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Summer Reading Challenge — Take on a Classic

Amber Brandt  |  August 04, 2017
This summer we’re featuring reading ideas for the whole family. In June, we brought you reading recommendations based on age, and last month we wrangled some of the best summer reading challenges from around the web.
 
This month we thought it would be fun to close out the summer with a few good old classics no one should miss! Here are a list of award-winning must-reads for everyone under your roof (or those lying leisurely in your hammock). As a fun bonus, almost all of these books have been made into movies, or are scheduled for release very soon. Read then cozy up together to watch your favorites come alive on-screen. Enjoy!
 
Ages 0-4 — The Very Hungry Caterpillar — Did you know this popular children’s book by Eric Carle is sold somewhere in the world every 30 seconds? Colorful and clever.
 
Ages 2-6 — Where the Wild Things Are — A ‘wildly’ imaginative Caldecott Medal winning picture book your child is sure to love. Surprisingly whimsical and deep, children and adults loved seeing Maurice Sendak’s story come to life on screen.
 
Ages 9-12 — A Wrinkle in Time — Now is a great time to introduce this book to your child before it hits theaters next spring! Winner of the 1963 Newberry Medal, and potentially Madeleine L’Engle’s best-loved novel, you may just want to read it again yourself!
 
Ages 12-18 —The Hobbit — J.R.R. Tolkien fans everywhere are crazy about this precursor to The Lord of the Rings Trilogy — it’s where the story actually begins. But why make one tiny book into a single feature-length film when you can stretch it into three separate movies?!
 
Ages 13-18 — Jane Eyre — Even though it was written in 1847, modern readers will resonate with Charlotte Brontë’s take on this young heroine’s search for freedom against all odds — an experience that transcends time. This novel has been made into numerous movies over the years, but none rank as popular as the 2011 version starring Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender and Dame Judi Dench.
 
Ages 18+ — Of Mice and Men — A novel written in 1937 by John Steinbeck. Hailed by The New York Times as  "A thriller, a gripping tale . . . that you will not set down until it is finished,” you’re sure to get swept up into the controversy and friendship from page one. The most popular film adaptation was released in 1992, starring John Malkovich and Gary Sinise.
 
Ages 18+ — Sense and Sensibility — Crack open and enjoy this first published work from the ever-witty Jane Austen. And once you’ve finished reading, enjoy Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet fumbling through love, loss and innuendo on screen as they brought the characters to life in 1995.