Media Monday: Read it. Watch it. Talk about it. 6 book-to-screen adaptations for the family coming this fall

I don’t know about you, but once we got beyond Barbenheimer, late summer felt a little lacking in large- or small-screen excitement. But for family viewing, some good news is on the way this fall, with a lot of acclaimed Tween and YA books making their way onto screens of all sizes. Here’s a roundup of a few of the best that have just arrived or will be arriving before the December holidays. We’ve linked to reviews of the books since reviews of the on-screen versions are not yet available in most cases.

September

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (short film, on Netflix, September 27) is one of four short stories by Roald Dahl adapted for the screen in a unique way by director Wes Anderson, whose adaptation of “The Fantastic Mr. Fox” was a hit with parents and kids over a decade ago. Anderson is following up Henry Sugar with adaptations of Dahl’s stories “The Swan,” “The Rat Catcher,” and “Poison,” also premiering on Netflix on September 28, 29, and 30. In each one, the actors will read the author’s words and act them out. Voldemort himself, Ralph Fiennes, plays Dahl.

October

Goosebumps (TV series, on Disney+ and Hulu, October 13) is based on the beloved series of horror-mystery books for tweens by R. L. Stine. Kids are the heroes of each book, and they inevitably triumph over whatever ghost or monster or freaky situation they face. The suspense and scares could be too much for those younger than age 8 or 9, so parents should assess their own kids’ tolerance.

November

All the Light We Cannot See (TV series, on Netflix, November 2) is based on a Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel. Although it is not technically a YA book, its two protagonists are both teens—a sightless young French girl separated from her devoted father and a German orphan boy-turned-soldier—who form an unlikely connection during World War II. Teens interested in historical and family dramas will appreciate the beautiful and intense story of the characters’ struggles during the Nazi occupation of France.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off (TV Series, on Netflix, November 17) is an anime series for teens based on the graphic novels by David Lee O’Malley. Protagonist Scott Pilgrim is a twenty-something Canadian musician who woos his potential girlfriend, Ramona, by battling her “evil exes.” Many of the characters in the series are voiced by actors from the 2010 movie.

Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (in theaters, November 17) is a live-action movie prequel to Suzanne Collins’s wildly successful books and films that began with The Hunger Games. The story takes readers and viewers back to the 10th Hunger Games, in which future President Snow competes. Definitely only for teens (and parents) who aren’t disturbed by the graphic violence typical of the franchise.

December

Percy Jackson and the Olympians (TV Series, on Disney+, December 20), Texan Rick Riordan’s epic series of books, is getting the big-budget treatment in an initial season of 8 episodes. Young Percy has to come to terms with both his ADHD and dyslexia and his amazing powers as a demi-god, the son of sea god Poseidon and a mortal woman named Sally. 

Shelley Sperry | Sperry Editorial

Media Monday: Empowering kids to become master storytellers

On Wednesday, March 8, at the Austin Convention Center during SXSW EDU 2023, anyone without an official ticket to the conference can explore events in the Expo area—at no charge. If you decide to go, we recommend checking out some amazing Austin student journalists featured in a presentation about PBS’s StoryMaker platform. Leah Clapman of PBS NewsHour’s Student Reporting Labs will be hosting the event in Hall 4, and the young storytellers will talk about their experiences in local and national media.

The StoryMaker platform can be used by kids—with support from educators and parents—who want to learn the ropes of traditional and especially digital media so they can investigate any topic under the sun, share ideas with their peers, and advocate for causes they care about.

For kids, the site offers a huge array of tools, explainers, and other resources that can assist them in their storytelling. For example, they can learn the vocabulary of video and audio technology, take online lessons to polish their skills as interviewers and researchers, practice editing a visual or written piece, learn to fact-check like a pro, and discover how to avoid spreading misinformation in social media. For kids who are interested in communicating their passions—whether they’re traditionally schooled, alt schooled, homeschooled, or unschooled—there’s plenty to spark experimentation and connection.

And for educators, there are additional sets of resources, including project prompts and lesson plans. All the tools are designed to help students find their voices, express themselves in new ways, and reach new audiences.

