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Good book/movie combos for kids?


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The Waterhorse thread had me wondering which, if any, good, interesting, or fun kids books were made into good movies?

 

I'm open to any age range, but am specifically interested in things for kids under 10 with movies that the whole family might enjoy.

 

Thanks!

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I can't suggest good ones but I can tell you that we were VERY dissapointed with the movie "Keeping the Promise" which is based on the book "Sign of the Beaver".

The book was wonderful and the movie really lost what made it great. The movie left out major plot points and all but ignored the relationship between the boy, Matt, and the indians.

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pollyanna. I can't say that the movies measures up to the book. I love both as a girl, and I couldn't get my older boys to listen to the book. They loved hte movie though, so it's better than nothing.

 

There is still hope for my girl, though....

 

Johnny Tremain

Heidi (see above comment re: pollyanna)

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Here are some books/movies my 10 year old daughter and I read and then watched so far (with 5 y/o ds sometimes joining in on the movie)...

 

*****

 

Heidi (with Shirley Temple; we tried goat's milk afterward, too)

 

From The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (actually in that case, we read the book and then saw the play; not sure if it's a movie too)

 

Pippi Longstocking (several)

 

Escape To Witch Mountain

 

Mary Poppins

 

Pinocchio (not the animated one)

 

Because of Winn-Dixie

 

Nim's Island (animated)

 

Alice In Wonderland (animated, 1972)

 

Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (both movie versions)

 

The Indian In The Cupboard

 

Harry Potter (The first two books and the first three movies)

 

Skellig (has a homeschooled character in it) :)

 

Treasure Island (animated)

 

Sounder (read the book, will watch the movie shortly)

 

Tuck Everlasting (read the book, will watch the movie shortly)

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Lassie Come Home-the original from 1943 with Roddy McDowall

 

The movie is abridged but very true to the book. Beautiful book and beautiful movie. For sensitive kids there is one scene where a little dog dies defending its owner from robbers but Lassie, of course, makes it home safe and sound.

 

Susan

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To Kill a Mockingbird. I loved both the book and movie

 

Anne of Green Gables (w/ Megan Fallows). The movies were a joy to watch-- I was a grad student who would fly into Boston to catch up with a dear older friend who was a teacher and annually we'd spend an afternoon watching these. The movies seemed to combine both the Anne books and the Emily books.

 

Treasure Island. Disney has a non-animated movie. It was in this movie that I discovered that J.K. Rowling borrowed the name Squire Trelawney in her books. It is in the first sentence of Robert Louis Stevenson's book but I missed it on the first go around.

 

I watched the animation of Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH but was not impressed. My husband enjoyed the book and suggested I share it with our boys and based on the movie I just let it slide-- and he usually has interesting suggestions and insight. After reading Melissa's post I'll finally give the book a try.

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That is going to be an exercise in disappointment!

 

But here are my pix:

 

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Mary Poppins

Bridge to Terabithia

Because of Winn Dixie

Babe

Matilda

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

James and the Giant Peach etc etc

Nurse Matilda/Nanny McPhee

5 Children and It

The Railway Children

Pippi Longstalking

LOTR

Harry Potter

Homeward Bound

The 101 Dalmations

All the Jurassic Park movies

Where the Red Fern Grows

Summer of the Monkeys

 

Now I have to hit Google. :lurk5:

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I watched the animation of Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH but was not impressed. My husband enjoyed the book and suggested I share it with our boys and based on the movie I just let it slide-- and he usually has interesting suggestions and insight. After reading Melissa's post I'll finally give the book a try.

 

Oh, please do!!! I never read the book as a child, but I enjoyed the movie. I didn't remember too much about it though, so last year when the book came up in our rotation, I figured we'd read the book and watch the movie the way we usually do. I fell completely in love with the book. Then, when we watched the movie afterward, I was outraged at the changes they made! They made it such a ridiculous story, IMO.

 

I didn't see how old your kids were, but we read it when DD8 was 7. She enjoyed it, but I don't think she got as much out of it as a slightly older child would. I think it's worth reading yourself though...and I think I just convinced myself to re-read it :lol:

 

I hope you enjoy it!

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We are reading Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh right now, and loving it of course. We haven't watched the movie (and won't based on the negative reviews here!) but I did notice on the front of the book that the movie is actually a compilation of THREE different books, not just this book. So maybe that's why the movie is so radically different.

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We are reading Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh right now, and loving it of course. We haven't watched the movie (and won't based on the negative reviews here!) but I did notice on the front of the book that the movie is actually a compilation of THREE different books, not just this book. So maybe that's why the movie is so radically different.

 

Really! I didn't know that, I'll have to look it up. Thanks!

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:lurk5: I'm thinking of starting a book club for kids in 3rd through 5th grade next year. My son will be in 3rd and seems to be doing very well with his reading. I was thinking read the book at home, get together to discuss it then watch the movie, then discuss the differences.

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Watership Down. Am reading the book to ds (7) and planning on watching the movie when done. I saw the movie as a child and remember enjoying it, but that was a long time ago. Will be interesting to see how good it really is.

 

We also read and watched Black Stallion, Black Beauty, Bambi, Peter Pan, Mulan, 101 Dalmations. I have been really enjoying reading the "Disney" titles then watching the Disney movies. Many of them ,I hadn't even realized that there was a book 1st (did you know that Bambi was a novel 1st?). We talk about how different the book and movie are.

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