Books to Movies Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

I have to begin this by saying I am an avid Harry Potter fan. I have read every book in the series at least 5 times. I have lengthy discussions with other Potter maniacs about the fate of young Harry Potter as well as the supporting characters. I am anticipating as well as dreading the final book. I hope to have all my questions answered but am saddened knowing this is the last book. My children are big fans also. We have almost every book on CD and listen to them as we do our travel baseball in the summer. We are currently listening to the 6th book (The Half Blood Prince) hoping to finish by the time Deathly Hallows debut's.
Now that you know about my fetish I will talk about the movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I went to see this movie with some students and Potter maniac teachers from my school. We prepared for this for weeks. All of we teachers had been pleased so far with the previous movies turned to books so we felt we would probably love the new movie. We couldn't have been more wrong. I was so disappointed in this movie. I realize there is so much material to cover but what was left out was unbelievable. We felt if you didn't know the story you would be lost by the happenings. I have since found that people who did not know the story were sadly none the wiser and actually enjoyed the movie. Personally I would have been willing to sit for hours if the movie did the book justice. I would have even gone in for two movies about the book. I think about other long books made to movies and know that some fell short of covering the material. Actually the only long book to movie that did not disappoint me was The Godfather.

Books to Movies Holes

Holes by Louis Sachar is a wonderful turning of a book to a movie. Sachar introduces you to wonderful characters in this humorous story of crime and punishment and redemption. Like most books that are made in to movies I did not see the movie until I had read the book. Typically the movie disappoints me but this movie did not. My youngest son was reading the book also and kept wanting to see the movie before he finished the book. I strongly encouraged him to finish the book to develop his own pictures of the characters which he reluctantly did. As we were watching the movie and we see the warden for the first time he cried out "that's exactly what I thought she would look like!". I was thrilled. I felt the casting director did an excellent job casting the roles. I was very impressed with the young Stanley Yelnats. I loved the book and the movie the same which for me is saying quite a lot! This is another book to movie I would recommend to young and old alike.

Books to Movies Charlotte's Web

When I was a little girl, back in the dark ages, one of the first books I can remember reading was Charlotte's Web by E. B. White. I was lucky to be a good reader at an early age so I read this book when I was quite young. The story of animals talking was particularly appealing to me as I am an avid animal lover. I remember when the animated version of this book came out and it did not disappoint me as it was true to the book and the characters were portrayed exactly as I thought they would be. The recent release of the movie of Charlotte's Web also is a delight. I love movies that show what animal life is about. I can't imagine how hard it is to get animals to "look" like they are acting but felt this was accomplished in this film.
Charlotte's Web is a beautiful story of friendship and devotion both of the animals and the humans that love them. I even love the swarmy character of Templeton who in the end turns out to be not such a bad rat. I would recommend this movie to young and old alike.

Newbery Award Book Crispin

Crispin The Cross of Lead by Avi is the second Newbery book I chose to read. The book opens with the burial of a young boy's mother being buried in a paupers grave. The setting is fourteenth-century England. Asta's son, as the boy knows himself, is confronted almost immediately by stewart of the manor John Aycliffe who demands that Asta's son bring their ox to him for the burial tax. Asta's son is so distraught over this because the ox is the only way he has to make money. Fully distressed by this news he runs deep into the forest where he inadvertently hears John Aycliffe and another well dressed stranger talking about an upcoming event that will bring consequences to Aycliffe as well as the stranger. Aycliffe sees Asta's son and begins to chase him with the intent to kill him. Asta's son escapes but events unfold the next day where he becomes a wolfs head meaning to be killed on site. He goes to the local priest for help where the priest reveals that his real name is Crispin. He also discovers his mother could read and write and his father, whom he thought dead, was alive. The priest tells Crispin he must leave the village and go to a larger city. Crispin barely gets away from the village and as he leaves he finds the dead body of the priest. Crispin meets up with a juggler named Bear. Their journey through the English countryside is puzzling and terrifying. In the end of the book Crispin must become a strong independent person to save himself and Bear.
I loved this book as much for the time period as the adventure. Avi has created a wonderful character in Crispin and I look forward to other books on this interesting boy.

Coretta Scott King Award

I had a hard time choosing a book to read for this award as I have read many and loved them all. I did however choose The People Could Fly The Picture Book by Virginia Hamilton.
This is a story of how certain Africian's could fly. When they were taken from their native Africia and enslaved they shed their wings because it was too crowded on the ships. The folks were so full of misery and sickness and those who could fly kept their power although they had shed their wings. Being a slave was brutal. The overseerer would point out those slaves who moved too slow and the one called the driver would crack his whip to slice-open cut of pain. One slave woman, Sarah, had a her babe on her back while she worked. She could not comfort her baby which would cry and make the overseerer mad. The driver was told to whip her. The old man slave known as Toby came to comfort her. Sarah said she could not last and Toby spoke magic words over her and she rose like a free bird and flew away. This happens several more times with other slaves until finally Toby himself flew away to what was called Free-dom. This story is passed down from slave to slave.
I thought this was a sad story. I read the author's note where she alluded to the fact that the Free-dom was probably a runaway slave. I considered this and while I know that it is probably true my first impression when reading this is the slaves were flown to heaven, in essence they died. The author's perspective is a happier one in the fact that the slaves went to freedom but I also felt that the death of the slave was an ending to the torture and in effect another more permanent freedom.
One of my favorite Coretta Scott King books is Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold. I found it interesting that in that book a character also flies.

Laurence Yep

I chose to read the book Ribbons by Yep. I have a connection with this book as my mother was a dancer and she also was my dance teacher for a time. The story is about a young Asian American girl named Robin. She has a passion for ballet dancing but has to quit because of financial concerns in the family. To make matters worse her maternal grandmother moves in the house and Robin's parents seem to be at odds with each other. The grandmother becomes very upset when she sees Robin's feet where her toes are beginning to turn under and the grandmother throws a fit. She demands that Robin give her the toe shoes and expresses her disapproval with Robin dancing. The mother agrees and tells Robin she can not dance any more until she is seen by a doctor. Robin begins a hateful campaign against her grandmother until she accidentally discovers the secret why her grandmother is so concerned for Robin's feet. Of course in this book there is a happy ending and two generations become acquainted with each other and form a respect for what the other has had to go through.
This is the only book by Laurence Yep that I have read. I am most familiar with his My America series books. While I was in the elementary school these were the books my students would check out the most. I love reading about different cultures and Yep did not disappoint. I think it is so important for young adults to learn about customs of other ethnic groups.

Jerry Pinkney

Jerry Pinkney's illustrations are simply fabulous! He has received the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, and the King Honors award for his brilliance as an illustrator. He has teamed with Julius Lester, Patricia McKissack, Virginia Hamilton and Gloria Pinkney to name a few notable authors.
I read Black Cowboy Wild Horses which was written by Julius Lester and illustrated by Mr. Pinkney. He used pencil, gouache and watercolor on paper to achieve the beautiful illustrations. In one picture the author tells of the cowboy laying flat across the back of his stallion and would not been noticed by anyone watching. I had to study the picture for several minutes before I was able to make out the cowboy on the horses back. It was really cool. I also love the illustrations in Goin' Someplace Special with Patricia McKissack and John Henry with Julius Lester.
I hold a special place in my heart for Mr. Pinkney as he grew up a special needs child. He has dyslexia and I've read where it was through art that he was able to excel as he was a slow reader (even today he states he still reads slow). Having a special needs child myself I am always uplifted to see someone overcome their handicap and succeed in this world. I have always been in awe of someone with artistic talent as I can barely draw stick people!