A common expression is to never judge a book by its movie. While I agree, sometimes reading the book and then watching its movie adaptation can emphasize thematic elements you hadn't even noticed in the original. The library offers materials both for cinephiles and bibliophiles, but there always exists the unique opportunity to be both at once. To read the book first, and then see how well it fared in adaptation. To see the movie first, and then find out how well it represented the original. What choices had to change to suit the different mediums? In this list, you'll find links to film and television adaptations of popular Young Adult (YA) novels. A fun challenge is to check out both and see how they compare.
Novel written by Rachael Lippincott.
Film starring Haley Lu Richardson and Cole Sprouse.
Seventeen-year-olds Stella and Will, both suffering from cystic fibrosis, realize the only way to stay alive is to stay apart, but their love for each other is slowly pushing the boundaries of physical and emotional safety.
Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark
Novel written by Alvin Schwartz.
Film starring Zoe Margaret Colletti and Michael Garza, and directed by Guillermo del Torro.
Tapped from the oral traditions of American folklore, these ghost stories and tales of weird happenings, witches, and graveyards have startling, funny, or surprising endings. The book is more of an anthology of disconnected stories. In the film, a connecting structure has been added. It's l968 in America. Change is blowing in the wind, but seemingly far removed from the unrest in the cities is the small town of Mill Valley, where for generations the shadow of the Bellows family has loomed large. It is in their mansion on the edge of town that Sarah, a young girl with horrible secrets, turned her tortured life into a series of scary stories, written in a book that has transcended time.
Novel written by Julia Walton.
Film starring Charlie Plummer and Taylor Russell.
Diagnosed with a mental illness halfway through his senior year of high school, a witty introspective teen struggles to keep it a secret while falling in love with a brilliant classmate who inspires him to open his heart and not be defined by his condition.
Anne With An E (or Anne Of Green Gables)
Book series written by L.M. Montgomery.
Netflix series starring Amybeth McNulty.
The series centers on a young orphaned girl in the late 1890's, who, after an abusive childhood spent in orphanages and the homes of strangers, is mistakenly sent to live with an elderly spinster and her aging brother. Over time, thirteen-year-old Anne will transform their lives and eventually the small town in which they live with her unique spirit, fierce intellect, and brilliant imagination.
Novel by Jay Asher.
Netflix series starring Dylan Minnette and Katherine Langford.
When high school student Clay Jenkins receives a box in the mail containing thirteen cassette tapes recorded by his classmate Hannah, who committed suicide, he spends a bewildering and heartbreaking night crisscrossing their town, listening to Hannah's voice recounting the events leading up to her death.
Book series written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi.
Anime series starring voice actor Daiki Yamashita.
Izuku Midoriya deals with bullying and dreams of being a hero despite lacking a Quirk (or, superpower). Izuku gets to meet one of the world's greatest heroes, All Might, who is able to pass his Quirk on to Izuku after seeing his determination while facing danger. With these new abilities, Izuku must work to do right in a fraught world.
If you're interested learning more about either of these series, read our deep dive into My Hero Academia.
Book series written by Suzanne Collins.
Films starring Jennifer Lawrence (in the original four), and Rachel Zegler in the prequel coming to theaters this summer, based on the novel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
In the dystopian nation of Panem, an authoritarian government compels teenagers from each district to join a yearly competition to battle to the death.
Book series written by Yukito Kishiro.
Film starring Rosa Salazar and Mahershala Ali.
When Alita awakens with no memory in a future world she does not recognize, she is taken in by Ido, a compassionate doctor who realizes that somewhere in this abandoned cyborg shell is the heart and soul of a young woman. Ido also tries to shield Alita from her mysterious history while her street-smart new friend Hugo offers instead to help trigger her memories. But it is when the deadly and corrupt forces that run the city come after Alita that she discovers a clue to her past.
Novel written by John Green.
Hulu limited series starring Charlie Plummer and Kristine Froseth.
Sixteen-year-old Miles' first year at Culver Creek Preparatory School in Alabama includes good friends and great pranks, but is defined by the search for answers about life and death after a fatal car crash.
Book series written by many authors, but originally created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.
Film starring Chadwick Boseman.
T'Challa is the leader and protector of Wakanda, a fictitious nation in Africa. T'Challa, as the Black Panther, possesses specially abilities achieved through drinking the essence of a special herb. T'Challa is also assisted by enhanced scienctific advancement, wealth, and exceptional combat skills. He uses these qualities to battle various enemies and to help his countrymen.
Be on the lookout for the film sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which is in theaters now and will circulate once it's ready to be ordered.
Note: Some book series listed here, such as Black Panther, contain numerous volumes that stretch back decades. While Alachua County carries some installments, if you want to explore the entire series, check out our Interlibrary Loan Service in order to pull books from an nationwide network of libraries.
Interested in streaming shows and movies rather than watching DVDs? Check out the library's streaming platform, hoopla, and find access to a wide variety of movies and television series (as well as books, graphic novels, comics, and music). Find an adaptation there that you like, and we're sure to have the original in our catalog.