The "Harry Potter" movie release brought this to mind.

It is essential that your kids read the original books when movies come out. In some very few cases, the movie is better ("Iron Giant" comes to mind); in many cases, a great deal is lost in the translation from book to movie; but in most cases the movie, although okay, is so totally different from the book that it is like two completely separate works.

Ideally, a kid should be exposed to both for maximum enjoyment. I'm not one of those anal types who thinks that movies "ruin" books. Still, the book should be the first priority

So if, when you mention "Doctor Dolittle," your kid pictures Eddie Murphy* instead of a chubby little British man in a top hat, then you have your work cut out for you.

Others on the list of Must Reads--in no particular order--that have seen wide exposure as movies (some of these are a series of books, and not all are kid books):

Nero Wolfe

The early Oz books

Heinlein's Starship Troopers

Lord of the Rings (I actually read this out loud to my kids. Ouch.)

ANYTHING touched by Disney (hey, I like the movies, but...):

The Jungle Books

Mary Poppins

Tarzan

Peter Pan

Pinocchio

Black Cauldron (if this movie is all your kid knows of Prydain, it's
a crime.)

Wind in the Willows

The Once and Future King (Sword in the Stone)

James and the Giant Peach (read ANYTHING by Roald Dahl)

I'm sure you all have a lot you could add to this list. Shove the books under the kids' noses. If you meet resistance, read them out loud. Even older kids like this, and often if you can get them through the first few pages, these wonderful authors will do the rest.

*None of them would remember Rex Harrison