The Big Read
The Big Read is a program sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest. This month long event is designed to bring the reintroduce the declining pastime of reading to Americans across the country.
Big Read/One Book
If the book chosen for your community has a film adaptation host a community movie night to watch the film. With an Annual License, it can be shown multiple times at multiple locations. Create a trivia contest by asking attendees to answer multiple-choice questions about differences between the book and movie.
With a Public Performance Site License from Movie Licensing USA, your library can legally show movies in conjunction with the Big Read and similar events. Pair a film screening with a book to movie discussion to encourage reading for enjoyment. Program using these and other books from The Big Read and their related films below.
| The Big Read Book | Movie | Rating |
|---|---|---|
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll |
Alice in Wonderland |
PG |
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell |
Black Beauty |
G |
Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Felding |
Bridget Jones’s Diary |
R |
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl |
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) |
PG |
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens |
Disney's A Christmas Carol |
PG |
Emma by Jane Austen |
Emma |
PG |
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury |
Fahrenheit 451 |
G |
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë |
Jane Eyre (2011) |
PG-13 |
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott |
Little Women |
PG |
Lord of the Flies by William Golding |
Lord of the Flies |
R |
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden |
Memoires of a Geisha |
PG-13 |
Nanny McPhee by Christianna Brand |
Nanny McPhee |
PG |
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton |
The Age of Innocence |
PG |
The Call of the Wild by Jack London |
The Call of the Wild |
PG |
The Lion, the witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis |
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe |
PG |
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas |
The Count of Monte Cristo |
PG-13 |
The Harry Potter Series |
The Harry Potter Series |
PG-13 |
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan |
The Joy Luck Club |
R |
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammet |
The Maltese Falcon |
NR |
The Princess Diaries By Meg Cabot |
The Princess Diaries |
G |
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett |
The Secret Garden |
G |
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neak Hurston |
Their Eyes Were Watching God |
NR |
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee |
To Kill a Mockingbird |
NR |
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain |
Tom Sawyer |
G |
Washington Square by Henry James |
Washington Square |
PG |
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak |
Where the Wild Things Are |
PG |
Programming Ideas
See life through the author
Host a book club featuring works by your favorite authors. After you’ve read their stories, see their lives come to life by featuring a biographical movie from Authors and Writers or use our genre search to find a specific author.
Start a book to movie series
Begin a book to movie club using selections from Check It Out Magazine’s “Paper and Premiere”. You can also find great films that match books and comics in Biographical Movies, Literature and Comic Books.
Learn by location
Plan a series of books, movies and activities based on a geographical location. For example, pair a movie selection from Spain with a book whose plotline is based in Spain. Follow these activities with a themed event like a traditional Spanish dance lesson or prepare a common Spanish meal for your patrons.
Create a book to movie group
Many award winning movies started out as beloved books! Browse Academy Award Winners , Golden Globe Winners for Best Picture or Academy Award Winners For Best Picture to select the critically acclaimed versions of your favorite stories. Invite your patrons to read the story, then watch it unfold during a movie night.
Hold a festival
Plan a festival in an author’s honor. For example, you can delight Shakespeare fans with a Shakespeare festival complete with a selection of movies inspired by William Shakespeare, public performances of his works and activities related to the life of this famous playwright.
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Programming Ideas
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