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This Blog Post Is Sponsored by STORKS.

One unexpected surprise. One giant adventure.

The animated adventure STORKS (rated PG) is in theatres nationwide on September 23 —fly on over and check out the movie trailer.

The STORKS Movie Baby Name Game!

Storks deliver babies…or at least they used to. Now they deliver packages for a global internet retail giant in the movie STORKS. Junior is the company’s top delivery stork, and he’s about to be promoted when he accidentally activates the Baby Making Machine, producing an adorable and wholly unauthorized baby girl. Desperate to deliver this bundle of trouble before the boss gets wise, Junior and his friend Tulip, the only human on Stork Mountain, race to make their first-ever baby drop – in a wild and revealing journey that could make more than one family whole and restore the storks’ true mission in the world.

Are they up to the challenge? Are you? What name would you give the STORKS movie baby? Leave your ideas for the STORKS baby name in the Comments!

Are you obsessed with the book you are reading now? Have you ever been unable put down a book because you are so totally completely lost in your book? If so, this one’s for you!

10 Problems Only Obsessed Readers Understand

10. Dripping food on your book because you MUST eat dinner and read simultaneously.

9. Staying up WAY past your bedtime to finish One. Last. Chapter.

8. That terrible feeling you get when you are on a car trip – you arrive at your destination – and you have to put your book down!

7. That sad, sad feeling when you know the end of your book is near.

6. Stressing out over lending your favorite books to your friends. What if they don’t give them back?!

5. Fan fiction. To read or not to read?

4. The pressure to like “the other” books in the series, even if you really only liked the first.

3. Are they going to make a movie of that book? Will it ever live up? Yes! No! Too stressful!

2. You started naming your pets after your favorite characters.

1. Getting in trouble for reading during class. You know it’s bad when even your teachers want you to stop reading!

Are you an obsessed reader? Let us know what problems YOU’VE run into in the Comments below!

-Ratha, Writer

Image courtesy Portland Button Works

Hey! This dog is rocking a fun haircut while out on the town for a walk! What would you say he is thinking?

Here’s my caption: “I wish my owner had brought more hair gel. I see some other dogs I want to impress!”

Write YOUR caption in the Comments below!

Megan, STACKS Intern

Are you a twin? Sometimes you may love it, and sometimes not so much. But there are certain things in life only you and your other half can truly ever understand. Therefore the following list is devoted to you, my twin friends.

10 Things Only Twins Understand

Photo courtesy Warner Bros.

1. You know exactly what your twin is thinking you can finish your twin’s sentences.
2. Being jealous of your twin’s other friends.
3. Matching clothes. Rhyming names. You either love ‘em or hate ‘em.
4. Having to share everything.
5. You wave back to random people who think you are your twin.
6. The Competition. In. Everything.
7. People think you have the same personality just because you look the same.
8. You’re going to go crazy if another person asks you, “Who’s the good twin?”
9. Your teachers can never tell you apart.
10. Even if you fight, you know you’ll love your twin forever.

Do you have a partner in crime – a.k.a. twin? Let us know your feelings in the comments below.

-Ratha

Pack Up! Hiking and Camping Name Generator

People who hike the Appalachian Trail come up with fake names for themselves so they don’t reveal their real names to strangers they meet on the Trail. Wish you had your own outdoorsy, fake name? You can make one with our HIKING AND CAMPING NAME GENERATOR!

Find the first letter of your first name in the left column below, and the word next to it is your new first name. Then find the first letter of your last name in the right column below, and the word next to it is your new last name. So if your name is, say . . . Abercrombie Fitch, your new hiking name is Bear-Poop Mosquito.

Ready to become that cool, outdoorsy hiking and camping person? Go!

What’s your Hiking and Camping Name? Tell us in the Comments below!

-Ratha (a.k.a Blaze Crickets)

Create a caption for this glorious goldfish!

Leah from the Scholastic Kids Council sent this wonderful picture of her pet goldfish in all its glorious goldishness!

What do you think this fish is trying to say?

