New Reviews & Advice for You

Movies in Theaters & Coming Soon

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The Princess and the Frog (2009, Rated G)
Parents Need to Know...

that The Princess and the Frog is Disney's first movie first to feature an African-American heroine, Princess Tiana. The New Orleans-set story is a spin on the classic fairy tale about the princess who finds true love when she kisses an ... read more

Age 6+
The Princess and the Frog
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Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know...

that director Wes Anderson's dry, offbeat adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic children's story Fantastic Mr. Fox is fine for most grade-schoolers but also has some themes and humor that will go over kids' head. The story features a lot of ... read more

Age 7+
Fantastic Mr. Fox
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The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know...

that the second installment in the hugely popular Twilight saga is darker and a bit more violent than the first movie, but not enough to make it inappropriate for teens, especially those who've read the books. That said, the relationship ... read more

Age 13+
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
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Hot New Games

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JumpStart: Escape from Adventure Island (Nintendo Wii)
Parents Need to Know...

that this educational game makes its lessons not only fun, but enticing, by layering them into action-based, cartoon-inspired gameplay. Not all of the mini-games are purely curriculum-based -- some are more reminiscent of what you'd find ... read more

Age 7+
JumpStart: Escape from Adventure Island
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Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 (PlayStation 2, PSP, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3)
Parents Need to Know...

that Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 is a soccer simulation game with detailed options for tournaments, team management and strategic adjustments. Soccer players and fans will find the the array of hundreds of national teams and leagues and ... read more

Age 10+
Pro Evolution Soccer 2010
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Tony Hawk: RIDE (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
Parents Need to Know...

this game, as with past Tony Hawk games, isn't too controversial in its "Teen"-rated content. Along with some animated violence and a little bit of blood seen during a bad spill, the game is quite tame -- except for some ... read more

Age 13+
Tony Hawk: RIDE
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Website Reviews for Kids

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Disney Digital Books
Parents Need to Know...

that the free subscription to this site is really just a preview of the features of full membership. Once subscribed, kids are able to navigate around a safe environment full of reading opportunities. But before you subscribe it pays to ... read more

Age 6+
Disney Digital Books
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FarmVille on Facebook
Parents Need to Know...

that FarmVille is available only to members of the popular -- but not always child-friendly -- Facebook social network, and that's why we rate it iffy for young teens. The game itself is clean, safe, and loads of fun, if not ... read more

Age 14+
FarmVille on Facebook
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FashionPlaytes
Parents Need to Know...

that this site lets girls play fashion designer and create their own clothing styles which they can then purchase. This site only focuses on girls clothing and offers a handful of base designs to start off with, like shirts, leggings, and ... read more

Age 7+
FashionPlaytes
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New Holiday TV Specials

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Lanny and Wayne the Christmas Elves in Prep & Landing (ABC)
Parents Need to Know...

that this delightful holiday tale blends a unique story with clever humor and kid-friendly content, making it an excellent choice for the entire family. There's very little in the way of iffy stuff, the imaginative concept of elves ... read more

Age 5+
Lanny and Wayne the Christmas Elves in Prep & Landing
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Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation (Disney XD)
Parents Need to Know...

that this holiday special based on the popular Phineas and Ferb cartoon greatly exaggerates the main characters' abilities to act on their hair-brained ideas (toboggans made out of their beds, for instance) -- but that’s the essence of ... read more

Age 5+
Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation
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Merry Madagascar (NBC)
Parents Need to Know...

that this holiday special sequel to the popular Madagascar films has strong positive messages about generosity and goodwill. Expect some very mild flirting between a penguin and a reindeer and a reference to a character’s “booty,” ... read more

Age 6+
Merry Madagascar
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Great New Reads

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Imogene's Last Stand by Candace Fleming
Parents Need to Know...

that Imogene is a girl with a mission. While she does protest the loss of the local historical society, her actions are appropriate acts of civil disobedience. read more

Age 5+
Imogene's Last Stand
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Return to the Hundred Acre Wood by David Benedictus
Parents Need to Know...

that there's little to be concerned with here: a mention of drinking whiskey, a bike brand, and an ear-boxing by an annoyed Owl. read more

Age 7+
Return to the Hundred Acre Wood
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Waddle: A Scanimation Picture Book by Rufus Butler Seder
Parents Need to Know...

that this third of Rufus Butler Seder's "scanimation" books is as mesmerizing as the others, with a text that is perfect for beginning readers.  read more

Age 5+
Waddle: A Scanimation Picture Book
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Download This Music

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For Your Entertainment by Adam Lambert
Parents Need to Know...

that for the most part this album is rather tame, but there are a few tracks on here that might raise some eyebrows when it comes to sexy lyrics. Although there's nothing really explicit, Lambert does sing about some mature subject ... read more

Age 12+
For Your Entertainment
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She Wolf by Shakira
Parents Need to Know...

that overall this album is mostly OK for young teens, but parents should still be ready to talk about certain issues. A discussion about healthy relationships might be in order since this album presents some iffy role models for kids ... read more

Age 13+
She Wolf
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"Fireflies" (CD single) by Owl City
Parents Need to Know...

that though the lyrics in this song are somewhat nonsensical, they contain no real show-stoppers in the way of profane language, sexual references, or other adult themes. read more

Age 10+
"Fireflies" (CD single)
3
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