The Post Office Cat
by Gail E. Haley
Age: 4+
Interests: cats, history, London, post office
The Post Office Cat
03 Jun 2013 Leave a comment
in Books, books 4+ Tags: adventure, animals, British history, cats, cities, history, London, pets
Mrs. Easter and the Storks
22 May 2013 3 Comments
in Books, books 4+ Tags: adventure, birds, boats, chase, London, royalty, travel
Mrs Easter and the Storks
by V.H. Drummond
Age: 4+
Interests: birds, travel, London, adventure, chase, royalty
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.
Mrs. Cockle’s Cat
10 Sep 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books 4+ Tags: balloons, cats, London, ocean
GREENAWAY MEDAL WINNER – 1961
Philippa Pearce, author
Antony Maitland, illustrator
London: Constable and Co., 1961
30 pp.
Ages: 4 +
Interests: cats, flying, balloons, London, ocean, boats
Also by this author: Tom’s Midnight Garden
Charley, Charlotte and the Golden Canary
30 May 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books 4+ Tags: birds, cities, London
Charley, Charlotte and the Golden Canary
GREENAWAY MEDAL WINNER – 1967
by Charles Keeping
Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1967
31 pp.
Age: 4 +
Interests: birds, cities, London
Shakespeare’s Theatre
21 Apr 2011 Leave a comment
in Books Tags: British history, history, London, theatre
GREENAWAY MEDAL WINNER – 1964
C. Walter Hodges, author and illustrator
London: Oxford University Press, 1964
102 pp
Ages: 10 + (?)
Interests: drama, theatre history, British history, Shakespeare, London
Return to Never Land (2002)
10 Mar 2011 Leave a comment
in Movies, movies 4+ Tags: adventure, boats, British history, fairies, London, Magic, octopus, pirates, strong girls, war
Rated: G
Length: 72 min.
Age: 4 and up. commonsense media sez: 5+
Scary Factor: opening scenes of WWII blitz in London may be alarming; as in the first film, pirate shenanigans are more slapsticky than scary
Also: separation from father, Captain Hook smokes
Interests: magic, fairies, pirates
Next: MOVIES: Peter Pan (1953) of course, The Sword in the Stone (1963), The Little Mermaid (1989); BOOKS: Peter Pan, Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens
One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
07 Mar 2011 Leave a comment
in Movies, movies 4+ Tags: animals, dogs, London, pets
Rated: G
Length: 79 min.
Age: 4 and up Commonsense Media sez: 5+
Scary factor: Cruella is really creepy.
Violence: buffoonish and not intense, nobody is seriously hurt
Intense scenes: anticipatory suspense, mostly; but some reckless driving and a car crash at the end
Language: Cruella frequently calls Horace and Jasper “Idiots!”
Sexual Innuendo: Just a comment from Roger re. the birth of fifteen puppies, he says to Pongo “You old rascal!” Sentiment is repeated at the end with the appearance of 84 extra puppies.
Also: there’s smoking (both Roger and Cruella) and the thugs take swigs from a wine bottle.
Interests: dogs, puppies, animals, pets
Next: read the book The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith; MOVIES: Lady and the Tramp, The Aristocats (similar story, but with cats, and no Cruella!)
Peter Pan (2003)
04 Mar 2011 Leave a comment
in Movies Tags: action, adventure, boats, crocodile, fairies, London, Magic, mermaids, pirates, romance, strong girls
Rated: PG – frightening scenes, violence
Length: 113 min.
Age: 8 and up. commonsense media sez: 9+
Scary Factor: violence and killing among the pirates, though no show of blood and gore; the mermaids are truly creepy, and Hook is genuinely threatening
Intense scenes: Wendy is shot down and believed briefly to be dead, Tinker Bell drinks poison and nearly dies, Peter is bashed around by Hook during final fight
Sexuality: only some sexual tension between Peter and Wendy, limited to a couple kisses; there is a glimpse of bare Lost Boy behinds at one point
Also: a brief sight of Hook’s amputated arm may bother the squeamish (though the wound is old: no blood); as always, the pirates smoke and drink, and liquor and cigars are offered to Wendy (she turns them down)
Interests: fairies, pirates, magic, mermaids
Next: read the original novel Peter Pan, see the grittier pirate movies (Pirates of the Caribbean are for the 12+ crowd)
Peter Pan (1953)
03 Mar 2011 Leave a comment
in Movies, movies 4+ Tags: adventure, boats, crocodile, fairies, London, Magic, mermaids, pirates
Rated: G
Length: 76 min.
Age: 4 and up. commonsense media sez: 5+
Scary Factor: Nothing too bad at all – everything handled with great humour, especially Hook and pursuing crocodile.
Cringe Factor: “What Makes the Red Man Red” song, and stereotypical depiction of ‘redskins’; also not very enlightened re. female role models
Violence: much ‘play’ violence, violent language on part of kids, bloodless swordfights, at some point in past Peter cut off Hook’s hand, but this is not seen
Interests: fairies, pirates, magic, mermaids
Next: see it on the stage! (an excellent first play), read the book, older children (8+) could watch the 2003 live action Peter Pan
Rarest Kind of Best 