From Summer Reading to Family Movie Night

Movies to inspire kids to read

Summer is a great time to use movies as motivation for reading. Make summer reading a family affair (and help prevent summer slide) by rewarding the conclusion of each book with a fun movie night.

Here are 55 books in a variety of genres that have been made into movies for kids of all ages. Check book and movie reviews online to determine if content is appropriate for your family, then set a timeframe for kids (or the family) to read together.

Plan movie nights to celebrate the end of each book, complete with movie snacks, of course. Many of the movies are available on Netflix. Most importantly, be involved and have fun!

Classics

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan Pippi Longstocking series by Astrid Lindgren Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Picture Books

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett The Night at the Museum by Milan Trenc

Realistic Fiction

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson

Holes by Louis Sachar

Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary

The Watsons Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis

Historical Fiction

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp (movie: The Sound of Music)

American Girls Collection (various authors)

The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper

Fantasy

The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

The BFG by Roald DahlHarry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell

Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg

The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

The Borrowers by Mary Norton (see movie: The Secret World of Arrietty)

Book Talk

Watching movies and books hand-in-hand gives parents the opportunity to discuss books with kids. Consider asking questions such as:

Which was better, the book or the movie?

What were some differences between the book and the movie? Did you like the changes?

Did the cast capture the personalities of the characters in the books?

How would you make the movie (or book) different?

If you could pick any book to make into a movie, which book would it be and why? Which actors and actresses would you cast in the movie? Would you change the beginning, middle or ending?

Adventure

Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan

The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins

The Jungle Book by Rudyard KiplingNim’s Island by Wendy OrrNancy Drew series by Carolyn KeeneInkheart by Cornelia Funke

A Series of Unfortunate Events series by Lemony Snicket

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell

Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer by Megan McDonald

Science Fiction

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

Escape to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key

Especially for Teens

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Divergent series by Veronica Roth

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Want to involve friends? Read our article “Six Steps to Starting a Mother-Daughter Book Club.” www.sandiegofamily.com/parenting/big-kid/six-steps-tostarting-a-mother-daughter-book-club