Watch and Read: Spotlight on Media Tie-ins

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Joy Fleishhacker -- School Library Journal, 9/22/2008 9:08:00 AM

It’s a Dog’s Life

Walt Disney Pictures’ Beverly Hills Chihuahua (PG), a live-action family comedy directed by Gerard Damiano, premieres in theaters on October 3, 2008. The film follows the adventures of Chloe (voiced by Drew Barrymore), a pampered pooch accustomed to a life of boutique shopping, doggie spas, and lunch at the Four Seasons. When her owner’s niece, Rachel (Piper Perabo), takes the Chihuahua on an unscheduled (and shockingly low-budget) vacation to Mexico, Chloe gets lost. 

The spoiled pooch embarks on an adventure that forces her to rely on new friends—including Delgado (voiced by Andy Garcia), a street-smart German Shepherd, and Papi (voiced by George Lopez), an amorous proud-to-be-from-the-pound Chihuahua—and her own abilities to find her way home. Kids can check out the fun (in both Spanish and English) at the official Web site.

A movie tie-in novelization, based on the screenplay by Analisa LaBianco and Jeff Bushell, is available from Disney Press. Told mostly from the perspective of the canine characters, this tale trots along with action, snappy dialogue, and plenty of purebred attitude. The movie-poster-style cover is a grabber, and eight pages of full-color film stills are included (Gr 3–6).

Sparking Interest in Ember

City of Ember (PG), Walden Media’s sci-fi adventure based on the novel by Jeanne Duprau (Random, 2003), will be released on October 10. Time is almost up for Ember, a remarkable city built underground as a last refuge for humanity. Though Ember has been powered for generations by a massive generator, the lamps have started to flicker and fade, putting the citizens’ future into question. When Lina Mayfleet (Saoirse Ronan) discovers an old metal box filled with mysterious papers, she asks for help from Doon Harrow (Harry Treadaway) to decipher their meaning, and the two friends soon realize that this information could lead to the salvation of their dying city—and its inhabitants. This postapocalyptic adventure also stars Bill Murray, Tim Robbins, and Martin Landau. The official Web site offers a slick-looking preview of the action.

A movie tie-in version of DuPrau’s The City of Ember has been reissued by Yearling, with a colorful new cover and an inset of full-color film photos (Gr 4–8). Upon its publication, this book garnered much critical acclaim and earned honors including designation as a 2006 ALA Notable Children’s Book and numerous state awards. Purchase this edition to catch the eye of movie fans and replace worn copies. You may also want to check the shelves for the rest of the fast-reading “Books of Ember” series, The People of Sparks (2004), The Prophet of Yonwood (2006), and the recently published climax to the quartet, The Diamond of Darkhold (2008, all Random). Direct readers to the publisher’s “Books of Ember” dedicated site for an author bio, frequently asked questions, and activities. Links to teachers' guides to this eminently discussable series are also provided.

Teachers and parents can also surf over to the Walden Media site for “The City of Ember Activity Guide,” educational materials that tie into both the film and the book. Students put themselves in the role of the Builders—the engineers who envisioned and designed the city—and contemplate the needs of our planet and its inhabitants, today and in the future. Lesson plans and activities are centered around high-interest subjects that span the curriculum, including electricity, living underground, cryptography, and time capsules (for grades 5–8).

Pub Info

EGAN, Kate, adapt. Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Disney Press. 2008. pap. $4.99. ISBN 978-1-4231-1409-3.

DUPRAU, Jeanne. The City of Ember. Movie Tie-in edition. Yearling. 2008. pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-385-73628-2.

“Books of Ember” Series

DUPRAU, Jeanne. The City of Ember. Random. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-82273-5; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-375-92274-9; pap. $5.99. ISBN 978-0-375-82274-2 (Yearling).

_____. The People of Sparks. Random. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-82824-9; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-375-92824-6; pap. $5.99. ISBN 978-0-375-82825-6 (Yearling).

­­­­­_____. The Prophet of Yonwood. Random. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-87526-7; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-375-97526-4; pap. $6.50. ISBN 978-0-440-42124-5 (Yearling).

_____. The Diamond of Darkhold. Random. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-375-85571-9; PLB $19.99. ISBN 978-0-375-95571-6.