Friday, December 12, 2014

J.K. Rowling Just Posted New "Harry Potter" Writing

The first of 12 Days of Christmas.


J.K. Rowling has posted the first of 12 new Harry Potter tales for her website, Pottermore.


J.K. Rowling has posted the first of 12 new Harry Potter tales for her website, Pottermore.


In the 12 days leading up to Christmas Eve, new Harry Potter content will be released daily on Pottermore.


Ian Gavan / Getty Images


We're feeling extra generous this year, so we're bringing you early gifts this Christmas. Starting Friday, December 12, we'll be releasing a festive surprise for you every day at 1pm GMT (8am EST).


With wonderful writing by J.K. Rowling in Moments from Half-Blood Prince, shiny gold Galleons and even a new potion or two, make sure you don't miss out – just visit pottermore.com and answer our rhyming riddles to unwrap a #PottermoreChristmas surprise every day.


Each day, solving a rhyming riddle will unlock new content. Here's the first riddle:


Each day, solving a rhyming riddle will unlock new content. Here's the first riddle:


Any ideas?


Pottermore


Spoiler: If you can solve it, today's riddle reveals a history of Cokeworth, a fictional town where Severus Snape and Lily Evans grew up.


Spoiler: If you can solve it, today's riddle reveals a history of Cokeworth, a fictional town where Severus Snape and Lily Evans grew up.


The town is where Spinner's End is located, as seen in the Half-Blood Prince film.


Warner Bros.




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10 Bilingual Books That Help Kids Learn Spanish

Because one of the best gifts you could give a kid is knowledge.


First 100 Words , by Roger Priddy


First 100 Words, by Roger Priddy


Age Range: Baby - 3 years


What It's About: This is a "board book" that parents and babies can unfold to reveal 100 pictures with accompanying words in both English and Spanish.


Macmillan / Via target.com


Oli / Ollie , by Olivier Dunrea


Oli / Ollie, by Olivier Dunrea


Age Range: 1 - 3 years


What It's About: Two little ducks wait for their egg, Ollie, (or Oli, si usted prefiere) to hatch, but no matter of sitting, poking, prodding, or listening will hurry it up. (As you can see, this is a great way of helping little kids learn all sorts of verbs.)


Houghton Mifflin Harcourt / Via barnesandnoble.com


Before You Were Here, Mi Amor, by Samantha Vamos


Before You Were Here, Mi Amor, by Samantha Vamos


Age Range: 3 - 5 years


What It's About: A mother describes a family's excitement and anticipation leading up to her child's birth, using a mixture of English and Spanish to describe things like shapes, colors, objects, and emotions. Includes a glossary!


Viking Juvenile; Bilingual edition / Via amazon.com


Arroz Con Leche: Popular Songs and Rhymes from Latin America , by Lulu Delacre


Arroz Con Leche: Popular Songs and Rhymes from Latin America, by Lulu Delacre


Age Range: 4 - 8 years


What It's About: A personal favorite, this book features a beautifully-illustrated collection of rhymes and songs from throughout Latin America, helping kids not only learn (or improve their knowledge of) another language, but about other cultures as well.


Scholastic Paperbacks; Bilingual edition / Via mundolanugo.com




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What’s a girl gotta swipe to find her Darcy, am I right?


"Landon" was all sense and no sensibility.


"Landon" was all sense and no sensibility.


Coffee frog to you too, buddy.


Jennifer Schaffer for BuzzFeed



BBC


Jack got ZERO Darcy points.


Jack got ZERO Darcy points.


Jennifer Schaffer for BuzzFeed



Universal Studios / Via vampirecircus.tumblr.com




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Joe Biden And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

A parody inspired by Judith Viorst’s original children’s book from 1972, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day . Also inspired by Joe Biden looking sad and staring out a window.



Jarry Lee / BuzzFeed / Simon & Schuster


I went to sleep after having a case of ice-cold colas and now my breath smells like soda and when I got out of bed this morning, I had a massive sugar hangover and by mistake I dropped my favorite red tie in the toilet after I used it and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.


At breakfast Barack found out he'd be spending the day with Beyoncé and Jill told me she'd be busy until dinner having fun with Michelle, but it said on my agenda I had to write a dumb, boring speech.


I think I'll move to New Zealand.


In the car on the way to run errands, Secret Service let Sasha have a seat by the window. Malia and Bo got seats by the window, too. I said I was being scrunched. I said, if I didn't get a seat by the window, I am going to scream, "This is a big fucking deal." No one even answered.


I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.


At the morning meeting President Obama liked John Kerry's idea to obtain a compromise with Iran on their nuclear program better than my suggestion to just invite Hassan Rouhani over to the White House for a ping pong tournament.


At the press conference that followed Barack said I was smiling too much. At lunch he said I was acting too chill in front of the cameras. What's wrong with being chill? I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.



Pool / Via Getty Images


I could tell because John Boehner said he wouldn't cooperate on the bill we were trying to pass. He said that he would do everything in his power to make sure it wouldn't become a law and that it was his greatest pleasure to wipe off the smile that's usually plastered on my face.


I hope you sit on a tack, I said to John. I hope the next time you get a single scoop vanilla ice-cream cone the only scoop falls right off and lands in New Zealand. Plus, you'll never look as cool as me eating ice cream.


There was an extra bag of fries in Valerie Jarrett's order from Five Guys and they even threw in a free malted milkshake for Barack. Guess whose lunch order they forgot to include?


I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.


That's what it was, because after lunch I got stuck writing that dumb, boring speech without my designated speechwriter because they called in sick. I'll be back tomorrow and fix it, said the speechwriter.


Tomorrow, I said, I'm going to New Zealand.




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