Gift Guide from UltraViolet: Freeing Kids from Gender Stereotypes
Posted on December 12, 2012 at 3:00 pm
McKenna Pope, a 13-year-old from Garfield, New Jersey, wondered why she saw men cooking all the time on television but the Easy-Bake Oven was being marketed as though it was just for girls. She started a petition on Change.org and has gained widespread support, including the endorsement of male chefs. So it was great to find this list of toys and other gifts that are marketed free from gender stereotypes from UltraViolet, including great movies like Whale Rider. Bravo!
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features 13 stories on three DVDs, including That New Animal, Is Your Mama A Llama?, the hilarious Smile for Auntie and the classic Blueberries For Sal. I also love 
and 
. Bonus: I have one copy of each of the Nickelodeon DVDs to give away to the first person who writes to me at moviemom@moviemom.com with the name of the DVD you want in the subject line. Don’t forget your address! (US addresses only) Good luck!
has tributes to many great television shows, featuring interviews with the casts and creators. From 
to 
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to 
, you can hear the stories behind the stories.
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, highlights from the acclaimed series. The 6-disc set includes Academy Award-winner Alex Gibney’s Catching Hell and The Announcement, Nelson George’s inspirational film about Magic Johnson.
to get ready for the premiere of the third season on PBS in January. Or, for fans who are a bit more Downstairs than Upstairs, try 
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is as gorgeous as the film itself. 
documents and illustrates the making of the first of the three-part prequel to the “Lord of the Rings.”
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, with eight books, each a replica of one of the Hogwarts textbooks. My favorite is the one based on the Monster Book of Monsters, complete with sharp teeth. All the behind-the-scenes details are here, from the stories of the props and costumes and special effects to the stories of the friendships that developed on the cast and crew over the course of 8 films. Prepare for sticker shock — it lists at a steep $1000, but you can pre-order it on Amazon for just $600. Or, you can get the one-volume version for $75 (currently more than 40% off on Amazon). Both open the doors to Hogwarts castle and the wizarding world of Harry Potter to reveal the complete behind-the-scenes secrets, techniques, and over-the-top artistry that brought J.K. Rowling’s acclaimed novels to cinematic life. Developed in collaboration with the creative team behind the celebrated movie series, this one-volume deluxe, 500-plus page compendium features exclusive stories from the cast and crew, hundreds of never-before-seen photographs and concept illustrations sourced from the closed film sets, and rare memorabilia. As the definitive look at the magic that made cinematic history, Page to Screen is the ultimate collectible, perfect for Muggles everywhere.