Movies Based on Books



Movies Based on Books [pic]

Read the Book Before You See the Movie. Which is better? You decide. Start browsing our year-by-year lists of movie adaptations of classic novels. See the menu on the right.

Browse 2010 Movies Based on Books

Upcoming Movies Based on Books

What Should I be Reading?

Each year an average of thirty novels are made into movies for the big screen. Authors watch tensely as their stories are filtered through the hands of screenwriters, directors, cinematographers, and studio chiefs. If they're lucky, these film adaptations do the original story justice. However, it is often the case that the book is significantly better than the movie. Here, we present upcoming movie adaptions of classic novels to keep you up-to-date on what books are being adapted for the big screen. See the right column for yearly movie and a novel listings

[pic]Animal farm : a fairy story by George Orwell(1945)"Animal Farm" is the most famous by far of all twentieth-century political allegories. Its account of a group of barnyard animals who revolt against their vicious human master, only to submit to a tyranny erected by their own kind, can fairly be said to have become a universal drama.

[pic]Around the world in eighty days by Jules Verne(1872)In 1872 Phileas Fogg wins a bet by traveling around the world in seventy-nine days, twenty-three hours, and fifty-seven minutes.

[pic]The boy in the striped pajamas; a fable by John Boyne(2006)Bored and lonely after his family moves from Berlin to a place called "Out-With" in 1942, Bruno, the son of a Nazi officer, befriends a boy in striped pajamas who lives behind a wire fence.

[pic]The chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis(1950-1956)Journeys to the end of the world, fantastic creatures and epic battles between good and evil -- the book that has it all is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, written in 1949 by C. S. Lewis. But Lewis did not stop there. Six more books followed, and together they became known as The Chronicles of Narnia. For over fifty years, The Chronicles of Narnia have transcended the fantasy genre to become part of the canon of classic literature. Each of the seven books is a masterpiece, drawing the reader into a land where magic meets reality, and the result is a fictional world whose scope has fascinated generations.

[pic]Coraline by Neil Gaiman(2002) Looking for excitement, Coraline ventures through a mysterious door into a world that is similar, yet disturbingly different from her own, where she must challenge a gruesome entity in order to save herself, her parents, and the souls of three others.

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[pic]Emma by Jane Austen(1816)As daughter of the richest, most important man in the small provincial village of Highbury, Emma Woodhouse is firmly convinced that it is her right--perhaps even her "duty"--to arrange the lives of others. Considered by most critics to be Austen's most technically brilliant achievement, "Emma" sparkles with ironic insights into self-deception, self-discovery, and the interplay of love and power.

[pic]Eragon by Christopher Paolini(2002)In Aagaesia, a fifteen-year-old boy of unknown lineage called Eragon finds a mysterious stone that weaves his life into an intricate tapestry of destiny, magic, and power, peopled with dragons, elves, and monsters.

[pic]The fellowship of the ring : being the first part of The lord of the rings by J.R.R. Tolkien(1954)Following the adventures of Frodo and his friends, part one of "The Lord of the Rings" now features a special movie tie-in jacket.

[pic]The golden compass by Philip Pullman(1995)Accompanied by her daemon, Lyra Belacqua sets out to prevent her best friend and other kidnapped children from becoming the subject of gruesome experiments in the Far North.

[pic]The great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald(1925)Fitzgerald's 1920's classic story of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan.

[pic]Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets by J.K. Rowling(1999)When the Chamber of Secrets is opened again at the Hogswart School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, second-year student Harry Potter finds himself in danger from a dark power that has once more been released on the school.

[pic]Harry Potter and the goblet of fire by J.K. Rowling(2000)Harry Potter, a fourth-year student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, longs to escape his hateful relatives, the Dursleys, and live as a normal fourteen-year-old wizard, but what Harry does not yet realize is that he is not a normal wizard, and in his case, different can be deadly.

[pic]Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling(2003)When the government of the magic world and authorities at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry refuse to believe in the growing threat of a freshly revived Lord Voldemort, fifteen-year-old Harry Potter finds support from his loyal friends in facing the evil wizard and other new terrors.

[pic]Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling(1999)During his third year at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry Potter must confront the devious and dangerous wizard responsible for his parents' deaths.

[pic]Harry Potter and the sorcerer's stone by J.K. Rowling(1997)Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School for Wizards and Witches.

[pic]The hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy by Douglas Adams(1980)After Earth is demolished to make way for a new hyperspatial expressway, Arthur Dent begins to hitch-hike through space.

