Issue 9 - A Birthday Party At The Movies

Don’t you just love it when you finish reading some fab book, and then—bam!—it’s made into a movie? We do. In fact, we can’t think of anything more fun than watching the movie version  to see if the characters looked the way we imagined them in our heads.

So that’s why we’ve dedicated this Whatcha Reading Now? issue to all of our choice reads that have made it--or will be making it—to the silver screen. We chat about The Invention of Hugo Cabret - an epic tale set in Paris in 1930, in which the movie version stars (swoon!) Jude Law. We also have a special ‘kids chat’ this issue, for the movie adaptation of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, which we all know is awesome to the core. The fabulous Wendelin Van Draanen, author of book-turned-movie Flipped provides us with our author interview for this issue and author Joyce Sweeney discusses the upcoming movie adaptation of Alex Finn’s masterpiece, Beastly. Whew. At this rate, pick up any great read, and you’ll likely be able to watch the movie version in theaters soon.

Chatted by Kerry O’Malley Cerra, Michelle Delisle, Jill Mackenzie

For our books to movies theme, we chatted about the Caldecott Award winning book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. It’s more than just a novel. And it’s way more than a picture book. Really…the drawings are a narrative themselves. You have to see the book for yourself. But, what’s it about? Twelve-year old Hugo Cabret is an orphan secretly living in the walls of an old Parisian train station tending to the clocks. Hugo’s convinced that his father, just before he died, reworked an old automaton to write a specific message just for Hugo. Desperate to decipher the message that he feels will save him, Hugo spends his free time scouring his dad’s detailed notebook in order to put the mechanical man back together again. But when the notebook is stolen by a mean-old toymaker in the train station, Hugo’s quest becomes much bigger than simply fixing the automaton. A series of events so seamlessly woven together lead to some powerful discoveries. And in the end, the automaton does save Hugo, but not in a way he ever would have imagined. We can’t wait to see this film adaptation…coming in December 2011.

kerry: hey, girls. whadya think about this book?
Jill: love love loved it!
michelle: one of the most ORIGINAL things I've ever read!
kerry: me too. i've never seen anything like it before
kerry: jinx, m
Jill: I seriously didn't want it to end. I'm so glad I bought it!
michelle: yeah...not really fiction or non-fiction
kerry: right, but brilliant
michelle: so cool!
michelle: picture book or novel....

Interviewed by Michelle Delisle

This month we’re so grateful that Wendelin Van Drannen, the author of Flipped, has stopped by to talk to us about both the book and the recent movie.  Hi, Wendelin!  You must be excited to see Flipped made into a film. But, before we talk about the book and movie, would you tell us…

Whatcha’ reading now? 

An ARC for a YA book due out in March about the Vietnam era: Purple Daze by Sherry Shahan

I suspect almost every published author dreams of seeing their book brought to the screen.  Can you tell us how this happened for you? 

I actually didn’t spend much time thinking about it because I know the odds of any book becoming a movie are really slim. Lots of books get optioned, but that’s only the first small step in a very complex process. That said, the moral of my book-to-movie story is, never underestimate the power of state awards! Flipped was assigned reading in Rob Reiner’s son’s school because it was a California Young Reader Medal winner. From what I understand, Rob and his son were on a flight to Hawaii and wound up reading it together.  Rob fell in love with the book and fought through lots of tangled red tape to get it made into a movie. I don’t know if he would have gone through everything he did if he’d just been “pitched” the story.  I’m really lucky that he read the book and wanted to stay true to it.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Reviewed by Jill MacKenzie

Every once in a while I come across a novel that is so graceful and so gripping, it consumes me.  For books like these, I’ll stay up until the wee hours of the morning just to finish them. And when I’m done, they permeate my dreams by night and by day. Like homemade waffles made from scratch, I savor every word; devour every single bite. Because these are the kinds of books that made me want to be a writer in the first place.

Gayle Forman’s novel, If I Stay, is that kind of book.

