Interview with a Werewolf, New Moon's Taylor Lautner

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few months, you've probably heard about the Twilight book (for ages 12 and up) and movie series (not that there's anything wrong with you rock-turnal dwellers!). But for those of you who are as caught up in the Twilight series as I am, you probably know that New Moon (PG-13), the second movie of the Twilight series is hitting theaters on November 20th.

Where to start?! If you haven't checked out the Twilight books or movies, I highly recommend it. The series follows Bella, a normal teenage girl living in the dreary Pacific Northwest town of Forks, and Edward a vampire who is trying his best to be normal by abstaining from drinking human blood. Throw in Jacob, Bella's friend who also happens to be a werewolf, and see what happens. In the second book and movie, we find Edward and the Cullens have left Forks for Bella's own good. But Bella is (understandably) heartbroken and falls into a pit of reckless despair. Enter Jacob. Her friend takes her under his wing, but she still can't get Edward out of her mind. She starts doing reckless things to hear Edward's voice in her head. But when an old vampire comes back to town to avenge a death, things take a turn for the worse. Want to see what I mean?

Take a look at the official trailer:

This second movie and book feature a bigger role for werewolf character Jacob Black, played by Taylor Lautner. And . . . we just happened to score a HUGE interview with him exclusively for all you Ink Splotters! (It's a tradition to bring you exclusive Twilight interviews, you know, like the interview with Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson before the first Twilight movie!)

Without further ado, check out Taylor's interview!

Q: I love the trailer clips that show you transforming. Tell us about that.
Taylor: Yeah, it was really cool to observe the process of that. Because one second I'm a human and the next I'm a complete CGI [computer generated imagery] wolf. So in that shot in the trailer what I'll do is I'll be harnessed up, I'll start running, I'll take a few steps and then I'll jump ten feet in the air and the wires will stop me mid-air, so I'll come to a jolting stop so then they can take my body and transform it into a wolf. It was really cool to observe that process.

[Ratha: You mean you're not a real werewolf?]

Q: Did you study Native American history to play Jacob?
Taylor: When I found out I was going to be playing Jacob Black who's Quileute Indian, I had the opportunity to meet with several Quileute Indians, and ask them questions and just learn about them so that I could portray Jacob Black correctly.

Q: What questions did you ask them?
Taylor: I wanted to know what the teenage boys like to do in their free time, to have fun. And I was thinking I was going to hear some answer that was really different, but I found a teenage boy who was very close to my age and I asked, “What do you like to do in your free time to relax and have fun?” And he was like, “Oh I like to play basketball, I like to go to the beach.” So what I actually learned the most was that the kids are just like me. So it was a surprise, but very interesting.

[Ratha: That's so cool! Hmm…I wonder if Robert Pattison (Edward) had to do some research by interviewing real vampires. . . ]

Q: Are you similar or different in any ways to Jacob?
Taylor: I hope if you were to ask my close friends, they would say that I am more similar to Jacob's pre-transformation side! But I would not hope to be similar to his werewolf side, because he all of a sudden becomes more angry and fierce.

[Ratha: That's true. I wouldn't want to meet Jacob in a dark alley, especially if he missed his last meal.]

Q: Did you do any research on werewolves?
Taylor: I would honestly say the best research was through the [Twilight] books. Because that's what Stephenie Meyer created, and what we're trying to bring alive. The books are so specific, and she's an amazing author. And it provides so much detail about each and every character. The way to go to study your role to the fullest is through the books.

A Christmas Carol, a Holiday Ghost Story in 3D!

While downing the last of my fun-size Kit Kat bars from Halloween, I lamented the change of seasons from cold to. . . even colder here in New York. What do I have to look forward to? Aah yes. Pretty soon stores will be stocking up on Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses, Butterfinger Bells, and Snickers Santas. (Can you tell I track the holidays by my sweet tooth?) It's one of the best sure-fire signs that the holidays are coming. Another sign? The release of Disney's new 3D digital movie A Christmas Carol (rated PG) based on the classic Charles Dickens novel. Opening today, a mere 48 days before Christmas, this movie stars Jim Carrey, Colin Firth, Gary Oldman, Sammi Hanratty and more. 

