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Study Guide compares the book Animal Farm by George Orwell to the movie Animal Farm (1954). An animated British film by John Halas and Joy Batchlor. Voices by Gordon Heath and Maurice Denham. This animated version of Animal Farm is fairly accurate except for the ending which is not like the ending in the book. Oddly, most of the nurturing female characters in the book are omitted from the movie, including: Clover the mare, Mollie the horse, Muriel the goat, and Mrs. Jones. This movie version of Animal Farm made history as the first cartoon that showed blood. Quiz and Answer Key Included.

Study Guide compares the novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak to the movie The Book Thief (2013) starring Sophie Nelisse, Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson, and Ben Schnetzer. Directed by Brian Percival. Fox 2000 Pictures. The movie version accurately covers the main plot and themes of the book even though the movie omits 49 chapters.  The movie was filmed in Germany and uses some of the dialogue from the book. The film deviates from the book a few times, but the changes do not alter the basic plot.

Study Guide compares the book The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne to the movie The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008) starring Asa Butterfield, Jack Scanlon, Vera Farmiga, David Thewlis and Rupert Friend. Directed by Mark Herman. Miramax Films. This is the ONLY film of the book. Quiz and Answer Key Included.

Study Guide compares the novel Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson to the movie Bridge to Terabithia (2007) starring Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia Robb and Zooey Deschanel. Directed by Gabor Csupo. Walt Disney Pictures. Many plot points are accurate in this movie version of Bridge to Terabithia. The movie adds plots, characters, and themes that are not in the book, but the general story sticks to the book. It’s worth watching if you keep in mind that in the book Jess and Leslie are 10-years-old, not teenagers, and the book does not have a giant troll and flying monsters. Quiz and Answer Key Included.

Study Guide compares the novel A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens to the movie A Christmas Carol (1984) starring George C. Scott, Frank Finlay, Angela Pleasence, Edward Woodward, David Warner, and Susannah York. Directed by Clive Donner. A made for TV movie originally aired on CBS December 17, 1984. This is an outstanding movie version that is fairly accurate. A plus is the setting. The film was shot on location in Shrewsbury, England.

Study Guide compares the novel Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine to the movie Ella Enchanted (2004) starring Anne Hathaway, Hugh Dancy, Cary Elwes, Minnie Driver, and Vivica A. Fox. The main plot line and characters survive this film even though 18 chapters of the book are omitted from the movie.

Study Guide compares the book Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton to the movie Ethan Frome (1993) starring Liam Neeson, Joan Allen, and Patricia Arquette. This is the ONLY film of the book. The movie adds some characters and changes the plot a little, but Liam Neeson is perfect as Frome. Quiz and Answer Key Included.

Study Guide compares the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury to the movie Fahrenheit 451 (1966) starring Julie Christie and Oskar Werner. Screenplay by Francois Truffaut and Jeannn-Louis Richard. Directed by Francois Truffaut. Produced by Lewis M. Allen. An Enterprise Vineyard Film Production. This is the ONLY film of the book. The movie version adds and leaves out some characters, but overall is fairly accurate and worth watching because it’s Truffaut. Quiz and Answer Key Included.

Study Guide compares the book Frankenstein by Mary Shelley to the movie Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994) starring Robert De Niro, Kenneth Branagh, Helena Bonham Carter, and Aidan Quinn. Directed by Kenneth Branagh. Produced by Francis Ford Coppola. A TriStar Picture. The movie changes the plot in places, but this is the most reliable movie version. Robert De Niro as the 8-foot-tall creature is fantastic! Quiz and Answer Key Included.

Study Guide compares the novel The Giver by Lois Lowry to the movie The Giver (2014) The movie version of The Giver is loosely based on the book. The bare bones of the plot are accurate and the themes and symbols in the book remain intact. The main differences are that in the book there is no romance between Jonas and Fiona, the Chief Elder is not a main character, there are no drones, Asher is not a pilot, and the Giver does not live in a house on the edge of the community. Quiz and Answer Key Included.

Study Guide compares the book The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald to the movie The Great Gatsby (1974) starring Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, and Karen Black, Scott Wilson, Sam Waterston, Lois Chiles, and Bruce Dern. Screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola. Directed by Jack Clayton. A Paramount Picture. This is the first Gatsby movie and still the best. The movie adds and subtracts from the plot of the book, but it’s still worth watching. Party scenes of the Roaring 20s are fantastic! Quiz and Answer Key Included.

Study Guide compares the book Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad to the movie Heart of Darkness (1993 TV movie) This is the only movie of Heart of Darkness. The screenplay is fairly accurate until Kurtz is introduced. Some characters and plot points are added to the film and others from the book are omitted. The tone, settings, and main themes of the book remain intact, including racism, colonialism, moral corruption, and the question of who is more civilized – the European or the African?

Study Guide compares the novel Holes by Louis Sachar to the movie Holes (2003) starring Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voight, Shia LaBeouf, Henry Winkler, Eartha Kitt, and Patricia Arquette. This is one of the most accurate movie versions of a novel because the book’s author, Louis Sachar, wrote the screenplay. Quiz and Answer Key Included.

Study Guide compares the novel The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle to the movie The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) starring Peter Cushion, Andre Morell, Christopher, and Marla Landi. A Hammer Film Production. The movie leaves out several important characters and changes the plot in parts, but the basic story holds up. The film is shot on location in England and is in color. There are older black and white movie versions, but the British DVDs do not play on U.S. or Canadian equipment.

