Contest: DVDs for Purim and Passover!

Posted on March 9, 2011 at 3:51 pm

There are two great new Shalom Sesame DVDs to celebrate the spring Jewish holidays and I have one of each to give away. It’s a wonderful way to help introduce children to two of the year’s most important festivals. This year, Purim begins the evening of March 19 and the first Passover seder is on April 18.

Be Happy, It’s Purim! Everyone is dressing up for Purim, so get out your groggers and join the fun! Avigail is inspired by the story of Esther. Moishe Oofnik is his usual grouchy self…but who is that mysterious masked singer at the Purim Spiel? Guest appearance by Eva Longoria.

It’s Passover, Grover! It’s almost time to celebrate Passover, and there is no horseradish to be found. Grover, Anneliese and Avigail put their heads together to track it down, but things get tricky when there is an Oofnik involved! Guest appearance by Jake Gyllenhaal

To win one of the DVDs, send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with Purim or Passover in the subject line to let me know which one you want. Don’t forget to include your address and tell me your favorite part of the holiday celebration. I’ll pick two random winners one week from today. Good luck and good yom tov!

Great Figures in African-American History

Posted on February 21, 2011 at 8:00 am

Lowest Recommended Age:	All Ages
MPAA Rating:	NR
Profanity:	None
Alcohol/ Drugs:	None
Violence/ Scariness:	Family-friendly historical issues about racisim and loss
Diversity Issues:	The theme of the series
Date Released to Theaters:	2011
Date Released to DVD:	February 1, 2011
Amazon.com ASIN:	B0042EJDKI

Another one from my favorite series that arrives in time for Black History Month — Duke Ellington… and more stories to celebrate great figures in African American history from Scholastic Storybook Treasures.

The DVD includes gently animated and beautifully narrated versions of four books about important figures in black history.

Duke Ellington Forest Whitaker reads this tribute to one of the 20th century’s most celebrated and influential musicians.

Ellington Was Not a Street Phylicia Rashad reads Ntozake Shange’s story about growing up amidst many of the great figures of African-American history.

Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa She had an exquisite voice and unsurpassed musicianship to use it like a jazz instrument. Billy Dee Williams tells the story of how she got her sound.

John Henry Samuel L. Jackson reads the story based on the famous legend and folk ballad about the hammer-driving man who could beat anyone, even the machine.

Waiting for ‘Superman’

Posted on February 14, 2011 at 8:00 am

A-

Lowest Recommended Age:	High School
MPAA Rating:	Rated PG for some thematic material, mild language, and incidental smoking
Profanity:	Mild language
Alcohol/ Drugs:	None
Violence/ Scariness:	None
Diversity Issues:	A theme of the movie
Date Released to DVD:	February 15, 2011
Amazon.com ASIN:	B003Q6D28C

One of the most acclaimed films of the year is “Waiting for Superman,” by Davis Guggenheim, director of An Inconvenient Truth.

America brought the world the idea of free public education and we have more top universities than the rest of the world put together. But this documentary shows that we have fallen far behind when it comes to our children. America has fallen far down the list when it comes to academic achievement and opportunity. This film shows us parents desperate to give their children a chance at education through heart-wrenching lotteries that exclude everyone but the lucky few. It shows us activists like then-Washington DC schools head Michelle Rhee, fighting teachers unions that prize job security over performance. And it shows us the daunting challenges faced by everyone in the system, teachers, principals, parents, and students.

I have five copies of this acclaimed documentary to give away. Send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with “Superman” in the subject line and tell me about your favorite teacher. Don’t forget your address! I will select winners at random a week from today.

Contest: Five Classic Romantic DVDs for Your Valentine

Posted on February 9, 2011 at 11:16 pm

Sharing a romantic movie with the one you love is one of life’s greatest pleasures. The fabulous Warner Archive has made more of their most beloved movies about romance available for the first time, including one of my all-time favorites, “The Enchanted Cottage” along with others featuring Cary Grant, Clark Gable, Bob Hope, Debbie Reynolds, and Jimmy Stewart. Here’s a clip from the sexy comedy “Sunday in New York,” starring Jane Fonda, Cliff Robertson, Rod Taylor, and Robert Culp.

And one of my lucky readers has a chance to win FIVE of them. All you need to do is visit the Warner Archive and pick the five titles you want. (If you need advice, ask me about the films with a comment below — I’ve seen almost all of them!) All titles on your list MUST be in the collection. Then send me the names of the five titles at moviemom@moviemom.com with WARNERS in the subject line. On February 15, I will pick one lucky winner at random. Good luck, and happy Valentine’s Day!

Black History Month Treat: Lincoln and Douglass

Posted on February 4, 2011 at 3:59 pm

My very favorite series for kids, the Scholastic Storybook Treasures, has a new gem out for Black History Month and President’s Day. It’s a collection of DVDs based on four superb history books for children including Lincoln & Douglass: An American Friendship, adapted from the book by Nikki Giovanni, illustrated by Bryan Collier, and narrated by Danny Glover. It is the story of an historic friendship between two great American leaders, the President of the United States and the man who was born a slave and came to lead the fight for freedom for all slaves.

The DVD also features “The Pilgrims of Plimoth,” “John, Paul, George, & Ben,” the story of five boys who grew up to become the Founding Fathers of the United States, and “The Journey of the One & Only Declaration of Independence.”