate you. Or you expected to connect with people.

And maybe that group or conference just didn't work for you. You were uninspired, or you just didn't fit in with the crowd, or the books they were reading or topics they were discussing or the projects you were working on just didn't interest you. And you felt guilty about it. "Am I missing something?" you might ask yourself. "Am I smart enough? Are my ideas good enough? Do people like me?"

I've been to conferences and meetings and parties where it seemed everyone around me was having a great time and meeting new people and connecting and learning -- and I wasn't. Whether it's the structure of the group, or the mix of personalities, or the learning styles, or just my mood or attitude at the time that wasn't working, I'm never quite sure...

Have you been in a situation like this before?

I think this is a fundamental challenge that schools are facing today -- and have always faced. Kids with varying interests and backgrounds and experiences and opinions come together everyday in every school across America. And what more can we do to make sure every student is getting the education they want, deserve and expect?

I read with great interest the fantastic, epic dialogue between Chris Lehmann and Ira Socol in the comment section of this post Ira wrote after EduCon -- a much buzzed-about conference Chris hosts every year at his school in Philadelphia. Ira had written about how his experience at EduCon did not meet his lofty expectations.

I was struck by the parallels between Ira's own experience at this conference -- and the struggle even the "best" schools have of meeting the needs, interests, learning styles and expectations of every child.

In one comment, Ira wrote:

"As for EduCon, I came because last year I heard these voices. I heard it described as - you know I'm not kidding - some sort of educational Nirvana, and I heard it described as "other" things. Both by people I respect. That kind of dissonance always interests me. It didn't make me want to present - I rarely do that in a first time at any kind of event, I need to read it first, but it made me want to see.

To say that it "didn't work for me" does not imply that it didn't work for others. To say that the environment made me uncomfortable, well, that's the mismatch we so often see in schools. To say that that mismatch sent me back into "hostile student mode" (a mode I've been quite familiar with in my life), is something you understand because you live with kids every day."

This is a topic that interests me greatly -- not just because it speaks to the need for schools, teachers and parents to allow a level of personalization and choice for what kids learn and the interests they pursue, but also because it helps me rationalize challenges I face myself (and I assume others must too) in the "real world" everyday. And I think they're some of the same challenges Ira faced at his conference.

(Photo credit: Flickr photo by carolyntiry)

---Previously On Our Minds:
*Why teaching is about more than just improving a child's test scores
*Why are we all suddenly talking about education?
*What's new in my feeds: QR codes, value-added scores and unemployable students

100 days in!

2011-02-08T15:58:00.000-05:00

Does your child's school mark the 100th day? More and more classrooms celebrate this milestone, so we asked Lauren Felsenstein from the Trade Publicity team to tell us more about the resources available for the day. You'll be hearing more from Lauren in future OOM posts, too, so please give her a warm welcome, and read on! - Morgan

It’s that time of year again! From the end of January through March (depending on your school calendar), classrooms around the country will be celebrating their 100th day of school.

The New York Times recently blogged about 100 different ways to commemorate this milestone across all different types of curriculums. From math to science to English to history, there are ideas to get even the most reluctant students involved. My favorite is #34:

34. Find 100 lively, interesting or vivid descriptions and

collect them in a writer’s notebook...

At Scholastic, we have our own references for fun 100th Day activities and lesson plans available here.

And of course, there are great books written about the 100th day. Here’s a list of titles sure to get kids excited about the celebration!

Happy 100th Day! By Susan Milord, Illustrated by Mary Newell DePalma (Ages: 4-8)
Graham doesn't like school. He really doesn't like reading. And he's not impressed by his teacher's excitement about the 100th Day of School. The one thing he looks forward to? His class birthday party. But as the school year ticks by, he realizes his birthday will be the SAME DAY as 100th Day celebration! Will anyone remember Graham's special day? This sweet and funny story by Susan Milord is accompanied by vibrant multimedia illustrations by Mary Newell DePalma -- each one incorporating 100 of some object for readers to count and find!

Scholastic Reader Level 1: It’s the 100th Day, Stinky Face! By Lisa McCourt, Illustrated by Cyd Moore (Ages: 4-7)
Lisa McCourt and Cyd Moore's popular Stinky Face series is now available in a Level 1 easy reader format! In this new story and adventure, Stinky Face, an inquisitive young boy, celebrates 100 days of school! But of course, first he has a question . . .

Appleville Elementary #3: The 100th Day By Nancy Krulik, Illustrated by Bernice Lum (Ages: 5-8)
The 100th day of school is approaching, and every class at Appleville Elementary has to come up with 100 things to display in the all-purpose room. But the kids in Miss Popper's class can't agree on the 100 items they want to show! Will they be able to put their differences aside in order to celebrate the 100th day of school?

How did you commemorate the 100th day of school? Post new ideas or fun stories from your celebration in the comments! And check out what the Scholastic Book Clubs Book Talk blog had to say about the topic, too!

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Previously On Our Minds:
* The literature study guide: friend or foe?
* Rough winter? Your advice for dealing with it!
* Balancing your reading diet

The literature study guide: friend or foe?

2011-02-08T09:30:00.000-05:00

Recently, the OOM team was chatting about - what else? - books, when the subject of Cliff Notes and Spark Notes came up. Are they a pox upon English classes or do they actually help students learn the material? We realized there wasn't an easy answer, so we thought we'd post our conversation here and we hope you'll chime in too!

Amanda: So, do study guides enhance the reading experience or are they just an easy way to cheat on a test? I’ll fess up to using them in middle school and high school but only AFTER finishing a chapter/the book, as a way to reinforce or better explain what I had already read.

Jessica: I’m not a really big fan of them. I know that they can be useful for people and do have very good information in them, but I think that there is too much of an temptation to read the Cliff Notes rather than the book itself. I believe that a book is more than a plot summary.

Tyler: I never read them myself – but definitely knew of lots of people in high school who read them in place of a book. I’m wondering though… for students who struggle to understand some of the more complex books taught in school (say, The Scarlett Letter or Hamlet), Cliff Notes might actually help them get some basic background knowledge on what the book is about and help them understand and enjoy the book more when they actually do read it.

Amanda: It’s funny you mention The Scarlet Letter, because that was the book that got me into using Cliff Notes. I was assigned it as summer reading, but no matter how many times I reread passages, I was having a hard time grasping the intricacies of the book. Reading the Cliff Notes helped me better understand the story and make some of the deeper thematic connections that I wouldn’t have otherwise made. And I still read a lot of literature today and I’ll also admit to occasionally reading the online notes afterward – not because I didn’t understand the material, but because my brain is out of practice. Remember in high school, you would be reading all the words, but in the back of your mind you’re trying to identify all the foreshadowing, symbolism, and other literary devices because you know it’s going to be on the test? I’m not used to reading that way anymore – so going through the online notes often helps me gain a deeper appreciation for the novel.

Ivy: I agree with Amanda. I love to read Cliff Notes or Spark Notes because of the analysis they provide for each chapter and character. With all of the additional information on symbolism and themes, you definitely get a richer experience when you’re reading the notes. Sometimes I read the analysis after I finish the book and sometimes I read it with the book. I’d say I do this more for the classics or books that are written with a particular “style” i.e. Dickens, Austen, Tolstoy. It definitely helps guide me!

Jessica: I see your point. I just think that sometimes, even with a classic, it is nice to have your own relationship with that book rather than having someone tell you what it should be or what you should be getting from it.

Morgan: The way we read definitely changes depending on when and where in our lives we’re reading — like Amanda said, I read books for pleasure differently than I read them for school or work. For independent readers, maybe there’s something to the idea that a reading supplement can generate insight she might not have otherwise had.

Jessica: Study guides can be useful if used in the right way for those reasons. I just think that sometimes they can be used as a crutch. Admittedly, when I was first reading Shakespeare, it would have been a very useful tool to understand some of what was going on.

Readers, it's your turn - share your thoughts about literature study guides in the comments below!

(photo via)

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Books-turned-movies: an OOM chat about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
* Balancing your reading diet
* I read a 150-year-old novel on my iPhone

5 new Facebook Pages that are sure to bring back Scholastic memories

2011-02-07T18:14:00.004-05:00

Facebook, which turned 7 this past weekend, has grown to become the largest social networking site on the internet. (Worth checking out is Mashable's retrospective timeline of Facebook's journey along with screenshots taken through the years, starting with the creation of Thefacebook in a dorm room in February 2004.)

Scholastic joined Facebook almost two years ago and we're thrilled to have a platform that connects us with parents, teachers, librarians, authors, Harry Potter fans, Hunger Games fans and many others from all over the world who share our mission for literacy. While Facebook has been around for 7 years, we've been around for 90 years! So, I'd like to take this moment to introduce you to the new Facebook Pages of some of our most memorable brands that you may recognize long before Facebook existed:

The Baby-Sitters Club: This is the official home for fans and friends of Kristy, Stacey, Claudia, Mary Anne & the rest of the BSC crew. I know some of our readers are serious BSC fans (including our very own OOMer Morgan). This is the spot to let loose with BSC memories and to catch up on the latest with all things BSC.

Scholastic News: If you're always looking for ways to share current event stories with your kids, then this is the page for you. It's a hub of resources for teachers and parents on timely news and features for kids. The Scholastic Kids Press Corps contributes to this page too so you'll see the latest trending stories, from the State of the Union to the Super Bowl, all written for kids (and in the case of our kid reporters, written by kids too!).

The Magic School Bus: Who didn't learn at least one science lesson from Ms. Frizzle and class? I will ALWAYS remember the episode in which Arnold ate too many carrots and turned orange. This Facebook Page is for fans of science, so teachers and parents will see plenty of resources and fun science quizzes to try with their kids. Plus, this year marks the 25th anniversary of MSB. You can post a birthday message right on the wall.

Clifford BE BIG!: There's a lot of love on the Clifford Facebook Page, including a new app for users to post Clifford's BIG Valentine Badge to their profile! And if you simply visit the wall, you'll see fans cheering on their favorite Big Red Dog. I think this Facebook Page sees the most use of "♥"s in user posts out of all our pages!

I SPY: I SPY turns 20 this year and there's no better place to celebrate than on the Facebook Page! Fans can post comments, links and photos of their own I SPY creations.

If you aren't already a fan of our Scholastic Facebook Page, become one today so we'll deliver your OOM reading right to your Facebook news feed. You can connect with us on all of other social channels here.

As a parent, teacher or just fan of reading and education, what types of post and updates would you like to see more of on our Facebook Pages?
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Previously On Our Minds:
* Rough winter? Your advice for dealing with it!
* Words in the Dust: 5 Questions and an extraordinary campaign
* Selling Twain down the river? Thoughts on the Huckleberry Finn controversy

Super Bowl recap from Scholastic Kid Reporters

2011-02-07T13:57:00.000-05:00

It's no secret that I'm often jealous of our Scholastic Kid Reporters. Not only do they get to report on some of the most influential people in the world as well as history-changing moments, they get to hang out with Super Bowl players! Kristen, who works on the Scholastic Kids Press Corps team, is here to share a few of the stories these amazing kid reporters covered during one of the biggest games in NFL history...

Scholastic Kid Reporter Kenny Figueroa with Nick Collins, a Safety from the Packers.

Happy Monday-After-Super Bowl-Sunday, football fans! Whether or not you were thrilled with the outcome of last night’s game (sorry, Steelers fans!), you can relive the hype today with the Scholastic News Kid Reporters.

We sent twelve-year-old Kenny Figueroa to Super Bowl Media Day last week to interview team members from the Steelers and Packers, like Nick Collins, Brett Keisel, and coach Mike Tomlin, about everything from how Super Bowl preparation is different from practice in the regular season, to what the players do in the locker rooms to calm their nerves right before the game. He also got to chat with Howie Long, NFL Analyst at FOX Sports and former Oakland Raiders defensive lineman, about the pros and cons of playing football and reporting from the sidelines. Can you imagine being that close to the action at age 12? Kenny handles it like a pro, as always!

Surely you noticed a lot of yellow in the stands last night – that’s because both the Steelers and Packers have iconic symbols that their fans love to bring to the game. Green Bay Packers fans wear the Cheesehead, which references Wisconsin as the Cheese State. For Steelers fans, it’s the bright yellow Terrible Towel that you see waving. Kid reporter Amanda O’Toole in Wisconsin reported on the history of the Cheesehead, while Kelcey Flowers in Pennsylvania explains The Terrible Towel.

Finally, if you missed the game last night or if you just want to relive it, check out Kevin Agostinelli’s Super Bowl XLV recap. Look out, sports world – I think we have your next great sports reporter right here.

How are you feeling today about the outcome of Super Bowl XLV?

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Previously On Our Minds:
* And the top five kids news stories of 2010 are...
* Kids report on the crisis in Haiti, one year later
* This just in: 42 new kid reporters join the Kids Press Corps

Rough winter? Your advice for dealing with it!

2011-02-04T17:08:00.000-05:00

Cabin fever: it's going around and it's often contagious! We asked Michael Strouse from The Scholastic Store to talk to the fine people he meets in SoHo every day about how they're dealing with being stuck inside during bad weather. Thanks, Michael!

It's been a rough winter in a lot of areas, including here in New York City. That means the guests who come in to The Scholastic Store in SoHo REALLY appreciate the experience. Taking nothing away from how beautiful the store is, I think many people mostly appreciate that it is 1. not their apartment and 2. not filled with frozen white precipitation.

I took the opportunity to ask some guests for advice on how to deal with their kids' cabin fever as a result of the unending snow and ice. We also asked the same question on Facebook, where we got some wonderfully warm results!

Ian, who is six, gave me a long list of ideas for snow that included making hot apple cider and playing homemade board games (including one based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.) He also offered a bit of advice for when you are out walking in the snow…try not to step in it, especially if you are wearing your Crocs.

From our Facebook fans, we got a lot of reading advice. Here’s a bit of our fans' snow reading picks:

"Harry Potter!" -Miranda
"My husband has been reading the Magic Tree House series to my kids and they love it (3 & 4 yrs). They also just finished Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which was a hit too! Picture books all day long -- current faves: King Bidgood, Ferdinand, Fancy Nancy, Smelly Bill (all Daniel Postgate books are wonderful) and Dr. Seuss, of course." -Anatasia
"Agatha Christie for me and Deltora Quest and Star Wars for my 9 & 11 year olds." -Carrie

I’m also partial to this response:

"Just finished the entire 39 Clues series. Except for Book 5 that my cat peed on and we had to throw away." –Melissa (Evidently, Melissa’s cat is not related to Saladin. I’d recommend she get another copy, though. Book 5 is great!)

Of course, there are also those who are more stalwart in the snow...they all seem to be from Michigan:

"The snow keeps coming and the kids still have school. Michigan is used to plenty of snow!" –Melissa
"I'm from Michigan, we don't get trapped by snow, we show the snow who's boss..." –David

Finally, there are those that are, well…LUCKY!

"Gnash your teeth in envy...77 degrees here in SoCal. But I'm reading through the Harry Potter series with my 9yr old who just figured out that BIG books are fun too." -Jennifer

So to stay in theme, I am going to make my own recommendation for anyone stuck at home waiting for the snow to melt: Trapped by Michael Northrup. Blizzard? CHECK! Adventure? CHECK! Reminder our snow situation could be worse? CHECK, CHECK!

So what’s your strategy for dealing with your kid’s cabin fever?

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Overheard in The Scholastic Store
* Vacation time is family time
* How books influence who our kids become: A guest post from a parent

How books influence who our kids become: A guest post from a parent

2011-02-04T11:52:00.000-05:00

We know a lot of you OOM readers are parents, so we tapped Cathy Lasiewicz, one of our senior directors here in Corporate Communications, to share some thoughts about the importance of reading in the home from the parenting perspective. She's smack in the middle of her son's college application process -- which, as she notes, unearthed some interesting observations! -- Morgan

Books in the home make a difference. We say it all the time and studies show that it is true, having books in the home is more of a predictor of academic success for our kids than any other single factor. But that “home effect” can extend beyond good grades, as I found out during my high school senior’s recent trip through the college application process.

One of the schools my son was applying to required a couple of short-answer essays, including one asking him to describe “the environment in which you were raised – your family, home, neighborhood or community – and how it influenced the person you are today.” Reading his essay was illuminating. This is when I learned that not only the books we read to him when he was little had an impact (or the authors and genres we suggested for him as he began to read on his own), but that having books, lots of books, on our shelves and talking about what we all were reading did indeed influence who he is today and what he might want to become.

In his essay, he wrote about the historical fiction that he read as a tween, Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers and The Last Mission by Harry Mazer, nurturing his passion for American history. He also developed a love for nonfiction, particularly books about his other passion, football. Dog-eared copies of Next Man Up and Friday Night Lights have a special place on his shelf.