Have you read all 10 Diary of a Wimpy Kid books? Are you eagerly awaiting the release of Book #11 Double Down coming out November 1, 2016? If so, we’ve got just the thing to get you through. Check out our Top 10 list of…

10 Things Only Wimpy Kid Fans Understand

10. You will never eat a slice of deli cheese again.

9. When your mom asks you to change your baby sister/brother’s diaper you start singing the “Exploded Diaper” song.

8. Other people’s parents try to talk to them while on the toilet, too?

7. Why taking a “shower” at camp with baby wipes… is actually a pretty good solution.

6. Why wearing your older brother or sister’s hand-me-down underwear is a problem.

5. Silas Scratch.

4. The difference between a purse and an embroidered book bag.

3. That scary moment when you have to stop going to the kiddie dentist … and start the adult dentist.

2. When you take a picture of somebody’s bent inside-of-the-elbow, but your photography teacher thinks it is somebody’s butt (and of course you get in trouble).

1. “I’ll be famous one day, but for now I’m stuck in middle school with a bunch of morons.”

Are you a huge Diary of a Wimpy Kid fan? Let us know in the Comments below!

-Ratha

If you are sometimes shy, enjoy quiet time to just think, and like to be by yourself a lot, you may be an introvert. Almost one half of the population is introverted but when you’re an introvert, it can feel like the whole world is a giant, non-stop noise box. Your strength is in listening and being sensitive to other people, but because you don’t blab about how great you are, people don’t always recognize your quiet awesomeness. (Personally, I think we ALL have a little bit of introvert in us!) Take a look and see if you can relate to:

10 Problems Only Introverts Understand

An oral presentation or even just answering a question in class is sometimes scary.

You would rather eat lunch in the library or in a classroom with a small group of friends than in the loud lunchroom.

You prefer writing or drawing to talking sometimes.

After spending a few hours in a noisy group of friends or family, you need to be quiet by yourself for a little while.

You practice conversations in your head, so the real ones aren’t so terrifying.

You want to do homework or read during your after-school play date – but your friend wants to talk and talk and talk. And talk.

Having conversations with grownups. It’s bad.

People keep asking you, “Are you ok?” or “Why are you so quiet?”

You wish you had noise-cancelling headphones when riding the school bus.

You are the best listener you know but people don’t always listen to you.

If you can relate to these problems, then you might be an introvert. Leave a Comment to let us know what’s going on inside your mind!

-Ratha

There is a famous poem by Robert Frost called “The Road Not Taken.” Here is a quote:

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less traveled by,”

Many people interpret the poem to mean that if you see 2 paths, you should take the less common path because it might lead you to new adventures that you would not experience if you just follow the same road as everyone else. You know, be original and follow your own dreams, not someone else’s.

William has a different idea, though. He just wants to take the shortest road. Maybe there is some pizza waiting at the end of his road, or something.

What about you? What road will YOU take? Write your ending to this sentence :

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I . . . 

Leave your answers in the Comments!

Create a Caption for Smarty Kiss Puppy!

Grr! This puppy looks like he just woke up from a nap! What would you say he might be thinking?

Here’s my caption: “I was having the best dream, there were doggy bones everywhere and I could dig all the holes in the yard that I wanted!”

Write YOUR caption in the Comments below!

Megan, STACKS Intern

10 Problems Only Minecraft Fans Understand

Are you obsessed with Minecraft? Can you spend hours creating your world and visiting your friends’ worlds? Do you eat, sleep, and breathe Minecraft? When you get tired of playing, do you switch over to watching videos of other people playing Minecraft? If so, this is for you. Read on to see if you DIG:

10 Problems Only Minecraft Fans Understand!

1. When a zombie kills your dog (or cat or bunny or horse).
2. Your game glitches and you accidentally die.
3. You build a fireplace in your house . . . and your house accidentally catches fire.
4. You can’t decide who is better: Stampy Cat or Dan TDM. It is TOO HARD to decide.
5. When your sister plays your game and changes/damages/erases your world. Not cool.
6. Lava. It’s bad news.
7. You are constantly searching online how to build cool stuff like ender portals, pirate ships, mob traps, real stuff like the Empire State Building or Titanic . . . the list goes on and on.
8. You can’t stop blowing stuff up with TNT.
9. You have nightmares about a chicken jockey (a baby zombie riding on a chicken) attacking you.
10. You have nightmares about not being able to play Minecraft.

Are you a Minecrafter? Let us know your problems only fellow Minecraft fans would understand – in the Comments below!

-Ratha

If Your User Name Came to Life . . .

Today’s blog post comes from PurpleFairy1862 who asks, “What happened when your user name came alive?”

Here is her answer: 1,862 purple fairies are trying to kill me by using a magical spell while I am in a trap.

What would happen if YOUR user name came to life? Go to the STACK Back Message Board and leave your answer for your own user name. If you don’t have a user name, it’s easy to get one — and free! Sign up now.