Consider, for a moment, if we had a choice: A choice of when to die, how to die, and with whom  to die with. Imagine, if you could chose whether to stay or to go.  Seventeen year-old Mia has this kind of choice to make. But because her mother, father, and little brot

It’s not like she’s the kind of girl who hates her parents and secretly wishes they were gone. On the contrary, Mia loves her tough-chick mom and rocker-band dad. Everyone does. They’re super hip in this free-spirited-we-love-you-for-you kind of way, and even her best friend and boyfriend envy Mia because of them. And then there’s Mia’s little brother, who’s she’s always had this kind of unbreakable bond with since the day he was born. The whole family is practically perfect. So to stay without them would be unbearable.

But then there’s Mia’s boyfriend to consider. He wasn’t in the car crash. He took her to see her music idol, Yo-Yo Ma, on their first date, when he doesn’t even like that kind of music. And he, more than anything in the entire world including the success of his own music career, wants her to stay here with him. And so does Mia’s adoring grandparents, who have simply lost too much already to lose Mia, as well. And lastly, there’s Mia’s music—Mia’s beloved Cello that fills her soul with everything that’s good and possible in the world.

So should Mia stay, or should she go?

Through If I Stay, Gayle Forman examines tough themes such as the unbreakable bonds of family, the magic (and sometimes limitations) of first love, and the impact one’s choices have over the ones we cherish. The movie version, starring Dakota Fanning as Mia, will hopefully display this same kind of poignancy, and grace as Forman intended. If I Stay, as well as Mia’s heart-wrenching decision, will undoubtedly stay with me forever.

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass

Reviewed by Kerry O’Malley Cerra

Twelve-year-old Jeremy Fink is a play-it-safe kinda kid. There’s no need to wander farther than his own New York City block. Ever! So, when a mysterious wooden box, with keyholes on four sides, arrives on his doorstep with a note from his dead father’s attorney, Jeremy simply asks for the keys. But it’s not that easy; the keys have been misplaced. The box—engraved with the words The Meaning of Life: For Jeremy Fink to Open on His 13th Birthday—sets Jeremy and his best friend Lizzy on the quest of a lifetime. Determined to find out what his dad’s left for him, Jeremy steps out of his comfort zone and begins to explore New York City while searching for the four keys.

After sneaking into an office building in hopes of finding some clues, the two BFF’s get busted and are forced to do community service for an old man named Mr. Oswald who used to be a pawn broker. (It’s here that I think the movie version of this book will shine!) Returning long-ago treasures to people throughout the city, Jeremy begins to question each of them about the meaning of life. In doing so, he realizes he may not need to open the box at all because he’s beginning to figure it out for himself—which is a good thing because he hasn’t found a single key yet and his birthday is only days away.

Wendy Mass has created a character we’ll all root for. I can’t wait to see Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life adapted for the big screen. It has all the elements of a perfect feel good flick—friendship, adventure, a great setting, and a heartwarming plot that will have you thinking…what really is the meaning of life?

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Reviewed by Michelle Delisle

When I first saw the movie preview for Where the Wild Things Are, I felt torn. 

On the one hand, how could I not see the movie adaptation of a book I’d read hundreds, perhaps thousands, of times?  On the other, how could anyone take a book with less than 350 perfect words and illustrations and tell the story with anything close to the depth of feeling that this book evoked for me both as a child and then, much later, as a parent?  It would seem to be impossible.

And so, until recently, I avoided the movie altogether.

I would never attempt to review this classic book, but in case there is one soul who hasn’t read it, Where the Wild Things Are is the story of Max, a mischievous boy, whose active imagination transports him to a world of wild creatures where he can be king.

The movie, directed by Spike Jonze, is visually stunning, especially the scenes depicting Max’s world.  The cinematography captures Sendak’s illustrations and leaves the viewer with a surreal sensation as they spend the time in Max’s kingdom.  It also does a wonderful job in setting up the reasons for Max’s naughtiness. But initially, for me, the part of the movie that rankled was the idea that Max's wild world was real. I wondered how Sendak would feel about that change to his vision, but in articles it would seem that he is delighted with the movie. And that’s the most important thing.

