Parents, Get Involved!

Kids do better in school when parents take an interest.

The NFL commissioner, the daughter of a former President, a TV show host, an archbishop and a fashion mogul all came together today to discuss one thing they all agree on: Parents can make a difference in their children's education.

A panel on parental participation at NBC’s Education Nation in New York this week included Cheryl Hines, actress and host of the new TV show School Pride; Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York; Caroline Kennedy, author and daughter of President John F. Kennedy; and Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner.

Goodell said he is concerned about helping kids stay healthy and active.

“Children that are active are better students,” he told the Scholastic Kids Press Corps.

Also active students need a good school building to work in. Hines said that the teachers and students couldn’t work at their best if the working environment is in a poor state. Her new TV show focuses on how much difference a clean and upgraded school can make.

Caroline Kennedy brought up this point: Children can do better if the parents help.

“It’s hard to be a student today and do your best, because there are a lot of things competing for your attention,” she said.

“Students have to remember that the work they put in and the effort they put in will pay off in the long run.”

—Cecilia Gault

VIDEO: Scholastic Inc.

Take the Kid Reporter Challenge

Learn confidence, be interesting, apply to be a Kid Reporter

As a Scholastic Kid Reporter, I have interviewed chefs, entrepreneurs, environmentalists, a circus ringmaster, movie and Broadway stars, and even an American Idol.

The most important lesson I learned is to, first, be well prepared; second to enjoy the process of getting a story; and finally, always be self-confident. The work you will do as Scholastic Kids Press Corps reporter is important. Knowing that you have a responsibility to inform other kids will help give you confidence.

Self-confidence is a very important quality for a reporter. By speaking clearly and assuredly during an interview, the person you are interviewing will feel more at ease and give you better answers. Better answers equals better quotes equals better story!

Some of my assignments included covering the latest Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, conducting a video interview with American Idol contestant Jason Castro, and attending the Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City!

On Tony night I first had dinner with the kids from Camp Broadway and the cast of Billy Eliot, including Tony Award winner Trent Kowalik who plays Billy Eliot. Thommie Retter, who plays Mr. Braithwaite, also joined us.

Later that night, at Radio City Music Hall, I walked the red carpet. Inside I introduced myself to stars and legends such as Scarlett Johannson, Angela Lansbury, Nathan Lane, and the cast of La Cage aux Folles.

I also interviewed Kathie Lee Gifford at the National High School Musical Theatre Awards—A.K.A. The Jimmys.

"Dreaming big and having a good work ethic is the key to become a successful performer on stage," she told me.

The same holds true for being a successful reporter: dream big, work hard, and be confident. And always remember: as journalists, the stories we tell must be truthful, accurate and interesting.

I hope you’ll take on the challenge and send in your application to be a Kid Reporter. For the rules, click HERE! Deadline is October 12.

—Cecilia Gault

PHOTO: Kid Reporter Cecilia Gault with Johnathan Lee Iverson the youngest circus Ringmaster in history. He is also the first New Yorker and the first African American Ringmaster for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. (Photo courtesy Cecilia Gault)

Summer Reads: To Kill a Mockingbird Turns 50

Three Kid Reporters moved by classic American novel

To Kill A Mockingbird

Author: Harper Lee

Publisher: J.B. Lippincott & Co.

Publishing Date: July 11, 1960

Number of Pages: 323

Recommended Age of Readers: 11 and up

It has been 50 years since Harper Lee’s great novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, was first published. The book became a bestseller and then won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Lee’s story was also been voted “Best Novel of the Century” in a poll by Library Journal.

Over the years, millions of copies have been sold. It has never been out of publication. People have enjoyed this story on every continent, but I may be the biggest fan. I love To Kill a Mockingbird.

I feel a strong attachment to this story because it is beautifully written and it’s told from the perspective of a girl, Scout. The story is set in the 1930s in a town called Maycomb. The dialogue between characters is written in a rural southern style, and it made me feel like I was in Alabama listening to a real conversation.

Scout, who is very smart, observant, and a tomboy, lives with her dad (Atticus) her older brother (Jem), and the family cook (Calpurnia). Her mom died when she was 2 years old.

Scout, who’s full name is Jean Louise Fitch, is not perfect. In fact, she gets into fights and has problems at school.

The story Scout narrates takes place over the course of three years and she learns many important lessons during that time. Maybe the biggest lesson of all is that she learns the importance of tolerance and looking at things from another person’s point of view.

“Climb into his skin and walk around in it,” Atticus tells her.

In this story of good and bad, love and hate, the mockingbird represents all things good. 

“Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird,” her dad says.

Atticus, a lawyer, teaches Scout that the world can be a better place when people make an effort to understand each other. She learns from her dad to have compassion for those less fortunate. These are timeless lessons, whether you are in Alabama, New York, or Tokyo, which is where I happen to be right now.

The story is still relevant today because love and hate still exist and human nature remains much the same.