Do you wear eyeglasses? Or maybe you need glasses, but you have a habit of “forgetting” to put them on? If you’re nearsighted, this one’s for you. Get ready to take a closer look at . . .

10 Problems Only Nearsighted People Understand

1. Bangs + Glasses = Drama. The constant fight with your bangs and glasses leaves you with greasy hair, an itchy face, and no patience.
2. Swimming without your glasses. If you lose sight of your friends at the pool, you might not find them again for an hour.
3. Waking up and trying to find your glasses so you can see. It’s even worse at a sleepover!
4. Before you got glasses, you never saw individual blades of grass or leaves on trees. Amazing.
5. Forgetting your glasses in your desk at school. Again. 
6. Squinting. Lots of it.
7. The “3” looked like an “8.” It REALLY did.
8. As hard as you try, you just can’t get those splotches off of your glasses from this morning’s hair stylizing.
9. Protective sports goggles. Is there anything more awkward?
10. You can’t wear your trendy headbands with your glasses. Noooooo!

And there you have it. Are you nearsighted? Share your dramas in the Comments below!

-Ratha

Pancake Face Create a Caption

This scrumptious-looking pancake is begging me to eat it! Or . . . is it saying something else?

This will keep you from going bananas!

Leave YOUR caption for Pancake Face in the Comments!

Alex, Scholastic Kids Council

10 Problems Only People Who Play an Instrument Understand

Do you play an instrument? Are you one of those fabulously talented people who can transform an empty room into an instant dance party? Well, we know it’s not easy being awesome, so this Top Ten List is for you! We’ve compiled a list of top 10 problems only people who play an instrument understand.

1. Spit valves and emptying your spit. (Eww).
2. What to wear to the band concert.
3. Messing up your solo at the band concert!
4. Your saxophone, backpack, and athletic gear take up an ENTIRE school bus seat.
5. Saying this to your friends: “I can’t come over today. I have to practice.”
6. Short nails (sorry violin players).
7. When you have to rehearse a song that you hate over and over and over . . . and over again.
8. A broken string at the worst possible time.
9. When your little brother “practices” on your trumpet.
10. Demands to perform at every family gathering.

What about you guys? Do you play an instrument? Let us know some of YOUR problems in the Comments below!

-Ratha, Writer

Aww, poor baby!

Hi there, cutie! This dog has broken her leg, but she still seems like she’s going places! What would you say she is thinking?

Here’s my caption: “Will you sign my cast? I got it in my favorite color – pink!”

Write YOUR caption in the Comments below!

Megan, STACKS Intern

5 Ways for Boys to Add Style to an Outfit

Fashion isn’t just for the girls. While women have an assortment of accessories and jewelry to choose from, boys have tons of ways to add some style their outfits.

1. Colorful shoes
Don’t let your shoes be an afterthought. Find a pair of sneakers with a crazy pattern or with bright colors that will help you stand out in a crowd.

2. Hoodies
T-shirts are fun and can say a lot about a person, but you can add flair to an outfit with a hoodie. Find a cool zip-up sweatshirt that complements your t-shirts. If you wear it unzipped, people can still see the cool design on your t-shirt and the hoodie adds another dimension to your outfit.

3. Sunglasses
Sunglasses are perfect for any outfit. If you slip on a pair of aviators, you look like a cool fighter pilot ready for a mission. If you put on a sleek pair of black shades, you can master the mysterious and cool look. Or find a colorful pair of sunglasses and you look ready to party.

4. Scarves
If it’s cold outside, scarves are the perfect accessory to keep your neck warm. But they’re also super-fashionable. Just ask Harry Potter, who wore his Gryffindor scarf everywhere.

5. Pins
Wearing a pin is a great way to express your personality. Find a cool pin that represents something about yourself and fasten it to your shirt. Hey, if Katniss Everdeen can pull off a pin, why can’t you?

So there you have it, 5 fun ways to spice up an outfit. So, how do you keep yourself looking fashionable? tell us in the Comments.

Brian

Is Bigfoot Real?

I hate when I can’t find the remote for the television, so I can only image what it’s like hunting for Bigfoot. Also known as Sasquatch, Bigfoot is a hairy, ape-like creature that is believed to live in northwestern United States, but no one has ever confirmed its existence.