[pic]Hoot by Carl Hiassen(2002)Roy, who is new to his small Florida community, becomes involved in another boy's attempt to save a colony of burrowing owls from a proposed construction site. From the bestselling mystery novelish comes this story for younger readers. New to Florida, Roy is on the school bus when he spots the running boy--running away from the bus, carrying no books or wearing no shoes. Sensing a mystery, Roy sets himself on the boy's trail, which leads him to potty-trained alligators, a fake-fart champion, and a renegade eco-avenger.

[pic]I know what you did last summer by Lois Duncan(1973)It was only an accident -- but it would change their lives forever. Last summer, four terrified friends made a desperate pact to conceal a shocking secret. But some secrets don't stay buried, and someone has learned the truth. Someone bent on revenge. This summer, the horror is only beginning....

[pic]I, robot by Isaac Asimov(1950)The three laws of Robotics: 1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm 2) A robot must obey orders givein to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. With these three, simple directives, Isaac Asimov changed our perception of robots forever when he formulated the laws governing their behavior. In I, Robot, Asimov chronicles the development of the robot through a series of interlinked stories: from its primitive origins in the present to its ultimate perfection in the not-so-distant future--a future in which humanity itself may be rendered obsolete. Here are stories of robots gone mad, of mind-read robots, and robots with a sense of humor. Of robot politicians, and robots who secretly run the world--all told with the dramatic blend of science fact and science fiction that has become Asmiov's trademark.

[pic]Inkheart by Cornelia Funke(2003)Twelve-year-old Meggie learns that her father, who repairs and binds books for a living, can "read" fictional characters to life when one of those characters abducts them and tries to force him into service.

[pic]Into the wild by Jon Krakauer(1996)Admitting an interest that borders on obsession, Krakauer searches for the clues to the drives and desires that propelled 24-year-old Chris McCandless to leave civilization behind and head into the remote Alaskan wilderness. Four months later, McCandless's emaciated corpse was found at his campsite by a hunter. Mesmerizing and heartbreaking, Krakauer's powerful and luminous storytelling blaze through every page.

[pic]Little women by Louisa May Alcott(1868)In picturesque 19th-century New England, tomboyish Jo, beautiful Meg, fragile Beth, and romantic Amy come of age while their father is off to war.

[pic]Of mice and men by John Steinbeck(1937)In depression-era California, two migrant workers dream of better days on a spread of their own until an act of unintentional violence leads to tragic consequences.

[pic]Pride and prejudice by Jane Austen(1813)Jane Austen's elegant novel reveals her complex view of the human condition. The story centers around the charming and vibrant Elizabeth Bennett, one of five sisters whose family circumstance dictates that they marry well, and the misunderstandings that can result--sometimes hilariously--from hasty judgements.

[pic]The princess bride : S. Morgenstern's classic tale of true love and high adventure : the by William Goldman(1998)Now a cult classic, this story of pirates, evil princes, sorcerers, and, most importantly, true love is handsomely repackaged in a commemorative 25th anniversary hardcover.

[pic]The princess diaries by Meg Cabot(2001)Fourteen-year-old Mia, who is trying to lead a normal life as a teenage girl in New York City, is shocked to learn that her father is the Prince of Genovia, a small European principality, and that she is a princess and the heir to the throne.

[pic]The return of the king : being the third part of The Lord of the rings by J.R.R. Tolkien(1955)As the Shadow of Mordor grows across the land, the Companions of the Ring have become involved in separate adventures. Aragorn, revealed as the hidden heir of the ancient Kings of the West, has joined with the Riders of Rohan against the forces of Isengard. Merry and Pippin, captured by Orcs, escape into Fangorn Forest and there encounter the Ents. Gandalf has miraculously returned and defeated the evil wizard, Saruman. Sam has left his master for dead after a battle with the giant spider, Shelob. But Frodo is still alive, in the foul hands of the Orcs. And all the while, the armies of the Dark Lord are massing as the One Ring draws nearer to the Cracks of Doom.

[pic]The scarlet letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne(1850)One of the greatest American novels, its themes of sin, guilt and redemption, woven through a story of adultery in the early days of the Massachusetts Colony, are revealed with remarkable psychological penetration and understanding of the human heart.

[pic]Sense and sensibility by Jane Austen(1811)Sense and Sensibility has delighted generations of readers with its masterfully crafted portrait of two sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. Forced to leave their home after their father's death, Elinor and Marianne must rely on making good marriages as their means of support. But unscrupulous cads, meddlesome matriarchs, and various guileless and artful women impinge on their chances for love and happiness.

[pic]Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson(2001)A traumatic event near the end of the summer has a devastating effect on Melinda's freshman year in high school.

[pic]Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz(2001)After the death of the uncle who had been his guardian, fourteen-year-old Alex Rider is coerced to continue his uncle's dangerous work for Britain's intelligence agency, MI6.

