Summer Read: The Catcher in the Rye

What makes this 59-year-old book such a classic?

The Catcher in the Rye

Author: J.D. Salinger

Date of Publication: 1951

Number of Pages: 277

Recommended age of readers: 13 +

Almost every ninth grader reads The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger as a school assignment. My sister read it, my mom read it, I think even my grandmother read it. It is a classic coming-of-age novel, where the main character changes, or grows up, by the end of the story.

The main character in The Catcher in the Rye is Holden Caulfield, who does a lot of changing in this book. He starts out as an immature teenager who has been kicked out of three boarding schools.

During a three-day joy ride around Manhattan, he contemplates thoughts of running away permanently. He turns into a thoughtful young adult as the story unfolds and he gets wise advice from two people he truly cares about. An important lesson for Holden is that he finally learns to listen.

For me, Holden’s wit and his sarcastic sense of humor make the book. Actually in the beginning, I didn’t like this character very much. He was unappreciative of what he had in life. A lot of kids would love to have his opportunities, but all Holden does is complain. He is incredibly whiney!

As soon as Holden starts to mature, his wit and humor are revealed. Now I think that we could be great friends because we are both good with sassy comebacks and one-liners—mostly under our breath.

Aside from some of the slang that no one really uses anymore, this book could have been written today. Holden Caulfield is as interesting now as he was in the 1950s. That’s what makes The Catcher in the Rye a classic.

—Chloe Anello

PHOTO: (TOP) Book Cover for The Catcher in the Rye. (BOTTOM) Kid Reporter Chloe Anello reads The Catcher in the Rye in her favorite place to read any book—the pool! (Photo Courtesy Chloe Anello)

Summer Read: The Red Pyramid

This Fun Summer Read battles the ancient gods of Egypt.

The Kane Chronicles Book 1: The Red Pyramid

Author: Rick Riordan

Publisher/Date of Publication: Disney, Hyperion Books, 2010

Number of Pages: 516

Recommended age of readers: 9-12

I decided to read The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan for several reasons. I chose the book because I'd read other books by the author and liked his writing.

I also am an Egyptian mythology buff so I thought it would be right up my alley and it was! If you like the Harry Potter series or the Percy Jackson books, you will like The Red Pyramid because it is filled with action, comedy, Egyptian sorcery, and magic.

The Red Pyramid is about two siblings, Carter and Sadie Kane, who were separated at an early age after an accident kills their mother. As it turns out, they share the blood of the pharaohs and they have magic powers beyond belief!

When their father disappears after a run in with Chaos, the Egyptian god of evil, the pair will have to work together with the good gods to overcome Chaos.

Carter and Sadie discover that the gods of Ancient Egypt are waking and the worst God, Set, has a scheme to wipe out the entire continent of North America with a storm 10 times more powerful than the storms of the Sahara Desert!

To save their dad, the siblings have an awesome adventure and meet many friends along the way. They face danger and discover truths about their family when they find out about a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

This is a great book that will keep you turning the pages to find out what is going to happen next!

—Jacob A. Schroeder

FROM THE EDITORS: What are you reading this summer? Use the comment section below to send in your recommendations or discuss this review.

PHOTOS: (TOP) The cover of The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan. (Image Courtesy Disney, Hyperion Books) (BOTTOM) Kid Reporter Jacob Schroeder's favorite place to read is a hammock! (Photo Courtesy Jacob Schroeder)

The Writers are Rock Stars!

Scholastic kicks off Summer Challenge with live webcast and popular authors.

Summer reading got off to an electrifying start at the Scholastic World Headquarters in New York City recently.

Kids packed the comapany's auditorium for a live webcast that kicked off the annual Scholastic Summer Challenge. The four-month-long campaign challenges kids around the world to read for the world record. You can register and log in your minutes to participate at the Summer Challenge website: www.scholastic.com/summerreading.

Excited students cheered and waved colorful signs touting favorite book titles and authors as they waited for the book trivia game to begin. Right in front of me I saw a purple and green sign that read Goosebumps: R.L. Stine Rocks!

Students were thrilled to see the award winning authors on stage to test their literary trivia knowledge. Participating were Lisa Yee, R.L. Stine, Gordan Korman, and Christopher Paul Curtis.

