Steven Spielberg is set to direct a live-action movie based on Roald Dahl’s 1982 picture book, The BFG, (Macmillan/FSG YR), about a girl named Sophie who is captured by  a big friendly giant (presciently, Dahl came up with the shorthand title years before social media). Filming is expected to begin in early 2015, with release planned in 2016.

Meanwhile, BBC One is about to begin shooting  a TV movie adaptation of Dahl’s Esio Trot, starring Judi Dench and Dustin Hoffman.

Many of Dahl’s books have been made into films (including The BFG, which was  made into a 1989 animated film). Dahl wrote several adaptations himself, including one for the James Bond movie, You Only Live Twice.

The Infinite Sea, (Penguin; Penguin Audio) the second in Rick Yancey’s YA trilogy, which began with the best selling The 5th Wave arrives in September.

Meanwhile the film adaptation for the first book is gearing up. Chloe Grace Moretz has been announced to star as Cassie, a teenager trying to survive waves of alien invasions, with J Blakeson directing.

One aspect of  Lois Lowry’s book The Giver could be problematic for film adaptation. It takes place in a world that lacks color. As the recently-released teaser of the film indicates, that is handled by incorporating both black and white photography and color (UPDATE: this trailer, released on 4/22, was removed for some reason. The first trailer, an all-color version released in March, is here. The official Web site is here: TheGiverFilm.com).

In a “featurette,” about the movie, author Lois Lowry comments on the inspiration for the book and appears, appropriately, in black and white.

Directed by Philip Noyce (he also adapted Jeffrey Deaver’s The Bone Collector into a 1998 film), the movie arrives in theaters on Aug. 15. It stars Brenton Thwaites as Jonas, Jeff Bridges as The Giver, Meryl Streep, Katie Holmes and Taylor Swift.

Tie-ins (covers have not yet been revealed):

The Giver Movie Tie-In Edition
Lois Lowry
HMH; July 1, 2014
Hardback, $17.99
9780544430785, 0544430786
Trade paperback, $9.99
9780544340688, 054434068X

Audio tie-in
The Giver Movie Tie-In Edition
Lois Lowry, Ron Rifkin
Listening Library, July 8, 2014
CD-Audio; $29.95
9780553397109, 0553397109

Mo Willems thinks deep thoughts in Paris, the kind that are so important to kids, as the CBS Sunday Morning profile explores:

His latest Pigeon book is:

The Pigeon Needs a Bath! (I Do Not!)

Mo Willems

Hachette,/Disney-Hyperion

There’s still time to reserve your free tickets to hear Andrea Davis Pinkney give this year’s Arbuthnot Lecture on Saturday, May 3rd at the University of Minnesota.

RSVP here, or by calling 612-626-9182.

An accompanying exhibit, Rejoice the Legacy! is open through May 14, 2014.

More information here.

As movie audiences will discover this summer, there is much more to YA adaptations than kids fighting kids in dystopian battles.

Following the release in June of The Fault in Our Stars, based on the John Green novel, comes the film adaptation of Gayle Forman’s If I Stay, (Penguin) on August 22. The first trailer, below, was just released.

Actress Chole Moretz stars as Mia, a 17 year-old cellist, who is given the choice whether to live or die, while in a coma after a car accident that killed her family. Jamie Blackley (Snow White And The Huntsman, The Fifth Estate) plays her boyfriend Adam, Mirella Enos and Denny Hall,  her parents and Stacy Keach, Gramps. It is directed by R. J Cutler, known for his documentaries, including the Emmy-award-winning American High.

The film of Divergent is an official success, so much so that, like other popular teen franchises (Twilight, Hunger Games), the final book in the series will be split into two movies.

The stars revealed on yesterday’s MTV Movie Awards red carpet that they knew that was a possibility from the beginning:

We’re being showered with some great kids books this month. Below are some new arrivals that caught my eye (for my picks of YA titles, click here).

The Pigeon Needs a Bath!, Mo Willems, Hachette, Disney-Hyperion

Over ten years ago four-year-olds everywhere screamed, denied, and prevented a small blue pigeon from driving a bus. Pigeon has found a hotdog, wanted a puppy, longed for a cookie, stayed up late and I am pretty sure that we are not surprised that now he needs a bath.

The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend, Dan Santat, Hachette/Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Beekle is a doughy white roundish creature with a golden crown. He is an imaginary friend who lacks a child. Beekle impatiently waits in the land of imaginary creatures for his perfect match until he just can’t wait any longer and journeys off to find the child himself. Santat has created a fantasy world of helpful imagined companions. We meet a navy blue octopus who seems to have mehndi designs trailing up its tentacles, a cheerful wind cloud who helps fly a kite, and a playful salamander-like creature; all part of a community of children in a familiar yet strange landscape saturated with color.

