For Teachers

10 middle grade books made into movies

By on December 14, 2016   /   Book Lists, Fiction, For Kids, For Librarians, For Parents, For Teachers  

With winter break coming up, and hopefully some down time in your household, get kids psyched to watch great films and read great books with these middle grade books-made-into-movies combos. 

Anne of Green Gables by  L. M. Montgomery
This beloved book, originally published over 100 years ago, features the charming and spirited Anne Shirley, an 11-year-old orphan adopted by a brother and sister who thought they were adopting a son to help them on their farm. Instead, Anne arrives, and the lives of all three are changed (for the better!). Stream it on iTunes

 

The BFG by Roald Dahl
At first BFG (Big Friendly Giant) doesn’t seem all that friendly to Sophie, not when he snatches her out of her bed one night, but soon the two are fast friends, and working together to stop the other, meaner giants from swollomping young children.
Stream it on Amazon

 

 

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants By Ann Brashares

This lovely novel about the friendship between four girls and the introduction of a pair of magical jeans into their lives was made into a fantastic flick with now-big-name stars Amber Tamblyn, America Ferrera, Blake Lively and Alexis Bledel. Stream it on Amazon

 

 

Sounder by William H. Armstrong
Set in the Depression-era, this American classic about an African-American family dealing with racism and poverty is moving and powerful, and the film, with powerhouse actors including Cicely Tyson, Paul Winfield, will touch your entire family.
Stream it on Amazon

 

 

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Four siblings + a magical wardrobe = a tale that’s been thrilling readers for almost 70 years.
Stream it on Netflix 

 

 

 

 

Holes by Louis Sachar
Sachar’s novel, which won the Newbery Medal and the National Book Award, is about a boy named Stanley Yelnats, who’s sent to Camp Green Lake, a detention center. There, he and other boys spend all their time digging holes exactly five feet wide and five feet deep, until Stanley decides to figure out just what they’re digging for… and why.
Stream it on iTunes

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Poor Greg, stuck in the middle of three brothers, stuck in middle school, and generally stuck. His suffering sure is hilarious for the rest of us, as evidenced by the sound of giggles that emit from kids as they read their way through Kinney’s block-buster series.
Stream it on iTunes

 

 

The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure by William Goldman
Delightful and playful and all sorts of perfection. Definitely not inconceivable! Stream it on Netflix

 

 

 

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
A modern quest story, with a twelve-year-old demigod named Percy Jackson at the center. When Percy is sent to Camp Half-Blood, he discovers that he’s half immortal, and that his father is Poseidon, the ruler of the sea.
Stream it on iTunes

 

 

 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling
Maybe you’ve heard of this book? A little something about a boy wizard? Read this blockbuster phenom of a novel together, then watch the films as a family. Stream it on iTunes

Stay tuned for more books into movies: next up is a film adaptation of Sherman Alexie’s amazing YA book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Cannot wait!

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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Perfect Presents for Writers and Book Lovers

By on December 12, 2016   /   For Parents, For Teachers, For Writers  

December is flying by so fast. Are you scrambling to find great gifts? Here are some perfect presents for the writer or book lover in your life.

JOURNALS

Who doesn’t love a shiny new journal—especially if it comes with colored pens or pencils? You can even personalize it for each writer. Think about adding some inspirational thoughts or writing prompts. There are so many creative ways to gift a journal!

 

BOOK BINGO

Here’s a fun, inexpensive gift you can make for someone on your own or using an online Bingo generator. There tons of free ones available, such as this one (after making the card I discovered that they charge you if you make more than 30 cards, but if you’re only making a few, the graphics are really nice). Here are some other Bingo generator sites a teacher rated online. You can include favorite book titles, characters, details, quotes…whatever you want.

 

FAVORITE BOOK TRIVIA

If you share favorite books with someone, then you can create a trivia game of favorite book details using something like index cards or printing them out on card stock with the questions on one side and answers on the other.

 

SIGNED BOOKS

Check your local bookstores to see if there are any book signings in your area. If there aren’t, you can often contact your favorite authors and see if you can order signed books from their local store or send an SASE for a signed bookplate (since it’s close to the holidays, you could gift the book and put a cute note inside saying that the author’s signature is on its way).

*Keep an eye out for giveaway posts on our site where you can win signed books! They may be too late for this holiday season, but will still be great for future gift needs. 🙂 

 

BOOKSTORE CERTIFICATES

These always make great holiday gifts for friends, family, teachers, students, etc. If you’d like to give a great book as a gift, check out our monthly new release posts and unique book lists.

 

WORKSHOPS, CONFERENCES, ETC.

The writer in your life would probably love to attend a workshop, conference, online class, or other writing-related event.

 

There are so many unique items for writers and book lovers that you can buy from places like Cafe Press, Etsy, etc. Check out these book bracelets! I even found a place that creates bracelets with one or more custom book charms—so an author can proudly wear charms of her own books or a book lover can walk around with her favorite books on her wrist.

 

For more ideas, check out this awesome Mixed-Up Files post of Gifts for the Bookish Types.

Author Tara Lazar has a post full of fun and creative gifts for writers.

I hope this holiday season will be wonderful for you! Which writer or book lover gifts are your favorite to give or receive?

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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On the Road? Find a Bookstore

By on December 9, 2016   /   For Librarians, For Parents, For Teachers, For Writers, Indie Spotlight  

Having recently made a voyage to Ann Patchett’s Parnassus Books, I was tickled to see this week’s New York Times article, Ann Patchett’s Guide for Bookstore Pilgrims. Patchett is one of my favorite authors, and I had been dying to see her famous bookstore. I reveled in the light and airy feel, the healthy children’s book section, and the entire wall of signed copies of her new book, COMMONWEALTH. I came home with a few goodies.

My trip wasn’t a pilgrimage per se. I was visiting Nashville anyway, and made a stop in to the store. That’s one of my favorite things to do when traveling. There’s nothing like a good independent bookstore to get a feel for the unique personality of a town (the cookbook section and community message boards are particularly good for this). Wandering through a well-curated bookstore is also the perfect antidote for the disorientation of travel. I come out calm and refreshed, my bag filled with thought-provoking entertainment for the trip and gifts for those back home. And no matter where I am, I always find my people in a bookstore.

In the past year, I’ve discovered The Galaxy Bookshop in Hartwick, Vermont, and Sherman’s Books & Stationery in Portland, Maine. In Chicago, I found Andersonville’s Women and Children First, and in Baltimore, The Ivy Bookshop.

Patchett’s article has inspired me. I’m putting on my bucket list a trip to an independent bookstore in every state. Our Indie Spotlights are a great place to start. I’ll check in from time to time on my progress. In the meantime, I’d love to hear your stories of stumbled-upon or sought-out bookstores. I’ve got trips planned to Providence, Rhode Island; Philadelphia; and maybe Anchorage. Any recommendations?

Katharine Manning is a middle grade writer who is eager to visit your local bookstore. Until then, you can find her at www.katharinemanning.com, on Twitter, and on Instagram, where she posts lots of pictures of books and bookstores. Also cats. 

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