Ultimately, I think, that like L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz, it doesn’t matter if the world is real or imagined.  What’s important is how Max goes about taming his wild things.  On this, the movie delivers from the wild rumpus to more complex scenes where Max confronts his own emotions.  And, while the movie is based on a picture book, it’s far from your typical children’s movie and can be best appreciated by older viewers who have both put on (and put away) their wolf suits.   

Whoa, dudes. WRN? is turning one. That’s right. We’re celebrating our very first birthday. WOOT! In honor of that, we’re doing a book a day giveaway. That’s 30 days of books and 30 chances to win.

Birthdays, books, and movies…always a great combo. For our birthday issue, we’re featuring books that have been made or are being made into movies. Super-cool, right?  Because of that, we’re not only giving away awesome books, but we’re also giving away movie passes to a few lucky winners.  All you have to do to enter for a chance to win is post an answer to the following question either on our Facebook wall or in an email to contests@whatchareadingnow.com.

Ready for the question? Wait, what’s that? There are two questions? Okay, so answer one of the following or both for your chance to win. Each time you post, your name will go into the crystal bowl. Here ya go…

Simple, simple! Get posting for your chance to win one of four movie passes, or one of these totally fab books: Beastly by Alex Flinn, Cloaked by Alex Flinn, Flipped by  Wendelin Van Draanen, The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, If I Stay by Gayle Forman, Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass, I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore, and Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater.  I know that’s not 30 books. There are truly too many to list so these are just a sampling.

Be sure to check your replies on the Facebook wall. We’ll be drawing a winner daily and replying directly under your post to let you know you’ve won. In case you miss it, we’ll also do a weekly blast email to announce the winners for those seven days. Can’t wait to read your answers!

Happy reading…and posting!

By Jodi Turchin

As a teacher, I always hate to hear the groans when I announce we are reading a Shakespearean play in English class.  I grew up in absolute love with Shakespeare.  One of my most prized possessions is my Shakespeare’s Collected Works.  But my students always say that the Bard didn’t write in English!  They don’t understand.  Why do they have to read old stuff?

But the truth is, Shakespeare’s works have universal themes that teens today COMPELTELY relate to – even if they don’t realize it!  This is never more evident than in the teen movie genre.  Directors have been adapting Shakespeare’s works for film plots for decades!  Where else do you find forbidden love, betrayals, cross-dressing characters, shrewish women?  Well . . . in Shakespeare.  Here are some recommendations for your movie-watching pleasure.

Okay, first example.  Teenagers fall hopelessly in love with each other, despite the fact that their families hate each other.  Romeo and Juliet, right?  The original star-crossed lovers.  One of the more recognizable movie/play adaptations of that particular comic tragedy (believe it or not, there are a lot of comic elements in Romeo and Juliet!) is West Side Story (Full Screen Edition), where the warring “families” are the New York gangs the Sharks and the Jets, and Maria (sister of a Shark) and Tony (a Jet) just want to be happy together.  And there’s always the modern adaptation with Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio as the star-crossed teens.

What about betrayal?  Well, what happens when you see someone get what you want, and you play God to destroy your friend’s happiness?  Shakespeare’s Othello.  In 2001, Director Tim Blake Nelson cast Mekhi Phifer as Odin James and Josh Hartnett as Hugo Goulding in his film O (Two-Disc Special Edition), which took the classic plot of the Bard’s Othello and put it in a modern high school, with basketball players as the central characters.  Julia Stiles played Desi (aka Desdemona in Shakespeare’s time).

Cross-dressing characters figure in several of Shakespeare’s plays.  In one of my favorites, Twelfth Night, Viola, sister of Sebastian, masquerades as a page and enters the service of the Duke Orsino.  Orsino is in love with Olivia, and Viola falls in love with the Duke.  Lots of comedic episodes occur before Viola is revealed to be a woman.  In 2006’s She's the Man (Widescreen Edition), Amanda Bynes took on the role of Viola, masquerading as her brother Sebastian (James Kirk) in order to play soccer when her school eliminates the girls’ team.  Her roommate?  Duke Orsino, of course, played by Channing Tatum. 

