June 12, 2026
Since the days of silent films, works of literature have been consistently adapted for the screen. TV and film not only give people new ways to experience their favourite stories, worlds, and characters, they also act as a gateway for newcomers and can encourage them to pick up a book they may not have otherwise found.
TV and film is also one of the areas highlighted by the National Year of Reading 2026, a Department for Education initiative that aims to help people rediscover the joy of reading through their passions. To support this, the Content team have curated a selection of books that have been turned into films, TV shows and more, some of which may surprise you!
The Highway Rat by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
LY | Quiz #220878 | BL 4.0 | Alison Green Books
The Highway Rat likes to take what doesn’t belong to him from other creatures, until one day, a clever duck stands up to him.
Shrek! by William Steig
LY | Quiz #205038 | BL 4.0 | Puffin
Shrek is an ogre who revolts everyone he meets. When he leaves his swampy home to see the world, he ends up marrying a princess and living horribly ever after.
A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond and Peggy Fortnum
LY | Quiz #200033 | BL 4.7 | HarperCollins
When a bear from Darkest Peru arrives in London, he is taken in by the Brown family and their lives are never the same again.
Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers
MY | Quiz #200164 | BL 4.4 | HarperCollins
A day of revelations and insights as Annabel Andrews, thirteen, wakes up to discover she has turned into her mother and that being an adult is not as fun as it seems.
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
MY | Quiz #204466 | BL 5.4 | HarperCollins
In the land of Ingary, where cloaks of invisibility exist, Sophie Hatter attracts the unwelcome attention of the Witch of the Waste and is put under a curse. Determined to make the best of things, Sophie travels to the one place where she might get help.
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
MY | Quiz #207251 | BL 5.4 | Chicken House
When Meggie discovers that characters from a book become real when it is read by her father, she learns that this is how her own mother disappeared and finds herself living an adventure of her own.
The Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz
MY+ | Quiz #various | BL 4.8-5.6 | Walker Books
Following the death of his uncle, teenager Alex Rider is recruited by MI6, Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, and gets sent on dangerous missions across the globe
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
UY | Quiz #242011 | BL 6.2 | St. Martin’s Press
When Alex, son of the US president, gets into an altercation with the British prince, both nations decide to stage a truce. But soon this fake, managed friendship blossoms into a secret romance that could change everything.
Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman
UY | Quiz #205441 | BL 4.0 | Corgi Books
Privileged Cross Sephy and oppressed Nought Callum have been friends since they were children, living in a divided society that tells them they should be bitter enemies. When they embark on a forbidden romance, they are plunged into terrible danger.
His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman
UY | Quiz #various | BL 6.2-6.7 | Scholastic
Lyra and her animal daemon live among the scholars of Jordan College, Oxford. When her best friend disappears, they embark on a quest that ultimately sees them navigate parallel worlds and take on the Magisterium.
Next time you watch a film or TV show, why not check the credits to see if it was adapted from a book or graphic novel. You might just find your next read! And if it hasn’t got a quiz on Accelerated Reader and you’d like to see one, you can request it via the Suggest Quizzes page. Happy quizzing!