[pic]Tex by S.E. Hinton(1982)The love between two teenage brothers helps to alleviate the harshness of their usually parentless life as they struggle to grow up.

[pic]To kill a mockingbird by Harper Lee(1960)"Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird." A lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel--a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with rich humor and unswerving honesty the irrationality of adult attitudes toward race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence, and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina and quiet heroism of one man's struggle for justice--but the weight of history will only tolerate so much.

[pic]The two towers : being the second part of The lord of the rings by J.R.R. Tolkien(1954 1955)Frodo and his Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger. They lost the wizard Gandalf in battle, and Boromir, seduced by the power of the Ring, tried to seize it by force. While the rest of the company was attacked by Orcs, Frodo and Sam escaped to continue the journey alone . . . save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.

[pic]The war of the worlds by H.G. Wells(1897)They came form outer space--Mars, to be exact. With deadly heat-rays and giant fighting machine they want to conquer Earth and keep humans as their slaves. Nothing seems to stop them as they spread terror and death across the planet. It is the start of the most important war in Earth's history. And Earth will never be the same.

[pic]The yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings(1938)A young boy living in the Florida backwoods is forced to decide the fate of a fawn he has lovingly raised as a pet.

Gulliver’s Travels

It’s Kind of a Funny Story

What’s a 16-year-old boy doing playing music and table tennis with adult psychiatric patients --- on a school day? It’s kind of a funny story…

It’s 5:00 AM on a Sunday in Brooklyn. Craig Gilner is bicycling up to the entrance of a mental health clinic; this bright 16-year-old is stressed out from the demands of being a teenager. Before his parents and younger sister are even awake, Craig checks himself into Argenon Hospital and is admitted by a psychiatrist. But the youth ward is temporarily closed --- so he finds himself stuck in the adult ward. One of the patients, Bobby, soon becomes both Craig’s mentor and protégé. Craig is also quickly drawn to another 16-year-old displaced to the adult ward, the sensitive Noelle, who just might make him forget his longtime unrequited crush, Nia.

With a minimum five days’ stay imposed on him by the adult ward’s staff psychiatrist Dr. Eden Minerva, Craig is sustained by friendships on both the inside and the outside as he learns more about life, love, and the pressures of growing up.

Flipped

When second-graders Bryce and Juli first meet, Juli knows it’s love. But Bryce isn’t so sure. Girl-phobic and easily embarrassed, young Bryce does everything he can to keep his outspoken wannabe girlfriend at arm’s length… for the next six years, which isn’t easy since they go to the same school and live across the street from each other. But if Juli finally looks away, will it be Bryce’s turn to be dazzled? Flipped takes Bryce and Juli from grade school to junior high, through triumph and disaster, family drama and first love, as they make the discoveries that will define who they are --- and who they are to each other.

Alice in Wonderland

Based on: ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND by Lewis Carroll

Seventeen-year-old Alice returns to the whimsical world she first encountered as a young girl, reuniting with her childhood friends: the White Rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Dormouse, the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, and of course, the Mad Hatter. Alice embarks on a fantastical journey to find her true destiny and end the Red Queen’s reign of terror.

The Last Song

Based on the bestselling novelist Nicholas Sparks’s latest novel, The Last Song is set in a small Southern beach town where an estranged father gets a chance to spend the summer with his reluctant teenaged daughter, who’d rather be home in New York. He tries to reconnect with her through the only thing they have in common --- music --- in a story of family, friendship, secrets and salvation, along with first loves and second chances.

Dear John

 

A soldier home on leave falls for a conservative college girl. Instead of returning home to her, he reenlists after the attacks on September 11th, 2001. Time and distance begin to take a toll on the young lovers.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

 

It's the 21st century, but the gods of Mount Olympus and assorted monsters have walked out of the pages of high school student Percy Jackson's Greek mythology texts and into his life. And they're not happy: Zeus's lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Even more troubling is the sudden disappearance of Percy's mother. As Percy adapts to his newly discovered status as a demi-god (his father is Poseidon), he finds himself caught between the battling titans of Mt. Olympus. He and his friends embark on a cross-country adventure to catch the true lightning thief, save Percy's mom, and unravel a mystery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging

Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging is a hilarious coming-of-age story. Based on the international bestselling series of books by Louise Rennison, the film follows the eccentric and irresistible Georgia Nicolson as she overcomes the trauma of being a teenager and moves up the "snogging scale." Misunderstood by her ancient parents, but buoyed up by the love of her cat Angus and her bessie mates the Age Gang, Georgia struggles through life seeking out her two main desires: 1) To get a gorgeous sex-god as her boyfriend. 2) To throw the greatest 15th birthday party ever.

The Lovely Bones

The Lovely Bones centers on a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family --- and her killer --- from heaven. She must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal.

