turning a 20-foot wall into a canvas takes vision. so will getting into college. i've got what it takes. so do you. >> "teen kids news" is just ahead, and here's what we've got. >> it can be the best night of high school, or the most tragic. i'll tell you why prom and the summer that follows it can have the potential for danger. >> songwriting.or danger. it may not be as hard as you think -- if you have the right help. >> the sport that's sweeping the muggle world. can you guess? i'll have the answer coming up. >> he began as the multitalented captain of east high school's basketball team. now zac efron is reading for a whole new part -- that of a

real-life role model. i'll have that report. >> so get ready. "teen kids news" starts right now. >> welcome to "teen kids news." i'm mwanzaa. >> and i'm siena. here's this week's top story. >> this report is sponsored by the national road safety foundation. >> hey! how are you?! >> are you okay? >> how excited are you? >> excited. >> these teens are getting ready for the biggest night of the school year -- prom. >> i'm so excited i can't stand it. >> i've been waiting for this forever. [ tires screech ] >> actually they're just pretending. >> laura, take pictures. >> they're helping to create a video on driving safety to show high-school students across the

country. >> basically we were just getting ready for prom, for prom night, and, you know, getting excited, and kind of talking about our lives in high school and how things can get stressful. and then we went off to the prom. >> the program is sponsored by the national road safety foundation. >> we want to alert teens about the dangers of driving during the pre-prom season, prom night, and summer driving. >> the video uses student volunteers to act out the three scenarios, giving examples of the risky behaviors that can lead to car accidents. >> okay, it's all yours. go. >> first the teens worked with the director to record their lines. >> did you hear that alyssa's mom wanted to chaperone tonight? >> then it was time for lights, camera, action! >> i'm gonna miss you guys next year. >> we're still gonna be friends, you guys. >> yeah. >> yeah. >> and we'll always be there for each other, right? >> all: yeah! >> it was for safe driving for teens, especially around the prom season -- just so easily to get distracted, either by schoolwork or stress, being tired. >> for the prom dance scenes, students from freehold township

high school in new jersey helped decorate their gym. to stress the importance of safe driving, the production team used a special effect called green screen. >> smile, and freeze! and step out of your shot, sir. >> add a little editing magic, and you get this. >> let me take a picture of you two. [ tires screech ] [ siren wails ] >> we want to have the kids fade out of the pictures to dramatize what can happen to them if they don't drive safely. >> i mean, prom -- it's like a thing everyone looks forward to. and you just have to be careful, make good decisions. like, you have your whole life ahead of you, and why waste it on a stupid mistake? [ rock music plays ] >> the summer scenes were shot with volunteers from seminole ridge high school in florida. >> hey, man, you okay? >> working nights is tough, man. i feel tired all the time. >> me too -- i'm usually online until way after midnight. >> i've been catching up on all

the tv i've missed during the school year. >> to drihome the point that car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens, the producers came up with a special touch. during each scenario, the viewer is given clues to the different driving dangers. then the tape rewinds, and the clues are spelled out. [ rewinding ] >> hey, is there room for me? >> sure, but you're gonna have to sit on somebody's lap. >> hey, man, want to scare the girls a little bit? >> yeah! floor it, man. [ cellphone rings ] >> want me to answer it? >> please. i can multitask. >> oh, my allergies are acting up. makes my eyes water. >> turn it down. i'm trying to drive. >> sun's pretty bright. do you want my sunglasses? >> no, i can see pretty good. >> by the way, if you're a regular viewer of "teen kids news," you might have recognized a few of the actors. they're some of the teens who are reporters on our program. >> well, this was a lot different because usually i am in front of the camera reporting an event. >> i loved pretending to get ready for prom, because i haven't had a prom yet, so it was fun. >> it was so much fun playing a

character instead of reporting like i usually do. >> if you want to watch the complete video, check out the link on our website. and if you're going to prom, have fun, but be safe. keep yourself in the picture. for "teen kids news," i'm scott. >> we'll be right back with more "teen kids news." >> so, don't go away. .. soft... and totally irresistible. your lip butter? likewise. new revlon® colorburst™ lip butter. a hydrating buttery balm for baby soft lips in 20 shiny colors.

