Prince Edward Island and Anne of Green Gables

Posted on June 26, 2008 at 8:00 am

This week we are visiting Canada’s Prince Edward Island, well known to fans of classic children’s books as the home of Anne of Green Gables and the author who created her, L. M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery. When I was in 6th and 7th grade I was a huge fan of the series about the red-headed orphan with a big imagination and an even bigger heart who held on so tightly to the “e” at the end of her name. I loved the way each book’s title indicated the widening of her physical and emotional world as she went from Green Gables, Avonlea, the Island. I also read some of Montgomery’s other books, including Tales of Avonlea and More Tales of Avonlea, which reflected more deeply Montgomery’s views on spirituality and sacrifice. And I believe that the miniseries is one of the finest book-to-movie adaptations ever put on film. Every detail and performance is everything Ms. Montgomery and Anne could have wished for. I am looking forward to touring Anne’s community with my family and if I take any good pictures, I’ll post them.

Project Gutenberg’s online version of Anne of Green Gables.

The Sword in the Stone

Posted on June 23, 2008 at 4:55 pm

A-

Lowest Recommended Age:	All Ages
MPAA Rating:	G
Profanity:	None
Alcohol/ Drugs:	None
Violence/ Scariness:	Cartoon violence
Diversity Issues:	Class issues
Date Released to Theaters:	1963
Date Released to DVD:	June 17, 2008
Amazon.com ASIN:	B0015XWU9U

Based on the book by T.H. White, this is the story of the early years of King Arthur. Nicknamed “Wart,” the future King Arthur is squire to a knight when he meets Merlin the magician, who promises to take on his education. Merlin turns him into a fish, a bird, and a squirrel to teach him lessons like the importance of brains over brawn. He gets to see this in action when Madame Mim, Merlin’s enemy, challenges Merlin to a duel by magic, and, though she cheats, Merlin is able to defeat her.

Wart still has his duties as a squire, and, having forgotten the sword for a jousting match, he runs to get it. He sees a sword stuck in a stone and pulls it out, not knowing the legend that whoever will pull the sword out of the stone will be the rightful king. He becomes King Arthur, and listens when Merlin reminds him that knowledge is the real power.

Discussion: The Arthur legend has fascinated people for centuries, and this story about Arthur’s childhood as special appeal for children. Aside from the fun of seeing what it is like to be a bird, a squirrel, or a fish, and from having your very own wizard as a teacher, there is the highly satisfying aspect of having one’s worth, unappreciated by everyone, affirmed so unequivocally.

Questions for Kids:

Â· What made Arthur the one who could pull the sword out of the stone?

Â· What did he learn from his adventures with Merlin?

Â· How will what he learned help him to be a good king?

Â· How did Madame Mim cheat?

Â· How did Merlin fight back when she did?

Connections: Older kids may like to see “Camelot,” the musical by Lerner and Lowe (of “My Fair Lady”), to find out some of what happened to Arthur later (WARNING: the focus of that movie is on Guinevere’s infidelity with Lancelot). Mature teenagers might like the rather gory “Excalibur,” which has some stunning images.

Summer Reading for Kids and Their Families

Posted on June 21, 2008 at 8:00 am

Happy longest day of the year! And happy summer.

Long summer days are a wonderful time to rediscover the pleasures of reading. Families should make sure that everyone age 7 and older has a library card and make a point of visiting at least 2-3 times a month during the summer. Make friends with the librarians who run the children’s room and see what they recommend. The American Library Association’s website has wonderful resources for finding good books for children and teenagers.

The Child Literacy Center has some good hints for parents on ways to encourage a love of reading in your children. Keep reading to them even when they are old enough to read for themselves. It is a wonderful way to bring the family together.

In addition to giving children a chance to explore all of the imagination and adventure in books, reading will stretch their attention spans and their vocabularies — essential for getting the most out of school and developing communication skills that are the primary predictor of satisfaction and success in the workplace. Giving your children the love of reading is one of the most important gifts a parent can bestow. That means not just encouraging them to read but demonstrating your own love of reading. Let them see you enjoying a great book. When our extended family goes on vacation, we each bring a book we love and one night we all sit down for a swap. It is one of the highlights of our time together and I have found some great reads that way.

Here are some of our family’s read-aloud favorites:

Movies about Values

Posted on June 19, 2008 at 7:46 am

Beliefnet has posted my gallery of movies that illustrate important values like integrity, courage, courtesy, learning, and peace.
Movies are our sagas, our myths, our touchstones, and our collective cultural heritage. They are also one way that we teach ourselves and our children about values. Of course, kids get their most important lessons from the behavior of their parents. But movies give us a chance to explain and expand on those lessons through a modern form of parables or Aesop’s Fables. And like parables, stories in movies have the advantage of distance–it can be easier for kids to talk to parents about what’s happening on screen than to talk about what’s going on inside them. Those discussions are a powerful way for families to connect and communicate. I’ve selected 10 terrific movies in which characters show qualities like responsibility, integrity, compassion, and courage. Each is popcorn-worthy entertainment for families to share and a great way to begin conversations about the way that our values affect our choices and their consequences.
Check out the movies on my list and let me know which movies your family thinks illustrates important values.

Tribute: Cyd Charisse

Posted on June 17, 2008 at 9:32 pm

USA Today’s Jim Cheng said it best: “Talk about a career with legs.” The beautiful dancer from Hollywood’s golden age died today at age 86. Born Tula Ellice Finklea in Amarillo, Texas, she was a professional ballerina at age 16 and appearing as a specialty dancer and then a leading lady on screen soon after, dancing opposite Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. Fred Astaire said of their appearances together in “The Band Wagon” and “Silk Stockings,” “When you’ve danced with her, you stay danced with.” Watch this number from “The Band Wagon.” She plays a ballerina who has not been getting along with her co-star (Astaire), an old school hoofer. One night, they go for a walk together and just naturally begin this lovely little number to “Dancing in the Dark.” Like most great movie dance numbers it tells a story about their relationship, very different at the end of the dance than it was at the beginning.

These are among my favorites: