Tag: books to film

A reference question on fantasy for a Grade 6 Harry Potter hater

I don’t want to be redundant with these reference question posts, but I can’t help but jot something down when I find myself handing over a giant stack of books to a hungry lil’ chidler.

Tonight a Grade 6 gal came in looking for some good fantasy books.  The staff member on the Information Desk called me out to field this one.  I joyfully skipped away from my current duty of something boring and administrativey to help out.

Fantasy is a tough genre when it comes to recommending things as it can mean very different things to different people.  This is how it went down:

What she had already in her book bag:

  • Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

This was a big tip-off.  No Susan Cooper/Tolkien/Brian Jacques/Monica Hughes for this gal!

What she told me she likes:

  • All Roald Dahl (oh, now we’re talkin’!)
  • Scarlett by Cathy Cassidy (d’oh!  I’ve never read it!)
  • Candy Apple and Poison Apple series (hmm…the plot thickens)

What she nixed right off the bat:

Before I recommended anything we had a bit of general chat about what’s super popular in the fairy tale/fantasy genre right now.  She expressed immediate disdain for the following:

  • Harry Potter (never read it, doesn’t want to)
  • Princess Diaries series (she read some and they got “too boring”)
  • Spiderwick Chronicles (no explanation, just a scrunched up nose)
  • The Graveyard Book (she tried it but never got into it)
  • A Tale Dark And Grimm by Adam Gidwitz (I told her about the plot and she was promptly horrified)

Further adding to the challenge was that she has seen almost every movie made in the history of the world.  This means she has seen lots of the terrible, terrible movie versions of very unterrible books.

What I recommended:

From what she told me, I was getting a distinct British humour/fairy tale/more-complex-book vibe from her (the Apple series aside).  Here’s what I recommended. I’ ve put them into categories here because organization please me.

For their cheeky Dahl-esque humour:

  • Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket (she loved the movie so I gave her Book 4 as the movie roughly ends around Book 3)
  • The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
  • The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry
  • Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce (after hugging it and saying “I almost don’t want to give this to you because I want to take it home again and read it”)

For their fairy tale-ness:

  • Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
  • Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull
  • Inkspell trilogy by Cornelia Funke
  • Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley

Plug for Canadian fantasy:

  • Silverwing by Kenneth Oppel

Wild Card:

  • When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (it turns out someone bought this for her and she hasn’t read it yet!)

What she noticed on display and took:

  • Witch’s Business by Diana Wynne Jones

Now that I’m sitting here writing this post, I can think of so many more, but the poor dear had to carry her bag home so I think that was quite enough for one visit.

Very interesting how these things play out…and this may be the first child I have ever encountered who claims to like fantasy, but loathe Harry Potter.

Jon Hamm for Mr. Popper

Dr. Dre once said that he is “still not loving police.” Well, I’m still not loving the idea of a Mr. Popper’s Penguins movie.  On a seemingly unrelated note, the fourth season of Mad Men starts this weekend.  I think there’s something here…

Let me begin by admitting that my attitude towards children’s books being turned into movies is best described as “hypocritical curmudgeon.”  I’m one of those people who usually thinks kids books are best left as kids books: The live action How The Grinch Stole Christmas movie left me teary-eyed in anger and I can’t even talk about the Where The Wild Things Are movie without going on an extended enraged tirade.  Yet, I think Hawley Pratt’s 1971 animated The Cat in the Hat is brilliant while most find it creepy and weird (Daws Butler as Mr. Krinklebein is spot on and Geisel and Chuck Jones produced it!  How can you not be into that!?).  But, as usual, I digress.

Not surprisingly, I am wholeheartedly against the Mr. Popper’s Penguins movie.  Or, to be more precise, the 2012 Mr. Popper’s Penguins movie (who knew there was one in 1987?) While I realize that much cinematic hi-jinx can ensue when you put penguins in a basement, I just can’t stand to see one of my all-time favourite books follow in the footsteps of the likes of Mike Myers and The Cat in the Hat.  Plus, The Horn Book said that the book “is more fun than twenty-five movies.”  How can you beat that?

But I’m a realist.  I know that Hollywood will not heed my plaintive whimpers.  I realize that I need to change my approach.  Instead of whining about it, I need to take action.  This movie is going to get made, and if it’s going to get made, there is only one man I trust with the sacred role:

Yes, I think Hammy would make the perfect Pops.  And like any good English 100 student, I have already anticipated your objections and am ready to convince you.

He’s too put together.  Mr. Popper is sort of delightfully rumpled and painterly in the book.

But Hammy can look delightfully rumpled/scruffy too!  Look!

Okay, so he looks a BIT like a guy who would ask you for money outside a liquor store here, but you have to admit there's potential...

Jon Hamm isn’t kid friendly.  Mom friendly, yes.  But not kid friendly.

Oh, really?  Just look at this face!

Doesn’t that just scream kid-friendly? What’s that?  You think he looks a bit creepy here?  Well, that’s perfect!  Mr. Popper has just a touch of creepy/zany about him (he does have an obsession with reading about cold climates and keeps penguins in his basement).

Aren’t you biased?  Isn’t Jon Hamm second on the list of famous people you want to marry (after JFK Jr. and before Paul Newman in Cat On a Hot Tin Roof)?

You got me there.

Jon Hamm isn’t funny.

But he is funny!  He really is!  Just listen to him tell the story of how Regis Philbin stalks him! (at the 1:00 mark)

There are currently three other actors in serious consideration for the role: Jim Carrey, Jack Black, and Owen Wilson (Ben Stiller used to be, but now he’s apparently out).  Boo-urns to all these guys.

The Press Association made a very astute comment, saying that, depending on the actor/director combo, the movie could either be ” a soul-searching metaphor movie or a kid-friendly comedy packed with animal jokes.”  If Carrey or Black do the role, it will turn into one of those overly-raucous, way-too-loud blockbusters where humour is achieved via penguins peeing on the carpet.  If Owen Wilson does it, things could get a bit too introspective and weird.  And if Ben Stiller does it, it will just be Night at the Museum with some penguin trainers tacked onto the credits. Hamm could bring something inbetween, methinks, with a health dose of old-fashioned kitsch and plenty of pomade.

In my final plea, I have created this highly-detailed, realistic simulation for your consideration:

So, I hope you will consider supporting me in the cause: Jon Hamm for Mr. Popper – 2012.