—Cecilia Gault

To Kill a Mockingbird Reviewed

When people define a book as a classic, it usually has three important attributes: a fascinating story, an expressive way to portray the story, and an important message. To Kill a Mockingbird is that and much more.

Written by Harper Lee as a simple reflection of her colorful childhood, it was published 50 years ago on July 11, 1960. It went on to be a bestseller.

Along its journey, the book won Lee a Pulitzer Prize and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The book itself is a fine work of art, which shows life through the eyes of a curious young girl who lived during the Great Depression. 

Set in 1935, Atticus Finch, a wise lawyer, lives with his 6-year-old daughter Scout in a little town in Southern Alabama. Scout and her older brother Jem meet a boy named Dill. Together they make a small gang that roams the town looking for something to do.

One thing they become obsessed with is trying to lure the reclusive Arthur “Boo” Radley out of his house. Since he is not often seen, the children’s imaginations are fueled and they believe he is a hideous looking monster. (He is not!)

At the same time, Atticus is working to defend Tom Robinson, a black man who has been charged with a crime he did not commit. If convicted, he could be given the death penalty. The trial is set during a time of racial inequality. Tensions between the black and white communities create a dangerous situation not only for Tom, but also for Atticus and his family.

I recommend this novel because it is very well plotted and written. The suspense grows as the story develops. When you start reading this novel, you will not want to put it down!

To Kill a Mockingbird is simply the best, and after so many years, it is still a completely relevant to read.

—Andrew Liang

A Timeless Classic

To Kill a Mockingbird, a timeless classic and deeply moving novel, turned 50 this week, and still remains a beloved story even after half a century.

The classic novel, originally published on July 11, 1960, was written by American author Nelle Harper Lee. Known more famously as simply Harper Lee, the young writer was a dropout law student from Monroeville, Alabama.

In her life, Lee only ever completed a single book, but this one story has had an extraordinary and lasting impact on Americans of all ages. Soon after its original publication in 1960, To Kill a Mockingbird won the Pulitzer Prize. It went on to become an enormously popular motion picture in 1962.

Both humorous and solemn, heart-warming and heart-wrenching, To Kill A Mockingbird is one of those classic novels that everyone relates to. Although it deals with issues prevalent during the Great Depression in the 1930s, the tensions and moral problems are still relevant today. To Kill a Mockingbird still leaves a deep impact and lasting impression on readers, even in today’s world.

A classic of the 1960s, and a classic today, To Kill a Mockingbird will forever have a place in the hearts of millions of readers worldwide. This novel is a must-read for all!

—Elizabeth Conway 

Summer Read: Shiver

A summer romance that makes you shiver!

Shiver

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Publisher: Scholastic Press, June 2010

No. of Pages: 400

Age Range: Teen

I love a good horror story and I also enjoy a well-written love story. I doubly enjoyed reading Shiver because it’s both!

Shiver is the story of a 17-year-old girl named Grace and a yellow-eyed boy named Sam—who just happens to be a werewolf.

Grace loves the peace and tranquility of the woods behind her home where she gets to see “her wolf” with the yellow eyes every winter. She is sure the wild wolf saved her from an attack by a pack of wolves when she was 9 years old. Over the eight years since, they watch each other from a distance as their interest in each other grows.

When a local teen is killed by a pack of wolves, a hunting party is assembled. Grace discovers a wounded and handsome boy, Sam Roth, shivering on her back porch. When she sees his yellow eyes, she immediately realizes this is her wolf in human form.

Fate has finally brought Sam and Grace together, but only for a short time. Once his wounds heal, the winter cold will turn him back into a wolf.

Sam and Grace’s romance is sweet and wonderful, even as he realizes he could loose the ability to transform back into human form forever.

The story’s narrative unfolds from both Sam’s and Grace’s points of view. Using that narrative style successfully conveys the sense of longing and intensity that the characters feel toward each other.

This book is a must read book for teens who love an intense, romantic, horror story.

—Cecilia Gault

PHOTOS: (TOP)The book cover for Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. (Image Courtesy Scholastic) (BOTTOM) Kid Reporter Cecilia Gault in one of her her favorite reading spots—the New York City subway. (Photo Courtesy Cecilia Gault) 

A Voice in Despicable Me

New Jersey student debuts as as the voice of Edith, the middle orphan, in new animated film.

I recently had breakfast with 12-year-old Dana Gaier, one of the stars of the new animated movie Despicable Me. The computer-animated “eye popping” 3-D movie opens nationwide on Friday, July 9.

On a Saturday morning long before opening day, Dana and I sat down at Silver Spurs, a restaurant in Greenwich Village in New York City. Dana is the voice of Edith, the middle of three orphans in the movie.

Her older sister is played by Miranda Cosgrove, star of Nickelodeon’s TV show iCarly. Baby sister Agnes is played by Elsie Fisher, who was interviewed by another Kid Reporter from her home on the West Coast.