You can check out more of PBS’s student reporters’ stories here. And the best place to begin with the StoryMaker platform is—logically—on their Getting Started page.

Shelley Sperry | Sperry Editorial

Media Monday: Exploring neurodiversity in pop culture

We actually don’t understand the landscape that younger people have to navigate. And that’s why it’s so important not to tell kids how it’s going to be, but to listen to them as they try to find words to tell us how it is for them. And that’s sort of the struggle of autism.

—Hannah Gadsby, The Ezra Klein Podcast, August 17, 2020*

*Please note that Hannah Gadsby’s interview and her shows are more appropriate for mature teens and adults, while Speed Cubers, the film recommended below, is accessible for kids 8 and up.

In the past few years, people on the autism spectrum have shared their perspectives with the world in new and compelling ways, including books, films, TV shows, and even stand-up comedy. In the past couple of weeks I’ve stumbled upon a couple of new entries to the mix that I enjoyed, so I’d like to share them here. I hope any parents and kids out there with other favorites to share will do that in the comments, and we can follow up with another blog post soon.

The Speed Cubers (Netflix) is a short documentary about Max Park, a rock star in the world of competitive Rubik’s cube solvers. Max’s world opens up to new friends and experiences when he takes his skills and determination to new heights at the 2019 Rubik’s Cube World Championship.

The film is really about the power of friendship and parental support. As a kid, Max is able to overcome some of his isolation and improve his motor skills by playing with cubes with his parents. In the wider world, his admiration for a champion “cuber” from Australia, Feliks Zemdegs, leads Max to learn to interpret social cues and to deal with both success and failure with grace. The connection and mutual support of the two young men is inspiring, and the joyful spirit of the competitions is an antidote to any pandemic-inspired malaise you might be feeling right now.

I’m a fan of the Ezra Klein podcast and was thrilled last week to discover an hour-long interview with Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby. Gadsby’s first Netflix special, Nanette, caused a sensation in 2018 when she used her incredible power as a storyteller to talk about trauma, misogyny, queerness, and her struggles to find her place in a deeply homophobic culture—all within the framework of a comedy performance.

Klein’s conversation with Gadsby was one of the most enlightening I’ve ever heard on the topic of living with autism in a world that can’t or won’t understand or accommodate differences. It’s also a somewhat rare look at the female experience. Gadsby was only identified as neurodiverse a few years ago in her late 30s. That revelation is the subject of her most recent Netflix special, Douglas (named after her beloved dog). Much of the podcast conversation revolves around how the education system at all levels failed to pick up on Gadsby’s neurodiversity, leading to years of struggle when she simply couldn’t navigate the world as others expected and ended up homeless and vulnerable. Her intelligence and wit shines through in the conversation as it does in her work, much of which is also inspired by her love of art history. And as Klein says, it makes the experience of autism “emotionally legible.”

A few other recent additions to cultural representations of autism are listed below; these are mainly for teens. The PBS show Reading Rockets has a full list of recommended books for younger kids featuring autistic characters. Please add your own favorites to the comments!

• There are several recent TV series centered on neurodiverse characters right now, and one of the most unique features Harlan, a young character on The Umbrella Academy who is autistic and nonverbal and has a variety of supernatural powers, including telekinesis. (Suitable for kids 15 and up.)

• Madeleine Ryan’s A Room Called Earth is a novel that draws on its author’s experiences on the spectrum, especially the way she processes feelings. Ryan says of her main character: “It felt like she’d chosen me. And in a sense, from that point on, she really helped me to embrace autism.” (For kids who read adult fiction.)

• Paige Lyle, a TikTok video star, takes on a wide range of topics, including debunking myths about her life with autism: “You should listen to disabled people on disabled issues. You should always listen to the person it affects.” (Suitable for kids 15 and up.)

Shelley Sperry | Sperry Editorial

Media Monday: 6 Weeks to Mother's Day, a film about alternative education and unconditional love in Thailand

Media Mondays are back. There is so much interesting and important creative work in film, books, podcasting, and other media related to alternative education these days, we’d like to highlight it for our Alt Ed Austin community. One project that is uplifting and inspiring us at the moment is a documentary film called 6 Weeks to Mother’s Day by Marvin Blunte, currently available to stream on Amazon Prime and Kanopy.

