Looking for Help: Sports Books Made Into Movies

[Gold]

My nephew is in 7th grade and has to do a book report on a book made into a movie - and they have to read the book, not just see the movie. The book can be fiction or non-fiction.

He asked about some sports books, and the first I thought of were The Natural and Bang the Drum Slowly. I also thought of Eight Men Out and Paper Lion, and I thought of the Rookie, although I'm not sure whether that was a book before it was a movie.

I'm sure there are more recent or other examples, and I am wondering if somebody can provide some more examples. Comments are appreciated. I thought Eight Men Out was an example where the book and the movieboth told pretty much the same story idea, while the Natural is an example of how the story ends up completely different.

 

[DanOregon]

I Am Third by Gayle Sayers was the basis for "Brian's Song."
Say it Ain't So Joe by Phil Kinsella was the basis for "Field of Dreams"
I'd also recommend The Junction Boys book and movie about Bear Bryant's first team at Texas A&M.

 

[buckweaver]

You're on the right track, Gold. Both "Eight Men Out" and "The Natural" lend themselves to pretty easy book reports -- especially the latter.

The story "Shoeless Joe" was made into "Field of Dreams," and that's another one where there are enough similarities and differences to turn in a well-written, standard five-paragraph essay.

But there's plenty of books made into movies, if he doesn't want to go the sports route:
- "The Godfather"
- "The Hobbit"/LOTR trilogy
- "The Da Vinci Code"
- "A Time to Kill" (or any other Grisham books)
- "No Country for Old Men"

 

[buckweaver]

Say it Ain't So Joe by Phil Kinsella was the basis for "Field of Dreams"

"Shoeless Joe."
Bill Kinsella.

Double whammy.

 

[PopeDirkBenedict]

Friday Night Lights

 

[DanOregon]

I suck, Say it Ain't So ME!

 

[Fran Curci]

"The Harder They Fall," the great Budd Schulberg book made into a movie starring Humphrey Bogart and Rod Steiger.

More recently, "Seabiscuit."

 

[EStreetJoe]

The Natural would be a great pick because of the different endings. Changing the ending changes the meaning of the story.

Non-sports division: countless books by Stephen King

 

[JR]

Unless Gold's nephew is a voracious reader, some of these suggestions, great as they are, are way beyond a 7th grade kid

 

[buckweaver]

Unless Gold's nephew is a voracious reader, some of these suggestions, great as they are, are way beyond a 7th grade kid

No way. I was reading Stephen King in fifth grade. Fun times.

 

[JR]

Buck, I wasn't thinking of King. More like Malamud, McCarthy or Seabiscuit.

 

[buckweaver]

Buck, I wasn't thinking of King. More like Malamud, McCarthy or Seabiscuit.

McCarthy, I'll grant ya. Not "The Natural" or even "Seabiscuit." A seventh-grader (who likes to read, granted) should have no problem with those.

 

[93Devil]

Friday Night Lights

Unless you want a seventh grader reading **** and n*****r, I would look for a different book.




For non-sports...

Of Mice and Men
To Kill a Mockingbird
Tom Sawyer
A Wrinkle in Time
Holes

 

[93Devil]

The Natural seems like a great pick because it shows the added characters and the changing plot/endings.

 

[buckweaver]

Friday Night Lights

Unless you want a seventh grader reading **** and n*****r, I would look for a different book.




For non-sports...

Of Mice and Men
To Kill a Mockingbird
Tom Sawyer
A Wrinkle in Time
Holes

Wait, you warn about seventh-graders reading profanity/racial slurs and then you suggest ... Of Mice and Men? And To Kill a Mockingbird? Two of the most challenged books of the last half-century.

Please, tell me you're kidding. :

Love those books, but please tell me you were being ironical or something.

 

[93Devil]

Friday Night Lights

Unless you want a seventh grader reading **** and n*****r, I would look for a different book.




For non-sports...

Of Mice and Men
To Kill a Mockingbird
Tom Sawyer
A Wrinkle in Time
Holes

Wait, you warn about seventh-graders reading profanity/racial slurs and then you suggest ... Of Mice and Men? And To Kill a Mockingbird? Two of the most challenged books of the last half-century.

Please, tell me you're kidding. :

Love those books, but please tell me you were being ironical or something.

Totally different tone in the books.

I don't remember reading multiple f-bombs in Mockingbird.

I just reread Mockingbird this summer, and there is no way it's language and tone is as strong as Lights.

 

[JR]

My comment about books like Friday Night Lights had to do with the difficulty and length of the book for a 7th grader
That's more of a concern than "****" and the "n" word, in my opinion

 

[93Devil]

My comment about books like Friday Night Lights had to do with the difficulty and length of the book for a 7th grader
That's more of a concern than "****" and the "n" word, in my opinion

Oh, I think Friday Night Lights should be required reading for all high school athletes, it's just a little much for a pre-teen.

 

[buckweaver]

Totally different tone in the books.

I don't remember reading multiple f-bombs in Mockingbird.

I just reread Mockingbird this summer, and there is no way it's language and tone is as strong as Lights.

I agree that the tone (and message) is different. There's a reason those books are taught in schools, and FNL isn't.

But your reasoning is a little suspect. If you're going to cite language/profanity as a reason seventh-graders shouldn't read FNL ... ain't no way you can then throw out two of the most challenged books of the 20th century as alternatives.

 

[JR]

My comment about books like Friday Night Lights had to do with the difficulty and length of the book for a 7th grader
That's more of a concern than "****" and the "n" word, in my opinion

Oh, I think Friday Night Lights should be required reading for all high school athletes, it's just a little much for a pre-teen.

I think it depends on the kid --which was my original point. If you have a 12 year old who devours books, FNL shouldn't be a problem in terms of length, content, tone or language.