Before I had children, when I was still full of uncorrected ideas about how I would raise them, I told myself that I would not let my children see movies based on great books until they had read the book first. Mustn’t limit their imagination, I thought. Too many movies are palid imitations of vibrant novels, I thought.
Ha.
I still think that, but I no longer kid myself that I will make my children read the book first. In pre-parenthood daydreams, this is the sort of thing children do eagerly, even gratefully. In real life, i don’t think that battle would be worth the blood spilt.
But while I don’t think I will make such requirements of my children (once they can read), I have been pretty curious about the books some movies are drawn from. After seeing the great success of Katrina’s reading challenges, I had an idea for a booklover’s carnival (that could easily dovetail with hers if you’re interested) on this theme.
Here’s the idea: choose a book from the following list of classic stories that have been turned into movies. If there is some book-turned-movie that you don’t see on the list but you really want to read, go ahead. It needn’t be a Disney production; not all of these are.
It doesn’t matter what book or short story you choose, as long as it’s one you’ve never read before. I’ve linked the titles to Amazon if you prefer buying books, but most of these could be found at a public library or interlibrary-loaned.
Read the book and then post about it on Monday, August 20th.
PL Travers Mary Poppins
Felix Salten Bambi: A Life in the Woods
The Complete Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales (basis for Disney’s Little Mermaid and others)
TH White Once and Future King (basis for Disney’s Sword in the Stone)
AA Milne Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) and House at Pooh Corner (1928)
Carlo Collodi Pinocchio
Lloyd Alexander The Book of Three and The Black Cauldron (basis for Disney’s The Black Cauldron)
Robert C. O’Brien Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (basis for Disney’s Secret of NIMH)
Charles Perrault, Perrault’s Fairy Tales (basis for Disney’s Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty)
Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
J. M. Barrie Peter Pan
Rudyard Kipling The Jungle Books
Dodie Smith The Hundred and One Dalmatians, or the Great Dog Robbery
Margery Sharp The Rescuers (1959) and Miss Bianca (1962) (basis for Disney’s The Rescuers)
Daniel Pratt Mannix IV The Fox and the Hound (1967)
Victor Hugo The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Song of Mu Lan tr. Jeanne M. Lee (basis for Disney’s Mulan)
Edgar Rice Burroughs Tarzan of the Apes
Robert Louis Stevenson Treasure Island
Kenneth Grahame The Reluctant Dragon and The Wind in the Willows (basis for part of Disney’s Ichabod and Mr Toad)
Joel Chandler Harris The Complete Tales of Uncle Remus (basis for Disney’s Song of the South)
Alexandre Dumas The Three Musketeers
Mary Norton The Magic Bed Knob; or, How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons and Bonfires and Broomsticks (basis for Bedknobs and Broomsticks)
Ian Fleming Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car
L Frank Baum The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Eleanor H. Porter Pollyanna
So how about it? Will you pick a book to read? Leave a comment, telling me which book you want to read. Feel free to pick one someone else already has. More than one perspective on it would be interesting.
I always prefer to read the book first too, but then I spend half the movie pointing my finger and nitpicking ‘It’s not sposed to be like that’. One exception was Chocolat, which was very different from the book but managed to be a beautiful movie too, albeit with the angle completely shifted.
I’d love to take up this challenge. I’ve read a lot of these already though, so I’ve got to cast around and see if I can find a copy of one of the ones I haven’t.
I never knew that Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was by Ian Fleming – I wonder if I can find that, though his oroginal Bond books weren’t that great to read.
I’ll take you up on this, too. Sign me up for Treasure Island.
[...] over at Toddled Dredge has issued a terrific reading challenge: read the book that the movie was based on. The Disney movie, that is. Who among us never labored [...]
Hi Veronica,
I would LOVE to take you up on this, especially to do Hunchback. Children’s movie, my rear… I cannot possibly do it now, though. So I hope you will host another such carnival in the future. Fantastic idea!
Angie
I came over via Julie’s blog intrigued by your challenge. I thought that I was pretty solid when it came to reading the book before seeing the movie. But I have to confess that there are a few on your list that I didn’t even know were books before they were movies. On that basis, sign me up for Mary Norton’s “The Magic Bednob” and “Bonfires and Broomsticks.”
ooooh…. what an interesting idea. I think I might try Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (are you sensing a Dick Van Dyke theme here? I am) But that reading will have to wait until I’ve finished rereading the Harry Potters, and read the new one.
I’m in! I didn’t know that some of those were based on books – thank you for researching this idea and sharing it! I’ll be looking for 8 of them at the library.
I have an old french copy of Kipling’s Livre de la Jungle, sign me on for that one. It’ll be my summer reading challenge
What a fabulous idea! I don’t know which one to do yet–I think I’ll have my kids do it with me.
Ha. Felix Salten’s “Bambi” was one of the first books I ever read on my own, and the Disney movie was a sad (and very cartoonish, in the bad sense of the word) follow-up to it.
I did manage to get my (then 8 y.o.) son to read “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” before we saw the new Willie Wonka movie, and I’ve promised him he can *finally* see the Lord of the Rings movies after we finish our year-plus-long read aloud of Tolkien, but that’s it for movie vs. books for him.
