Fiction

Movies Inspired by Middle Grade Novels

By on April 17, 2015   /   Book Lists, Fiction  

I kept seeing commercials for Home and thought it looked cute, but didn’t really think about seeing it in the theater…until I read that it was adapted from The True Meaning of Smekday, by Adam Rex. I LOVE that book! Now, I can’t wait to see the movie.

This made me think about other middle grade novels that inspired movies. I think it’s fun to read a book then see how the movie compares to it. I often enjoy books way more than the movies and feel like people are missing some important things that didn’t transfer into the film version. But there are times when I like the movie better, or love both the book and the movie about the same amount.

Check out these middle grade novels that were turned into movies:

THE TRUE MEANING OF SMEKDAY

Smekday coverWhen twelve-year-old Gratuity (“Tip”) Tucci is assigned to write five pages on “The True Meaning of Smekday” for the National Time Capsule contest, she’s not sure where to begin. When her mom started telling everyone about the messages aliens were sending through a mole on the back of her neck? Maybe on Christmas Eve, when huge, bizarre spaceships descended on the Earth and the aliens-called Boov-abducted her mother? Or when the Boov declared Earth a colony, renamed it “Smekland” (in honor of glorious Captain Smek), and forced all Americans to relocate to Florida via rocketpod?

In any case, Gratuity’s story is much, much bigger than the assignment. It involves her unlikely friendship with a renegade Boov mechanic named J.Lo.; a futile journey south to find Gratuity’s mother at the Happy Mouse Kingdom; a cross-country road trip in a hovercar called Slushious; and an outrageous plan to save the Earth from yet another alien invasion.

JEREMY FINK AND THE MEANING OF LIFE

Jeremy Fink coverIn one month Jeremy Fink will turn thirteen. But does he have what it takes to be a teenager? He collects mutant candy, he won’t venture more than four blocks from his apartment if he can help it, and he definitely doesn’t like surprises. On the other hand, his best friend, Lizzy, isn’t afraid of anything, even if that might get her into trouble now and then.

Jeremy’s summer takes an unexpected turn when a mysterious wooden box arrives in the mail. According to the writing on the box, it holds the meaning of life! Jeremy is supposed to open it on his thirteenth birthday. The problem is, the keys are missing, and the box is made so that only the keys will open it without destroying what’s inside. Jeremy and Lizzy set off to find the keys, but when one of their efforts goes very wrong, Jeremy starts to lose hope that he’ll ever be able to open the box. But he soon discovers that when you’re meeting people named Oswald Oswald and using a private limo to deliver unusual objects to strangers all over the city, there might be other ways of finding out the meaning of life.

MATILDA

Matilda coverMatilda is a genius. Unfortunately, her family treats her like a dolt. Her crooked car-salesman father and loud, bingo-obsessed mother think Matilda’s only talent is as a scapegoat for everything that goes wrong in their miserable lives. But it’s not long before the sweet and sensitive child decides to fight back. Faced with practical jokes of sheer brilliance, her parents don’t stand a chance.

Matilda applies her untapped mental powers to rid the school of the evil, child-hating headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, and restore her nice teacher, Miss Honey, to financial security.

THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET

Invention of Hugo Cabret coverOrphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo’s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo’s dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.

MR. POPPER’S PENGUINS

Mr. Popper's Penguins coverThe unexpected delivery of a large crate containing an Antarctic penguin changes the life and fortunes of Mr. Popper, a house painter obsessed by dreams of the Polar regions.

 

We had a great post about this back in 2010. Click on this link to check out a whole bunch of other movies that were inspired by middle grade novels.

What is your favorite movie based on a middle grade novel? Do you have any favorite novels that you’re hoping will be turned into a movie?

Mindy Alyse Weiss writes humorous middle grade novels with heart and quirky picture books. She’s constantly inspired by her two daughters, an adventurous Bullmasador adopted from The Humane Society, and an adorable Beagle/Pointer mix who was rescued from the Everglades. Visit Mindy’s Twitter, Facebook, or blog to read more about her writing life, conference experiences, and writing tips.

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Meet Carol Weston, author of Ava and Taco Cat

By on April 8, 2015   /   Author Interviews, Fiction, For Librarians, For Parents, For Teachers  

Welcome Carol Weston, author of the new novel AVA AND TACO CAT. On top of her middle grade novel writing career, Weston is also the “Dear Carol” advice columnist at Girls’ Life Magazine and a prodigious letter writer to The New York Times (40 published and counting). She’s here to discuss palindromes, Judy Blume and where she got the inspiration for Ava’s hometown.

