Monday, April 12, 2010

Mommy and Me Book Club

I recently started a book club with Harrison and Chloe.  I read them chapter books that have been made into movies and when we finish the book, we have a movie night.  They are really loving it and so am I.  Right now we're reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl and as we near the end I am faced with the dilemna of which version of that movie to show them.  The Johnny Depp version is much more like the book, but the Gene Wilder version is so truly classic.  Any thoughts?


We started with the book How to Train Your Dragon and that's how I learned not to pick a movie that is currently in theaters.  I don't want this book club to break the bank.  Do you have any ideas for future book/movie combos we should check out?

14 Wisecracks:

Annie Jarman said...

First: Love that picture. What a treasure!

Second: Love that idea!

Third: Last summer I started reading "Matilda" with Aidan, but we didn't finish it. There's also "James and the Giant Peach" and "Secret Garden". Those are the few I can think of looking at my bookshelf. I love this idea! Maybe we'll use it too.

And definitely the Gene Wilder version! Happy reading!

Annie Jarman said...

Oh, "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe"!

Nicole said...

You've probably already done it, but "Anne of Green Gables" and "Little House on the Prairie." Would "The Princess Bride" work? Those are all kind of girly picks. Whatever - Harrison can handle it. He's secure in his manhood.

wendy holt said...

Bradley and I do that too!! Here is what we have read.

James and the Giant Peach (the movie was good but a little different from the book...although, Bradley said, "That wasn't in the book" which was something fun to talk about.

The Indian in the cupboard (we liked both the book and the movie)

Charlotte's Web (we have seen the cartoon and the live one)

The Mouse and motorcycle

Stuart Little (although, the book is terrible! We liked the movie though)

Twilight...yeah, right.

elizabeth said...

I LOVE LOVE that idea. I am going to steal it right away. Although I don't have any books to add to the list that haven't already been posted. I loved Witches but that might be a little scary. Go with the Gene Wilder version, classic.

Heather McKeon said...

Here are some of my favorites:
Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
The Borrowers by Mary Norton
The Iron Giant by Ted Hughes
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIHM by Robert C. O'Brien (movie: The Secret of NIHM
Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus (movie: The Great Mouse Detective)

Happy reading (and then watching!) Oh, and I agree: Gene Wilder - it's a classic. Or just watch both and see what your kids think??

Jess said...

Love any Roald Dahl book. I second almost any recommendation made earlier. I wouldn't know which movie version either, since the Oompa Loompas in the Gene Wilder version scared me, but Johnny Depp in the last one scared me. :)

I will also be stealing this idea.

allyn said...

the tail of desperot, unless he has already seen it.
the first harry potter (is that too scary for chloe?), the lion the witch and the wardrobe (my kids have LOVED listening to the book on cd overandoverandoverandover nonstop).

totally genius plan and what a fun picture. it will bring back such wonderful memories for your sweet kids.

wendy holt said...

Our next book is going to be "how to eat fried worms" Because my kids likes worms and I am always looking for new recipes. Plus, it might be a cute movie.

Unknown said...

I'm doing that right now with The Secret Garden. It is hard though, because several of the characters speak Yorkshire and I can barely read it to myself, let alone say it outloud. The girls think it is funny to hear me try, and I'm sure scott is just rolling his eyes. We are more than halfway through, though, and then we'll watch the movie. By the way, I bet you do GREAT voices and accents. I'm sure your Yorkshire would sound quite charming.
We also read "The Indian in the Cupboard" and that was a huge hit. We didn't see the movie though.

Great idea.

Greg said...

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! I think the book is "The Magical Car". No idea who wrote it, you could prob just google it.

Oooooh!! Nevermind! I googled it and found this link of a list on wikipedia of chilren's books made into feature films. Happy Reading!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_children's_books_made_into_feature_films

ps- Connor and Eden have seen both movies and loved them for different reasons.
I did find that the new one kept Eden's attention longer, I think it was all the bright colors, wonky shapes and fascinating facial expressions.

melissa said...

Sweet! Thanks, Cara! Why didn't I think of that?

Andrea Lee U.R. said...

The Johnny Depp version is just creepy. There! I said it.
What a fun thing to do with your kids!! I am going to have to start doing this with my own kids.

My kids like Wizard of Oz. (the movie, but I am now going to read the book with them cause I think they would love that too)

Amanda said...

You could do My Side of the Mountain. It's a pretty old movie and a little hokey (plus fairly different from the book) but Caleb liked it.

How about A Little Princess? You could show the old Shirley Temple version.

Have fun!