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YA Book Adaptations

Although live-action adaptations of print literature has been an ongoing trend for years, young adult literature has recently emerged as a popular source of inspiration, mainly because they touch on sensitive topics that young adults may experience in their everyday lives. These topics often center around themes of bullying, sexuality, violence and assault, mental illness, and suicide. The issue then becomes whether these live-action adaptations accurately and sensitively portray the subject matter, or sensationalize and romanticize the characters’ struggles.There can be many advantages of these adaptations as long as the producers have the necessary research and consideration to do them well.

Despite the fact that young adult literature is a popular pool for live-action adaptations, the results may not always be positive ones. A common argument is that these adaptations may deter young adults from actually reading the novels on which the TV show or movie is based on. Rather than reading the books and imagining everything themselves, young adults can now watch the stories unfold in front of them with every detail decided for them – with the addition of fancy transitions and background music. Another major issue with adaptations is that the producers are often focused on making a profit, rather than approaching topics in the story with caution. This can lead to the romanticization of sensitive issues and can even trigger harmful trends among viewers.

photo credit: the telegraph

A popular example of this in recent news would be the Netflix adaptation of Jay Asher’s 13 Reasons Why.  The novel traces the story of a girl who commits suicide and leaves behind thirteen cassette tapes, each dedicated to a different person, in which she explains how they played a role in her decision to end her own life. Many critics of this show have argued that bringing the book to viewers’ screens portrays a version of suicide that is over simplified or even romanticized, as well as justifying the main characters choice as a result of very specific circumstances. A Snapchat trend emerged after the popularity of the Netflix series where users would snap each other whether they would receive a tape or not from the sender, thus planting the idea that the receiver may play a part in someone’s decision to end their own life. The show’s depiction of suicide as something to be romanticized may also trigger those who live with depression and thoughts of suicide. When the main consumers of content are young and facing serious situations like the one portrayed in 13 Reasons Why, those who are responsible for bringing those print fictions to life must consider the implications of their content because they can never know for certain how the viewers will interpret it.

However, when done well, live-action adaptations can be used to a great advantage, given the amount of popularity they create and the emotional-immediacy they provide on-screen. Because of their high publicity, adaptations are able to connect with a wider audience which is beneficial for promoting not only the adaptations, but the books themselves and related literature. Translating emotions and appeal factors from the book to the screen may give young adults incentive to read the original books and develop a deeper understanding of the subject matter and characters they’ve grown attached to on-screen. As a result, adaptations can serve as a great platform for raising awareness around sensitive topics often addressed in young adult literature. When adapted considerately and accurately, they can help steer viewers away from the stigma surrounding these topics, and instead promote a better sense of understanding, empathy and compassion. They can also provide more hopeful ways of coping and addressing these topics without shaming the characters or their viewers. Successful adaptations will help to create more conversations around these topics, allowing young adults to feel safe in speaking out and trust that they are being heard.

photo credit

photo credit

Two examples of adaptations that are done considerately well include Laurie Halse Anderson’s book Speak and Stephen Chboksy’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower. In the adaptation of Speak, we follow the events of Melinda, a high school student who is struggling to cope after being sexually assaulted at a party.  In dealing with this trauma, Melinda becomes mute and isolates herself from friends and family. Respectfully and carefully adapted, the movie not only captures the depressive isolation Melinda feels, but also the fears and guilt she has for not defending herself against her perpetrator. The adaptation is highly successful in distinguishing various forms of nonverbal expression to communicate fear and pain, and how they contrast greatly from one another. For example, scenes of Melinda cutting herself only leads to more detachment and shame, whereas the expression she finds in her artwork promotes healing and confidence in sharing her pain. This eventually helps Melinda regain her voice and in the end, we see her finding comfort in opening up to her mom and discovering she has support from teachers and friends. 

Similarly, in the adaptation of Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the main character Charlie also struggles to cope with sexual assault. Here, the adaptation shows a series of triggering events that eventually spirals Charlie towards attempting suicide. However, what is sensitive about this particular adaptation is that it doesn’t romanticize suicide or the despair Charlie feels. Instead, the adaptation centers around supportive friendships and immediate intervention upon recognizing a suicide attempt, as well as professional care. In the end, we see how Charlie is able to make healthier steps in coping and healing by receiving professional help from a psychiatrist, therapy treatment, and family support. For both adaptations, the authors of the original books were present for the filming and production of the movie adaptations. This shows how dedicated and respectful these adaptations are in honoring the authors’ messages and providing an accurate portrayal of their characters. Both adaptations also promotes how support and professional help can be offered to those who are struggling rather than shaming them.   

