Friday, January 5, 2018

Middle Grade Movies to Entice Reluctant Readers

Just about everyone loves movies. They’re big, exciting, and capture our ever-shifting attention. But they can’t compete with books for stimulating thought and imagination. 

Both books and movies have an important place in our culture and in our learning. But with all the hype and fun surrounding movies, how do we persuade reluctant readers to give reading (and their imaginations) a chance?

THE PERKS OF READING

  • Novels spark readers’ creativity, they prompt us to ponder life and to consider new and different places and situations. 
  • When we take the time to read a novel, we are investing in it. This investment pays off. 
  • Novels provide hours of entertainment. The stories stick with us, even years later. 
  • There’s also a payoff of increased knowledge, thought, and mental development. 


MOVIE VERSIONS OF BOOKS CAN MOTIVATE READING

Despite the awesome perks of reading, sometimes it’s tough to convince kids to crack open a book. But if they know the book has been made into a movie, sometimes that can be just the motivation they need. Especially if Mom or Dad require the reading before the movie watching. 

This has worked wonders in my family. The kids not only read the books, but sometimes develop a fascination for a series that grows into an appetite for reading in general. 

They also start to realize films must gloss over detail to fit into a couple hours. They start to recognize the richness of the reading experience, both in the added detail and in the room for imagination.

With this in mind, here’s some great middle grade books that have been made into movies. Enjoy!

MIDDLE GRADE AT THE MOVIES


Harry Potter (series)


Percy Jackson (series)


Chronicles of Narnia (series)


The Hobbit (series)


Wonder

Goosebumps (series)

A Wrinkle in Time (series)

Hugo


Alice in Wonderland


The Golden Compass



What are some of your favorite middle grade books that have been made into movies? What do you love about the film version and the book version?

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