There are so many movies that have come out recently (or are due to come out soon) based on young adult novels. The Hunger Games was one of the best adaptations I've ever experienced; it stayed true to the heart of the story while making the changes necessary to create an interesting film. I was such a Harry Potter nerd when the first few movies came out I couldn't help but pick apart every little difference, but by the end of the series I was able to just enjoy the story. With age and experience I've learned that you have to view them as two separate entities and enjoy them for what they are. Unless, of course, the movie is so different it makes you want to throw things. (I'm looking at you, My Sister's Keeper, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, and The Count of Monte Cristo.)
There are several movies that I'm really looking forward to, though some haven't started filming yet: The Maze Runner, The Giver, The Book Thief, Divergent, Catching Fire.
As an avid reader and teacher, I do have a piece of advice: read the book first. I had numerous students this year try to pass off having watched The Hunger Games as having read The Hunger Games. It's not the same and I can always tell. The interesting thing is that students who did read the books were surprised by how much they enjoyed them and how much the movie left out. The problem isn't that you won't enjoy the book if you see the movie first, it is that many people don't want to read the book after they've seen the movie. Reluctant readers especially aren't highly motivated to invest their time in a story they think they already know. Of course, there are those who are motivated by the movie to read, but in my experience the other option is more common. It drove me crazy when students wanted to jump from The Hunger Games movie to the Catching Fire book. I wanted to shout, "You missed so much!"
I hope that my students who see these movies are motivated to read the book, but I would rather they read the book and then enjoy the movie.
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