Study Guide compares the novel Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain to the movie The Adventures of Huck Finn (1993) starring Elijah Wood, Courtney B. Vance, and Jason Robards. A Disney Picture. Even though this Disney movie omits 24 chapters of the book, it still covers the main plot lines and characters fairly accurately. Too bad the movie left out Tom Sawyer who dominates most of the omitted chapters. Quiz and Answer Key Included.

Study Guide compares the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte to the movie version Jane Eyre (2011) starring Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, Jamie Bell, and Judi Dench. Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga. A Ruby Films production. This film compares accurately to the novel. The movie uses flashbacks to cover Jane's childhood and school years, but essential plot points and characters are included in the film. Only 5 out of 38 chapters are omitted.

Study Guide compares the book Lord of the Flies by William Golding to the movie Lord of the Flies (1990) This is the most accessible film version of the book via DVD and streaming. Even though the movie leaves out the parachutist, turns the British schoolboys into Americans, and invents the character of Captain Benson, the basic plot, setting, symbols, characters, and group dynamics are the same as the book.

Study Guide compares the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck to the movie Of Mice and Men (1992) starring John Malkovich, Gary Sinise. Screenplay by Horton Foote. Directed by Gary Sinise. A Metro-Goldyn-Mayer Picture. This is the best film of the book. Characters and plot are fairly accurate. Malkovich is spellbinding as Lennie. Quiz and Answer Key Included.

Study Guide compares the book The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway to the movie The Old Man and the Sea (1958) starring Spencer Tracy. Directed by John Sturges. Warner Brothers. This movie version of The Old Man and the Sea matches the book almost perfectly. The differences are minor. The setting, characters, and themes of the book are accurate, and the screenplay is almost word-for-word from the book.

Study Guide compares the novel The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton to the movie The Outsiders (1983) starring C. Thomas Howell, Patrick Swayze, Matt Dillon, Rob Lowe, Ralph Macchio, Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, Diane Lane. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Warner Brothers. This is the only movie version of The Outsiders. Chapter 11 of the book is omitted from the movie, but the film remains one of the best book-to-screen successes. The plot, characters, themes, structure, symbols, and settings are accurate. The dialogue in the movie is almost all word-for-word from the novel. Quiz and Answer Key Included.

Study Guide compares the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen to the movie Pride and Prejudice (2005) starring Keira Knightley, Matthew Macfadyen, Rosamund Pike, and Carey Mulligan.  Universal Studios. This is as good a movie as any of the novel. Even though the movie omits 16 chapters of the book, it still covers the main plot lines and characters fairly accurately. The movie combines chapters into a single scene so the plot moves faster in the movie than it does in the book.

Study Guide compares the book The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane to the movie The Red Badge of Courage (1951) The black and white movie with Audie Murphy is still the most accurate. The movie takes a few liberties with characters and plot, but it’s basically the book on film.

Study Guide compares the story Rikki-Tikki-Tavi from The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling to the animated movie version Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (1975), Chuck Jones Edition narrated by Orson Welles. The animated movie Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is an almost perfect version of the story Rikki-Tikki-Tavi from The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. The film includes authentic Indian music and images.

Study Guide compares the book The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne to the movie The Scarlet Letter (1995) The Demi Moore/Gary Oldman movie is the most accessible version of the book via DVD or streaming. The basic story doesn’t start for 50 minutes into the film. Hang on! There are some wild plot inventions that aren’t in the book, but the main characters and plot are fairly accurate.

Study Guide compares the novel The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett to the movie The Secret Garden (1993) starring Kate Maberly, Heydon Prowse, Andrew Knott, John Lynch, and Maggie Smith. Directed by Agnieszka Holland. Warner Bros. The main plot line and characters survive this film even though seven chapters of the book are partially or completely omitted from the movie. The movie was filmed in Yorkshire which adds to its authenticity.

Study Guide compares the novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles to the movie A Separate Peace (2004) starring J. Barton, Jacob Pitts, Toby Moore, Danny Swerdlow, and Hume Cronyn. This movie version originally aired on SHOWTIME. The film deviates from the book a few times, but the changes do not alter the basic plot. Most of the dialog is from the book. The setting, action, and main characters in the book are fairly accurate. Finny stands out as an unusual literary personality and the only character who is not given a last name.

Study Guide compares the book The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway to the movie The Sun Also Rises (1957) starring Tyrone Power, Ava Gardner, Mel Ferrer, Errol Flynn, Eddie Albert, and Juliette Greco. Directed by Henry King. 20th Century Fox. The movie covers the main plot and characters accurately.  Six chapters of the book are omitted from the film.  Nevertheless, the bullfight scenes are spectacular. 

Study Guide compares the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston to the movie version Their Eyes Were Watching God (2005) starring Halle Berry. The film leaves out some characters and parts of the plot, but is a solid representation of the novel. Some dialogue is directly from the novel. Halle Berry is a perfect choice to portray the main character Janie.

Study Guide compares the book The Time Machine by H.G. Wells to the movie The Time Machine (1960) starring Rod Taylor, Alan Young, and Yvette Mimieux. Directed by George Pal. A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film. The movie adds some characters and changes the plot substantially, but the film presents the core of the novel.

Study Guide compares To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee to the movie To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) starring Gregory Peck. Screenplay by Horton Foote. Directed by Robert Mulligan. Produced by Alan Pakula. A Pakula-Mulligan, Brentwood Productions Picture. This is the ONLY movie version of the novel and a classic. Gregory Peck won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Atticus Finch.