And last but not least – my all-time favorite modern adaptation of a Shakespeare play: 10 Things I Hate About You.  Starring Julia Stiles as the shrewish Kat Stratford and the late Heath Ledger as Patrick Verona, this adaptation comes from Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.  Both play and 1999 film focus on Kat and her younger boy-crazy sister Bianca.  The family has a rule – the younger may not date (marry) until the eldest does, setting Bianca and her suitors on a quest to find a man to take the independent, argumentative Kat on so that Bianca may live the life she wants.

This is THE place to read the views of readers so enthusiastic about books for kids and teens that they’ve made it their career.  Each month, WRN? features  articles by authors, editors, agents, librarians and booksellers. This month's contributor is Joyce Sweeney, author of fourteen novels for young adults and instructor for an on-going creative writing workshop that has produced twenty-seven published authors. More information about Joyce can be found at www.joycesweeney.net.

We Knew Her When by Joyce Sweeney

I'm feeling a little star-struck these days...why? Because Alex Flinn, one of the writers I mentor, has achieved what many writers think is the ultimate for a YA novel. Her novel, Beastly has been adapted to film.  The movie, starring Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens, and Mary-Kate Olsen will be released by CBS films on March 18, 2011. 

“I'm excited about seeing Beastly in theaters,” says Flinn.  “Since I'm not good at surprises, I asked to read the script and it is really good and true to the book.”  The novel, released in paperback by Harper Collins in 2009, is a modern, urban retelling of Beauty and the Beast, where a pampered but neglected prom king is cursed by a goth-girl witch.  I personally remember Alex giving a reading when the novel was released and finding myself spellbound by the description of the beast's transformation.

Alexandra has had great success with her fairy tale retellings. Besides Beastly, she has published A Kiss in Time, which brings Sleeping Beauty to South Beach and in February of 2011, Harper Collins will release Cloaked, which weaves a number of fairy tales together, into one mad, South Florida romp, from Miami to the Keys to the Everglades.  Asked how she feels about the casting of the upcoming film, Alexandra says, “It will be fun to see my characters brought to life.  Alex Pettyfer is exactly how I pictured Kyle.  I'm particularly excited about Mary Kate Olsen as Kendra (the witch) because my daughters are huge fans.” 

This month we’re excited to host our first ever KidsChat.  We got three huge fans of the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan together to talk about both the books and the movie.  Thanks so much to Ryan (age 10), Griffin (age 11) and Josh (age 14) for contributing to WRN?. 

1. 

   How many of the Percy Jackson books have you read?

   Ryan:  All of them and I’m reading The Red Pyramid right now.
   Griffin: I’ve read all of them…they’re amazing.
   Josh: I have read all the books, and have finished The Lost Hero and The Red Pyramid.

2. What was your favorite?  Why?

   Ryan:  The Battle of the Labyrinth because it had the part about the return of Kronos, which I wondered about for all the other books.
   Griffin: The Last Olympian because Percy blew up a whole cruise ship. There was a lot of action in this book.
   Josh:  I did not have a particular favorite in the series because they were all good. 

3. Who is your favorite character from all the books?

   Ryan:  I love Grover!  He’s hysterical and he’s been Percy’s friend from the beginning.
   Griffin: Grover because he’s like soooo funny and he’s a goat.
   Josh:  My favorite character would have to be Annabeth because she stays tough throughout all the hardships they face. 
   

4. If you went to Camp Halfblood which house would you be living in?

   Ryan:  Hermes because it’d be fun to hang out with the Stoll brothers.
   Griffin: Aphrodite because there would be a lot of chicks there.
   Josh:  I may be skipping a head a little but if I could live in any camp halfblood cabin I would live in the Hypno cabin because I like to sleep.

5. Did you see the movie made from the The Lightning Thief?

   Ryan:  The first day it came out.
   Griffin: Yeah. It was really different from the book. I liked the book better.
   Josh:  Yes, and truthfully I hated it. 

6. What was your favorite part/scene?

   Ryan:  The battle with Luke at the end.  Even though it was different from the book, it was really cool.
   Griffin: When Percy and his mom were under attack on their way to Camp Halfblood. I like that because the Mintaurs are cool.
   Josh:  If I had to choose a part from the movie that was my favorite I would choose the part with the Lotus Hotel, because it was high energy, and fun. 