Disney’s A Christmas Carol

Ebenezer Scrooge begins the Christmas holiday with his usual miserly contempt, barking at his faithful clerk and his cheery nephew. But when the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come take him on an eye-opening journey revealing truths Old Scrooge is reluctant to face, he must open his heart to undo years of ill will before it's too late.

Whip It

The directorial debut of Drew Barrymore stars Ellen Page as Bliss, a rebellious Texas teen who throws in her small town beauty pageant crown for the rowdy world of roller derby. Marcia Gay Harden plays Bliss’s disapproving mother while Kristen Wiig and Juliette Lewis play roller-derby stars. Also starring Eve, Jimmy Fallon and Daniel Stern.

The Vampire’s Assistant

A boy unknowingly breaks a 200-year-old truce between two warring factions of vampires. Pulled into a fantastic life of misunderstood sideshow freaks and grotesque creatures of the night, one teen will vanish from the safety of a boring existence and fulfill his destiny in a place drawn from nightmares. Fourteen-year-old Darren was like most kids in his suburban neighborhood. He hung out with his best friend, got decent grades and usually stayed out of trouble. But when he and his buddy stumble upon a traveling freak show, things begin to change inside Darren. That's the exact moment when a vampire named Larten Crepsley turns him into something, well, bloodthirsty.

My Sister’s Keeper

Sara and Brian Fitzgerald’s life with their young son and their two-year-old daughter, Kate, is forever altered when they learn that Kate has Leukemia. The parents’ only hope is to conceive another child, specifically intended to save Kate’s life. For some, such genetic engineering would raise both moral and ethical questions; for the Fitzgeralds, Sara in particular, there is no choice but to do whatever it takes to keep Kate alive. And what it takes is Anna.

Based on the bestselling book from Jodi Picoult, My Sister’s Keeper reveals surprising truths that challenge one’s perceptions of family love and loyalty and give new meaning to the definition of healing.

I Love You, Beth Cooper

I Love You, Beth Cooper chronicles the story of a nerdy valedictorian who proclaims his love for the hottest and most popular girl in school, Beth Cooper, during his graduation speech. Much to his surprise, Beth shows up at his door that very night and decides to show him the best night of his life.

Confessions of a Shopaholic

In the glamorous world of New York, Rebecca Bloomwood is a fun-loving girl who is really good at shopping --- a little too good, perhaps. She dreams of working for her favorite magazine, but can’t quite get her foot in the door --- until ironically, she snags a job as an advice columnist for a financial magazine published by the same company. As her dreams are finally coming true, she goes to ever more hilarious and extreme efforts to keep her past from ruining her future.

The Clique

When new girl Claire Lyons moves to Westchester from Orlando, she immediately finds out that fitting in is going be a lot harder than she thought it would be. Claire isn't exactly a rich girl with designer duds and expensive shoes or handbags... but unfortunately, every other girl at the prestigious Octavian County Day School is. What's worse is that Massie Block, the most popular girl at OCD, is out to make Claire's life miserable --- and it doesn't help that Claire’s family is living in Massie’s guest house until they settle in (Mr. Lyons and Mr. Block are old college buddies).

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist is a comedy about two people thrust together for one hilarious, sleepless night of adventure in a world of mix tapes, late-night living and live, loud music. Nick frequents New York’s indie rock scene nursing a broken heart and a vague ability to play bass. Norah is questioning pretty much all of her assumptions about the world. Though they have nothing in common except their taste for music, their chance encounter leads to an all-night quest to find a legendary band’s secret show and ends up becoming the first date in a romance that could change both their lives.

Jumper

A genetic anomaly allows a young man to teleport himself anywhere. He discovers that this gift has existed for centuries and finds himself in a war that has been raging for thousands of years between "Jumpers" and those who have sworn to kill them.

Martian Child

A recently widowed science fiction writer forms an unlikely family with a close friend and a young boy he adopts who claims to be from Mars. The new couple ignores some sage parenting advice from the widower’s sister and gets more than they bargained for when a series of strange occurrences leads them to believe that the child’s claim may be true.

The Kite Runner

In a divided country on the verge of war, two childhood friends, Amir and Hassan, are about to be torn apart forever. It's a glorious afternoon in Kabul and the skies are bursting with the exhilarating joy of a kite-fighting tournament. But in the aftermath of the day's victory, one boy's fearful act of betrayal will mark their lives forever and set in motion an epic quest for redemption. Now, after 20 years of living in America, Amir returns to a perilous Afghanistan under the Taliban's iron-fisted rule to face the secrets that still haunt him and take one last daring chance to set things right.