Having a live-action adaptation of print literature is great as it brings awareness to the book and the topics it discusses, but actually having them adapted and accurately depicted on screen requires a lot of work within the production crew. First and foremost, you would need the right person to create the script on the project to be employed, the screenwriter. Preferably, someone who understands the issues and has read the novel itself can help cast the right actor or actress. Then you would need a director who is willing to approach the theme and topic accordingly without over-glamorizing it. The screenwriters responsibility is to turn the print literature into a script. This gives them the ability to choose which direction they want the live-action adaptation to go and how authentic and detailed it will be. Having them work with the author themselves can offer guidance in this step of the adaptation. Another assistance to consider when bringing print literature to life is consulting medical professionals and those who have first-hand experience in dealing with the topic. A medical professional can advise on how to present the issue without romanticizing it and a person with actual experience with the issue can help understand how to portray a character living with their condition. The adaptations of Speak and The Perks of Being a Wallflower were successful because both movies represented sexual assault and suicide in a manner that respected the author and any audience members with similar experiences. Where as 13 Reasons Why is an example of an adaptation that misrepresents the reality of suicide and because of this, it gives young viewers the wrong message. By keeping these in mind, adaptations have the power to bring print literature to life, promoting young adult literature while also addressing everyday issues that young adults may face.

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The Most Magnificent Thing

Title: The Most Magnificent Thing Author and Illustrator: Ashley Spires Age range: 3-5

A little girl has a brilliant idea. With the help of her best friend, who happens to be a dog, she is going to build the most magnificent thing! Her hard work and determination to build this magnificent thing results in something that is not what she had in mind. Frustrated and angry, she injures herself in the process and quits! But with her dog’s suggestion of taking a walk, she comes back to the project with a different perspective and accomplishes her goal.

Children’s Development:

Language – the book provides several rich vocabularies such as “she tinkers and hammers and measures…she smoothes and wrenches and fiddles…she twists and tweaks and fastens”

Social – the friendship between the little girl and her dog provides comfort and constructive behaviour when the dog suggests a break by taking a walk

Moral – through the detailed illustrations, the story reassures children that it’s okay to make mistakes and dealing with being frustrated and angry by taking a break is a great way of being honest with your feelings

Cognitive – the words relation to the illustrations allows your child to better understand the vocabularies  

Motivational Technique: Engaging your child before story time allows them to become interested in the story. Asking them questions such as “what was the most magnificent thing you’ve ever built?” or asking them what they do when they feel frustrated or angry and proceeding with asking them if they’d like to know how the little girl in the book handles her feelings. Another way to engage your readers is to start brainstorming ways to in dealing with negative emotions.

To make story time even more exciting, having toy versions of the tools available for your child to participate in the story will keep them motivated to continue on listening. They can bring the story alive by copying the little girl in the book when she is building her project.

Extension Activity: Don’t let the joy end at the finish of the book! Continue on by having craft time and make the most magnificent thing! Craft time can start by visualizing the idea on paper. It can then move on to actually bringing the idea to life with craft materials.

The Most Magnificent Thing is a book about bringing your imagination to life through lots of trial and error. Don’t be afraid to let your child know that not everything will be easy and making mistakes is part of life. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy the book!

- Sophie

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Title: How I Became a Pirate Author: Melinda Long Illustrator: David Shannon Recommended for ages 3-7

One wrong turn at Bora Bora means an exciting adventure for Jeremy Jacob, you, and your little reader.

How I Became a Pirate recounts the thrilling adventure Jeremy Jacob goes on while his family spends the day at the beach. It seems that his parents are a bit too preoccupied with life (particularly a finicky beach umbrella and a fear of sunburn), so Jeremy jumps at the chance for adventure when Braid Beard and his crew arrive on shore. Jeremy soon learns that being a pirate is not all it appears to be and maybe being home for soccer practice is just as important as burying treasure.

