Book to Film Adaptations For Each Reading Level
Book-to-film adaptations are becoming more popular as more bestselling books are turned into movies and television series. They can be helpful tools to get youth to read more books, knowing that they want to watch the movie. Comparing books to their film adaptations can be educational and fun. We’ve provided a list of book-to-film adaptations for each reading level for you to use in your library or educational programming.
K-3
Where the Wild Things Are
Author: Maurice Sendak
For this book-to-film adaptation, be aware of the movie you choose. The 2008 release through Scholastic is rated ages 4+, but the 2009 release through Warner Brothers is rated 9+.
Common Sense Media Age Rating: Book 2+ and Movie 4+
Read our review of Where the Wild Things Are
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Author: Judi Barrett
The film adaptation spins a fun tale of a failed inventor who tries to save his town and their food shortage problem by creating a machine that turns water into food.
Common Sense Media Age Rating: Book 4+ and Movie 6+
Read our review of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
Author: Richard Atwater
The film adaptation differs from the book and features Jim Carey as a divorced dad with distant kids. After coming into possession of the penguins, his kids become closer to him while taking care of and protecting the penguins from people who want to take them away.
Common Sense Media Age Rating: Book and Movie 6+
Read our review of Mr. Popper's Penguins
Matilda
Author: Roald Dahl
The film adaptation brings Matilda to life, showing her fun and creative self as she navigates her school and careless parents with the creativity and wit she developed from all of the books she read by herself.
Common Sense Media Age Rating: Book 8+ and Movie 9+
Read our review of Matilda
Because of Winn-Dixie
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Young Opal feels left out and abandoned by her mother. After meeting a stray dog, she names him Winn-Dixie (after the grocery store he was at) and brings him home. He helps her develop new friendships and connections and learn to be happy again.
Common Sense Media Age Rating: Book 8+ and Movie 9+
Read our review of Because of Winn-Dixie
4-5
The BFG
Author: Roald Dahl
This book actually has an animated adaptation from 1989 and the Disney live-action adaptation that was released in 2016. This opens the door to teaching both book-to-film adaptations and the difference between the older animated version alongside the new live-action.
Common Sense Media Age Rating: Book 9+ and Movie 7+
Read our review of The BFG
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Author: Jeff Kinney
There are two adaptations of this book. One was released in 2010 and is live-action. The animated version was released in 2021. Both have similar ratings and reviews.
Common Sense Media Age Rating: Book 9+ and Movie 8/9+
Read our review of Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Holes
Author: Louis Sachar
After getting into trouble when a pair of sneakers unluckily landed in his hands, Stanley Yelnats ends up at a summer camp for troubled youth, where they have to dig holes in the sun all day. The film adaptation stays close to the original storyline of the novel.
Common Sense Media Age Rating: Book and Movie 10+
Read our review of Holes
A Series of Unfortunate Events
Author: Daniel Handler
The original film adaptation took the first three books and created a storyline that started and ended with the first novel. The Netflix series gave each individual book its own long episode and stayed close to the original story.
Common Sense Media Age Rating: Book 9+, Movie 10+, Netflix Series 10+
Read our review of A Series of Unfortunate Events
A Wrinkle in Time
Author: Madeleine L'Engle
There are two movie adaptations to choose from—one was released in 2004 and the other in 2018. The book was also adapted into a graphic novel in 2012.
Common Sense Media Age Rating: Book 9+ and Movie 9/10+
Read our review of A Wrinkle in Time
6-8
The Giver
Author: Lois Lowry
In 2019, the original book was also adapted to a graphic novel, so you have options when teaching this book to film adaptation.
Common Sense Media Age Rating: Book 11+, Graphic Novel 12+, and Movie 11+
Read our review of The Giver
The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
This international bestselling book was adapted to film in 2013 and was well received. This is book-to-film adaptation can also be used when discussing the Holocaust with students.
Common Sense Media Age Rating: Book 13+ and Movie 13+
Read our review of The Book Thief
The Outsiders
Author: S. E. Hinton
This book is considered to be a very early young adult novel, first published in 1967. The film adaptation was released in 1983. This story covers a lot of difficult topics, including bullying/violence, home abuse, drugs and alcohol, and poverty, so it is recommended for older students.
Common Sense Media Age Rating: Book 12+ and Movie 14+
The Maze Runner
Author: James Dashner
This book-to-film adaptation follows kids in a dystopian world who are trapped in the center of a dangerous maze and trying to find their way out. The film adaptation is a great example of world-building with writing.
Common Sense Media Age Rating: Book and Movie 13+
Read our review of The Maze Runner
9-12
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Author: Stephen Chbosky
This book became widely popular after the film adaptation with Emma Watson was released. It is a coming-of-age story with themes of mental health issues that many teens can relate to and the film adaptation is similar to the book.
Common Sense Media Age Rating: Book 16+ and Movie 15+
Read our review of The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Just Mercy
Author: Bryan Stevenson
After the film adaptation was released in 2019, this book became more well-known. Stevenson tells the story of his career path as a lawyer and his work with getting wrongfully convicted people off of death row. This book-to-film adaptation can be used when teaching critical race theory and during Black History Month.
Common Sense Media Age Rating: Movie 13+
Read our review of Just Mercy
Romeo and Juliet
Author: William Shakespeare
There are many adaptations of this book that you can choose from. You can use the multiple film adaptations as a way to show how people can interpret the famous story in different ways.
Common Sense Media Age Rating: Book 13+ and Movies 13-16+
Read our review of Romeo and Juliet
The Kite Runner
Author: Khaled Hosseini
The book and film adaptation are both well received and highly rated. It represents an overall underrepresented group of the population, Afghani immigrants, and addresses trauma and family dynamics.
Common Sense Media Age Rating: Book 16+ and Movie 15+
Read our review of The Kite Runner
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