The Magic Schoolbus: All About Earth

Posted on April 15, 2013 at 6:59 am

A-

Lowest Recommended Age:	All Ages
MPAA Rating:	NR
Profanity:	None
Alcohol/ Drugs:	None
Violence/ Scariness:	Mild peril
Diversity Issues:	None
Date Released to DVD:	April 16, 2013
Amazon.com ASIN:	B009O07NKW

Just in time for Earth Day, Ms. Frizzles and the class go on three never-before-released episodes and a bonus from the popular series of animated adventures with science, with English and Spanish language options.

The episodes are:

“The Magic School Bus Goes to Seed” The class garden is going to be featured on the cover of Plant It! Magazine, but Phoebe’s garden plot is mysteriously empty.

“The Magic School Bus Blows Its Top” Ms. Frizzles explains volcanos and island creation.

“The Magic School Bus Goes on Air” The mysteries and miracles of air pressure.

Bonus: “The Magic School Bus All Dried Up” The story of deserts.

I have one copy to give away! Send me an email with “Schoolbus” in the subject line and tell me where you’d like Ms. Frizzle to take you. Don’t forget your address! (US addresses only.) I’ll pick a winner at random on April 20. Good luck!

Reminder: My policy on conflicts

Contest: To the Arctic

Posted on April 1, 2013 at 9:19 pm

Meryl Streep narrates “To the Arctic,” the story of twin polar bear cubs and their mother that is a great family film. And I have a copy to give away.

It’s an extraordinary journey to the top of the world and a compelling tale of survival in the changing Arctic wilderness they call home. Captivating and intimate IMAX® footage brings audiences up-close and personal with this family’s struggle in a frigid environment of melting ice, immense glaciers, spectacular waterfalls and majestic snow-bound peaks. The vistas and wildlife are breathtaking and the story of the mother and her cubs fighting for survival is touching. And the soundtrack features songs by Sir Paul McCartney.

It’s now available on DVD and Blu-Ray. The Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack features a 3D hi-definition, a hi-definition and a standard definition copy of the film; and the single disc DVD features a standard definition copy. Both the Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack and the single disc DVD include UltraViolet, which allows consumers to download and instantly stream the standard definition theatrical version of the film to a wide range of devices including computers and compatible tablets, smartphones, game consoles, Internet-connected TVs and Blu-ray players.

To enter, send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com and tell me why you’d like to visit the Arctic. Don’t forget to include your address (US addresses only). I’ll pick a winner at random on April 7. Good luck!

Contest! Charlie: A Toy Story

Posted on March 23, 2013 at 11:31 am

Charlie: A Toy Story will be out next week, but I have an early copy to give away. It’s the story of 10 year-old Caden and his best friend Charlie, a golden retriever. They visit Caden’s father Jack at his Wonder Toy Store where they discover his newest and greatest invention Wondermation, a little science mixed with a little imagination that’s the most amazing toy in the world. Unfortunately Caden’s rivals, the bumbling town bullies, want to steal Wondermation and keep it for themselves. There is a wild escapade with a lot of humor for families to enjoy together. To enter, send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with Charlie in the subject line and tell me your favorite pet. Don’t forget your address! (US addresses only). I’ll pick a winner at random on April 1. Good luck!

Contest: H2O — Just Add Water

Posted on March 6, 2013 at 8:00 am

“H2O” is the delightful Nickelodeon series about three teenage girls who gain special powers after a visit to a mysterious island. And I have copies of the whole first season to give away, with a special bonus — a 90-minute feature film version. Send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with H2O in the subject line and tell me what superpower you would most like to have. Don’t forget your address! (US addresses only.) I’ll pick the winners at random on March 12. Good luck!

Bill Harley: Win a CD!

Posted on March 3, 2013 at 4:00 pm

Here is how much my family loves the brilliant and hilarious singer/songwriter/story-teller Bill Harley. Even though we played and played and played his music until we all knew it inside out, we would still sit in the driveway until the end of a song or story. Many of our family’s most-beloved catch-phrases and in-jokes are inspired by Harley. Favorites included You’re in Trouble with “Dad Threw the TV Out the Window,” “When You Don’t Know What It Is,” the title song, and “I’m Busy,” Dinosaurs Never Say Please, with the title story about a boy who turns into a T-Rex and the very funny “Bojabi” and the classic “Master of All Masters.” We also love “You’re Not the Boss of Me,” “50 Ways to Fool Your Mother,” “Cool in School,” and many, many more.

It was a great treat to see Harley perform live at Sirius/XM’s Kid’s Place with Keith Munslow, accompanied by Harley’s son Dylan on drums. Harley has a gift for putting the biggest and most complicated and universal experiences into the most accessible terms. It is not just the simplicity of language, but the humor that he uses to make scary situations and feelings like jealousy and insecurity more manageable. The title of his new CD comes from a song named by a Kid’s Place contest: “It’s Not Fair to Me,” and the children in the audience shrieked with laughter at the familiarity and silliness of the claims. Munslow’s “My Eraser” is not just a tribute to the very useful pink spongey part of a pencil; it is an astute and reassuring observation about correcting all kinds of mistakes. Possibly the biggest hit at the performance was the very funny “Hideous Sweater,” a tribute to the articles of clothing we love beyond (and without) reason.

I am delighted to have two Harley CDs to give away, It’s Not Fair to Me (with Munslow) and the story collection High Dive & Other Things That Could Have Happened. If you’d like to enter, send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with Harley in the subject line and tell me your favorite silly song. Don’t forget your address! (US addresses only) I’ll pick a winner at random on March 10.