P. S. I Love You

Holly Kennedy is beautiful, smart and married to the love of her life --- a passionate, funny and impetuous Irishman named Gerry. So when Gerry’s life is taken by an illness, it takes the life out of Holly. The only one who can help her is the person who is no longer there. Nobody knows Holly better than Gerry. So it’s a good thing he planned ahead.

Before he died, Gerry wrote Holly a series of letters that will guide her, not only through her grief but in rediscovering herself. The first message arrives on Holly’s 30th birthday in the form of a cake and to her utter shock, a tape recording from Gerry, who proceeds to order her to get out and “celebrate herself.” In the weeks and months that follow, more letters from Gerry are delivered in surprising ways, each sending her on a new adventure and each signing off in the same way --- P. S. I Love You.

With Gerry’s words as her guide, Holly embarks on a touching, exciting and often hilarious journey of rediscovery in a story about marriage, friendship and how a love so strong can turn the finality of death into new beginning for life.

The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep

Rooted in one of the most enduring and intriguing legends of our time, The Water Horse begins with an enchanted egg. What hatches will set in motion an adventure that will take a young boy on the unforgettable journey of a lifetime.

The Seeker: The Dark is Rising

A young man named Will Stanton discovers that he is the last of a group of immortals dedicated to fighting dark forces of evil. Traveling back and forth through time, Will uncovers a series of clues, some dating back to biblical times, that lead him to a showdown with forces of unimaginable power.

December Boys

The "December Boys" are a close-knit band of four adolescent orphans all with the same birth month. The boys’ hope of ever being adopted grows slimmer with each passing year, and it isn’t until their first summer away from the orphanage that the fading hope of finding parents becomes a real possibility --- for one of them. The boys are befriended by a young couple who, unable to fall pregnant, decide to adopt one of the boys. They compete to be the most adoptable, severely testing their friendships when long gestating feelings of rejection explode to the surface. The boys’ deep friendship eventually overcomes their rivalries, sealing forever the strong ties that bind them.

Becoming Jane

Becoming Jane is the story of the great, untold romance that inspired a young Jane Austen. Willful and spirited, Jane is not ready to be tied down to anything but her writing. That is until she meets Tom Lefroy, a charming rogue from London who spends more time drinking and socializing than on his law studies.

Stardust

Stardust begins in the sleepy English village of Wall, so named for the cobblestone wall that has, for eons, kept the villagers safely apart from the supernatural parallel universe that lies just on the other side. It is here that young Tristan Thorne makes a wild-eyed promise to the prettiest girl in the village, whose heart he hopes to win: that he will bring her back a fallen star. Now, in order to make good on his promise, Tristan will have to cross the forbidden wall, and enter a mysterious kingdom lit by unending magic and unfolding legends of which he will quickly become a part.

The Nanny Diaries

The Nanny Diaries tells the story of the emotional and often humorous journey of Annie Braddock, a young woman from a working-class neighborhood in New Jersey, struggling to understand her place in the world. Fresh out of college, she gets tremendous pressure from her nurse mother to find a respectable position in the business world, although Annie would prefer to trade in her blackberry for an anthropologist's field diary. Through a serendipitous meeting, Annie ends up in the elite and ritualistic culture of Manhattan's Upper East Side --- as remote from Annie's suburban New Jersey upbringing as life in an Amazon tribal village.

The Devil Wears Prada

Based on the bestselling novel by Lauren Weisberger, The Devil Wears Prada stars Meryl Streep as high-powered fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly. Anne Hathaway also stars as Miranda's new assistant, a small-town girl in her first job out of college, trying to navigate a world she's only glimpsed in print --- while surviving her impossibly demanding new boss.

The Da Vinci Code

While in Paris on business, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon receives an urgent late-night phone call: the elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum. Near the body, police have found a baffling cipher. Solving the enigmatic riddle, Langdon is stunned to discover it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the works of Da Vinci --- clues visible for all to see, and yet ingeniously disguised by the painter. Langdon joins forces with a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, and learns the late curator was involved in the Priory of Sion, an actual secret society.

Aquamarine

Two best friends, about to be parted forever, discover a sassy mermaid named Aquamarine in the pool of their neighborhood beach club. When the mermaid develops a crush on a local hunky lifeguard who works at the club, she enlists the girls' help to win his heart and in exchange offers to grant the girls one wish.

In Her Shoes

After a calamitous falling out, sisters Maggie and Rose travel a bumpy road toward true appreciation for one another --- aided along the way by the discovery of the maternal grandmother they thought was dead.

Oliver Twist

In this adaptation of the classic Dickens tale, orphan Oliver Twist is forced to live in a workhouse lorded over by the awful Mr. Bumble, who cheats the boys of their meager rations. Desperate yet determined, Oliver makes his escape to the streets of London. Penniless and alone, he is lured into a world of crime by the sinister Fagin, the mastermind of a gang of pint-sized pickpockets.

