Media Mania: Book Tie-ins to High-Interest Movies, TV Shows, and More

Joy Fleishhacker -- School Library Journal, 6/17/2008 7:44:00 AM

It’s been a stellar season at the movie theater with more sure-fire hits waiting in the wings. This slew of film-related reads—perfectly suited to summertime savoring—will reel in teen film fans.

Adventurer Extraordinaire

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas’s much-anticipated Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (PG-13) was released by Paramount Pictures and Lucasfilm Ltd on May 22, 2008, grossing an estimated $101 million at the box office during its debut weekend. Set in 1957, the long-awaited fourth film in the Indiana Jones series stars Harrison Ford as an older but still intrepid Indy, reprises Karen Allen’s role as Marion Ravenwood, and introduces Shia LaBeouf as “Mutt” Williams.

Based on the story by Lucas and Jeff Nathanson, and David Koepp’s screenplay, James Rollins’s movie tie-in novel (Del Rey) starts with a bang and keeps things rolling at full speed. The hunt for the Crystal Skull is on, and the globe-trotting, plot-twisting, rapid-reading action is made even more entertaining by the book’s taut suspense, thoughtfully fleshed-out characters, and wisecracking humor. Adorned with a movie-poster-style cover showing Indy posed with bullwhip in hand, this volume will fly off the shelves and readers won’t be disappointed. Those who want to re-live Indy’s former escapades will enjoy The Adventures of Indiana Jones (Del Rey), a compilation of the novels based on the previous films, Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Temple of Doom (1984), and Last Crusade (1989).

Cinephiles and browsers alike will be fascinated by J. W. Rinzler’s The Complete Making of Indiana Jones (Del Rey), a guide to all things Indy. From Spielberg and Lucas’s first meeting at a student film festival in the late 1960s, through the conception of the character and the creation of all four epics, this book is packed with information, insights, interviews, and full-color behind-the-scenes photos. Teens may also be interested in several guidebook-style titles that also explore Indy’s world: James Luceno’s Indiana Jones: The Ultimate Guide (DK), Denise Kiernan and Joseph D’Agnese’s The Indiana Jones Handbook (Quirk), and George Beahm’s unauthorized Indiana Jones: Off the Beaten Path (Hampton Roads, all 2008). “Watch and Read’ Extra Helping 4/22/08
Comic Book Heroes: 21^st-Century-Style

Two explosive superheroes, the brain children of comic-book geniuses Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, made their debut in the Marvel Comics Universe in the 1960s and now return in a live-action motion-picture format to win a new generation of devotees. Robert Downey Jr. stars as Tony Stark, a self-absorbed billionaire inventor who survives an earth-shattering experience with a new outlook on life and a high-tech suit of armor that he later dons to protect the world as Iron Man (PG-13). This dynamo blasted into theatres on May 2nd and recorded the 10^th biggest opening weekend of all time. With a June 13th release date, The Incredible Hulk (PG-13), also produced by Marvel Studios, features Edward Norton as Dr. Bruce Banner, a scientist who searches for a way to neutralize the radioactive element in his blood that causes him—when riled—to morph into an raging monster.

Peter David’s tie-in novels (Del Rey) for both films rely on a successful blend of rollercoaster action and character study. YAs will relish perusing plot particulars and digging deeper into the psyches of two conflicted individuals, as Tony Stark revaluates his purpose and priorities and Bruce Banner wrestles with controlling and accepting his inner demon. Sketching out detailed backgrounds, relationships, and motivations, David makes these bigger-than-life heroes come across as (almost) real individuals.

For real diehards, Andy Mangels’s Iron Man: Beneath the Armor (Del Rey) offers an in-depth look at this character, from his print premiere, through decades of evolution and revolution at the hands of numerous Marvel writers and artists, to the creation of the 2008 feature film. Throughout, Iron Man’s changing plotlines and personality elements are placed into a larger cultural context. The glossy book brims with browsable full-color reproductions and ends with character bios and an illustrated armor gallery. 

A Quiet Hero

With a release date of June 27th, WALL-E (not yet rated), a computer-animated futuristic film from Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictures, introduces a different type of hero, as a lonely robot finds the love of his life and the courage to pursue his dreams. Tim Hauser’s The Art of Wall-E (Chronicle) provides a mesmerizing behind-the-scenes look at the movie’s origin and creation, lushly illustrated with reproductions of concept art (storyboards, character sketches, and full-color pastels, and more) accompanied by production crew quotes. The coherent text traces the importance of visual storytelling in the film, which has very little dialogue, touching on silent movie comedians, pantomime acting, and the creative freedom of animation. This handsome volume will appeal to teens interested in the history of cinema, movie production, and animation, and would make an intriguing addition to classroom studies in these areas.

Pub Info

Black, Campbell, James Kahn, & Rob Macgregor. The Adventures of Indiana Jones. Del Rey/Random House. 2008. pap. $18.00. ISBN 978-0-345-50127-1.

David, Peter. The Incredible Hulk. based on the screenplay by Edward Norton and Zak Penn. Del Rey/Random House. 2008. pap. $7.99. ISBN 978-0-345-50699-3.

_____. Iron Man. based on the screenplay by Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum, and Matt Holloway. Del Rey/Random House. pap. $7.99. ISBN 978-0-345-50609-2.

Hauser, Tim. The Art of Wall-E. Chronicle. 2008. Tr $40.00. ISBN 978-0-8118-6235-6.

Mangels, Andy. Iron Man: Beneath the Armor. Del Rey/Random House. 2008. pap. $19.95. ISBN 978-0-345-50615-3.

Rollins, James. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Del Rey/Random House. 2008. Tr $26.00. ISBN 978-0-345-50128-8.

Rinzler, J. W. The Complete Making of Indiana Jones. Del Rey/Random House. 2008. pap. $35.00. ISBN 978-0-345-50129-5.