Rockin’ Reads from Disney

“Rockin’ Reads from Disney: JONAS and a New Hannah Book Series”
Joy Fleishhacker — School Library Journal, 9/7/2009

Got Jonas Brothers fans? Hot on the heels of their success with Camp Rock (a 2008 Disney Channel Original Movie) and a 3-D concert film (released in theaters in 2009), this popular boy band is now starring in their own television show. JONAS, an original series created by Michael Curtis and Roger S. H. Schulman, debuted on the Disney Channel in May 2009 with new episodes airing through September.

The show is centered around a lighthearted reality-meets-fiction concept (think The Monkeys from the 1960s), with Kevin, Nick, and Joe Jonas portraying the Lucas brothers, three members of an internationally famous band (named “JONAS” after the street on which they live) who try to lead normal lives while dealing with the challenges of their celebrity status. Other characters include Stella Malone (Chelsea Staub), the brothers’ childhood friend and fashion stylist; Macy Misa (Nicole Anderson), Stella’s best pal and the band’s number-one groupie; and Tom Lucas (John Ducey), the siblings’ father and manager. The episodes include original music written and performed by the Jonas Brothers.

The show is currently airing Sunday evenings, and Disney will release JONAS: Rockin’ the House, a DVD compilation, later this month. Kids can visit the official Web site to find out more about the characters, tour the set, and access photos and downloads. Viewers can also take a breezy personality quiz to find out which member of the band they are most in tune with, sample tracks on the “Music Player,” or choose from among several games.

In July, Disney Press launched a tie-in book series (Gr 3–6) with flashy covers featuring fan-tempting photos of the Jonas Brothers at their fashion best. Each volume presents novelized adaptations of two episodes from the series (identified by name on the title page), separated by an eight-page inset of captioned photos from the highlighted shows. It’s all about romance in the first book, Wild Hearts, as Joe struggles with jealous feelings when Stella dates their high school’s football star in the first story, and Nick falls hard for his latest crush in the second. Short and snappy sentences and brief chapters make for a page-turning read, and the humorous dialogue will hold readers’ attention. A second book, Keeping It Real, was also released in July, with more installments in the series to follow soon.

Source: School Library Journal