Have You Seen My Dragon?, Steve Light, Candlewick

Counting from 1 to 20 we wander the street of Manhattan as a the eponymous dragon hides in plain sight. Light’s retro crowded pen and ink drawings evoke the hustle and bustle of the big city with judicious spots of color to help young readers find the 2 red hotdogs in golden buns, 3 purple buses and so on and so on.

Cowy Cow , Chris Raschka, Abrams/Appleseed

When I found out that Abrams Appleseed was bringing the Thingy Thing books back in print, I did cartwheels. When I found out that they were adding 4 new titles right away, I did hand springs. Okay not really, but my heart did. I have adored these simple stories that are just right for the emergent readers since the silly Moosey Moose who pined for long pants to wear on his antlers. Don’t worry, kids get the joke.

Ninja, Ninja, Never Stop!, Tad Carpenter, Abrams Appleseed

Picture books about ninjas abound:

The Boy who cried Ninja, Alex Latimer, Peachtree Publishers

Wink the Ninja Who Wanted To Nap, J.C. Phillipps, Penguin/Viking Juvenile

The Three Ninja Pigs, Corey Rosen Schwartz, Dan Santat, Penguin/Putnam Juvenile

Nighttime Ninja, Ed Young, Barbara DaCosta, Hachette/Little, Brown

This one with its bold graphics and bouncy rhyme is a delightful romp.

A year a go I proclaimed my adoration of Andy Giffiths, author of The 13-Story Treehouse, illustrated by Terry Denton, (Macmillan/Feiwel & Friends). It bears repeating, especially now that there’s a sequel, The 26-Story Treehouse :

Are you a little sick of the refrain, “Boys don’t read … boys stop reading … boys can read but don’t”?

My not-so-secret weapon is Andy Griffiths. Got a third grader who isn’t in to reading yet? Give him Griffiths and Denton’s The Big Fat Cow That Goes Kapow! and The Cat on the Mat is Flat. It can mean the difference between a kid becoming a life-long non-reader or a fluent confident reader who knows there are books out there to be enjoyed.

This new title is a not-so-tongue-in-cheek memoir of Andy and Terry who live in a 13-story-treehouse, with all the fantasy rooms a kid could dream up; a see-through-pool, a basement laboratory, a marshmallow shooting cannon, a shrink ray AND the ability to transform a cat into flying catnary (click on the cover to see treehouse in its full glory). Let’s not be sexist about the appeal of this volume. All genders of third graders will be fighting over it.

Register with SLJ and you can have a class/ library visit with Andy Griffiths live from the Twin Cities Rock Star Supply Co.

Below are three YA titles to add to your pile of kids books to love in early April (see for my picks for younger kids here):

The Here and Now, Ann Brashares, Delacorte Press

The new book by author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, is a very different kind of novel. Prenna might seem like an ordinary teenager but she is not. She is a member of a community of time travelers who have landed in the present from a devastating plague ridden future. Her movements, her contacts with others, and her very conversations are circumscribed by “the twelve rules” put in place to keep them safe and not disturb the time. Yet, how much can Prenna trust that the leaders have their members best interest in mind when she knows that any misstep could cause a person’s removal or death at the hands of those pledged to keep them safe? A page turner.

The Ring and the Crown, Melissa de la Cruz, Disney-Hyperion 

Sweeping romance, alternative history with Franco/Anglo crown, where there was no American Revolution, and internecine royal conflict threaded with magic construct a compelling and riveting fantasy novel, plus a crazy great book trailer.  Do not miss.

The Vigilante Poets of Selwyn Academy, Kate Hattemer, RH/Knopf Books for Young Readers

Brainy outsiders? “Look at me” theater geeks? Handsome popular guy? Cool English teacher? Villainous administrators? Outsized crushes? Just an ordinary Minneapolis arts high school until a reality show takes residence. It’s all down hill from here, unless the Vigilante Poets can save the day in this outstanding debut novel.

Librarian favorite and Printz honor award winner, Rainbow Rowell has her first movie deal. Entertainment Weekly reports (“exclusively,” followed by MTV News interviewing the author) that DreamWorks has bought the rights to her popular YA romance, Eleanor & Park. (Macmillan/St. Martin’s Griffin; Listening Library; Thorndike Press)

DreamWorks president of production, Holly Bario, tells Entertainment Weekly what librarians already know, “Every girl who has read it says, ‘That was me in high school, or that was me in 7th grade.’” She also says they are trying to figure out how to handle the book’s structure of alternating chapters from each of the main character’s perspectives, “There are all storts of groovy stylistic things you could do with voice over, or words on the screen, but we want something that’s real Rainbow.”

