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12 great book-to-movie adaptations for families

August 7, 2018 //  by Melissa Camara Wilkins//  30 Comments

Written by Melissa Camara Wilkins

Creating a homeschool lifestyle that works for our family involves a lot of things I didn’t expect at first.

For example? One of the most important things for keeping our days running smoothly is not lesson planning. It’s not even meal planning, though that would probably be wise.

The most important thing for keeping our family sane is REST.

By “rest” I do mean sleep, but I also just mean reserving some time for being unproductive on purpose.

Without rest, the kids get overwhelmed and easily distracted. Without rest, all our tempers get a little short. We end up bickering about nothing and everything. Without rest, I turn into a cranky mama-robot of doom, cycling joylessly through chores and tasks and appointments. (Just me?)

So rest is important.

Rest is also hard. I continue to be terrible at it, even with lots of practice. The best solution I’ve found is to build regular times of rest into our schedule, whether I think we’re going to need them or not. (We will. We will need them.)

We all have a daily quiet time, so our ears can rest.

The kids go to bed before I do in the evening, so my brain can rest.

And on Friday nights, the kids know to expect a Family Movie Night so we can all take a break and rest together.

After dinner on Friday nights, there are no chores, no work, and no early bedtimes. We all pile onto a too-small couch and let our imaginations wander together.

And because I am a nerdy bookish mama (with a nerdy bookish husband and some nerdy bookish offspring), we think the best movies are the ones pulled from the pages of our favorite books.

If you need to plan an evening of rest with a movie, try one of these.

Harry Potter

You knew I was going to say Harry Potter, didn’t you? You did. We watch these as we finish reading the books aloud. (So far, just books one and two.)

Winnie the Pooh

You’re never too old for Pooh, are you? I’m not, anyway. We like the older Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and the newer Winnie the Pooh movie.

Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins is long (over two hours!) but my kids dance like chimney-sweeps for days afterwards. I feel like that’s worth the time investment.

Anne of Green Gables

We like the older miniseries. If a rainy Friday comes along, the kids can talk me into a whole movie day with this.

The BFG

The Big Friendly Giant is so silly, so fun, and yes, a little bit scary. (Well, not the BFG himself. He’s not scary. It’s the OTHER giants that cause all the trouble.)

James & the Giant Peach

Like all movies from Roald Dahl books, we find that James and the Giant Peach works best for school-aged kids. It’s kinda scary for the little-littles.

Charlie & the Chocolate Factory

I want to live in a chocolate factory, please.

Hugo

If you haven’t read this part-novel, part-graphic-novel, do! And then fire up the movie version.

Princess Bride

Though (oops!) we didn’t read the book until after watching the movie.

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe

The magic and wonder of Narnia, come to life.

Bridge to Terabithia

Fantasy and reality and tragedy and resilience are all wrapped up together in this one. (Did I mention the tragedy?) Do check out the book first so you know what to expect before watching the movie.

Ronja the Robber’s Daughter

This series of short animated episodes is from the book by Astrid Lindgren, who also wrote Pippi Longstocking. It’s free on Amazon Prime right now, too.

And of course we always want to read the book along with watching the movie, so this is a two-for-one education and entertainment situation!

What other book-to-movie adaptations would you recommend? And how do you get REST onto your calendar? I need your suggestions!

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Originally posted on July 20, 2017.

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Category: family time

About Melissa Camara Wilkins

Melissa Camara Wilkins is the author of Permission Granted: Be Who You Were Made to Be and Let Go of the Rest. She lives with her husband and six (homeschooled!) kids in Southern California.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Erin

    July 20, 2017 at 8:24 am

    Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on their Toes (black and white original versions)
    Your,s Mine and Ours with Lucille Belle (also the original)
    all three movies are based on books.

