When we talk about e-books (which we seem to do, endlessly), it’s generally assumed they will continue to be like print books, just transferred to some sort of screen. Sure, e-books offer the ability to get books quickly (assuming they are in the format you need) and to carry dozens of them with you at once. But, frankly, that’s not terribly exciting.

As we become able to integrate text, audio and video on one device whole new forms of storytelling can emerge. Book apps that utilize iPod Touch technology offer a glimpse of that future.

Cathy’s Book was one of the early attempts to create interactive storytelling, using the technology available at the time (way back in the pre-iPod Touch dark ages of 2006). It was selected by YALSA as a Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers.

It’s just been released in a brand-new version; the Cathy’s Book App for the iPod Touch and the iPhone (you can read more about it and view a demo here).

Does this new version still work for librarians trying to hook reluctant readers? How can librarians work with a format that can’t  be borrowed from the library (note, however, that this app costs just $0.99)?

We’re giving free Cathy’s Book App promocodes to the first five librarians who’d like to download the app and are willing to share their thoughts with EarlyWord readers. Just send us an email, with “Cathy’s Book App” in the subject line and tell us where you work (ends at 5:30 EST Friday, Feb. 5).

On the eve of the book’s publication, comes the news of a movie deal for the debut title in a planned five-book YA series, Beautiful Creatures.

According to Variety, Warner Bros. is looking for a way to fill the revenue hole that the Harry Potter movies will eventually leave (the last in the series, Deathly Hollows, is coming out in two parts, scheduled for Nov 19, 2010 and July 15, 2011.) Meanwhile, Entertainment Weekly sees the move as part of the “hunt for the next Twilight.”

Warner has hired Richard LaGravenese (P.S. I Love You) to write and direct.

Beautiful Creatures Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl Retail Price: $17.99 Hardcover: 576 pages Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers – (2009-12-01) ISBN / EAN: 0316042676 / 9780316042673 Listen to an excerpt

Hachette Audio: 9780316042673; $17.99

The book is being promoted by Amazon (it’s being featured on the books home page and the Amazon editors picked it as #5 in the Top 100 titles for 2009). In sales rankings, it is now at #68.

Of course, this isn’t the only series that movie people have declared the next HP or Twilight:

The Harry Potter mantel:

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, (if you haven’t already, check out the new trailer) — scheduled for release Feb. 12, 2010. It is directed by Chris Columbus, who also directed the first two HP movies.

Septimus Heap: Magyk — announced for 2012, an animated film.

The new Twilight (the next in that series, Eclipse is coming June 20, 2010 and it’s been rumored that the last book, Breaking Dawn, will be slpit into two movies):

Mortal Instruments — Jessica Postigo (Operation Checkmate) has been signed up to write the script that is based on the novels City of Bones, City of Ashes and City of Glass.

The Host — Stephenie Meyer’s title published for adults was signed up recently. It’s not a series, at least not yet. Meyer has hinted that she might return to the story, most recently on last’s week’s CBS Sunday Morning.

House of Night — the series was acquired last year, but no news since.

It’s so human to expect that the next big thing will be similar to the last big thing.

The book section of the Daily Beast tries to figure out what will be the next big YA series, suggesting a half dozen that may make it (actually, some are already fixtures on the NYT Children’s   bestseller list). Most of the suggestions are of the paranormal persuasion.

Our bet is that something entirely new will come along. We just hope that the next big thing is a book.

How many times has Gossip Girl been called “Sex and the City for Teens”?

Come May, there will be an actual S&TC for teens, when Candace Busnell publishes The Carrie Diaries, the first of two fictional diaries supposedly written by Carrie Bradshaw as a teenager.

The grownup version of Carrie will appear in theaters in May, with the release of Sex and the City 2.

Entertainment Weekly’s “Shelf Life” blog gives a sneak peek at the cover and so do we:

The Carrie Diaries Candace Bushnell Retail Price: $18.99 Hardcover: 272 pages Publisher: HarperTeen/Balzer + Bray – (2010-05-01) ISBN / EAN: 0061728918 / 9780061728914

HarperChildrensAudio; 5/1/10; UNAB; 978-0061983948; $25.99

In case you missed it, here’s Oprah’s interview with Stephenie Meyer on Friday:

Part One

Part Two

In this section, Bolivar Middle School librarian & kids, via Skype, say that Twilight has “created a culture of literacy” among the students:

You may have noticed that the promo to the last segment of the interview promises an answer to the burning question, “Will There Be a Fifth Twilight Book?” Oprah never asks that question (an oversight so great that Entertainment Weekly had to investigate).

Fortunately, in the following “Behind the Scenes” interview, Meyer answers the question, but with an unsatisfying “maybe.” Another completely different book is “itching” in the back of her head. Stephenie’s mom is on her daily to go back to Midnight Sun, which tells the Twilight story from Edward’s point of view. She abandoned it after a draft was leaked on the Web.

Earlier, Meyer told Oprah that her mother is a strong influence (she told her to change the ending of Twilight and “she was right, as usual”), so fans can hope.