To aid in that process, Rowell has  been hired to write the screenplay. DreamWorks hopes to begin shooting in 2015.

This chat has now ended. To sign up for the program and join future chats, go to the Penguin Young Readers Program.

Live Chat with Nikki Loftin NIGHTINGALE'S NEST

(03/25/2014)

  

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4:28	Nora - EarlyWord:  We'll begin our chat with Nikki Loftin, author of NIGHTINGALE'S NEST at 5 p.m. Tuesday March 25, 2014 4:28 Nora - EarlyWord

4:30	Nora - EarlyWord Click on the cover to view a larger version. Tuesday March 25, 2014 4:30

4:33

Nora - EarlyWord:  Nightingale's Nest has received some great reviews. The following from School Library Journal serves as a good beginning: "Pulling readers in from the very first page, Loftin's novel shares the enchanting quality of the Andersen fairy tale that inspired it. Packed with serious subjects, ... it is also the story of forgiveness, healing, and friendship ... The lyrical, descriptive prose and the hopeful ending will linger long after the final chapter." Tuesday March 25, 2014 4:33 Nora - EarlyWord

4:50	Nora - EarlyWord:  You can enter your questions below. We will try to get as many in as time allows. Don't worry about typos (and forgive us for any we commit!) Tuesday March 25, 2014 4:50 Nora - EarlyWord

4:55	lisa von drasek:  just checking in Tuesday March 25, 2014 4:55 lisa von drasek

4:56	Nora - EarlyWord:  Hi Lisa -- looking forward to our chat today. I see some folks gathering. We will being in just a few minutes. Tuesday March 25, 2014 4:56 Nora - EarlyWord

5:00	Nora - EarlyWord:  Welcome, Nikki -- say hello to the group. Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:00 Nora - EarlyWord

5:00	Nikki Loftin:  Hi! I'm Nikki Loftin, author, and terrible typist. This should be exciting! Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:00 Nikki Loftin

5:01	lisa von drasek:  Lisa, former children's librarian pre-k - 8th grade and now curator of the Kerlan Collections at the Universty of Minnesota? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:01 lisa von drasek

5:01	lisa von drasek:  there are some others on line for the chat would you like to say hello? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:01 lisa von drasek

5:02	[Comment From GuestGuest: ]  Hi Nikki! This is Akiko and I'm not the fastest typeset either. Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:02 Guest

Nikki Loftin:  Thanks for stopping in! Let's type slowly together.   Nikki Loftin

5:02	[Comment From ChelseaChelsea: ]  Hi Nikki and Lisa! This is Chelsea from Sacramento. Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:02 Chelsea

5:02	[Comment From GuestGuest: ]  Hello! Erin, Children's Librarian Henrico VA. Just finished the book last night. Perfect timing :) Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:02 Guest

5:02	[Comment From JennaJenna: ]  I'm Jenna, a youth services librarian in a northern Chicago suburb. Hi everyone! Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:02 Jenna

5:02	lisa von drasek:  while people say hello, Nikki, can you tell us something about yourself Can you tell me a little about where your grew up? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:02 lisa von drasek

5:03	[Comment From UnLibrarian, Palm DesertUnLibrarian, Palm Desert: ]  Hi Nikki! Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:03 UnLibrarian, Palm Desert

5:03	Nikki Loftin:  Sure, Lisa! I grew up in Central Texas, not far from where I live now. Austin is my hometown - there's a lot to love about it! Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:03 Nikki Loftin

5:04	lisa von drasek:  your new book is set in a small town in texas. is it a real town? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:04 lisa von drasek

5:05	Nikki Loftin:  Hi, y'all! Lisa, well sort of. It is based on a real town in Mills County, but I changed the name since I'd changed quite a few things about the stores/buildings there. I re-named it Hilsaback, Texas, after my amazing Sr. High English teacher. Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:05 Nikki Loftin

5:05	Nikki Loftin:  I figured it might bug the residents of the real town since I switched all their landmarks around. :) Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:05 Nikki Loftin

5:06	Nikki Loftin:  (And thank you all for coming today!) Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:06 Nikki Loftin

5:06	lisa von drasek:  Can you tell me a little about the protagonist? He is a twelve year old boy who? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:06 lisa von drasek

