What’s better, the book or the movie?

That question will be much discussed this summer with the opening of the final Harry Potter movie – based on the second half of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”

So why not enjoy some other books that were turned into movies?

It can become a family affair – one in which you can read the books, watch the movies as a family (don’t forget the popcorn) and talk about how the book and movie were different and why. Because, of course, books and movies are different.

If you read a book and go see the movie version of it, you may well be disappointed that a favorite scene or character has been left out. But deciding what to leave in and what to take out is one of the biggest challenges of turning a book into a movie. That’s actually part of the reason why “Deathly Hallows” was turned into two movies. The filmmakers knew that they had to either make a five-hour movie or leave out so much that they would have disappointed fans.

Another thing to remember is that most people who see a movie based on a book have never read the book, so they don’t know the story. They are judging whether the movie tells a good story, not whether the movie tells the exact same story as the book.

Here are suggestions from Mary Voors, manager of children’s services at the Allen County Public Library, and KidsPost of some books turned into movies:

•“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum. Who doesn’t know the story of Dorothy caught up in the tornado that takes her from her beloved Kansas home to a new, strange and enchanting land? Voors says while the movie is better, “the ending is so much better in the book.” It’s totally different than the movie, she says.

•“Mr. Popper’s Penguins” by Richard Atwater. “I enjoyed the book so much,” Voors says. She says it is a great read-aloud and great for families.

•“National Velvet” by Enid Bagnold. The story of Velvet Brown and her beloved horse is also another one parents and kids would enjoy together, Voors says. She says it teaches kids to “go after your dreams and girls can be anything.”

•“Because of Winn-Dixie” by Kate DiCamillo. What can a lonely 10-year-old named India Opal Buloni and a dog named after a grocery store have in common? Find out in this beautiful book by the author of “The Tale of Desperaux.”

•“The Fantastic Mr. Fox” by Roald Dahl. Can three mean-spirited farmers outwit the daring animal thief who has been robbing them blind?

•“Beezus and Ramona” by Beverly Cleary. What will 4-year-old Ramona get into next? Ride her tricycle in the house? Parade around town like the Easter Bunny? Pretend she is walking her pet lizard? Whatever she’s up to, her big sister, Beezus, is there.

•“Hoot” by Carl Hiaasen. Roy Eberhardt is the new kid in school – again. And he’s not liking Florida much compared with his last home in Montana. That is, until he discovers that the Sunshine State is home to potty-trained alligators, burrowing owls, poisonous snakes and mystery.

•“Ella Enchanted” by Gail Carson Levine. While parents may think having a perfectly obedient child would be a blessing, Ella of Frell understands that it’s really a curse in a fairy tale filled with ogres, giants and princesses – and just a little bit of disobedience.

•“Inkheart” by Cornelia Funke. Reading aloud is one of the most magical experiences in the world. That’s especially true in this story of the father-and-daughter team of Mo and Meggie, who bring characters to life when they read. Dare to read this one out loud!

•“The Lightning Thief,” by Rick Riordan, is the first book in the hugely popular Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. There are five books in the Percy Jackson series.