His essay made me think about You Are What You Read, which you’ve read about on OOM. I’ve worked on that site, pitched it to media, explained what a Bookprint is to friends, family and potential Names You Know…but I don’t think I felt a textual lineage, the meaning of the important books in our lives, as poignantly as I did until I read my son’s essay. Where did his love affair with those books about history and football take him? Did they inform who he is becoming? He’s heading off to school in the fall, to do what he loves most, to study history and play football. He says he might want to be a teacher. Of history.

My only regret, now knowing how a good read can inspire my son: that among all those books in our home, I didn’t have any about the virtues of picking up clothes off the bedroom floor!

Parents out there, what do you think? Have you seen any connections between the books your kids read and who they end up becoming?

second image via
second image via

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Previously On Our Minds:
* The books worth sharing
* Balancing your reading diet
* Parent & Child magazine's "Family of the Year" contest!

The books worth sharing: A "My Bookprint" guest post

2011-02-03T09:50:00.002-05:00

It's Thursday and that means another guest Bookprint post from a Scholastic employee from around the world. This week we have Ariel Magnes, who recently went off to grad school. Before she left, we knew we had to get her Bookprint for OOM. Ariel was a manager at The Alliance which hosts the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards each year. Read on to find out how she chose her Bookprint; then, stop by You Are What You Read to create your own. (And don’t forget to leave a comment telling us your own Bookprint story!)

I’ve always been an avid reader. But the books that have had on the biggest impact on me were the ones that were read to me or the ones I shared with other people.

The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown - The Runaway Bunny is the first book I remember my parents reading to me. It’s also the least traumatic bunny book I can remember from my pre-K - 6 years. Classic children’s literature always has their celebrity bunnies being baked into pies (see “Mr. Rabbit” from Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Peter Rabbit); portrayed as bossy or neurotic (see Rabbit in Winnie the Pooh or White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland); rabbits that are almost burnt alive (see The Velveteen Rabbit); rabbits that are too creepy or vampiric (see James Howe’s Bunnicula series) or rabbits that are highly war-like and political (see Richard Adams’ Watership Down). The Runaway Bunny is just a timeless story of a baby bunny that imagines himself taking on a variety of disguises before he must concede that he can’t escape his loving mother. Out of all these anthropomorphic bunnies, I always felt the rabbits in The Runaway Bunny were the most human.

The Fantastic Flying Journey by Gerald Durrell - My third grade teacher was in a wheelchair, but took trips around the globe and had our entire class hooked on this book. To find great uncle Perceval, the three Dollybutt children and their great uncle Lancelot embark on an around-the-world trip in a hot air balloon. To make matters more interesting, Great Uncle Lancelot has invented a magic dust that enables him and the children to communicate with all the animals they meet. This book (and my teacher) made me want to become a world traveler.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling – As a teen I loved reading fantasy and science fiction but there weren’t many books in the genre that adults or teachers would take seriously. I remember explaining to someone much older than me that even though this book had wizards and werewolves, it also tackled real world issues like bigotry, the stigma of illness and the importance of friendship. It’s the first time I remember talking to an adult about fantasy books and being taken seriously.

Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley - The summer I read this book I was just about to start high school and none of the books on my summer reading list could be found in the local library. It’s a good thing I discovered a battered copy of Alex Haley’s Roots in my parents’ basement. Over the course of a week I was immersed in the narrative, traveling from the Gambia to Maryland in a cramped slave trader’s ship, following generations through the civil war and present day. Roots deepened my interest in history and gave me a new faith in summer reading lists.

Persepolis 2 by Marjane Satrapi - I spent a year working in China shortly after I finished college, and there wasn’t too much room in my suitcase for books. I was also a new teacher running short on lesson plans. A friend sent me the graphic novel Persepolis 2, the sequel to Persepolis, which follows Iranian author-illustrator Marjane Satrapi as a teenager struggling to adjust to western culture and finish high school in Europe. One of my Chinese university students happened to love comic books and asked me what it was about. The pictures and clear language made it very easy for her to understand, and sections of the book became the basis for an entire unit on travel and cross-cultural experiences.

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Introducing: You Are What You Read!
* Reading full circle (A "My Bookprint" guest post)
* Mapping my book DNA: A My Bookprint guest post

Balancing your reading diet

2011-02-02T17:58:00.000-05:00

I’m surely not the only person who goes through phases with my reading, devouring classics for two months straight before abruptly switching to contemporary young adult for six months, and then shelving those to focus exclusively on, say, Civil War-based non-fiction. Right?

But then the other day someone said to me, “Morgan, you need to put down the YA for a while,” and that person had a point. We all have reading diets that are particular to our own preferences, and while I fully agree that any type of reading is positive, there’s certainly something to be said about diversity in reading.

So I got to thinking about how important it is to balance one’s reading diet. I asked the other bloggers what their breakdowns would look like if they had to create a book pyramid, much like the iconic food pyramid seen here. Here’s what they said:

Amanda: 60% non-fiction, 20% quality contemporary fiction, 10% classic lit, 10% mass market.
Michael: 37% young adult, 24% middle grade, 19% parenting non-fiction, 12% adult fiction, 8% picture books.
Dante: 40% cultural history, 25% criticism, 20% world literature, 10% classic American fiction, 5% contemporary American fiction

And then there’s me. My book pyramid looks something like 60% young adult, 5% middle grade, 25% contemporary adult fiction, and 10% re-reads of classics. (Like right now – I’m in the middle of My Antonia, which is one of the books I listed in my Bookprint!). Clearly, I know what I like – but even more clearly, it wouldn’t kill me to crack open a work of non-fiction or some more picture books now and again.

There's a lot of talk in the education world (and here on OOM) about engaging reluctant readers, letting students pick what they want to read, and what "counts" as reading in today's digital world. With that in mind, what’s your own reading diet, and how important is it to you to keep it balanced? Let us know in the comments.

image via

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Book Fairs: A "grand" celebration of reading
* Why teaching is about more than just improving a child's test scores
* Swimming through stories -- an intern guest post

BIG news...the 3rd annual BE BIG In Your Community Contest is here!

2011-02-01T10:20:00.000-05:00

There's nothing more inspiring to me than watching communities come together to support each other. Well, here's one special way that kids and adults alike are doing that all across America. Guest blogger Natalie Romatz from Scholastic Media is here to tell you all about the BE BIG In Your Community Contest, which officially launches today! Take it away, Natalie! -- Morgan

It’s that time of year again...the third annual BE BIG In Your Community Contest officially opens today! And here at Scholastic, well, we’re getting really excited to hear about the BIG Ideas that get submitted for a chance to win a $25,000 community grant to bring that BIG idea to life.

Last year more than 25,000 parents, teachers, community leaders, and kids were inspired to BE BIG and entered their BIG Idea for a chance to win. The grand prize winning team was an utter inspiration: teenage friends Jennifer, Sharon, and Lauren saw how hard it was for kids spending time in hospitals to stay caught up on their school work, so they decided to do something BIG about it. They created a hospital classroom to help kids manage their school work while they were receiving treatments in hospitals. Wow -- there’s nothing BIGger than kids helping kids! Check out their full story here.

We also had amazing runners-up last year, too. That includes people like Sandy Warrick, who got her entire kindergarten class motivated to put their BIG idea, “Kindergarten Kids Baby Food Drive,” into motion. They began collecting baby food to help the smallest members of their community. What a great idea! Or there's Shelly Sellwood, whose BIG “Build A Bed” idea enlisted the help of local volunteers to build and deliver bed frames, mattresses, and ‘bedtime bags’ to help Kentucky children sleep better. Now that’s BIG!

Parents, teachers, students and community leaders -- we know that every day you are being BIG, and we want to hear about it! Tell us what you are doing to be BIG in the 2011 BE BIG In Your Community Contest.

Click here to enter your BIG idea for a chance to win one of 30 grants totaling $75,000! And don’t wait, contest closes June 17. Good Luck!

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Announcing winners of the BE BIG In Your Community contest!
* Book Fairs: a "grand" celebration of reading
* Three new iPad apps, one new reading experience

Book Fairs: A "grand" celebration of reading

2011-01-31T16:16:00.001-05:00

Last week, something amazing happened in Florida, and we asked Teryl McLane from Scholastic Book Fairs to fill you in. Here's what she had to say. Thanks, Teryl!

Grand Avenue Primary Learning Center is a pre-K-3 school located in an underserved area of Orlando, Florida. An estimated 3% of the student population there is homeless, and the school has a mobility rate of 62%, meaning a majority of students transfer in and out of the school each year. Imagine the challenges involved in educating and engaging kids who are often more worried about things happening outside of school than they are about whether they did their homework. (And imagine how that school's teachers must go above and beyond for those kids, like so many teachers often do.)

The school’s mission – to lead students to success with the support and involvement of families and the community – goes hand-in-hand with Scholastic Book Fairs’ mission to help schools inspire a love of reading in all children. So in honor of Scholastic’s 90-year anniversary and our Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life global literacy campaign, Scholastic Book Fairs sponsored a special Read and Rise Book Fair and Family Reading Night at Grand Avenue PLC, a week-long event that brought students, staff, Book Fair employees, and the community together to celebrate reading.

Throughout the week, Scholastic Book Fairs employees worked a sort of second shift by volunteering their time to help students select books, reading aloud to classes, setting up the Fair, assisting shoppers, making books with families, and serving pizza to attendees. And even though a special Family Reading Night had to be postponed because of severe weather, nearly 200 families, teachers, and volunteers turned out to support the students!

Reading is a family – and a community – affair; even when it's a solitary activity, it requires the support of those around us, often in the form of something as simple as time and space to read quietly. During the Family Reading Night, adult family members took part in a literacy workshop, learning about how reading is tied to a child’s academic success, ways to make reading a habit at home, and the critical role they play as reading models. Parents and caretakers also participated in sing-a-longs that celebrated the importance of reading. Then, families and students created their very own books during a make-and-take book-building activity. And every student received a certificate to choose a book they wanted from the Book Fair.

What an amazing night of fun and learning! It was a privilege and a pleasure to collaborate with this remarkable group of educators, hardworking families, and enthusiastic students to celebrate books and reading.

Do you have Book Fairs in your communities? Tell us about them in the comments.

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Why teaching is about more than just improving a child's test scores
* Who's your literary mentor?
* Baton Rouge Mayor declares "Read and Rise: Stop Illiteracy Day"

Why teaching is about more than just improving a child's test scores

2011-01-31T12:37:00.007-05:00

Thank you to Michael Winerip of The New York Times for reminding me again today why being a great teacher is about so much more than improving a child's score on a test.

In his On Education column in today's Times, he tells us about a group of families from suburban Columbus, Ohio, who have been hit hard by the recession -- and the children who are struggling to cope.

Yes, it's a story about the recession and how it's affecting the lives of real people. But it's also a story about education, and how circumstances outside the classroom can affect everything that happens INSIDE the classroom as well.

And it's a story about how teachers and guidance counselors are helping change kids' lives by doing more than prepping them for a test. Teachers are more than just instructors of math, science or English -- they are emotion counselors, life coaches and listeners. They judge their success not just on whether they can improve their data, but on whether one child who is having trouble at home is able to overcome that and grow as a student and a human, or whether another child whose parents speak no English is able to learn a new language and contribute in a positive way in school.

At a time when many seem to be blaming teachers (click through to read a great post by John Merrow) for the ills of our education system, this is a powerful reminder that a great teacher can help almost any child overcome the obstacles in his or her way -- and that teachers are making a difference in public schools everyday.

Winerip wrote in his column:

"Even as the district’s budget gets cut and class sizes in the school’s fourth and fifth grades creep up to 30, the staff at Wilson Hill works to make a difference. While Washington measures a school’s worth by test scores, here, on Northland Street, there’s more to it.

A few weeks before Christmas, a girl in Mrs. Smith’s class went to school with broken eyeglasses patched together with tape. Each time the girl looked down to read, the glasses fell off. This is a small town, and Mrs. Smith knew the girl’s family was struggling. At 9 a.m., Mrs. Smith asked to borrow the glasses; during her lunch period she drove to her eye doctor; by 12:30 the girl had new pink and green frames."

We'd love to hear about any teachers or guidance counselors that have stepped up to the plate like this for you or your children. Do share!

(Photo credit: Flickr photo by wwworks)

---Previously On Our Minds:
*My teacher Mr. Silverman: The one who made me explain "why"
*Selling Twain down the river? Thoughts on the Huckleberry Finn controversy
*Top Teacher goes on $10,000 Scholastic shopping spree

Swimming through stories -- an intern guest post

2011-01-28T16:40:00.000-05:00

While many college students used the month of January to revel in the winter break between semesters, we at Scholastic got lucky with the arrival of Trista Wesley, our full-time intern for the month. Trista has spent Monday through Friday with us since the first of the year, and sadly, today is her last day. But! She’s certainly left her mark here, and below, she tells us about her interning experience. Thanks and best of luck, Trista!

Humans are storytellers by nature. We all have something to share, something to offer, something we want to tell others. It’s how we build connections with people and discover new things. This year, my internship experience has been about much more than just fulfilling a graduation requirement. It’s been about exploring my interests and finding a link between my past and my future; stories. My experience at Scholastic has definitely proved to be a really exciting chapter in my own story.

Over the past month, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to where I’ll end up and what I’ll be doing after graduation. After all, May is only a few short months away. (Eek!) I’ve been talking to the fabulous OOM bloggers though, and it seems like it’s okay not to know exactly where my career path will take me. Instead of dwelling on the future of my story, I’ve been thinking most about books and the storytellers whose stories I’ve enjoyed most. After all, stepping into a building filled with images of Clifford the Big Red Dog and Ms. Frizzle has left my mind flooded with fond memories of my childhood. What’s more, Harry Potter paraphernalia scattered around the building has filled me with warm, fuzzy feelings as well. Who could forget the buzz around school and the long book talks with friends when a new Harry Potter book came out?

Reading gives me the chance to dive into someone else’s world and float through their pages for a while. Since I’m not sure where my own story is going, I like to spend time in other people’s stories…and these are my favorites:

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice: As a true hopeless romantic, it’s no wonder that I love to sink into this book. I love the era in which she writes and the exciting balls and outings her characters attend. Elizabeth’s spunky personality always keeps me entertained as well. If I could dive into Austen’s pages, I’m sure Elizabeth and I would be great friends! (Pride and Prejudice is a global favorite, according to You Are What You Read. It's one of the top 20 most listed books in people's Bookprints!)

Betty Macdonald’s Mrs. Piggle Wiggle: Okay, so I haven’t re-read this in a long time, but I could have used some tips from Mrs. Piggle Wiggle for some of my past baby-sitting experiences. I still remember reading this series in third grade and thinking how funny and clever she was. Who else remembers the radish cure?

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter: Seriously- who wouldn’t want to spend a year at Hogwarts? The castle itself is filled with so much magic and mystery, I’d spend days just exploring the grounds! Of course, I’d also have to catch a game of Quidditch or two. (Yep, Harry made You Are What You Read's most listed books as well!)

Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time: Fantastical, imaginary worlds and creatures have always kept my interest, and this was the book that triggered my love for reading. All of the mystery, creativity, and imagination that L’Engle packed into her novel pushed me to read more. I’d swim laps through the pages of the entire series if I could. I want to travel through time too! (Wow -- this book is in the most listed, too.)

I might not know where my own story is going, but that’s all right. For now, I’ll keep soaking up other people’s stories. So tell us, OOM readers, whose stories would you dive into?

image via

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Mapping my book DNA
* Stranded with books!
* Immortal books

Mapping my book DNA: A My Bookprint guest post

2011-01-27T15:30:00.017-05:00

It's Thursday, and regular readers know what that means: it's time for a #MyBookprint post! We tapped Dante A. Ciampaglia -- who will be joining the masthead of OOM next week! -- to tell us which five books have had the biggest influence in his life.

When I was confronted with the idea of creating a Bookprint, my first thought was, "I don't read enough. How am I going to pick two books, let alone five?" I’m a cinema fiend, and as I’ve gotten older found myself spending more time in darkened movie theaters than in bright reading nooks. After moving to New York from Pittsburgh, I spent more time on public transportation and as a result have done more recreational reading than I have in years. But I still felt ill equipped to dredge my literary gene pool. It’s way too shallow.

But when I asked myself what it means for a book to be influential — and what it means to have a Bookprint — I discovered a deeper textual lineage, a stronger book DNA, than I thought existed. These are books that have grafted themselves onto me, changed me, and opened doors in my imagination that led me to new places of creativity, understanding, and cultural appreciation. They are such a part of my being that I don't think of them as books anymore but rather extensions of myself. I might not dwell on these five books every day, but they're always there, the building blocks of my personality and tastes, ready to stand (for better or worse) as my identity and no one else's.

Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff: This is the first book I remember obsessing over. I was so into it that I scrawled my name on literally every page and the front back covers (inside and out) so that if it got lost everyone would know whose it was. I was keen on the spirit of the book. Of course a kid and a dinosaur couldn’t be pals in the mid-‘80s (or in 1958, when the book was originally published). But so what? If Syd Hoff wanted to put them together, as an author and creative person, he could. That was a major discovery.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: When I started reading Gatsby for sophomore English in high school, I remember talking to my friends about how boring it was. But then, somewhere in the middle, Fitzgerald’s prose clicked and I devoured it. Then I wanted more — more of Fitzgerald’s writing and more of the era. The music, the style, the culture, all of it. This book made me a Roaring '20s fanatic and ignited my fascination with New York. (Dante's in good company: Gatsby is in the top 20 most listed books on You Are What You Read!)

The Plague by Albert Camus: I took this class my senior year of high school called Absurd Literature where we read Kafka and Camus. Kafka never really connected with me, but when we moved to Camus we read The Stranger and The Plague and something changed in my brain. I started reading books closer, I thought about what I read more deeply, and, most importantly, my writing took off. Without Camus (who was my first writing role model) and The Plague, I would never have become a writer.

Negative Space: Manny Farber on the Movies: It's difficult to distill into one paragraph how important Manny Farber is to me as a writer, journalist, and culture consumer (I even talked about it for Forbes.com). I've been a film critic for 10 years, but I never appreciated the potential of criticism until I read Farber. His writing is difficult and a bit cranky, but also challenging and earnest. Farber took film seriously as an art. He treated it reverentially and pushed his readers to look at movies differently. Until I read Manny Farber, I didn't know critics could were allowed to do that.

The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy: The Dud Avocado was one of the first books I read after moving to New York three years ago, and it's still ringing in my ears. Elaine Dundy is a great writer, and her prose and attitudes are inextricable from the cosmopolitanism of New York. While most of the book is spent following a twentysomething American in late-1950s France, it ends up in New York and brilliantly captures that smoky, anything-goes spirit of the city during the era of the Beats and modern art. Like Gatsby, this book is a window to a New York I wish I could experience.

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So, that's Dante's Bookprint -- and isn't it great? The beauty of sharing Bookprints with other readers is that it introduces you to books you might not have otherwise read. (I'm picking up a copy of The Dud Avocado right away!) So what's your Bookprint? Go choose one on You Are What You Read!

UPDATE: We received an email from Syd Hoff's niece shortly after publishing this post, who wanted to alert us to the site she created in honor of her late uncle, www.sydhoff.org. If you're a Danny and the Dinosaur fan like Dante is, or simply to learn more about the author/illustrator, we encourage you to check it out! And thanks to Carol for alerting us to its presence. We just love the way books can connect people from all across the globe :)

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Reading full circle: A My Bookprint guest post
* Letting go of an adventure yet to be: A My Bookprint guest post
* Who's your literary mentor?

Twitter giveaway for Trapped by Michael Northrop

2011-01-27T12:17:00.000-05:00

Word has it that when it snows like crazy in New York, OOM hosts a snow day giveaway! So, to honor this snowy occasion and to give our colleagues, OOM readers, Scholastic fans and kids who are all trapped somewhere in this winter wonderland something to read...we decided we should host a Twitter giveaway for none other than Trapped by Michael Northrop!

How to play #trapped:
1. Follow @Scholastic on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/Scholastic.

2. Tweet @Scholastic with the hashtag #trapped and where you wouldn't mind being trapped in by snow!

3. We’ll enter you into the giveaway with each hashtag #trapped you tweet between 1 p.m. ET 1/27/2011 and 5 p.m. ET 1/27/2011.

4. We’ll select and announce 3 random winners on 1/27/2011, around 6 p.m. ET. Winners will win Trapped by Michael Northrop.

Be sure to follow @Scholastic on Twitter so we can Direct Message you if you’re one of the lucky winners!

View from OOM blogger Ivy's apartment - just a "light" dusting!

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If you want more to read because you're bored and stuck inside, check out the full legal rules here. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

Now Showing: NYC's most promising young artists

2011-01-27T11:41:00.010-05:00

Is it cool in here, or is it just The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers' latest event?

NOW SHOWING is a silent auction featuring NYC’s most promising emerging artists along with literary performances by Lili Taylor and Jesse Eisenberg, a dance party with DJ Gilles Wasserman, live music by Max Vernon and a special performance by chamber-rock trio Rasputina. So if you like art and live in the NYC-area, come join us!

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2011
Astor Center
399 Lafayette St., NYC 10003
VIP preview from 7 – 8:30pm, $125
General admission from 8:30 – 11pm, $30

Participating artists and musicians are past winners of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, which has an 88-year legacy and a roster of famous winners including Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, Joyce Carol Oates, Robert Redford and Richard Avedon. Proceeds benefit the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the nonprofit organization that presents the Awards.

Tickets are on sale NOW at www.artandwriting.org/nowshowing- so get yours today and we'll see you there!

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Scholastic Art & Writing Awards gold medalist Abdi Farah wins Bravo's Work of Art
* Creative Teens Get Their Just Due
* Welcome, Alliance for Young Artists & Writers!

Parent & Child magazine's Family of the Year contest

2011-01-26T15:18:00.000-05:00

It's time for the second annual Family of the Year contest! We asked Kristen Joerger from the Corp Comm team to tell you a little more about the Scholastic Parent & Child 2011 Family of the Year contest. Get your brainstorm caps on and warm up your notebook, word processor or iPad!

Does your family do extraordinary things together?

Maybe you volunteer your time at a local animal shelter or spend your weekends cleaning up the parks in your community – whatever your family does together to better your community, big or small (we used to bake pies for the local soup kitchen when I was a kid!) you could have a chance to win the title of Family of the Year in this contest sponsored by Scholastic's Parent & Child magazine in collaboration with the National Milk Mustache “got milk?”® campaign.

Last year, the standout entries included families who collected scrap metal from parks to be recycled, assisted local families who couldn’t afford daycare, and worked to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. The winning family, the Cliffords, devote their time to caring for their community and hosted a wounded Iraq war veteran in their beach town home so that he could participate in an adaptive water sports program to support his recovery. When you log on to the Family of the Year website, you’ll find the story of the 2010 Family of the Year, the Cliffords, as well as the celebrity family of 2010, Tim and Elizabeth Hasselbeck. Your family could join their ranks, so don’t forget to enter soon!

Entering is simple: just go to www.scholastic.com/familyoftheyear and submit your essay about what makes your family so special and how you make an impact on the world together. Entries will be accepted until March 15, 2011. One family will win a trip to NYC to participate in the Family of the Year event, appear on the cover of Scholastic Parent & Child, and will be featured in a got milk?® mustache ad.

Official contest rules here. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited.

Tell us in the comments below what your family does together to better your community!
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Previously On Our Minds:
* Things to do: nominate your favorite parent blogger!
* 5 Questions with Nick Friedman: Parent and Child Magazine
* Four big ideas from the research on early childhood education

Who’s your literary mentor?

2011-01-26T12:38:00.000-05:00

We’re nearing the end of National Mentoring Month (yesterday was even Thank A Mentor Day!), and to celebrate, I started thinking about how authors can influence each of us in so many ways – including in a mentorship sense, whether they know it or not.

I volunteer as a mentor to a high schooler through the nonprofit Girls Write Now, and a fellow mentor there penned a piece for Flavorwire about the concept of literary mentorships. Who knew that Henry James mentored Edith Wharton, for example? (Considering Wharton is one of my favorite writers – her classic title The Age of Innocence is even in my Bookprint! – I’m surprised I didn't know that…) Or that Alan Moore mentored Neil Gaiman?

While these literary tidbits are fascinating to any book lover, it’s just as interesting to stop for a moment and think about who acts as YOUR literary mentor. Nearly 10 years ago, I got to have dinner with another one of my favorite authors, Margaret Atwood, who I’d long admired; being able to chat with her over a meal certainly helped cement her spot in my literary mentorship list. But there are other authors, too, who mentor me even though we’ve never met. That’s the beauty of the socially connected world we live in: authors offer advice and insight directly to their fans through their blogs and Twitter accounts – which, when you think about it, really isn’t so different from the long, hand-written letters Henry and Edith once shared. And thus, the concept lives on.

Readers, do you have someone who you consider to be your literary mentor? Or is there someone, past or present, you wish could serve as yours? Let us know in the comments.

top image via Library of Congress
bottom image via

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Words in the Dust: 5 Questions and an extraordinary campaign
* Reading full circle: A My Bookprint guest post
* Who's your literary hero?

Words in the Dust: 5 Questions and an extraordinary campaign

2011-01-25T15:55:00.001-05:00

There’s something special about debut author Trent Reedy. For starters, his book Words in the Dust has been roundly praised, and a fascinating profile of him in the Los Angeles Times helps explain why: Trent was a soldier in Afghanistan, and his book is inspired by the true events surrounding a young girl and her cleft lip, the cultural traditions and challenges surrounding her, and the balance between the global perception of the war-torn country and its rich literary archives.

But it goes deeper than those rave reviews. Trent and his work inspire action.

His editor, Cheryl Klein, has launched a pretty amazing charity campaign for Words in the Dust, independent of Scholastic. Her own blog explains it all, but here’s the gist: for every person who “likes” the Words in the Dust Facebook page and/or retweets the link and hashtag on Twitter, Cheryl will donate a dollar to Women for Afghan Women (up to $500). Trent, too, is donating 10% of his proceeds from Words in the Dust to the nonprofit (up to $10,000), which works to secure and protect the rights of disenfranchised Afghan women and girls.

We sat down with Trent yesterday for what I thought would be just another 5 Questions video, which are typically lighthearted glimpses into an author’s psyche and writing process. Instead, it was perhaps the most powerful, thoughtful interview we've done yet.

See for yourself, as Trent talks about the real-life inspiration for Words in the Dust, the challenges he faced throughout the process, and how we're all connected.

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Book Pull: Just As Long As We're Together by Judy Blume
* Home is where the books are
* 5 Questions with Matthew Kirby, author of The Clockwork Three

Book Pull: Just as Long as We're Together by Judy Blume

2011-01-24T17:01:00.008-05:00

Book Pull [colloq]: When a library assistant or staff librarian (at Scholastic) pools a list of book requests from writers, editors, etc., and journeys down to the archive to pull them from the archive shelves.

I don’t know any girl (and some boys) who didn’t grow up reading at least one Judy Blume book. Blubber. Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret. Superfudge. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. Each book she wrote was a classic, and admittedly I quickly absorbed as many as I could into my world. As I was walking through the stacks looking for my very first Book Pull of the year, I rediscovered Just as Long as We’re Together. Nothing starts off the year better than visiting an old friend.

Just as Long as We’re Together is the story of friendship, starting at a new school, becoming a teenage girl, the things your parents don't tell you, and feeling comfortable in your own skin. I know what you must be thinking: "Aren’t all books written about teenaged girls about those very same things?" Sure…sometimes. Isn’t that the fun of it? You are either going through that period of your life, or you remember going through it.

I must have been 11 or 12 the first time I read this book. It was a completely different experience reading it now. I remembered that time in my life and everything that was going on back then. It was a sweeter experience the second time. No longer was this a possible primer to what could happen, but instead a look back. Reading a Judy Blume book was like coming home to an old friend. But then that’s the exact reason to reread old books; to stroll through the stacks and visit your friends.

Do you remember Just as Long as We’re Together by Judy Blume? Let us know in the comments! And take a look at this Q&A we found on the Scholastic site with the author herself!

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Previously On Our Minds:

*Book Pull: The Baby-sitter by R.L. Stine

*Letting go of an adventure yet to be (A "My Bookprint" guest post)

*Book spying!

Home is where the books are

2011-01-21T12:00:00.001-05:00

Flavorpill recently wrote a great post on 10 pieces of literature to match a recent survey of America's most literate cities. In addition to giving me more titles to add to my ever-expanding "Books to Read" list, it was a nice reminder of how much books can bring places - real or imaginary - to life. And it got the OOM team thinking about the books that most remind us of our hometowns:

Jessica - Hometown: Pittsburgh. Book: Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon.

Flavorpill listed another of Chabon’s works, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, as the quintessential book about my hometown and really, I can’t argue too much about that. The Pittsburgh that I was born into though looked a lot like Grady Tripp’s Pittsburgh. As Tripp is driving Antonia through the hills past the houses, I can see the drive in my mind. The rivers, the hills, the Universities (three of them on one street), the people as quirky as they are in the book are my people. No matter where I have lived or how long, Pittsburgh is where I am from. To know Pittsburgh as most people see it, read The Mysteries of Pittsburgh. To read and know my Pittsburgh, read Wonder Boys.

Tyler - Hometown: Northfield, MA. Book: Salem's Lot by Stephen King

Whenever I read Stephen King novels set in sleepy New England towns, I imagine the streets, farms and old crumbling homes of my old hometown near the Berkshires as the setting for the suspense, horror and characters that King conjures.

Morgan - Hometown: Beach Haven, NJ. Book: Summer Sisters by Judy Blume

I grew up on and around Long Beach Island, New Jersey, so naturally, books about summer and beaches always appeal to me. My favorite book that reminds me of home is Judy Blume’s Summer Sisters — even though it takes place in New England, there’s something so perfectly summery about it that I can’t help but be transported back to my own block of beach every time I read it. Second place? A Shore Thing by Snooki. (Just kidding!)

Amanda - Hometown: Hooksett, NH. Book: The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger

As much as this book is about a really big storm and the tragedy that followed, it's also a stark portrayal of life in a New England fishing town. The way Junger captures the no-frills way of life and the quiet resilience of the Gloucester residents brings back memories of my friends and family back home.

Ivy - Hometown: Berkeley, CA. Book: The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

It's a mix of San Francisco and China – what better combination? To be honest, I've never read this book so it's on my bucket list. However, I did audition for the role of one of the daughters in the movie. Did I get the part? Nope.

Readers, it's your turn. Is there a book out there that reminds you of home?

Image via Brit
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Previously On Our Minds:
* How I "liked" my favorite author 23 years ago
* Book spying!
* Books + ice cream = the ultimate summer treat

Reading full circle (A "My Bookprint" guest post)

2011-01-20T16:48:00.001-05:00

It's Thursday and that means another guest Bookprint post from a Scholastic employee from around the world. This week we have guest blogger Karen Wang from the Scholastic.com group. Karen is an avid writer and a whiz when it comes to kids books. She currently blogs for Ink Splot 26 on The STACKS, our online community for kids. Read on to find out how she chose her Bookprint; then, stop by You Are What You Read to create your own. (And don’t forget to leave a comment telling us your own Bookprint story!)

Karen's profile on YouAreWhatYouRead.com

Unlike most of the folks who have talked about their Bookprints so far, I did not spend weeks putting mine together. I did not make a list of potential books that I revised and revised over time. I didn’t even put together a shortlist before the You Are What You Read site launched. But I should have.

I definitely had ample opportunity to give my Bookprint some thought. As manager for THE STACKS (Scholastic’s website for kids), I knew about You Are What You Read waaaaaaaaaaaaaay ahead of time, and I was fortunate to be included in planning the kids’ version of the site. So I was mucho involved — and very excited. Yet on the day of launch, I found myself in a panic, sitting in front of my computer and cursing my procrastination. Because creating a Bookprint is hard.

Actually, putting together my Bookprint for the kids’ version of the site was a breeze. (If you’re curious, you can see my list on my STACKS profile — just scroll down and select “You Are What You Read” under “MY STACK.”) I’m kind of obsessed with children’s books, so selecting five from the kidlit set was easy peasy.

But that’s the thing — I’m kind of obsessed with children’s books. I don’t read books for grown-ups. I can’t recall for sure, but I think the last adult book I read was in 2009. No joke. So I had to stop for a moment before creating my official Bookprint and ask myself, “Are you sure the five most meaningful books in your life are all children’s books that you read after you reached voting age?” Obviously not!

And so, after I finally got past the self-flagellation for not being more prepared, I finally arrived at a Bookprint that truly represents the various stages of my life:

Good-Bye Stacey, Good-Bye (Baby-Sitter’s Club #13) by Ann M. Martin: First off, can I just say I cannot believe that I’m the only person who added this to my Bookprint! I know there are tons of BSC fans out there; where’s the love? As a kid, I gobbled up BSC books as quickly as I could get my hands on them, and Stacey was my favorite character. This particular book remains my favorite of the series.

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf: This book was assigned reading in high school — and also just happened to be on the AP English test my senior year! When we flipped open the exam and saw that, all the students in the room started gasping and laughing — but that’s not the reason why many of us adored this book. I credit my amazing teacher for that. I suppose Ms. Woolf should also get some kudos for the exquisite craftsmanship of this novel, but still, it was thanks to first period with Ms. Stewart that the book came alive for us. For me in particular, this book influenced my own fiction writing for years to come.

Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott: I can’t remember how I came to this book, but I’m so, so glad that I did. Ostensibly, I have nothing in common with Anne Lamott and should not be able to relate to this memoir about her unplanned pregnancy and first year of single motherhood — also the same year that her best friend is diagnosed with cancer. But with my first reading, I immediately found solace and inspiration in her writing. For years after, I turned to Lamott’s wry take on her situation and the universe as a balm when I was feeling down.