Friday Night Lights

Friday Night Lights chronicles the entire 1988 season of the Permian High Panthers of Odessa, Texas. While the team is fighting for a state championship, players, coaches and parents are struggling with their own personal conflicts.

The Polar Express

When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary ride on a steam train to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe. This delightful film is based on Chris Van Allsburg's 1986 Caldecott Medal-winning picture book.

I Am David

This is the story of 12-year-old David, who travels across Europe by himself in 1952 after boldly escaping from a Communist concentration camp in Bulgaria, where he has spent most of his life. Fleeing with only a compass, half a loaf of bread, and a sealed letter he must carry across the continent, David cannot foresee the dramatic odyssey that awaits him.

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

Fourteen-year-old Violet is brave and a fast-thinking leader. Klaus, who's 12, is highly intelligent and obsessed with words. Sunny, an infant, speaks in a language only Violet and Klaus can understand, and she has a tendency to...bite. After their parents perish in a terrible fire, these three siblings are taken in by a series of odd relatives and other individuals, starting with Count Olaf, a demented evil genius who hatches one outrageous plot after another in order to get his hands on the children's vast inheritance.

An Unfinished Life

A rancher reluctantly takes in his impoverished and abused daughter-in-law, along with her preteen daughter, even though they have been estranged for quite some time.

The Merchant of Venice

In Venice, young Bassanio needs a loan so he can have enough money to impress Portia, a woman he wants to court and marry. Bassanio's friend Antonio arranges for a short-term loan of the money from Shylock, a Jewish usurer. Shylock, who has a deep-seated hatred for Antonio, demands a pound of his flesh if he can't pay back the loan.

The Perfect Score

The six high school seniors in The Perfect Score believe that the Educational Testing Service, which administers the S.A.T. exams to anxious teenagers all across the country, isn't playing fair with the students, so they decide to rebel. They have one common goal --- to steal the answers to the S.A.T. --- and six different reasons for doing it.

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen

Lola, a New York City teenager from Greenwich Village, is forced to move to the New Jersey suburb of Dellwood. Upon arriving at her new school, she discovers that Carla Santini is "the most popular girl" --- a title that Lola held at her old school. Determined to oust Carla from her reign, Lola has her sights set on landing the lead role in the next big school play, which Carla also hopes to star in.

The Runaway Jury

Nick Easter is a mysterious man on the jury of a landmark case against a gun manufacturer. He is also the foreman and is hoping to influence the other jury members to vote a certain way. Meanwhile, Nick's girlfriend Marlee tries to swindle the attorneys to pay millions of dollars to have the jury return a verdict friendly to their clients.

Sylvia Based on: THE BELL JAR by Sylvia Plath

This is the true story of the romance and marriage of American poet/novelist Sylvia Plath and English poet Ted Hughes. While attending Cambridge University, Plath met a dashing young poet who won her heart and ultimately became her husband. Their marriage was rocky, however, and they eventually separated in 1963 when Hughes broke her heart by cheating on her.

Timeline

Three students working on an archaeological dig must travel back in time to 14th-century France to rescue their professor, an obsessive academician who has become trapped after venturing into his favorite era to study it firsthand.

Big Fish

This is the story of Edward Bloom and his son, William, who after a long estrangement returns home only to learn his father is dying of cancer. Desperate to know the complicated man before it's too late, William tries to separate fact from the various fantastic tales and legends of epic proportions he has been told over the years.

Girl With a Pearl Earring

Set in 17th century Holland, this film tells the story of Griet, a 16-year-old housemaid who is employed by painter Johannes Vermeer to take care of his family. She looks after the children, washes the linen, and keeps the house spotless. But when Vermeer asks her to clean his studio, which is off limits to the rest of the household, both her fellow maid and Vermeer's wife grow quite jealous. Eventually, as Vermeer's reliance upon her increases, Griet feels herself succumbing to dangerous new emotions.

Cheaper by the Dozen

When Tom Baker gets a job offer to coach football at Northwestern University in Chicago, he and his wife Mary move there, a significant change for them and their 12 children. With the recent publication of her long-in-the-works book, Mary feels that demands outside the home are taking away as much time as Tom's new job is, so the two are forced to try to find new ways of caring for their offspring --- but they discover their parenting styles aren't always completely compatible.

Peter Pan

Peter Pan, a boy who doesn't age, lives in Neverland with other ageless kids, the Lost Boys. Tinkerbelle, a fairy, gives three children --- Wendy, John, and Michael Darling --- the ability to fly and soon they're off to Neverland, where they battle the evil Captain Hook and his band of pirates.

