Contest: Merry Christmas, Splat

Posted on November 29, 2013 at 8:00 am

I am delighted to be able to give away a copy of the adorable Merry Christmas Splat & More Winter Stories, from my very favorite series for kids, Scholastic Storybook Treasures.

Splat the cat is worried that he hasn’t been as good as he’d hoped on Christmas Eve. In Fletcher and the Snowflake Christmas, the little fox and his rabbit friends are worried that Santa won’t be able to reach them. More soft white stuff falls in Snowflake Bentley, in this true story about the pioneering scientist who studied water crystals. And in Owl Moon, and owl and his daughter go exploring together.

Send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with Snow in the subject line and tell me your favorite winter activity. Don’t forget your address! (US addresses only) I’ll pick a winner at random on December 5. Good luck!

Contest: Halloween Story Collection from Scholastic Storybook Treasures

Posted on October 8, 2013 at 3:55 pm

My very favorite series for kids has a wonderful new collection for Halloween and I have three to give away! Enjoy the ghoulish pleasures and scary delights and ghostly giggles of stories like The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything, Kitten’s First Full Moon, Dem Bones, and The Boy With Two Shadows.

If you’d like to win this Halloween treat, send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with Halloween in the subject line and tell me your best Halloween costume. Don’t forget your address! (US addresses only.) I’ll pick a winner at random on lucky October 13!

Contest: Bink & Gollie

Posted on May 23, 2013 at 12:00 pm

I am always especially excited to have one of the fabulous Scholastic Storybook DVDs to give away, and this one is extra important for families because it is about what it means to be a friend. This all-new compilation is headlined by “Bink & Gollie” from Kate DiCamillo, the Newbery Medal-winning author of Because of Winn Dixie and The Tale of Despereaux and Alison McGhee. It is the story of two very different girls who are the best of friends. Bink is a fashionable, confident girl and Gollie is a rumpled and spontaneous. They both have ideas about how things should go. Bink and Gollie don’t agree on anything. In order to keep their friendship going strong they have to learn about cooperation, compromise, and communication.

The original story for early readers, illustrated by Tony Fucile, won the Theodore Geisel Award. A sequel, “Bink & Gollie: Best Friends Forever,” from Candlewick Press, was released last month.

Three other stories about friendship are also included on the DVD, along with interviews with writers and illustrators:

“A Sick Day for Amos Mcgee” (by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead, narrated by David de Vries) – Amos receives unexpected guests from the zoo when he’s home with the sniffles and sneezes.

“The Other Side” (by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E.B. Lewis, narrated by Toshi Widoff-Woodson) – A friendship develops between two kids from opposite sides of a segregated town.

“Cat and Canary” (written and illustrated by Michael Foreman) – Cat’s unlikely friend Canary shows him a great time when his master is away at work.

I have one copy to give away. Send me an email with “Gollie” in the subject line and tell me the name of a special friend in your life. Don’t forget your address! (US addresses only). I’ll pick a winner at random on May 29. Good luck!

New DVD Giveaway: Word Girl vs. The Energy Monster

Posted on May 19, 2013 at 8:00 am

One of my favorite television series for kids is the wonderful PBS show “Word Girl,” and this new release is one of the best: Wordgirl vs the Energy Monster.

WORDGIRL and her sidekick CAPTAIN HUGGY FACE fight the good fight against dastardly villains and bad vocabulary in this thrilling collection!

Dinner Or Consequences (Parts 1 & 2): Dr. Two Brains and the Energy Monster want to turn the whole city into cheese! It’s up to WordGirl to stop them even if it means missing her family feast and facing the consequences.

Best Fan Club Meeting Ever: TJ plans to divulge a secret about WordGirl to International WordGirl Fan Club members, until Tobey threatens to destroy the clubhouse. Will WordGirl save the clubhouse and her fans?

Day at the Museum: Scoops takes Becky, Bob, and Violet to the museum to find inspiration for his next news story. When they go in search of a haunted treasure, The Butcher follows right behind! WordGirl enriches vocabulary skills, fosters better reading comprehension and instills a love of language in all children.

And what great words will she learn?

I have a copy to give away! Send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with WordGirl in the subject line and tell me one of your favorite long words. Don’t forget your address! I’ll pick a winner on May 20. (US addresses only)

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