5:07

Nikki Loftin:  Little John Fisher is a boy who grew as tall as a man in the last year - the year after his little sister died falling from a tree. He blames himself for her death, and blames trees, too. So he's glad to be working for his dad's tree-trimming service for the summer, cutting down every tree he can. He's a broken-hearted kid when we meet him... until he meets a little girl with the voice of a nightingale, singing in a tree near where he's working. Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:07 Nikki Loftin

5:08	lisa von drasek:  Nightengales Nest is very real and magical at the same time… Can you say a little about why you chose this style of story telling? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:08 lisa von drasek

5:10

Nikki Loftin:  I love magical realism - ever since a professor in my graduate writing program turned me onto Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Isabel Allende. It just felt right in this story - a re-imagining of Hans Christian Andersen's The Nightingale - to make the magic... approachable. And it was important to me to have a realistic setting – in this case, a very poor, rural Texas town – as a backdrop for the magical friendship between Gayle and Little John. I think the harsh reality of the story makes a good contrast with the magic. Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:10 Nikki Loftin

5:11	lisa von drasek:  When I read it I could imagine a 5th grade teacher reading it aloud in class. Do you read aloud when you write? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:11 lisa von drasek

5:12

Nikki Loftin:  All the time! I have two sons who beg me to read my works in progress to them as I write. So I hear it, over and over, reading it to them, my husband, my dogs, myself... I think the cadence of the words matters. (I also write poetry, so maybe that has something to do with this habit? Hmm. Don't know.) Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:12 Nikki Loftin

5:12	lisa von drasek:  Names are very important in the book, Little John, Tree, Gayle, Susie, nightingale. is Nikki a nick name? short for? do you have any names your family used to call you growing up? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:12 lisa von drasek

5:13	Nikki Loftin:  Nikki is short for Nicole, my middle name! My mom named me for a soap opera star, Nikki Belle... I can't remember which soap... My mom used to call me Nikki Picky. Totally undeserved, I assure you. Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:13 Nikki Loftin

5:14	Nikki Loftin:  By the way, I'd LOVE to hear a fifth grade teacher read this... Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:14 Nikki Loftin

5:14	lisa von drasek:  Reading this book I had a strong sense of someone who really "got" book for kids. Are there some children's book authors that you love that you would like to share with us? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:14 lisa von drasek

5:14	Nikki Loftin:  ... and here's a bit of inside scoop: when I read it aloud, I use a really thick Texas drawl, which I do NOT do on my other stories! It's Little John's accent. Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:14 Nikki Loftin

5:15	lisa von drasek:  hey, I heard you on the phone - you DO not have an accent. why not? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:15 lisa von drasek

Nikki Loftin:  I'm not sure. I was trained as an opera singer... maybe that ironed it out?   Nikki Loftin

5:15

Nikki Loftin:  Yes! I read voraciously as a child, but the books I remember best are the ones that made me think – and, sometimes, cry. Bridge to Terabithia, and Old Yeller, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – these books helped me understand a childhood world that to me was inexplicable and magical and frightening. But more recently, I have fallen in love with Natalie Lloyd's A Snicker of Magic... Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:15 Nikki Loftin

5:16	lisa von drasek:  This book literally sings- do you have a musical background? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:16 lisa von drasek

Nikki Loftin:  Yes - see above. I was also born into a family of musicians. I started voice and violin lessons when I was three. I think music permeates all my stories in some way.   Nikki Loftin

5:16	Nikki Loftin:  ... and Lynda Mullaly Hunt's One For the Murphy's, as well as Kate diCamillo's Flora and Ulysses (my current read!). Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:16 Nikki Loftin

5:16	[Comment From Lindsey LibrarianLindsey Librarian: ]  I didn't know about the Hans Christian Anderson story until I read the reviews -- why did you choose it? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:16 Lindsey Librarian

Nikki Loftin:  I was a fairy tale nerd when I was little. I obsessed over them - and The Nightingale was one of my favorites. I loved the idea of a bird that could heal with its voice.   Nikki Loftin

5:18	lisa von drasek:  What does your writing day look like? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:18 lisa von drasek

Nikki Loftin:  I get up, get the kids on the bus, and as soon as I'm alone... and pry myself off facebook/email - I start writing. I'll write for a few hours, take a break, then get back to it until the buses come home! Sometimes I even manage to change out of my pajamas. :)   Nikki Loftin

5:19	[Comment From Jody, school librarianJody, school librarian: ]  The tenderness that Little John shows toward Gayle/Susie is so amazing. Love the detail about her hair, for instance. Sounds so true. Is it based on something? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:19 Jody, school librarian

