(FYI - It occurs to me, that it might seem that I watch a lot of DVDs, but we dropped cable two years ago, so except for about 3 prime time series, we only watch DVDs and I am usually folding laundry, washing dishes or stitching while watching. I also like to listen to audio books while doing housework, so you might see a lot of those, too.)
An account of the story of Ruth and Naomi. While obviously not a "big budget" film, the simple storyline makes for enjoyable family entertainment. There were a few production issues that took away from my enjoyment of the film, for example, in the beginning Naomi is a little too well "made-up" and her son, Mahlon, has what I think is an Alabama accent.
Gavin MacCleod, of Love Boat fame, portrays Jonathan Sperry a kind-hearted grandfatherly-type who establishes a friendship with a neighborhood boy and his friends. It is a wonderful family film that highlights the friendship and forgiveness. A great film to share with your tweens.
In October 2006, a gunman entered an Amish school house and shot 10 young girls, killing five. Ida Garber (Kimberly Williams-Paisley) is a fictionalized parent of one of the murdered girls. Keep your tissues handy for this inspirational story of extraordinary forgiveness.
The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
If your tween liked the Percy Jackson series, they will also like the new Kane Chronicles series. Carter and Sadie Kane are siblings raised apart who discover they are decendants of the ancient Egyptian pharoahs on both sides of their family. This time it is the Egyptian gods who are real and like the Olympians of Percy Jackson, some are nicer than others. Carter and Sadie begin by trying to save their father from the evil Set and end up having to save the world from an even more evil force of chaos. The book is written using the voices of both Carter and Sadie, switching back and forth for each chapter. This makes it great entertainment for both boys and girls with the added bonus of learning a little about Egyptian history and myths. An extra bonus, if your child participates in Accelerated Reader this book is worth 18 points!
Note: I listened to this on audio book and the two narrarators were excellent representations of the young Carter and Sadie.
A short story trilogy featuring Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen (my favorite), Laura Levine's Jain Austen and Leslie Meier's Lucy Stone. All three are great cozy mystery reads. The short story format makes it perfect for the holiday season (if you don't mind a little murder during the joyous season).
- "Gingerbread Cookie Murder" (Fluke) Hannah Swensen finds another dead body with her gingerbread cookies scattered at the crime scene. A very quick read with an easy to solve solution, but very enjoyable with a couple of yummy recipes.
- "The Dangers Of Gingerbread Cookies" (Levine) Jaine Austen is spending Christmas with her parents' at the Florida retirement community they call home. The community puts on an annual Christmas play, this year's play is The Gingerbread Cookie That Saved Christmas. When the gingerbread cookie, played by retired playboy Dr. McCray, falls to his death during the play's final act, Jaine must find the killer among the residents of the community.
- "Gingerbread Cookies And Gunshots" (Meier) When Lucy Stone discovers the body of Rick Juergens, whose five-year-old son Nemo disappeared, she senses foul play. Crumbs from a gingerbread cookie Lucy given to Nemo are found in the back seat of Rick's car. Lucy races against the clock to find a killer before he strikes again.
I've seen Amish Grace. I'd like to read the Gingerbread cookie murder!
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