Attention dog lovers and Dog Man fans! This week, Scholastic kicked off #ReadToYourDogMan: Share a photo or video of your child reading with their dog, and you'll be featured on readtoyourdogman.com AND have a chance to be selected as the Dog of the Week! 

(Note that by sharing, you agree to the following submission agreement:
https://bit.ly/2uw6Wh0)

Plus, US residents can enter for a chance to win a Dog Man prize pack that includes a full set of signed books, a $100 PetSmart gift card, and some Dog Man swag, by sharing their photos and videos on Twitter or Instagram using #ReadToYourDogMan AND #DogManSweepstakes! Read the full rules here!

Here's a special PSA from Dog Man creator Dav Pilkey: 

Halloween night was filled with tricks, treats, candy, and costumes — and we saw some GREAT costumes! We asked our readers to share their bookish costumes with us, and they didn't disappoint! Below is a small selection of the images we saw: Scroll on down and maybe you'll get inspired for next year!

Dog Man galore!

 

Dog Man says, “Ruff,” which means, “Happy Halloween” or “Get off my tail.” We’re not sure.

A post shared by The Book Colony (@thebookcolony) on Oct 31, 2017 at 6:42am PDT

 

#redribbonweek #storybookcharacterday #Hendrix #dogman

A post shared by Shella (@ms_she11a) on Oct 31, 2017 at 6:48am PDT

Dogman times 2! #davpilkey @Scholastic Dav Pilkey rocks! pic.twitter.com/HBHt1uCi3r

— Kristina Holzweiss (@lieberrian) November 1, 2017

Ms. Frizzle

 

Ms. Frizzle is on her way to school! “Take chances, make mistakes, and get messy”!! #themagicschoolbus #storybookcharacterday #lunalion #montessori #scholastic

A post shared by McKenze Ocampo (@ocampo_casa_montessori) on Oct 31, 2017 at 5:45am PDT

 

"Take Chances, Make Mistakes, Get Messy!" -Ms. Frizzle #storybookcharacterday #2ndgrade

A post shared by Caitlin Elizabeth (@caitlin_elizabeth94) on Oct 31, 2017 at 8:26am PDT

Tra-la-laa! Captain Underpants

@Scholastic #davpilkey #captainunderpants
My littlest is obsessed with tra-la-la, so I had to make him a captain underpants costume pic.twitter.com/G4NU3lVslH

— Elizabeth Albright (@AlbrightsArt) November 2, 2017

pic.twitter.com/c5CfiReWXO

— Stacey Allen (@SAllen102) October 31, 2017

 Tsunami from Wings of Fire

Peter from The Snowy Day

Slappy from Goosebumps

Author Maggie Stiefvater!

So at the event in Phoenix tonight, a reader had dressed up as me for Halloween. pic.twitter.com/sSf1iK98yB

— Maggie Stiefvater (@mstiefvater) November 1, 2017

And lots and lots of Hogwarts students!

Harry & Ron ready for Quidditch! pic.twitter.com/dUOceMC3Zp

— MrsShadish (@MrsShadish) November 1, 2017

#harrypotter ready for action pic.twitter.com/wnYdEuXPAw

— Donna Steff (@DonnaSteff) November 1, 2017

My puppy Gryffindor dressed for class st Hogwarts! pic.twitter.com/yqh2tdNa2g

— Rena Wright (@Reading_Rena) October 31, 2017

 

Off to Hogwarts! #StorybookCharacterDay at school

A post shared by Michelle (@mickee.delizo) on Oct 31, 2017 at 9:23am PDT

Captain Underpants has a new fan in the CBS Sunday Morning show!

In a weekend segment, Rita Braver from CBS sat down with Dav Pilkey to examine the phenomenon behind his groundbreaking books.

During the segment, Rita unearths what inspired Pilkey to create "Captain Underpants" (and its spin-off series, "Dog Man," recently the top selling book for both adults and children in the U.S. and Canada!). As she notes, "the real superheroes in the Captain Underpants saga are the boys, who share some important traits with Dav Pilkey himself: 'They have something called ADHD—attention deficit hyperactivity delightfulness, is how I prefer it.'"

Pilkey, who himself was a child who "misbehaved, couldn't stay in my seat, I couldn't sit still, I was always looking out the window or daydreaming," shows some of his early sketches in addition to lots of old family footage from when he was a child.

This charming, inspiring segment is worth a watch:  

Dav Pilkey, the worldwide bestselling author and creator of Captain Underpants, is hitting the road!

To celebrate the newest Dog Man book, A Tale of Two Kitties (out in-stores August 29th), and the 20th anniversary of Captain Underpants, Dav is embarking on a “Supa-Epic Tour O’Fun” across the country. You can meet Dav, hear his inspiring story, see him draw his famous characters live on stage, and take photos with Dog Man and Captain Underpants costumed characters! Every event includes a book signing, fun giveaways, and a chance to win cool prizes.

