Finally, an answer for all the teens who have been anxiously awaiting news about the film version of Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (Hachette/LBYR, 2009). Movie news sources, including Entertainment Weekly‘s blog, report that it now has financing from Warner Bros. and the first cast member has been named, Oscar nominee, Viola Davis. Filming is scheduled to begin in April in New Orleans. UPDATE: The movie is now scheduled for release on Feb. 1, 2013.

Davis will play Amma, referred to by some sites as a librarian. However, in the book is Amma is a housekeeper. There is a librarian in the book, but she is called “Marian” (of course).

The filmmakers may have been waiting for the full series to be complete before moving ahead. Since it was signed in 2009, the two more titles have been published, Beautiful Darkness (2010) and Beautiful Chaos (2011). Hollywood loves teen franchises. UPDATE: The final book, Beautiful Redemption has been announced for release on Oct. 23.

Coming from RH/Knopf in April in print and ebook

Top executives from ALA visited New York publishers this week to present the case for making ebooks available for library lending. When librarians found out that Random House had asked to be included, fears grew that the one house that has stood firm in making their titles available was about to change that policy.

The rumor was completely unfounded, however. RH told both Library Journal and Publishers Weekly that they simply wanted ALA to know that, “Our commitment to libraries, as imperative to our momentum, if not to our existence as publishers, is greater than ever.”

One small hitch, however, a price increase will take effect March 1.

Librarian response has been positive, since this model is preferable to windowing (not making ebooks available until a year or more after release), limiting the number of circulations, or not making ebooks available at all. As a result, publishing news aggregator, Publishers Lunch “Automat,” commented in its link to the PW story, “It’s Interesting Times When Random House Raising Prices On Library eBooks Is Celebrated As Good News.”

Several libraries immediately placed orders on Random House titles to beat the price increase.

The second trailer for HBO’s Game Change, based on the book by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin (Harper), has just been released, giving us a longer look at Julianne Moore’s portrayal of Sarah Palin. The movie debuts on cable March 10. It also stars Woody Harrelson as campaign strategist Steve Schmidt and Ed Harris as John McCain.

The book was a best seller in 2010; many libraries have copies on their shelves.
 

Book Expo announces the first speaker for the Book & Author events; Michael Chabon will be featured on Thursday, June 7 at the Book and Author Breakfast.

His next book is Telegraph Avenue (HarperCollins, 9780061493348, on sale 9/11/12).

More author announcements will be coming soon.

The effect of the Newbery and Caldecott awards on book sales is seen in the Feb 12 NYT Best Seller list; both the medalists and one of the honor books make their debuts.

Sales are for the week ending Saturday, January 28, the week of the awards, which were announced that Monday.

NYT Children’s Picture Books

#3 — Caldecott Medal

A Ball for Daisy, by Chris Raschka

RH/Schwartz & Wade – (2011-05-10)

ISBN/EAN: 037585861X/9780375858611

NYT Description: Daisy’s favorite ball is destroyed by a bigger dog; a 2012 Caldecott winner.
 

#8 — Caldecott Honor

Grandpa Green, by Lane Smith,

Macmillan/Roaring Brook, 8/30/11

ISBN/EAN: 1596436077/9781596436077

NYT Description: In a topiary garden, a boy narrates the story of his great-grandfather’s life.

NYT Children’s Chapter Books

#6 — Newbery Medal

 Dead End in Norvelt, by Jack Gantos

Macmillan/FSG, 9/13/11

ISBN / EAN: 0374379939 / 9780374379933

NYT Description: Typing obituaries for a neighbor lands Jack in a string of comic adventures; a 2012 Newbery winner.

Good news — the deadline to apply to give out books on World Book Night, Monday, April 23rd, has been extended.

Organizer Carl Lennertz says they’ve received hundreds of applications, with every state, city and town covered, but “the more the merrier” and he’s heard there are still people out there who want to be part of this program. The applications have been inspiring, he says,

 …the places the book givers are suggesting for their giveaway are as varied as America itself, from schools to nursing homes, coffeeshops to a soup kitchen. My favorite so far?  At a Little League game. And while I always knew in my heart, being a small town kid myself, that World Book Night might skew from big city and towards smaller cities and towns, one of my favorite suggestions so far is for someone to give away their books on the Staten Island Ferry.

Click here for more information on the program. The librarian’s signup page is here.

Help spread the word via Twitter. Below is suggested 140 character text:

Hey book lovers, be a volunteer book giver on World Book Night, April 23, 2012. Sign up at www.worldbooknight.org by Feb. 7

OR

Want to participate in a million book giveaway to promote reading? Sign up at www.worldbooknight.org by Feb. 7

Yesterday’s rave from reviewer Janet Maslin in the New York Times, helped to boost Katherine Boo’s book about a slum in Mumbai Behind the Beautiful Forevers into the top 100 on Amazon sales rankings. Libraries are beginning to show heavy holds on modest ordering (most libraries have bought one copy for their largest branches; holds are as high as 12:1)

Holds are likely to grow; both NPR’s Fresh Air and Morning Edition are scheduled to feature it next week, the author will be profiled by Chip McGrath in the NYT and it is scheduled for review in the NYT Book Review. It is also tops O Magazine‘s “17 Books to Watch for in February.”

Our crystal ball? It will be this year’s Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

In addition to the audio and large type editions of the book, there is an enhanced ebook version (included the WSJ‘s guide to the best forthcoming enhanced books) which features videos of daily life shot by some of the slum children using the author’s camera.

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, death, and hope in a Mumbai undercity Katherine Boo Retail Price: $28.00 Hardcover: 288 pages Publisher: Random House – (2012-02-07) ISBN 97814000-67558

BOT Audio; Thorndike Large Print; OverDrive ebook and audio