Film Review: Knockout

Genre: 
Sports films

Interest Level:
Ages 10 and up

Rating
PG

Theme:
Bullying, self-confidence, fighting back


Films with Similar Themes: 
The Karate Kid, The Bad News Bears


Bibliographic Information:
Cowell-Plain, T.(Producer), Greenberg, L. (Producer),  Heller, J. (Producer), Meyerowitz, B. (Producer), Nasser, J. (Producer), Nasser, J. (Producer), Sonnier, D. (Producer), Webber, D. (Producer) & Wheeler, A. (Director) (2011). Knockout [Motion Picture] United States: Phase 4 Films.

Plot: 
High school student Matthew Miller (Daniel Madger) and his over-protective mother (Janet Kidder) have just moved in with the mother's new husband (Sean Divine), which means Matthew must start over at a new school. The first day of school he is dared to ask one of the cheerleaders on a date. Unfortunately the cheerleader's boyfriend Hector (Jaren Brandt Bartlett) does not appreciate this and starts bullying Matthew. Life at school doesn't go very well after that, but then the school janitor (Steve Austin) named Dan suggested Matthew try out for the boxing team. Hector is also on the team and provokes Matthew during tryouts, which causes Matthew to punch him and lose his chance to be on the team. Dan offers to coach Matthew privately and to get him a spot in the upcoming box-off. provided he get a permission form signed by a parent. Matthew's mother would never approve, so Matthew forges his step-father's signature. The principal finds out, fires Dan, and tells Matthew's parents. It seems as thought Matthew will never be able to be on the team or to stand up to Hector, but then things turn around in a way that Matthew didn't except.

Review:  
Knockout is a great sports film for kids that is both action-filled and inspirational. Matthew deals with many issues common to tweens today such as moving to a new school, adjusting to a new parent, and facing the school bully. The roles are well-cast and well-played, especially Hector, who is a very convincing bully. Matthew is an inspirational lead who overcomes many issues, including leukemia when he was a child. It's a great film for tweens who want to learn to find the power to stand up for themselves and for what they believe is right. It's also a movie that tween WWE fans will love since it features wrestling star Steve Austin in what some would call his best role yet. Knockout is a great film for all tweens who love boxing, and most importantly who want to see the underdog stand up for himself against the bully!

Book Review: Box Girl by Sarah Withrow

Genre:
Realistic Fiction, Canadian Fiction

Interest Level:
Ages 10 and up

Reading Level:
Grades 4-9

Book Theme:
Friendship, LGBT parents, absent parents, abandonment

Books with Similar Themes: 
The Man Who Loved Clowns by June Rae Wood, The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson

Bibliographic Information:
Withrow, S. (2001). Box girl. Buffalo: Douglas & McIntyre .

Plot:  
Gwen is a thirteen-year-old Canadian girl who decides she isn't going to have friends when she starts her eighth grade year old school so she can be ready for her mom to get her at a moment's notice. Her mom ran away when she was five and has been sending postcards from France, which is the only way she communicates with her daughter. Each night Gwen makes a box out of the postcards, imagines herself inside it, and says a special spell she created to bring her mother to her. Gwen's postcards are a secret and she fears that telling anyone about them will break her spell, another reason why she doesn't want friends. Her plans start to waiver when Clara, a new girl from school, attaches herself to Gwen and wants to become friends. Gwen tries to ignore her but finds herself becoming friends with her anyway. She kind of likes having a friend, but she is also terrified that her friend will find out her secret and her mother will never come. What she doesn't realize is that Clara could really use a friend too, and that maybe they can help each other.

Review:  
Box Girl is a wonderful story that tells of a heartbroken girl who tries to hide from the world and push people away at a time when she needs them most. The story includes many tween related-issues, such as the parental abandonment seen by Gwen's mother, the need for friendship in tough times, and  the life of a tween being raised by LGBT parents (Gwen's father is gay). Another highlight of the story is that it does a great job showing how Gwen is both angry and vulnerable at the same time. Her friendship with the new girl Clara also shows how fragile yet crucial friendships can be in the tween years. The way the two girls help each other through their difficulties is emotional and touching. Box Girl is a great story for any tween whose parent has disappeared or who wants to shut out the world because of the pain in their lives. It shows that the power of friendship can heal even the deepest of wounds.