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo: In college, I realized that I cared deeply about children’s books and the kids who read them — and that I wanted to make that the focus of my professional life. Following this epiphany, I applied to Scholastic for an internship, and was lucky enough to work with Book Clubs. That summer, I immersed myself in kids’ books, but the one that stuck with me most was Because of Winn-Dixie. To this day, it’s one of my favorites (and as you know, I’ve ready many, many kids’ books since then). Funnily enough, I was asked to read this book as a one-time favor to another group, reviewing the reprint manuscript for any errors. Thank goodness they asked!

Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone by J.K. Rowling: Not just because I work at Scholastic! I first discovered the series in college, and immediately fell in love. At that time, only the first three books were published, and I had to endure the excruciating wait over years and years as the remaining four books came out. But what an incredible wait it was. At this point, I’ve read each of the books at least twice and own all of the movies — and yet, I still find magic in Harry’s world every time I return. When I’m sick and confined to bed, I pull out one of Harry’s adventures. When I’m feeling blue, I put on a DVD or listen to Deathly Hallows on audiobook. Every time, it’s like coming home.

And that’s my Bookprint! In the end, I kind of look like a well-balanced adult reader, right? Right?!Do any of my choices resonate with you? Leave me a comment or Bookmate me on You Are What You Read!---

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Previously On Our Minds:

* Introducing: You Are What You Read!
* On the role of children’s books and children’s book authors
* Bookprints and comfort food books

Prom & Prejudice: A teenage rite of passage meets an Austen classic

2011-01-19T17:16:00.000-05:00

First of all, how cool is Elizabeth Eulberg? Her first novel The Lonely Hearts Club was a brilliant debut that took its title from a Beatles song. Her latest novel Prom & Prejudice, just released in January, updates the story of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

I was very excited waiting for Prom and Prejudice to come out. I came upon Austen's works later in life and Pride and Prejudice has become one of my favorite books. In this updated retelling of the beloved classic story, Lizzie Bennet is a student on scholarship at the prestigious girls school, Longbourn Academy. Her best friend is Jane who is hoping to get to know Charles Bingley better once he returns from his semester abroad in London. Charles isn't the only one who returns. Charles' friend Will Darcy is back at school too, which makes Lizzie less than thrilled...so why does Lizzie feel drawn to him? Think you know how this story ends? Trust me...you don't, which is what makes this story so much fun to read.

On top of referencing one of my favorite bands AND writing an engaging and wonderful adaptation of one of my favorite books, Elizabeth Eulberg is absolutely lovely over email and answered a few questions that I get to share with you!

Q. Was it daunting or exciting to modernize a well loved classic like Pride and Prejudice?

Elizabeth Eulberg: It was really exciting! I got to go into one of my favorite books and, in a way, treat it like a "Choose Your Own Adventure Novel!" Being able to revisit the characters and plot and put my own spin on it was a lot of fun. I will admit that right before the book came out I thought,"You're only retelling one of the most beloved novels of all time - no pressure!" But the response has been really great so far!

Q. Tell us about your main character, Lizzie. How similar is she to Austen's Elizabeth Bennet? How is she different?

Elizabeth Eulberg: My Lizzie Bennet is a student at the very prestigious (and wealthy) Longbourn Academy on a music scholarship. She's there to learn from some of the best music teachers since she wants to be a classical pianist. But she's been bullied by a lot of the wealthy students, so by the time the reader meets her, she has her guard up.

The two Elizabeths are similar in that they are both smart, witty and devoted (my Lizzie to her few friends at school and Austen's Lizzy to her family).

The biggest difference (beside the piano part - although Austen's Lizzy does play) is that my Lizzie is a lot more stubborn than Austen's. She doesn't let go of her prejudices as quickly as the original, but she has good reason. And you have to throw a bit more obstacles in her place. You can't make things too easy for your protagonist!

Q. Prom season is right around the corner. What advice would you give to someone looking forward to the big night?

Elizabeth Eulberg: Have fun! My prom was a blast and there wasn't any drama. A big group of us went and I think only one or two of the couples were actually boyfriend-girlfriend. The rest were just friends and I think that really helps there from being too many potential issues. After the dance, we went to see a movie and then we all headed to my house. I just remember there was a lot of laughter! And for those of you who don't go to prom -- believe me, it is not the end of the world. It may seem like it in high school, but it isn't. So whether or not you go to prom, just remember to enjoy yourself regardless. The sun will still rise the next day!

See! Told you she was lovely and she gives great advice. Check out her own blog here. And now, it's your turn!

GIVEAWAY! We're giving away three copies of Prom & Prejudice! From now until 5pm ET Wednesday, January 19, leave us a comment with the advice you would give someone going to prom -- and don't forget to tell us your email address so we can contact you! We’ll draw the winners on Wednesday evening. You must be 18 or over to enter. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. U.S. only, void where prohibited. Read the official rules here.

UPDATE: The giveaway has closed! Congratulations to Ryan, Laura, and Deeps, whose names were chosen randomly from Random.org. Thanks for playing!

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Previously On Our Minds:

* The Masterpieces of Blue Balliett

* Video: Teen Lit Day and interviews with YA authors

* Selling Twain down the river? Thoughts on the Huckleberry Finn controversy

Nancy Pearl: Library Journal's Librarian of the Year

2011-01-19T15:16:00.004-05:00

Often here on OOM we have written about how awesome we think libraries and librarians are. This year I am happy to extend my congratulations to Nancy Pearl, Library Journal’s 2011 Librarian of the Year.

You may not know the name Nancy Pearl, but your favorite local librarian probably does. She has been helping people find just the right book for years. Nancy has written several successful books including Book Lust which was the basis for one of my posts.

Nancy being the progressive librarian that she is, she doesn’t restrict her brilliance to the printed page. She has a very successful blog at NancyPearl.com which I regularly read as well as being a commentator for NPR. She also teaches library staff at seminars as well as on the staff at the University of Washington.

The first time I heard of Nancy Pearl it was because of her action figure on my then manager’s desk. Yes…action figure. She has an action figure! How cool is that! I was then introduced to her work through her books. I have applied her Reader’s Advisory principles to my work here at Scholastic. Most often it is when someone pops their head into the library and starts the conversation with “I just read…” and ends it with “What do I read next?”

My gushing aside, Library Journal has a wonderful article about their Librarian of the Year which is well worth the read.

While not every librarian will win Librarian of the Year (I am sure my nomination some how got lost in the mail), I want you to give them recognition here in the comments! Tell us about your favorite librarian and why they are so wonderful!

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Previously On Our Minds:

*A librarian's thoughts on Banned Book Week

*Off to the library

*Book Pull: The Library Card by Jerry Spinelli

Video: Tim Rasinski on teaching reading fluency

2011-01-18T15:00:00.005-05:00

One of the country's leading experts on teaching fluency and reading instruction, Tim Rasinski, joined us here at Scholastic HQ last week for our third Teacher Talk of the year.

His talk is chalk full of useful advice for helping students become better and more efficient readers.

Take a look!

Our next Teacher Talk on February 10th will star the always-engaging Jeffrey Wilhelm, who is an expert in motivation, inquiry and project-based learning. You can sign up any time!

---Previously On Our Minds:
*Video: David Rose on technology and individualized learning
*VIDEO: Pam Allyn on classroom management and teaching reading
*Video: Chris Dede and Michael Geisen on collaboration, inquiry, and more

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!

2011-01-17T11:35:00.000-05:00

Today in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day we wanted to ask everyone to take a moment to think about the true impact Dr. King had on all of our lives. There is no speech that will be remembered by more kids across America than "I have a dream..." As we celebrate this national holiday, we should not only think about what Dr. King would think about the world today, but also how we can prepare and educate our next generation of civil rights leaders - some of who could be sitting in your very classroom or living room!

If you're looking for ways to teach your kids about Dr. King, Scholastic has a wonderful picture book and DVD called, "March On! The Day My Brother Changed the World" that introduces Dr. King to younger readers. It's written by Dr. Christine King Farris and takes readers back to 1963, where Dr. King's sister recounts her memories of her brother.

Letting go of an adventure yet to be (A "My Bookprint" guest post)

2011-01-13T15:30:00.000-05:00

You’ve heard the stories behind the whole blog team’s Bookprints, but there’s a whole swath of book lovers in Scholastic whose stories you haven’t yet heard. Starting now, each Thursday we’ll feature a guest Bookprint blog from a Scholastic employee from around the world. We’re kicking things off with Barbara Johnson from the Scholastic Classroom and Library Group. Barbara is a literacy consultant with a long history of bilingual and family literacy expertise. Read on to find out how she chose her Bookprint; then, stop by You Are What You Read to create your own. (And don’t forget to leave a comment telling us your own Bookprint story!) – Morgan

While my older sister, a voracious reader, was enjoying the classics as a child, I thought our encyclopedia was the most exciting reading ever. Yes, I have missed many of the good fiction books my contemporaries know, but, as an adult, I still am drawn to nonfiction books. In my work, I often inject unabashed commercials for biographies, of which Scholastic has many superb editions.

My favorite biography subject in elementary school was Thomas Jefferson. This universally studied figure fascinates me, and I have a small collection from the hundreds of books written on him. When touting school and classroom collections, I love citing Jefferson’s guide to creating a library. He was, indeed, this country’s most famous librarian.

A bilingual reader since childhood, when others were absorbing the English language greats, I was reading Don Quixote, and still have my first, adored copy. Its wisdom always amazes me. More recent (the last few decades) is my appreciation of works by Pablo Neruda and Mario Vargas Llosa, both laureates of the Nobel Prize in literature.

If you have ever read a passage so beautiful that you stopped and were compelled to share it, then you know how I felt when first exposed to the beautiful writing of Adhaf Soueif in The Map of Love, an extraordinary story (and finalist for the Booker Prize) of two women at the turn of their millennia, a hundred years apart. In contexts of marked cultural differences, it reflects a worldly view of human nature. Dr. Soueif’s language is truly magnificent and would be enjoyable reading even if the story were not so rich, which it certainly is.

Who among us does not remember the humorous books we’ve read? For many laughs over the years, I thank Mark Twain, especially for Letters from the Earth. For memorable poetry, I am grateful for the melodic works of Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, and include Rimas y Leyendas (Rhymes and Legends) among my favorite works. (Note: Rimas y Leyendas was also chosen by Gustavo Dudamel, world-famous conductor, in his Bookprint!)

A confessed grammar geek, I treasure my old and new books on the subject, and was gratified when Woe Is I by Patricia T. O ’Connell became a best seller in 1996. (Hooray: grammar popularized!) My friends have given me books in English and Spanish on grammar over the years. Boring as it may seem to most, I read them for fun. Not too long ago, a good friend gave me a copy of Sister Bernadette’s Barking Dog, a book about diagramming sentences. I love it!

As space constraints dictate, I face the painful task of trying to eliminate books from my personal library every year, but getting rid of a book is like letting go of an experience enjoyed or an adventure yet to be.

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Selling Twain down the river? Thoughts on the Huck Finn controversy
* My Bookprint: Jessica sorts through her book history
* A banner year in children's literature!

5 Questions with Matthew Kirby: author of The Clockwork Three

2011-01-12T14:17:00.001-05:00

When author Matthew Kirby stopped by Scholastic HQ for his book The Clockwork Three, the OOM team was eager to meet this debut author. Since then, we've spotted rave reviews of his book everywhere from School Library Journal's Fuse #8's review to a starred review in Publishers Weekly! PW also named Matthew in its Flying Start lineup, reserved for noteworthy debut authors.

If you're looking for a book that tests the power of friendship combined with wonderful puzzles, music and details that all seem to naturally fall into place in the end...then this is the book you'll want to read next. But, as Levar Burton would say, "You don't have to take my word for it..." See for yourself what Matthew has to say about his debut novel, the world he created for the book and the characters:

(Apologies for the sound. It's quite low because we didn't have our microphone. So just pump up the volume and throw your hands up for Matthew!)

If you're intrigued, hop on over to The Clockwork Three site, where you'll find a sample of the first chapter waiting just for you!

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Best of the year: OOM 5 Questions
* 5 Questions: The one in which we ask a Pilgrim about underwear
* Wise words about books and reading -- watch the replay for more!

Kids report on the crisis in Haiti, one year later

2011-01-12T09:41:00.004-05:00

Today marks the one year anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti that killed more than 250,000 people and left a nation in ruins. It's a time to reflect on what happened a year ago, and a somber reminder that there is still so much work to be done to help the country recover.

A few weeks ago I mentioned that the Scholastic Kids Press Corps special report on the Haiti earthquake was the top news story of 2010 for kids - and it's clear that kids today are still interested in the most recent news about Haiti and ways they can help. With that in mind, the Kids Press Corps presents an updated special report, Crisis in Haiti: One Year Later. Our hardworking team of kid reporters once again stepped up to deliver comprehensive news about Haiti's recovery efforts - without any of the sometimes-too-intense images and coverage that you see in mainstream news.

Kids can learn about the current conditions in Haiti, what the earthquake's devastation means for endangered species, books and author interviews about the healing process, and ways that local communities are stepping up to aid recovery efforts. We'll continue to add more stories in the days ahead, and we hope that this special report will serve as a valuable resource for kids, teachers, and parents looking to learn more about the Haiti crisis in an age-appropriate way.

To view the entire report, please visit scholastic.com/haiti. And for more news for kids, by kids, visit scholastic.com/kidspress.

Image Copyright: Olav Saltbones / Norwegian Red Cross (p-HTI0319).
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Previously On Our Minds:
* Haiti special report for kids, by kids
* Midterm Election coverage for kids, by kids
* Scholastic Kids Press Corps offers kid-friendly news on Gulf recovery efforts

Selling Twain down the river? Thoughts on the Huckleberry Finn controversy

2011-01-11T16:23:00.002-05:00

Many readers and educators are talking about the news-making edition of Huckleberry Finn being published by NewSouth Books. We asked Dante A. Ciampaglia, a producer in Corporate Communications, to share his thoughts on the situation. (P.S. You'll be hearing a lot more from Dante when we relaunch the blog next month -- new look, new bloggers!) Thanks, Dante! – Morgan

On January 3, Publishers Weekly broke the news that Alabama-based small press NewSouth was prepping a new edition of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Besides enjoining the book with The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, editor Alan Gribben, a Twain scholar, also chose to replace 219 instances of the n-word with the word "slave" in the books.

Outrage at the news spread quickly across Twitter, Facebook, and news feeds, with charges of censorship lobbed indiscriminately against both Gribben and NewSouth. But this isn't a case of censorship. Gribben isn't a government official and NewSouth isn't a government entity, and in any case they aren't prohibiting readers from engaging with Twain's text as he intended. (Indeed, the beauty of the books being in the public domain is that there are dozens of editions in bookstores and libraries that readers can choose!)

Instead, the issue here is sanitization. Gribben and NewSouth feel that they are changing Twain for the better, making it more palatable and amenable for a more sensitive, easily offended 21st century audience. So instead of censorship, the outcry should be over the fact that the two words are not synonymous. The n-word has unique cultural connotations that go well beyond the weight "slave" carries, as well as uniquely American connotations that "slave" doesn't have.

Gribben’s goal of making the text more palatable to today's readers might seem like a good one in the short term—more teachers can use Huckleberry Finn in the classroom—but is it a dangerous one in the long-term? One of the most important tools in combating racism is empathy; does this changing of the text rob readers of a conversation starter about race in America? About our own history with race?

Here’s my take on it: Twain’s best books, like all great art, remain indelible because they force us to rise to its challenges. And he wrote what he wrote for a reason. Perhaps we should all take a look at a Twain quote so common, it popped up in numerous reaction pieces to the news of the NewSouth edition: "The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—it is the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning."

What are your reactions to the news about the update to Twain? Let us know in the comments.

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Congratulations to all for a banner year in children's literature!
* Reading resolutions and the book we've always meant to read...
* Picture this...

Scholastic Book Clubs launches children's books bestsellers list

2011-01-11T13:56:00.009-05:00

Today we announced that Scholastic Book Clubs has begun issuing a monthly bestsellers list released the second Tuesday of every month on Book Clubs' official blog -- Book Talk.

The list is designed to let parents, teachers, librarians, bloggers and anyone else interested in children's books know which books are most popular with kids each month. It is based on sales data across all of Scholastic Book Clubs, which sells books from all publishers throughout the school year.

The list will include the top five bestsellers in each of seven categories: Picture Books, Transitional Readers, Early Chapter Books, Chapter Books, Middle Grade, Young Adult and Nonfiction. If you're interested in having the list e-mailed to you each month, let us know in the comments here or on the Book Talk blog!

Now, without further ado, here is the first bestsellers list!