Dana lives on the East Coast in New Jersey. She auditioned just across the Hudson River in New York.

“I auditioned for a lot of things,” Dana said. “I got the role and they flew me out to Los Angeles.”

The movie is set in a happy suburban neighborhood complete with white picket fences and rose bushes. Steve Carell voices the main character, Gru, who is a super villain planning the biggest robbery in the history of the world—he is going to steal the moon!

His house is painted black and his yard is dead. Underneath is a vast secret hide-away where his army of yellow minions works to carry out their boss’s wicked plans.

Gru meets his biggest challenge when Margo, Edith, and Agnes decide to make him their dad. As the middle child, Dana’s character, Edith, is a mischievous trouble-maker. She is the one who recognizes the fatherhood potential in Gru.

In the restaurant in Tribeca, Dana nibbles on a blueberry muffin and sips a cup of tea as she talks to me about her off-screen life. She is entering the seventh grade this fall and says mathematics is her favorite subject. She also likes to play guitar.

“I want to do more movies, more commercials, more projects and more acting,” she said.

I, for one, can’t wait to see her major acting debut in Despicable Me. I also look forward to whatever project she chooses to do next!

—Cecilia Gault

PHOTO: Kid Reporter Cecilia Gault with Dana Gaier, the voice of Edith in the movie Despicable Me. (Photo Courtesy Cecilia Gault)

What I Learned for Earth Day!

What are you doing for Earth Day? Comment below!

I learned a lot at the 40th anniversary of Earth Day at a green lifestyle expo in New York City recently. It  was a blast!

I got to see the only highway-capable electric automobile currently for sale. The Tesla Roadster is an amazing sports car. It's an all-electric car, has zero emissions, and is very fast. The Roadster's 0–60 mph acceleration time is 3.7 seconds. The top speed is electronically limited to 125 mph and weighs about 2,700 pounds.

The Roadster is the first production automobile to use lithium-ion battery cells. Compared to a regular car, the Roadster has a much simpler motor. It is powered by an electric motor that weighs about 70 pounds. It is amazing that such a small motor can produce so much speed.

The Tesla Roadster is an example of how eco-friendly technology can be stylish, fun, and cool. I felt like I was riding in a superhero car. It’s truly a green car, it gets about 236 miles per charge at a cost of about $5.

After I enjoyed the electric sports car, I ate the most wonderful treats made by Chef Sandy Kraehling of the Pan Latin Cafe. Chef Kraehling is known for her nutritious, organic, Latin-inspired foods, beverages, and specialty items from every corner of the Latin world. She was not only serving lunch at the expo but also educating the public about eco-friendly and healthy food choices and cooking methods.

I also learned about the health benefits of green cleaning. Dino Leva, president of Green Residential Cleaning and David Kistner, the founder of Green Apple Cleaners both explained to me how harmful chemicals are common in general consumer cleaning product, home construction, and clothing. By using more ecologically-friendly products and services, including green cleaning technology and products, we may be able to reduce health risks by reducing exposure to harmful chemicals.

What have you learned about how to live a more eco-friendly life-style this Earth Day? Send in your comments below!

—Cecilia Gault

PHOTO: (TOP)The lithium-ion batteries in the Tesla Roadster cost only $5 per 236 miles to operate. (BOTTOM) Kid Reporter Cecilia Gault with David Kistner, the founder of Green Apple Cleaners, and his hybrid car. Green Apple Cleans not delivers dry cleaning in an eco-car, it cleans clothes in an environmentally friendly manner. (Photos Courtesy Cecilia Gault)

Jason Castro's Advice

American Idol star gives helpful tips to Kid Reporter who is a future Idol hopeful.

It was inspiring to meet American Idol star Jason Castro. I love his music. He is an enormously talented artist. I also thought he was thoughtful and kind.

Castro starred in Season Seven of American Idol. (Season Ten is now in full swing.)  He releases his first CD and kicks off his first nationwide tour today!

His tour begins in his hometown of Dallas, Texas, on Saturday. When I interviewed Castro at Scholastic Headquarters in New York City recently, I told him that I am also a singer and want to eventually tryout for American Idol. He kindly gave me some practical advice.

Castro told me I can’t audition for American Idol until I am 16, and between now and then I must practice, practice, practice! The key to his success, he said, was following that same advice.

He also told me I should record and listen to myself singing. Plus he advised me to get used to singing in front of an audience.

Castro did not get formal training when he was my age, but he recommends having a voice teacher. I am fortunate because I have piano, choral, and voice lessons. I also practice almost every day. I have also performed in front of audiences both solo and with my choir.

I guess I’m on the right track to become an American Idol! I just need to increase my practice from “almost every day” to EVERY DAY!

Are you watching American Idol this season? Who do you think is going to be the next American Idol? Or who do you think is the BEST artist this year? (They are not always one and the same.)

Send in your comments below.

Also, check out my video interview with Jason Castro by clicking on play!

—Cecilia Gault