11 YA Authors Reveal the Books They Want to See Made into Movies
Now that the adaptation of James Dashner's "The Scorch Trials" is two-thirds done, and the final installments of "The Hunger Games" and "Divergent" are coming, it's time to think about which young-adult books will translate well to the big screen.
And we're not just going to list the obvious, like name all of John Green's books (although "Looking for Alaska" is already in pre-production). We're going straight to the source – fellow young adult authors, many of whom have their own titles optioned and in the works.
Here are 14 YA and children's authors' picks for the books they wish would get green lit.
1. Gayle Forman, author of "If I Stay"
"I would love to see Matt de la Peña's 'The Living' turned into a film. It follows a young man, named Shy, who works as a towel boy on a cruise ship that's sunk by a tsunami. The book and film would cross genres. There are elements of endurance-adventure a la 'Unbroken' (lost at sea, on raft, sharks!). Then there's this whole weird, mysterious 'Lost' thing happening when they get to this strange island. Plus romance. And of course Shy is a classic de la Peña character: macho and vulnerable, grappling with issues of race and class is surprising ways. 'The Living' would make such a smart, gripping, adventure film. Plus there's a sequel, 'The Hunted.'"
2. Sarah Dessen, author of "Saint Anything"
"One YA book I'd love to see hit the screen is E. Lockhart's 'We Were Liars.' It's set during the summer at the beach, [it] involves family, love and friendships and has a twist you'll never see coming. Just the kind of movie I'd want to enjoy with popcorn on a hot July day!"
3. Carrie Ryan, author of "Daughter of Deep Silence"
"Holly Black's 'White Cat.' It's such a smart world, but also it's about a con. I think cons are so hard to write, because they have to be so smart - and hers are brilliant. It would be amazing to see those characters come to life."
4. Aisha Saeed, author of "Written in the Stars"
"I would love to see 'Simon vs. The Homo Sapien Agenda' by Becky Albertalli made into a movie because not only does it have a ton of heart, it is also a modern teenage twist on one of my favorite movies of all time, 'You've Got Mail.'
5. Anna Banks, author of "Joyride"
"Couldn't we pretty please have 'Sweet' by Emmy Laybourne turned into a movie? It's a romance-thriller-comedy-horror-coming of age story. A little something for everybody!"
6. Kristy Shen, co-author of "Little Miss Evil"
"'Tiny Pretty Things' by Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra. It's 'Pretty Little Liars' in a tutu, and it was a terrifying/fascinating glimpse into the cut-throat, pressure-cooker world of ballet. Based on the authors' real-life experiences teaching at a New York ballet school, I was blown away by the insanity that each of these girls goes through -- and the intense pressure to succeed at all costs. Highly recommend."
7. Jessica Brody, author of the "Unremembered" trilogy
"I think 'Free to Fall' by Lauren Miller would make such an amazing film. It's so topical and poignant. An app that makes all of our decisions for us? Sometimes I feel like we are there already!"
8. Karen Sandler, author of the "Tankborn" trilogy
"Joseph Bruchac's 'Killer of Enemies' has a high-concept premise that's tailor-made for Hollywood: Apache teen Lozen must hunt and kill ravaging GMO monsters after The Cloud destroys all the world's tech."
9. Miranda Paul, author of "Water Is Water"
"Lyn Miller-Lachmann's 'Rogue' or Ellen Oh's 'Prophecy' series on the big screen! They're both very different, but I like 'Rogue,' because it's got skateboarding and filmmaking and explores the difficulties that come along with making friends in junior high. 'Prophecy' would make for some pretty cool cinematography and action scenes."
10. Peter Kujawinski, co-author, "Nightfall"
"I'll fall for any movie that has compelling characters and an epic scale, so I can't wait to see what Hollywood can do with Sabaa Tahir's 'An Ember in the Ashes.' I also love films that evoke a specific time and place - and for that reason I hope Ruta Sepetys' book about 1950s New Orleans, 'Out of the Easy,' gets on the big screen soon..."
11. Stacey Lee, author of "Under a Painted Sky"
"Anne Ursu's 'The Real Boy,' because I want to know what wizard trees look like, and Mike Jung's 'Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities,' because he already has Hudson Yang interested in the part of his main character and he would be perfect."