This week in children's book news.

Jacqueline Wilson to update Five Children & It

Why is this necessary? It's been many years since I've read this book (and honestly I have a much better remembrance of the BBC adaptation), but there's no way you're going to convince me that remaking a book is going to make it any better. And does it need to be? But seriously, I get upset by all the movie remakes they continue to churn out, and the lack of originality that's plaguing Hollywood. Don't bring that over to children's literature.

Also, man, is Nesbit having a rough week or what? E. Nesbit's classic The Railway Children accused of 'plagiarism'

And in other unnecessary news: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang flies again

Let's write a sequel to a book by Ian Fleming with a movie written by Roald Dahl. Man, this guy has balls. Also he puts himself in the same category as Russel T Davies and Steven Moffat. And he's so modest, too. No, thank you.

Hunger Games: Suzanne Collins talks Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss

Meh, okay. I was really pulling for Kaya Scodelario, who's best known for playing Effy Stonem on Skins and would have been a pretty bitchin' Katniss in my opinion. Also, the girl looks amazing with dirt on her face and sticks in her hair. And while they're both gorgeous, Jennifer Lawrence is a little too conventionally pretty for the Katniss in my mind. However, I have yet to see Winter's Bone and once they dye her hair and make her up, I'm sure she'll be more Katniss-friendly. She is a bit old, but that's nothing new in Hollywood. (However, my other pick? For them to wait four years and cast Kiernan Shipka. With the self-cut Sally Draper hair? Yeah.) Anyway, Suzanne Collins approves and that's what really matters, right? I'm withholding judgment.

Cuddly Catastrophe: Knut the Polar Bear dies

:( We have this book all over the store, and damn, was that bear super cute. It's really just super sad, cause he was still a little cuddly baby. I'm gonna go squish a stuffed polar bear next time I go into work. Also :(

Sex? Violence? An author tests the boundaries of YA fiction.

Aric Davis has written an interesting blog post on the difference content-wise between writing for adults and writing for teens. Just an interesting read, and I like that he understands the morbid side of kids. Think I'll have to pick up Nickel Plated.

The surprising story behind Elizabeth Berkley's new book, Ask Elizabeth

It's funny cause the first thing I thought when I saw that Elizabeth Berkley had a book for teens out was that I don't think teens nowadays would know who she is. And maybe they don't, maybe they've never seen reruns of Saved By the Bell or sneakily caught an late-night showing of Showgirls on VH1 where they're all covered by blatantly painted-on bras. But I forgot that Berkley has been doing this for years, keeping herself relevant long since Jessie Spano went off the air, talking with girls about their problems and worries. I'm really intrigued by this actually, I'll definitely have to look into it, see if it's worth the hype.

Paolini's final Inheritance Cycle title revealed

Oh my god, does anyone care? I know people really dug Eragon when it first came out (including my mom and my brother), but I never heard a positive word about the other two. The movie was a ridiculous flop and Brisingr straight up had a Doctor Who reference in it. (Really, it said so in his almost as poorly written author's note that the Doctor and Rose were chilling with them... around a fire? I don't recall the circumstances.) So anyway, if you were wondering, the final book in the Inheritance Cycle? It's called Inheritance. Couldn't have guessed that one.