New Reviews & Advice for You

Movies in Theaters & Coming Soon

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Charlie St. Cloud (2010, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know...

that this romantic drama is likely to reel in plenty of fans of teen heartthrob Zac Efron, who'll find emotionally hefty, weepy, supernaturally influenced fare in this story about a young man trying to get over his brother's death. An ... read more

Charlie St. Cloud
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Dinner for Schmucks (2010, Rated PG-13)
Parents Need to Know...

that this comedy is predicated on a cruel-sounding idea: To advance at his company, executive Tim Wagner (Paul Rudd) must bring someone (in this case, Steve Carrell as an IRS agent named Barry) to a company dinner whom everyone can make ... read more

Dinner for Schmucks
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Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (2010, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know...

that this action-comedy sequel features live-action animals that talk, which is always a huge draw for younger kids. Bette Midler stars as the voice of Kitty Galore, an evil cat with a plan for world domination. Only an alliance between ... read more

Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore
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Hot New Video Games

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StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (Mac, Windows)
Parents Need to Know...

StarCraft II has content inappropriate for little kids. This includes plenty of violence (with blood and gore), foul language, and scenes with drinking and smoking. Violence will likely be the big concern, as players are battling rival ... read more

Age 13+
StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty
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Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister (Mac, Windows)
Parents Need to Know...

that Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister is a mystery experience from the first-person perspective of the world-famous teen sleuth. As Nancy, players will experience some scary moments -- most involving the weather, but a few that feature ... read more

Age 10+
Nancy Drew: Trail of the Twister
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Little League World Series 2010 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
Parents Need to Know...

that Little League World Series 2010 is a wholesome and sweet-hearted, but still thoroughly fun and enjoyable baseball game. Kids can edit their own teams and uniforms, and teams consist of both boys and girls. There's a lot of focus on ... read more

Age 7+
Little League World Series 2010
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Website Reviews for Kids

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Zimmer Twins
Parents Need to Know...

that this imaginative movie-making site lets users create animated short films using predetermined characters, expressions, actions, and backgrounds. Users can fill movie frames with still drawings, speech bubbles, and transitional words ... read more

Age 8+
Zimmer Twins
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Togetherville
Parents Need to Know...

that this site is designed to be an introduction to social networking -- Facebook with training wheels, if you will. Positive features include super-safe posts that use scripted phrases, and the ability to socialize with known friends -- ... read more

Age 7+
Togetherville
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Google Buzz
Parents Need to Know...

that Google’s free social networking site and messaging tool makes adding friends as easy as emailing them -- or just accepting the recommended contacts from the service itself. Google's attempt to compete with the increasingly popular ... read more

Age 14+
Google Buzz
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What's On TV This Week

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Huge (ABC Family)
Parents Need to Know...

that this drama deals with teen obesity and body image in an honest, thought-provoking way. The main characters' sensitivity to weight runs the gamut, so viewers can expect to see tears, frustration, and even self-directed jokes about ... read more

Age 13+
Huge
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Nina's Little Fables (Sprout)
Parents Need to Know...

that this gentle show illustrates timeless fables with important life lessons for kids like respect, self-esteem, and problem-solving skills. The stories are brought to life in crisp, black-and-white designs that are as appealing to the ... read more

Age 3+
Nina's Little Fables
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Lockie Leonard (Disney XD)
Parents Need to Know...

that this Australian series is a nice change of pace from the multitude of American tween shows with marketing tie-ins to music, video games, clothing, etc. The show’s focus on an average kid trying to find his niche in high school will ... read more

Age 8+
Lockie Leonard
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Books We Love

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Kit Feeny Series by Michael Townsend
Parents Need to Know...

that this this super cute comic book series would be great for lovers of Babymouse.  Kit Feeny is a great role model who is learning some tough lessons that younger readers will really identify with.  Moving away, losing old friends, ... read more

Age 8+
Kit Feeny Series
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The Necromancer: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, Book 4 by Michael Scott
Parents Need to Know...

that the books in the epic Nicholas Flamel series, like the Percy Jackson tales, will get kids immersed in and learning about mythology. Like its predecessors, the fourth tale in the series mixes in some historical figures (Joan of Arc, ... read more

Age 11+
The Necromancer: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel, Book 4
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Todd's TV by James Proimos
Parents Need to Know...

that this book won’t reassure them about how much television their kids are watching! The message is pointed at parents, who probably won’t think much of Todd’s parents. But they’ll probably recognize -- guiltily -- a little ... read more

Age 4+
Todd's TV
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More book reviews

Music to Download

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Rock & Roll Playground by Various Artists
Parents Need to Know...

that this is a lesson in classic rock 'n' roll for your kiddos, with songs old and new. There's nothing to be concerned about. read more

Age 2+
Rock & Roll Playground
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"Undo It" (CD single) by Carrie Underwood
Parents Need to Know...

that this single follows the classic Carrie Underwood pattern: no offensive language, sex, substance use, or other adult content of any kind. Although the tune covers romantic-relationship ground -- this time finding her wishing she could ... read more

Age 10+
"Undo It" (CD single)
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The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Soundtrack by Various Artists
Parents Need to Know...

that when compared to the Twilight movies, this soundtrack is very tame. Aside from a couple of stark lines about death and some fairly intense expressions of love, the lyrics steer clear of adult content. They contain absolutely no ... read more

Age 10+
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Soundtrack
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More music reviews

Advice for Parents & Educators

Check out our Summer Movie Guide for a sneak peek at summer's hottest movies. New kids' movies coming soon.

Can 3-D Movies Be Harmful? Don't go lightly into that 3-D movie. What you need to know about 3-D.

Online Games Guide Advice, tips, and great online games for every age

Want More Great Advice?

What can you do to help your kids? Find great tips on everything from avoiding violent tv to online safety.

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