Picture Books:
1. Happy Valentine’s Day, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff ($2 in Firefly)

2. You Think It’s Easy Being the Tooth Fairy? by Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt ($4 in SeeSaw)

3. Penguins by Liz Pichon ($3 in Firefly)

4. Groundhog Weather School by Joan Holub ($4 in SeeSaw)

5. Grumpy Gloria by Anna Dewdney ($2 in Firefly)

Transitional Readers:
1. Gus Makes a Friend by Frank Remkiewicz ($2 in Firefly)

2. Fancy Nancy: The 100th Day of School by Jane O’Connor ($3 in SeeSaw)

3. Fly Guy Meets Fly Girl! by Tedd Arnold ($3 in SeeSaw)

4. Ant Hill: Big Heart! A Valentine’s Day Tale by Joan Holub ($2 in SeeSaw)

5. It’s the 100th Day, Stinky Face! by Lisa McCourt ($3 in SeeSaw)

Early Chapter Books:
1. Moonlight on the Magic Flute (Magic Tree House® #41) by Mary Pope Osborne ($2 in Lucky)

2. Horrible Harry on the Ropes by Suzy Kline ($2 in Lucky)

3. My Weird School: Mr. Macky Is Wacky! by Dan Gutman ($3 in Lucky)

4. Geronimo Stilton: The Giant Diamond Robbery ($5 in Lucky)

5. Horrible Harry and the Dead Letters by Suzy Kline ($2 in SeeSaw)

Chapter Books:
1. Dear Dumb Diary: Okay, So Maybe I Do Have Superpowers by Jim Benton ($3 in Arrow)

2. Wild Card by Tiki and Ronde Barber ($3 in Arrow)

3. Goddess Girls: Aphrodite the Beauty by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams ($3 in Arrow)

4. Touch Blue by Cynthia Lord ($3 in Arrow)

5. Matilda by Roald Dahl ($3 in Arrow)

Middle Grade:
1. Saving Zasha by Randi Barrow ($4 in Arrow)

2. Rules by Cynthia Lord ($3 in Arrow)

3. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan ($4 in Arrow)

4. Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko ($5 in TAB)

5. Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan ($12 in TAB)

Young Adult:
1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins ($7 in TAB)

2. Rules by Cynthia Lord ($3 in Arrow)

3. Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine ($4 in TAB)

4. Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko ($5 in TAB)

5. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins ($7 in TAB)

Nonfiction:
1. If You Were a Penguin by Wendell Minor ($3 in SeeSaw)

2. Bad Pets by Allan Zullo ($2 in Lucky)

3. Abe Lincoln: The Boy Who Loved Books by Kay Winters ($4 in Lucky)

4. Meet George Washington by Patricia A. Pingry ($4 in SeeSaw)

5. Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport ($4 in SeeSaw)

*The bestsellers are chosen based on unit sales data of titles available at the time through Scholastic Book Clubs. Special offer books available each month for $1 are not included.

---Previously On Our Minds:

*Scholastic's 10 trends in children's books for 2010

*Helping make bedtime warmer during 'danger season'

*Editors of Scholastic Book Clubs launch new blog all about Kid Lit

Congratulations to all for a banner year in children's literature!

2011-01-10T12:38:00.003-05:00

Today in San Diego, CA, children's book lovers have gathered to celebrate the best in kid lit at the American Library Association (ALA) midwinter conference. It's a special day for those who read and cherish children's books, because it's the day some of the most prestigious book awards are announced. And we are so proud and pleased to announce some Scholastic winners!

The Michael L. Printz Honor for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature goes to Stolen by Lucy Christopher! This is Scholastic’s first-ever Printz Award, and we're thrilled for the author. Find out more about Stolen here.

The Schneider Family Book Award in the Middle Grade category honors an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. Congratulations to After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick! Check out the booktalk for this title here and learn more about the author here.

And, the Pura Belpré Award is presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth. We're thrilled to announce that The Dreamer by Pam Muñoz Ryan and illustrated by Peter Sís has won the honor! You can find a discussion guide here and a booktalk here.

And finally, the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's Video named Paul R. Gagne and Melissa Reilly Ellard of Weston Woods for "The Curious Carden!" This video is based on the book of the same name, written and illustrated by Peter Brown, and the video is narrated by Katherine Kellgren with music by David Mansfield. Congrats to Weston Woods!

Congratulations to all the winners -- not to mention all the authors and illustrators who made 2010 such an amazing year in children's literature!

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Summer Book: The Dreamer by Pam Muñoz Ryan
* 10 years of Chicken House + 5 Questions with Lucy Christopher = 15 reasons to love this blog post
*

Reading resolutions + the book we've always meant to read...

2011-01-07T12:14:00.000-05:00

via Flickr - Stephen Cummings

Earlier this week, we asked our Facebook fans what their reading resolutions are for this year. Here is a sampling of some of our favorite responses...

"I'm reading only books set in the 30s for the next few months!" - Laurel S.
"To read to my baby every day... even if he just likes to eat the books right now!! :D" - Cathy G. W.
"Every year I choose an author and read all of his or her works in that year. This year it's going to be Jules Verne." - Lynne H.

These resolutions and many others have inspired the OOM team to think about our own goals for reading. As Michael thought about his resolutions, he asked the rest of the OOM team if we each had a book in our "bucket list" that we want to cross off by the end of the year. Your book "bucket list" is made up of all the books you've always meant to read, but somehow never got around to reading...You know what they are!

OOMers are always up for a challenge so why not see if we can take up a reading resolution and eliminate one book from our "bucket list"? Here goes...

Michael's Resolution: To host and read to kids at storytime in The Scholastic Store more often.
"Bucket List" Book: I have The Phantom Tollbooth and A Wrinkle in Time on our lists. (I think I may have been inspired by recent OOM trivia.) It's no secret that my "to read" list generally includes the most popular kids books. The big issue with this is that I seem to maintain a very long "bucket list" of books I've always meant to read but never had the time.

Tyler's Resolution: To strive for diversity. Non-fiction, classics, YA, mysteries, books I buy, books from the library, books on my iPhone, books I stumble upon, books recommended by friends.
"Bucket List" Book: Great Expectations

Amanda's Resolution: To be less afraid to read potentially embarrassing books on the subway … now made easier because of the Nook I got for Christmas!
"Bucket List" Book: Lolita (which I’m currently reading now)

Morgan's Resolution: To read more non-fiction, which is not something I traditionally choose when I’m buying books. I’m open to recommendations from all you non-fiction fans out there!
"Bucket List" Book: Bleak House is officially at the top of my book bucket list. The BBC version of it is incredible, but I’ve actually never read it, and I want to make it a point to read it this year.

Dante's Resolution: Diversify. I always say I’ll alternate between fiction and non-fiction — like, if I read a fiction title, the next book I’ll read will be non-fiction, and vice versa — but I end up tumbling down the rabbit hole of non-fiction at the expense of all the fiction titles I’d like to read. Must be the journalist in me...
"Bucket List" Book: The Grapes of Wrath

Yanique's Resolution: To read way more than I already do. I want to be a reading influence on my nieces so that they will learn to LOVE to read.
"Bucket List" Book: Love by Toni Morrison

Kristen's Resolution: To join the French-language book club at FIAF (French Institute/Alliance Française) so that I can put my minor in French Lit to good use.
"Bucket List" Book: Anna Karenina. Somehow I never read this one!

Ivy's Resolution: To read more cook books and to put my reading into action...in the kitchen!
"Bucket List" Book: A Wrinkle in Time like Michael! It's in 135 Bookprints on You Are What You Read! I can't believe I've never read this.

We'd love to know what your reading resolution is this year and what book you plan to read from your "bucket list" in the comments below!

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Previously On Our Minds:
* On the role of children’s books and children’s book authors
* Scholastic's 10 trends in children's books for 2010
* Book spying!

Statement: Harry Potter lawsuit dismissed

2011-01-06T20:10:00.000-05:00

Scholastic is extremely pleased that Judge Scheindlin decided to dismiss, at the earliest stage possible, the lawsuit brought against Scholastic by the estate of Adrian Jacobs. The Court's swift dismissal supports our position that the case was completely without merit and that comparing Willy the Wizard to the Harry Potter series was absurd. Judge Scheindlin clearly agreed, stating: “…the contrast between the total concept and feel of the works is so stark that any serious comparison of the two strains credulity.” Scholastic will continue to vigorously defend any such frivolous claims challenging the originality of Harry Potter and the brilliant imagination of its author, J.K. Rowling.

Wise words about books and reading -- watch the replay for more!

2011-01-06T13:35:00.000-05:00

“…Let’s say you’re driving down the road and there’s this really beautiful autumn tree and it’s got these gorgeous orange leaves. You might just let that pass you by if you had never read books that described how beautiful those are from somebody else’s perspective….I think that life is more colorful having read up on it.”

That’s a direct quote from Taylor Swift as she answered a question from a kid in the Scholastic Auditorium way back in October. The question asked was What would be your top reason for children to read every day? and the event was the Read Now! With Taylor Swift webcast, which was broadcast to thousands of classrooms across the globe. Taylor sat down with Nick Cannon for a one-on-one interview about the importance of reading, and then even performed a song with her band – but not before answering questions from the hundreds of kids in the audience.

The replay of that webcast has been available since then, and about 1.5 million people have watched it. If you haven’t, the next few weeks are your last chance, as the replay will be taken down on January 28! You can access it here.

Still need tempting? We’ve got the transcript of Q&A that Taylor had with our kid audience. Check out what she had to say about books, reading, writing, and inspiration:

Was there a person in your life who encouraged you to read?
Taylor: “I had a lot of really great teachers. Writing has been such a huge part of my life and that becomes from being inspired by reading. You know when you’re reading a book and you feel like they’re talking to you? That’s my favorite kind of book to read. My mom was always encouraging me to read and in first, second, and third grades I had really wonderful, proactive teachers who put great books in front of us. One of my favorite books in the world is To Kill a Mockingbird.” (note: Taylor is not alone in her love for this book. It’s our top most listed book on You Are What You Read!)

What was your favorite book in school?
Taylor: “I loved Dr. Seuss. I was really inspired by Dr. Seuss because of the rhyming. I think a lot of people who gravitate towards music are really drawn to poetry because the words all have a rhythm and it comes together just right.”

When did you first start to get interested in music and singing?
Taylor: “Singing was something that I’ve loved since I was a little baby. My parents have videos of me obnoxiously singing in the back of the car nonstop. I’ve loved that since I was little. I discovered writing when I discovered poetry... I love poetry because if you get it right, put the right rhymes at the right ends of the sentences, you can almost make words bounce off a page. I think my love of poetry fed into songwriting.”

What genre do you enjoy reading the most?
Taylor: “I really love the concept of history and people who lived hundreds of years ago. I love reading books that are fictional diaries written from a girl who lived during the Revolutionary War. There are a bunch of books that can take you back in time. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea that people have been living their lives far longer than we’re aware of and going back in history is a really fun thing to do when you read books.”

What children’s book had the greatest impact on you?
Taylor: “I really loved Sesame Street books. When I was really young, I was absolutely obsessed with them.” (Check out the five books Taylor picked for her Bookprint here.)

Is it okay to be smart and read even if you want to be cool?
Taylor: “I think that smart kids are the coolest kids...Someday you’re going to look back and be glad you know how to spell that word that was on your vocab test...You can have friends and also study. You can have a life and prioritize school. I think that if you throw yourself into learning as much as you possibly can then you’ll have much more to offer the world.”

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Previously On Our Minds:
* iPads in schools: game-changing, or just another shiny tool?
* What do you do about bullying?
* Read (and rock out!) with Taylor Swift

My Bookprint: Jessica sorts through her book history

2011-01-06T12:17:00.008-05:00

Hearing the stories behind the stories is the best part of Bookprints -- the five books that shape each of us. That's why we're continuing the #MyBookprint series today -- and guess what? On Thursdays from here on out, we'll be featuring guest blogs from other Scholastic staffers talking about their own Bookprints. Let us know in the comments what's on your Bookprint -- and don't forget to go create it over on You Are What You Read!

“You want me to do what?!?”

That was my first reaction when I heard about the concept for You Are What You Read. Tell the world about the five books that influenced your life and made you the person that you are today. Five? Really? How does one do that? I’m reading more than five books now!

It seemed like a daunting task. How do you leave out books that mark different times in your life? There were so many choices for me. What about the first book I remember my sister reciting verbatim in the back of the car? (Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman) Or the first book I ever checked out from the library on my own? (Little Women by Louisa May Alcott) Or the first book I ever catalogued in library school? (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thomson and Ralph Steadman) Or even the first classic I read without it being assigned for a class? (Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen) This was not an easy decision. I must have had 20 different Bookprints over the days.

Every book changes and expands you in little tiny ways (yes I believe that about the ones I don’t like too) and then that are books that alter you in fundamental ways. When it came down to it, these five were the books that I wanted to include in my Bookprint:

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman: Now in the spirit of full disclosure, Neil Gaiman could write total nonsense and I would be right there reading it. Neverwhere isn’t even the book I suggest to everyone if they haven’t read him before. (That is American Gods for adults and Coraline for kids incase anyone is interested) What stood out to me was that I had never had a place described in print in such detail to me before. Gaiman’s description of London was different than any other photograph I had ever seen of the city. It was the act of Richard going to London in the book that made me think I could go there. I applied to Library School there on a lark as I was studying for my GREs. The rest is history.

Vietnam: A History by Stanley Karnow: This book appeared as the main text in a class that I had in college. It was my first upper level history class and I was a little out of my depth but it opened my eyes to the way that historians thought and that everything my teacher said about college was right. I still have my dog eared copy at home on my shelves.

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare: The first book I ever picked out that was way over my head. I read it the summer before 5th grade. It was the first book that challenged me…and yes, I did understand more of it when I read it again in school in 9th grade English class.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: The first classic I ever enjoyed and touched me. I read it for school in 10th grade and then reread it that summer finding little things that I couldn’t believe I had missed the first time. For a long while it was my go to gift book. It was beautiful and moving and everything everyone says about it and more.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle: This was my first comfort food book. I have reread this book so many times that I had lost count by the time I was in the 5th grade. I loved the story, the characters, and the pure fantasy of it all. I have never actually owned this book but to this day, I can remember exactly where it was on my public library’s shelf back home.

This task isn’t an easy one, especially if books and stories play such an important role in your life as it does in mine. I urge you to think about it though; five books that made you who you are. You will learn a lot about yourself (and friends…make them do it too) and have fun.

Share your Bookprint in the comments or just become Bookmates with me at You Are What You Read!

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Previously On Our Minds:

*My Bookprint: Ivy talks about the books that shaped her

*My Bookprint: Tyler talks about the books that shaped him

*My Bookprint: Morgan talks about her choices

*My Bookprint: Amanda edition

iPads in schools: Game-changing or just another shiny tool

2011-01-05T16:46:00.006-05:00

Boy oh boy, I'd love to know what you all think about this article that appeared in yesterday's New York Times: "Math That Moves: Schools Embrace the iPad."

When I read an article like this, I'm torn in two directions...

Half of me yelps with excitement because devices like these are changing the way we all consume and interact with media -- and shouldn't kids have access to these platforms in schools rather than forcing them to check them at the door? The textbook is dead, right? And, by handing a child an iPad on the first day of school rather than a used textbook, isn't that a pretty powerful statement to make about the kind of learning environment they should expect all year?

When I read articles like this though, the other half of me rolls my eyes in frustration because isn't this just another example of our obsession with the newest, shiniest object? It's just a tool -- and the minute we start being distracted by the tool we ignore the important skills kids need to learn in school that will last a lifetime (and far outlive an iPad's usefulness). It's nice to hear, as the article says, that schools will use iPads "in class and at home during the school year to replace textbooks, allow students to correspond with teachers and turn in papers and homework assignments, and preserve a record of student work in digital portfolios. " But haven't students always been able to do that? And wouldn't a laptop be even better for facilitating those conversations and giving students the ability to create and experiment?

Mark Belinsky wrote a great post in Huffington Post today about this. In it, he wrote:

"Instead, they should be concerned with cracking open an iPad and understanding how it works, how it can be improved, and how it can be modified to reflect them as individuals. The software is certainly interesting, but only if they can understand how to build apps, not just learn how to use their interfaces."

(Photo credit: Flickr photo by dcJohn)

---Previously On Our Minds:

*Best of the year: OOM's top 5 posts of 2010

*Why are we all suddenly talking about education?

*Video: David Rose on technology and individualized learning

How I "liked" my favorite author 23 years ago

2011-01-04T17:12:00.006-05:00

Speaking of Bookprints...

While visiting my parents in Florida over the holidays, I stumbled across this ancient artifact stuffed in a box of old papers from my elementary school days.

YES, this is a communication (ie. newsletter) I received roughly 23 years ago from the Matt Christopher Fan Club. There is a lovely Q & A with the author on pages 2 & 3, and a mostly-completed puzzle on the back where I demonstrated my extensive knowledge of the author's many sports books.