Carol Weston, author of Ava and Taco Cat

Carol Weston, author of Ava and Taco Cat

Why kids’ books?
Back in college, when I studied French and Spanish literature, I dreamed of being a writer, but I didn’t imagine that I’d find my voice while impersonating a fifth grader. And yet I am so happy that after numerous magazine articles and books for teens and adults, I started writing for children. When my own daughters were little, I wrote a series about Melanie Martin and her brother Matt the Brat, and now I tell the tales of Ava Wren and her sister Pip and their word-nerd parents. Melanie lived in Manhattan; Ava lives in Misty Oaks.

Why Misty Oaks?
For 21 years, I’ve been the Dear Carol advice columnist at Girls’ Life Magazine. About five years ago, I received a snail mail letter and I remember noticing that the return address was “Misty Oaks.” Misty Oaks! It is evocative, isn’t it? Somehow a seed was planted. When I’m overwhelmed with my real life, I tell my husband, “I’m going to Misty Oaks,” then head into our daughter Emme’s room–now our guest room–and I wrestle with the latest manuscript. Fiction writing is hard work but oddly calming too.

Did you say Emme?
Yes! Emme is our second daughter. It’s not Emma or Emily; it’s Emme. When she was ten and grownups misheard her name, I’d sometimes hear her say, “It’s E-M-M-E. It’s a palindrome.” Maybe that planted a seed too! Note: Emme is now a grownup herself and she’s an important reader for me. I’m about to hand her the third Ava book, AVA XOX, to get her notes and input. It’s wonderfully lucky to have trusted family members read a manuscript before my “real” editors. Emme gives me great feedback and knows she can say, “This page doesn’t work” and that I will still love her to pieces.

Ava and Taco Cat

Ava and Taco Cat

What can you tell us about the new book?
In AVA AND TACO CAT (note the palindrome!), fifth grade Ava really really wants a cat, but when she and Pip sneak into the rescue center, complications begin. Ava becomes obsessed with her new pet, and her semi-neglected best friend Maybelle ends up making a new friend. This is hard on Ava (as it is on so many kids that age). To distract herself, Ava starts collaborating with Pip on a picturebook about fish. Ava rhymes and Pip draws, and they have high hopes that it will get published. But nope, nothing is that easy and there are lots of twists and turns before things work out.

Things work out?
Hey, it’s a kids’ book! One of my favorite things about writing for kids is that it’s not like a Shakespeare play where you almost expect corpses to litter the stage at the end. No way. Lots of page-turning adventures, but when you are reading a book for kids, spoiler alert, things usually do turn out okay.

Even for their picturebook?
Oh no! Alphabet Fish does not go the distance. Nor should it. Truth told, I found a similarly fishy manuscript in an old file in my filing cabinet –so maybe I did aspire to write for kids sooner than I’d remembered. But without telling you much more, let me say that when Ava finally starts to write about a subject closer to her heart, the story she tells finds a much wider audience. Including one person who–oops, I’d better stop before I spill too much!

Carol Weston and kids meet Judy Blume

Carol Weston and kids meet Judy Blume

Is there one living children’s book author you admire?
There are many! But Judy Blume is right up there. Here’s a photo of her with me back when my girls were… girls.

 

 

 

 

 

Want more Carol? Here she is with her cat talking about Ava and her cat.

Andrea Pyros is the author of My Year of Epic Rock, a middle grade novel about friends, crushes, food allergies, and a rock band named The EpiPens.

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The Detective’s Assistant by Kate Hannigan

By on April 7, 2015   /   Author Interviews, Fiction  

We’re so happy to host author Kate Hannigan on the Mixed-Up Files today. She’s the author of the Cupcake Cousins series, and today is the release date for her thrilling historical fiction adventure, The Detective’s Assistant.

Synopsis: Eleven-year old Nell Warne arrives on the doorstep of her Aunt Kate, the first ever female detective for the famous Pinkerton Detective Agency. With huge events unfolding in the Civil War era nation, Nell uncovers truths about her past and also helps her aunt solve mysteries in the present. Based on the extraordinary true story of Kate Warne, this is a tale filled with nail-biting suspense, adventure, and history.

