Flashback Friday: 10 Best Young Adult Books Turned Movies

Books being turned into movies have been going on for a long time now. Many of the books we’ve read as children have eventually ended up on the big screen as film adaptations. With beloved book The Perks of Being a Wallflower out in theaters in limited release starting today, it had me reminscing about childhood books we enjoyed that have been made into movies that we equally love.

Here are 10 of the best young adult books turned movies:

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

The classic book is also a classic movie and considered one of the best movies ever made!

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

One of the most beloved books ever made, Harper Lee’s novel made for an inevitably classic movie.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

Ever wish your car could fly? In this fun flick, it can! Dick Van Dyke stars in this book turned musical comedy.

The Outsiders (1983)

S.E. Hinton‘s coming-of-age novel about rival groups in the 50s was both a popular book and movie, which starred some of the 80s’ hottest actors, including Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Matt Dillion, Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze and Diane Lane.

Never Ending Story (1984)

You know that feeling of when you’re reading a book and the writing is so captivating that you feel like you’re in it? In this book turned movie, Bastian literally gets sucked into a book he reads!

Little Women (1994)

This movie could have easily been a bit of a snooze, but the period piece had a stellar cast (Winona Ryder, Christian Bale, Kristen Dunst, Claire Danes) which enhanced the storyline and made the film a beloved classic.

The Secret Garden (1993)

This heartwarming book is so popular it’s been made a number of movies! The latest one (and arguably the best one) was in 1993.

A Little Princess (1995)

This girl-empowering flick states that every girl is a princess. What’s not to love? (FYI, bring tissues – this one’s a tear-jerker!)

Tuck Everlasting (2002)

Ever wish you could drink from the fountain of youth and be young forever? In this Disney flick, Alexis Bledel and Jonathan Jackson star as two teens who learn the meaning of being forever young. Plus some of it was filmed on location at Disneyland!

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)

Ann Brashares‘ novels about different sized girls fitting into the same pair of jeans that brought them great adventures were just as sweet onscreen as they were on paper.

Which YA book turned movie is your favorite? Which book would you like to see on the big screen?