I love to eat. Whether it’s whipping up in my tiny kitchen or taking advantage of several dining spots in the city, food is a passion for me. This foodie fascination did not develop overnight. This has been a lifelong journey, thanks to books.

As a child, I was always willing to try something once – and with a Polish grandma who did not let you leave the table until you finished your dinner – my mind opened up to different cuisines and flavors. Despite being a member of the “sugary cereal generation,” books helped me find a way to be a bit more daring with my palette.  The following children’s books opened my mind to the possibilities of good eats.

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

Don’t Judge It Until You Try It: I vividly remember my mom reading this to me when I refused to eat broccoli – a.k.a “icky trees.” I remember her teaching me the lesson of “don’t judge it until you try it” with this iconic book.  After a bit of trial-and-error (and some great histrionics at the dinner table performed by yours truly), I realized I love eating raw broccoli. To this day, “icky trees” are now one of my favorite afternoon snacks.

The Paddington Bear series by Michael Bond

Taste the World: Paddington was not only adventurous, but also had a voracious appetite. His tales opened my eyes to a variety of foods including marmalade. Thanks to Paddington, I began to experiment with my peanut butter sandwich school lunches by adding different types of jams and fruits (and even potato chips once…or twice), offering me the chance to try sweet-and-salty, savory-and-sweet and other taste profiles. Paddington also taught me to always keep a snack handy, although I will avoid keeping it under my hat for safe keeping.

Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola

See the Magic in Cooking: This book helped me catch the “cooking bug.” Thanks to her magic pot, Strega Nona made the most delicious pasta. In first grade, we performed a play in class about this book. I was the lucky classmate who played the role of …. the pot. I vividly remember my role consisted of throwing packing peanuts in the air behind a cardboard pot cut-out, mimicking the pot begin to overflow with delicious pasta. After this award-winning performance, I raced home and asked my Grandma how to make pasta and other delicious meals.

Goosebumps: Monster Blood and other titles by R.L. Stine

Play with your food! I know this sounds a bit far-fetched, but as a young boy it was all about “the gross factor.” R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps titles, such as “Go Eat Worms,” turned gross eats into something spooky, laughable – and a fun challenge in the kitchen. The book encouraged me to bake with my mom and make fun treats like “monster blood milkshakes” and “go eat worms dirt brownies.” Thanks to these books, I began to understand the chemistry behind baking.

Be sure to check out these other great top “foodie reads” from Scholastic:

• Cake Pop Crush and Macarons at Midnight by Suzanne Nelson
• Hungry Bird by Jeremy Tankard (out September 27th)
• Groovy Joe: Ice Cream & Dinosaurs written by Eric Litwin, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld (out August 30th)
• Ice Cream Summer by Peter Sis
• Ten Hungry Pigs by Derek Anderson
• A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd
• Dear Dumb Diary Deluxe: Dumbness is a Dish Best Served Cold by Jim Benton
• Cheese,  Pie, and Honey by Sarah Weeks
• Geronimo Stilton: the Super Chef Contest by Geronimo Stilton 

What a great day! Happy Halloween, everyone!

Here at the Scholastic offices, it wouldn't be Halloween without R.L. Stine's annual visit to take over our social media accounts. We're excited to share that the Goosebumps author will be back again this year to scare you all, social media style! 

At 2pm ET on Thursday, October 29th, he'll be taking the reigns on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, and all of our Goosebumps social accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr)! He's going to have his hands full. He'll be sharing scary stories and jokes, behind-the-scenes intel from the Goosebumps movie, and he'll be answering your questions live. Join us at #Goosebumps!

PLUS: R.L. Stine will be sending our very first Snap on SnapChat! That's right, we're now officially on SnapChat (username: ScholasticInc) so give us a follow and tune in on the 29th at 2pm ET for our first Snap from the scare master himself. He'll be sharing his best advice for trick-or-treaters this year. 

It's October -- a time for chills! The Goosebumps movie opens in theaters this Friday and later this month, R.L. Stine himself will take over our social media for the day. And we're hosting a new giveaway -- keep reading for more!