Q: Hi Kate! Tell us how you came up with the idea for this story.

A: It seems that 1856 is my year. I was researching another story altogether when I sort of stumbled onto a sentence about Kate Warne and how she was hired as a Pinkerton detective. It was just a quick aside about her, but it struck me as a fascinating tidbit. I wondered why I’d never heard of her — America’s first woman detective? And she’d had a hand in saving Abraham Lincoln’s life? I began to dig deeper into the history of Allan Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency, reading anything I could find on the cases that involved Kate Warne. It didn’t take long for me to get hooked. Then I began to worry that I was going to get scooped. So I sat myself down and wrote like a madwoman!

Q: Your Cupcake Cousins series is not historical fiction. Was it hard to switch to a different genre?

A: At first I wanted to write Kate Warne’s story as a picture book biography. But I quickly realized the story I wanted to tell couldn’t be contained to 32 pages! I felt like a middle grade audience was the right one for this. They’re the right age to appreciate a clever heroine and perhaps want to be as bold and courageous as Kate Warne.

It wasn’t hard to switch gears into writing a history-rich story. The whole experience writing The Detective’s Assistant was really fun. Being a complete nerd, I thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in the pre-Civil War era. I checked out stacks of books — from Uncle Tom’s Cabin to Godey’s Ladies Book. I wandered around the Chicago History Museum and even called a railroad museum for details about what exactly my characters would be sitting on while riding a train in 1860.Detectives Assistant cover medium

Q: You feature strong girl characters in your books. Did you set out to do this, or did it happen as you were writing the characters?

A: I do love writing strong, clever, resourceful girls. I was a big Charlie’s Angels fan growing up, and while that show can be dismissed as nothing but fluff and great hair, back then it was groundbreaking. Women detectives solving crimes, fighting bad guys, doing all sorts of exciting things! I loved that they could save the day. Fast forward to The Detective’s Assistant. I wanted to present a female heroine who was smart, clever, able to fight bad guys using her wits and intelligence, and I wanted her niece to realize that she had those same traits within herself.

My hope was to write a book where girls can see themselves at the center of the action, not relying on boys to handle the dangerous parts. The protagonist, Nell Warne, who is 11, puts all her cleverness to work, and the results become enormous as the stakes continue to rise. I hope young readers feel a bit more powerful after reading the book.

Q: Can you share a favorite quote from The Detective’s Assistant?

A: Okay if I share three?

“Just a girl?” retorted Detective Webster, the smile never leaving his face. “There’s no such thing as just a girl, is there?”

“Be fearless, Nell,” he whispered. “In everything you do. Fearless.”

“His accent was bouncy and strange, and I figured he must have come from somewhere exotic. Probably Texas.”

Q: As a middle grade author, what do you love about writing for this age?

A: I believe middle grade books are where the truths are. There is so much growing and searching and imagining at this age; to be able to present possibilities to readers on the cusp of everything, that’s pretty special. I also love writing for this age because it takes me right back to my own younger self. I am still very much an 11-year old wanna-be detective, though I’ve never been able to get my hair to do the same thing as Jaclyn Smith’s.Kate Hannigan Head Shot medium

Q: Same for me! She had amazing hair! So what do you hope readers will take away from this story?

A: I hope readers will realize that women were great contributors to American history, but often their stories were dismissed or forgotten. It’s important that we’re willing to explore for ourselves and come back with new stories to tell, stories that perhaps might feature non-traditional heroes.

Q: What three words describe The Detective’s Assistant?

A: Madcap, rollicking, heartfelt.

Q: Can you tell us what you’re working on next?

A: I’m excited for Cupcake Cousins Book 2, titled Cupcake Cousins: Summer Showers, which comes out in June. I’m in the process of writing Book 3 in that series, which publishes fall 2016. I’ve also just signed with Calkins Creek for a nonfiction picture book biography for spring 2017.

Q: Finally, fill in the blanks:

1) I’d love to go to… San Simeon, California, and whale watch.

2) If I had the chance, I would… learn how to speak Gaelic.

3) In my spare time, I… cook for my family while we’re all together being goofballs.

Thanks so much for visiting with us today, Kate. Check out more at katesbooks.com.

Michele Weber Hurwitz was a big Encyclopedia Brown fan as a kid. She’s the author of The Summer I Saved the World…in 65 Days, and Calli Be Gold. Visit her at micheleweberhurwitz.com.

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