See a list of confirmed events below. Please click on the links for more information or contact the bookstores directly to get tickets to the events. And make sure you scroll all the way down to the bottom for a chance to win a SIGNED copy of Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties!

Thursday, August 31, 2016 at 6:00 PM
Hosted by A Likely Story Bookstore
Event location: Mount Airy Middle School
102 W Watersville Rd. Mt. Airy, MD 21771

Saturday, September 2, 2017
11:15 AM – 11:40 AM Presentation
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM Book Signing
Hosted by the National Book Festival
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
801 Mt. Vernon Place NW,
Washington, DC

Thursday, September 14, 2017 at 7:00 PM
Hosted by Indigo  and Scholastic Canada
Event location: Meadowvale Theatre
6315 Montevideo Rd
Mississauga, ON L5N 4G7

Friday, September 15, 2017 at 5:00 PM
Hosted by An Unlikely Story
111 South Street
Plainville, MA 02762

Sunday, September 17, 2017 at 2:30 PM
Co-hosted by Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures and Mystery Lovers Bookshop
Event location: Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
440 Forbes Ave 
Pitsburgh, PA 15213 

Sunday, September 24, 2017 at 3:00 PM
Hosted by Second Star to the Right Children's Books 
Event location: Elitch Theater
4655 W. 37th Ave. 
Denver, CO 8012

Wednesday, September 27, 2017 at 6:00 PM
Hosted by Bookshop Santa Cruz and co-sponsored by The Santa Cruz Warriors
Event location: Kaiser Permanente Arena
140 Front St. 
Santa Cruz CA 95060

Thursday, September 28, 2017 at 6 PM
Hosted by The Reading Bug
785 Laurel Street
San Carlos, CA 94070

Saturday, September 30, 2017 at 10:30 AM & 1:30 PM
Co-hosted by Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center and Copperfield's
2301 Hardies Ln
Santa Rosa, CA 95403

Sunday, October 1, 2017
Hosted by Children's Bookworld
Dav Pilkey with special guests Jamie Lee Curtis and “Weird Al” Yankovic
Event location: Aero Theater
1328 Montana Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90403

***SWEEPSTAKES!*** 

UPDATE: Our two winners have been randomly selected and contacted via email. Thank you for your interest!

We can't get enough of Dog Man vs. Petey! We want to know: If your pet was a super hero (or a super villain!) what would their name and superpower be? Tell us in the comments below! Two winners will be randomly selected to win a signed copy of Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties! Contest is open to all legal U.S. residents 18 and over; all entries must be submitted by 11:59 PM ET on Friday, September 1, 2017.

Read the complete legal rules here.

Tell us about your school and the need for news books to help your students keep reading over the summer. This is the question we posed to educators across the country to answer for a chance to win the Dav Pilkey Summer Reading Educator Contest. Over 6,000 teachers shared with us the dire need for books for their school and classroom libraries as, on average, classroom libraries across the country contain only half the recommended amount of books per class size, and are often funded by teachers themselves. Findings from the Scholastic Teacher & Principal School Report: Equity in Education reveal that regardless of school poverty level, 31% of teachers have fewer than 50 books in their classroom libraries and more than half of teachers (56%) use their own money to purchase books.

This is a particularly crucial time to get kids excited about reading for fun before they depart for summer break. Despite conventional wisdom, six in 10 children ages 6–17  enjoy reading books over the summer, according to the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report™: 6th Edition, but too many kids lack access to books when school is not in session. 

Michael Haggen, Chief Academic Officer, Scholastic Education says: "We know that when children don't have access to books, they have less of an opportunity to practice and develop the reading skills that allow them to achieve academic success. They may also lose the chance to learn more about themselves, other people and the world in which they live. Thanks to the Dav Pilkey Summer Reading Educator Contest, kids across the country will have beautiful, brand new books that will help them fall in love with reading."

55 winning schools (one from each U.S. state, D.C. and U.S. territory*) will now receive a set of 500 books for their school from Caldecott Honor artist and creator of the bestselling Captain Underpants and Dog Man. 

"We all know that reading is important, but there's a certain kind of reading that is life-changing: reading for fun. Studies have shown the benefits of making a habit out of reading for fun—not only does it help our brains stay sharp over summer vacation, but it also makes us more empathetic," said Dav Pilkey, "This is not only life-changing, but also world-changing. I have such admiration for all the educators who participated in this contest—they are great advocates for their students and communities, and they too are changing the world."

Congratulations to the winning schools and thanks to everyone who participated! The schools are listed below and here as well.