The title doesn’t reveal the fact that the film documents a radical approach to education—a progressive, loving school in rural Thailand. The “mother” in “Mother’s Day” is the school’s founder, Rajani Dhongchai, known as Mother Aew. 

Moo Baan Dek, often called Children’s Village School, has been around for more than 35 years and is run on a democratic model, inspired by the Summerhill School in England combined with Buddhist teachings. They grow much of their own food, use solar energy, and have few modern amenities.

Most of the students Mother Aew and her staff nurture are poor, many are orphans, and about half have emotional, physical, or learning challenges. They study subjects they choose for themselves and make decisions in an all-school student council. They are able to pursue academics and practical skills that will enable them to live full and independent lives. In one especially powerful scene, Mother Aew offers warm, respectful acknowledgment of a student’s decision to transition from living as a boy to a girl. The school receives some support from the government but is sustained primarily by contributions.

The students are in tremendous need right now as a result of the pandemic. Even small contributions are tremendously helpful. Marvin let us know that he is still in contact with Mother Aew, and she’s always excited when a contribution comes in from outside the country and puts it directly to work providing food, clothing, books, and other materials for the kids. You can find information about the school here, which includes a page for donations.

I had the opportunity to talk with filmmaker Marvin Blunte while he was staying safe at his parents’ home in New York state a few weeks ago. What follows is an edited version of our conversation.


The film is a fascinating look into a beautiful community of kids and educators—and inspiring! One of the interesting choices you made was to have no narrator and no explanations of what is happening. Viewers are just immersed in the day-to-day life of the school. Could you talk about why you made that decision?

I’ve always been a fan of observational style filmmaking. The work of a French director named Nicolas Philibert is one of my models. He made a film called To Be and to Have, about a little rural school in France in 2002. When I was trying to come up with how to approach Mother Aew’s school, I went through a variety of options, including having a host or narrator to explain the place.

But if you look at a lot of films about other cultures and countries coming from the West, they’re often skewed with the filmmaker’s opinions. I didn’t want that. I wanted to present exactly what the school is like, and when the teachers and students saw the film, they seemed to think it was successful in that. They were initially worried about what I was going to film, and I warned them that it was my right as an artist to tell the story as I saw fit. But in the end they were thrilled.

I understand you kind of stumbled upon the school while working on another project. What inspired you to go back multiple times to make the film?

At first I didn’t understand anything because almost no one spoke English. I didn’t understand what was happening or how the school worked. One of the kids kept following me as I was walking around taking photos on my first trip. I kept trying to shoo the kid away, and I indicated to one of the teachers who spoke a little English that I was sorry about this student following me and not being in class. She said, “He’s following you because he’s interested in what you’re doing. Is he bothering you?” I said he wasn’t, and then she told me this is part of the democratic school process. He was learning what he wanted to learn. 

I left the next day to go to Cambodia to cover another story, but the school kept spinning in my head. The kids were in charge! They showed me around, served me my food, seemed to take full responsibility for me and, later, when I returned, for my crew. I went back for a short time to teach photography, so they could get to know me. I didn’t want to be a novelty—I wanted to become invisible while I filmed.

When you were filming, did you live within the community or go in and out?

We stayed in a traditional Thai home on the outskirts of the village. Part of the philosophy is that the students need to learn to farm and take care of themselves as survival skills for when they leave. I think you could put them anywhere and they would survive. But they do have some electricity that they generate so that they can have a computer lab—and so I could charge my cameras!

Beyond the portrait you show us in the film, what else would you like people to know about the school?

Well, I would encourage people to take a look at the school’s Facebook page for updates. I left some cameras with the students who were interested in photography last time I was there, and they’ve taken to social media.

