a-bear-called-paddingtonA couple of popular British novel series, one for children and one decidedly not, are coming to e-books, The Bookseller reported last week.

The children’s series is Paddington Bear, the adventures of a small, talking bear named for the London railway station where he was found. The series already has a £3.99 (US $6.23) multimedia iPad/iPhone app, which among other things will let parents record video readings of the story, and children take photos of themselves “with” Paddington to send to family and friends.

HCB said the digital adaptation had been done "carefully" to ensure the rhythm of the story is not interrupted with the interactivity. Digital publishing manager Tom Conway said: "This is not just an electronic version of the book—it’s a new way of telling, and sharing, a much-loved story."

E-books for all Paddington titles are to be available in early 2012.

The other is the 12-book Flashman series, by the late George Macdonald Fraser, based on a minor character from an 1857 novel by Thomas Hughes. The books chronicle the adventures of a self-confessed scoundrel who, through a series of coincidences, gains fame and renown as a great hero of the Victorian era.

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