November 2018
The Literary Resource for Teachers, Librarians, and Parents
KATHIE LEE GIFFORD Inspires Little Readers to Make a Big Difference James Patterson
Down to a Science
JUDY NEWMAN
I Don’t Want to Be a Dinosaur … or Do I? Teen Changemaker:
Paloma Rambana
Lobbies for Visually-Impaired Children
The Aquabats are Back
with Super New Episodes One to Watch:
Ser’Darius Blain
News Flash:
Darcy Pattison
Pens a Monstrous New Picture Book
High School Muppet Project
Focuses on Diversity and Tolerance
Ruby Jay
to Portray Holly Hobbie in New Tween Series
Dan Wyson
Offers Valuable Lessons in New Children’s Book Series
Teaching Toolbox
Thankful Thinkers
PROMOTE YOUR BOOK IN OUR NEXT ISSUE! Would you like to promote your book, product, or business? Contact Cristy Bertini at Cristy@StoryMonsters.com or call 413-687-0733 to reserve your space! Discounts available.
MEET THE STAFF PUBLISHER
Linda F. Radke Linda@StoryMonsters.com
Editor-in-Chief
Cristy Bertini Cristy@StoryMonsters.com
WRITERS
Bring Story Monsters Ink into Your Classroom! Visit our website at StoryMonsters.com to download free classroom question sheets to aid in learning comprehension and encourage your students to discuss what they’ve read in each issue!
Melissa Fales, Nick Spake, Olivia Amiri, Julianne Black, Larissa Juliano
Special ContributorS Judy Newman James Patterson
DESIGN Jeff Yesh
Science & Nature Editor Conrad J. Storad
PROOFREADER Deb Greenberg
Web Management Patti Crane
Advertising
Linda F. Radke Info@StoryMonsters.com
StoryMonsters.com Order Story Monsters Ink online at storymonsters.com/subscribe/ or through subscription services for schools, libraries, and businesses. “Like” us on Facebook! Facebook.com/StoryMonsters Follow us on Twitter! @StoryMonsters Follow us on Instagram! instagram.com/storymonsters
Cristy Bertini Cristy@StoryMonsters.com
Book Reviewers Darleen Wohlfeil, Diana Perry, Jessica Reino, Tynea Lewis, Sherry Hoffman, Diana Fisher, Dawn Menge, Denise Bloomfield, Macaulay Smith
Cover photo courtesy of Kathie Lee Gifford Story Monsters Ink magazine and www.StoryMonsters.com are trademarks of Story Monsters, LLC. Copyright ©2018 Story Monsters LLC, ISSN 2374-4413, All rights reserved. Contents may not be published in whole or in part without the express written consent of the bylined author and publisher. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual writers and are not necessarily those of Story Monsters Ink or its advertisers. Story Monsters Ink is published by Story Monsters LLC Postal mail may be sent to Story Monsters Ink 4696 W. Tyson St., Chandler, AZ 85226 Phone: 480-940-8182
2
Story Monsters Ink | November 2018 | StoryMonsters.com
Issues of Story Monsters Ink are recorded by the Arizona Talking Book Library!
Honor Roll Gold Award Recipient, Mom’s Choice Awards. Named among the “great magazines for kids and teens” by School Library Journal. 2016 Irwin Award winner for “Best Publisher of a Literary Magazine” and “Best Editorial Director.”
November 2018
In this issue Features 20 One to Watch: Ser’Darius Blain 24 News Flash: Darcy Pattison
Pens a Monstrous New Picture Book
28 High School Muppet Project
Focuses on Diversity and Tolerance
04 Kathie Lee GIFFORD Inspires Little Readers to Make a Big Difference
32 Ruby Jay
12 Teen Changemaker: Paloma Rambana
Lobbies for Visually-Impaired Children
16 The Aquabats are Back
Columns 10 James Patterson Down to a Science
40 Judy Newman
I Don’t Want to Be a Dinosaur … or Do I?
Offers Valuable Lessons in New Children’s Book Series
New columnist!
48 Monsters at the Movies The House with a Clock in Its Walls
58 TEACHING TOOLBOX Thankful Thinkers
60 Liv on Life
We Have to STOP Bullying!
to Portray Holly Hobbie in New Tween Series
36 Dan Wyson
New columnist!
Resources 44 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 52 Book Reviews
with Super New Episodes
Tell us what you think of this issue! Email your comments to cristy@storymonsters.com.
