There's an old TV movie adaptation of this that I saw when I was about 8, long before I had developed a taste for reading.

I would have sworn it was Disney, because I recall seeing it at least twice and walking away from a decision to watch it another time or two, and that was very on-brand for Disney at the time. However, Wikipedia is telling me that it was made by ABC in 1980 and starred Anthony Michael Hall. I suppose ABC must have done reruns during the summer.