What are your favorite kids’ books that still haven’t been made into a movie. Comments section is open below!

The release of Spike Jonze’s Where the Wild Things Are brings to mind two thoughts: “Holy crap, this is totally going to suck” or “This is going to be the greatest kid’s adaptation ever!” Time (and box office results) will tell which side of the spectrum it will fall on, but for the time being, here is a list of some of the best and worst children’s book adaptations. Let us know what movies are on YOUR “best” and “worst” lists!

The Good

1. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)

Book adaptations don’t come much better than this. The acting is wonderful, the effects are stunning and the script flows almost as nicely as the novel itself. While the performances from the children playing the Pevensies are great, I honestly can’t picture any two people more perfect to play the White Witch (Tilda Swinton) and Aslan (Liam Neeson).

2. Charlotte’s Web(1973)

While the 2006 live-action(ish) version is stellar on its own, one can’t help but love the original. Classrooms across the world got a taste of Wilbur and Charlotte’s world and have gone back for seconds ever since. If you’re looking for the ultimate story of life to show to a young kid, Charlotte’s Web is your best bet.

3. The Jungle Book(1967)

How many of you got “Bear Necessities” stuck in your head when you saw this? Admit it — you did! Baloo and Mowgli are among Disney’s icons, and rightfully so: The songs are catchy and the animation is so perfect, it’s as if the story was picked from your brain and put on the big screen. Not many films can say that.

4. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

The 1971 original is a classic. Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka, the demented chocolate-factory owner, is one of his best performances to date. Despite being a children’s book adaptation, the “scary tunnel” scene was ranked No. 74 on Bravo’s 100 Scariest Movie Moments list.

5. James and the Giant Peach (1996)

What happens when you cross the wonderful children’s book author Roald Dahl with the visionary animator Henry Selick? You get this fantastic film. The best part about watching this is that it not only entertains children viewers but also the adults as well. It is truly picture perfect.

Honorable Mentions:

The Iron Giant (1999) – If you don’t bawl like a damn baby every single time, you’re heartless.

The Princess Bride (1987) – It seems wrong not to include this on the list. It’s a total classic.

The Bad

1. The Cat in the Hat(2003)

While I want to blame Mike Myers for this crap, I can’t (at least not entirely). While the book was pretty wacky, the film was not. The characters you knew and loved from the book just weren’t interpreted well for film — not to mention the distinct lack of color in all of the characters except the Cat.

2. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

Not even Ron Howard could keep this movie from the massive suck. The original animated 1966 film was done so well that there was really no reason for a remake. The “tweaks” in the new version were extra-unnecessary, and Jim Carrey was even more over-the-top than usual.

3. Ella Enchanted (2004)

Cary Elwes was in one great kids book adaptation (The Princess Bride) but he couldn’t save this one. Unfortunately, a clever children’s book is turned into a run-of-the-mill romantic comedy a la Disney. If you want to see Anne Hathaway in a pretty dress, stick to The Princess Diaries.

4. Curious George (2006)

I’m not sure there was a kid who didn’t read these books. Unfortunately for the movie, it seems more like a movie about the Man with the Yellow Hat (voiced by Will Ferrell) than Curious George himself. Half the fun of this series was seeing what shenanigans George got into. Who cares about a man bitching about his bright yellow suit?

5. Eragon (2006)

You’d figure that a book written by a kid would make for an ideal adaptation. Sadly, that wasn’t the case here. The cast gives horrendous performances — which is sad considering Jeremy Irons is in it — and the film’s plot couldn’t be further from the book’s. There’s a reason why they canned the rest of this film series.

Honorable Mentions:

Jumanji (1995) – Even Robin Williams couldn’t save this movie, and that says something.

The Secret Garden (1987) – What’s the point of adapting a book if you’re going to destroy the plot?

By Tessa Petrocco, Hollywood.com Staff. REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION.

What are your favorite kids’ books that still haven’t been made into a movie. Comments section is open!

There’s a point in this movie where Martin Sheen almost looks at the camera to say, “How did I get myself into this movie.” It’s that bad. And, it’s too bad. It has some great local scenes in Bangkok, Prague and Moscow, and some pretty good acting, including Edward Burns. The script is just lousy and goofy at a certain point.

By the time you get to the last third where we find out what an Echelon conspiracy is, we realize we’ve already seen this movie a half dozen times. I won’t give it away, but let’s say it won’t be a surprise by the time you get that far.

Echelon Conspiracy is available now on DVD.

Oh, and this movie is not for kids. Lots of violence, and a little too much sex.

As one Yahoo! Movies reviewer said, “Read the review before watching! Don’t take children, don’t take uptight or prudish guests, don’t take a date with delicate sensibilities, and we won’t need to see any more appalled posts for what is truly a bawdy, funny film.” I saw boys around 11 or 12 coming out and was a tad surprised. At 11 or 12, I would have thought this was hilarious, but hopefully would not have understood what a lot of it was about. There is every kind of reference to drug use, prostitution, and drunken “good times” you can imagine in a setup that screams “the best, most memorable times of your life are when you are so high on something that you can’t remember what you did.”

That said, if you liked Something About Mary, you”re bound to love this movie. It will keep you on the edge of your seat laughing or waiting for what surprise will come next. It wouldn’t be fair to list them all and ruin it though the previews make explicit reference to a baby, a tiger, and a chicken.

The Hangover is the tale of two friends and a brother-in-law-to-be who take a groom to Las Vegas for a bachelor party just days before the wedding. After toasting “a night they’ll always remember,” they wake up in a trashed hotel suite with no idea what happened the night before and with no idea what has happened to the groom. Thus begins their odyssey to put the pieces back together, key elements of which are the baby and the tiger.

The cast, including Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Bradley Cooper is superb, as are cameos by Rob Riggle from The Daily Show and Mike Tyson.

World’s Greatest Dad coming out August 21, 2009. We’ll hold off on wondering if it’s the “world’s greatest movie” until someone has actually confirmed that it’s “an outrageous comedy” as the studio blurb calls it.   

Just watching Nobel Son, a creepy movie starring Alan Rickman and Mary Steenbergen, as well as Bill Pullman, Bryan Greenberg and Shawn Hatosy.

I don’t know why I missed this since I love Alan Rickman. This is a well-made thriller mystery with a few major twists and turns, as well as some humorous jibes at ego-maniac academics. The best scene uses a remote control Mini car running around a shopping center, but all at life-size. Unfortunately, it’s not for kids, with a fair amount of profanity and brief nudity. There is one scene of a thumb being chopped off – this isn’t a spoiler. That action happens even before the credits roll.

I found the end a little quick and sloppy. Too many loose ends tied up very fast without much explanation. All in all, though, a diverting movie for a plane ride or light amusement at home.