That Darn Cat

That Darn Cat

Walt Disney Pictures

Publisher: Burbank, Calif. : Distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, [2003?]

Plot Description:

            When a mysterious kidnapping occurs, the police have no clues or suspects.  But when D.C. finds a clue that could break the case, it’s up to Patti to make sure the cops pay attention.  The only problem is that the police don’t like to take clues from cats….and D.C., despite being a man about town, is a cat.  Hilarity ensues as Patti teams up with FBI agent Kelso to try and solve the case. 

Review:

            That Darn Cat is a fun filled adventure about a girl and her crime-solving cat.  While the movie takes place in the 90s, it will still appeal to tweens   Christina Ricci pairs well with Doug E. Doug in this great remake of the original.  The movie’s humor will appeal to tweens of both genders.  It is a fun movie which is both wholesome and fun. 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Viewing level: 4^th Grade

Similar Movies: Aquamarine, Milo and Otis

Reader’s Advisory:

Personal thoughts- cute

Subjects/themes- Cats, Friendship, Kidnapping, Fiction

Character names/descriptions-

            Patti- 16 year old who hates the town her parents move her to

            Kelso- the FBI agent who is teamed with Patti to solve a kidnapping

            D.C.- short for Darn Cat, who is crucial to solving the kidnapping

Annotation: D.C. might have all the answers, but if only they could get him to talk!

Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief

Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief

Distributed by Fox

Publisher: Beverly Hills, CA : 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, c2010.

Plot Description:

            Percy Jackson didn’t know he was a demi-god, the son of the god Poseidon. But after a school trip where his teacher attacks him and he is chased by the minator to Camp Half Blood he has no choice but to believe.  Unfortunately not he is being accused of stealing Zeus’s master bolt, and must set out on a quest to prove his innocence.  But will he be able to do it in time?

Review:

            The movie has some stark differences from the book.  It is still well acted and fun for tweens, but those who are dedicated to the book might be annoyed by the changes between the two.  I thought that the movie was a fun experience, with lots of action and adventure.  It is a great epic about the Greek gods which will entertain tweens young and old.

Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Viewing level: 4^th-all grades

Similar Movies: Inkheart, Harry Potter

Reader’s Advisory:

Personal thoughts- Good but the differences from the book were unnecessary

Subjects/themes- Gods, Friendship, Greek Mythology, Adventure, Quest

Character names/descriptions-

            Percy Jackson- 12 year old son of Poseidon, thought to be the one who will bring

down the gods

            Annabelle- daughter of Athena, helps Percy on his quest

            Grover- Percy’s protector

            Chiron- Teacher at Camp Half Blood

            Luke- son of Hades who pretends to be Percy’s friend

Annotation: Sometimes being a demi-god can be a curse.

Megamind

Megamind

Distributed by Dreamworks

Publisher: [United States] : DreamWorks Home Entertainment, [2011]

Plot Description:

            Megamind is the ultimate evil genius.  He has the perfect nemesis in the best of the good guys, Metro Man.  Until one day when he finally defeats Metro Man in a fantastic battle, and Metro City is finally his!  But after years of working towards that goal, he now yearns for the next one, but he has no idea what that might be.  Perhaps being the evil villain is not all that it’s cracked up to be.

Review:

            Megamind is a fun movie that is enjoyable for just about any age.  Younger tweens will appreciate the funny humor, while older tweens will appreciate Will Ferrell and David Cross’s banter.  The movie ultimately talks about how sometimes getting what you wish for isn’t necessarily what you are going to end up wanting. 

Genre: Superhero Fiction

Viewing age:  All

Similar Movies: Shrek

Reader’s Advisory:

Personal thoughts- Fun, particularly liked when he mispronounced things

Subjects/themes- Superhero, Villain, Fantasy, Criminals

Character names/descriptions-

            Megamind- evil genius who wants to conquer Metro City

            Metro Man- has defeated Megamind’s evil plans since they were children

            Roxanne Ritchi- the reporter who Megamind falls for

            Titan- the superhero that Megamind creates for a challenge

            Minion- Megamind’s right hand fish

Annotation: Metro City only has room for one genius.

According to Greta

According to Greta

Distributed by Ancho Bay Films

Publisher: Beverly Hills, CA : Anchor Bay Entertainment, [2010]

Plot Description:

            Greta’s life hasn’t been easy for a long time.  Her mother cares more about Greta’s stepfather than about Greta.  She can’t decide what to after high school, or even if life is worth living anymore.  But during a summer spent with her grandparents, spent broadening her horizons and breaking down the barriers she has built up, she learns that perhaps family and relationships really aren’t a bad thing and tries to fix the ones she has left. 