Nikki Loftin:  Thank you. Ah, the painful questions. Yes, someone I love very dearly had a condition where she pulled her hair out unconsciously. Her hair was so, so soft, I loved it, loved brushing it. And then it was gone, and she couldn't help it. (She got better, in case you're worried.)   Nikki Loftin

5:22	[Comment From Lindsey LibrarianLindsey Librarian: ]  You mention books that make your cry -- yours made me choke up many times! Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:22 Lindsey Librarian

Nikki Loftin:  Is it okay if I say "good?" :) I hope it left you feeling hopeful, though. My sons like to make me read them sad books – I think they enjoy watching me cry. ☺ On their favorite sad books list: Roxaboxen, The Velveteen Rabbit, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.   Nikki Loftin

5:23	[Comment From Jody, School LibrarianJody, School Librarian: ]  Thanks for answering that -- gives even more depth to the story! (and thanks for telling us she got better). Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:23 Jody, School Librarian

5:23	lisa von drasek:  kids often ask for a a sad book. grown ups don't Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:23 lisa von drasek

Nikki Loftin:  That's interesting! I love sad books. Just finished crying through The Dogs of Winter by Bobbie Pyron, and A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness? SOBFEST, but the best cry ever.   Nikki Loftin

5:24	lisa von drasek:  on a lighter note- was it easy to get published? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:24 lisa von drasek

Nikki Loftin:  Yes, Lisa. I just wished on my magic dandelion... haha. No. I took years of self-doubt and writing truly terrible manuscripts, then more years of not selling fairly good ones, to get to the ones that did sell. I ate a LOT of chocolate on the road to publication.   Nikki Loftin

5:24	[Comment From Lindsey LibrarianLindsey Librarian: ]  Yes; that emotional connection WAS good, even if it made me cry -- you reminded me of times in my own youth. Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:24 Lindsey Librarian

Nikki Loftin:  Thank you.   Nikki Loftin

5:25	lisa von drasek:  to the people out there....are there books that you would compare this one to to book talk like if you read "When you reach me" Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:25 lisa von drasek

5:27	lisa von drasek:  Nikki- did I hear you had a lot pets? where's my picture of a goat? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:27 lisa von drasek

5:27	[Comment From ChelseaChelsea: ]  I read this around the same time as Crystal Chan's "Bird," and I think the two make for an interesting pair. And I do think Nikki's captured the melancholy hopefulness of "Tuck Everlasting" and "Bridge to Terabithia." Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:27 Chelsea

Nikki Loftin:  Oh, thank you. I'm all melty inside.   Nikki Loftin

5:28	Nikki Loftin Abitha the Fabulous Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:28

lisa von drasek:  really really fabulous!   lisa von drasek

5:28	lisa von drasek:  oh Chelsea, thank you me too! Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:28 lisa von drasek

5:29	[Comment From JennaJenna: ]  I'll be recommending this one alongside another new tween title, The Riverman- both are based in the real world but with magic elements and deal with darker themes. Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:29 Jenna

5:29	Nikki Loftin:  I also have two rescue dogs, but they won't hold still for pictures... Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:29 Nikki Loftin

5:29	lisa von drasek:  I was wondering if there was a compassionate adult in your life when you were a kid? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:29 lisa von drasek

Nikki Loftin:  So many! My grandma raised me during the summers, and at school I had a librarian who filled my life with books and love. Her name was Mrs. Crabb.   Nikki Loftin

5:29	Nikki Loftin:  We are also getting chickens next week, as soon as the chicken coop is made 100% possum and skunk-proof. Since we live in the country, we have to keep our animals safe from varmints. (I love that word.) Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:29 Nikki Loftin

5:30	[Comment From ChelseaChelsea: ]  I love the way you describe Gale's singing in this book, but it made me wonder if there are plans for an audiobook? I almost want to leave that sound to my imagination. But I would also be very interested to hear the result. Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:30 Chelsea

Nikki Loftin:  No plans yet, or not that I know of, but I'd love to hear it, too! They'd need to use that Texas twang, though.   Nikki Loftin

5:31	lisa von drasek:  oh, I was wondering about that too Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:31 lisa von drasek

5:32	Nikki Loftin:  I have a picture of Mrs. Crabb! Let me see... this was from last year, when I gave her a copy of my debut novel. Being able to thank her, adn tell ehr how she changed my life? I am so grateful for that day. Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:32 Nikki Loftin

5:32	Nikki Loftin Mrs. Crabb, Amazing Librarian Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:32

5:33	lisa von drasek:  Nikki, who is Mrs. Crabb? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:33 lisa von drasek

5:34	[Comment From Lindsey LibrarianLindsey Librarian: ]  Love hearing about your real life; almost as exotic to me as the life in the book -- both sound real, but truly outside my more urban world. Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:34 Lindsey Librarian

