New Reviews & Advice for You

Movies in Theaters & Coming Soon

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Old Dogs (2009, Rated PG)
Parents Need to Know...

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Old Dogs
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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
3
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Hot New Games

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LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues (Mac/Windows, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3)
Parents Need to Know...

that while this fun and imaginative adventure game contains a ton of fighting and tidbits of low-brow humor, it is all presented in a playful, unrealistic manner. Elements that might seem problematic in a different game are here mitigated ... read more

Age 9+
LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues
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The Sims 3: World Adventures (Windows)
Parents Need to Know...

that this is an expansion pack for The Sims 3, and players must already have a copy of The Sims 3 installed on their computer for the expansion pack to work. The expansion allows Sims to take vacations, and introduces new character ... read more

Age 14+
The Sims 3: World Adventures
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JONAS (Nintendo DS)
Parents Need to Know...

that JONAS is a musical adventure game based on the Disney Channel TV show of the same name. While in real life, Nick, Joe, and Kevin (aka The Jonas Brothers) are very likeable, and the characters they play on the TV series are also very ... read more

Age 8+
JONAS
2
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Website Reviews for Kids

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WatchKnow
Parents Need to Know...

that this nonprofit "YouTube for kids" is safe and educational. Launched by Larry Sanger, a cofounder of Wikipedia, it aims to collect all the educational videos on the Web that are suitable for kids in one convenient place. ... read more

Age 13+
WatchKnow
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A Walk in the Woods
Parents Need to Know...

that this low-tech site is designed to engage young children (and even some older ones) in the beauty and fun of nature. Specially targeted to newbie explorers, this site covers all the basic safety and ecology rules (leave only ... read more

Age 6+
A Walk in the Woods
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BAM! Body and Mind
Parents Need to Know...

that this government-run site is commercial free and doesn't accept any advertising. The site covers all the health advice that parents are always trying to impart to kids, like the importance of hand-washing before eating, but in a ... read more

Age 9+
BAM! Body and Mind
4
More web site reviews

New on TV

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Skyrunners (Disney XD)
Parents Need to Know...

that this made-for-TV alien-invasion adventure about two brothers who stumble upon a UFO is equal parts sci-fi action and high school drama, with older brother Nick trying to win a date with the girl of his dreams while defending younger ... read more

Age 9+
Skyrunners
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The Garfield Show (Cartoon Network)
Parents Need to Know...

that this CGI-animated series based on the long-running comic strip by Jim Davis offers more of the same exaggerated antics that viewers have come to expect from the infamously greedy orange tabby. Garfield is a model of irksome behavior, ... read more

Age 6+
The Garfield Show
3
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The Wanda Sykes Show (Fox)
Parents Need to Know...

that this comedy/variety/talk series includes sharp political commentary that reflects host Wanda Sykes’ strongly anti-conservative point of view. There's also some racially motivated humor (like references to “white folks” and ... read more

Age 15+
The Wanda Sykes Show
2
More TV reviews

Great New Reads

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Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip M. Hoose
Parents Need to Know...

that amidst this award-nominated, inspirational history lesson there are mentions of upsetting violence: stories of women being raped by men in the segregated South; several teens are arrested; a girl becomes pregnant by a much older, ... read more

Age 13+
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
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The Mitten (20th Anniversary Edition) by Jan Brett
Parents Need to Know...

that this 20th anniversary edition is a beautiful book, and one to be treasured, both for the sweetness of the story and the detailed artwork that illustrates it.  read more

Age 4+
The Mitten (20th Anniversary Edition)
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Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Parents Need to Know...

that for a fast paced adventure story set during WWI there is surprisingly little violence. There are some battles that culminate in deaths and injuries, but there is very little blood and no gore. Genetically engineered fighting ... read more

Age 12+
Leviathan
5
More book reviews

Download This Music

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The Twilight Saga: New Moon Soundtrack by Various Artists
Parents Need to Know...

that there are some haunting sounds on this CD, full of melancholy and woe, but nothing that would pose an issue for teens or even tweens for that matter. This soundtrack is in fact more suitable for younger kids than either the Twilight ... read more

Age 10+
The Twilight Saga: New Moon Soundtrack
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"Favorite Girl" (CD single) by Justin Bieber
Parents Need to Know...

that this is another clean release from Justin Bieber, containing nothing more than one boy’s innocuous expressions of affection for his girlfriend. read more

Age 10+
"Favorite Girl" (CD single)
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Glee: The Music, Vol. 1 by Glee Cast
Parents Need to Know...

that while the TV show Glee includes some eyebrow-raising moments, this soundtrack of cover songs from the show is a shade cleaner, offering no foul language or heavy references to adult themes like sex and drugs. read more

Age 10+
Glee: The Music, Vol. 1
4
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