Ruby Holler
by Sharon Creech
Age: 8+
Interests: orphans, twins, siblings, family, country living, adoption
Ruby Holler
07 Oct 2014 Leave a comment
in Books, books 8+ Tags: adoption, country life, family, orphans, siblings, twins
The Graveyard Book
22 Sep 2014 2 Comments
in Books, books 10+ Tags: adoption, adventure, death, ghosts, monsters, orphans, violence
The Graveyard Book
by Neil Gaiman
Age: 10+
Interests: ghosts, ghouls, violence, orphans, monsters, adopted family, adventure
A Little Princess
12 Oct 2011 4 Comments
in Books, books 6+, Classics Tags: adoption, boarding school, class, history, London, manners, orphans, single parent, strong girls
by Frances Hodgson Burnett
first published in 1905 (prior to that the story appeared as a serialized novella and a play)
201 pp., 19 chapters
Ages: (to be read to) 6 +; (to read) 8 +
Interests: boarding schools, girls, history, class, hardship
Also by this author: The Secret Garden, Little Lord Fauntleroy
Next: MOVIES – A Little Princess (1939) with Shirley Temple, A Little Princess (1995) both with significant plot changes. TV ADAPTATIONS – 1973 and 1986, both apparently very faithful to original book.
Stuart Little (1999)
31 Jul 2011 Leave a comment
in Movies, movies 5+ Tags: adoption, boats, cats, family, mice, New York
Rated: Rated PG for brief language
Length: 84 min.
Age: 5 and up. Commonsense Media sez: 6 +
Scary Factor: Stuart in the washing machine as water is filling up; chased by cat several times; two major chases from alley cats in park
Intense: concept of getting mafia-like cats to rub him out (“scratch him out”); police station conversation about killing sprees and grisly crime photos; alley cats menace a lot but don’t get very close; alley cats dispatched in end by dumping them in pond (aren’t hurt, are seen climbing out and running off)
Bad Behaviour: George pushes another boy down, fists flying, etc. and doesn’t get in any trouble for it (the impression we’re left with is that it’s all right because the other boy was so unpleasant)
Language: swearing! “damn”s, “hell”; presumably included for sole purpose of winning a PG rating; also rude language, “shut up”, “moron”, “loser”, “speak to the butt”
Interests: mice, cats, New York, adoption, family
Next: read the book! More
Annie (1982)
16 May 2011 Leave a comment
in Movies, movies 5+ Tags: adoption, American history, dogs, history, New York, song and dance, strong girls
Rated: PG (language)
Length: 126 min.
Age: 5 and up. Commonsense Media sez: 6 +
Scary Factor: Annie is kidnapped, shoved into a car and taken away; she is also chased by Rooster (shouting “I’ll kill ya!”), climbs to a great height on a bridge, dangles over the edge before being rescued
Violence: the orphans are very rough with each other; Annie punches out a bigger boy, knocking him down; much slapsticky shoving about, pratfalls, foot-stomping; less amusing is moment at climax when Miss Hannigan tries to stop Rooster and he punches her, knocking her out; also, a ‘bolshevik’ tries to kill Warbucks with a bomb (a brief and rather lighthearted event)
Also: lots of verbal threats, between orphans and from Miss Hannigan (who likes to holler “kill kill kill!”), most used for humour
Language: “shut up”, several “damn”s, “hell”
Bad Behavior: Miss Hannigan is drunk most of the time (makes her own bathtub gin); grownups smoke quite a lot
Sex: Miss Hannigan throws herself at every man she encounters, in a manner, shall we say, unusual for a children’s film; Miss Hannigan lounges about in her lingerie; Rooster and his girlfriend paw one another, fully clothed
Interests: musicals, song and dance, New York, history
Next: OTHER MOVIE MUSICALS: Singin’ in the Rain (all ages), Mary Poppins (3), Meet Me in St. Louis (4), The Music Man, The Wizard of Oz (4), The Sound of Music (6), STAGE: see Annie the musical live if you can
Rarest Kind of Best 