The discovery of this document has reminded me of two things:
1) That even before there was Facebook, kids were "fan"-ing and "like"-ing their favorite authors.
2) That I made a wise choice a few months ago when I included one of Matt Christopher's awesome books in my Bookprint on You Are What You Read.

Did you read these books when you were a kid? And, by any chance, were you a member of the Matt Christopher Fan Club too???

---Previously On Our Minds:
*My Bookprint: Tyler talks about the books that shaped him
*Book spying!
*My Bookprint: Ivy talks about the books that shaped her

What do you do about bullying?

2011-01-04T15:15:00.001-05:00

In what can only be labeled pure coincidence, I was just settling in to write today’s blog post on bullying when I saw a tweet about January being National “No Name-Calling Month.” What a timely, great idea -- and after all the fresh attention bullying has been receiving of late, we too wanted to point out some resources about the topic for young people and their teachers and families.

There are some cases where an instance of bullying can turn into an outpouring of support, like the case about the girl who likes Star Wars, which we blogged about last month. But those happy endings feel way too few and far between. So I’ve culled some bullying awareness resources from around the web, as well as titles you can find in your local library, which could be useful for teachers, librarians, parents, and kids themselves.

The basics: what is and is not considered bullying, how to recognize it, and how to deal with it – an excellent resource from Scholastic Parents
The role of teachers: how bullying can be prevented and addressed in the classroom – an in-depth look from Instructor Magazine.
A special report: interviews about the topic with Walter Dean Myers, thoughts from kids, and more – all from Scholastic News.

And then there are books. Sometimes only a fictional character or scenario can perfectly illuminate an issue, especially for young readers, so here’s a list of titles to help kids and teens learn more about the subject:

Billy Bully by Alvaro Galan and Ana Galan, illustrated by Steve Simpson: As Billy Bully does one rotten thing after another, his friends dwindle to zero. With a little effort, Billy Bully realizes that a real friend doesn't think only of himself. Kids will love to count down--and most importantly--back up, as Billy Bully makes it up to his friends and gets the whole gang back together!

The Recess Queen by Alexis O’Neill, illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith: A fresh and original twist on the common issue of bullying. Kids will relate, and parents and teachers will appreciate the story's deft handling of conflict resolution (which happens without adult intervention.)

Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls: The New Girl by Meg Cabot: Allie Finkle’s starting her first day of school at Pine Heights Elementary! Plus, she’s getting a new kitten, the first pick of show cat Lady Serena Archibald’s litter! But being the New Girl is turning out to be scary, too, especially since one of the girls in Allie’s new class -- Rosemary -- doesn’t like her. In fact, Rosemary says she’s going to beat Allie up after school. (Check out this 5 Questions video interview we did with Meg Cabot last year, and the dedicated Allie Finkle site for more info!)

Carlos Is Gonna Get It by Kevin Emerson: How strange is Carlos? REALLY strange. He scratches himself all the time, and he talks about aliens in this weird shaky voice, and he breaks up the class and gets everyone else in trouble when it's *his* fault he's such a freak. So Trina, Donte, Thea, Sara, and Frankie decide to use the upcoming 7th-grade class trip to "get" Carlos and scare him into acting normal. But when Trina has to work with Carlos on a class project, she discovers both his sweetness and the full extent of his troubles. Will she pull out of the plan or go through with it? And what will happen if--when--Carlos gets it?

Warp Speed by Lisa Yee: (In bookstores on March 1!) Entering 7th grade is no big deal for Marley Sandelski: Same old boring classes, same old boring life. The only thing he has to look forward to is the upcoming Star Trek convention. But when he inadvertently draws the attention of Digger Ronster, the biggest bully in school, his life has officially moved from boring to far too dramatic . . . from invisible to center stage. (If you like Lisa Yee, be sure to check out all the great author videos we have with her over on the Scholastic YouTube channel, like this one!)

Losers by Matthue Roth: This off-the-wall novel introduces readers to Jupiter—a Russian immigrant learning to deal with high-school life in America. With dead-on deadpan humor, Matthue Roth makes everything illuminated about American teen life—like Borat as directed by John Hughes.

If you have other resources on bullying support or anti-bullying initiatives, please feel free to share them in the comments.

image via

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Three new iPad apps, one new reading experience
* The force is strong with this one

* My Bookprint: Ivy talks about the books that shaped her

Three new iPad apps, one new reading experience

2011-01-03T14:57:00.001-05:00

I don't know about you but just about everywhere I went this holiday, I saw someone playing with an iPad: on my flight, at a neighbor's house, even at The Nutcracker! But what really struck me - other than the fact that Santa didn't bring me one - was the number of kids I saw playing with the iPad either by themselves or together with their parents.

In March 2010, PCWorld.com called iPad the "Children's Toy of the Year" and "an ideal kid pacifier," but I think that the iPad is more than just a toy or something you use to keep the kids busy during a road trip. The iPad can also be an incredibly valuable learning tool. After all, it gives parents the control of choosing what apps their kids can view.

To support my thesis, I have to point out Scholastic's new “Touch and Tilt” line of iPad book apps. The three storybook apps, I Love You Through and Through, The Magic School Bus: Oceans, and Go, Clifford, Go! all provide age appropriate, interactive reading experiences and tap the unique technology of the iPad to bring the books to life. Kids can tilt the iPad to release underwater bubbles, unlocking photos and videos of ocean life in The Magic School Bus: Oceans, make trees sway, waves roll and characters animate in Go, Clifford, Go! and touch the words and characters in I Love You Through and Through to hear the story and watch a fun animation.

My favorite part about these storybook apps is that even though the stories take place on a digital platform, none of the qualities we love about picture books is lost. Just like physical picture books, these apps help build critical thinking skills, give kids the confidence to read a book by themselves and provide the comforting feeling of sharing a good book with their parents. You can check out some video demos of each of the iPad apps here -- and don't miss the giveaway after the jump!

GIVEAWAY: If you own an iPad or know someone who has one, enter our giveaway for a chance to win one of the three new storybook apps. We'll pick three winners at random and send them a redeemable code. Just tell us about your favorite picture book to read with kids in the comments below.

Giveaway ends January 5, 2011 at 5:00 p.m. EST. You must be 18 or over to enter. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. U.S. only, void where prohibited. Read the official rules here.

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Picture this...
* On the role of children’s books and children’s book authors
* And the top five kids news stories of 2010 are ....

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T12:09:00.000-05:00

Tonight, at the stroke of midnight, we'll mark the official end of 2010 and the start of 2011. The celebrations of the day -- and the day itself -- are the result of an amalgamation of cultures, histories, and people. Many historians trace the celebrations back to an ancient Roman observance called Saturnalia, but it was Julius Caesar who picked the date of January 1 as the start of the new year, and a Scottish folk song serves as the inspiration for Auld Lang Syne, the traditional song sung at midnight. Different countries and cultures celebrate the day in a variety of ways, and with a variety of resolutions.

No matter how or where you celebrate, we wish you a happy, safe, healthy 2011!

image via

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Best of the year: OOM's top 5 posts of 2010
* Best of the year: OOM posts
* Best of the year: OOM 5 questions

Best of the year: OOM's top 5 posts of 2010

2010-12-30T15:27:00.000-05:00

(The computer we use to blog...just kidding! Flickr image via Ian Muttoo)

The year isn't over yet! We're still on the nostalgia train as we look back on a wOOMderful year of blog posts. So far on our trip down memory lane, we've shared our favorite readers' comments, our favorite 5 Questions videos, and our personal favorites. But what would we be if we didn't look back on the most popular posts of the year? For these posts, we have you (our readers) to thank! Without you, we'd just be a bunch of words on the internet.

Without further ado *drum roll please* I give you the countdown of the five most-viewed OOM posts of the year!

5.) Scholastic's 10 trends in children's books for 2010 - Much like this post, OOM readers can't get enough of year-end roundups! This trends piece was created by our editors from Scholastic Book Clubs and Scholastic Book Fairs. I can't wait to see how the list will look at the end of 2011!

4.) The Decade's 10 Big Ideas in Education - See what I mean? It's another year-end trends story. Although this blog post was published in December of 2009, views this year have surpassed views of many other posts published in 2010! We're particularly proud of this piece and I'd be lying if I said we weren't excited that Valerie Strauss from The Washington Post mentioned these Big Ideas in her blog The Answer Sheet!

3.) A new Harry Potter experience for a new generation of readers - This blog post was about Harry Potter. Need I say more? When Scholastic first published Harry Potter, OOM didn't exist. So when we published this piece, we were so happy to see how huge of a response it got. It meant that OOM readers were fans of Harry. What more could we ask for?

2.) The 39 Clues book 9 and 10 covers revealed! - Aside from trends pieces, OOM readers like cover reveals! And so do we. We're always giddy about sharing a new cover and it takes an OOM blogger with steady hands to write the post before hitting "Publish."

1.) Hunger Games Book 3 Cover Revealed! - Cheesy bread fans rejoice! This wasn't just a blog post about a cover. It was a blog post about the cover. The OOM team isn't shy about expressing our love for all things Hunger Games, and neither are our readers. It's no surprise this post got so many views and OOM was the official place to see it! Of course, we're also fans of the many other covers from the series.

Was there a post you thought should have been in the top 5? Let us know in the comments. Happy (early) New Year, readers!

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Previously On Our Minds:
* OOM's Top 10 Posts of 2009!
* Best of the year: OOM posts
* Best of the year: OOM 5 Questions
* Best of the year: OOM comments

My Bookprint: Ivy talks about the books that shaped her

2010-12-30T13:29:00.002-05:00

If you've joined You Are What You Read, you know all about Bookprints -- the five books that shaped who you are -- and you may even know the Bookprints of two U.S. Presidents, an Olympic gymnast, and a Hollywood A-lister. Lately, we OOMers have been posting about our own Bookprints, (Jessica, Tyler, Morgan, Amanda) and today, I get to share mine with you...

Creating a Bookprint requires some thinking... There are three primary rules to follow:

1) You only get to pick five books - What?! Are you crazy? But, I'm a voracious reader and I can't possibly choose between just five books! It's not faaair!
2) The books in your Bookprint aren't necessarily your favorite books. They're the books that have somehow shaped your life, your decisions and who you are today - You just made it a whole lot more challenging. Thanks.
3) It's OK to edit your Bookprint on the site. After all, we grow with the books we read - Good point! I wonder what my Bookprint will look like in December 2011?

In the months I worked on helping bring the site live, I kept a running tab of books for my Bookprint. I stuck this post-it note on my locker to help me narrow down my list (pictured blurry at left). As the site was getting closer to launch, my list was still changing. But here is what I have today in no particular order...and it may just change tomorrow!

What Do People Do All Day? by Richard Scarry -- Every picture showing the animals of Busy Town taught me a lot about how things work and the various jobs people have. Plus, it triggered my obsession with behind-the-scenes action! Whether I was looking at the book's cross-section of a bakery, post office, airport or hospital, I realized that no job is too small and no place runs smoothly without a set process and team work. It's a picture book for kid CEOs.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling -- Harry Potter changed my world because I started reading the series during high school when most of my reading was assigned reading. You know what that's like. I don't enjoy being told what and when to read, so this series helped bring back the joy of reading for pleasure (and sometimes sadness too). It's also got to count for something if I've waited in line for hours after midnight for a book, right?!

The Forever War by Dexter Filkins -- This is where I default to Bookprint Rule #2. Your Bookprint isn't a list of your favorite books. The Forever War is certainly not a favorite and not a book I'd turn to for comfort. It taught me a lot about a subject I wasn't familiar with during an interesting time in my own life. I started reading the book after a serious relationship ended and the book helped distract me from what I thought was the "end of the world." It also showed me some of the real problems people are up against. Not exactly the kind of self help book you'd expect, but it helped me get through a tough time.

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens -- After I read this book, I knew I wanted someone someday to love me as much as Pip loved Estella. I'm in no way like Estella by any means, but the kind of unwavering love that Pip has for Estella through the entire book (no matter which ending you prefer) really left a strong impression on me. To this day, I can't help but compare Pip's devotion to Estella to my own relationships (whether this is a good idea or not)!

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede -- We've all gone through a "dragon" phase. Don't try to deny yours. Mine was in the 5th grade. I attribute my phase to Dealing with Dragons because this was the book that combined fantasy, friendship, talking creatures and magic before there was Harry Potter - plus, it had beautiful, strong-willed princesses who fell in love with handsome Kings.

Well, that's it. I poured my soul out to you through a Bookprint. That said...I did read a book over Christmas that I may just have to edit into my Bookprint for 2011. This means I'll need to bump off a book (how dreadful)! I read Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain and I am already starting to plan a checklist of how I'll reorganize my kitchen for good!

What about you? What's in your Bookprint and why?

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Previously On Our Minds:
* On the role of children’s books and children’s book authors
* Bookprints and comfort food books
* My Bookprint: Morgan talks about her choices

Best of the year: OOM posts

2010-12-29T13:39:00.000-05:00

Blogging is a team sport, and that's certainly the case with OOM. We meet every Friday morning to plan out the following week's posts, and we're committed to keeping a schedule. But of course, there are days when news breaks, and we throw out our editorial calendar to react to it. And then there are days where someone inspires something unexpected in one of us -- either a colleague with a brilliant idea or a reader with a tweet that triggers something new. And those types of posts -- the unplanned ones, the reader-generated ones -- are some of our favorites.

So far this week, we've covered our favorite reader comments and our favorite 5 Questions videos, and today, we're picking out our favorite posts of the year as we continue our look back on 2010. Once again, we thank all of YOU for helping us build OOM into what it is today.

Tyler: "My favorite post is the Team Peeta Team Gale Blogger Battle!" A must-read for Hunger Games fans.
Amanda, noted OOM actress: "Well, my favorite post is obviously this one. I’m expecting my invitation to the Academy Awards any day now."
Ivy: “Picture this… was my favorite post to write this year because it was completely unplanned. I read an article that morning in the NYT about parents passing up picture books for chapter books and I just knew I had to express my opinion on the important role picture books play in life. Luckily, I had OOM to share it with."
Morgan: Like Ivy, some of my favorite posts are the unplanned ones. Just last week I unexpectedly wrote about a feud between Sarah Palin and Joy Behar, which are two names I never thought would relate to the subject matter of this blog, but I promise, it's related to books (and to You Are What You Read!).

Of course, picking a favorite post of the year is kind of like picking a favorite child: it's impossible. After all, there's this post about book spying and the one where we revealed the cover of Mockingjay, not to mention this one and this one and this one. How about you all? Did we highlight any of your faves? Let us know in the comments!

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Best of the year: OOM 5 questions
* Best of the year: OOM comments
* Are you "Wish"-ing for a free ebook?

Best of the year: OOM 5 Questions

2010-12-28T16:02:00.000-05:00

Armed with our trusty Flip cameras, we've filmed a lot of videos this year, thanks to the incredible guests who've graced the halls of Scholastic and agreed to sit down with us for a few mintues. (Psst -- you can find the archive of all of them here.) Today, we thought we'd look back at the year in videos, and each choose our favorite 5 Questions of the year. Here goes:

Morgan: 5 Questions with Suzanne Collins. A few of us sat in a darkened room, very still and very quiet, while Suzanne filmed a host of video spots (including a read-aloud of Mockingjay's opening lines), and then answered five questions selected from her fans on Twitter. Unforgettable.
Amanda: 5 Questions with Ann M. Martin. Says Amanda, "I'm the second-biggest BSC nerd writing for this blog!" (Do you think she's counting me as the first? Probably.)
Tyler: 5 Questions with David Allender. Says Tyler, "This one was so inspiring!"
Ivy: 5 Questions with Peter Lerangis. Says Ivy, "I had too much fun filming this. Peter is so down to earth and incredibly funny!"

Thanks so, so much to all the guests who humored us by filming a 5 Questions video with us this year, and to all of you for enjoying them. Which one was your favorite -- and who would you like to see us interview in 2011?

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Best of the year: OOM comments
* Overheard in The Scholastic Store
* On the role of children's books and children's book authors

Best of the year: OOM comments

2010-12-27T11:46:00.000-05:00

All week on OOM, we're looking back on the year that was. We saw OOM grow and change, and thanks to our amazing readers -- you! -- we've got even more changes up our sleeve, very soon. (Hint: new look, more bloggers!)

Today, we're kicking things off with a look back on our favorite comments of the year. That's right -- we looked back at all the comments you've left on this very blog in 2010, and we each picked one that stood out. Your contributions to this blog make it what it is, and make us so very pleased and proud to have such great dialogue with you all. So, thank you for your comments in 2010, and here's to more in 2011!

