Posts Tagged The Chronicles of Narnia

Holiday Wishes and a Narnian Christmas!

By on December 23, 2016   /   Book Lists, Fiction, For Kids, For Parents, For Writers  

Warmest Holiday Wishes from all of us here at the Mixed-Up Files! It’s time to celebrate the joys of the season with family and friends, but what do you do when the partying ends? Here are some fun, book-themed things to make while you’re on holiday break.

And since no book says “Christmas!” to me quite like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, here are activities based on it and other books in The Chronicles of Narnia.

Snowflakes Okay, I know this one isn’t Narnia-themed, but there are lots of sites for themed templates–we always do the new Star Wars flakes found here every year, and this site has an entire menagerie of simple animal flakes if you’d like to stay in keeping with the book.

 

Turkish Delight When I directed The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe a few years ago, one of the actor’s moms made Turkish Delight for the cast party. I can see why Edmund lost his head over the stuff–yum! Here’s an easy, microwavable recipe .

Mrs. Beaver’s Sticky Marmalade Roll It’s a testimony to Mrs. Beaver’s culinary talent that she was able to whip this comfort food up with such speed. Here’s a simple recipe from Astrid Tuttle Winegar that will help you give it a go, deary.

Many Coloured Sugar

Sweeter still is this “Many Coloured Sugar” craft based on the treat in Prince Caspian’s feast.

And if your taste turns more toward adventure, try your luck at making your own Dawn Treader! But before you cross into the wonderful world of Narnia, you’ll need to convert one of your leftover gift boxes into a Magical Wardrobe.

Once there, you’ll meet Aslan, the Great Lion. Here’s a video of how you can build him using origami. Or you could become Aslan yourself with this face paint tutorial. It wouldn’t be Narnia without Cair Paravel; here are some ideas for building your castle!

Remember: Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen of Narnia!

What’s your favorite holiday read ?

 

Louise’s daughters as a wolf and Mrs. Beaver in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Louise Galveston is the author of By the Grace of Todd and In Todd We Trust (Penguin/Razorbill.)

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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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