>> did you know that songwriting could start with a single photograph? we learn how music is made through a special program for teens. nicole has the story. >> ♪ if i were music, you'd hear

my songs every day ♪ >> ♪ if i were music >> ♪ filling the streets in every way ♪ >> the songs sound like they could be in a broadway musical. >> ♪ i want this to be perfect ♪ it's my n-i-i-ight >> but these lyrics aren't the work of professionals. >> when i wrote my song, i thought it wasn't that good, but when they sang it, it was beautiful. >> ♪ and i wouldn't want to be another girl ♪ >> danika's song "wonderful" is one of many musical acts that originated in the mind of a teen. >> [ groans ] >> "qeianu's blues" is basically about how when i wake up in the morning, it's actually true about what i wrote. >> ♪ family woke up ♪ started to yell ♪ family woke up ♪ started to yell

>> this performance is the grand finale of a challenging class. it's part of a unique program taught by new york's lincoln center theater. >> ♪ shiny, shiny >> ♪ hop on a plane to rio >> the songwriting in the schools program sends professional lyricists and composers into classrooms to create characters with students and write songs from the character's perspective, and then the composers collaborate with the students to create music to set their songs to. >> some of those characters are drawn from real experiences. >> ♪ you make me feel this way ♪ i tried so hard to make this right ♪ ♪ why can't you just see what i'm feeling? ♪ >> others come to life in the students' imaginations. >> we got a picture of -- a photo of an elderly lady, and we just had to free-write, so that's how i got the idea. >> ♪ all of you are outside my box ♪

♪ don't take me as a joke ♪ i am above you ♪ you're little ones to me, so call me mrs. monroe ♪ >> well, to me, free-writing is writing what you have in your mind right at the moment, you know, what you feel is right and what you think -- what you like the most. >> basically for lyrics, what we did this time was we gave them a picture prompt where we took a picture from a magazine, a book, and we gave them various pictures and had them do free-writing. and from there wbasically culled the best material into lyrics for songs. >> they helped us write our own songs by just letting us, like, write down our own feelings on paper. >> ♪ oh, love is a breeze ♪ but my breeze just stopped blowing ♪ i am thoroughly impressed, i am jealous, envious that they are so articulate and able to

express themselves the way they have. >> the performers and teen writers met only hours before this performance, but they connected quickly through the music. >> i mean, all of the kids, all of the songs are really just unbelievable. >> you know, the range is from the funny, goofy, all the way to these serious really sort of touching subjects. >> i wish i had an outlet like this when i was in high school to sort of unleash creativity and to meet composers to sort of show you what you can do. >> many of the songs were collaborations, so students had to partner with classmates to get that perfect sound. >> it's really hard to write a song. its like it's very difficult to collaborate, to take two minds to create a work of art, and i think that's a life skill in itself. >> the core is that hard work really pays off and that a consistent work ethic will, as long as you try your hardest and put in your heart to really anything you do in life is, you know, you'll succeed. >> ♪ if i were music

>> and when the lights go down at the end of the show, the best sound of all is heard -- applause. [ cheers and applause ] for "teen kids news," i'm nicole. the talking. [announcer:] new revlon® photoready 3d volume™ mascara the round tip brush coats even the tiniest lash. the innovative formula reflects every lash... for a 100% more magnified look.

>> here's a story about a sport most people would say doesn't really exist. that's because this sport requires magic. or does it? hannah went to find out. [ dramatic music plays ] >> no, this isn't hogwarts.

