Introduce your Child to the Book Behind their Favorite Movie

Reading Time: 2 min

When you snuggle up with your child to watch their favorite movie, do they know how much of the story might be missing?

We’ve heard it many times: “You should read the book. It’s way better than the movie!”

Many children don’t realize their favorite movies originate from much-loved children’s books. Movies regularly leave out significant parts of an original story to fit into a two-hour timeframe.

Why not introduce your children to the books behind their favorite movies?

There are several modern books: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Freaky Friday, and many more children’s books have been turned into much-loved movies – and children may have already seen many of them!

And don’t skip out on the classics! One of the best parts about classic books is that they can often be found in versions appropriate for all ages of readers. Classic tales like Charlotte’s Web, Peter Pan, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, all have a variety of editions tailored for different reading levels. This leaves parents with a plethora of options when choosing the appropriate book!

You can make it more fun and add in something interactive, such as cooking or a craft. For example, the book and movie “Ratatouille” is the story of a rat who can cook and makes an unusual alliance with a young kitchen worker at a famous Paris restaurant. As a fun family activity that can span over several days — read the book, watch the movie, shop for ingredients, and then make the signature dish together.

ratatouille movie, book and dish — source: Disney, AllRecipes.com

Why encourage our children to read a story they’ve already seen in a movie?

Books encourage imagination because the reader is reliant upon words to describe characters and settings.
Studies show that individuals who read regularly are proven to advance in their careers more frequently. Reading habits start young!
Reading improves cognitive function and memory, and increases vocabulary.

We might understand the benefits of reading the book behind a movie, but getting our children on board can be trickier.

Thankfully, Lou Adventures is now offering a kids book club!

Keep your child motivated through the summer months (and longer) by joining Lou’s Adventure Book Club.

Signing up is as easy as 1, 2, 3:

Request a Lou’s Adventure Book Club Packet.
Receive by email a packet with fun reading games and a log to track reading progress.
Share your child’s reading log. Take a pic of it filled out and share it on Instagram and tag us: @louadventures and #readwithlou or email us at hello@louadventures.com.

Happy reading!