Nikki Loftin:  Thanks! I find big cities utterly fascinating. But hard to sleep in - I can sleep through owls and coyotes, but not garbage truck noise!   Nikki Loftin

5:34

Nikki Loftin:  Ah, I replied above - she was my elementary school librarian form 2nd-5th grade. For some reason, my teacher sent me out of class ALL THE TIME to go to the library. I can't imagine why. I'm sure I was perfectly well-behaved. LOL Mrs. Crabb took me in, and raised me on books. Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:34 Nikki Loftin

5:34	[Comment From Jody, School LibrarianJody, School Librarian: ]  Hurrah for school librarians! Were you ever tempted to become one? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:34 Jody, School Librarian

Nikki Loftin:  My sister wanted to be one! She even pasted little slips into the back of MY OWN books for me to check out! And charged me fines if I was late turning them in. I never wanted to be one. Honestly, I always wanted to be an author. Also, I'm a disorganized soul.   Nikki Loftin

5:36	[Comment From Jody, School LibrarianJody, School Librarian: ]  I want to go back to what Lisa said about kids asking for sad books, but not adults. Wonder why that is? Why do kids want sad books? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:36 Jody, School Librarian

5:37	lisa von drasek:  Nikki, Although this book has deeply sad moments, it is ultimately about hope and forgiveness and community. can you say something about that? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:37 lisa von drasek

5:37

Nikki Loftin:  I'm not sure. I know, being a kid is hard, or at least it can be. Kids have so little power over their own lives, and yet their days are as filled with difficulty as any adult. When I read books as a child, I *became* the character I read about. I think giving a young reader – who may have a terribly difficult real life -- a story to lose herself or himself in, where the main character triumphs over exterior bad guys and interior weakness, and who learns to forgive her/himself and others… I think there’s a sort of healing that can take place through story. If I can do that, if I can help one reader to learn that s/he can triumph? That’s my writer’s dream come true. Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:37 Nikki Loftin

5:38	Nikki Loftin:  Lisa - sure. I think books for kids need to be ultimately hopeful, even if they're difficult/sad... Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:38 Nikki Loftin

5:39	[Comment From Jody, School LibrarianJody, School Librarian: ]  And it may be that kids know that even though a book may be sad, the characters generally do triumph -- so maybe that is actually what they are looking for. Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:39 Jody, School Librarian

Nikki Loftin:  Exactly!   Nikki Loftin

5:40	Nikki Loftin:  So that kids can feel that possibility of a happy ending, even in difficult times. And I'm glad you saw the importance of the community coming together - that's a real fact of life in small, poor communities and towns... Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:40 Nikki Loftin

5:40

[Comment From ChelseaChelsea: ]  I really appreciate how honest your depiction of Little John's poverty is. I don't think we see families with real money troubles enough in children's fiction - it's something kids are definitely aware of, particularly if it weighs on their parents. Was that something you set out to do, or did it come later? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:40 Chelsea

Nikki Loftin:  Thank you! I think some authors are doing this very well - How to Steal a Dog, comes to mind, and Jacqueline Woodson's utterly amazing middle grade books - Feathers, Locomotion, so many. She's a marvel. I hope every library buys all her books - she does so much in a short space. But, yes, I set out to make the setting very stark, on purpose.   Nikki Loftin

5:41	[Comment From Jody, School LibrarianJody, School Librarian: ]  ...even though they may not be able to articulate it. Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:41 Jody, School Librarian

5:41	Nikki Loftin:  Lisa - I have seen it hundreds of times (from my career of working in churches) - the casseroles start baking all over town minutes after the bad news hits. Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:41 Nikki Loftin

5:42	[Comment From Lindsey LibrarianLindsey Librarian: ]  Love the comment from Chelsea. I worked as a lifeguard at a pool surrounded by poor families -- Little John reminded me of those kids. Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:42 Lindsey Librarian

Nikki Loftin:  I grew up in a family that was, at times, financially on the edge. We never went without food, but we came very close a lot. That leaves a mark, I think. I remember the feeling - there's nothing romantic about poverty. I hope I got that across in Nest.   Nikki Loftin

5:44	[Comment From Lindsey LibrarianLindsey Librarian: ]  They were so honest about their daily lives -- no hiding -- heartbreaking while being admirable. Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:44 Lindsey Librarian

5:45	lisa von drasek:  I was concerned about the how alone Little John was in his grief and found that so real. Have you experiences that kind of sorrow ? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:45 lisa von drasek

