What IS the point of Junior Novelizations?

[Drtooth]

You know what I'm talking about.... those poorly written little "adaptions" of movies that come out as merchandise in kiddy chapter book form? I'm only mentioning this as there's a The Muppets movie tie in book coming out.

So basically, these books cost as much as a ticket... who wants to READ a movie... and teachers make darn well sure kids can't pawn them off as book reports seeing the movie and pretending to have read the adaption (I snuck a couple in though!). All the ones I've read... or TRIED to read, anyway, have been dreadfully dull, and just impossible to enjoy, especially compared to a movie.

I'm also not fond of comic book adaptions, unless they work from the original script and keep in the deleted scenes, ones that weren't even filmed. I must admit, I like the self published Mirage Comics TMNT first movie adaption (including the BETTER ending)... but other than that, I just see them as pointless.

Continuations of movies in books or comic format no problem... those I quite enjoy. Heck, Star Wars subsides on comic and novel continuations. But movie adaptions for kids always leave the good parts out, ruin the jokes, and just sloppily put their plot across.

 

[CensoredAlso]

and teachers make darn well sure kids can't pawn them off as book reports seeing the movie and pretending to have read the adaption

Well actually, our teacher did let us read the junior novelization of Jurassic Park in 5th grade, lol. The class was split into groups and could choose between various books and that was our group's choice. We read it out loud in a circle together, taking turns. Our teacher was fine with it, lol. I don't think we wrote book reports, but we did do class presentations on the story.

But I know what you mean, they tend to be pretty bad. Though it's more obvious to me now as an adult than it was when I was a kid, lol.

I have read one or two that weren't so bad, mainly because they stuck so closely to the movie and didn't try to create its own awkward dialogue, lol.

 

[Drtooth]

You double dipped, didn't you? You read a novelization based on a movie based on a novel. Yikes!

I had the Batman TAS movie Mask of the Phantasm novel, and I think i only got it because I was ticked that I didn't get to see it... no. Now I remember, I bought it and planned to read it AFTER I saw the movie, and never did.

 

[CensoredAlso]

You double dipped, didn't you? You read a novelization based on a movie based on a novel. Yikes!

I know, I'm so ashamed! Lol

I also remember reading the junior novelisation of Hook, not for class just for fun. I remember reading it at breakfast before school, lol.

I remembering having the junior novelisations of Dick Tracy and also The Rocketeer. Good old early '90s; Wow, that makes me old doesn't it? ! Lol.

Still I don't recall actually reading those, I just remember seeing the photos in the middle of the book. That's mostly why you bought them I think, to see the photos, lol.

 

[Drtooth]

I know, I'm so ashamed! Lol

Wanna know what's worse? Junior novelizations based on movies based on kid's picture books! Holy Literary Paradox, Batman!

 

[CensoredAlso]

Wanna know what's worse? Junior novelizations based on movies based on kid's picture books! Holy Literary Paradox, Batman!

That's like novelisation inbreeding isn't it? Haha

Oh wow I'm having a flashback! I remember this one part in the Jurassic Park junior novel, talking about the bad guy:

"Nedry knew he should wait a few more minutes. Dr. Grant and the others might have trouble once the power went out. But there was no time and the money was too important to him!"

Trying to sneak in some lessons for the kiddies there, lol.

 

[D'Snowth]

I think it's to try and actually get kids to read in general.

Kids today have this automatic dislike for reading anymore, so they figure if they can turn a popular movie into a book, then kids will be more apt to read it.

Interestingly enough is that often times, the junior novelizations seem to be adapted straight from the original script, and not what finally makes it into theaters, so often times, there are scenes and sequences in the novels that were deleted from the movie: the Rocky and Bullwinkle novelization, there's a scene where Boris and Natasha accidentally zap Chicago right off the map, and are aided by a couple of aliens to bring it back, likewise, a friend of mine says there was a bit more interaction with characters in the novel of the squeakquel than there was in the actual movie.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I think it's to try and actually get kids to read in general.

Exactly. I was much more of a TV/movie person; reading always felt like a chore. Unless it was a book about something I already enjoyed, like a movie, then I could read it all day long, lol.

 

[dwmckim]

I think they're being overanalysed - it's a merchandise tie-in that allows those kids to have a movie they like in book form.

Hard though it may be to believe - they are actually kids that like to read, do so without being forced to, and choose to buy a book (or have someone buy it for them)

Even though the time between when a movie is in the theatre and the time when it's on video is shorter and shorter, it allows a young fan to "relive" the film after they've seen it in the theatre and while they're waiting to own a copy.

I gather they often are adapted from the script because they're being written/published during the same window that the movie is being edited in order to hit shelves around the same time the movie opens.

 

[Drtooth]

I think they're being overanalysed - it's a merchandise tie-in that allows those kids to have a movie they like in book form.

Hard though it may be to believe - they are actually kids that like to read, do so without being forced to, and choose to buy a book (or have someone buy it for them)

Yes, but that's what continuations are for, IMO... using the characters to tell other stories... Star Wars and Star Trek actually used the books to help continue the series/movies and add things at different angles. They're sometimes a better way of making a sequel THAN the sequels of the movies themselves.

It's merchandise, but it's unnecessary merchandise. Even before Borders went under, they had horrible times getting rid of certain novelizations... often from movies that were bad enough to begin with.

Interestingly enough is that often times, the junior novelizations seem to be adapted straight from the original script, and not what finally makes it into theaters, so often times, there are scenes and sequences in the novels that were deleted from the movie: the Rocky and Bullwinkle novelization, there's a scene where Boris and Natasha accidentally zap Chicago right off the map, and are aided by a couple of aliens to bring it back, likewise, a friend of mine says there was a bit more interaction with characters in the novel of the squeakquel than there was in the actual movie.

My sister probably has the Bullwinkle movie adaption somewhere... I'd read that exact part because no doubt there are no special features on the DVD that kept those in tact. I bet if they had more scenes like that and less with Karen Sympathy (she KILLED the movie), the film would have had a better flow.

"Nedry knew he should wait a few more minutes. Dr. Grant and the others might have trouble once the power went out. But there was no time and the money was too important to him!"

Clearly obvious from the movie... and the fact he was played by the same guy who played Newman.