Film Review: The Hunger Games

Genre: 
Dystopian Fiction, Book-to-film

Interest Level:
Ages 11 and up

Rating
PG-13

Theme:
Survival, Rebellion, Dystopian Society

 Films with Similar Themes: 
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Brave

Bibliographic Information:
Rosner-Meyer, L. (Producer), Bissell, R. (Producer), Collins, S. (Producer) & Ross, G. (Director). (2009). The Hunger Games [Motion Picture]. United States: Lions Gate Home Entertainment.

Film Website
http://www.thehungergamesmovie.com/index.html

Plot:  
Set in the future in a dystopian society called Panem, The Hunger Games is a film based on the novel of the same name about sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), a talented hunter and archer. She lives with her mother (Paula Malcomsom) and younger sister Primrose (Willow Shields). Each year the Capitol, which leads Panem with an iron fist, puts on a reality show called the Hunger Games in which two adolescents from each district are selected to fight to the death, and the lone victor goes home to a life of security. Primrose is selected as one of the tributes from District 12, and Katniss volunteers to take her place in order to save her life. Katniss and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) travel to the Capitol where they are prepared for the Hunger Games. It's revealed that Peeta is in love with Katniss. Katniss and Peeta are released into the area and the bloodbath begins. Eventually they team up to survive, but in the end there can only be one victor.


Review:  
The Hunger Games is a faced-paced film that successfully follow the book while also adding a few elements to the story, such as the evil President Snow's (Donald Sutherland) desire to get rid of Katniss, and Seneca Crane (Wes Bentley) and his team's control over the arena. Like the book the film deals with themes like independence, family loyalty, friendship, and love. The love between Katniss and Primrose is beautifully acted by Lawrence and Shields. Katniss' brief friendship with District 11 tribute Rue (Amandla Stenberg) is also well-acted and very touching. Though rated PG-13 the film is actually less graphic and bloody than the book, but does still includes the fighting and killing. Tweens who are fans of the novel The Hunger Games and also those who are not familiar with the book will love this movie for it's action, adventure, young romance, and much more!

Film Review: An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong

Genre: 
Realistic Fiction, Book-to-film

Interest Level:
Ages 8-11

Rating
G

Theme:
Bullying, adjusting to a new home

Films with Similar Themes: 
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, An American Girl:McKenna Shoots for the Stars

Bibliographic Information:
Amin, M. (Producer), Coolidge, M. (Producer) & Coolidge, M. (Director). (2009). An American girl: Chrissa stands strong. [Motion Picture] United States: HBO Home Entertainment.

Film Website
http://www.americangirl.com/movie/chrissa/

Plot:  
Eleven-year-old Chrissa Maxwell (Sammi Hanratty) and her family have just moved to Minnesota to live with her recently widowed grandmother (Michael Learned). The move is very hard for Chrissa and she really misses her best friend back home. Chrissa is shy and unsure about starting at a new school, so her grandmother tells her to say hello to the first person she meets. Unfortunately the first person she meets is the mean popular girl Tara (Adair Tishler). Tara and her two friends bully Chrissa mercilessly. On her first day of school, Valentine's Day, they steal all of Chrissa's Valentine's. They post mean pictures of Chrissa on all the lockers. Tara even starts an online rumor that Chrissa has a skin disease after she joins the swim team. Chrissa doesn't want to tell her family or teachers about the bullying, but with the help of a caring art teacher (Jennifer Tilly) she realizes that it's time to ask for some help.


Review:  
An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong is a film that deals with a number of issues that are very prominent in the life of many tweens. It includes bullying, cyber-bullying, homelessness, friendships, and starting over at a new school. The characters, all based off the characters in the American Girl books about Chrissa, all have unique personalities that will draw tweens into their stories. The films shares some great wisdom tweens will appreciate such as the importance of reporting bullying, the importance of standing up for yourself, and most important, the importance of believing in yourself. It also features some great lessons about teamwork during Chrissa's swim meets. The ending seems a bit unrealistic, but the values taught in the ending make it worthwhile. An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong is a great film that tweens will love and want to share with their friends and family!

Book Review: Luv Ya Bunches by Lauren Myracle

Genre:
Realistic Fiction, Multiple Perspectives

Interest Level:
Ages 10 and up

Reading Level:
Lexile 710, Grades 3 to 7

Book Theme:
Friendship, peer pressure, bullying, fitting in

Books with Similar Themes:  
The Boys Start the War by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, The Girls Get Even by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Bibliographic Information:
Myracle, M. (2009). Luv Ya Bunches. New York: Amulet Books.

