Build 'Em, Smash 'Em Contest Holds Record Weight!

On October 17th, five teams competed in the Build 'Em, Smash 'Em contest. The teams were given predetermined materials and asked to use all of the materials to build a structure. The structure that could hold the most weight before being smashed won the contest. This time the materials were drinking straws, uncooked spaghetti, hot glue, and a piece of notebook paper. The teams worked diligently for just over an hour building their structures and then the smashing competition began! The first team to test their structure was Team Awesome. Finally, at 11.8 pounds of sand on top of the structure, it was smashed! Unfortunately, no other team was able to beat this weight and Team Awesome lived up to their name.

Team Tri Tower, a brother-sister team and previous Build 'Em, Smash 'Em winners, came in second with 6.8 pounds. Team No Names and team Monster both had structures that held 5 pounds, and finally, team Jolly Ranchers' structure held 4.6 pounds. The competition was friendly and fun! Look for Build 'Em, Smash 'Em as a future program. It's a SMASHING good time! :)

Chamber of Secrets and Worldly Book Covers

I finished Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets last week, and while I profess to being a huge Potter fan, I think that Chamber of Secrets is the book that I've read the least. I know that I've read it multiple times, but I don't think I've read it since the seventh book has come out. By that time I was really concerned with trying to figure out what was going to happen at the end, and I thought that the fifth and sixth books would give me the most relevant clues, but I completely didn't realize how important the second book is. I admit it. Chamber of Secrets was always my least favorite of the series, but I appreciate it a lot more now that I've re-read it after also knowing the end of the entire series. There's so much information in there! Like when Dumbledore gets suspended as headmaster he says, "I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me. You will also find that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it." I mean, that pertains to the end of Chamber of Secrets, but also SO MUCH STUFF that happens later. Genius!

Now I'm most of the way through Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and I found this totally sweet boxed set of the books that I want for Christams, and that got me thinking about the covers of the books from other countries. There are some really awesome ones. I think the Swedish one is my favorite:

But I really like the Dutch one, too:

And can we please discuss how hilarious the one from the Ukrane is? I think it is particularly awful:

Which cover is your favorite? Do you know of any other particularly good/really really terrible ones? Let me know! I should have Prisoner of Azkaban finished by the end of the week, which puts me perfectly on schedule to read one a week until the 19th. Is anyone else counting down the days? I can't wait!

Harry Potter Mania!

There is something big happening in November. Not Thanksgiving or Black Friday or my mom's birthday, nay, but part one of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is coming out, and I could NOT be more excited. So in order to prepare, I have put myself on a strict Harry Potter diet. I am re-reading all of the books from Philosopher's to Hallows, from Quirinius Quirrell to Amycus Carrow, so get ready for some Harry Potter reviews and stuff, because I have seven books to get through in the next five weeks.

And while we're at it, let me know in the comments which Potter book is your favorite. Are you going to see the movie right at midnight, or do you think it looks more like a renter? Do you even like Harry Potter, or are you more of a Gandalf fan? Let me know!