Book Flap: Wimpy Kid & Rats of NIMH Movies & more!

This week, Book Flap (your every-other-Friday book news column) has all the latest news about upcoming books, books becoming movies, and more! It's all part of our first Summer on the Splot!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Movie & Series Update

Back in February, we brought you the news that Jeff Kinney's best selling series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, was being made into a movie. Well now I've got one better—the stars of the movie!

The main character and diary-keeper, Greg Heffley, will be played by Zachary Gordon, who's previously acted in movies like National Treasure: Book of Secrets, and played the voice of Baby Melman in Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. Rachel Harris will play Greg's mom.

But you don't need to wait for the movie to get your next Diary of a Wimpy Kid fix. The fourth book in the series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, comes out October 12th. To get ready for the book's release while everyone is still enjoying the dog days of summer, there will be a Diary of a Wimpy Kid-themed Ice Cream Truck visiting libraries across the country in the Summer Reading Coast-to-Coast Ice Cream Truck Tour. To see if it's stopping near you, check out the Wimpy Kid website.

Rats of NIMH Scurrying to the Movies

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH might be the next classic children's book to make its way to Hollywood. Paramount is in development of a movie based on Robert C. O'Brien's 1971 book. The book tells the story of Mrs. Frisby, a mouse who works to save her home in the field from being destroyed by a plowing farmer, with help from escaped laboratory rats. The story was already adapted to film in 1982 as an animated movie called The Secret of NIMH. But there's no word yet about what the new movie will be like.

What would you rather see—animation or live action?

 

He Speaks for the Trees on the Big Screen

Dr. Seuss fans know it's the Lorax that speaks for the trees in the environmentally minded book, The Lorax. And now the Lorax is taking his message to the movies. Universal and Illumination Entertainment, the people who brought you the Horton Hears a Who movie, are making The Lorax adaptation, with plans for it to hit theaters March 2, 2012. Why that date? It would have been Dr. Seuss's 108th birthday!

Twilight Cast Change

No Book Flap would be complete without an update on what is happening in Twilight World. Planning for the third movie is underway. Eclipse, based on the third book in the series for ages 12 and up by Stephenie Meyer,  brings with it a cast change for Victoria, the nomadic vampire with a grudge against Bella. Rachelle Lefevre who played Victoria in Twilight and New Moon will be replaced by Bryce Dallas Howard in Eclipse.

 

 

Check back on August 14th for another edition of Book Flap!

—Carly H., STACKS Staffer

Comments

[Comment #1]

Bryce Dallas Howard looks just like Rachelle Lefevre...so, it should be good.

[Comment #2]

i think it will geart

[Comment #3]

you guys are so right it can possibly good

[Comment #4]

i'm 10 and i read them all!!!

[Comment #5]

It will be ok,but I rlyyy liked Rachelle!!!I love da series,I've read the whole series six times!!!

[Comment #6]

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh yayayayayay ilove twilight ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[Comment #7]

I love twilight but I have never read the book.

[Comment #8]

Cool! I wanna see the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Movie.

[Comment #9]

I think they should've kept Rachelle. She was a good Victoria, and she was perfect for that part. But I do respect Bryce Dallas Howard still. I will miss Victoria on "Eclipse". :|

[Comment #10]

I sad. They should have kept Lefevre for no other reason than that she looks like me. And I finally learned to pronounce her name, so I don't want that to go to waste. She was an amazing Victoria. I will mourn her departure from the cast. No, she's not dead. I'm just overly dramatic. Aren't all Twihards?

[Comment #11]

it is coollllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!

[Comment #12]

I CAN NOT WAIT FOR NEW MOON AND ECLIPSE I ALL READY HAVE MY TICKETS I CAN NOT WAIT AND R THEY REALLY GOING TO MAKE DIARY OF A WIMPY KIDS

[Comment #13]

I think the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie appeals to more than just kids. I saw the trailer and it looks so funny. All ages can relate to and enjoy this movie. There is a lot more substance and identifiable experiences in Wimpy Kid than Twilight or other movies. I think this movie is going to be one of the best movies of 2010.

[Comment #14]

I'm not kidding, i've read ALL the diary of a whimpy kid books @ least 6 X's each! i currently have 2 out of the 4 out! Ihear the movie is coming out soon!

[Comment #15]

uggh! I'm sick of Twilight. Yeah the movie was great. But now people wanna to talk about edwards and jacob all the time.

[Comment #16]

i absolutely lovee this book <3 breaking dawn is my favorite though! :D and i hate it when people just see the movies and all of a sudden think they know everything about it when they haven't even read any of the books!! but i read all of them, so i know what im talking about (:

[Comment #17]

uggh!?! you are right B eeryone does talk about twlight and i m sick of it lol dont get me wrong i like twilght but like i said its not worth my breath

[Comment #18]

I saw Diary of a Wimpy Kid and have read all the books. The movie is really funny but some parts are really gross. I am not allowed to watch or see Twilight until I am 16 but some of my friends are super excited and can't wait. My mom is going to see Eclipse. She saw both Twilight and New Moon on pay per view but she said she is going to the movies to see it because it's supposed to be the best one. My mother is reading Eclipse right now. She already read New Moon and said it was really good.