In Brief: August 19

‘Number Four’ Actually ‘Number Seven’

I Am Number Four (Harper, Aug.), the first book in the Lorien Legacies series by Pittacus Lore (aka writer James Frey and a co-author), had a strong showing out of the gate, hitting the seventh spot on the New York Times children’s books bestsellers list during its first week on sale. HarperCollins has partnered with Moviefone for a sweepstakes tied to the forthcoming movie based on the book. By participating in various activities on the I Am Number Four Web site, fans can accumulate points; once they have 50 points, they are entered in a sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to the premiere of the film. The movie is scheduled for a February 2011 release; the cast includes Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, and Glee’s Dianna Agron.

In Stuart Gibbs’s debut novel Belly Up (S&S, May), 12-year-old Teddy and his parents have traveled all the way from the Congo to an enormous zoo in Texas, where he gets involved with a mystery involving a dead hippo. But as seen here, an ARC of Gibbs’s book traveled even farther—into outer space, aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis during its trip to the International Space Station this past May.The galley was brought to the station by NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman, who is a college friend of the author. This photo was taken in the space station’s cupola.

Author Hallie Durand—aka Holly McGhee, founder of the literary agency Pippin Properties—recently celebrated the release of Just Desserts (Atheneum, July), illustrated by Christine Davenier, her second chapter book starring Dessert Schneider, a third-grader with a sweet tooth (and some annoying siblings). Seen here at an event late last month, Durand visited Blue Bunny Books and Toys in Dedham, Mass., for a cookie-decorating event, followed by a cupcake event at the Dedham Public Library later that evening.