Review:

            Overall a good movie.  Greta, played by Hilary Duff, is a headstrong character who thinks she knows everything she needs to know, but in typical teenage fashion really has no idea.  Her seemingly brazen attitude and desire to rebel masks a lifetime of insecurities that she is forced to face by the end of the movie, as she struggles with the consequences her actions have not only for her but those she cares about.  A good movie for older tweens, but younger tweens probably will not enjoy it as much for its older content.

Genre: Fiction

Viewing Age: 8^th-9^th Grade

Similar Movies: Cinderella Story, Ella Enchanted

Reader’s Advisory:

Personal thoughts- A good movie about teenage angst

Subjects/themes- Depression, Suicide, Relationships, Growing Up

Character names/descriptions-

            Greta- 17 year old struggling with depression

Julie- the boy she begins a relationship with who helps her realize that life is worth living

Annotation: Sometimes life is worth living.

Furry Vengeance

Furry Vengeance

Distributed by Summit Entertainment

Publisher: Universal City, Calif. : Summit Entertainment, [2010]

Plot Description:

            When Dan relocated his family from Chicago to the Oregon forest, he thought it would be a quick year of work and then they could head back.  But that was before he encountered the local wildlife, who have a big problem with Dan’s boss’s plan to destroy their forest to build homes.  And these animals have a plan.  As they sabotage the building project, and terrorize Dan, everyone thinks he is going crazy. But as the project tries to move forward, eventually Dan realizes that perhaps the animals are fighting for the right side, and he’s the one on the wrong one.

Review:

            Furry Vengeance is a fun family movie about the consequences of ones actions and the importance of doing the right thing even it it’s hard.  Dan has to eventually decide whether his job or the forest is more important. The movie is a little young for older tweens, but the gag humor would definitely appeal to younger tweens.  Overall the movie is predictable, but would still entertain.

Genre: Fiction

Viewing Age: 3^rd-4^th Grade

Similar Movies: Marmaduke, Beverly Hills Chihuahua

Reader’s Advisory:

Personal thoughts- trite, not really entertaining for adults

Subjects/themes- Environmentalism, Family, Animals

Character names/descriptions-

            Dan- works for a company that wants to destroy the forest

            Tammy- Dan’s wife who ends up in charge of the Forest Festival

            Tyler- Dan’s son who stands up to him at the end

Annotation: The animals might be furry and cute, but it doesn’t mean they will let you destroy their home!

Ballet Shoes

Ballet Shoes

A Granada production for the BBC

Publisher: Port Washington, NY : Distributed by Koch Entertainment, [2008]

Plot Description:

            When her explorere uncle adopts three girls, Pauline, Petrova, and Posy, Syliva and her Nana struggle to bring them up and educate them with little funds.  But these three girls are more talented than anyone could hope, and after they all are accepted at the Academy of Dance and Stage Training, they find that their dreams may one day be within reach.  But as they struggle with their ambitions and disappointments, they each learn that with enough perseverance they can become more than they ever dreamed of.

Review:

            A cute tale of three sisters coming into their own.  Each girl has her own talent which she struggles to separate from the others.  The movie is well acted with actresses that will be well liked by a tween audience, including Emma Watson.  The movie highlights the importance of supporting your family and their dreams and hope in the face of adversity.

Genre: Historical Fiction

Viewing level: 4^th-5^th Grade

Similar Movies: The Company, Harry Potter

Reader’s Advisory:

Personal thoughts- cute for a younger audience

Subjects/themes- Ballet, Sisters, Acting, Family

Character names/descriptions-

            Pauline- becomes an actress

            Petrova- wants to fly planes

            Posy- wants to become a classical ballerina

Annotation: If the only possessions your mother left you were a pair of ballet shoes, are you destined to become a ballerina?

Aquamarine

Aquamarine

Movie Distributed by: Fox

Publisher: Beverly Hills, CA : 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, c2006.

Plot Description:

Claire and Hailey only have a few more days left of summer, and a few more days until Hailey and her mom move halfway across the world to Australia. The girls desperately wish that Hailey's mom will change her mind and stay, but until then they want to enjoy every second they have. But then a storm hits their tiny beach town, a storm that washes up a lot more than just seaweed. Aquamarine is a beautiful mermaid who has swum away from home, and if the girls can help her make someone fall in love with her so that she doesn't have to go back to the ocean she will grant them one wish. Will they be able to help her and prevent Hailey from leaving?