Now, I've seen a lot of versions of A Christmas Carol, but I've never seen one like this! Although I haven't seen the movie yet, the previews look very cool. First of all, it's in 3D. So get your 3D glasses ready! Second, it's all done by digital motion capture. Little dots of light all over the actors' faces and bodies highlight their motions, which the cameras capture (yep, that's why it's called MOTION CAPTURE), and then the animators connect the dots to create the animated characters in the movie. So the characters kind of look like themselves, but they can also look like and actually PLAY other characters. Hence Jim Carrey plays:

1. Ebenezer Scrooge
2. the Ghost of Christmas Past
3. the Ghost of Christmas Present
4. the Ghost of Christmas Future

Likewise, 13-year-old actress, Sammi Hanratty plays a young Cratchit girl, a beggar boy, and Belle's daughter. Sammi came to the Scholastic headquarters herself to tell us about the movie and give us an EXCLUSIVE scoop on what it was like to film it. Check out this video where she talks about being painted with dots, having her teeth molded, working with 350 cameras (!!) and wearing a bald cap on set with Jim Carrey!

For those of you who haven't read the book, here's a quick recap: Ebenezer Scrooge is a miserly old businessman who hates Christmas, as well as just about everything else (except money). He treats his employee Bob Cratchit badly, and refuses his nephew's invitation for a Christmas party one night, coining the infamous phrase, "Bah Humbug!" when expressing his disgust for all things Christmas related. That night he is visited by three ghosts — the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come. Unless he reforms and changes his ways, he will be condemned to wander the earth shackled in chains like his old business partner Jacob Marley, and then . . . death.

A Christmas Carol was directed by Robert Zemeckis, the filmmaker behind Polar Express and Back to the Future, so let's just say the guy is a pro, and knows what he's doing! Check out the official movie trailer for yourself.

The film is total visual eye candy. Every Jim Carrey movie I see, I'm amazed at his facial gestures, but in this movie they take it to the extreme because of the digital animation. And I'll bet it would be really cool to see in IMAX. Have you guys read the book, or will you see the movie? Let me know in the Comments! Also, feel free to drop a line with any new seasonal candy suggestions.

— Ratha, STACKS Writer

Images from Disney's "A Christmas Carol" © ImageMovers Digital LLC.

Cirque du Freak Movie: The Vampire's Assistant

In the spirit of Halloween, we're bringing you the scary scoop on Darren Shan's sinister series Cirque Du Freak, and the upcoming movie The Vampire's Assistant (PG-13) opening October 23rd. It's based on the first three books of the series, and stars John C. Reiley, Ken Watanabe, Salma Hayek, and Chris Massoglia as Darren.

In the book series Darren is an ordinary kid who stumbles on a freak show with his best friend. When Darren steals a spider from a vampire, things quickly go wrong and Darren has to bargain for his friend's life. The price? His becoming a half-vampire himself (i.e.vampire's assistant!), and traveling with the nightmarish Cirque Du Freak.

This series is SO good. I'm talking stay-up-late-reading-under-the-covers good. It's super freaky and scary, in ways you wouldn't think a children’s book series could be. And believe it or not, we were able to get the author himself, Darren Shan, to give us an exclusive interview!! It must have been destiny. Read below. . . if you dare.

Q: Is Darren an "autobiographical" character?

Darren: No. He shares certain characteristics with me, as do most of my lead characters, but we're not one and the same person, despite us sharing a name.

Q: Is there anything that creeps you out in real life?

Darren: Embarrassingly enough — spiders!!! Although the things that creep me out more than anything else are snakes — I can't stand them!!

RATHA: Wow that must have given him nightmares writing these books! You Cirque Du Freak fans know what I mean — there are spiders and snakes aplenty. Madame Octa or Evra the Snake Boy, anyone?

Q: What was your involvement, if any, in making the movie (The Vampire's Assistant)?

Darren: None. I opted to keep out of the process, so that I could stay focused on the books. I think the film-making process is best left to those who know what they're doing.

Q: What are your favorite parts of the movie?

Darren: The opening credits. That might sound strange, but it's not meant to be a criticism of the rest of the film. I honestly do like the movie overall — I just thought that the opening credits were truly amazing!

RATHA: Ok I will DEFINITELY have to make sure I’m not late for this movie, so I don’t miss those credits!

Q: Will diehard fans of the books like the movie?

Darren: Hard to tell. I think if they go in accepting that it's going to be only a loose adaptation of the books, then they might enjoy it for what it is — as I did.

RATHA: Aah yes. It's always tricky for us literary folks who love our books.

Q: What are you doing for Halloween this year?

Darren: I'm going to be celebrating it in Universal Studios Orlando!!! I'm not there for work, just a holiday, which turned out to be a happy twist of fate. . . or DESTINY!!!!!

RATHA: NICE! Be sure not to freak out Mickey or Minnie — hee hee! Seriously, thanks so much for the exclusive interview, Darren. I personally can’t wait to read the rest of the series! Right now I’m on Book #2: The Vampire's Assistant.

If you are new to the series, take a look at Jake T. Austin talking about the book that starts it all, A Living Nightmare.