Young Black Stalllion

Disney's first dramatic feature made specifically for the big screen follows a black stallion's adventures with a young girl named Neera, who has been separated from her father in Arabia by WWII. Left alone in the desert, she befriends the wild colt who she names Shetan. Once reunited with her father, however, Neera remains haunted by images of the "lost horse of the desert" --- one of a few stallions of legend rumored to be "born of the sands, sired by the night sky, drinkers of the wind."

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| |TRUE GRIT | |

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| |PLOT: Mattie, is a teen girl seeking revenge on her father's murderer, Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). | |

| |Unable to do it alone, she hires a gritty U.S. Marshall named Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to | |

| |help her out. Along the way their duo becomes a trio as they come across another man, LaBoeuf | |

| |(Matt Damon), trying to find Chaney as well. AUTHOR: Charles Portis | |

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| |TEMPEST, THE (Classic, Shakespeare, Mystical, Magic, | |

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| |PLOT: The Duke of Milan, Prospero, has been exiled with his daughter Miranda to an island. Here he| |

| |is able uncover some magic and get revenge on the enemies who have cast them away. AUTHOR: William| |

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| |SECRETARIAT (Racing, Horses, True Story, Champion, Adaptation) | |

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| |PLOT: The true story of the 1973 Triple Crown winning horse Secretariat. After Penny Chenery | |

| |(Diane Lane) takes over her family's stables, she is able to create the first Triple Crown winner | |

| |in twenty five years with the help of veteran horse trainer Lucien Laurin (John Malokovich). | |

| |AUTHOR: William Nack | |

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| |CHARLIE ST. CLOUD (2010) (Sailing, Young Adult, Death, Love, Brothers, Adaptation) | |

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| |PLOT: Not everyone enjoys the company of their sibling like Charlie St. Cloud (Zac Efron) does. | |

| |After a car accident leaves his younger brother Sam dead, Charlie is wracked with guilt and | |

| |refuses to move on. He spends time every day with the ghost of his brother until a girl who wants | |

| |to sail around the world named Tess Carroll catches his eye. When it appears that she is lost at | |

| |sea, he fears losing another person he cares about and takes action. AUTHOR: Ben Sherwood | |

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| |ME AND ORSON WELLES (2009) (Theatre, Love, Man Woman, Adaptation) | |

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| |PLOT: Set in 1937, the story centers on high school student Richard Samuels (Zac Efron) who, while| |

| |strolling the streets of New York, happens upon the Mercury Theatre and is noticed by its founder,| |

| |Orson Welles. Richard lands a part in "Julius Caesar", the production that catapulted Welles to | |

| |the top, and spends the next week learning about life and love with an older woman (Claire Danes).| |

| |AUTHOR: Robert Kaplow | |

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| |BOX, THE (2009) (Money, Greed, Death, Morals, Adaptation) | |

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| |PLOT: What if someone gave you a box containing a button that, if pushed, would bring you lots of | |

| |money but simultaneously take the life of someone you don't know? In the short story "Button, | |

| |Button", this is the moral dilemma Norma (Cameron Diaz) and Arthur Lewis (James Marsden) face. | |

| |They soon discover that the consequences of this decision are beyond their control and extend far | |

| |beyond their own fortune and fate. AUTHOR: Richard Matheson | |

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| |BLIND SIDE, THE (2009) (Football, School, Struggle, Sports, Adaptation) | |

| |PLOT: Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) is a poor, undereducated African-American teenager in Memphis, | |

| |whose father was murdered and whose mother was a crack addict. He is shuffled through the public | |

| |school system, despite his low grade point average and absenteeism. His living situation is | |

| |noticed by the wealthy white Tuohy family. Leigh Anne (Sandra Bullock) and Sean Tuohy (Tim McGraw)| |

| |take him in and he succeeds both athletically and academically, becoming one of the top high | |

| |school football prospects in the country. AUTHOR: Michael Lewis | |

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'Water for Elephants'

[pic]Algonquin Books

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen opens with a day of disaster at the circus and Jacob Jankowski admitting he kept a secret from that day for over 70 years. The novel then moves to the ninety-something year old Jacob in a nursing home. As the older Jacob fights to survive the indignities of old age he recounts the story of his life with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on earth. Gruen's 2006 novel has been a runaway bestseller and book club favorite. The movie stars Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon and was released in April.

• Read a complete review of Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

• Read an interview with Sara Gruen about Water for Elephants

• Water for Elephants Movie Information

'Snow Flower and the Secret Fan'

[pic]Random House

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See is the story of two girls in nineteenth century China and their friendship from age seven. Lily narrates the story as an old woman, relating how her friendship with Snow Flower grew and then fell apart with a major betrayal. The movie adaptation of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan was released in July 2011, but never became very popular.