Employees Share Their Stories

It's safe to say Scholastic employees can't stop talking about their love of the Goosebumps brand. The series, which debuted in 1992, is a global megabrand, with books, a television series, games, merchandise, and now a feature film starring Jack Black. (Check out photos from Comic Con, here and here, featuring the author and actor!) Many of us grew up with Goosebumps, so when we asked Scholastic employees to share their memories, they told us some great stories, filled with thrills and spooks. Read them here!

The great story of all, though, is one of hope and progress.

Christina Medeiros from Scholastic Book Fairs shared this:

"Six years ago, my brother's best friend was in a horrible accident. He was 20 years old. He was in a coma for several months, and when he awoke, there was severe brain damage, and he had to re-learn almost everything.

Two years ago his mom called me and asked if I could please get her some Goosebumps books. I purchased them for her as a gift. They were his absolute favorite as a kid, and she thought this may help him start reading again as a form of therapy.

Well...it worked!

He struggled at first, but is now reading at a high school level. I believe Goosebumps helped open a world of possible for this family."

GIVEAWAY [now closed]

We have five (5!) copies of the Goosebumps movie novel signed by R.L. Stine! To enter to win, leave a comment here and tell us: what scares you most? Giveaway open to legal U.S. residents, 18 and up. Read the complete legal rules here.

CONGRATULATIONS to our winners, who were randomly selected: Lindsey Mead; Veronica; J Krause; Sasha G.; Kristin Bartholomew!

New York Comic Con has come and gone, but we can't stop looking at the photos from all the great Scholastic events that happened at the Javits last weekend!

Check out our Flickr slideshow to relive all the awesome moments, including live drawing with Raina Telgemeier, a Goosebumps/The Baby-Sitter's Club Revisted panel, and an autghograph signing with Jack Black and the rest of the Gosoebumps movie cast!

What a weekend!

New York Comic Con just ended and we are still giddy with excitement over all the awesome things we saw -- from a Goosebumps panel featuring R.L. Stine AND Jack Black, to LIVE DRAWING from the incredible Raina Telgemeier!

Here's a glimpse of what we saw:

Comic book fans rejoice – New York Comic Con has arrived! Starting Thursday, October 8 until Sunday, October 11, people from all over the world will decend upon the Javits Center in New York City to get their geek on – and Scholastic will be there to help them!

Below, you'll find Scholastic's full schedule for the convention, including panels, autographing sessions, and loads of other great activities! (And take note: on Saturday, Scholastic is excited to host its own room in Family HQ that will have activities all day for kids of all ages, including a live drawing session with Raina Telgemeier and a Hunger Games Trivia Challenge! You won't want to miss them!)

And as always, be sure to follow Scholastic on Twitter and Instagram for live #NYCC updates all weekend!

Thursday, October 8

11:15am - 12:15pm: We Need More Diverse Comics
Room 1A05

4:15pm - 5:15pm: Assembling Your Nerd Herd: Creating a Safe Space for Students in Your School with Dave Roman
Room 1A05

Friday, October 9

12:30pm - 1:30pm: Cassandra Clare Spotlight
Room 1A10

2pm - 3pm: Cassandra Clare Signing
Hall 1-B, Table 25

6:30pm - 7:30pm: Camp Out with the Lumberjanes!, moderated by Raina Telgemeier
Room 1A24

Saturday, October 10: The Scholastic Room
(Family HQ – 1C05)

10am - 11am: Crafting with KLUTZ

11am - 12pm: Live Drawing with Raina!
Join #1 New York Times bestselling phenomenon Raina Telgemeier for a live drawing session in the Scholastic Room in the Family HQ!

12pm -1pm: An Appearance by Captain Underpants

1pm - 2pm: Crafting with KLUTZ

2pm - 3pm: An Appearance by Captain Underpants

3pm - 4pm: The Hunger Games Trivia Challenge
Do you volunteer as Tribute? Join the Hunger Games Trivia Challenge! How well do you know the world of Suzanne Collins? Test your knowledge and enter to win prizes including signed books and FREE tickets to The Hunger Games: The Exhibition at Discovery Times Square. Drop by through-out the day to pick up free books, posters and bookmarks – something for every reader!