Reactions from the students when questions appeared on the large screen behind host Jon Scieszka proved this was a well-read crowd! If one of the authors answered a question incorrectly, the crowd moaned. When one was answered correctly, the crowd ignited with cheers even before the answers were revealed.

Laughter erupted when a question came up asking for the title of the very first Goosebumps book and Lisa Yee buzzed in ahead of R.L. Stine, who wrote the series!

Yee looked to Stine for help. “Why don’t you try answer D,” he said. She unfortunately took his advice. BZZZZZ! WRONG ANSWER! Everyone roared with laughter, including me!

Stine then buzzed in and answered correctly—of course!

Another funny moment was when Gordon Korman buzzed in to answer a question about his own series, The 39 Clues. Host Jon Scieszka didn’t think Korman sounded too sure of his answer.

“I haven’t read it in a while,” he said. Did he get it right? DING! YES, HE DID!

After the show, students rushed to greet their favorite authors and get autographs. The authors were happy to oblige. Rock stars have nothing on these guys as far as enthusiastic fans!

What I noticed most about being at the Summer Challenge webcast was that the students were smiling, laughing, cheering, waving signs, and having a blast. Their reactions to both authors and questions made it obvious that a lot of joy has come from the work of these writers!

And I’m sure the kids who watched from across the world felt the same way, too. After all, reading really is fun!

You can watch the whole webcast on the web site at www.scholastic.com/summerreading.

And don’t forget: you can join Scholastic and Reading is Fundamental to break the summer reading world record! Log on today and register.

What are you planning to read this summer? Use the comment section below to send in your summer reading plans!

—Danielle Azzolina

PHOTO: Authors (from left) Lisa Yee, R.L. Stine, Host Jon Scieszka, Gordan Korman, and Christopher Paul Curtis. (Photo Courtesy Scholastic)

At The White House Easter Egg Roll

The South Lawn became a playground for a day.

The kids were playing on the luscious, green grass on the White House’s South Lawn while the media went right to work, snapping pictures of everything. Cameras clicked away, the sound mixing with the shouts from thousands of families dressed in spring colors. It was Easter Monday on April 5, 2010, when the First Lady and her family hosted the 2010 White House Easter Egg Roll.

As part of the press at the event, I was also snapping away. I stood on a rented ladder to get a better view. I got an added advantage: as the only Kid Reporter there, I got a really good place. I was asked a lot if I could see OK.

I think the most unusual activity of the day was the egg-rolling. It’s not every day that you roll eggs in somebody’s backyard, let alone on the South Lawn of the White House with the President! There were also peeping eggs (eggs that made a sound) for those with disabilities so everyone could play.

It was so cool watching kids of all ages having fun with the egg-rolling and all the other activities. As a member of the press, I didn’t get to do any of the activities. Being a kid didn’t help out any in that respect!

Besides egg-rolling, kids could play basketball with the President (his favorite) or play tennis (my favorite). Tennis star Billie Jean King was there giving pointers, as was Winter Olympian Apolo Ohno, and some really big Redskins football players!

And there were reading stations featuring Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and the President. In the press area, we couldn’t hear what the President was reading, so as he walked back to the White House, questions flew at him about what book he read.

“Green Eggs and Ham,” he said, “The classic.”

—Alexandra Zhang

PHOTO: Kid Reporter Alexandra Zhang on her rented ladder in the press area at the White House Easter Egg Roll, Monday, April 5, 2010. (Photo Courtesy Alexandra Zhang)

Welcome Back, Babysitters Club!

Babysitters Club the Prequel on bookshelves now.

Most young girls—and even some young boys—have had experience babysitting. And probably all of you reading this have been under the care of a babysitter at least once!

That common experience is one of many reasons author Ann Martin’s book series of The Babysitter's Club has been so popular over the years. Today, April 1, after 10 years, a new Babysitters Club book is being released!

This is no April Fool’s joke either. The prequel, called The Babysitter’s Club: The Summer Before, will join the 213 other volumes of Babysitter adventures today.

I am a big fan of Ann Martin’s work. I loved The Babysitter’s Club series, as well as her other series, California Diaries.

When I first got the news that I was about to interview one of my favorite authors, I was really excited. Almost as excited as I was about the new book coming out.

The interview at Scholastic’s headquarters in New York City was a lot of fun. Ms. Martin and I talked about the motifs hidden between the lines of her new book and the messages she wants to spread to her audience.

