Which is better? The book or the movie?

We librarians love this question, and most of us have strong opinions concerning movies based on our favorite books. Here are a couple upcoming movies based on some classic children's books. 

Oh, poor Alexander. From waking up with gum in his hair to falling in the mud to - ew! - kissing on TV, he just can't catch a break in this much-beloved picture book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst. The movie, which opens October 10th, boasts an impressive cast including Steve Carrell, Jennifer Garner and Megan Mullally. Will it do justice to good old Alexander, or will it make him want to move to Australia? Watch the trailer here.

Did you grow up with Michael Bond's Paddington Bear? It's become quite the francise, from the first book published in 1958 to multiple book sequels, three television series and now his own full-length feature film! This Christmas, you can take the family to see the movie (trailer is here) to see Nicole Kidman, Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins help find a very small bear who loves marmelade a home. Aww...

And for the ultimate heart-warming musical, I'm so looking forward to the remake of Annie coming to theaters this December! Even though everyone still loves the 1982 movie starring Aileen Quinn as Annie and Carol Burnett as the evil Miss Hannigan, the story of everyone's favorite underdog orphan is getting a facelift. Starring Quvenzhane Wallis  Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz and Rose Byrne, this updated version is already making me sing along. But what does this have to do with books, you ask? Well, in case you didn't know, Annie the movie is based on the comic strip Little Orphan Annie by Harold Gray, actively published from 1924 to 1943 and adapted into a popular radio drama. You can visit the Parkway Central Library's Art Department and take a look at our reference copy of The History of Little Orphan Annie.

So, which movie adaptations of books do you love? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.