Also – some more suggestions from a flier at my local library
Natalie Babbitt’s “Tuck Everlasting”
Cristianna Brand’s “The Nurse Matilda, the Collected Tales” (Nanny McPhee)
Kate DiCamillo’s “Because of Winn Dixie”
Neil Gaiman’s “Coraline” (coming in 2008!)
Carl Hiassen’s “Hoot”
Katherine Paterson’s “Bridge to Terabithia”
E.B. White’s “Charlotte’s Web”
and my personal favorite (and one of the few where I think the movie *is* just as good as the book): Louis Sachar’s “Holes”
Sandy D – Thank you for all the suggestions!I have always meant to read Tuck Everlasting, and it didn’t occur to me.
Veronica, be firm! You can do it! MAKE them read the book first!
Ok, I know, you can’t. I couldn’t either. I hate that Ilsa has seen “Little Women” but not read it yet. I did make Elliot read the Lord of the Rings, and as a result he’s read the entire trilogy at least 4 times, just the battle scenes about 20 times, and The Hobbit about 35 times (his fav book).
And I’ve forbidden “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.” Just flat out said “You may not watch that movie until you have moved out of the house for university.” I know they’ll watch it then but at least my conscience will be clear.
Don’t get me started on how Disney ruins things! Seriously; I’m a total bore on the subj. I’ve read many (most) of the books on your list but until now didn’t know Bambi was a book first. I’ll try to look for that one later this summer, when we’re in the US.
Sorry for such a long comment! This subj is obviously dear to my heart
Do I have to also watch the movie?? I actually read a lot of those books as a child. In fact, I read all of the Wizard of Oz books, a handful of Mary Poppins books, all of Lloyd Alexander. We had a wonderful children’s librarian where I grew up.
Tuck Everlasting is one of my favourite books of all time. It’s lovely. I might take you up on this but my reading card is pretty much full up right now.
Oh, and Holes, of course. The film was a great adaptation but the book itself sure made me tingle.
I read a lot of these books when I was young. I would love to re-read Dumas’s The Count of Monte Cristo (and I have to admit I loved the most recent movie version of the book).
If I can find the time between all this moving stuff, I will give it a go.
I pick Mary Poppins. We are on a big Supercal…(have no idea how to spell that) kick around here. Great idea!! Now I just have to remember to come back on August 20th.
Pollyanna will be my contribution. I have issues with her, but it is still a fun book.
My oldest son’s pet peeve? Movies that aren’t as good as the book!!
And yes; I started out making him read the book before he saw the movie. Now he does it by choice, so hang in there and do it with your children! Just brace yourself for the whining after the movie, LOL.
This is a great idea. You know, I’m doing a
Read Togetherchallenge this summer (with prizes) and it’s not too late to sign up. These would dovetail if you or any of your readers want to sign up.
We’ve already read Mary Poppins (and loved it–it’s more clever than the movie), and we also just read Ella Enchanted this summer. I’d recommend either of those.
We’ve been wanting to read Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang, because we’ve seen the movie and we saw the Broadway show, so count me in for that!
I’d love to join! Do you want to assign one to me to re-read?
PS–I am putting in a link to this carnival on my blog tomorrow, if you don’t mind.
Would love the link, but no assigment necessary. Just pick one to read that looks interesting or easy to get hold of.
I am going to read Hunch Back of Notre Dame. I have wanted to read it for a long time. Now I have the kick in the pants to do so!
I am posting a link to this on my blog if you don’t mind!
Well, I’ve everything on your list, but I’ll re-read Grimm. I’m reading a bunch of retold fairy tales (for adults) right now, so it will be a great refresher.
I loved Pollyanna as a child. Wonder if I’ll still feel the same now I’ve written for today’s youth?
I am here from Snapshot. I would love to join. I plan to read the Jungle Books with my son. He hasn’t seen the movie, so we are doing it in the right order!
I’m in – I’m reading the Wonderful Wizard of Oz right now to my oldest!
[...] 9th, 2007 by Veronica Mitchell On August 20 I will be hosting the reading challenge Before There Was Disney here at Toddled Dredge. Read the book that a children’s movie was based on and write about [...]
Don’t forget Heidi! The books is WAY better than any of the movies. I got my two young boys to fight over who’s turn it was to read next!
Also, “Heidi Grows Up” is good if you can get a hold of a copy.
I just came across your challenge. It just so happens that I’m reading through Grimm’s Fairy Tales. There’s a few in it that Disney kinda-sorta retold. I will write about them on the 20th!
Dag nabbit! It is August 15th and I just read this carnival idea of yours! My son is in 5th grade now and wants to watch the Harry Potter movies. I told him that before he watches the movies he has to read the books. I know it’s not a Disney movie, but it is a movie based on a book, right? I don’t think I have time to join the carnival on the 20th, but I think it’s a great idea and you should do it again sometime so I can join in. Have fun!
I am in luck. Pinnochio was on our reading list for school this year (www.amblesideonline.com) for Year 1 and we have read it so I am going to write about it but I was never very good at “book reports”.
[...] the books that many of those famous children’s movies (not necessarily Disney) were based on. My original post on the subject was here, including a list of possible books, with more suggested by readers in the [...]
very interesting, but I don’t agree with you
Idetrorce
Just one thing — Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH was not a Disney film, but rather a movie by Don Bluth. Don Bluth worked for Disney prior to setting out on his own.
There are also two other books about the adventures of the Rats of NIMH.