We readers have lots of opinions about movies based off books. But let’s flip the script:
What about books that are about movies? The books below all have film or the movies as a central part of the plot. These books celebrate the art of film-making, or examine movie culture, or something similar.
We’ll also include books that are related to movies (usually because the movie is based off them); the sky’s the limit, so we’ve stuck to books we’ve actually reviewed!
Fine print: We are not recommending each of these movies, nor do we always recommend the books. We have linked each title to our book review for you to learn more and determine whether a book is a good fit for your family. Unless specified, our reviews do not cover the movies at all.
Books About Movies: A Redeemed Reader Booklist
MIDDLE GRADES BOOKS ABOUT MOVIES
Strongheart by Candace Fleming: Strongheart, a real movie-star dog, acts out a movie scenario in this fun tale.
Daring Darleen, Queen of the Screen by Anne Nesbet : Daring Darleen, heroine of Saturday serials, stumbles into a real-life adventure in this clever saga from the early days of photoplays.
The Hedgehog of Oz by Cory Leonardo is a tribute to Oz from the perspective of a very small but determined hedgehog.
The Legend of Greyhallow by Summer Rachel Short is a fun, inventive fantasy, perfect for an entertaining, recreational read.
The Nerviest Girl in the World by Melissa Wiley : Ranch girl Pearl discovers the brand-new technology of moving pictures in this fun read for early middle-graders.
MIDDLE GRADES BOOKS LINKED TO MOVIES
Dog Man by Dav Pilkey: Silly and slapstick.
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate: Simple and quiet with compelling characters.
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander: One of our favorite middle grades books!
Hidden Figures, Young Readers Edition by Margo Shetterly (the movie is FANTASTIC, but for upper middle grades and up)
Mulan: Before the Sword by Grace Lin: The “prequel” to the live action Disney Mulan movie, this middle grades story weaves together Chinese legend with Mulan’s own tale to great effect.
War Horse by Michael Morpurgo: The book is for ages 8 and up. The movie is for teens.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle: A one-of-a-kind publishing phenomenon that’s hard to classify.
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien: SO GOOD. This is one of Megan’s and Betsy’s favorites.
The Rescuers by Margery Sharp. The original bears little resemblance to the movie although both are fun!
The Wild Robot by Peter Brown: A delightful story full of kindness and humility.
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney: While Greg mercilessly ridicules other kids, the author subtly or not-so-subtly makes him the butt of the jokes
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan: The book is funnier.
North to Freedom by Anne Holm: Poignant and worth reading.
Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard Atwater: A fun book for summer and one of our summer reading picks in previous years!
Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome: Practically a must read for summer!
Wonder by R. J. Palacio: Two RR team members discuss…
White Bird by R. J. Palacio: A Wonder story in graphic novel form.
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson: Such a good novel to read – and discuss – with kids.
TEEN BOOKS ABOUT THE MOVIES
Echo Nova by Clint Hall mixes time travel, illegal rooftop racing, and a greedy corporation into a fun science-fiction thriller for teens.
I Don’t Know How the Story Ends by J. B. Cheaney is “about art…and life and truth and beauty too.” Set during the Charlie Chaplin film era!
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This link takes you to our discussion of the Hunger Games movie, but the book review is linked in the post! This book series is all about reality vs propaganda on screen.
TEEN BOOKS LINKED TO MOVIES
Devotion by Adam Makos: It is Korea, 1950, and Jesse Brown, first African American carrier pilot in the Navy, has just crashed over enemy territory . . .
The Martian: Classroom Edition: A snarky, totally believable science fiction narrative for teens.
(The movie is more family-friendly than the book in terms of language, but it’s still for mature teens)
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton: The book is for an older audience than the movies, but it is fascinating on many levels.
The Princess Bride by William Goldman: If you love the movie, you must check out the book!
The Hungry Cities Chronicles by Philip Reeve: The book inspiration for Mortal Engines.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: A book/movie review.
The Maze Runner Series: A Christian response.
Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (A Hunger Games novel): A chilling tale.
Dune: Book vs. Movie: Our MOST viewed post in 2024!
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang: Verdict: We love the book! Not sure about the TV show based on what we hear.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs: Lacks a moral foundation.
Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card: This was one of our teen summer read-along picks several years ago.
Watership Down by Richard Adams: The book is better! (But the graphic novel is good, too!)
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas: A well-rounded, realistic picture of challenges faced by the black community (note considerations).
The Sword in the Stone by T. H. White: The book is for an older audience than the movie, but both are worthwhile.
Murder on the Orient Express/And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie: Do they hold up from when we devoured these books as teens?
Queen of Katwe: book/movie review.
True Grit and True Grace: a movie review (but Betsy says the book is worth reading!)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: a book/movie review.
Divergent by Veronica Roth: This series started off well, but, um, diverged after book one. Note comments in review and links to remainder of series.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: We are not recommending either the book or the movie, but as a cultural indicator it might be worth knowing about.
Reading and Watching Anna Karenina: A book/movie review.
Related Reading:
- Resource: Shakespeare at the Movies (from Redeemed Reader)
- Resource: Junior Screenwriting 101 – a screenwriting course from our very own Janie (from Commonsense Press)
- Resource: Teach Literary Elements … With Movies! (from Redeemed Reader)
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