A good way to entice kids to read during summer vacation is to promise to watch a movie with them after they finish the book. I couldn’t find any kid book adaptations coming out at the cinema this June, July, or August, but there are plenty on hand for sale or for rent at your local library. After watching, discuss how the movie version differs from the original and get your child’s view on how they may have adapted the book to the big screen if they were the director. Here are a few suggestions for middle grade readers:
Historical Fiction
The Watsons Go to Birmingham based on the book by Paul Curtis – It’s 1963, and the Flint, Michigan-based Watsons decide to deliver older brother Byron down South to his grandma’s house in Birmingham, Alabama to straighten him out after he keeps getting in trouble. Worse problems ensue when they get there and grandma’s church is bombed with four little girls inside, and the family becomes embroiled in the Civil Rights Movement.
Old Yeller based on the book by Fred Gipson – A story about a boy and his faithful yellow dog, Old Yeller was published in 1956 and adapted as a film by Disney in 1957. My kids thought the old Disney film was corny, but the movie does bring to life scenes from the Old West that many modern-day youth aren’t familiar with. It is a well written book and a moving story.
Little Women based on the book by Louisa May Alcott – There are many movie adaptations of this book about the March sisters and their passage from childhood to womanhood during the Civil War, with the most recent coming out in 1994 and starring Susan Sarandon, Winona Ryder, and Kirsten Dunst.
Science Fiction
A Wrinkle in Time based on the book by Madeleine L’Engle – This movie, directed by Ava DuVernay and starring Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling, was released this past spring and tells the story of a girl and her little brother’s search for their scientist father in a new planet after he travels through a wrinkle in time.
Ready Player One based on the book by Ernest Cline – The Steven Spielberg movie is rated PG-13 and may be inappropriate for younger children. It was a hit at the box office. The futuristic movie details a teen’s search for an Easter egg in a dangerous virtual reality game, where he has the chance to win a fortune.
Realistic Fiction
Wonder based on the book by R.J. Palacio – “If you have a choice between being right and being kind, choose kind,†is the theme of this warm-hearted movie about a disfigured boy named Auggie and his struggle for acceptance when he enters school for the first time. Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson star in the cast.
The Great Gilly Hopkins based on the book by Katherine Paterson -Eleven-year-old Gilly Hopkins struggles to leave her foster family in this tear-jerker, until her grandmother comes to get her and she realizes she doesn’t really want to go. The movie stars Kathy Bates (of Misery fame), Octavia Spencer and Glenn Close.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul based on the book by Jeff Kinney -This movie grossed me out with the bathroom humor, but my kids liked it, as they did the other movie adaptations in this series. The main characters from the other movies appear to have grown up so they use new actors in this one.
Fantasy
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightening Thief based on the book by Rick Riordan – Kids are the children of Greek gods in this movie adaptation, released in 2010. Another movie based on the book series, Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters, came out in 2013.
The Hobbit based on the book by J.R. Tolkein – This was the first book in the Lord of the Rings series and tells the tale of a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins who take a journey to save Middle Earth. There are many movies and books in the series, so this could keep the interested reader busy the entire summer or beyond. The 2012 film adaptation grossed over $1 billion.
Obviously, this list only scratches the surface of fun movies your child could watch after completing books this summer, but hopefully it gives you a good start. Happy Reading!
Tonya Duncan Ellis is author of the Readers’ Favorite “Five Star†rated Sophie Washington children’s book series, geared toward readers ages 8-12 and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).
www.tonyaduncanellis.com
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