And let us know what creeps YOU out. I once almost drank a spider in the middle of the night. (I was drinking from a glass of water I kept by my bedside, when all of a sudden I felt something in my mouth. I spit it out and it was a dead spider, floating in the water. I guess it had somehow crawled in and drowned. Thank goodness I didn’t swallow it!) Anyways — leave a message in the Comments!

— Ratha, STACKS Writer

UPDATE: New Video with The Vampire's Assistant actor Josh Hutcherson!

Movie image courtesy Universal Pictures

Where the Wild Things Are Movie & Video Game

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak is one of those picture books that never gets old. Just about everyone I know read it at least once when they were young and still loves it now. I have to admit I found it too scary when I was little, but that's just me — I never did like scary books or scary movies. Still don't.

Anyway, on October 16th, Where the Wild Things Are is being released as a movie (rated PG) that does not look too scary. Check out the trailer. . .

And there is a video game for ages 10 and up (Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii) that actually looks pretty cool (judging by this video preview of the game).

Max Records plays the part of Max in the movie. His favorite scene was the dirt clod battle with the Wild Things. He says, "It's practically a minefield because all these dirt clods are being thrown and just exploding on the ground. The special effects team had hidden little explosives in the leaves and all around me was 'boom, boom, boom.'" His least-favorite scene was when Max has to slide through the giant mouth of one of the Wild Things and into its slimy stomach where he was slathered in "slime that smelled like rotten lemons." Ewww!

And what about those nine-feet tall monsters? They took eight months to build, and there is a person inside each one controlling the monster's movements! The only part of the Wild Things that is digitally enhanced is their faces. Computer animation was used to create their facial expressions to make them look more lifelike. Their voices were recorded separately like for an animated movie. When they recorded that dirt clod battle, the actors actually threw stale bread rolls at each other and hit each other with styrofoam logs to get into it! Actor James Gandolfini recorded the voice of the monster, Carol, and makes it sound like a blast. He says, "It was very physical. We were running around and beating each other up and making ridiculous noises." I love that image of grown-ups running around on a stage acting like Wild Things! Can you imagine your teachers doing that? Hilarious.

So are you excited to see this movie? I can't wait. As Max would say, "Let the wild rumpus start!"

—Sonja, STACKS Staffer

UPDATE: Read a movie review from the Scholastic Kids Press Corps.

Trailer courtesy of Warner Bros.
Photos by Matt Nettheim, courtesy of Warner Bros.

TODAY'S WEATHER: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

The forecast is in. Sunny? No. Cloudy? No. It's calling for cloudy. . . with a chance of meatballs! At least according to the new movie Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs opening September 18th, which happens to be based on the beloved children's book by Judith and Ron Barrett!  We got the inside scoop for you from the folks at Sony, AND Judi Barrett herself.

First, a bit about the story. Welcome to the town of Chewandswallow (get it? “chew and swallow”). Meet Flint Lockwood, a young inventor who dreams of curing world hunger. But like all his past inventions, something goes extremely wacky and his latest invention causes bizarre weather patterns. We're talking raining spaghetti. Snowing mashed potatoes. Giant hot dogs dropping out of the sky. A culinary delight to some, but a messy nightmare for others! Now it's up to Flint to stop his machine from destroying the world in a huge food storm, with Chewandswallow in the epicenter. Can he do it? Grab your popcorn and watch the official trailer:

Hungry for more? Well, Scholastic Kid-Reporter Shoshana recently spoke with book author Judi Barrett (who also has a new food-inspired book out called The Marshmallow Incident.)

Q: What inspired you to be a writer?
BARRETT: I've always liked to write. I've been both an artist and a writer from the time that I was a tiny kid. I used to write little stories and I would make characters out of boxes and all kinds of things that were part of the stories that I wrote. So, I've been doing it ever since I was able to write, and in school, and obviously after school.

Q: What's it like to see your book turned into a movie?
BARRETT: It's breathtakingly exciting! 

Q: Is there a particular scene from Cloudy that you liked seeing in the movie?
BARRETT: I loved the roofless restaurant where the stuff came crashing down. And, of course the Jell-O mold is wonderful. [The characters go “swimming” in a pool made of Jell-O.] It's just great. And the hamburgers falling down and rolling on the dock, which is of course a little different than the book, but that is so wonderful. 

Q: What food would you want to fall from the sky?

Book Flap: Dahl, DiCamillo, Snicket, & Silverstein

This week, Book Flap (your every-other-Friday book news column) has all the latest news about books becoming movies, new series by favorite authors, and all the book news you need to know! It's all part of our first Summer on the Splot!