Our favorite comments of the year:

Morgan: Proof that reading begets reading begets writing! This comment from Myra on A new Harry Potter experience for a new generation: "I started reading Harry Potter when I was pregnant with my now nine-year-old son...That's when I decided that even though I'll never be a JK Rowling, I had to write my own stories. My debut novel will be published in 2011."
Tyler: From the 5-word Mockingjay review post, this comment from Linda stuck out: "Boggs + Finnick = book made."
Amanda: This comment from poshdeluxe on the Team Peeta vs Team Gale post made me laugh: "Obvs, this is the most controversial issue in America today, and I'm glad to see Scholastic addressing it..." (there's more at the link, and it's funny!)
Ivy: This comment from sarahem really shows a commitment to books! From the Stranded with books post: "Wow, that's a total nightmare. I would get rid of my bed and stack all of my books up and use them as a bed..." (it goes on - worth a read!)

Thanks for the great comments all throughout 2010, readers! Any that stuck out in your mind?

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Merry everything from the OOM team
* Overheard in The Scholastic Store
* Helping make bedtime warmer during 'danger season'

Merry everything from the OOM team

2010-12-24T10:01:00.002-05:00

We hope all our readers (and your families!) enjoy a safe, healthy, peaceful, happy holiday season.

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Overheard in The Scholastic Store
* Vacation time is family time
* (Holiday) Lights, camera, action!

Overheard in The Scholastic Store

2010-12-23T10:00:00.005-05:00

The Scholastic offices will be dark for a few days, but we've got something to tide you over: another guest post from Michael Strouse from The Scholastic Store. And it's funny! Read on...

Last week, my post alluded to the hectic shopping pace of the last few days before Christmas at The Scholastic Store. The Saturday before Christmas, though, is actually our busiest day and after a day of ringing up tired shoppers, I wanted to share with you just a few of the things I overheard…

One of my favorites was from a teacher who came in with one of our returning guest coupons. I told her how happy we were to have her back and her response was simply classic: "Yes, I would drag my lifeless body back here just for that coupon!" I should also mention that this same teacher wanted to know why she didn’t get any of the brownies I had made for my staff. Simple answer: they ate them all!

Moms always seem to be intrepid shoppers, even if their companions aren’t. One mom told me "He’s tired. It’s a man thing." But the best mom line of the day came from a mom in town from California whose son was slightly dismayed at not being able to get something she had already bought him (and was waiting under the tree at home!): "You know, he wants it, so I have to get it…even if he has it at home."

Meanwhile, the retailer in me certainly appreciated the philosophy of this guest: "Sometimes buying everything is easier than making decisions on what is best." Oddly, that same guest was overheard saying "How am I ever going to fit all of this on the plane?"

And, of course, there are those things I think you only hear in New York:

"He only likes Iron Man and breaking things." – in response to what a child’s interests are
"That’s very macho! Now I need something for a girl." – I didn’t quite get the story on this, but I am happy to report that Legos are now MACHO!
"So what if I walk down the street with a light saber? No one will notice." – The light sabers don’t fit well in our bags, so she was a proud New York Jedi!
"This song is ridiculous. Reindeer don’t play Monopoly." – I had always thought they owned Park Place and Boardwalk…maybe I am wrong?

My favorite line of the day came from a 20-something shopping for his nieces. It proves that in all the craziness of the holidays, The Scholastic Store is still a great place to shop: "This place makes me want to be a kid again!"

Hopefully, the holidays will make us all feel like kids again! Thank you to all our customers, whether in the Store, online, or in classrooms and libraries across the world. It's our pleasure to share a love of reading with you!

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Helping make bedtime warmer during 'danger season'
* On the role of children's books and children's book authors
* Are you "Wish"-ing for a free ebook?

Helping make bedtime warmer during 'danger season'

2010-12-22T09:15:00.000-05:00

It's "danger season."

It's the time of year when the temperatures drop, and we turn up the heat in our homes, and put extra blankets on our beds to keep us warm. And it's the time of year when the work the Pajama Program does is as important as ever.

One of Scholastic's Literacy Champions, the Pajama Program sends PJs and books to kids in need -- many of whom have no parents at home to read to them at night and are waiting to be adopted. The organization is celebrating its 10th birthday this year, and we couldn't be happier to help out this group of wonderful people.

This holiday season, kids across the country (yes, kids!!) donated more than 90,000 pairs of PJs (and we're still counting!) to the Pajama Program as part of "The Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive" put on by Scholastic Book Clubs. We're told this is a record donation Pajama Program has received!!

Scholastic is matching the kids' generosity with books to go along with the pajamas.

Thousands of these PJs have already made it to local groups serving young people in need -- and hopefully the generosity of kids across the country will make this winter a little less dangerous (and full of bedtime stories) for more kids.

Here are a few photos of employees counting and re-packing PJs for shipment to local organizations...

---Previously On Our Minds:

*Warm pajamas and bedtime stories

*Along a natural gas pipeline, literacy blooms

*OOM's Top 10 Posts of 2009!

On the role of children’s books and children’s book authors

2010-12-21T11:52:00.000-05:00

The value that books have in our lives, collectively and individually, can’t be overstated. And the idea that a single book can have a lasting impact on us, and can truly help form us, was at the forefront of my mind as I read this Wall Street Journal op-ed from Michael Flaherty (“On Palin’s Reading List, C.S. Lewis,” December 21, 2010).

Children’s books, naturally, are the first books we read, so it’s logical to assume that they bear a great responsibility for helping turn us into who we are today. That is certainly the case for me; all one needs to do to confirm that is look at my Bookprint. And of course, Scholastic views children’s books as works of art that hold truths that appeal to both kids and adults. From picture books to board books, graphic novels to titles for teens – the books of our childhood (and the lessons they impart) last much longer than our childhoods themselves.

Flaherty’s op-ed looks at Sarah Palin’s naming of C.S. Lewis as an author she looks to for inspiration, and the fallout Palin’s received from some critics for picking a children’s book author. But C.S. Lewis, Flaherty notes, believed that “books defined us and shaped our character,” and that “one of the best ways to know a person was to know what they read.” And isn’t that true? Isn’t that why thousands of people have listed the top five books that most impacted their lives over on You Are What You Read? Isn’t that why we read as children anyway – to be inspired, to understand imagination, to learn about ourselves and the world around us? That’s the concept of textual lineage, which Scholastic includes in our Reading Bill of Rights.

Regardless of anyone’s thoughts on Sarah Palin (or the works of C.S. Lewis), she’s in good company by choosing the author as one of her favorites. We have hundreds of “Names You Know” on You Are What You Read, and many of them listed C.S. Lewis titles in their Bookprints. And many readers around the globe did, as well; at last count this morning, The Chronicles of Narnia was included in 68 different Bookprints and was added to 46 people’s “Favorite” list.

There’s a tendency to disregard the impact that children’s books have on our lives. We’re here to dispel that myth. And an entire community of readers has joined us. Come see how at You Are What You Read.

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Book spying!
* Scholastic's 10 trends in children's books for 2010
* Your students can give the gift of reading this holiday with Pass It On!

What was your favorite toy from childhood? Tell us and you could win a prize!

2010-12-21T09:33:00.002-05:00

We're in the giving spirit, and we thought, what better way to give than to host an OOM giveaway? Guest blogger Kristen is here to talk about today's just-in-time giveaway!

If you’re like me, you probably haven’t finished your holiday shopping yet. Somehow this time of year always sneaks up on us, even though we’ve been through many holiday seasons before. If you are still having a hard time finding something for one of the youngsters (or the young at heart!) in your life, I’ve got great news for you – we’re going to give away three awesome products from Back to Basics Toys to three lucky readers! PLUS, if you win, we’ll ship the prize to you overnight so that you are guaranteed to have it before the holiday weekend!

Back to Basics Toys, a Scholastic company, specializes in classic and hard-to-find toys that many of you probably remember from your childhood! Here’s what’s up for grabs:

Hall of Fame Toy Pack – Four truly timeless treasures! This classic set includes the original Slinky; the world's most famous yo-yo, the Duncan Butterfly; moldable, stretchable Silly Putty; and the 8-pack of Crayola Crayons in a vintage tin case. Remember how much you loved these wonderful classics? Now you can share them with a new generation!

Jumbo TinkerToy Building Set – Offering classic building fun, this construction toy has been a favorite since 1914. Children use the included design guide or their own imaginations to create structures, animals, shapes, and more with durable wood and plastic pieces that easily fit together. Our Jumbo set features 102-pieces and comes in the classic TinkerToy canister.

Fisher Price Snoop n’ Sniff – The award-winning Snoop n’ Sniff was introduced in 1938 and has become a best friend to millions of children, with tail wagging and legs clicking along during its daily walks. This adorable nostalgic pull toy looks, sounds, and feels just like the original but is made safe for today.

GIVEAWAY! The giveaway is open from now until 5pm ET tomorrow (Wednesday, December 22). Leave us a comment with the name of your favorite toy as a kid for a chance to win -- and don't forget to tell us your email address so we can contact you! We’ll draw the winners tomorrow at 5pm EST. You must be 18 or over to enter. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. U.S. only, void where prohibited. Read the official rules here.

UPDATE: Congratulations to the three winners: Anne, Jackie H., and Kristin. You can expect emails from us. Thanks to everyone for participating!

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Are you "Wish"-ing for a free ebook?
* And the top 5 kids news stories of 2010 are...
* Vacation time is family time

Are you "Wish"-ing for a free ebook?

2010-12-20T11:05:00.001-05:00

Because we've got one for you!

Until January 3, you can get Alexandra Bullen's debut novel, Wish, as a free download! Wish follows Olivia Larsen, who is dealing with the death of her twin sister, Violet. One day, a mysterious, beautiful gown arrives on her doorstep. The dress doesn't just look magical; it is magical. It has the power to grant her one wish, and the only thing Olivia wants is her sister back. With Violet again by her side, both girls get a second chance at life. And as the sisters soon discover, they have two more dresses--and two more wishes left. But magic can't solve everything, and Olivia is forced to confront her ghosts to learn how to laugh, love, and live again. Alexandra's second novel, Wishful Thinking, will hit shelves on January 1.

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Vacation time is family time
* I read a 150-year old novel on my iPhone
* As readers, will ebooks change us?

And the top five kids news stories of 2010 are ....

2010-12-17T10:28:00.008-05:00

As 2010 comes to a close, it's time to take that long look back at everything that happened this year. Haiti. The Gulf Coast oil spill. Biebermania. Jersey Shore. Mockingjay. The iPad.

But that's just me talking. We wanted to know what kids thought were the biggest stories of 2010, so we turned to my favorite source for news for kids, by kids - the Scholastic Kids Press Corps. Based on traffic to the Kids Press site, the top five kids news stories of 2010 are:

Crisis in Haiti: Kids were interested in the most recent information on the Haiti earthquake and recovery efforts. Stories on how kids can help in the relief efforts and what it was like for journalists reporting from the earthquake site were some of the most highly trafficked stories on the Scholastic News Kids Press site in 2010.

Taylor Swift: The award-winning superstar was a big draw for kids, as she released her new album, and the Kid Reporter story on what it was like to interview the singer was widely read.

The Gulf Oil Spill: The crisis in the Gulf and the Kids Press Corps special report on the recovery efforts – including stories about how wildlife experts cared for injured turtles, an inside look at the NOAA Command Center, and kids making a difference in their own communities – grabbed kids’ attention.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Jeff Kinney's best-selling series continued to be a topic of significant interest, and Kids Press Corps readers were eager to get the latest news on new books in the series, read reviews, and find information on the film adaptations.

The State of U.S. Education: News about education reform wasn’t just for adults this year. Kids wanted to learn about the state of our nation’s schools, and Kid Reporters from around the country interviewed their teachers, principals, and classmates about education issues in their own communities, creating a special report that proved popular with readers. A select group of Kid Reporters also attended NBC’s Education Nation Summit and spoke with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, astronaut Sally Ride, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about the future of education and whether today’s students are prepared to compete in a global economy.

You can see all the top stories over at the Kids Press site. What do you think were some of the biggest stories of 2010?

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Previously On Our Minds:
* This Just In: 42 new kid reporters join the Kids Press Corps
* Midterm Election coverage for kids, by kids
* Scholastic Kids Press Corps offers kid-friendly news on Gulf recovery efforts

Why are we all suddenly talking about education?

2010-12-17T10:00:00.010-05:00

It seems that everyone is finally talking about education these days. "Our generation’s Sputnik moment is back," President Obama hailed in a speech just last week. "Our nation's education crisis demands 'the fierce urgency of now,'" Arianna Huffington said in a press release announcing the launch of Huffington Post's new education section in October.

I had a conversation with two colleagues yesterday about the so-called school reform "movement," and it got me thinking afterwards about what it is that seems to have raised the status of education to the level of "big issue."

Is it the attention President Obama gave to the issue in his 2008 campaign and beyond -- and the money he has helped make available to schools through ARRA and Race to the Top?

Is it the buzz and controversy surrounding the movie Waiting for Superman and other films taking on the issue of education?

Is it the Common Core State Standards movement that has led more than 40 states already to sign on in support of the same higher standards for students?

Is it the steady drumbeat of data and evidence over the years showing that millions of students can't read, struggle in math, can't match their peers in other countries in science and other subjects, and drop out of school at high rates?

Is it the growing sense that our world is changing fast and our schools are becoming increasingly irrelevant?

Or is it the economy (stupid)?

What do you think?

(Photo credit: Flickr photo by The Wanderer's Eye)

---Previously On Our Minds:

*From ISTE 2010: What is this thing called Networked Literacy?

*Are teachers becoming more digital?

*Teaching kids to be the curators of their learning

FY 2011 - Second quarter results

2010-12-16T18:16:00.000-05:00

Earlier today Scholastic announced our second quarter results for the 2011 fiscal year. You can read the complete release here.

"Last quarter, as we celebrated Scholastic's 90th birthday, our core children's book business performed strongly, and we moved forward with key digital initiatives," said Dick Robinson, Scholastic's CEO. His remarks continued, noting that we saw robust gains in School Book Fairs and Trade, and Book Clubs maintained last year's sales and teacher participation levels. Sales of educational technology did not reach last year's record, but they were up over 50% compared to pre-federal stimulus levels two years ago. And in exciting news? "We began testing our children's ebook offering with children and families, as well as previewing it with the publishing community, in preparation for a spring beta launch and full rollout next fall," Robinson added.

There's much more in the release, as well as news outlets like The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, and Bloomberg.

Tuesday Trivia answers revealed: "The Dark Thing" is no match for Voldemort

2010-12-16T15:45:00.000-05:00

Nearly 200 of you took our Tuesday Trivia quiz, which featured questions about some of the most listed books on You Are What You Read.

(Spoiler alert! Answers are below, so don't read on if you haven't taken the quiz yet!)

I was working a little spreadsheet magic as I combed through the results and came to the following (highly unscientific) conclusions:

You all know your Harry Potter trivia. (As if that was ever in doubt!)
Charlotte’s Web was easy for most of you, but A Wrinkle in Time was tough: that question had the lowest number of correct responses.
Our trick question about Green Eggs and Ham fooled almost none of you.

Here’s how the responses broke down:

1. What is the symbol for Gryffindor? (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone) LION – 130 correct responses

2. How many tributes are sent to participate in the Hunger Games? (The Hunger Games) 24 – 81 correct responses
3. Why does the little boy want to cut down the tree? (The Giving Tree) HE WANTS TO MAKE A BOAT – 89 correct responses
4. Which of the following words did Charlotte NOT spin in her web? (Charlotte's Web) SLEEPY – 148 correct responses
5. What is the name of the evil being who appears as a large black cloud? (A Wrinkle in Time) THE BLACK THING – 36 correct responses
6. How did Anne Frank begin each diary entry? (Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl) DEAR KITTY – 104 correct responses
7. In the first book of the series, readers are introduced to Bella Swan. She moves to Forks, Washington from which state? (Twilight) ARIZONA – 122 correct responses
8. What is the name of Anne's childhood friend who teases her and pulls her hair? (Anne of Green Gables) GILBERT – 107 correct responses
9. There are two main characters in this book. One is Sam-I-Am (or simply Sam.). What is the name of the other? (Green Eggs and Ham) THE READER NEVER FINDS OUT – 157 correct responses
10. Bonus question! Who was Lord Voldemort's mother? (The Harry Potter series) MEROPE – 102 correct responses

*note: not all respondents completed all questions, so that's why the numbers don't add up!

It should be no surprise that so many of you got so many answers correct; after all, these are the books that people around the world have included in their Bookprint on You Are What You Read and count as the books that most influenced us. We’ll keep the trivia up a bit longer because, well, people love quizzes (find it here). And in case this got you eager for more, you can always visit the Scholastic kids’ blog over on The Stacks, which offers some great trivia for younger readers.

And of course, stop by You Are What You Read often for our rotating trivia questions – like this one on the left! – and to see if your favorite books have made the “most listed” top 20!

Let us know in the comments if you’re interested in seeing more trivia on OOM. Thanks for playing!