This picture book is more than just fun, it will also undoubtedly aid your young reader’s development. Aid your child’s cognitive development by encouraging their imagination! Before you start reading, ask them what they know or imagine pirates to be like. Pirates and sea adventures are found in many stories and TV shows, so see what your child might already know. To get your child even more involved, invite them to keep an eye out for parts of the book where they can be part of the crew and repeat phrases with you. It’ll be even more exciting if you use your voice to bring the characters to life as this will also encourage them to get into character and use “pirate talk” to be really authentic pirates.

How I Became a Pirate can also help develop your child’s sense of morality. For young children, adults are their source of moral authority. Ask your child how they feel when Jeremy Jacob starts to talk about the pirate lifestyle in comparison to his everyday life at home. It’s not all fun and games – or rather, not all sea chanteys and a lack of teeth brushing – on the ship, so see if your child can relate to Jeremy Jacob as he learns to appreciate his everyday life and the rules his parents set at home.

The fun doesn’t have to stop once the story does! Keep your young reader engaged with some post-reading activities. One of my favourite ways to get children to interact with storybook concepts is to do some arts and crafts. David Shannon did an amazing job with the illustrations for this book so the pictures can be source of inspiration for your child. For this activity, remember that every pirate needs a companion! (Does a particular bird come to mind?)

You can easily make a parrot puppet with the following materials: - Coloured foam, coloured construction paper - Glue gun, white flue - Scissors - Googly eyes (optional) - Wooden sticks or paper straws (to use as handles)

For younger pirates, you can pre-cut the shapes and just help them glue the parts together. For older pirates, you can use children’s scissors to help them practice their motor skills. (If you decide to use a glue gun, keep it away from young children and help them with it just as you would with scissors!)

How I Became a Pirate is the perfect mix of everyday children’s struggles and the excitement of the unknown pirate lifestyle. Have fun when reading this story with your child and don’t be afraid to really embody what it means to be a pirate. The story is about how the main character becomes a pirate, after all.

- Abby

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Dragons Love Tacos

Written by Adam Rubin Illustrated by Daniel Salmieri

This is a story about dragons. Hungry dragons, of course. But they're not the mythical kind of ferocious and voracious dragons we normally associate with. In this picture book, we discover that dragons are actually a lot of fun! They are goofy creatures who love to party, make new friends, and they especially love tacos!

Age range: 3-5 years

Plot:

While we learn all sorts of tacos dragons love to devour, the narrator lets us in on one important tip: if there's one thing to remember, it's that dragons despise  spicy salsa. Just think what could possibly go wrong when you feed spicy tacos to a party of fire-breathing dragons?...Flames. Lots of it. Possibly an inferno and possibly the kind of fire that can burn down a whole house! This is exactly what happens when the host throws a taco party for his dragon friends, and forgets to read the fine print on the salsa jar that says "…now with spicy jalapeno peppers". But when the flames burn down the host's house, we discover yet another side of dragons that is heartwarming and delightful to see.

Wonderfully illustrated and filled with hilarious text that will make your kids giggle and snort, this downright goofy book is a fun read for young readers! Make sure to examine each page carefully and encourage your readers to predict what will happen next!

Developmental Concepts & Literacy Elements

Language: Descriptive and advanced words are great for expanding vocabulary and the concept of opposites.

Descriptive vocabulary - sizzling, crunchy, and crispy

Advanced vocabulary - accordion, charades, fine- print, and good Samaritan

Opposites: love and hate; mild and spicy

Cognitive: This book is brilliant for making predictions. The pages are creatively set up so readers can be prompted to guess what might happen next throughout the book.

Themes & Morals

Social: The theme of friendship shows what joy and fun is involved in the company of good friends

Friendship – conversation, sound of laughter, help and support

Parties – invitations, food, costumes, dancing, music, charades

Moral: It could imply a silly caution when it comes to dietary restrictions. Readers can understand that certain foods may be difficult to digest, and the unpleasant and possibly dangerous consequences that can occur if eaten! (i.e. snorting, fiery breath, tummy troubles).

Ready to Start Reading?  Try this “Feed the Dragon” Reading Activity

You can always engage your readers from the start by encouraging them to pay careful attention to what dragons can and cannot eat in this book. It’s important as this is crucial to the story’s climax! Introduce a puppet dragon to your readers and let them know they will have to “feed” the dragon partway through the book. This will motivate them to listen carefully in order to recall which ingredients are safe to eat. If they feed the dragon an ingredient that is unsafe, ask what they think might happen to the dragon? Brainstorm your predictions and then continue reading to find out what actually happens!

