From the book to the big screen
“Oh, but the movie is never as good as the book” is a phrase that often gets tossed around. As the official start of summer approaches, stop into your local library to do a bit of pre-viewing homework or re-read the book that the upcoming movie is based on!
One of the many books adapted for the big screen that you can borrow from the library is The Girl on the Train, written by Paula Hawkins (Doubleday, 2015). It is available in a variety of reading formats, and the screen adaptation (directed by Tate Taylor) is slated to be in theatres sometime in October. Actress Emily Blunt will play the lead role of Rachel Watson, and the book tells the story of Rachel’s life post-divorce.
Every day, she takes the train in to work in London, and every day the train passes by her old house. As she attempts to not focus on her pain, she starts watching a couple who live a few houses down and then, one day, as the train passes, she sees something shocking, filling her with rage. The rest? Well… you’ll have to borrow it to find out!
A classic children’s book that will be coming to theatres soon is the on-screen Disney adaptation of Roald Dahl’s BFG, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill and Penelope Wilton. This movie, expected in local theatres in July, tells the tale of Sophie who is snatched from her orphanage early one morning by the Big Friendly Giant (also known as the B.F.G.) who she sees involved in mysterious activities. She is whisked away by him to “Giant Country” and is soon put at ease, as she learns that B.F.G.’s job is to collect, catalogue and deliver pleasant dreams to children.
She joins him that night, but the mean giants follow them with sinister plans. With help from the Queen, armed forces and the B.F.G., Sophie challenges the mean giants once and for all!
A book club pick also coming to the big screen in the fall will be The Light Between Oceans (Scribner, 2012), written by M.L. Stedman.
Michael Fassbender will star in the onscreen adaptation of the book, alongside Alicia Vikander as his wife. The book tells the story of a lighthouse keeper and his wife living off the coast of Australia, and how one devastating choice made by them forever changes two worlds.
Don’t forget to pick up your STREAM logbooks!
Branches will, once again, be offering the free STREAM Summer Learning Program. The theme of STREAM for PARL’s summer reading program stands for ‘s; for Science, ‘t’ for Technology, ‘r’ for Reading, ‘e’ for new Experiences, ‘a’ for Arts, and ‘m’ is for Math.
Children can pick up their logbook at any library location starting Tuesday, June 28 to track their learning activities throughout the seven-week summer reading program.
As they complete their logbook, kids can visit the library to enter ballots to win prizes. The grand prize at the end of the summer is a brand new bicycle (on display at the Westville and Pictou libraries), which was donated by the Adopt-a-Library Literacy program.
STREAM participants are also invited to take part in some of the accompanying programs offered through their local library. Please check with your local branch for details near the end of June, or visit the upcoming events section of our website at www.parl.ns.ca.
For more information on upcoming library programs, special events and services, please drop by your local library branch, follow us on Twitter, find us on Facebook, or visit us online at www.parl.ns.ca.