When in Doubt, Look to the Books

Another one of my favorite books from my childhood, the Pagemaster was one in which I would ask my Mom specifically to drive to the library to check it out because I hadn't read it in awhile.  I knew exactly where it was on the bookshelf and still do.  Second to last book shelf, second shelf  from the top on the far left side and it was too large to fit vertical on the shelf so you could always see it sticking out.

This was honestly the reason I picked up the book in the first place, I wanted to know what book was long enough to hang off the shelf so much.  What I saw was the beautiful illustrations of Len Smith on the front cover of the Pagemaster.  

The Pagemaster follows "scaredy-cat" Richard Tyler on his adventures, once he gets stuck inside the public library during a thunderstorm.  As he walks into the main section of the library he sees murals on the ceiling of horror stories, adventure stories and fantasy stories.  While staring upwards, he slips on the wet floor and hits his head on the floor.

Richard is now thrown into the world of the Storybook where the books come to life! On his adventure to find "the exit," he meets three new friends, Adventure, Fantasy and Horror. They then work their way through all of these characters' "homes" while fighting pirates, exploring a haunted house and fighting off a dragon.

Later in the year, a film adaptation was created, starring Macaulay Culkin as Richard Tyler.  While personally, I love the book much more than the movie version.  Both of these Pagemasters capture the heart of readers (and viewers) with the lovable characters and beautiful imagery.  Here is the trailer for the 1994 film version of the Pagemaster.

Do you find that you usually like the movie or the book version of certain films, or books?  Have you ever read this book before?  Do you think this book would be successful in getting younger children interested in reading for fun, with the characters and books "coming to life?"