StoryMonsters.com | November 2018 | Story Monsters Ink
3
Kathie Lee Gifford Inspires Little Readers to Make a Big Difference by Melissa Fales
In her latest children’s book, The Gift That I Can Give, Kathie Lee Gifford teaches little ones that everyone has their own unique gift to share with the world. The TV personality, actress, singer, songwriter, and author says she wants every child to know that they are someone special and even though they may be small, they already have the power to make the world a better place. “It’s a sweet little book,” Gifford says. “All it’s meant to be is a simple message about bringing joy and love to a world that so desperately needs it.”
4
Story Monsters Ink | November 2018 | StoryMonsters.com
Feature Cover Story
“If we love our children, we don’t really care whether or not they have a PhD, unless that furthers their dreams. We need to get out of their way and let them do what they love to do, to use the gifts that God gave them.”
James Patterson
Down to a Science by James Patterson photo by Stephanie Diani
Just last month, Donna Strickland became the third woman to win the Nobel Prize in Physics, nearly sixty years after Maria Goeppert Mayer. And in 1903, sixty years prior to Goeppert Mayer’s win, Marie Curie became the first ever woman awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. You can do the math—that’s only three women in nearly 120 years to win an award given out annually! While female scientists have come a long way over the past century (engineer Frances H. Arnold also won the Nobel this year for chemistry), there’s overwhelming evidence that women remain underrepresented in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. 10
Story Monsters Ink | November 2018 | StoryMonsters.com
That’s the exact reason I created the character of Maxine “Max” Einstein in my new middle-grade series, Max Einstein: The Genius Experiment. And that’s why I really believe Max Einstein is the most important book I’ve ever done. When the managers of the Albert Einstein Archives, located at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, approached me a while back saying they’d like me to create books that will introduce kids to Einstein’s science, I insisted that the protagonist be a girl. They were very bright—no surprise—and were on board. They also said the books must be entertaining to make a difference, because otherwise young readers won’t pay any attention to them.
James Patterson
So while the book is a fictional adventure, it involves lots of very cool science as part of the story. As a young person, Einstein grew up in a time when technology was rapidly changing the world. His curiosity about the world around him was limitless. He imagined things that even adults had trouble comprehending, and asked questions about the universe that few had even bothered to ask. His only tools were pencil and paper. He was tolerant of many backgrounds and viewpoints, and he had this amazing sense of fairness, and of right and wrong. Max Einstein channels all of these traits, and while she isn’t striving to teach kids science, we hope she gets them excited about Einstein’s discoveries and makes them similarly curious. Did you know that it’s Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity that makes the GPS in your cell phone work? You’d be surprised how science affects your life every day. Those fun “Do It Yourself” slime videos on YouTube kids love? That’s chemistry! Your favorite baseball player uses physics to bat a game-winning homerun. Biologists are working to cure diseases around the world. And another of Einstein’s discoveries helped create solar panels, which are key in
fighting global warming. When they think of science, kids might think of a boring laboratory or memorizing lots of equations. But if they want to be the next Einstein or Strickland, what they really need is a big imagination! And what this world needs is kids with big ideas. Kids like the ones you work with every day! When asked about her reaction to winning the Nobel Prize last month, Strickland noted that she was surprised so few women had won the award. She went on to say, “But, I mean, I do live in a world of mostly men, so seeing mostly men doesn’t really ever surprise me, either.” My hope is that our kids, and then their kids, will grow up seeing as many women as men in whatever field they choose to pursue. And I hope that both young girls and boys will find an inspiriting character who they can identify with in Max. I like to think that when Max is an adult, she’d have a shot at winning the Nobel Prize, with plenty of female trailblazers ahead of her. So for all of your aspiring scientists, mathematicians, doctors, writers, musicians, artists—whatever their passion may be—remind them to dream big! Shoot for the stars, or maybe the Nobel.
•
The world’s #1 bestselling author has teamed up with the world’s most famous genius to entertain, educate, and inspire a generation of kids with the first and only kids’ book series officially approved by the Albert Einstein Archives.
StoryMonsters.com | November 2018 | Story Monsters Ink
11
(CNW Group/DHX Television)
Ruby Jay to Portray Holly Hobbie in New Tween Series by Melissa Fales Holly Hobbie has had a major makeover. Forget those drawings of girls wearing long, old-fashioned dresses, aprons, and calico bonnets that appeared on greeting cards, lunchboxes, and toys of all kinds in the 1970s. In the new Hulu series, Holly Hobbie, Holly is a modern-day, 13-year-old singer/songwriter played by actress and singer, Ruby Jay. “The show is all about a young girl’s coming-of-age story,” says Jay. “Holly wants to make a change in the world but hits a few family, friend, and boy problems along the way.” 32
Story Monsters Ink | November 2018 | StoryMonsters.com
Due to her age, Jay is unfettered by any memory of the outmoded Holly Hobbie. She says she’s delighted to have the opportunity to play the contemporary character and believes other girls will readily connect with her. “Honestly, I think that the best thing about playing Holly is how relatable she is,” says Jay. “I feel like I relate to her on a huge level because we are both young teens, we both love singing and creating music, and we both come across problems that rock our world a bit, as I’m sure most girls our age do. I feel so blessed and honored to be able to portray this character.”
Feature Story
Jay has been in show business for almost as long as she can remember. “I have been doing musical theatre my entire life, well … since I was 5 years old,” says Jay. “It has always been my first love.” It all began when Jay first expressed an interest in it. Her mother uploaded a video of Jay singing her heart out in her school’s talent competition, which garnered some interest. “We got a few emails from agents and managers wanting to meet with me,” says Jay. “At first my mom didn’t know how to respond, but eventually I talked her into it.” Following her first stage role portraying an orphan in Annie, Jay honed her talent with roles such as the scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz and Oliver Twist in Oliver! and eventually came full circle, starring as Annie in a later production of the beloved musical.
“Fun fact: I actually go pretty much everywhere with my ukulele so that if inspiration ever hits, I am ready. I also write songs. I write every single night before I go to sleep!” Beginning at age 10, Jay began appearing in TV commercials. She’s also acted in TV shows, including roles as Emma on Modern Family and as Winnie on Grey’s Anatomy. Now she’s adding Holly Hobbie to her résumé. “All were very exciting and very different roles,” says Jay. “I can’t wait to see what role I will be able to portray next!” For Jay, it’s a dream come true to get to do something she enjoys so much every day. “I love everything about acting, from the art of it, to the business, to the craft,” she says. “I love how actors have the chance to really put themselves in someone else’s shoes and become this made-up character while bringing it to life.” When she’s not acting, Jay keeps busy with her many other hobbies. “I love listening to songs, songwriting, crocheting, and, this one is going to really make me sound like a nerd but, doing school work and math problems,” she says. “Although, I am very proud to be a nerd.” Jay recognizes that her fame as a singer, actress, and Internet personality makes her a de facto role model for younger girls. “I feel so humbled to have young girls look up to me,” she says. “It’s an amazing honor, but also nerve-wracking to know that so many young
girls out there are possibly looking to me, or the character I am portraying, as a role model. It’s a lot of pressure.” When it comes to people Jay looks up to, she names two who particularly inspire her with the way they live their lives. “I would definitely say that one of my two role models is Hailee Steinfeld because of her work,” says Jay. “She effortlessly transitions from pop star to movie star! My other role model is Todrick Hall because of how comfortable he is in his own skin, and how open he is about expressing himself. Todrick has a huge impact on the music I write.” Jay has parlayed her exceptional musical theatre experience into a successful singing career. She boasts nearly half a million followers on Instagram and fans clamor to hear her covers of today’s latest hits, like Andra Day’s “Rise Up.” Jay says her acting career doesn’t compete with her musical career. In fact, she says, acting has helped to bolster it. “I really got serious with my music after I started acting,” she says. “I posted a 30-second clip of me singing on my Instagram and it went viral! It really made me see that I could take this wonderful gift that God has given me to both expresses myself and have fun!” Jay’s musical talent extends beyond her voice. “I play guitar, cello, and a tiny bit of piano, but my go-to instrument is the ukulele,” says Jay. “Fun fact: I actually go pretty much everywhere with my ukulele so that if inspiration ever hits, I am ready. I also write songs. I write every single night before I go to sleep!” Currently, Jay is putting the finishing touches on four original songs she’s excited to release. “I have two hopefully coming out by the end of October and two coming hopefully by the end of the year,” she says. “I hope people enjoy listening to them as much as I enjoyed making them.” For more information about Ruby Jay, find her on Instagram @iamRubyJay, Facebook @iamRubyJay, Twitter @iamRubyJay and at YouTube: Ruby Jay.
•
StoryMonsters.com | November 2018 | Story Monsters Ink
33
Life of a Reader
If dinosaurs inspire kids to read, then I—and David Vozar, my creative partner at Scholastic Book Clubs— want to be dinosaurs.
I Don’t Want to Be a Dinosaur … or Do I? by Judy Newman I received the email I have been dreading. An invitation—and a request for my sweatshirt size—to the Scholastic Annual Dinosaur Luncheon. I love my job. And I truly appreciate that I have been working at Scholastic, in the Book Clubs Division, since 1993. But I have always been skeptical of becoming a member of this very special club, which is open only to Scholastic staff who have been with the company for 25 years! 40
Story Monsters Ink | November 2018 | StoryMonsters.com
I don’t have anything against dinosaurs, but I never understood why any active, healthy, stillworking person would want to be a member of club named for an extinct species. I do love the fact that Scholastic celebrates employees with long tenure. It was just the association with extinction—being a dinosaur—that got to me. This all got me thinking … since dinosaurs play such an outsize role and are such vibrant and hugely popular characters in all kinds of children’s books—both
Life of a Reader
fiction and nonfiction—maybe in a way they aren’t truly extinct after all. Some of Scholastic Book Clubs’ most popular, perennial series feature dinosaurs: How Do Dinosaurs Learn to Read?, the latest book in the How Do Dinosaurs? series by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague; Who Would Win? Tyrannosaurus Rex vs. Velociraptor, a favorite in the Who Would Win? series by Jerry Pallotta (Jerry visits more than 150 schools a year to help turn thousands of kids into avid readers!); What Was the Age of the Dinosaurs?, a nonfiction narrative by Megan Stine, illustrated by Greg Copeland in the What Was…? series. This summer, I was on vacation in Colorado when I met two brothers—Skyler and Jasper. They are two enthusiastic, huge—and I mean truly dino-sized— dinosaur experts. Over lunch, we peeled off from the less interesting adult conversation at the other end of the table, and Skyler and Jasper regaled me with an impressive number of dinosaur “fun facts.” Skyler explained to me that he had created his own dinosaur—the Platapusasussa—and that he continuously develops new findings about this dinosaur’s biology, habits, and habitat. He even drew me a picture of what his creature looks like! Through their parents, I contacted Skyler and Jasper to see if they could help me out with this column. They responded enthusiastically! Here are their Top Five Dinosaur Fun Facts: T. rex had the biggest teeth—they were each the size of a banana; Utah raptors were covered in feathers; Brachiosaurus weighed as much as four elephants; Giganotosaurus could swallow a person whole; Stegosaurus had the smallest brain (the size of a walnut) and they were the dumbest dinosaurs. I asked which dinosaurs were their favorite and Jasper said the raptor because “they were small and sneaky, they run fast, and they hunt in packs, like I would do.” Skyler’s is the Mesosaurus because he “loves the water like me.” When I asked why Jasper and Skyler loved dinosaurs so much, Jasper said, “There is lots of stuff to know about them and I’ve never seen them, and I like to learn about them.” Skyler said, “I like to do discoveries about them and what they looked like and what was strongest about them.” Of course, I also want to know which dinosaur books they love! They really enjoy Dinosaurs Love
Skyler (left) and Jasper (right) dig for fossils
Underpants by Claire Freedman and Ben Cort; My Big Dinosaur Book by Roger Priddy; and Saturday Night at the Dinosaur Stomp by Carol Diggory Shields and Scott Nash. At ages 6 and 4, Jasper and Skyler taught me a lot— much more even than the super Fun Fact that T. rex teeth are the size of bananas. These two brothers also showed me why dinosaurs matter so much: They capture kids’ imaginations in so many ways and inspire learning and creativity and true joy and interest in great books about their favorite subject, and there is nothing extinct about any of that. So Jasper and Skyler—along with Mark Teague and Jane Yolen and Jerry Pallotta and so many other fabulous authors and illustrators who bring dinosaurs to life through books—have adjusted my attitude. I am going to approach the Scholastic Dinosaur Luncheon (being held at our stunning, newly renovated, contemporary Scholastic offices this December) with enthusiasm. I will wear my new Scholastic Dinosaur Club sweatshirt with pride. And I will not worry about being extinct. In a way, we all want to be like dinosaurs: important role models in children’s lives who inspire kids to love to read and read to learn. I’m embracing my new “saurus” err, I mean, status. Because, at the end of the day, I will always be proud to be associated with anything that gets kids excited about reading.
•
Judy Newman is President and Reader-in-Chief of Scholastic Book Clubs. For more information, visit judynewmanatscholastic.com. StoryMonsters.com | November 2018 | Story Monsters Ink
41