    Also musicals make great family movies
    Erin’s latest post: All About Spelling: Level 7

    Reply
    • Melissa Camara Wilkins

      July 21, 2017 at 3:44 pm

      Musicals, oh yes! We keep musical soundtracks in the car too, because what could be better than a preschooler belting out lyrics to Sound of Music on a road trip? 😀

      Thanks, Erin!
      Melissa Camara Wilkins’s latest post: What It Means to Be Enough

      Reply
  2. Caroline Rose

    July 20, 2017 at 10:27 am

    Holes!
    Caroline Rose’s latest post: Hold it loosely. Take the long view.

    Reply
    • Melissa Camara Wilkins

      July 21, 2017 at 3:44 pm

      YES! My nine year old just finished the book. We’ll have to watch this one next!
      Melissa Camara Wilkins’s latest post: What It Means to Be Enough

      Reply
  3. Cynthia Herrmann

    July 20, 2017 at 12:01 pm

    We avoid lots of outside activities so that we aren’t running here and there. I let my kids sleep in later after the nights we are out.

    We don’t sign up for classes in the summer. We get together wirh friends and family and enjoy the relaxed pace. I can feel my body recover and my mind gear up for the next school year.

    Reply
    • Melissa Camara Wilkins

      July 21, 2017 at 3:45 pm

      “I can feel my body recover and my mind gear up” — that is exactly how I want summer to feel. Like a deep, cleansing breath for the body and soul.
      Melissa Camara Wilkins’s latest post: What It Means to Be Enough

      Reply
  4. Patricia

    July 20, 2017 at 12:05 pm

    Because of Winn Dixie (a magical book and movie) and Despareaux, both by Kate DiCamillo.

    Reply
    • Melissa Camara Wilkins

      July 21, 2017 at 3:46 pm

      We love Kate DiCamillo, too! We haven’t seen either of these yet. Thanks, Patricia!
      Melissa Camara Wilkins’s latest post: What It Means to Be Enough

      Reply
  5. Joanna Peterson

    July 20, 2017 at 12:16 pm

    Totally agree about rainy days and Anne! Our list includes:
    Austen movies (especially Emma with Gwyneth Paltrow)
    Jane Eyre
    Much Ado About Nothing, Kenneth Brannagh, (There are 2 scenes we edit out.)
    Room For One More, based on Anna Perrot Rose’s excellent book of the same name.
    David Copperfield, Dame Maggie Smith version with young Daniel Radcliffe as David
    Heidi, with Jason Robards
    The Scarlet Pimpernel, with Jane Seymour, is actually better than the book, IMHO

    Reply
    • Melissa Camara Wilkins

      July 21, 2017 at 3:47 pm

      Austen movies, YES!!! I am so happy that my kids love the Colin Firth P&P as much as I do.

      These are such good suggestions. Thank you, Joanna!
      Melissa Camara Wilkins’s latest post: What It Means to Be Enough

      Reply
    • Tara

      September 1, 2017 at 5:18 pm

      The Scarlet Pimpernel!! One of my most favorite movies ever!

      Reply
  6. Sarah Badat Richardson

    July 20, 2017 at 1:05 pm

    The littge lord fauntleroy (look for the 80s version of the movie in color)
    The secret garden
    Sarah Badat Richardson’s latest post: Kindness

    Reply
    • Melissa Camara Wilkins

      July 21, 2017 at 3:47 pm

      Ooh, I’ve never even seen the 80’s Little Lord Fauntleroy! Thanks, Sarah!
      Melissa Camara Wilkins’s latest post: What It Means to Be Enough

      Reply
  7. Erin

    July 20, 2017 at 8:51 pm

    I love your suggestions! Those are some of our favorites. We love Charlotte’s Web, and we are getting ready to read The Wizard of Oz for the first time, simply because it is on of my favorite movies.
    Erin’s latest post: Campground Review: Jenny Wiley State Park

    Reply
    • Melissa Camara Wilkins

      July 21, 2017 at 3:49 pm

      That is a very good reason to read a book, if you ask me. 🙂 My kids love all the Oz books now, and even a couple of cool Wizard of Oz graphic novels. When I was a kid, I had no idea there were so many Oz books!
      Melissa Camara Wilkins’s latest post: What It Means to Be Enough

      Reply
  8. June

    July 21, 2017 at 9:53 am

    Lord of the rings! Can’t wait til my kids are old enough for these. Also, I love the pictures in this post – beautiful!
    June’s latest post: 7 Things Every Mom Needs for a Stress-Free School Year

    Reply
    • Melissa Camara Wilkins

      July 21, 2017 at 3:52 pm

      LOTR, yesssss! Watching them with my bigger kids for the first time was so, so fun.

      Neil Gaiman’s Coraline is another good one that we’ve read and watched with the older set.
      Melissa Camara Wilkins’s latest post: What It Means to Be Enough

      Reply
  9. Keli Henderson

    July 21, 2017 at 1:48 pm

    I just did our first read aloud and then watch the movie with my 4 year old. We read “a Bear Called Paddington” and then watched the 2014 Paddington movie. The movie was almost nothing like the book but we enjoyed both!

    Reply
    • Melissa Camara Wilkins

      July 21, 2017 at 3:54 pm

      Isn’t it funny how sometimes the movie and book are totally separate stories with the same characters? My kids still like to see their favorite characters come to life, though they will list out every single place the movie and book differ. 😉
      Melissa Camara Wilkins’s latest post: What It Means to Be Enough

      Reply
  10. Jennifer C.

    July 22, 2017 at 9:00 am

    My daughter and I just listened to Wonder by RJ Pallacio on audiobook on a recent car trip. . It’s not a movie YET, but we heard it’s coming out in November. We saw the trailer, Julia Roberts is in it. We LOveD the book!!!!

    Reply
  11. Kelly

    July 23, 2017 at 10:55 am

    Love so many of these! I had no idea The Princess Bride was a book until a few years ago. It is SO good!
    Kelly’s latest post: Travel with Kids to South Dakota | Must See Sites & Where to Stay

    Reply
  12. Emily

    July 26, 2017 at 6:03 am

    Matilda was one that my kids enjoyed reading and watching!

    Reply
  13. Aimee Wiley

    August 9, 2017 at 10:31 pm

    Mr. Popper’s Penguins is both a delightful book and movie (although they are totally different from one another).

    Reply
  14. Emelie Bartholomew

    August 29, 2017 at 2:26 am

    We are reading Little women right now, and I can’t wait to show my kids the movie.

    Reply
  15. Ann

    August 29, 2017 at 10:55 am

    Trumpet of the Swan
    the only problem is my kids start asking if there is a movie to every book I read now. ha ha!

    Reply
  16. Nickie Miranda

    December 14, 2017 at 10:40 pm

    Late comment but couldn’t resist…
    “Beacause of Winn Dixie” – utterly heartwarming
    A Double Feature night on: “The Gruffalo” and “The Gruffalo’s Child” – The language in both movies is verbatim to the lyrical, imaginative language of the books. Great for early readers yet enticing to the family as a whole. I watched delightfully as teens basked with glee in these films. Double Feature night is easy as both films are only about 45 min.
    Additionally, I love a good musical!! Great discussion can follow as to how a playwrite might change or adapt the work of a novelist as well as how music and dance affect the expression of the message.

    Thank you for sharing your list!!

    Reply
  17. Laura McClain

    August 7, 2018 at 4:29 pm

    Thanks for this great list! Also, The Yearling, To Kill and Mocking Bird, My Side of the Mountain
    Laura McClain’s latest post: One Tip Wednesday: How to boldly go where you’ve never gone before

    Reply
  18. Lindsey Carroll

    August 9, 2018 at 10:56 pm

    The Swiss family Robinson book and movie (Disney has the best movie). My son loved it!

    Reply
  19. Jenn Brown

    August 10, 2018 at 12:12 am

    The Hobbit! We finished reading it last year and just ran out time to watch the movie. Thinking we will kick off out first Friday night of school by watching it!

    Reply
  20. Raschelle

    October 25, 2018 at 11:56 pm

    Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and the sequel, Pickles to Pittsburgh are such imaginative stories. It’s fun to look for the similarities in the movie to the book’s illustrations

    Reply

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