I had the most fun talking about that because I could see beyond the outer cover of the book and into the deeper depths of the novel. It was a thrill to get to read the book as a reviewer. I got a first look at what fans have been waiting years for.

I think whether you’re already a fan of the series or not, you’ll enjoy the prequel. And then, you’ll be a fan for sure!

I loved The Babysitters Club: The Summer Before, as you can see in my review of the book. And check out the video of my interview with Ms. Martin. Just click play! You can also send you comments about Martin’s work in the comment section below. Tell us what you think!

—Gopa Praturi

How to Build Schools in Afghanistan

One penny at a time, says Greg Mortenson.

Dr. Greg Mortenson went on a journey to climb K2, the second highest mountain peak in the world. Instead he climbed a much bigger mountain—illiteracy.

Known as Dr. Greg, this Nobel Peace Prize Nominee is also author of several books, including Three Cups of Tea and One Man's Journey to Change the World...One Child at a Time.

Recently he met with more than 600 Girls Scouts—including me—from San Jacinto Council in Houston, Texas. We gathered in the gymnasium at the AWTY International School to learn about Dr. Greg’s fight to build schools for girls in Afghanistan.

In 1993, during his trip to climb K2, Dr. Greg got lost and ended up in the village of Korphe. After breakfast one day, he saw 82 children—78 boy and 4 girls—writing with sticks on the ground. They did not have a teacher. The village couldn’t afford the $1 a day salary.

"Can you imagine a fourth grade class in America, alone, without a teacher, sitting quietly and working on their lessons?" Dr. Greg asked.

Over the next 17 years, Dr. Greg built 131 schools in the remote mountains of Afghanistan and Pakistan. His program runs more than 200 schools in the area.

“I realized that education is the top global priority in the world, especially educating girls,” he said. “I also realize that anybody, no matter who you are, can make a difference."

Dr. Greg and his organizations, Pennies for Peace and Central Asia Institute, have made a difference for thousands of children. “We have found that the best support that we get is from the kids,” Dr. Greg said.

Currently some 4,000 schools are helping by just collecting pennies. Pennies for Peace is a service-learning program which started with children from Westside Elementary School in River Falls, Wisconsin. They collected 62,345 pennies for Dr. Greg’s first school.

What can a penny buy? In Pakistan and Afghanistan a penny can buy a pencil, two pennies an eraser, and 60,000 pennies is a teacher's salary for an entire year!

At the end of the talk, Dr. Greg challenged each of us to make a difference. I know I can. What about you?

—Erin Sheena

PHOTO: Kid Reporter Erin Sheena with Dr. Greg Mortenson in Houston, Texas. (Photo Courtesy Erin Sheena)

Walter Wick's Magic

Inside the studio of the artist/photographer of I Spy!

When I recently visited Walter Wick, the photographer and artist for the I Spy and Can You See What I See book series, I got to see the sets he uses for his pictures up close and personal. I am working on a video story about the visit, which will be posted on the Scholastic Kids Press Corps web site later this month.

The sets were the coolest things in the whole studio. The one I thought was the best was the Jolly Roger set, which will appear in the book Can You See What I See? Treasure Ship.That book comes out on April 1.

Something that really surprised me was how much detail goes into each and every set! As I was looking at the Jolly Roger set, the detail, color, and lifelike look took my breath away.

One page of the book depicts the Jolly Roger Gift Shop. It looks like the sunken ship from a previous page. When I looked at the set, I could see the tiniest details in the splintering wood.

Sitting on the table, the Jolly Roger set was taller than me! Mr. Wick begins his sets by first making them out of cardboard. Then he actually designs them out of wood. Before the pictures are taken, he adds color and props, which are all those little trinkets you see in his work. He has over 15,000 props in his studio!

In a room off the huge open area where he takes pictures sits a big cabinet of containers filled with cars, people, blocks, and anything else that might be needed to decorate a set.

When you step into the workshop, you can’t help but smelling the scent of wood. As Mr. Wick says, “The workshop is where all the magic happens.”

That was what my fantastic day with Walter Wick was like—magic.

—Caitlin Wardlow

PHOTO: Kid Reporter Caitlin Wardlow and Walter Wick in Mr. Wick's Connecticut studio. (Photo Courtesy Caitlin Wardlow)

March On! Video

Take a look at the power of this book about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s most famous speech. March On! was written about the speech known as the "I Have a Dream" speech. It was delivered by King during a march on Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963.

