And the Winner Goes to...

In the spirit of the Oscars, I thought it would be fitting to share some of my favorite books that were made into movies. There are so many to choose from- from Charlotte's Web to The Secret Garden, but here are 5 of my favorites.

#5. Horton Hears a Who- This Dr. Seuss book was adapted in 2008 into a full-length animated film. The movie, while it takes creative license to make it a full-length film, it stays true to the intent of the book. Miss M loves this book and movie to death. I could recite the movie from start to finish.

#4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone by J.K. Rowling. Miss M's cousins just finished reading ALL the Harry Potter books and got her super excited to start this series. My sister was actually the one who got me on the kick of reading books and then watching the movies. I was a little hesitant to start reading these books to Miss M., but she relished in the story. I am holding off on reading past book one for now, but the movie is great because it stays so true to the book.

#3. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. [I should get this out of the way early on in my blog that I am obsessed with Roald Dahl and his books.] The movie does not directly follow the book, so we did have to do some compare and contrast. However, Roald Dahl characters are larger than life and it helps to see them on screen. Making the transition from picture books to reading chapter books can be difficult for little ones to imagine what the characters look like and what they are doing from the words alone. The movie helps to imagine just what happens when a peach grows uncontrollably and travels across the ocean.

#2. Matilda by Roald Dahl. I could read this book a thousand times. It is clever and imaginative in a way that captures the heart of any young child that ever felt that grown-ups were out of touch. What makes the movie version of this book so amazing is the cast. Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman hit the nail on the head when it comes to dead-beat parents.

#1. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. Have you ever read a book as a child that completely makes you fall in love with reading? This was the book. When I re-read it with Miss M, I was delighted to see her eyes light up with excitement as the fights ensued. The movie, which was produced by Disney in 2005, does not disappoint. Thank goodness it doesn't disappoint because I have seen it more times than I can count. What makes it so magical is that it takes you to another world, which is something I think we would all like to do every now and then.

What are your favorite movie adaptations of children's books?