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Vacation time is family time
* The Force is strong with this one
* The Scholastic Store's Facebook challenge: Accepted!

Vacation time is family time

2010-12-15T16:15:00.001-05:00

It's the time of year when it feels like things are winding down -- which means that opportunities for family time are growing! We've got another guest post from Michael Strouse full of recommendations and tips on how to use kids' school vacation time (and yours!) as opportunities for family bonding. Enjoy! -- Morgan

The week leading up to Christmas is the most hectic of the year for us at The Scholastic Store, which means the week after Christmas brings a gigantic sigh of relief for my entire team. It also brings back something we miss during that last week of frenzied shopping by adults: KIDS! And because of the school holiday, they return in a BIG way!

Our storytimes are always crowded and the inquiries from parents are normally about ways to have fun with their kids during their vacation. The holidays offer some really great opportunities for families to spend quality time together. So we came up with some suggestions for keeping kids occupied and learning during their vacations!

Let the kids pick their own book to read over vacation. It can be holiday themed or even just a book they've been talking about since September. Maybe something funny from Lisa Yee, Gordon Korman, or Meg Cabot?
Holidays and crafts seem to just go together, and Klutz makes amazing all-in-one kits that make crafting easy (and generally less messy!). The Handmade Cards kit is great because kids can use their creations as thank you notes for presents!
Establish a holiday story tradition. The whole family can participate and read a book together. You can change it up as kids grow older and have them do more reading themselves. My parents always read How the Grinch Stole Christmas and that tradition lives on today!
Keep schoolwork fresh in their mind with workbooks or practice pages over break.
Create holiday scrapbooks. Not only will they have tons of fun making them, but they'll also make excellent items for show and tell when they go back to school! You can make your own or go with something like the Klutz Build a Book kit.

Overall, though, the holidays are a celebration, and fun should be a big part of any activity. We at The Scholastic Store take that very seriously. I may even break out my dancing shoes and hokey pokey at the end of storytime!

From all of us at The Scholastic Store, enjoy your holidays!

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Previously On Our Minds:
* The Scholastic Store's Facebook challenge: Accepted!
* Scholastic's 10 trends in children's books in 2010
* Your students can give the gift of reading this holiday season with Pass It On!

Tuesday Trivia: How well do you know the books being read around the world?

2010-12-14T12:29:00.001-05:00

Naming the top 5 books that influenced you is no easy task, as we've mentioned time and again (here, here, here, and here, for example!). But I take comfort in seeing how great literature can affect people -- and it's fascinating to see just how many books the world shares in common.

You, too, can see that list here -- it's the top 20 most listed books on You Are What You Read. These are the books that are being chosen over and over as books that influenced people's lives. And we got to thinking: how well do we all know those most listed books?

So we put together a quiz. It's 10 questions about the children's books that have made the top 20 most listed books -- from A Wrinkle in Time to Harry Potter to Twilight to Anne of Green Gables.

How well do you know the books being read around the world?

Take the quiz and find out!

We'll post the answers on Thursday. Good luck!

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Book spying!
* The Scholastic Store's Facebook Challenge: Accepted!
* Scholastic's 10 trends in children's books for 2010

The Force is strong with this one

2010-12-13T10:00:00.004-05:00

Last week, a little girl named Katie took the Internet by storm when her mother blogged about Katie's struggles with bullies at school. You see, Katie is a big Star Wars fan, and when she showed up at school with a Star Wars lunchbox, her classmates teased her and told her that girls aren't supposed to like Star Wars.

Cue the oh no they didn't! cries of lady-geeks (like me) around the world.

Soon, the Internet had rallied behind Katie - thousands of comments appeared on her mom's blog. The Twitter hashtag #maytheforcebewithKatie started. The cast of Star Wars: The Clone Wars sent her merchandise. People around the world wrote notes to Katie about how they had been bullied for being a "geek," how things got better for them, and how all her fellow Star Wars fans support her, even if the kids at school don't.

This story makes you wonder - what's the secret behind Star Wars' lasting popularity, 33 years after Episode IV: A New Hope hit theaters for the first time? Indeed, even in our own Scholastic Store, books like Star Wars: ABC and Star Wars: A Pop Up Guide to the Galaxy are some of our biggest bestsellers. And whenever I'm passing through the store, I always see parents oohing and aahing over things like the 3-D Millenium Falcon Owner's Guide - even if their kids are still in diapers. Now that the kids who grew up with the movies are having kids themselves, there's a whole new generation of Star Wars fans entering the galaxy. And speaking as someone whose first crush was on Han Solo, I think that's pretty darn cool.

Star Wars isn't the only series to have such a passionate fan base of all ages - Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter have similar communities. And there are obvious similarities between the three - the fight between good vs. evil, the roots in mythology, the allegorical references.

Or maybe it's just because a great story is timeless, no matter how old it is.

(Image via)
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Previously On Our Minds:
* Books Turned Movies: An OOM chat about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
* Lights Camera Action!: Help cast the Hunger Games Movie
* Immortal Books

The Scholastic Store's Facebook challenge: Accepted

2010-12-10T16:07:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, we asked our Facebook fans to tell us about the hardest person they're shopping for this holiday season. The challenge was to see if we could stump the staff at The Scholastic Store in SoHo with the hardest gift shopping quandaries from our fans.

We received plenty of submissions from Facebook fans and we picked five to answer through a video with host Michael Strouse, general manager of The Store. Michael is certainly not new to OOM, and this year he's enlisted help from some of his brilliant staff - even one that resembles Captain Underpants!

The Scholastic Store's staff and their knowledge of children's books makes the store one of the most exciting places for kids to enjoy reading, and one of the best places to get your shopping done year round. Whether you're looking for gifts for the biggest Harry Potter fan, a reluctant reader who only likes books that make him laugh, or a budding princess, The Store's staff can help you find the perfect gift. After all, who wouldn't want to give or get the gift of reading this year?

Take it away, experts!

Finally, we asked Michael what his top holiday picks are this year and here they are:

It's Christmas David! By David Shannon - Michael is so excited about David's new book that he had to turn the store's window into a scene from the book! (pictured here)
Storybook Treasury 16 Disc Pack
The 39 Clues Boxed Set By various authors
The Hunger Games Boxed Set By Suzanne Collin
Lego Crazy Action Contraptions
Klutz Glossy Bands
Klutz Make Your Own Music Video

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Seatbelts everyone! Hop online for a wild ride with the new The Magic School Bus website
* ACCESS GRANTED: 39 days until the final book in The 39 Clues
* Can You See What I See (at The Scholastic Store window?)

Video: David Rose on technology and individualized learning

2010-12-10T10:26:00.004-05:00

If you missed David Rose's Teacher Talk yesterday, never fear. The video replay is available here.

David Rose is the Director and Chief Scientist at CAST (the Center for Applied Special Technology) and a lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

His talk touches on everything from how technology can help schools overcome their "print disability," to how technology can individualize learning and help kids become "expert learners," to how it helps with tasks that humans aren't good at so teachers can embrace their creativity and spontaneity.

For a few more juicy tid-bits, check out some of our tweets from the Teacher Talk.

---Previously On Our Minds:
* VIDEO: Pam Allyn on classroom management and teaching reading
* Video: David Rose and Vicki Davis talk tech in schools
* Video: Chris Dede and Michael Geisen on collaboration, inquiry, and more

Book spying!

2010-12-09T17:05:00.012-05:00

Standing on the subway, surrounded by my fellow A train riders, I couldn't help but think of something my intern said to me once: that when she was looking for a new book to read, she took a look around her on the subway to see what books other people were reading. This is called book spying, and we at OOM wholly support it.

I mentioned this to the rest of the OOMers and we quickly realized that we all came from different parts of the city and the surrounding area, which means we all take different trains and routes to work. Using the brilliant idea of Cover Spy as a launchpad, we decided to spend one week chronicling the books we saw other people reading. It was really fun for me, though I want to take this opportunity to apologize to any of my fellow train passengers I may have freaked out. I wasn't looking at you...just your book!

So ladies and gentleman, I bring to you the first-ever New York Transit edition of Books You May Or May Not Have Heard Of But Are Being Read By Strangers Around You. Please feel free to check these out at your local library or favorite bookseller.

On the A and C trains running from Washington Heights to Brooklyn:

A Devil in the White City: Erik Larson
The Hunger Games: Suzanne Collins*
Let the Great World Spin: Colum McCann
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Jane Austen and Seth Graham-Smith
X-men Legacy: Divided He Stands: Mike Care, Scot Eaton, John Romita and Billy Tan
Every Thug Needs a Lady: Wahilda Clark

On the N,R,Q and W trains running from Queens to Brooklyn:

Lolita: Vladimir Nabokov
American on Purpose: Craig Ferguson
The Instruction: Adam Levin

On the F train running from Brooklyn to Queens:

Gone Baby Gone: Denis Lehane
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek: Annie Dillard
The Great Gatsby: F. Scott Fitzgerald*
The Master and the Margarita: Mikhail Bulgakov (Unfamiliar with this one? It’s on a very famous Harry Potter actor's Bookprint. Check it out!)

On PATH running between New York and Hoboken:

Essential C++: Stanley B. Lippman
Bicycle Diaries: David Byrne
Anna and the French Kiss: Stephanie Perkins
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: JK Rowling*

In addition to these books, many people on all of the trains we travel were reading The Millennium Trilogy by Steig Larsson (too many to count!), countless editions of The New York Times
…and whatever everyone is reading on their e-readers (which make it awfully hard to spy...).

So, now it’s your turn. Whether you take public transit or not, take a look around you and tell us which books you see people reading. (And if you're a New Yorker who rides any of these trains and uses an e-reader, please tell us what's on it. We’re dying to know!

* Suzanne Collins herself told us which five books most influenced her life, while The Great Gatsby and the Harry Potter series were included time and again in other people's Bookprints on You Are What You Read. Did you know you can create your own Bookprint? Try it out now!

image via
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Previously On Our Minds:
* Scholastic's 10 trends in children's books for 2010
* 6 online links to keep Harry Potter fans busy
* My Bookprint: Amanda edition

Scholastic's 10 trends in children's books for 2010

2010-12-08T12:14:00.008-05:00

The end of the year is fast-approaching, and we're getting reflective here at Scholastic. So we thought it would be fun to ask the experts from Scholastic Book Clubs and Scholastic Book Fairs to help us come up with 10 trends they saw in children's books in 2010.

Here's what they came up with!

What do you think? What did they miss? What are your favorite books from some of these categories?

The expanding Young Adult (YA) audience: More and more adults are reading YA books, as the audience for these stories expands.
The year of dystopian fiction: With best-selling series like The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner, readers can’t seem to get enough of fiction that suggests the future may be worse than the present.
Mythology-based fantasy: Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series set the trend – and now series like The Kane Chronicles, Lost Heroes of Olympus and Goddess Girls are capitalizing.
Multimedia series: The 39 Clues, Skeleton Creek and The Search for WondLa are hooking readers with stories that go beyond the printed page and meet kids where they are online or via video.
A focus on popular characters – from all media: Kids love to read books about characters they know and recognize from books, movies and television shows. Titles centered around those popular characters (like Fancy Nancy, David Shannon’s “David,” or Toy Story characters) are top sellers.
The shift in picture books: Publishers are publishing about 25 to 30 percent fewer picture book titles than they used to as some parents want their kids to read more challenging books at younger ages. The new trend is leading to popular picture book characters such as Pinkalicious, Splat Cat and Brown Bear, Brown Bear showing up in Beginning Reader books.
The return to humor: Given the effects of the recession on families, it is nice to see a rise in the humor category, fueled by the success of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Dav Pilkey’s The Adventures of Ook & Gluk: Kung-Fu Cavemen from the Future, and popular media characters like Spongebob, and Phineas & Ferb.
The rise of the diary and journal format: The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is the most well-know example of this trend, but the success of Wimpy Kid is leading to popular titles such as Dear Dumb Diary, Dork Diaries, The Popularity Papers, and Big Nate.
Special-needs protagonists: There is a growing body of literary fiction with main characters who have special needs, particularly Aspergers Syndrome and Autism. Examples: My Brother Charlie, Marcelo in the Real World, Mockingbird, and Rules.
Paranormal romance beyond vampires: The success of titles like Shiver and Linger, Beautiful Creatures, Immortal, and Prophesy of the Sisters shows this genre is still uber-popular and continues to expand.

---Previously On Our Minds:
*6 online links to keep Harry Potter fans busy
*Do the latest PISA scores signal another Sputnik moment?
*Books-turned-movies: An OOM chat about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Do the latest PISA scores signal another Sputnik moment?

2010-12-07T09:49:00.010-05:00

Another set of test scores came out today showing American students being outperformed by those of most other industrialized countries. According to reports on the latest PISA scores, students in countries like South Korea, Finland, Japan, Singapore, Germany and Slovenia are giving us a beat-down in reading, math and science.

And as Valerie Strauss of The Washington Post (and others) predicted, the "hullabaloo" has ensued. The media, along with leaders like President Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, are pointing to these scores as further evidence of how America has lost its edge. Both the President and a Reagan-era DOE official, Chester E. Finn, Jr., are calling this another Sputnik moment.

No doubt, there are challenges within our schools. More than a million students drop out of school every year, and millions more are graduating with poor reading and math skills. Many will tell you that the education system is antiquated and graduating students who are unprepared for the jobs of this century. And the PISA scores would indicate that other countries are doing a far better job (or they are at least doing a better job preparing students for tests).

But statistics can be tricky business as Valerie Strauss pointed out on her blog yesterday. She cites one expert, social scientist Gerald Bracey, who questions how useful it is in a debate about a country's innovation superiority to compare the average students from each country when it's the top students who will become the leaders in the math and science fields. (America fares better on these tests when you look at the number of top scorers.) And Bracey questions the validity of using "bubble" tests to measure "the fate of the nation" when America is still a top economic performing country.

Kevin Huffman sums up the conversation about these scores nicely on his blog (with a wink):

"The cool thing about this is that we can do this again in 2012-13. It’s so awesome to have a Sputnik moment every three years."

What do you all think? Is this PISA test useful? Are you concerned about what these scores might mean for America's competitiveness?

(Photo credit: Flickr photo by FlyingSinger)

---Previously On Our Minds:

*The "summer slide" getting the attention it deserves

*Picture this...

*In Our Feeds: Teacher evaluations, ebooks, used books, $5 fines for tardiness

6 online links to keep Harry Potter fans busy

2010-12-06T18:26:00.000-05:00

Alright, Potter fans. I take it that by now most of you have either read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows or you've seen the first part of the Deathly Hallows movie. Either way, I think it's fair to point out that us Potter fans are a special breed. I'm not just talking about our loyalty to the series. A real Harry Potter fan
...waits in line for hours to get the books,
...buys tickets to the movie a month before its out,
...attends amateur Quidditch games,
...maps out strategies to attend multiple midnight parties and screenings,
...encourages their friends to read the books before watching the movies,
...and of course, always finds new ways to keep the Harry Potter spirit alive beyond the books and movies.

That's why today on OOM we want to highlight 6 recent web links all Harry Potter fans should check out:

1.) What would an OOM post be if we didn't give a shout out to our own re-designed Harry Potter website at Scholastic.com? Wizards' Duel, the seventh and final spell in the series has just launched on this site that's perfect for young readers who are entering the world of Harry Potter for the first time. However, for older wizards and witches-in-training, it's got loads of references and resources such as a glossary, pronunciation guide, polls, trivia and quizzes that will keep you busy! Check out some of the spells like the Creature Creator, Transfiguration, Moody's Trunk, Potions and learn how to cast a Patronus to repel a Dementor.

2.) Not only are you a fan of the Harry Potter movies but you're a little obsessed with the actors...then you'll want to visit YouAreWhatYouRead.com, Scholastic's site that connects readers based on the books that have shaped our lives. Did you know that we have two Harry Potter movie stars on the site? Check out the profiles of the actors who play "Harry" and "Professor Trelawney" to see which five books are in their Bookprint!

3.) If you're hungry for more ways to explore Harry Potter definitely check out The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook by Dinah Bucholz which "contains recipes for every food mentioned in Harry Potter, from simple everyday foods like scrambled eggs to fancy desserts like treacle tart." The story behind the book is worth a read too.

4.) And if you give a Harry Potter fan a cookbook, he'll want some Butterbeer to go with it too! And he'll want to know the best recipe for creating this famous drink. Fortunately, OOMer Amanda found a plethora of information on Butterbeer with recipes.

5.) The Harry Potter cast may have no trouble pronouncing all the magical words and spells from the books, but when it comes to speaking in an American accent? Take a look...

6.) Think you're the biggest Harry Potter fan in the world? Think again after you meet this guy...

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Previously On Our Minds:
* Summertime is Harry Potter time
* BREAKING NEWS: The Real Magic of Harry Potter arrives today
* Books-turned-movies: An OOM chat about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows