Tell Us What You Think: Who Will Win Super Bowl XLVII?

Read today's top story and answer the following question:

Who do you think will win Super Bowl XLVII? Why?

Let us know in the comments section below!

Photo: An official game ball for the NFL football Super Bowl XLVII. The San Francisco 49ers will play the Baltimore Ravens in the Super Bowl on February 3 in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)   

Kid Reporters go inside Hotel Transylvania!

Diego: On Thursday, January 10, my good friend Damien and I took a trip to Sony Pictures Animation Studios to get a behind-the-scene look at how the movie Hotel Transylvania was made. When we arrived, we were greeted by two very hospitable ladies who showed us around and walked us through the animation process. Looking around, everyone seemed so enthusiastic and exuberant as they were getting ready for their next big project and wrapping up this one.

Damien: When we walked up to the entrance we were greeted by a life-sized character cutout of Dracula from Hotel Transylvania. The lobby of the studios was filled with giant 3D poster boards of all the characters from the movie. I couldn't believe I was in the studios where so many of my favorite computer animated movies had been created!

Our tour began with a special one on one drawing lesson from Darrell Rooney, a story artist who worked on the movie. He taught us the basics of how to draw Dracula. It's really simple and composed of the three basic shapes: triangles, rectangles and circles.

Diego: Thanks to Darrell Rooney I can draw a decent portrait of Dracula! Of course, it’s nothing compared to what he has done but at least I know the basics to draw my own cartoons. “When drawing a character,” paraphrasing what Rooney said, “it is important to exaggerate, distort, or alternate certain features in order to help with theme development and characterization.” For example, did you know that the shape of Dracula’s head in Hotel Transylvania was inspired by a coffin?

Damien: Then we were off to meet the creator and director himself, Genndy Tartakovsky. He was in the voiceover room where many of the world's animation voices have been recorded. Diego and I took turns doing voice over for Mavis and Dracula by viewing clips from the movie. It was hilarious and super cool to try.

Diego: That was my favorite part of the trip. Going into the scratch room with Director Genndy Tartakovsky and recording dialogue for a scene was really fun!

Talking with Genndy was cool, too. He's an interesting man with an impressive background in the art of animation. When he was young, and he came to America from Russia, Genddy said cartoons were his escape from everyday life. And now look where he is. Cartoons and animation ARE his everyday life.

Damien: The last stop on our tour was to the other side of the studios where we met 3D Stereoscopic Supervisor Von Williams who gave us a sneak peek on the tech side of what it takes to make 3D movies.

Diego: Von Williams is possibly the best stereoscopic 3D professional in the world and he gave us an inside look at his job, too. Watching Von Williams was like observing a potter create a whole entire world from clay, only with computers.

Damien: It's amazing how just the slightest touch of a button here or a flip of a switch there can make all the difference in how a movie can pop out at you. It was fascinating to see the layers and controls that are used to make 3D animation come alive in 3D. It was a lot of fun to learn all the secrets behind the magic of the animation movie making. It really is fun!

Diego: Seeing the characters jumping out of the screen and huge, atmospheric castle chambers make many feel as if they were jumping into the screen. But to actually see the 3D process is a whole other story.

Check out our video report about our time at the Sony Animation Studio on the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps website! And watch a video of our voiceover work below!

—Kid Reporters Diego Magaña and Damien Murphy

Photo: Kid Reporters Diego Magana (left) and Damien Murphy take a turn behind the microphone to give voice to characters in Hotel Transylvania during their Sony Animation Studio tour in January. 

Barack Obama sworn in for a second term as President

Read today's top story and answer the following question:

What do you think President Barack Obama should focus on in his second term? What are the most important issues facing the country?

Let us know in the comments section below!

Photo: President Barack Obama receives the oath of office as First Lady Michelle Obama looks on at the ceremonial swearing-in at the U.S. Capitol during the 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)  

My day at the inauguration

I was super excited to witness history in the making, the 44th President of the United States Barack Obama taking the oath of office for the second and last time.

My editor Dante and I met early in the morning to make our way to the designated area where we had tickets. By the time we got there, tens of thousands of people had already gathered on the National Mall and more were yet to come. They had started pouring in since before sunrise, even though the ceremony was scheduled for 11:30 a.m.

Everywhere I looked I saw folks wearing inauguration memorabilia: buttons, hats, scarves, flags, bagsand backpacks, and even jackets with the presidential seal. People had come from all over the country to be together for this momentous occasion. I spoke with members of a family who came from Florida, Georgia, New York, and Texas for a reunion on the National Mall on Inauguration Day!

A crowd of great diversity was making its way slowly but steadily towards the Capitol Building. Kids of all ages, parents, and grandparents tried to find a spot in front of the giant screens placed strategically on the Mall. The atmosphere was charged with boundless energy as the crowd was anticipating the President’s oath and speech.

Everywhere you went was jam-packed with people. Dante and I had tickets for the South Standing area. Because no one seemed to be checking tickets once we were inside, we moved with the crowd to the West Standing area. It was mobbed by thousands of people. At one point we were even squashed between a massive crowd and the doors of a port-a-potty!

My inauguration weekend

I was very excited when I first heard that my editor Dante assigned me to cover the Inauguration Day. But when I arrived in Washington, D.C., on Saturday my weekend got even better.

Being at the inauguration is very important to me because it completes the election cycle I have been writing about since the primaries. I’ve learned a lot about the issues and the candidates in the process, and witnessing the President taking the oath of office will be the final page in my election book.

My excitement doubled when I heard that I would also be covering the Kids’ Inaugural Concert, hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama and Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden. The concert took place on Saturday before the inauguration and it highlighted support for the military spouses and children. Katy Perry, Alicia Keys, Fun., Brad Paisley, and host Nick Cannon performed for a huge audience at the Convention Center.

My dad and I arrived two hours in advance to pick up our credentials, talk to some young spectators, and take in the atmosphere. I was so eager to hear the music and see all of the entertainers, I could hardly contain myself! The venue was absolutely packed with thousands of excited kids who felt just like me.

Just as the show was about to start, I received a message from Dante that Wolf Blitzer wanted to interview me live on CNN’s The Situation Room. Although I was sad that I didn’t get to see the concert, I was very much looking forward to this new opportunity.

America Prepares for Inauguration Day

The 2012 presidential election cycle reaches its official conclusion on Monday. That's when citizens and elected officials will gather in Washington, D.C., to witness President Barack Obama be sworn in for his second term in office.

According to the 20th Amendment of Constitution, the current President's term ends at noon on January 20 after serving out a four-year term. The incoming or reelected President is then sworn in by taking the Oath of Office, also established by the Constitution. The Oath is administered by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

"The inauguration acknowledges the change of administration under the Constitution, in a peaceful transfer of power," explained William B. Allen, a retired dean and professor from James Madison College at Michigan State University. "This Oath, taken by all Presidents, is necessary before being allowed to execute the role of the President and it is required by the Constitution. It is a reminder of the source of their authority and the limitations on that authority."

"Young people should learn early that such testimony is an affirmation of their liberty and what it takes to sustain it," Allen added.

Read the rest of the story on the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps website!

—Kid Reporter Jacob Schroeder

Photo: Barack Obama, joined by his wife Michelle, and daughters Sasha and Malia, takes the oath of office from Chief Justice John Roberts to become the 44th president of the United States, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)   

The Nominations Are In!

This morning was one of the biggest moments of the year for Hollywood. At 5:30 a.m., the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominees for the 85th Annual Academy Awards. The Academy Awards — also known as the Oscars — are the most prestigious honor handed out to movies in America.

Oscars are awarded in 24 categories, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Actress. These awards usually go to grown-up movies, but there's a category for movies kids have probably seen, too. This is the Best Animated Feature award. This year, the five nominees are Brave, Frankenweenie, ParaNorman, The Pirates! Band of Misfits, and Wreck-It Ralph.

As it turns out, Kid Reporters have written about all five of these movies! Revisit their stories on the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps website, then let us know what movie you think should win the Best Animated Feature Oscar!

The Oscars will be awarded on February 24. 

Photos: (from left to right) A still from Brave (Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.); a still from The Pirates! Band of Misfits (Aardman Animations for Sony Pictures Animation); a still from ParaNorman (LAIKA, Inc.); a still from Wreck-It Ralph (Disney. All Rights Reserved.); a still from Frankenweenie (Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

—Editor Dante A. Ciampaglia 

Hurricane Sandy Recovery Special Report

Hurricane Sandy made landfall on October 29, hitting New York City, Long Island, coastal New Jersey, and parts of New England very hard. In early 2013, many communities are still struggling to recover from one of the worst storms to ever hit the region.

But the residents in the hardest-hit areas aren't alone. Kids and adults from all over the country have sent aid, assistance, and relief to the victims of Sandy. Schools have held fundraisers to help other schools, volunteers have traveled to affected areas to help restore power, and clinics and shelters have helped pets who were displaced by the storm.

Scholastic News Kid Reporters have found stories of communities across the nation standing with their east coast neighbors. Find out how kids are helping the relief effort – and catch up with the Kid Reporters' on-the-ground reporting during the storm – in the Hurricane Sandy Recovery Special Report.

Check it out on the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps website!

Photo: A young volunteer at Hoboken High School pushes a bin of clothing donations intended for distribution to the public as surrounding neighborhoods remain without power due to damage caused by Superstorm Sandy, Sunday, November 4, 2012, in Hoboken, New Jersey. (AP Photo/ John Minchillo)

—Editor Dante A. Ciampaglia