Book Flap: Watch Your Favorite Books!

This week, Book Flap (your every-other-Friday book news column) has all the latest news about books becoming movies, TV shows becoming books, and even a book-based Broadway play! It's all part of our first Summer on the Splot!

Alice in Wonderland

Last week, the first look at the newest live action Alice in Wonderland movie was released to USA Today.

Lewis Carroll's classic book, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, has been adapted for film over 20 times since the first silent film in 1903. The most famous of the adaptations is probably the Disney animated movie from 1951. This latest version is directed by Tim Burton, who lent his trademark surreal style to another classic children's book adaptation, Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, in 2005.

The upcoming movie will star Johnny Depp (whom you might know as Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean) as the Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter (Belatrix Lestrange from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) as the Red Queen, and Anne Hathaway (Mia Thermopolis from The Princess Diaries) as the White Queen.

Looks like a great cast! The only downside is the wait — Burton's Alice in Wonderland doesn't hit theaters until March 2010. But at least we can look at some early artwork and photos! Let me know what you think!

Because of Winn-Dixie

A singing and dancing dog?! It's not as crazy as it sounds. Kate DiCamillo's Newbery Honor book Because of Winn-Dixie is being adapted as a Broadway musical. And a real dog is going to be playing the title character!

We had trouble teaching my dog not to eat out of the garbage, so I'm sure that will be some sight to see! Do any of you have any star-worthy (or particularly troublesome) pets?

 

The Secret Saturdays

The Cartoon Network cartoon series, The Secret Saturdays, is making the jump from your television onto the pages of a book. This August, everything you've ever wanted to know about yetis, chupachabras, and tons of other cryptids will be right at your fingertips with the release of The Official Cryptid Field Guide, a Secret Saturdays' encyclopedia. And this fall, you can join Doc, Drew, and Zak Saturday on their cryptozoology missions in a brand new graphic novel series.

My favorite cryptid's always been the Loch Ness Monster. What's yours?

LEGO® Star Wars™: The Visual Dictionary

This October, get ready for a new visual dictionary . . . and a possible Storm Trooper invasion! On October 5th, Star Wars fans and LEGO enthusiasts alike can get their hands on LEGO Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary by Simon Beecroft. The book will be chock full of photos and facts on everything from the characters and accessories to the manufacturing and construction of the figurines.

And across the country, people will be celebrating the book's release with in-store parties in both book stores and LEGO stores — complete with trivia contests, giveaways, raffle prizes (including the limited-edition LEGO Star Wars Chrome Darth Vader figure), and visits by the 501st Legion (the world's definitive volunteer Imperial — aka Star Wars bad guys — costuming organization).

The book will come with an exclusive, never-before-released LEGO Star Wars figure. The character for the mini-figure will be announced this July — give me your best guess who it will be in the comments!

Go Mutants!

Sometimes a book sounds so cool, it gets optioned for a movie even before it's come out. That's what's happened with Larry Doyle's upcoming book, Go Mutants! The book, which Doyle is writing this summer along side the movie script, will ask the what-if question we are all dying to know: What if all the aliens and monsters in 1950s horror movies really did invade Earth in the 1950s? Doyle's answer to the question: Of course, all of those aliens would have gotten married and had half-monster-half-human kids who have regular lives and go to regular boring school and are just like you or me . . . just a little more monster-ish.

Since the book won't be out until next summer, tell me what you think: do monsters make good classmates?

And that's how you can watch your favorite books! Check back on July 17th for another edition of Book Flap!

— Carly H., STACKS Staffer

Comments

[Comment #1]

I've read lot's of books but this book:Alice in wonderland.even though it's for little kids,it was a very intresting book.It gives you the feeling that you're in that world with Alice and imagine lot's of wierd things.I loved the book and the movie too but nothing is compared with the book.

[Comment #2]

Can you help me find a book discussion online for kids age 11?

[Comment #3]

i thought alice in wonderland was fantastic even though it was my sisters book haha but all the same it made me get lost in her world.........

[Comment #4]

I think that is pretty cool. I love the book.

[Comment #5]

why can't they have the firs chapter of the harry potter books on here i'd love that

[Comment #6]

There are 2 OTHER Lego books coming out! The Lego Book with Standing Small in a slot in The Lego Book! (Standing Small celabrates 30 years of the Lego minifigure.)