Now, with the pandemic, they’re unable to get many donations and aren’t able to pay their teachers. You see in the film that a huge part of Thai culture is giving—the students themselves are taught to be generous as part of their Buddhist training. Unfortunately, it’s become almost impossible for others to give to them, but Mother Aew has created a project where the students are making face masks for the surrounding communities to protect people from the virus. That generous aspect of the culture is something I wanted to show people through the film.

6 Weeks to Mother’s Day is currently available on Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, and Kanopy.
Être et Avoir (To Be and To Have) is also streaming on Kanopy.

Shelley Sperry | Sperry Editorial

Media Monday: Celebrating Cinco de Mayo with kids

The anniversary of May 5, 1862, when outnumbered Mexican soldiers defeated French invaders in Puebla, Mexico, is observed with much more hoopla in the United States than in Mexico. But sometimes it’s tough to find ways to celebrate Cinco de Mayo that don’t revolve around half-price drinks at local restaurants and bars or chihuahua races for charity.

For kids, who certainly sense the festivities in the air around this time of year, it’s a great excuse to explore local Mexican culture in a variety of ways. Here are some great options in the Austin area:

The Mexic-Arte Museum has some exhibits any kid with an interest in the visual arts will enjoy. Right now they’re featuring colorful prints focused on the desert Southwest and a wide range of photos and videos about Latinx and Latin American history. You can go back later this spring when they will also provide a space for showcasing art by Austin teens. The museum has some downloadable booklets that can be jumping-off points to inspire creativity and curiosity. The booklets include a guide to how prints are made for younger kids and a detailed introduction to Mexican popular art and to the work of San Antonio’s clay tile artists for older kids.

At the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, an outdoor space features Exoskeleton, a cool sculpture that also “generates, stores, and processes energy through its solar panels.” The artist, Victor Pérez-Rul, is from Mexico City. His work should spark some excitement for kids whose interests also cross the boundaries of science, art, and engineering.

And on the eve of Cinco de Mayo, an evening of Mexican Folklórico dance is happening at Austin High School! At the Gran Show de Primavera "Alegría" families will be able to see traditional dances from more than a dozen regions of Mexico accompanied by teen mariachi musicians. What a treat!

Shelley Sperry
Sperry Editorial

Media Monday: Arts + sciences = an explosion of creativity

The greatest scientists are artists as well.
—Albert Einstein

In many schools and colleges right now, educators are busily doing demolition work— breaking down old walls between the arts and sciences. Students and teachers are recognizing more and more that the creative process is not that different, no matter what your official academic discipline. Australian educator David Roy calls it a “quiet revolution” happening in classrooms across his continent.

A great example of this art-plus-science trend is happening Wednesday at Arizona State University, where scientists and artists are collaborating on a project called “Science Exposed,” in which scientists and students create diverse projects examining problems in the life sciences through sculpture, dance, and music. For example, in “Sal’s Genetic Tweekery,” dancers explore how salmonella reacts and survives in different environments. The project is led in part by choreographer and MacArthur Fellow Liz Lerman.

Interested in hearing from other educators who are merging arts and sciences education? Take a look at a few recent fun examples here:

Why Teachers Love Using Those OK Go Videos in Class. The massively popular music group is catering to its teacher and student fan base by creating special materials for the classroom in its OK Go Sandbox.

Nashville math teacher Joel Bezaire helps kids understand new concepts by reading aloud from the novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, explaining that “The literary hook for this lesson is strong, and kids are really into learning more about primes thanks to the context of the story. The lessons don't always line up this nicely, but so much of what Christopher [the protagonist] writes about regarding mathematics is about flexibility with numbers that it's a really nice match.”

David Roy talks about how teachers across Australia are Integrating Arts and Science in the Classroom, saying, “If we truly want to encourage students in Science, STEAM and not STEM should potentially be the way forward. Only then might we have creative scientific solutions to the challenges our societies face.”

In a Popular Science article last fall, we get a look at Kari Byron, whose work explores How Art Could Help Kids Study Science. Byron says that “Science is a creative field, it’s just more organized. . . . When you take your creativity and you throw your energy into it, it almost works like a drop in a pond, it radiates outward, and creativity begets other creativity.”

Shelley Sperry
Sperry Editorial