Extension Activities:

Once the book is over, you can continue the fun! Try preparing your own taco party!

If you want dragon friends at your fiesta, you can make the same dragon puppets included in the Reading Activity above. Click here for craft link.

As you select toppings for your tacos, compare using the descriptive words found in this book to decide whether it’s mild or spicy!

Want to invite more friends to your taco party? Make sure to visit the blog below for instructions on how to incorporate the descriptive words in this book into your own party invitations! Visit Ayan of TeacherMomPlus3 for more instructions.

If you want to continue the story and see what these dragons get up to next, go ahead and read the sequel Dragons Love Tacos 2! 

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this book and the activities! May your dining table be filled with delicious tacos, good friends, silly dragons and lots of laughter!  

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Counting

(Image source)

Counting is a brilliant board book for engaging the little senses through wonderful textures and manipulation! Created by illustrator Emily Bolam, this is the first concept book of Bolam’s Touch, Look, and Learn! collection.  

Recommended Ages: 6 months-3 years.

Older babies from six months to two years old will enjoy this interactive book as it introduces both simple and complex concepts such as numbers, colors, and animals. At this developmental stage, babies are beginning to discover the world around them through sensory and motor explorations. The fun and tactile nature of this book suitably allows them to touch and feel their way through the primary concepts of this book.  

Bolam weaves together the concept of numbers,counting and animal recognition in a creative and delightful way. She introduces each basic number (from 1 to 5) on the left pages of the book by embossing them with fun and colorful patterns that match with the animals on the right. Parents and babies will love to pet and stroke the patterns on each number, and discover how many animals they can count that feels and looks the same. They can further reinforce counting by pointing to their own fingers or counting their babies’ fingers in relation to the number presented on the page. As the baby progresses to two or three years old, parents can add on to this book by looking around and asking “how many dogs or cats can you count at home?” or “how many fish can you count in the fish tank?”

The illustrated animals in this book can also help to promote expressive and descriptive vocabulary. Although not explicitly spelled out in words, parents can still name and sound out each of the animals represented on each page. By describing the animal’s appearance, babies will pick up on descriptive words such as “stripes” and “spots”, or rare words like “scales” and “shells”. Parents can also encourage babies to differentiate the texture of each animal by comparing how they feel in their fingers. For example, they can compare the “slippery scales” of the fish versus knocking on the “hard shells” of the turtles. Expressive vocabulary can be introduced by sounding out words such as “growl!”, or “woof!”with the appropriate animals. Parents can even add words related to sounds created in the animals’ habitats, such as “splish” or “splash”. Similarly, colors can be taught by describing the colors of each animals’ coats as well. Overtime, repeated aural and visual exposure to this book will help young readers associate the names and sounds of these animals in other books, on TV, in their own homes or even at the zoo!

Overall, this is a delightful first baby book. Each concept is presented clearly and reinforced in a simple yet thoughtful way. Despite it’s simplicity, however, it is surprisingly progressive so it can be used throughout several stages of a baby’s development. I particularly love the interactive and tactile element of this book which promotes sensorimotor skills at an early age. However, what is best about this book is the amount of room it leaves for improvisation between the parent and child during any of these developmental stages. It is a book that a parent can bring to life with their child as they explore a world that extends from the tips of their fingers to the depths of their imagination.

London: Campbell Books, 2017. © 2008. ISBN:9781509828869 

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I Love You Through and Through

In our first few weeks of Reader’s Advisory class, we learned the importance of introducing literacy to children at a young age; at what age do they develop certain skills and how much it benefits them in their life as they get older.

For my first book review on the “first book” I chose I Love You Through and Through by Bernadette-Shustak with illustrations by Caroline Jayne Church. This book is targeted towards toddler’s age 12 months and up. I wouldn’t say it is the “first” book, but I do recommend this book because it promotes emergent literacy and covers concepts that toddlers starting at the age of 12 months would be able to grasp such as distinguishing the representations of objects and person through the illustrations.

The four skills in emergent literacy are: alphabet knowledge, print and book concepts, phonological sensitivity and expressive vocabulary. I Love You Through and Through helps develop all four of these skills with the overall simplicity and easy understanding of the content.

