New York, NY — December 8, 2010 — The Scholastic News Kids Press Corps™ today announced the top five biggest news stories for kids, based on traffic to the Kids Press Corps site. The Scholastic News Kids Press Corps, a national team of 10-14 year-old reporters, delivers news for kids, by kids, and its stories are published on the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps site and in issues of Scholastic News® classroom magazines. The Scholastic News Kids Press Corps’ coverage includes current events, breaking news, entertainment stories, book reviews, author interviews and sports events from their hometowns and on the national stage.

The Top Five Kids News Stories of 2010 Are:

Crisis in Haiti:  Kids were interested in the most recent information on the Haiti earthquake and recovery efforts. Stories on how kids can help in the relief efforts and what it was like for journalists reporting from the earthquake site were some of the most highly trafficked stories on the Scholastic News Kids Press site in 2010.

Taylor Swift:  The award-winning superstar was a big draw for kids, as she released her new album, and the Kid Reporter story on what it was like to interview the singer was widely read.

The Gulf Oil Spill:  The crisis in the Gulf and the Kids Press Corps special report on the recovery efforts – including stories about how wildlife experts cared for injured turtles, an inside look at the NOAA Command Center, and kids making a difference in their own communities – grabbed kids’ attention.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid:  Jeff Kinney's best-selling series continued to be a topic of significant interest, and Kids Press Corps readers were eager to get the latest news on new books in the series, read reviews, and find information on the film adaptations.

The State of U.S. Education:  News about education reform wasn’t just for adults this year. Kids wanted to learn about the state of our nation’s schools, and Kid Reporters from around the country interviewed their teachers, principals, and classmates about education issues in their own communities, creating a special report that proved popular with readers. A select group of Kid Reporters also attended NBC’s Education Nation Summit and spoke with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, astronaut Sally Ride, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about the future of education and whether today’s students are prepared to compete in a global economy.

"It's clear from this list that kids today are interested not only in breaking news, but also in pop culture icons and trends," said Suzanne Freeman, Editorial Director of the Kids Press Corps. "Kids particularly like learning about other kids in the news and they like getting their news from a kid's perspective. The Scholastic News Kids Press Corps has proudly delivered news for kids, by kids, for 10 years, and these Kid Reporters are real pros."

Other top stories for kids included a preview of the movie Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, an interview with the first organizer of Earth Day, and a behind-the-scenes look of what it takes to make it into the Guinness Book of World Records.

"It's clear from this list that kids today are interested not only in breaking news, but also in pop culture icons and trends," said Suzanne Freeman, Editorial Director of the Kids Press Corps. "Kids particularly like learning about other kids in the news and they like getting their news from a kid's perspective. The Scholastic News Kids Press Corps has proudly delivered news for kids, by kids, for 10 years, and these Kid Reporters are real pros."

For more information, please visit the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps at www.scholastic.com/kidspress, or visit the media room.

Contact

Amanda Hebert
212.343.6657
ahebert@scholastic.com

Cathy Lasiewicz
212.343.6570
clasiewicz@scholastic.com