and these people aren't wizards. but they are college students playing quidditch. that's right -- the ingenious sport made famous in the "harry potter" books by j.k. rowling. >> whoo! >> at vassar college in new york, these muggles are spellbound by the game. >> it's the most bizarre and excellent sport i have ever participated in before in my life. >> i've always been a really big fan of "harry potter," and just kind of being able to be an adult playing quidditch is kind of really cool from my childhood dreams. >> ♪ our heads could do with filling with some interesting stuff ♪ >> the game was introduced to the muggle world in 2005. a student at another school -- middlebury college in vermont -- adapted it to real life. since then, its popularity has grown by leaps and bounds. now, there are nearly 200 teams across the country and abroad. here at vassar, students have been suiting up, or "brooming up," since 2007. [ cheering ]

recently, i was invited to a practice. before i could start, i needed to know the basics. although they haven't harnessed the power to fly, brooms are still a necessity. is that a nimbus 2000? >> oh, we wish. [ both laugh ] no, we're gonna be placing an order for new brooms soon. these are our "clean sweeps." >> what are the rules of earthbound quidditch? >> well, we take a lot from the movies and from the books. we have three chasers, two beaters, a keeper and a seeker. >> the object of quidditch is to get as many points as you can before the snitch is caught, but more on that later. first, let's understand the other players. >> the chaser is the main offensive position within quidditch. they are the ones scoring the goals. like in soccer the keeper is the goalie and tries to protect the quaffle from getting through the hoop of their own goal. i am a beater and i have been for two years. they are the muscle of quidditch. their main job is to protect

their chaser and to defend their own goal through the use of bludgers. >> what position do you play? >> i'm the seeker. the seeker is a very important part of the game. >> their main job is to do -- is to end the game. basically how they do that is by taking down the snitch, essentially, which consists of ripping the sockball out of the back of the snitch's pants. >> got it! in "harry potter," the snitch is a golden ball that flies. in real life, it's played by an agile cross-country runner. >> i'm actually a snitch. in the beginning of the game i just run around campus doing kind of crazy things or whatever i want -- climb trees, ride bikes, you know, go on top of buildings, go in dorm rooms, and just kind of taunt people basically. >> well now that i have a handon things, let's test out my skills. >> i've got the cape, i've got the broom, and i'm ready to play. >> cape team ready. gray shirts ready. the snitch is loose! [ all shouting ]

>> beat her! beat her! >> aah! sorry! sorry! sorry! >> [ grunts ] >> are you okay? >> i'm fine! i'm just scared! no one said this was easy! quidditch brings together a love of literature and athleticism -- minus the magic. it's also a testament to the vast amount of opportunities colleges have to offer. >> oh, definitely. i would never have known that, like, all of these people, you know, were as interested in "harry potter" as i was. i mean, it's completely amazing, and if you're not gonna put yourself out there, i mean, you're just gonna stay in your room all four years. that's not fun, and then you miss out on things like this! >> reporting from the pitch at vassar college, for "teen kids news," i'm hannah.

some goodbyes are worth fighting for. help the marine corps scholarship foundation honor marines by educating their children at mcsf.org. >> today's "book report" is on "memory." it's written by 14-year-old brian yu. hi, brian. >> hi.

>> so what's the book about? >> my book is a futuristic science-fiction novel about an organization that has the technology to take memories and to change those memories. and while initially some people trust this organization and join their cause, eventually they find out the organization is modifying thememories, as well. >> ooh. sounds exciting. how long did it take you to write it? >> the first draft of the novel took me about a month to write. i did it through the program called national novel writing month, in which 200,000 people every year gather together in order to try and write a 50,000 word novel in the month of november. so, the first draft i wrote in november, and i was continuing to revise it up until february. >> why did you want to write a book? >> i've always liked writing, and i've done a lot of writing with short stories, so i decided to challenge myself a little bit more by trying to write something longer. so, i joined national novel writing month, and i tried to write a novel, much longer, in the month of november.

>> so, once you wrote it, what happened next? >> so after i wrote it, i spent the next three months revising it and editing it and making changes to it, and after that i found a self-publisher called createspace. and using that program i self-published my novel and got it out to people so everyone could read it. >> so, you used self-publishing. walk me through exactly how that works. >> so, first, after i finished writing, editing, and revising the novel, i go to the createspace self-publishing website, and from there i can submit my novel and format it in a way so that it will look good in a book with page numbers. and then i design the cover and the fonts that i want to use on the cover. i write out the back cover summary and then after that they assign me an isbn number and then it gets published. >> what's an isbn number? >> an isbn number is an international standard book number. it's a number that's assigned to books so they can be identified when they're being sold. >> are you happy with the way

