Common Sense Reviewer

  • Joly Herman
  • Joly Herman
  • California

About Me

I am a professional freelance writer who has specialized in educational content since 1998. I am also certified as a Montessori primary school teacher. I have taught kids on two continents and in a handful of cities around the U.S.. I spend my free time reading, cooking, hiking with my husband and our dog, snowboarding, being with friends and appreciating music and art.

What My Kids Love Now

I have a dog and a cat, and we all love to play outside!

House Rules

Our family makes certain that we have lots of time with each other, without distractions.

When the Kids Are Asleep…

My Biggest Challenge Is:

Titles You’ve Reviewed

  • DVD: Yogi's First Christmas

    I rate this titleonand give it4.0

    Hey hey, Boo Boo! Yogi's Christmas caper is a keeper.

    Before there was Garifield, there was Yogi Bear: the picnic-basket obsessed bear who's charmed audiences with his suave style since 1961. This full-length movie ...

  • DVD: Veggie Tales: Saint Nicholas: A Story of Giving

    I rate this titleonand give it3.0

    Bouncy moral tale takes a deep look at what giving means.

    Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber have different views of the Christmas experience. Larry loves tinsel and blinking lights and knickknacks. Bob prefers the historical aspect of the the ...

  • DVD: Dora the Explorer: Dora's Christmas Carol Adventure

    I rate this titleonand give it3.0

    Sweet Dora holiday movie sprinkled with Latin flavor.

    A very nice respite from the heavy-handed takes on the Christmas Carol that proliferate at holiday season. Not only are young viewers learning about ...

  • DVD: Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse

    I rate this titleonand give it2.0

    Lots of Disney faves stuck in a bland hodgepodge of shorts.

    With all of that star power, this movie should have been much better. Instead, it feels like a traffic jam of Disney characters. Beauty and Simba share air time with the Seven Dwarves and Tigger. In ...

  • DVD: The Shaggy D.A.

    I rate this titleonand give it3.0

    Dad turns into a dog in this vintage Disney movie.

    Tim Conway fans will enjoy watching the master comedian list a dubious array of ice cream flavors that he's selling out of his truck. There are some fun slapstick ...

  • DVD: Barney: Jungle Friends

    I rate this titleonand give it3.0

    Barney's jungle journey has an eco-message.

    It's a little annoying to the refined ear to hear the tuneless songs in this movie cycled over and over again. But there is a redeeming quality to the content of the songs, since they successfully ...

  • Movie: Assassination of a High School President

    I rate this titleiffyand give it3.0

    Compelling high school noir movie, but not for kids.

    Fans of film noir will enjoy the fast-talking, if foul-mouthed, teens portrayed in this movie. But let us be clear: this movie is not meant to be viewed by the age group it portrays. There are no ...

  • DVD: Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving

    I rate this titleonand give it4.0

    Sweet seasonal adventures make this a holiday treat.

    Classic, in every sense of the word. The characters of these stories literally leap from the pages of A.A. Milne's books, successfully ...

  • DVD: Disney Animation Collection 7: Mickey's Christmas Carol

    I rate this titleonand give it3.0

    Classic entertaining holiday shorts with perennial lessons.

    MICKEY'S CHRISTMAS CAROL takes Dickens' lesson-rich tale of greed and redemption and gives it some light Disney touches, making it a better version to share with younger viewers. The theme of ...

  • Movie: Can't Hardly Wait

    I rate this titleiffyand give it2.0

    Boozy party movie where losing inhibitions pays off.

    There are some attempts at inner conflict, like Preston's pure devotion to Amanda and his attempts to gain her affections. But these monologues are rather flat and uninspiring. And poor Amanda, ...

  • DVD: Barbie and the Three Musketeers

    I rate this titleonand give it3.0

    Not as good as other Barbie titles; some violence.

    Though it feels more like Cinderella, this movie looks like an attempt by the creators to jump on the

  • DVD: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey's Adventures in Wonderland

    I rate this titleonand give it3.0

    Some good lessons in potentially over-stimulating DVD.

    For fans of interactive videos, this movie will be a charming foray into the world of make-believe. For parents who adhere to the approach that lots of visual stimulation is not appropriate for ...

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