Nikki Loftin:  My five siblings are all still alive, so no. But I think anyone who's lived a while, and loved family and friends deeply, gets to know deep sorrow, like it or not. And my childhood was difficult. I remember.   Nikki Loftin

5:45	[Comment From Jody, School LibrarianJody, School Librarian: ]  Do you ever worry that some situations may be too much for a middle grader to read about? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:45 Jody, School Librarian

Nikki Loftin:  There's a famous quotation, form Madeline L'Engle, I believe Something about if a topic is too hard to write about for adults, write it for children. I'm not sure how far down that road to go, but I think kids can handle a lot more than some think. Kids are already handling a lot more - their lives are as full as anyone's. I think they need to be treated with respect and dignity - in life and in their literature. (That said, I also LOVE funny books for kids. And write them. Someday, they'll be out there, too, I hope.)   Nikki Loftin

5:47	[Comment From ChelseaChelsea: ]  I think you struck a good balance. Poverty never came across as romantic, but it wasn't everything about their lives either, which I think is important. It was just the way it was. Thank you for that! Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:47 Chelsea

Nikki Loftin:  Thank you!!   Nikki Loftin

5:48	lisa von drasek:  Nikki, You mentioned that you have done SKYPED visits. how have those gone for you? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:48 lisa von drasek

5:50	lisa von drasek:  If someone wanted to schedule one what would they do? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:50 lisa von drasek

5:50

Nikki Loftin:  Ah, Skype! I love these visits! And if a class has read the book, and a teacher emails me, it's very likely I will do a free short one. I love talking to kids about books! :) That's the gravy, y'all - getting to interact with the reader. So energizing! Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:50 Nikki Loftin

5:51	lisa von drasek:  what's the craziest thing a kid has ever asked you? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:51 lisa von drasek

5:51	Nikki Loftin:  All they need to do is email me via my contact form on my website www.nikkiloftin.com or here: nikki@nikkiloftin.com. Thanks, Lisa! Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:51 Nikki Loftin

5:52	Nikki Loftin:  The craziest thing... The WORST thing. One student asked if I had to give up one of them forever, would I give up chocolate or writing? Sobbing, I answered her "Chocolate. But I'd never be really happy again." Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:52 Nikki Loftin

5:53	lisa von drasek:  do you like dark or milk? Is there a special celebration chocolate that you eat when a book is finished? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:53 lisa von drasek

5:53	Nikki Loftin:  Lisa, I am eating chocolate RIGHT NOW. Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:53 Nikki Loftin

5:54	lisa von drasek:  from the peanut gallery- any last questions? comments? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:54 lisa von drasek

5:54	Nikki Loftin:  I celebrate with Lindt Extra Dark with oranges and almonds. Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:54 Nikki Loftin

5:54	lisa von drasek:  Nikki, Next book in the pipeline? what? when? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:54 lisa von drasek

5:55	[Comment From CaraCara: ]  I've just joined the discussion so I may have missed it, but what do you think of the cover? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:55 Cara

5:57

Nikki Loftin:  Yes, my next one is called WISH GIRL! It should be out about this time next year. I'm so excited - to answer Cara's question, too - I get the same cover artist, and I'm over the moon happy! I adore my NEST cover, and I know WISH GIRL will be amazing. WISH GIRL is also magical realism, and I'm almost done editing it... it's about a misunderstood boy and a very sick girl and a magical valley where wishes may come true... I hope you like it! Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:57 Nikki Loftin

5:57	lisa von drasek:  oh I DO like wishes that come true Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:57 lisa von drasek

5:58

Nora - EarlyWord:  Thanks, Lisa and Nikki for a great chat. And thanks to all of you who for joining us and for your great comments and questions. When we finish, this chat will be archived on the Penguin Young Readers Author Program site -- penguinyrauthors.earlyword.com The next title in the program is UNDER THE EGG by Laura Marx Fitzgerald. Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:58 Nora - EarlyWord

5:58	Nora - EarlyWord:  Final comments, Lisa and Nikki? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:58 Nora - EarlyWord

5:58	lisa von drasek:  What is the date? Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:58 lisa von drasek

5:59	lisa von drasek:  Thank you Nikki, this was a pleasure Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:59 lisa von drasek

5:59	Nikki Loftin:  Thank you so much, Lisa, and Nora, and all of you who came and asked questions! And thank you for the work you do with young readers - you make an incredible difference in the lives of kids. I'm delighted to have the chance to chat! Tuesday March 25, 2014 5:59 Nikki Loftin

6:00	Nikki Loftin:  (And I can't wait for Under the Egg! What a perfect follow-up to NEST. haha) Tuesday March 25, 2014 6:00 Nikki Loftin

