In Brief: December 1

Christopher Paolini is in the middle of an 18-city book tour in support of the final book in his bestselling Inheritance series, Inheritance (Knopf), which went on sale November 8 and sold almost 500,000 copies on its first day alone. The author has been visiting a variety of venues, including bookstores, schools, grocery stores, and military bases. Here, Paolini is seen with soldiers from the Fort Lewis Army Base near Seattle.

Hugo, the Martin Scorsese–directed adaptation of Brian Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret (Scholastic Press), arrived in U.S. theaters just in time for Thanksgiving, and the film had its U.K. premiere this past Monday. Selznick himself was on hand for the red-carpet festivities, along with the cast of the film, including Asa Butterfield (who plays Hugo), Chloë Moretz, and Sir Ben Kingsley. The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall also attended the Royal Film Performance, which was held at London’s Odeon Cinema in Leicester Square; money raised at the event benefits the Cinema & Television Benevolent Fund.

Author Sarah Mlynowski attended the 52nd annual Girl Scout Convention, held this year in Houston; the convention was an especially big deal this year, given the upcoming 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts of America in 2012. Mlynowski signed copies of her books, including Bras and Broomsticks and Gimme a Call, and spoke to the more than 2,000 attendees about her experiences as a writer. Other speakers included Katie Couric, singer Yolanda Adams, and actresses Monique Coleman and Marlee Matlin.

British author/actor Charlie Higson visited Los Angeles last month, where he promoted his Enemy series of zombie novels. In addition to a school visit and an appearance on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (clip available here), Higson also enjoyed a dinner with local booksellers and media. Higson, seen here seated with NPR’s Nina Gregory, was joined by (back row, l. to r.) booksellers Jennifer Ramos, Mark Adam, Anthony Rester, Amanda Youngman, and Ruby Vassar. The second book in the series, The Dead, was published by Disney-Hyperion in April; the third, The Fear, is due out in June 2012.

Loretta Ellsworth was one of more than 35 authors who recently participated in the Kentucky Book Fair, held last month in Frankfort, Ky. Taking part in the fair’s first-ever Children’s Day, Ellsworth discussed her new novel Unforgettable (Walker, Sept.), about a teen who remembers every detail of his life. Here, Ellsworth (r.) is seen with fellow writer Alison Hart, the author of several horse-themed books, including two recent additions to American Girl’s Innerstar University series.

The Children’s Book Shop in Brookline, Mass., hosted a launch party for author Anna Staniszewski’s first novel, My Very UnFairy Tale Life (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, Nov.), about a girl who has grown unhappy with saving magical kingdoms from peril. Here, the author (center) is flanked by (l. to r.) attendees Kris Asselin, Heather Kelly, Kip Rechea, and Laura Pauling. Photo: Kris Asselin.