Books that are turned into movies and TV shows can inspire a whole new audience to pick up those books. Here are books that were featured on screen in 2019. Pair the book with the DVD or a promise to rent the movie and watch it together.
For kids:
The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier (Viking, 2015). Now a Netflix special, this adventure-packed series has been on the bestseller list for weeks. The first part is on Netflix now, but many books in the series are already out.
Little Women by Luisa May Alcott (1869). Generations of readers have already fallen in love with this classic novel about the March sisters, set during and after the American Civil War. This December, we get a new movie adaptation. Pair this book with movie tickets to go see the new film. If you've already read the book together, consider one of these readalikes I wrote up for School Library Journal!
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz (Scholastic, 1989). This thrilling series that scared kids when I was a kid made it to the big screen this summer, terrifying a whole new generation. Purchase for brave kids. The PG-13 movie is now available to rent or purchase via streaming services.
For teens:
Five Feet Apart by Rachel Lippincott (Simon & Schuster, 2018). Two teens fall in love, but there's one problem: they both have cystic fibrosis and by doctor's orders must stay five feet apart from each other, lest they catch each other's lung infections and die. The movie came out this spring and is now available to rent or purchase via streaming services.
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (Knopf, 1996). This series is one of my favorite favorites and the HBO series His Dark Materials debuted this November. If you have a fantasy reader on your list, grab the whole series. If they've already read the His Dark Materials trilogy, pick up the prequels: La Belle Sauvage and The Secret Commonwealth.
Looking for Alaska by John Green (Speak, 2006). Now a Hulu original series, this award-winning book by superstar teen author John Green is a sure bet for teens who haven't read it yet. While Miles "Pudge" Halter heads off to bigger things at a prestigious boarding school, he meets a new friend group unlike any he's ever had before, including the charismatic, self-destructive Alaska.
The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon (Delacorte, 2016). Told in very short chapters from multiple perspectives over the course of 12 hours, this is the story of two teens who meet unexpectedly and against all odds fall for each other. The trouble is that Natasha's family is about to get deported back to Jamaica (as in, that very night they have to leave). The movie came out this spring and is now out on DVD and to rent or purchase on streaming services.
For adults:
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (HarperCollins, 2008). Narrated by Enzo, the dog of racecar driver Denny Swift, this is "a heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope" (from publisher description). The movie is now available to rent or purchase through streaming services.
The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic by Gay Salisbury and Laney Salisbury (Norton, 2005). A deadly diphtheria epidemic hit the town of Nome, Alaska in 1925 and without a supply of medicine, many would die. This is the true story of the sled dog team that raced through the treacherous cold to save the town of Nome. The movie based on it, Togo, will be released December 13 on Disney+.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple (Little, Brown, 2012). When famed architect-recluse Bernadette disappears, it's up to her teenage daughter Bee to piece together the clues and figure out what happened. It's quite a romp and a really funny read, told mostly in letters, reports, emails, etc. The movie came out this summer and is now available to rent or purchase via streaming services.