Roald Dahl Month and Mr. Fox at the Movies

 September is Roald Dahl month. Why September? Well, the late author of such favorites as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, and The Witches, among others, was born September 13, 1916. The Roald Dahl website, http://www.roalddahl.com/, has plenty of games and printables to celebrate with. And, what better way to celebrate than by picking up one of his books to read?

And while it's not quite September yet, you can also get excited about his books by getting excited for the upcoming Fantastic Mr. Fox movie. The stop-motion movie, based on Dahl's book of the same title, will be in theaters November 13. The movie is chock-full of famous voices, including George Clooney as the voice of Mr. Fox, Meryl Streep as the voice of Mrs. Fox, and even Michael Gambon (Dumbledore!) as Franklin Bean.


Kate DiCamillo Writes Another Big Screen Book

The past few years have seen Kate DiCamillo's novels make a big splash on the big screen. Because of Winn-Dixie led the way in 2005, and The Tale of Despereaux followed in 2008. Now, DiCamillo's upcoming book, The Magician's Elephant is next in line. Fox will be making it into a feature film. The book doesn't come out until September, but you can get a sneak peek at the first chapter on DiCamillo's website, www.katedicamillo.com.

Snicket's Second Series

Not much news on it yet, but I'm excited to report that Lemony Snicket is working on a new series. Snicket's first series, A Series of Unfortunate Events, told the story of the three Baudelaire orphans, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny. As for the new series, Snicket had this to say: “I can neither confirm nor deny that I have begun research into a new case, and I can neither confirm nor deny that the results are as dreadful and unnerving as A Series of Unfortunate Events.”

More Light From Shel Silverstein

You've probably already read Shel Silverstein's book of poems, A Light in the Attic (and if you haven't, why not?!? You so should!). But as of next month, you won't have read all of it. A new special edition is being released with 12 never before published poems and 10 never before seen drawings.

There will be new content on his site, http://www.shelsilverstein.com to go along with the special edition.

And I'll leave you with a fun fact (because who doesn't love fun facts?)—A Light in the Attic was the first children's book to make it to the New York Times bestseller list.

—Carly H., STACKS Staffer

Action! at the Percy Jackson Movie Set

Seriously, the kids at the Scholastic Kids Press Corps are like the luckiest people ever! First Danielle A. met Daniel Radcliffe and other stars on the red carpet event for the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie premiere. Now I hear that Grace C. spent a day visiting the set of the Percy Jackson movie! The movie is being filmed in Vancouver, Canada, and will be in theaters February 12, 2010. Read Grace's post in the Kids Press Corps Blog to find out all about her experience on the set.

How amazingly cool! The movie, based on the book The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, is about a boy named Percy who discovers that he is a demi-god — his mother is human, but his father whom he never met, is the god Poseidon. Pretty intense, and then he discovers that his best friend, Grover, is also a mythical creature, a satyr —half human, half goat! (That's him in the pic.) Things just keep getting stranger, and Percy and his friends end up on a wild cross-country adventure involving gods, goddesses and mythical monsters.

It's a really great book, so if you haven't read it yet, you definitely should! There are five books in the Percy Jackson series so there is plenty of reading to keep you busy until next February when the movie comes out!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

PHOTO: Grace and and Brandon T. Jackson, who plays Grover, on the set of The Lightning Thief in Vancouver, Canada, summer 2009. Photo Courtesy Grace Choi.

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

Harry Potter Movie Premiere!

Can you imagine being the luckiest person in the world? Well, Scholastic  Kid Reporter, Danielle Azzolina can. The sixth Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, will open in theaters nationwide on July 15 (with a PG rating), but the New York City premiere was on July 9 and she was there to interview the actors on the red carpet! 

Can you imagine?! There were tons of reporters and fans screaming for their attention, but Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, and other actors in the movie all stopped to talk to Danielle and answer her questions. To find out what they had to say about their roles in Half-Blood Prince, read her article. Apparently, Daniel was especially nice.

Danielle also got to speak with the Director David Yates, and ask him which scene had the most bloopers:

“There's a scene right at the beginning of the movie where we get Daniel, Rupert, and Emma sitting in the Burrow talking about how old Dumbledore is,” he said. “I can't tell you how many bloopers we got in that scene because they kept cracking up. I had to send them off the set for a while!”

I can't wait to see the actual scene! I can't wait to see the whole movie! In the meantime, I can watch this video sneak peek (over and over again):

For more on her amazing experience at the New York City premiere, read Danielle's post on the Scholastic Kids Press Corps blog. And also check out the Scholastic Kids Press Corp site to find out what else those lucky kids have been doing!