• Hanceville Elementary School, Hanceville, Alabama
• Talkeetna Elementary, Talkeetna, Alaska
• Hualapai Elementary School, Kingman, Arizona
• England Elementary, England, Arkansas
• Hoover Elementary, Indio, California
• Irving Elementary School, Pueblo, Colorado
• West Bristol School, Bristol, Connecticut
• North Georgetown Elementary, Georgetown, Delaware
• Riverdale Elementary, Orlando, Florida
• Cowan Road Elementary, Griffin, Georgia
• Paia Elementary School, Paia, Hawaii
• Desert Springs Elementary, Nampa, Idaho
• McCutcheon Elementary School, Chicago, Illinois
• Global Preparatory Academy, Indianapolis, Indiana
• Moulton-Udell Community School, Moulton, Iowa
• Frances Willard Elementary, Kansas City, Kansas
• Highland Elementary, Owensboro, Kentucky
• Loranger Elementary, Loranger, Louisiana
• Indian Island School, India Island, Maine
• Hillcrest Elementary School, Frederick, Maryland
• Lt. Clayre Sullivan School, Holyoke, Massachusetts
• Cleveland Elementary School, Port Huron, Michigan
• Whittier International Elementary, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Lumberton Elementary School, South Lumberton, Mississippi
• Salem Lutheran School, St. Louis, Missouri
• Southside Elementary School, Wolf Point, Montana
• St. Mary's School, Bellevue, Nebraska
• Doral Academy-Fire Mesa, Las Vegas, Nevada
• Dr. Norman Crisp Elementary, Nashua, New Hampshire
• Ann Street Elementary School, Newark, New Jersey
• University Hills Elementary, Las Cruces, New Mexico
• P.S. 48, Bronx, New York
• Rockfish Hoke Elementary, Raeford, North Carolina
• Erik Ramstad Middle School, Minot, North Dakota
• Brantner Elementary, Cincinnati, Ohio
• Apache Elementary, Apache, Oklahoma
• Maple Elementary School, Springfield, Oregon
• Jackson School, York, Pennsylvania
• Gladstone Street Elementary, Cranston, Rhode Island
• Northside Elementary School, Rock Hill, South Carolina
• Hawthorne Elementary School, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
• Rockford Elementary School, Rockford, Tennessee
• Deweyville Elementary School, Orange, Texas
• East Midvale Elementary, Midvale, Utah
• Ferrisburgh Central School, Ferrisburgh, Vermont
• Park Avenue Elementary School, Danville, Virginia
• Garfield Elementary School, Olympia, Washington
• Rowlesburg School, Rowlesburg, West Virginia
• Wileman Elementary School, Delavan, Wisconsin
• Ten Sleep School, Ten Sleep, Wyoming
• Thomson Elementary, Washington, D.C.
• D.L. Perez Elementary School, Yigo, Guam
• Saipan SDA School, Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands
• John B. Watson School, Rincon, Puerto Rico
• Calvary Christian Academy, Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands

*No eligible entries were received from the U.S. territory America Samoa.

Save the date! The Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge begins on May 8 - a free, online reading program that will motivate kids to read over the summer months. To sign-up, visit scholastic.com/summer. 

I am totally the kind of person who thinks the trailers are the best part of going to the movies. So it's probably no surprise that I'm also into book trailers! Here are six of the latest trailers for upcoming Scholastic books that you won't want to miss:

1. Dog Man Unleashed by Dav Pilkey

Dog Man is the hilarious new series by Captain Underpants creator Dav Pilkey, and Dog Man Unleashed is one that readers — especially struggling readers or those who love to laugh — won't be able to put down! Read more here.

2. World of Warcraft: Traveler by Greg Weisman

You don't have to be a World of Warcraft fan to love an epic fantasy adventure, but if your little reader also happens to play the game, then this one's a double win! Learn more about the series here.

3. The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey

The Bad Guys is a brand new illustrated series that will have your 7- to 10-year-old laughing out loud at the antics of Mr. Wolf, Mr. Shark, Mr. Snake, and Mr. Piranha! Learn more about the new series here!

4. The Erth Dragons: The Wearle by Chris D'Lacey

Calling all dragon lovers, this one's for you! If your reader can't get enough of the Wings of Fire series, here's their next read! Start reading an excerpt here.

5. Horizon by Scott Westerfeld

A middle school robotics team, a mysterious jungle, and a race for survival? Sign me up. The new Horizon series, being kicked off by bestselling author Scott Westerfeld, is perfect for sci-fi lovers 8 and up. There's also a free app that accompanies the book so readers and gamers can get even MORE enveloped in the world! Play it (and learn more about the book) here.

6. American Girl: Gabriela by Teresa Harris

The American Girl books were some of my absolute favorites growing up, so I'm super excited that Scholastic is going to be publishing the brand new series about Gabriela! Learn more about Gabriela here.

Dav Pilkey is the award-winning author of the Captain Underpants series. This week, he joined us in the studio to introduce his newest laugh-out-loud funny series, Dog Man! We also talked about why kids love funny books and the importance of encouraging children's creativity. And Dav shared his own story of growing up with ADHD, dyslexia, and behavioral problems, that resulted in him spending most of his school day outside of the classroom. Trust me, this is one 17-minute episode you won't want to miss!

Pop in your earbuds and have a listen, either by clicking here or by subscribing to Scholastic Reads in iTunes. And catch up on past episodes right here!