What’s New?
- Barefoot Books Announces First Illustrated Novel
Barefoot Books, an independent picture book publisher that emphasizes both art and story, has announced a new initiative. In July, the company’s first full-length novel for older readers, Little Leap Forward: A Boy in Beijing, will be released. It will be the launch title for Barefoot Books new Young Fiction list for 9- to 12-year-olds.
According to the publisher, “It [Little Leap Forward: A Boy in Beijing] will be illustrated throughout, reflecting the company’s commitment to the relationship between art and story; and like many of Barefoot’s projects, it will introduce children to a different world and a different way of life. In this case, the setting is Beijing, China; the year is 1966 and the story is told by musician Guo Yue, and richly informed by his boyhood experiences— Yue was eight years old
when the Red Guards moved to accelerate Mao Zedong’s notorious ‘Big Leap Forward.’”
- The Spiderwick Chronicles Movie
DVD and Blu-ray editions of The Spiderwick Chronicles movie are now available. About.com: Kids Movies and TV Guide Carey Bryson has all the details.
Have your children read The Spiderwick Chronicles? If not, encourage them to do so before seeing the movie.
What's Hot? Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
It won't be released nationwide until July 2, but the first American Girl feature film is hot.
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl is already garnering good reviews. According to About.com: World/Independent Film Guide Marcy Dermansky's
review, "Kit Kittredge: An American Girl is a fine film -- for children and adults." According to critic
Roger Ebert, "It has a great look, engaging performances, real substance and even a few whispers of political ideas..."
The movie,
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, is based on the title character in the Kit Kittredge American Girl series, which is set in the Great Depression. Abigail Breslin, who plays Kit in the movie, was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in
Little Miss Sunshine.
What’s Next?
- Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox
The sixth book in the popular Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer will be available soon. Artemis Fowl: The Time Paradox will be available in bookstores on July 15, 2008. In the United States, more than nine million copies of the Artemis Fowl books have been sold. The publisher is Disney-Hyperion. According to the news release about the book, "In this sixth book, all is well on the Fowl estate, until his mother suddenly contracts a life-threatening illness and Artemis must save her life. . . . Artemis summons his contacts in the magical underworld, persuades the fairy task force to help him and convinces the flighty fairy Holly Short that she infected his mother with the mysterious disease."
- Dragonology
The Hollywood Reporter recently announced that the film rights to the children’s book series Dragonology have been acquired by Universal. Candlewick Press is the publisher of the series. Leonard Hartman will write and executive produce the movie adaptation of Dugald A Steers Dragonology series.
