Watch and Read: Spotlight on Media Tie-ins
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Joy Fleishhacker -- School Library Journal, 12/4/2007 10:21:00 AM
Rocking Rodents: Alvin and the Chipmunks
In 1958, using a state-of-the-art tape player that allowed him to change recording speeds, Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. created a musical novelty group that would remain popular for generations. With comedic flair, the songwriter devised the voices and personas of three singing chipmunks—spunky, impulsive Alvin; brainy, bespectacled Simon; and gullible, sweet-natured Theodore—and took on the role of their human straight man and “manager,” David Seville. Their record-breaking first hit, “The Chipmunk Song,” now a perennial holiday favorite, led to more recordings, an animated cartoon series, and several movies.
On December 14, Twentieth Century Fox and Regency Entertainment will release the first big-screen production of Alvin and the Chipmunks (PG), a live action/CGI motion picture. Down-on-his-luck songwriter Dave Seville (Jason Lee) inadvertently ends up as caregiver to three endearing but mischievous chipmunks who turn his life upside down. As Dave struggles with instant “fatherhood,” the musically talented critters record his Christmas song and are catapulted to fame. Will their sudden stardom wreck their relationship with Dave and destroy the “family”? Visit the official Web site for previews, games, and tidbits from the soundtrack.
Kids can read the story in a snappy, dialogue-driven movie novelization adapted by Perdita Finn (HarperEntertainment) and supplemented with eight pages of film photos (Gr 3–6). For a dose of nostalgia, direct fans to the “Alvin and the Chipmunks” Web site (www.chipmunks.com) for colorful visuals, character bios, and a history penned by Bagdasarian’s son, Ross, Jr., who now voices the chipmunks and carries on the tradition.
Unravel the Secrets
On Decemer 21, Walt Disney Pictures will release National Treasure: Book of Secrets (PG), the sequel to the box-office hit, National Treasure (2004). When a missing page of John Wilkes Booth’s diary surfaces, treasure-hunter Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) is shocked to find his great-great-grandfather implicated in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Ben’s efforts to clear his family’s name lead him on a frantic, fraught-with-danger chase that involves locating a mysterious book of presidential secrets. Click here for a sneak peak.
Ann Lloyd’s fast-paced novelization (Disney Press) recounts the story and provides eight pages of full-color photos (Gr 4–6). Filmgoers may want to expand their movie experience with Catherine Hapka’s Changing Tides: A Gates Family Mystery (Gr 5 Up). The first in a series, this quick-reading historical novel introduces another Gates with a flair for solving puzzles, unearthing hidden hoards, and stumbling upon adventure. In 1612, 18-year-old Samuel leaves London to seek his fortune in Jamestown. During the ocean voyage, a fellow passenger gives him a letter that hints at a treasure concealed somewhere in the colony. As Samuel settles into life in the New World, he unravels clues that place him in danger and lead to a surprising find.
Loch Legend
The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep (PG), produced by Beacon Pictures, Revolution Studios, and Walden Media will premier on December 25. Inspired by Dick King-Smith’s novel (Crown, 1998), the film tells the story of Angus MacMorrow (Alex Etel), a Scottish boy who embarks on an amazing adventure when he finds an unusual egg that hatches into an awe-inspiring beast. Click here for a preview, games, and more.
Freshen up your shelves with a movie tie-in edition of King-Smith’s The Water Horse (Yearling), illustrated with David Parkins’s original black-and-white drawings and embellished with eight pages of film photos and a snazzy cover (Gr 2–5).
Pub Info:
FINN, Perdita, adapt. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Junior Novel. HarperEntertainment. 2007. pap. $4.99. ISBN 978-0-06-145064-8.
HAPKA, Catherine. Changing Tides: A Gates Family Mystery. Disney Press. 2007. pap. $7.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-0814-6.
LLOYD, Ann, adapt. National Treasure: Book of Secrets: The Junior Novel. Disney Press. 2007. pap. $4.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-0627-2.
KING-SMITH, Dick. The Water Horse. illus. by David Parkins. Yearling. 2007. pap. $5.50. ISBN 978-0-375-84231-3.