your book turned out? >> yeah, i'm happy with the way my book turned out. i put a lot of effort into it, and i spent a lot of time working on it, so i think it turned out pretty well. >> if people want to buy your book, how do they find it? >> if you go to amazon's website -- they're a book retailer -- and you were to look up my name or "memory," you would probably find that book under the book section and you could buy it there. >> thanks, brian. >> thank you. >> with "book report" for "teen kids news," i'm nicole. >> it's time for "word"! [ applause ] test your vocabulary by finding the real definition amid the fakes. let's start with "excess." does it mean... or is it a noun that means... the opposite of success or... [ bell rings ] "excess" is an amount or action beyond what is necessary, as in, "'kids news' displays an excess of talent." >> nyah, nyah, nyah-nyah-nyah! >> now let's try "adamant."

[ bell rings ] actually, "adamant" can be both a noun meaning a very hard material and an adjective meaning inflexible. you could say, "she is as adamant as adamant about her opinions." but would you want to? >> [ laughs ] >> now "uncanny." it means either... [ bell rings ] "uncanny" means weird and mysterious. it's just uncanny that you got that one right! [ warbling, zapping ] >> splendid! >> let's review. and that's "word" for this week!

i hope you find a home. i hope you find a home. hey, maybe you'll be picked next. maybe you'll be picked next. we've been caged together too long. we've been caged together too long. how come nobody ever picks me? maybe they're looking for somebody different. pick me! well, the shelter's closing up for another day. we didn't get picked. i know. tomorrow. guaranteed.

>> these kids are in for a special treat. not only are they going to take part in read across america day, they're about to have the book "the lorax" read to them by super celebs zac efron and danny devito. [ cheers and applause ] zac and danny both star in the movie "the lorax," so they're the perfect pair to read the famous dr. seuss book. >> you guys ready to read? >> oh, yeah, we're ready. you want a mustache? >> you guys excited? [ cheers and applause ] >> getting kids excited about reading is the goal of the national education association. that's why it creates special occasions like this every year,

all across the country. >> "from the ripulous pond came the comfortable sound of the humming fish humming while they were splashing around." >> i've always wanted, if i would have a chance to read back to the kids, "the lorax," which was read to me as a young boy. >> read across america is a celebration on dr. seuss' birthday, but it's also the beginning of another year of really reinforcing year-round literacy. >> here's a piece of trivia for you -- dr. seuss isn't his real name. it's actually theodor geisel. >> it's very important for kids to pick up books these days and keep reading, you know? "where the lorax once stood." >> "the lorax" tells a very important message about helping the environment. >> it's about a community doing things for the planet. one person can't save the world, but you can make a dent. >> and you can also make a difference when it comes to literacy. how can teens help people develop a love of reading?

>> more things like this, man. this was incredible. the looks on those kids' faces while we were reading? gosh -- i want to read more. [ both laugh ] >> what teens can do is, when they have interest, go to the library. bring your younger brothers and sisters. show them how to explore their interests, whether it's travel and space, whether it's dinosaurs, go to the public library and find things to read. >> "i'll read to myself." >> i'll read to myself. >> "i'll read to a crowd." >> i'll read to a crowd. >> today's event ended with a promise -- everyone pledged to read more. [ cheers and applause ] so here's my promise -- i will read books in a box, and i will read them with a fox. and i will read them in a house, and i will read them with a mouse. and i will read them here or there, say, i will read books anywhere. i do so like reading, when i can. for "teen kids news," i'm carina, i am. >> that's it for this edition of "teen kids news." >> thanks for watching. see you next week. 't the only

place kids find drugs. sometimes they find them at home. you can help stop prescription drug abuse by safeguarding

medications in your home, encouraging friends and family members to do the same. and asking your pharmacist how to dispose of medications you no longer need. can you imagine a place where these grow everywhere? yes! it's called the forest... a magical place to enjoy with your family ♪ music so disver the forest and explore all the wonder that's there visit discovertheforest.org to find a forest near you please sir, i want some more. more? well he did say please... please and thank you.