Watch and Read: Spotlight on Media Tie-ins

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Joy Fleishhacker -- School Library Journal, 8/20/2008 2:21:00 PM

Jane and the Dragon

This CGI animated television series airs on Saturday mornings as part of the qubo block on NBC. Co-produced by New Zealand’s Weta Workshop and Canada’s Nelvana Limited, the show is based on books written and illustrated by Martin Baynton, including Jane and the Dragon and Jane and the Magician (K–Gr 3), which were originally published in England and have been reissued by Candlewick (both 2007). Set in medieval times, the series depicts the adventures of a girl who has put aside her lady-in-waiting upbringing to train to become a knight, and her best friend, a 300-year-old dragon. Kids can visit qubo’s dedicated site to view videos, meet the characters, access related games and downloads, and more.

Two tie-in novelizations of Jane and the Dragon episodes are available from Candlewick, both written by Baynton and illustrated with full-color covers and black-and-white stills from the show. In A Dragon’s Tail, Jane goes on a dangerous quest to find the rare plant that will cure her friend’s illness, while Dragon reveals himself to be a less-than-patient convalescent. When Dragon and Squire Gunther discover that they share a silly sense of humor, Jane quickly decides that Three’s a Crowd and eventually realizes some important things about friendship. With snappy dialogue, humor, and suspenseful spurts of action, these books will draw in series fans and will also appeal to newly confident readers in general (Gr 2–4).

Neopets

Visitors to this virtual Web site, which tend to be mostly tweens, can create a free account, design their own virtual pets, and explore a world that encompasses numerous fantastical lands and contains colorful cartoon characters of indeterminate species. Participants can customize and care for their critters, play hundreds of different games, rack up Neopoints to make purchases, interact with other members of the Neopets community, and more. The site’s content is updated frequently with new games, activities, and contests. Neopets Jr. is a more simplified version of this digital kingdom designed for younger players.

HarperFestival has launched book tie-ins (Gr 3–6) that bring this virtual realm to print. Perhaps a good choice for Neopets neophytes, The Ultimate Field Guide, chattily narrated by the safari-suit-wearing Rufus J. Wanderwart, introduces eight different lands of Neopia, highlighting each area’s special characteristics, places to visit, and important inhabitants. Two novelizations, both the first in a series, incorporate characters, settings, and cartoon-style artwork that will be familiar to Neopets aficionados. Nomi’s Quest features a faerie who tries to prove her courage and magical skills by traveling to the Haunted Woods where she is trapped by an evil sorcerer. In The Creeping Danger, two young heroes, assisted by a ghost named Kyrok, take on frightening ghouls who are determined to drain Neopia of its life force. The narratives are fast paced and fun. If the Neopets site is a popular destination in your library, these books may transform a few Web surfers into readers.