50 Kids’ Books That Also Have a Movie

 A Parent-Approved Reading & Watching List

One of the easiest ways to get kids excited about reading is to pair a great book with its movie adaptation. Whether your child prefers to read first or watch first, book-to-movie stories invite meaningful comparisons, discussions, and deeper comprehension.

Why Parents Love Book-to-Movie Pairings

They:

• motivate reluctant readers
• strengthen critical thinking
• create shared family experiences
• make reading feel relevant and exciting.

Below are 50+ children’s books that also have movies, organized by age and reading stage, to help parents and educators choose wisely.

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Picture Books & Early Readers (Ages 4–7)

1. Winnie-The-Pooh
2. Where the Wild Things Are
3. The Lorax
4. Horton Hears a Who!
5. How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
6. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
7. Curious George
8. Paddington
9. The Gruffalo
10. Ferdinand

💡 Why these work: Simple plots, strong visuals, and excellent opportunities to compare illustrations vs animation.

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Chapter Books & Family Favorites (Ages 7–10)

11. Charlotte’s Web
12. The BFG
13. Matilda
14. James and the Giant Peach
15. Because of Winn-Dixie
16. The One and Only Ivan
17. Paddington Bear
18. Peter Pan
19. Mary Poppins
20. Stuart Little

📘 Educational angle: These are excellent for character development, theme, and point-of-view discussions.

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Upper Elementary & Tween Reads (Ages 9–12)

21. The Wild Robot
22. Wonder
23. Bridge to Terabithia
24. Holes
25. The Giver
26. The Spiderwick Chronicles
27. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
28. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
29. A Wrinkle in Time
30. Anne of Green Gables

🎬 Perfect for: book vs movie comparisons, theme changes, and “read first or watch first” debates.

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Classics & Family Movie Nights (All Ages)

31. The Wizard of Oz
32. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
33. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
34. The Jungle Book
35. Heidi
36. The Secret Garden
37. Little Women
38. Treasure Island
39. Black Beauty
40. Old Yeller

📚 Parent note: Many classics soften or intensify themes in movie form which is good for discussion starters.

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Modern Favorites & Popular Franchises

41. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
42. The Hunger Games
43. How to Train Your Dragon
44. The Fault in Our Stars
45. Coraline
46. Diary of a Wimpy Kid
47. The Princess Bride
48. Artemis Fowl
49. The NeverEnding Story
50. The Little Prince
    

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Books Highlighting Black Experiences 

51. The Watsons Go to Birmingham – 1963

52. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

53. Akeelah and the Bee

54. Sounder

55. The Crossover – TV series adaptation

56. The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind

What book - movie pairings, for children, would you add to the list?

Take Away

• Read first, watch second to build comprehension
• Compare what changed and why
• Discuss themes, character motivations, and endings
• Let kids decide which version they preferred and defend their opinion

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