6:00	[Comment From JennaJenna: ]  Thanks, Nikki! And thanks for writing a wonderful book! Tuesday March 25, 2014 6:00 Jenna

Nikki Loftin:  You are too kind. Thank you for reading!   Nikki Loftin

6:00	Nora - EarlyWord:  Signing off with a big smile -- thanks, everyone! Tuesday March 25, 2014 6:00 Nora - EarlyWord

 

 

On Twitter yesterday, John Green announced that he is trying on a new hat, as executive producer for the film version of his third novel, Paper Towns (Penguin/Dutton, 2008). He notes, “Now, if you don’t like something, you can blame me,” (when the casting choices for the forthcoming adaptation of The Fault in Our Stars, received criticism last year, he vigorously defended them, even though the decisions were not his).

“Paper Towns will be built around actor-singer Nat Wolff,” the co-star of The Fault in Our Stars, reports Deadline.

Green has strong ties to libraries, having once worked at Booklist. He spoke to a packed house at the recent Public Library Association conference in Indianapolis, where he lives.

Analyses of the weekend box office show that Divergent, based on the first book in a YA trilogy by Veronica Roth, came in at a respectable $56 million, a bit lower than expectations of $60 million, but it still a strong enough showing for Lionsgate to consider it “a great start to another franchise.”

Although behind the opening weekends of the first Hunger Games ($152.5 million) and Twilight ($69 million), it brought the official green light for the next films in the series. Insurgent is scheduled for release next March, followed by the final in the trilogy, Allegiant in March 2016.

Shooting is set to begin on Insurgent in May, but the primary location has been changed from Chicago to Atlanta.

Divergent‘s director, Neil Burger won’t be returning, having turned down the sequels  due to scheduling conflicts. The helm will be taken over by Robert Schwentke (The Time Traveler’s Wife, Red). Stars Shailene Woodley and Theo James will be returning. Their on-screen chemistry is the one element critics agreed the movie has going for it. Woodley will next be seen in the film version of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, coming the theaters June 6.

The early trade reviews of the film adaptation of Veronica Roth’s Divergent have not offered a warm welcome. The consumer reviews began pouring in yesterday and the story is the same. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the film now has just a 38% positive rating (and even some of those “positive” reviews damn with faint praise; “Hey, we gotta kill time between Hunger Games installments somehow. Why not Divergent?” The Dallas Morning Herald).

Box office predictors, like Ray Subers of Box Office Mojo, tell USA Today, “Divergent won’t be the next Hunger Games, but it could be the next Twilight.”

If it succeeds at the box office, the secret will not only lie in the movie’s heavy marketing, but in an element acknowledged in even the most rotten reviews; the chemistry between the two leads. As People magazine (which gives it 3 of 4 stars) puts it, while Divergent “isn’t as emotionally engaging as Games, its leads could give Katniss and Peeta serious chemistry lessons … The slow burn between these two is the best thing about the film.”

Reminder: the male lead, Theo James, played the Turkish ambassador on Downton Abbey, the man who successfully melted Lady Mary’s frosty exterior (and paid dearly for it).

There is one straight out rave review, however. The Washington Post‘s Michael O’Sullivan says “director Neil Burger (Limitless) has crafted a popcorn flick that’s leaner, more propulsive and more satisfying than the bestseller that inspired it …  [The] Screenwriters … have even come up with an ending that more cleverly utilizes the story’s teenage heroine Tris (Shailene Woodley) without changing the outcome.”

The film is already a raging success by one indicator. All three of the books in the trilogy occupy the top spots on USA Today‘s best seller list.

Dystopia is everywhere! On the eve of Friday’s release of Divergent, we’ve seen the trailer for The Maze Runner and now comes a trailer for a movie based on the godmother of the genre, Lois Lowry’s The Giver.

Entertainment Weekly offers a “deep dive” into the 1.5 minute trailer, saying it is not a faithful adaptation of the book.

It seems a significant number of people want to read the book in advance; it rose to #20, from #212, on Amazon’s sale rankings.

The movie is scheduled to arrive in theaters on August 15, just one month before The Maze Runner. Then it’s back to Hunger Games, with Mockingjay, Part 1 on Nov. 21.

Tie-ins (no covers yet):

The Giver Movie Tie-In Edition
Lois Lowry
HMH; July 1, 2014
Hardback, $17.99
9780544430785, 0544430786
Trade paperback, $9.99
9780544340688, 054434068X

Audio tie-in
The Giver Movie Tie-In Edition
Lois Lowry, Ron Rifkin
Listening Library, July 8, 2014
CD-Audio; $29.95
9780553397109, 0553397109