From Book to Movie

When books are made into a movie, children love to read the book first. They are savvy enough to know that oftentimes key plot elements of the book are changed, making the book better than the movie. I tend to agree.

I stopped watching the Harry Potter movies after the first one, because there was so much to the books – the gathering of clues to help Harry defeat Lord Voldemort – that I wanted to savor every moment. I also really liked the book versions of Ron and Herminie; they were funnier in the books. I also felt the movies rushed through the story.

Sometimes movie producers use the title of the book for their movie, but the movie itself bears little resemblance to the story. Movies that fit this category include: Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt, The Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl, Babe, the Gallant Pig by Dick King-Smith, and The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, to name a few.

What I find sad is that many times a bad movie adaptation prevents children from reading the book. I’m thinking of the recent movie, The Eagle which is actually an absorbing novel for older readers called, The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff.

What do you do? Read the book before watching the movie?

Below is a brief listing of some books that were made into a movie. Come into the library, check out the book, read it then watch them movie.

Over Sea Under Stone by Susan Cooper became The Seeker
I Captured the Castle by Dodie Smith
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
How to Train your Dragon by Cressida Cowell
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary became Ramona and Beezus