I watched this movie back in the 6th grade after reading the book. Both wonderful. The only problem I've got is that I forgot the Name of the book. If anyone has the title of the book I'd really appreciate it.
Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted. - John Lennon
The book, Sid Fleischman's By the Great Horn Spoon, has a great deal of subtle humor and has a moral, as well as a much better storyline. In the translation to screenplay, the story has been dumbed down and changed, to add more of Arabella (who is Jack's aunt in the book), and add a character to serve as a romantic rival to Praiseworthy (it's a mystery to me why his name is changed to Griffin in the movie). The humor has also been changed to slapstick and gags. One of the sad changes is that all of Jack and Bullwhip's successes in the film seem to come from pure luck, while their successes in the novel come from honesty, trustworthiness, and hard work. As it stands, the film is useful as a means to have my students compare and contrast the novel and the film.