Repetition occurs through out book with the phrase “I love…” By having the same words repeated, it helps with alphabet knowledge and phonological sensitivity. With repetition, your toddler will be able to recognize the letters that make up the two words “I love” and be able to hear how these two words sound.

With way this book is designed, it promotes print and book concepts by having the text large enough to read, making it short and easy as well as having it move from left to right on the pages. It is also important to have a plain or very little details in a background as it allows the reader to focus on the illustrations and text. The physical book itself is made so that it is comfortable for small hands to hold. The pages are thick for easy grasp and flipping through.

The vocabularies in this book are words relating to everyday routine. Words such as: running, talking, giggling and crying. This helps with developing expressive vocabularies by having the right expressive illustrations matching those words so your toddler can have a better understanding.

Listening is not the only way to teach your toddler the book’s concept or promote pre-literacy skills. Incorporating interactive activities while you read to them can also be beneficial. For example, copying what the little boy of the book is doing, or asking if they notice what the bear is doing. There’s even a page where counting the amount of fingers and toes of the little boy encourages your toddler to be familiar with basic number sequence. This all promotes interaction between you and your toddler that can build a healthy bond.

Overall, the illustration would attract children of this age because of its simplicity; colours are vivid and true to real life. It’s also very clear and not busy. I would recommend this book because it promotes emergent literacy. It’s simple and easy to understand and grasp at this age

Thanks for reading :)

Sophie

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Title: Mes bébés Animaux

The perfect little book for little hands about little animals. A great choice for your beginner reader!

Mes bébés Animaux is an ideal “first book” that helps teach kids various concepts and supports a range of development needs. The book is entirely in French, so it is an ideal book for those of you who are looking to foster French as a language of communication for your child. The publishers list the target age range as 12 months and up, however, the content of the book can be used in several ways to suit your child’s needs, expanding the age range from 9 months to 3 years old.

“Why get a book for a child who can barely talk, let alone read?” you may ask. Well, first books such as this one support “pre-literacy” skills and behaviours in children, such as the motivation to read, learning vocabulary, and recognizing print. If your child is on the younger end of the age range, you can start by introducing the colours on the pages. Through repetition, your child can expand their knowledge and awareness of basic colours. Try pointing out other like-coloured things in your daily life! This book also has a soft cover and thicker cardboard pages, which will encourage children to engage with books and develop their independence as they begin to want to do things on their own. They may not be able to read just yet, but by 9 months, your child is going to start moving about on their own and going through the motions will develop into a love for reading! As a French vocabulary book, this books is also ideal in introducing your child to more complex concepts – animals – and rare vocabulary as they get older.

This book supports children’s cognitive development – their ability to learn. This includes the ability to learn languages. By introducing your child to more vocabulary early on, they can expand their French vocabulary, and if you want to share with them the English translation, their English vocabulary as well! Your child will also develop their phonological awareness. While this book may seem simple, animals are a complex concept, especially with the range of animals included. Paired with the images, your child will learn that words can be broken down into sounds and that these words carry specific meanings.

A key part of getting your child interested in reading is to get them engaged. Using little activities will keep your little one interested and help reinforce the literacy skills they’re developing. Mes bébés Animaux is filled with baby animals that are commonly found in the home and ones that are more rare. Try furthering your child’s phonological awareness by singing songs or making up rhymes with the animals (Old McDonald Had a Farm maybe?). As they get older, try asking your child to identify the animal before reading the text or telling them to see how they can relate what they already know and what they’ve seen to the book. You can also ask your child “What sounds does (insert animal here) make?” to get them giggling and get their imagination going.

No matter what activities you choose, read, get silly, and have fun with it! Good luck to you and your little readers!

- Abby

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Welcome to Beyond the Margins

“The world belongs to those who read” - Rick Holland

Welcome to Beyond the Margins, a readers’s advisory blog where we’ll cover a variety of books from different genres and for different reading levels. 

With thousands of books to choose from, it may seem like an impossible task to know which book will be right for you. That’s where we come in. We’ll be posting our thoughts and book suggestions, taking our notes beyond the margins of book pages and onto this blog.

This blog is run by Sophie, Audrey, and Abby. We will be using tags and visual aids to help our readers (you guys!) navigate your way through our book picks. Each blog post will have tags for genre, reading group, and blog poster, as well as a “poster’s pick” sticker on the image so you can easily see who chose what. 

Stay tuned and get ready to read!