Saturday, October 10: Panels and Signings

11am - 12pm: ABC Family's Shadowhunters with Cassandra Clare
Empire Stage 1-E

11am - 12pm: Chicks Kick Ass – The Ongoing Epic with Daniel Jose Older
Room 1A21

12:15pm - 1:15pm: Daniel Jose Older Signing
Hall 1-B, WORD Bookstores Booth

4pm - 5pm: Will Eisner: Champion of the Graphic Novel with Raina Telgemeier
Room 1B03

Sunday, October 11

10:45am - 11:30am: Goosebumps & The Baby-Sitters Club Revisited: A Conversation with R.L. Stine, Ann M. Martin, Raina Telgemeier and Dave Roman
Room 1A10

11:45am - 12:45am: R.L. Stine, Ann M. Martin and Raina Telgemeier Signing
Autographing Area, Table 25

12pm - 1pm: Create Your Own Adventure with Children’s Book Illustrators (with Dave Roman)
Family HQ – 1C02

12pm - 1pm: #WeNeedDiverseBooks: I Ain't Your Sidekick – Heroic Counter-Narratives with Daniel Jose Older and Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
Room 1A05

1:15pm - 2:15pm: Create Your Own Adventure Autographing with Dave Roman
Hall 1-B, WORD Bookstores Booth

1pm - 2pm: R.L. Stine and the Goosebumps Cast Signing
Autographing Area, Table 24

2:30 pm - 3:30pm: Goosebumps Movie Panel
Main Stage 1-D

2:45pm - 3:45pm: The Future of Comics for Children and Young Adults with Cassandra Pelham and David Saylor
Room 1B03

It’s October, and here at Scholastic that means it’s the month of Goosebumps! 

This year is especially spooktacular for fans of the iconic book series, with the Goosebumps feature film hitting theaters on October 16. (Catch up with this awesome profile of R.L. Stine, out now in the Wall Street Journal!) Leading up to the movie, we'll be counting down with images, sneak peeks, and activities on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram. We’ve also revamped the Goosebumps website with a new background and information about the movie, its monsters, the tie-in novels, and more. Follow along at #Goosebumpsmovie!

Throughout the month, we will be hosting Goosebumps Trick or Treat Giveaways on Goosebumps social media, so follow us at all the links above. Winners will receive a mystery prize pack that could contain a signed book, a DVD, a tee shirt….you won’t know until you open it up! (Hopefully it’s a “treat” and not a “trick”!)

There's more:

• On October 27 the Goosebumps Tumblr will launch an official re-watch of the Goosebumps TV series in celebration of the show’s 20th anniversary. Do you dare to watch the whole show again?
• On October 29, R.L. Stine will take over the Scholastic and Goosebumps social media accounts to answer questions from fans! Participants will not only have a chance to correspond directly with the master of fright himself, but also to win Goosebumps prizes.
• And things will get even spookier in Times Square, when R.L. Stine and Scholastic ring the bell for the opening of the NASDAQ stock market on Friday, October 30th, at 9:30am ET.

PLUS: Two new Goosebumps: Most Wanted titles are out to get you in a spooky mood: Night of the Puppet People and Special Edition #3: Trick or Trap. Five titles based on the movie are out, including an activity book, a trick book starring Slappy, a movie novel, a movie adaptation, and a monster survival guide.  R.L. Stine’s biography, It Came From Ohio!, was updated this year. And over 20 previously out-of-print Give Yourself Goosebumps books are now available only on ebook!

Keep an eye out later this month for two new Goosebumps games! “Goosebumps: Night of Scares” is coming for iOS and Android, and “Goosebumps: The Game” for PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo 3DS, and PC.

Like we said, October is for all things Goosebumps! 

What’s giving you Goosebumps this month? Tell us on social media with the hashtag #GivingMeGoosebumps!

-- Danielle Klimashousky

Today was the day we'd all been waiting for: spookmaster R.L. Stine stopped by Scholastic HQ in SoHo for his annual social media takeover. Pre-Halloween seems to be the perfect time for a scary Q&A with the author, whose books have frightened fans for more than 20 years.

Below, a re-cap of today's "Trick or Tweet" event. The live-question-taking may be over, but you can still join in the conversation online using #Goosebumps!