Bigfoot entered pop culture in 1951, when Eric Shipton photographed a giant footprint. The myth grew even larger when residents of California continued to find abnormally large tracks in 1958. The manhunt for the creature was launched at Bluff Creek, California to find the source of the tracks, and a legend was born.

Over the years, people have reported more Bigfoot sightings. In 1967, Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin claimed they captured Bigfoot on film, but many years later, a close friend admitted he wore a costume to fake the sighting.

Rick Jacobs thought he captured a photo of Bigfoot using an automatically triggered camera, but park rangers later identified the creature in the photo as a sick bear.

Unfortunately, scientists proved many of the sightings to be hoaxes. After the death of Ray Wallace, his children came forward with a 16-inch wooden foot their father used to fake those California Bigfoot tracks in 1958. Scientists also believe other sightings occurred when people mistook bears and chimpanzees for Bigfoot.

Although scientists have disproved all supposed Bigfoot sightings, believers continue to search for the elusive Sasquatch. So, do you believe in the legend of Bigfoot, or is Sasquatch just a hoax? Tell us in the Comments!

Brian

What Is Reverse Graffiti?

You have probably seen traditional graffiti where artists use spray paint to draw a picture or write words on a public space. Reverse graffiti is a method of creating temporary images by removing dirt from a space. You know how you can use your finger to write “Wash me” on a dirty window? That’s reverse graffiti, and some artists have taken it to a whole other level by using a cloth or a power washer to remove dirt on a larger scale and create some incredible artwork.

Because reverse graffiti is temporary, biodegradable, and no toxic ink or paints are used to create it, reverse graffiti is considered more environmentally friendly than spray paint graffiti. Although, that is debatable especially if the artist uses chemical cleaners to create the image. It may also be a waste of water since it takes a lot of water to clean off the dirt.

Spray paint graffiti is considered vandalism, and is definitely illegal if you don’t have permission, but it’s not clear whether reverse graffiti is illegal. Is it vandalism to clean a wall? Some people think so, especially if they don’t like the image created on the wall.

While there are still environmental and legal questions about reverse graffiti, there is no question that some of the artwork being created is amazing! What do you think of reverse graffiti? Tell us in the Comments.

Flickr photo by KylaBorg

How Do Electric Cars Work?

I love driving remote-controlled cars. But when the batteries die, the fun is over. Now, inventors have found a way to build full-sized cars that run on rechargeable batteries.

Electric cars look like any normal car on the street. Drivers still control the car with a steering wheel and push the gas pedal to make it move. But if you look under the hood, an electric car operates differently from a gas-powered car.

The major difference between these two types of cars is their power source. The electric car receives power from an electrical charge, while a regular car is powered by burning gasoline. Every electric car has a battery pack, which is a collection of car batteries that act like a fuel tank and provide power for the motor. This battery is recharged when an electric car is plugged into a power source, just like recharging a cell phone or laptop.

Under the hood of an electric car is an engine just like a gas-powered car. The gas-powered car burns gasoline to power the engine. But in an electric car, the battery sends power to the engine to turn the wheels and make the car move. The electric engine works by using electromagnets. When the power is sent from the battery, the electromagnets use that electric power to operate the vehicle.

Electric cars are still a new technology, but they are better for the environment and might be the way of the future.

What kind of car do you want when you grow up? Tell us in the Comments!

Strange Foods From Around The World

The next time your parents try to make you eat your Brussels sprouts, you might want to consider yourself lucky. There are many foods around the globe that are much stranger. Some of these foods are even served alive! Yep, that’s right – as in moving on your plate.

In Korea, a popular dish called Sannakji is guaranteed to make any picky eater squirm. The steps to prepare this street cart food are simple. Take a small, live octopus, cut it into pieces, drizzle with a mild sauce, and serve while it’s still wiggling on the plate. Obviously, this is not for the faint of heart.

A food called Balut out of the Philippines isn’t much better, although it is cooked. This celebrated delicacy is prepared by leaving a duck or chicken egg in the sun for a few days until the embryo grows into a partially formed animal. The egg is then boiled and often seasoned with chili, garlic, vinegar, and/or salt. And if the description wasn’t enough to swear it off forever, the dish’s nicknames include “Treats with Feet” or “Eggs with Legs.”

If chowing down on legs and feet isn’t your thing, maybe you’d enjoy some sheep’s stomach. The Scots are famous for a savory pudding called Haggis, which contains sheep’s heart, liver, and lungs. It’s then minced with onion, oatmeal, spices, and salt and encased in the sheep’s actual stomach. The concoction simmers for approximately three hours and is then served.