7. Was there anything you didn’t like?

   Ryan:  The way they left some parts out.  And I wish they didn’t change Annabeth so much.
   Griffin: I didn’t like that they didn’t show us the whole camp in the movie. The book described it so much better.
   Josh: I did not like how in the movie Annabeth was not portrayed as in the book, and how Dionysis was not even included.

8. Which characters in the movie were exactly like the book?

   Ryan:  Chiron, Luke and Percy mostly
   Griffin: Percy was kinda like the book. And, Chiron was the same too.
   Josh: Chiron, Luke, and Percy.

9. Which were different?

   Ryan:  Annabeth!  And where was Mr. D?
   Griffin: Annabeth, definitely.
   Josh:  Most definitely Annabeth

10. Was there anything shown in the movie that was completely different from the way you imagined it?

    Ryan:  I didn’t think Camp Halfblood would be so spread out.
    Griffin: Grover. He wasn’t what I pictured. And I imagined the attack by Percy’s teacher differently.
    Josh:  Right, Ryan!  Camp Halfblood was extremely different because it was so spread out. 
    

11. Have you read any of the new books by Rick Riordan?

    Ryan:  Reading one now and really want to read The Lost Hero too.
    Griffin: Yes. I read The Red Pyramid. It was amazing. A lot happened in that book that I didn’t expect. Now I’m reading The Lost Hero. I like that the author keeps giving more mythology and that he kept most of the characters from the Percy Jackson series.
    Josh:  I’ve read both The Red Pyramid, and The Lost Hero. 

12. If they make another Percy Jackson movie what do you really, really want to see? 

    Ryan:  The Sea of Monsters because I want to see Tyson in a movie.
    Griffin: I can’t wait to see The Last Olympian because it was my favorite book and I want to see how Kronos looks when he’s reformed.
    Josh:  The Sea of Monsters because I would want them to go in order. 

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Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

Review by Kristina Miranda

Mr. and Mrs. Popper and their children Bill and Janie live an absolutely ordinary life at 432 Proudfoot Avenue. Mr. Popper, a painter by trade, spends his evenings reading and dreaming about exploring the polar regions of the world. Polar explorer Admiral Drake is so impressed with a letter he receives from Mr. Popper that he sends him a real live penguin in a crate and life for the Poppers will never be ordinary again. The Popper household, previously neat and orderly, is turned upside down by their new pet, Captain Cook.

When Captain Cook becomes ill and nearly dies, he is sent a mate, Greta, to revive his spirits. Soon there are penguin eggs—ten of them—and an entire arctic world set up in the Popper’s humble abode.         Caring for the penguins nearly bankrupts the Popper family and they can barley feed themselves and the now twelve penguins that live in their tiny ice-filled home. Not knowing what to do, and very attached to their penguins, Mr. and Mrs. Popper train their arctic friends to put on a show that takes the whole family on a nationwide tour. The now famous Popper Penguins perform to packed theatres of cheering crowds, but will the show solve the Popper family problems for good?

Mr. Popper's Penguins, a beloved classic and soon-to-be major motion picture starring Jim Carrey, is bursting with fun animal antics to delight children of all ages. This Newberry Honor book by Richard and Florence Atwater is an enduring favorite that encourages the belief that anything is possible. The ordinary becomes the extraordinary in this endearing and satisfying tale where even the biggest of dreams come true.

The movie is set to be released in August of 2011.

Essay by Chin Lin Pan

Have you ever decided to skip reading a book assigned in English class and go straight to watching its film adaptation instead, and somehow, you ended up failing the test about the book anyway?

I admit that, among a majority of people, films are immensely more popular than books, which explains why students would rather watch the movie than read the book. But this poor decision just shows how different film adaptations are from the books that they are supposedly based on.  

When it comes to the ultimate showdown between books and their film adaptations, I do not have to think twice as to which I prefer over the other.

Books tell the whole story. They provide the details that paint pictures in your head and the fresh, raw substance that hooks you into another world, and they do it a lot better than their film adaptations (which usually condense the storylines so that it only gives you the bare bones with no skin).

In The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger, magazine assistant Andrea Sachs deals with a lot more than her boss from Hell (Miranda Priestly). She commits so much to doing whatever Miranda asks of her (despite the time of day/night) that she no longer makes the time to relax and hang out with her friends and boyfriend. Meanwhile, her best friend is becoming an alcoholic—which I thought was a pretty important part—and her boyfriend feels unloved and unworthy. The 2006 film focuses on Andrea’s work life, leaving out the best-friend-becoming-an-alcoholic part.

I understand why directors have to condense storylines and/or other book-related material, but must they strip off the critical parts?

Books also allow readers to use their imagination to concoct their own versions of what the characters look like and how the scenes take place, while the portrayal of the characters and scenes of the film adaptations are based solely on what the director and producers choose to depict.

Once you watch the films and then read/re-read the books, the portrayals from the films are forever etched in your head, distorting what was once your own unique portrayal.

Take for example, the portrayal of Bella Swan in the Twilight franchise. In the books, Bella is delicate and clumsy; in the films, Bella is not delicate and appears fairly tough, which is a very un-Bella Swan feature. (Although, her character was not the only one that was messed up.)

Books are also better to enjoy, because you can hold them in your hands and read at your own pace. In the theaters, you sit there with your icy soda and warm, buttery popcorn in your lap and watch as the stories unfold and zoom by and you wonder, How in the world did that happen?

There are usually plot holes in the films, which can annoy a loyal bookworm or confuse a movie junkie.

In How to Deal (2003), which combines two of Sarah Dessen’s books (That Summer and Someone Like You), there is barely anything that even resembles That Summer (maybe a character or two). The film was about 90 percent Someone Like You. Only ten percent of that movie was from That Summer. I wonder if the screenwriter was doing drugs when he/she translated these books onto the big screen. Needless to say, I’m not a fan of putting two books together.

Unfortunately, there are many books that are completely ruined by their film counterparts. On the record, the films are supposed to be based on the books, but in a true comparison, the films are nothing like the books whatsoever. Most of the films use the characters’ names and change everything else, such as the plots and the characters’ backgrounds, actions, relationships and personalities.

This is true for Annette Curtis Klause’s Blood and Chocolate. The book takes place in Maryland and is about a 16-year-old werewolf, Vivian, who grieves over her deceased father and falls for a human boy, Aidan. After a murder in the pack, Vivian’s loyalties are divided.

In the 2007 film, the setting is Bucharest, Romania and the characters (including Vivian and Aidan) were adults instead of teenagers. Everything about Vivian was changed, all of the characters’ relationships to each other were changed, the murderer was a different character and many other annoying, minor details were included. The story was basically a Romeo and Juliet type, except without the tragic ending. This ruined the book for me, even though I had read it prior to watching the film.

It is a shame that there are a small percentage of films that takes the books seriously and follows them closely. If only more films nowadays followed suit to the storylines, there would be less angry bookworms like myself, and the films would be true advocators of the books.

The Outsiders (1983) is a great example. The film is true to S.E. Hinton’s youthful, melodramatic book, which is centered on two rival gangs in Tulsa, Oklahoma during the 1960s.

Another example is A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999), which is based on the Shakespearean comedy play of the exact title. Everything about the film followed closely with the play, from the origins of the three, intertwined conflicts to the happy endings.  (See our teacher Feature for more Shakespearean book to movie adaptations)

I am a devoted bookworm—always have been and always will be. So no matter how many good, bad and ugly film adaptations are out there or will be made in the future, the books—those awesome, lovable raconteurs—will surely be better than the film adaptations.

This story originally appeared in the February 2010 issue of Berkner High School’s The Rampage.

Who doesn’t love to see a movie of one of their favorite books?  It’s always interesting to see the characters brought to life.  Will it end up close to the movie you envisioned in your own mind?  This month we have lists for books made into movies for teens, kids and even readers of picture books.  Plus, as a bonus, we have a special movie list.

Remember, when you link to Amazon from WRN? and purchase a book or movie, a small percentage comes to us to help offset the costs of our site and contests.  So, thanks for supporting us!!! 

• Teen List
• Kids List
• Picture Book List
• Movie List