Review:

A very cute feel good movie about best friends and life. The two girls are struggling with growing up and saying goodbye to a friend and childhood. The movie aptly capture the girls emotions and feelings, while providing a fun story about learning that real friendship lasts even if you aren't together. A great family movie, but predictably since it is about mermaids is much more appealing to tween girls than boys.

Genre: Fiction

Viewing age: 4-5th grade

Similar Movies: Another Cinderella Story, Nancy Drew

Reader’s Advisory:

Personal thoughts- cute

Subjects/themes- mermaids, wishes, friends, fiction

Character names/descriptions-

Aquamarine- mermaid determined to prove love exists

Hailey- is about to move from Australia and away from all her friends

Claire- Hailey's best friend who wants her to stay

Raymond- cute lifeguard aol the girls like

Annotation: Sometimes storms can bring good luck.

Holes (movie)

Holes

Author: Louis Sacher

Publisher: [United States] : Walt Disney Home Entertainment ; Burbank, CA : Distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment, c2003.

Plot Description:

            Just like in the book, Stanley Yelnats IV has just been sent to Camp Green Lake after being caught with a pair of stolen sneakers.  At the Camp he and all the other trouble making boys are forced to dig a 5x5 foot hole every single day.  They don’t know what they are looking for, but the Warden definitely thinks something is out there.  What Stanley doesn’t know is he isn’t the first Yelnats that has been to Green Lake.  What he finds in his hole will end up changing not only his life, but also those of all the boys at the camp.  But will he survive the warden’s plot to take what is rightfully his?

Review:

            The film adaption of Sacher’s Holes follows the book very accurately.  It tells the story both of Kissin Kate as well as Stanley Yelnats in a seamless fashion, in some ways giving a viewer a better chance of guessing the connection between the two faster than the book itself does.  The characters are all well developed and chosen accurately to their book counterparts.  I thought that the movie was a great adaption of the book.

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reading level: 5^th-6^th Grade

Similar Movies: Hoot, How to eat fried worms, Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Reader’s Advisory:

Personal thoughts- An excellent movie for tweens who like adventures

Subjects/themes- Adventure, Treasure, Wild West,

Character names/descriptions-

            Stanley Yelnats IV- Nice kid who was caught up in a bad situation

            Zero- Stanley’s friend at the Camp who Stanley teaches to read

            Kissin’ Kate- Woman in the wild west who kissed the men she killed

            Stanley Yelnats I- Stanley IV’s great grandfather who Kissin Kate robbed

            Warden- The great granddaughter of Kissin Kate’s former beau, who wants

Kate’s treasure

Annotation: Sometimes it takes digging a hole to turn your bad luck around.

Coraline (movie)

Coraline

Movie Distributed by Universal

Publisher:  Universal City, CA. : Universal Studios Home Entertainment, c2009.

Plot Description:

            Coraline is a young girl who stumbles upon a parallel universe in the new house her parents have moved into.  Here her other mother and father lavish her with the attention that her real parents never give here. There movie follows the theme of the book with fantastical Tim Burton cinematography.

Review:

            The movie bears some stricking differences from the book, most notably that it is set in the US instead of in England like in the book. Coraline has a friend in the movie, Wybie, who helps her navigate the parallel world and defeat other mother.  The general plot remains the same, though little changes are made to different objects to make them more relatable to an American audience.  Overall the movie is a pretty typical Tim Burton film.  It’s a bit more scary than the book itself, suited to a little more mature of an audience than the book itself might lend itself to.

Genre: Horror

Viewing age: 4^th-5^th Grade

Similar Movies: Alice in Wonderland

Reader’s Advisory:

Personal thoughts- good horror story that is not too gruesome or violent

Subjects/themes- Fiction, Horror, Parallel Worlds, Rats, Cats, Family

Character names/descriptions-

            Coraline- young girl who finds a parallel world on the other side of a door

Other Mother- Coraline’s mother in the parallel universe, turns out to be evil, has buttons for eyes

            Misses Spink and Forcible- former actresses who give Coraline a rock for

protection

            Mr. Bobo- upstairs neighbor who has a mouse circus

            Wybie- her friend who helps her navigate both worlds

Annotation: Sometimes opening a door can be the wrong move to make.