— Sonja, STACKS Staffer

PHOTOS: Scholastic Kid Reporter Danielle Azzolina interviews Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, stars of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, at the movie premiere in New York City. (Photos Courtesy of Scholastic Kids Press Corps)

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

UP and James and the Giant Peach

Have you seen the new movie UP yet? Because I have, and it is a-maz-ing!

As you can see from the trailer, the film features a house floating through the sky, held aloft by a bunch of balloons. Which reminded me of one of my favorite books by Roald Dahl, James and the Giant Peach. Check out some of the similarities I noticed:

	James and the Giant Peach	The movie UP
The "Old" Dude	The Old Green Grasshopper	Carl Fredricksen
The Little Boy	James Henry Trotter	Russell
Unconventional Mode of Flight	Giant Peach, by way of seagulls	A House, by way of balloons
Deceased :*(	James' parents	Carl Fredricksen's darling, Ellie
There's a scary pack of . . .	Sharks	Dogs
You'll be surprised when you start chatting up . . .	A centipede, earthworm, ladybug, and more . . .	Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and more . . .
One of the antagonists is . . .	The Cloud Man	Ha! I can't give everything away!
So go and . . .	Pick up a copy of James and the Giant Peach!	Watch the movie UP!
P.S.	James and the Giant Peach was made into a movie too. Rent it!	Can you think of other similarities?

— Nancy, STACKS Staffer

Book Flap: American Girl, Black Belt Club, & More

Welcome to the second edition of Book Flap, your every-other-week splot for all the hottest happenings in the world of books. All summer long, Fridays on Ink Splot will be chock-full of awesome, so make sure you check back every week: we've got more Book Flap alternating with POP-Corn (all the entertainment and celeb news you can sink your teeth into). It's all part of our first Summer on The Splot!

Meet the New American Girl: Rebecca Rubin

 Last December, I was crushed to find out they were retiring my favorite American Girl doll: Samantha Parkington, the rich orphan from 1904, who lived with her grandmother and was friends with the factory worker/servant girl next door. Well, now that I'm an adult, I have the means to right all the failed birthday presents from my parents growing up, so I immediately had to go buy Samantha for myself before she was gone forever. I thought that would be it.

But now there's a new girl in the American Girl ranks. On May 31st, Rebecca Rubin joined Kaya, Josefina, Kirsten, Addy, Kid, Molly, and Julie as the newest historical doll in the American Girl collection. Rebecca is 9 years old in 1914, when her story is set (fun fact: all the dolls are from years that end in 4).

Rebecca lives on New York City's Lower East Side with her siblings and Russian-Jewish immigrant parents and grandma, who is called Bubbie (the Yiddish word for Grandmother). Rebecca loves movies and wants to be an actress, but her parents don't approve. The books that accompany the doll deal with Rebecca balancing her dreams with the cultural and religious values of her family. The six books in Rebecca's story arc are written by Jacqueline Dembar Greene.

The Black Belt Club to Become a Cartoon

For all the boys out there who couldn't care less about dolls, here's something for you: The Black Belt Club series by real-life third-degree black belt Dawn Barnes is being made into an animated TV show!

The book series straddles the divide between traditional books and comics, with illustrations by Bernard Chang on virtually every page. The story follows four karate students — Max, Maia, Antonio, and Jamie — who are invited to be part of an elite group (surprise, surprise, it's called the Black Belt Club). Together, they are transported to a magical land filled with mythical heroes and monsters, but it's the Black Belt Club who are charged with saving the day.

On board to work on the show is John Drdek, a writer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Yu-Gi-Oh!, plus the animation production studio Curious Pictures, who did Codename: Kids Next Door. The show will be hitting airwaves in 2010, at the same time the 4th book hits stores. In the meantime, you can get ready by checking out The Black Belt Club website and the first three books: #1: Seven Wheels of Power, #2: Night on the Mountain of Fear, and #3: Beware of the Haunted Eye.

Book Expo America

Last weekend was Book Expo America, a huge yearly gathering where authors, publishers, librarians, and anyone who has anything to do with books congregate in New York City to meet up and talk about what's coming up this year. I wasn't there (*tear*), but I've been following along, and two big items of children's book news caught my attention . . .

First, book-game-online-reading-writing-participating-multimedia extravaganzas are the way of the future. As all you Splot readers know, The 39 Clues is the first of this kind. In the ten-book series, you can follow the adventures of Amy and Dan Cahill as they search for the secret behind their family's power. And just this past Tuesday (June 2nd), the fourth book in the series, Beyond the Grave by Jude Watson, came out. After reading the books (or before, it doesn't actually matter), you can go on The39Clues.com and join the hunt yourself.