I read the book March On! to review it for Scholastic News Edition 4. I loved reading this book because it reminded me what one person with a dream can accomplish.

As I read the book, I felt deeply moved because Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speeches were so packed with power. Sometimes I had to brush away a tear as I read.

To get an idea of what I’m talking about, take a look at an excerpt from this video of Lynn Whitfield narrating the book, which is written by Dr. Christine King Farris, King's sister.

The book is illustrated by London Ladd. You can read my story about that interview as well. Also, check out my review of the book!

—Jeremy Sutton

VIDEO CREDIT: From the just-released Scholastic Storybook Treasures DVD,  "March On! The Day My Brother Martin Changedthe World . . . and more stories about African American History."  

Learn to be a Writer

Non-fiction author George Sullivan shares secret research tips.

When I studied Jamestown in school, I was amazed at how the settlement’s remains have still survived all these years, and how many people are still exploring this 17th century world today. That’s why, when I got the chance to speak with a writer who had explored that world, I couldn’t wait to talk to him.

Interviewing George Sullivan, the author of Pocahontas, gave me a lot of insight into what it’s like to be a writer. Sullivan has written a whole series of nonfiction books and has always preferred non-fiction.

“It answers questions I have,” Sullivan said about his research and writing. “I think that’s the reason I have always preferred nonfiction. It’s curiosity. That’s the basic motivation I have.”

Sullivan is dedicated to his work, and writes for three or four hours every day. Each night before going to bed, he prepares the material for what he is going to write the next day. That next day begins at 5 a.m.!

“I write very early in the morning, when my mind is fresh and when I know I’m not going to be interrupted by the telephone or visitors or whatever might occur during the day,” he said. “I do a great deal of work in the early morning hours.”

By great deal of work, he means four or five hours of writing before having breakfast with his wife.

Writing is all about the research, whether you are writing fiction or non-fiction. Since I have been faced with some pretty big research projects in school (and know there are more to come), I asked him about how he gets started on each book.

“You take the project and you break it into pieces,” he said. “You have an outline that breaks it down into different categories. Then you research each of these pieces, instead of trying to do everything all at once.”

He said it was  lot like putting together a puzzle.

At the end of my conversation with Mr. Sullivan, I realized that I had learned a lot from him about Pocahontas and what life was like in the 17th century. More than that, however, he gave me some great insight into what I might have to do to become a professional writer.

Now all I have to do is be organized enough to plan out what I am going to write the the next day, and remind my mom to wake me up at 5:00 in the morning.

—Maya Kandell

The 39 Clues Live Webcast Nov. 2

Authors talk clues in live webcast on November 2; Book 6 released November 3.

Which series is action packed with mystery, new clues, and new authors who add their very own twists for every single book?

If you guessed the new hit series The 39 Clues you are correct!

The 39 Clues is a series of 10 books. The next book in the series, Book 6: In Too Deep by Jude Watson, will be released on Tuesday, November 3. (Watson also wrote Book 4: Beyond the Grave.)

You can get a head start on the excitement on Monday, November 2, when award winning actor and children’s book author Whoopi Goldberg hosts the "The 39 Clues: Advanced Agent Training" webcast. The webcast begins at 1:30 PM EST. You can log on and register at: http://www.teacher.scholastic.com/the39clueswebcast/

If you don't know about The 39 Clues, now is a good time to find out. The story is about kids Dan and Amy Cahill who travel the globe to find important clues that could make them the most powerful people in the world! The books are full of suspense and actually make you feel that you are a part of the story. They are also funny. I find myself cracking up when I'm reading. 

I especially enjoy learning about historical figures and the getting the inside scoop on them.

Last but not least, I tremendously like the fact that each book is written by a different author, so if you read The 39 Clues, your favorite author might be coming your way.

I can’t wait to attend the event on Monday and meet the latest author. I’m also a big fan of Watson's Star Wars books.

Authors Rick Riordan, Gordon Korman, Peter Lerangis, and Patrick Carman will be joining Watson for a panel discussion lead by Goldberg. Participating kids will be on hand to ask questions and take challenges.

Participating is easy, but if you can't log on to the webcast, just check back to the Scholastic Kids Press Corps website the next day for my story. I'll have all the juicy details!

—Gowtham Balaji