GOOD

Required Viewing: Five Upcoming Films Based On Books Students (And Teachers!) Love

Bookworms and reluctant readers, unite!

 Britni Danielle
09.16.17

When I was a middle-school English teacher in South Central Los Angeles, I regularly searched for books and stories that would connect with my students, who often felt the readings in their textbooks were not only boring but unrelatable. Wilson Rawls’ classic “Where the Red Fern Grows” couldn’t keep their attention, but the stories in Sharon G. Flake’s “Who Am I Without Him?” had them begging for more.

These days, young adult books — novels targeted to readers ages 12-18 — are booming, thanks in part to blockbuster films based on both old and new series like Suzanne Collins’s “The Hunger Games” and Jeff Kinney’s “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.”

Teachers have long used films as a supplement to teach literature because when they’re done well, whether it’s “Harry Potter” or Robert Mulligan’s 1962 film adaptation of “To Kill a Mockingbird,” showing a film isn’t just a treat for students; the experience can also deepen the discussion and understanding of the original text.

In the next few years, several films based on books loved by students and educations alike will be hitting the big screen. From riveting court dramas to heartfelt stories, here are five new projects to keep on your radar.

“Wonder”

Based on the best-selling novel by R.J. Palacio, “Wonder” follows Auggie Pullman, a boy whose facial deformity kept him from attending a mainstream school. After several surgeries, Auggie prepares to enter fifth grade at Beecher Prep and is worried about fitting in. The film adaptation of the book stars Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, and Jason Tremblay and hits theaters just in time for the holiday season.

“Monster”

Legendary author Walter Dean Myers is very popular with young readers. With more than 100 books under his belt, Myers has won several awards, including the American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults. In “Monster,” one of his popular titles (and my favorite book to teach), Myers tells the story of 16-year-old Steve Harmon, who’s on trial for murder after a store owner is killed during a robbery. The film adaptation is being produced by music heavyweights John Legend and Nas and will star Jennifer Hudson, A$AP Rocky, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Jeffrey Wright.

“Ophelia”

There have been no shortage of films based on William Shakespeare’s classic plays, but Lisa Klein’s novel “Ophelia” reimagines “Hamlet” from her perspective. The novel, which was named Best Book of the Year by TeenReads.com, is expected to hit theaters in 2018. The adaptation will star Daisy Ridley, Naomi Watts, and Clive Owen.

“If Beale Street Could Talk”

The first James Baldwin book I ever read was his 1974 novel “If Beale Street Could Talk.” The love story centers on Tish and Fonny and their struggle to stay together after Fonny is accused of a crime. The book was assigned in my 11th grade AP literature and composition class, and it blew my mind and turned me into a lifelong Baldwin fan. The novel is being adapted for the screen by Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins and will star Kiki Layne and Stephan James.

“A Wrinkle in Time”

Madeleine L'Engle’s classic fantasy novel “A Wrinkle in Time” has been a favorite of young readers since it was released in 1963, making it a popular title to adapt for the film. So far, there’s been a film and TV series based on the book, and Disney is gearing up for yet another remake next March. The big budget — and super inclusive — project was directed by Ava DuVernay and stars Storm Reid, Mindy Kaling, Reese Witherspoon, and Oprah Winfrey.

Education

Youth activists gather to fight climate change at UN Summit: 'We need to transform anger into action'

Julian Meehan

Young leaders from around the world are gathering at the United Nations Headquarters in New York Saturday to address arguably the most urgent issue of our time. The Youth Climate Summit comes on the heels of an international strike spearheaded by Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old climate activist from Sweden, who arrived in New York via emissions-free sailboat earlier this month.

Translated from Swedish, "berg" means "mountain," so it may feel fated that a young woman with Viking blood in her veins and summit in her name would be at the helm. But let's go out on a limb and presume Thunberg, in keeping with most activists, would chafe at the notion of pre-ordained "destiny," and rightly so. Destiny is passive — it happens to you. It's also egomaniacal. Change, on the other hand, is active; you have to fight. And it is humble. "We need to get angry and understand what is at stake," Thunberg declared. "And then we need to transform that anger into action."

This new generation of activists' most pernicious enemy is denial. The people in charge — complacent politicians and corporation heads who grossly benefit from maintaining the status quo — are buffered from real-life consequences of climate change. But millions of people don't share that privilege. For them, climate change isn't an abstract concept, but a daily state of emergency, whether it comes in the form of "prolonged drought in sub-Saharan Africa…devastating tropical storms sweeping across Southeast Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific…[or] heatwaves and wildfires," as Amnesty International reportsare all too real problems people are facing on a regular basis.

RELATED: Greta Thunberg urges people to turn to nature to combat climate change

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18 of the best signs from New York's Climate Strike march

Millions of people in over 150 countries across the globe marched for lawmakers and corporations to take action to help stop climate change on Friday, September 20.

The Climate Strikes were organized by children around the world as an extension of the of the "Fridays for Future" campaign. Students have been walking out of classrooms on Fridays to speak out about political inaction surrounding the climate crisis.

"We need to act right now to stop burning fossil fuels and ensure a rapid energy revolution with equity, reparations and climate justice at its heart," organizers say.

There's no doubt the visual images from the marches send a powerful message to those on the ground but especially those watching from around the world. GOOD's own Gabriel Reilich was on the scene for the largest of the Climate Strikes. Here are 18 of the best signs from the Climate Strike march in New York City.

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How you can get involved in the Global Climate Strike

September 20th marks the beginning of a pivotal push for the future of our planet. The Global Climate Strike will set the stage for the United Nations Climate Action Summit, where more than 60 nations are expected to build upon their commitment to 2015's Paris Agreement for combating climate change.

Millions of people are expected to take part in an estimated 4,000 events across 130 countries.

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Why the iPhone 11 is making people with trypophobia experience panic and revulsion

Do you have it?

via Apple

When the iPhone 11 debuted on September 10, it was met with less enthusiasm than the usual iPhone release. A lot of techies are holding off purchasing the latest gadget until Apple releases a phone with 5G technology.

Major US phone carriers have yet to build out the infrastructure necessary to provide a consistent 5G experience, so Apple didn't feel it necessary to integrate the technology into its latest iPhone.

A dramatic new feature on the iPhone 11 Pro is its three camera lenses. The three lenses give users the the original wide, plus ultrawide and telephoto options.

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Woman dreams she swallowed her engagement ring and wakes up with it missing

Dreams can have a powerful effect on us.

via I love butter / Flickr

We often dismiss our dreams as nonsensical dispatches from the mind while we're deep asleep. But recent research proves that our dreams can definitely affect our waking lives.

People often dream about their significant others and studies show it actually affects how we behave towads them the next day.

"A lot of people don't pay attention to their dreams and are unaware of the impact they have on their state of mind," said Dylan Selterman, psychology lecturer at the University of Maryland, says according to The Huffington Post. "Now we have evidence that there is this association."

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