Worried that there aren’t enough YA vampire movies in the pipeline?

Worry no more; The Hollywood Reporter announces that DreamWorks Studios has acquired the rights to the five-book Wicked series.

The producers say, “Wicked has all the elements for a great movie–adventure, mystery, star-crossed lovers, bitter enemies, and the supernatural. [the script writers] came in with an intriguing take on the books and a story that we feel will really speak to all audiences.”

Release is planned for 2012.

The movie will be based on the first two titles in the sereis, Witch and Curse, which are available in one volume.

Wicked: Witch & Curse Nancy Holder, Debbie Viguié Retail Price: $7.99 Paperback: 672 pages Publisher: Simon Pulse – (2008-09-09) ISBN / EAN: 141697119X / 9781416971191

At the end of September, Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, the first in a 3-vol YA paranormal romance series about werewolves, was acquired. No release date was given.

Shiver Maggie Stiefvater Retail Price: $17.99 Hardcover: 400 pages Publisher: Scholastic Press – (2009-08-01) ISBN / EAN: 0545123267 / 9780545123266

And, last year, the House of Night series was optioned. The newest title in that series has just been released.

Tempted (House of Night Novels) P. C. Cast, Kristin Cast Retail Price: $17.99 Hardcover: 336 pages Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin – (2009-10-27) ISBN / EAN: 0312567480 / 9780312567484

We’re delighted that John Green’s Paper Towns was voted the #1 title on the 2009 YALSA Teens Top Ten. We were dying to see how John reacted to the WWE Divas’ announcement, but the link on the YALSA Web site just didn’t work, no matter how many times we clicked it (we did see some rather alarming SmackDown videos and Snoop Dogg kicking it; hard to take first thing in the morning).

So, we tried that trusty standby, YouTube and, voilà, there it is.

It appears the Divas have John locked, alone, in a hotel room. Hope he gets out soon.

Below is the full list of winners:

1. Paper Towns by John Green (Penguin/Dutton)
2. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
3. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)
4. City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry)
5. Identical by Ellen Hopkins (Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry)
6. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (HarperCollins)
7. Wake by Lisa McMann (Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse)
8. Untamed by P.C. and Kristin Cast (St. Martin’s Griffin)
9. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (Disney-Hyperion)
10. Graceling by Kristin Cashore (Harcourt/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Sad news arrives at the beginning of Teen Read week — one of Norma Fox Mazer’s colleagues, on her Web site Jacket Knack reports that Mazer died over the weekend after a battle with brain cancer (via Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind).

On her own site, Mazer wrote about how she devloped a love of reading. Of course, libraries were a key element and she asked, “Am I prejudiced or is it a fact that people who work in libraries are among the friendliest and most helpful you’re ever going to meet?”

Return the compliment; check to see if you need to replace worn or missing copies of Mazer’s titles.

A new trailer for New Moon is now available. The movie will arrive in theaters on Nov. 20th.

Watch more Moviefone videos on AOL Video

In addition to tie-in editions of the book, Little Brown YR is also publishing a movie companion:

New Moon: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion (Twilight Saga) Mark Cotta Vaz Retail Price: $18.99 Paperback: 144 pages Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers – (2009-10-06) ISBN / EAN: 0316075809 / 9780316075800

As we reported earlier, the TV series based on L.J. Smith’s Vampire Diaries begins on the CW network tonight at 8 p.m. and it’s getting quite a bit of press.

Slate calls it “Dawson’s Creek with fangs”  and, indeed, one of Diaries‘ executive producers, Kevin Williamson, also developed Dawson’s Creek.

The NYT seems to like it. The LA Times is more clear, calling it “a good old-fashioned love story with vampires,” while USA Today says it’s like “a kiddie-ride version of True Blood.”

Tie-ins:

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening L. J. Smith Retail Price: $6.99 Paperback: 272 pages Publisher: HarperTeen – (2009-09-01) ISBN / EAN: 0061963860 / 9780061963865

–

The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle L. J. Smith Retail Price: $6.99 Paperback: 256 pages Publisher: HarperTeen – (2009-09-01) ISBN / EAN: 0061963879 / 9780061963872

However, it’s the earlier, trade paperback edition with both books bound into one that is rising on USA Today’s bestseller list. It’s now at #93, its peak, after six weeks in the top 150.

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle L. J. Smith Retail Price: $9.99 Paperback: 512 pages Publisher: HarperTeen – (2007-07-01) ISBN / EAN: 006114097X / 9780061140976

According to USA Today, Suzanne Collins’ Catching Fire is the top-selling book in the country.

The first book in the series, Hunger Games, was on the list for only 3 week, rising to a high point of #51 (it’s still on the NYT Childrens Hardcover list after 51 weeks, currently at #2, its highest position).

USA Today notes in its “Book Buzz” column that Collins will not be touring for the book because she is too busy working on the final book in the trilogy, due next fall.

Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games) Suzanne Collins Retail Price: $17.99 Hardcover: 400 pages Publisher: Scholastic Press – (2009-09-01) ISBN / EAN: 0439023491 / 9780439023498

Also in audio from Scholastic:

• ISBN: 9780545101417; $39.95;
• Library edition; 9780545101431; $84.95

Below, Collins reads from Chapter 2 of the book:

From Chapter 2:

New to the top five on the USA Today bestseller list is the fourth in the YA Vampire Academy novels, Blood Promise. It’s at #5, immediately above New Moon, which has been on the list for a mere 155 weeks.

As Vampire Academy author, Richelle Mead says on her blog, this puts the series on the upcoming (9/14) NYT Children’s Series list for the first time, at #2 (right after, you guessed it, the Twilight Saga).

Blood Promise (Vampire Academy, Book 4) Richelle Mead Retail Price: $16.99 Hardcover: 512 pages Publisher: Razorbill – (2009-08-25) ISBN / EAN: 1595141987 / 9781595141989

Since it can be difficult to tell the YA vampires series without a score card, this is not to be confused with the Vampire Diaries. The first two volumes in that series, The Awakening and The Struggle, originally published in the early ’90’s, were recently combined into a single volume, which is now at #128 on the USA Today list. As we reported earlier, a tv series based on those books is coming to the CW network this fall (premiering a week from today, Thursday, 9/10). The titles are being re-released in new tie-in editions.

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening L. J. Smith Retail Price: $6.99 Paperback: 272 pages Publisher: HarperTeen – (2009-09-01) ISBN / EAN: 0061963860 / 9780061963865

-

The Vampire Diaries: The Struggle L. J. Smith Retail Price: $6.99 Paperback: 256 pages Publisher: HarperTeen – (2009-09-01) ISBN / EAN: 0061963879 / 9780061963872

Meanwhile, it appears that no movie or tv deal is in progress for Vampire Academy.

Topping the list of highly anticipated books for this week is a YA title, Suzanne Collins’ Catching Fire, which comes out tomorrow. Large libraries are showing orders as high as 86 copies, with holds reaching 465.

Lev Grossman covers it in Time this week,

The Hunger Games and Catching Fire expose children to exactly the kind of violence we usually shield them from. But that just goes to show how much adults forget about what it’s like to be a child. Kids are physical creatures, and they’re not stupid. They know all about violence and power and raw emotions. What’s really scary is when adults pretend that such things don’t exist.

Grossman does not compare the two books, but Entertainment Weekly does, finding the second one a “decidedly weaker sequel,” despite having some “great stuff” in the second half and giving it a C (Stephen King reviewed the first book for EW, giving it a solid B).

Stephenie Meyer begs to differ. Earlier this summer, she said on her blog that Catching Fire “surpassed her expectations.”

Lionsgate purchased the movie rights to Hunger Games back in March. Last week, Publishers Weekly reported that Collins is writing the final Hunger Games installment, to be published in the fall of 2010, and will then begin work on the screenplay.

If you haven’t gotten your hands on an ARC, the following readings by the author will give you a taste:

From Chapter 2:

From Chapter 11:

In the first major case where a publisher has changed a jacket in response to pointed feedback from bloggers and other early readers, Bloomsbury Children’s Books announced today that it will re-jacket the hardcover edition of Liar by Justine Larbalestier. The YA novel lit up the blogosphere in June and July, when early readers and then the author blogged about their dissatisfaction that a feminine white girl was on the cover even though the book is about a black tomboy. The controversy has already brought considerable attention to the novel, which has a 100,000 copy announced first print and has received positive early reads.

The decision to revise the hardcover jacket is a reversal for Bloomsbury, which at first defended the original image, although the house also said it would revise the paperback jacket. But in a new statement to PW, Bloomsbury officials said:

““We regret that our original creative direction for Liar—which was intended to symbolically reflect the narrator’s complex psychological makeup—has been interpreted by some as a calculated decision to mask the character’s ethnicity. In response to this concern, and in support of the author’s vision for the novel, Bloomsbury has decided to re-jacket the hardcover edition with a new look in time for its publication in October. It is our hope that the important discussions about race and its representation in teen literature continue. As the publisher of Liar, we also hope that nothing further distracts from the quality of the author’s nuanced and accomplished story, and that a new cover will allow this novel’s many advocates to celebrate its U.S. publication without reservation.”

The decision came at some cost to the publisher, since the book is already well into production and goes on sale September 29.

Here’s the old jacket:

Liar Justine Larbalestier Retail Price: $16.99 Hardcover: 384 pages Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books – (2009-09-29) ISBN / EAN: 1599903059 / 9781599903057

Here’s the new jacket:

This fall, there will be a teen twist on Rhonda Byrne’s blockbuster self-help phenom, The Secret, which has sold millions of copies. The new book, The Secret to Teen Power, will be written by Paul Harrington, producer of The Secret DVD, with a bullish first printing of 500,000 copies. The new book will show “how teens can transform their own lives and live their dreams, by understanding and using the power they have in their hands,” according to publisher Simon Pulse, as quoted by the Associated Press.

No exact pub date, jacket or ISBN yet, but we’ll keep you posted.