If you thought your international options couldn’t get any weirder, you are wrong. You’ll find a wide variety of fried bugs including fried grasshopper and fried spiders available in Japan, Mexico, and other countries.

Okay, who’s hungry? No one. Well, that’s to be expected. Take the Weird Food Would You Rather Quiz and tell us in the Comments about the strangest food YOU have ever eaten.

April Fools’ Day Jokes

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

• Read these prank ideas for inspiration, including the pranks that Zach Gordon and Devon Bostick pulled on each on the set of the Wimpy Kid movie.
• Need more ideas? Try these April Fools’ jokes.
• Also, try this joke to drive your younger siblings crazy!
• And, just for fun, answer our April Fools’ Would You Rather questions, and our April Fools’ Day Trivia Quiz.

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

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

April Fools’ Jokes

It’s almost April Fools’ Day! That means it’s time to come up with foolproof pranking plan. If you need a little help in the practical joke department, here are a few ideas to try on your friends and family.

Replace your sister’s shampoo with mayonnaise. This harmless but funny joke will leave your sister smelling like a chopped salad for the rest of the day.

Hide all of your dad’s left shoes. It will drive him crazy! Just be sure to write down where you hid them so you won’t be grounded for life.

Mix up a bowl of Skittles, M&Ms, and Reese’s Pieces and pretend it’s just one kind of candy. Your friends who pop big handfuls into their mouths will get a big surprise.

Make caramel onions. Caramel apples are delicious. Caramel onions . . . not so much. Make a bunch and pass them out to your pals one by one. Your friends won’t suspect a thing until they take the first bite. The look on their faces will be priceless.

Caution: Jokes are not supposed to be mean. Make sure the person you prank has a good sense of humor. And remember: Don’t do anything to anyone that you wouldn’t want him or her to do back to you. It’s the golden rule of April Fools’ Day!

Tell us your plans for April Fools’ jokes in the Comments!

How to Avoid Acne

Chances are you’ve had a zit . . . or a few. But don’t worry; you’re not alone. Acne is very common. And if you’re looking for a way to keep your skin clear, start by following these simple steps:

Wash Your Face!
Acne is caused when overactive glands in your pores produce too much oil. This oil, mixed with bacteria and dead skin cells (gross) gets under your skin and causes pimples. That’s why you need to wash your face every morning and night, to clear away the oil BEFORE it can cause acne.

Keep Your Pillows Clean!
The pores on your face secrete oil. Then, you put your face on your pillow to sleep. Well guess what pillows are? Huge oil sponges. Be sure to wash your pillowcases often to make sure you’re not sleeping on an acne factory!

Stop Touching Your Face!
Like it or not, your fingers have all sorts of bacteria and grime on them (even if they look clean)! And when you rest your hand on your cheek or forehead, the bacteria leaps off of your fingers and onto your face! From there it mixes with the oil in your pores and BOOM: Pimple City!

Don’t Pop Them!
Yeah, pimples are easy (and kind of fun) to pop, but don’t do it! Popping pimples can push the oil, dead skin, and bacteria (again, gross) back into your pores and cause an infection, making your situation even worse.

Do you have any pimple horror stories? Tell us in the Comments!

10 Problems Only Cat Lovers Understand

In your opinion, cats are purrr-fect, but there are a few . . . um . . . issues that come with being a cat owner. If your kitty companion is the love of your life, or you just love cats in general, then this Top 10 List is for you!

1. Hair is in everything around your house (from your morning cereal to your favorite eye shadow).
2. Your cat fell asleep in your lap and now you can’t move because you don’t want to wake it up.
3. Your cat is wide awake at 3 a.m. and wants you to play!
4. Cleaning the litter box. EWW!
5. Allergies? They’re kind of worth it.
6. Sometimes after “playing” with your cat, it looks like Wolverine attacked you.
7. You answer your cat’s random meows with “Yes, totally! I know, me too!”
8. Your cat wants to lie down right on top of whatever you are working on at the moment: your homework, computer, your painting for art class. . .
9. You accidentally trapped your cat in the kitchen cabinet. (Who knew he liked to leap up there and take a nap?)
10. Hairballs.

But of course, these problems are nothing compared with that cute, little bundle of fur that loves you. Do you have any problems only a cat lover would understand? Let us know in the Comments!

-Ratha

Photo courtesy of Karen Wang