• Snow Flower and the Secret Fan Book Club Discussion Questions

'One Day'

[pic]Vintage Contemporaries

An international bestseller, One Day by David Nicholls takes on the nature of male-female friendship, love, and career in the post-college years. Set across England in the 1980s and 90s,One Day is a tale of two unlikely friends that is told one day at a time, on the same day each year. The movie adaptation stars Jim Sturgess and Anne Hathaway and was released in August.

• Read a book review of One Day by David Nicholls

• One Day Movie Information

'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'

'The Help'

[pic]Penguin

The Help by Kathryn Stockett has been one of the most popular novels of the past few years. Released in 2009, The Help is the story of a young white woman in Jackson, Mississippi in the 1960s and a group of black maids who work for the families of her friends. Stockett writes about the struggles the women face as they chafe against the written and unwritten rules that limit their lives. The movie version of The Helpwasr released in August.

• Read a complete book review of The Help by Kathryn Stockett

• The Help Movie Information

'Moneyball'

[pic]Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.

Michael Lewis' 2011 nonfiction book, Moneyball, looked into how the Oakland Athletics were a successful baseball team despite having a minor league level payroll. The 2012 movie of the book was released in September and starred Brad Pitt. It was highly acclaimed.

• Moneyball Movie Review

• 'The Lincoln Lawyer'

• [pic]Grand Central Publishing

• The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael Connelly is the store of a lawyer who operates out of the back of his car and is down and out until he lands a big Beverly Hills client. As he prepares to defend his client against attempted murder, though, he realizes he is involved in something bigger than he anticipated. The movie adaptation of this 2005 Michael Connelly thriller was released in March 2012 and starred Matthew McConaughey, Ryan Phillippe, William H. Macy and Marisa Tomei.

'The Host'

[pic]Little, Brown

Twi-hards don't need to despair in 2013! There may not be anotherTwilight movie, but Stephenie Meyer's book, The Host, is being converted into a film that will be released in March 2013.

'Carrie'

[pic]Knopf Doubleday

The original movie of Stephen King's debut novel, Carrie, came out in 1976 and is a classic. Carrie tells the story of a teenage girl with telekinetic powers who is an outcast with a deep need for revenge. The remake comes out on October 18, 2013.

• Complete list of Stephen King Movies

'Ender's Game'

[pic]TOR

Orson Scott Card's 1985 novel, Ender's Game, is finally being adapted into a movie. There are some changes to the novel -- the actor is supposed to be 12, not 6 -- but the director says he is a big fan of the book and kept much of it intact. Ender's Game stars Harrison Ford and hits theaters November 1.

'Shutter Island' by Dennis Lehane

[pic]HarperCollins

Dennis Lehane's 2003 bestseller, Shutter Island, has been turned into a psychological thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Shutter Island tells the story of two U.S. Marshals sent to an island where the criminally insane are locked up in order to investigate the disappearance of one of the inmates. The story is full of twists and turns. Shutter Island was released in February 2010.

'Dear John' by Nicholas Sparks

[pic]Hachette Book Group

Dear John is trademark Nicholas Sparks--romantic, sappy, sad and redeeming. Dear John is a love story about an army sergeant who falls in love shortly before 9/11. Recommended for those who like sappy romantic comedies (or tragedies, in Sparks' case). Dear John was published in 2006. The movie was released in February 2010.

 

'The Last Song' by Nicholas Sparks

[pic]Grand Central Publishing

When Veronica Miller's parents divorce and her dad moves from New York City to Wilmington, NC, she becomes angry and estranged from both of them. Two years after the divorce, Veronica's mother decides that she wants her to spend the whole summer with her father in Wilmington. This summer is the backdrop for another Nicholas Sparks tear-jerking, heart-rending family drama -- The Last Song. This book was released in 2009, but the movie rights were sold before it was even written. Also, Sparks wrote it with Miley Cyrus (who is starring in the movie) in mind. The movie was released in April 2010.

 

'Eat, Pray, Love' by Elizabeth Gilbert

[pic]Courtesy Penguin

Elizabeth Gilbert's bestselling memoir, Eat, Pray, Love, chronicled the year Gilbert spent after a painful divorce pursuing pleasure in Italy, devotion in India, and balance in Indonesia. Julia Roberts is starring as Gilbert in the movie version of Eat, Pray, Love, which was released in August 2010.

 

'The Social Network' based on 'The Accidental Billionaires' by Ben Mezrich

[pic]Knopf Doubleday

Ben Mezrich researched the founding of Facebook for his book, The Accidental Billionaires. For The Social Network, Aaron Sorkin also used court documents to fill out the interpersonal drama behind facebook.The Social Network was released in October 2010 and is being hailed as one of the best movies of 2010.

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