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So! Now that we’ve got all that out of the way, shall we? Some honorable mentions that didn’t quite clear the quality bar included Holes, The Indian in the Cupboard, Watership Down, Stuart Little, Where the Red Fern Grows, Little Red Riding Hood, Bridge to Terabithia, Winnie the Pooh (2011), Horton Hears a Who, Coraline, Curious George (2006), How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Charlotte’s Web, and Hook (Peter Pan deserves better). To keep things fair, these were excluded so as to make room for the more classic children’s tales. There were a few books that straddled the line between adult and children’s literature, something that left their film adaptations out in the cold in terms of today’s list these included The Wizard of Oz (a political allegory), The Hunger Games (a young adult series), The Princess Bride (an adult novel), and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (a 19 th century sci-fi adventure). To make it onto today’s list, then, a film had to remain mostly loyal to its source (plot-wise), demonstrate a commitment to the original book’s visual look, and remain exciting and engaging all the while. Some adaptations have pulled it off, however, and have provided a version of a beloved children’s story that is both thematically true, and visually impressive. It’s an established practice, and one that has seen varying levels of success throughout the years: sometimes to the horror of those young fans hoping for a film pulled straight out of their own imaginations. Naturally, since it is easier to adapt an established story or idea than it is to invent one out of thin air, some of the first fictional film shorts were based on classic children’s stories and fables ( Santa Claus being one of the first in 1898). With Jack the Giant Slayer coming out in a few days, and the release of Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters a couple weeks ago, it seems like the right time to evaluate the best cinematic adaptations of children’s books, for that film genre is as old as the medium itself.