The Book Was Better Booklist
These are books that have gone Hollywood. A booklist for the moviegoer that enjoys reading the book first.
Here is a list of books that are also movies. But, we all know the book is always better...
Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen (TEEN FIC VAN DRAANEN) Movie: Flipped(2010)
Flipped is a romance told in two voices. How these two teens manage to see beyond the
surface of things and come together makes for a comic and poignant romance. The movie
version was released in 2010.
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson ( TEEN FIC ANDERSON, L) Movie: Speak(2005)
A pre-Twilight Kirsten Stewart stars in the 2005 movie version of this powerful teen novel. The
award winning novel is the story of a teenage heroine who delivers a blow to the hypocritical
world of high school.
Eragon by Christopher Paolini (TEEN FIC PAOLINI) Movie: Eragon(2006)
Beautifully written and taut with suspense, "Eragon" is the first installment in an epic fantasy
trilogy about a 15-year-old farm boy who discovers his destiny as a Dragon Rider. Now, if only
the movie version had lived up to the book version.
How’s Movie Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (TEEN FIC JONES) Movie: Howl’s Moving Castle
(2006)
Miyazaki’s movie version is a classic in its own right but read what inspired this amazing
film. The story of Sophie, resigned to her fate as a hat shop apprentice until a witch turns
her into an old woman and she finds herself in the castle of the greatly feared Wizard Howl.
Plus the book is part of trilogy, so there’s even more to love.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares (TEEN FIC BRASHARES) Movie:
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants(2005), Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2(2008)
Sharing a pair of worn, dirty, and speckled-with-bleach jeans, four friends have the most
memorable summer of their lives. This 6 book series only made it to 2 films but the series is
worth the read.
Emma by Jane Austen (FIC AUSTEN) Movie: Clueless(1995)
Emma Woodhouse is a young woman who, having engineered the marriage of her
companion, turns her attention toward making a match for the local vicar and her new
protegee Harriet Smith. Adapted in 1995 as Clueless, where Cher is the most popular girl at
Beverly Hills High, and is very involved with her friends. But when it comes to love, she is
clueless.
Beastly by Alex Flinn (TEEN FIC FLINN) Movie: Beastly(2010)
A modern retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" from the point of view of the Beast, a vain
Manhattan private school student who is turned into a monster and must find true love
before he can return to his human form.
The Outsiders S.E Hinton (TEEN FIC HINTON) Movie: The Outsiders(1983)
The struggle of three brothers to stay together after their parent's death and their quest
for identity among the conflicting values of their adolescent society.
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (J FIC LEVINE) Movie: Ella Enchanted(2004)
In this novel based on the story of Cinderella, Ella struggles against the childhood curse
that forces her to obey any order given to her.
Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen (TEEN FIC DESSEN ) Movie: How to Deal(2003)
For Halley Martin, nothing is going according to her plan. Her sister just got engaged to
the wrong guy, her crazy grandmother has moved in, her parents split up, and then she
meets a guy. To top off Halley's senior year in high school, her best friend finds out she is
pregnant. Now Halley is going to have to learn a hard lesson - how to deal.
It’s Kind of Funny Story by Ned Vizzini (TEEN FIC VIZZINI) Movie: It’s Kind of a Funny
Story(2010)
A humorous account of a New York City teenager's battle with depression and his time
spent in a psychiatric hospital...