About the Author:
http://www.abramsbooks.com/flowerpowerbooks/bio.html

Plot:  
Luv Ya Bunches is the story of four fifth graders, all name after flowers, who are trying to fit in, make friends, and make sense of their crazy fifth grade lives. Yasamean, a young Muslim girl, longs to make friends. Katie-Rose, a know-it-all half Asian and half white girl longs to be friends with Milla, who was her friend at camp but has now gone back to the popular crowd. Milla longs to get away from bossy popular girls Modessa and Quin. And Violet, the new African American girl, longs find her place in her new school, and finds herself joining the popular clique. The story takes place over the course of a week starting on the first day of school. All sorts of crazy things happen, like Katie-Rose and Yasamean becoming friends, Violet's feeling guilty for stealing Milla's good luck wooden turtle and trying to get in back to her, and Milla's mad hunt for the turtle. Meanwhile, Modessa and Quin are becoming unbearable, which brings the four girls together for a daring plan to give a girls a taste of their own medicine!

Review:  
Luv Ya Bunches is a hilarious and fun story with unique and unforgettable characters all dealing with the ups and downs of school life. All of them long for acceptance and friendships, something tweens will definitely understand. Tweens will love the funny moments in the story, such as Katie-Rose discovering what the word dingleberry means, Katie-Rose catching their classmate on tape picking her nose, and several of the girls hearing a classmate accidentally giving an X-rated report in front of the entire class. Tweens will love the technological references to things like IMing, Facebook, and cellphones. Tweens will also cheer when the four girls get even with the popular ones.  It's a great book for reluctant readers or tweens who want to read a different format from the books they typically read in school. Luv Ya Bunches is modern, witty, and just all-around enjoyable, and book that tweens will love!

Book Review: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg

Genre:
Realistic Fiction

Interest Level:
Ages 9 and up

Reading Level:
Lexile 700, Grades 3 and up

Book Theme:
Running away, museum visits, the value of imagination, brother and sister relationships

Books with Similar Themes:  
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, The Sixty-Eight Room by Marianne Malone

Bibliographic Information:
Konigsburg, E. L. (1967). From the mixed-up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. New York: Atheneum.

About the Author:
http://www.eduplace.com/kids/tnc/mtai/konigsburg.html

Plot:  
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is the story of two siblings, Claudia and James Kincaid, who decide to run away from home to the Metropolitan Museum in New York City. The two children stay at the museum for several days, spending the night there as well after sneaking past the guards. They spend their time studying the art and having adventures like bathing in the fountain. They discover a beautiful statue of an angel that was just donated by Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, one that is rumored to be made by the artist Michelangelo. Claudia becomes obsessed with discovering the truth about the statue and the two children begin doing all the research they can to find out if it was indeed made by Michelangelo. When they run out of answers they decide to go to the very person who donated the statue, Mrs. Frankweiler, but will she tell them the truth, or send them back to their family?

Review:  
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is an amazing story of two tweens who strike out on an unforgettable adventure. It's a story filled with imagination and mystery. The relationship between Claudia and James is very typically for tweens, especially because they are fighting one moment and then the best of friends the next. Despite their fights the two are very close and work as a team, something many tweens do with their own siblings. Tweens will love Claudia's boldness and James' ability to stand up to her stubbornness. Claudia is a tween who longs to be independent and grow up like many tweens. The characters both have many elements tweens to relate do, as does the story. It's one that tweens will love and return to again and again, not to mention instill a love of art and museums.

Notable Tweens:

Claudia Kincaid- Claudia is a headstrong, brialliant, and sometimes bossy twevle-year-old. She is the oldest of four children. She often feels like she is ignored by her family or not treated as well as the rest of her sibilings. She likes to do things differently from everyone else and decides to run away to something instead of running away from something.

James Kincaid- Nine-year-old James is the third of the four Kincaid children. He loves saving money and has earned quite a lot of it by cheating his friend when they play cards. He refuses to spend lots of money on their adventure and often insists on walking instead of taking a taxi or the bus, which doesn't make Claudia especially happy.

Book Review: The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Genre: 
Historical Fiction

Interest Level:
Ages 9 and up

Reading Level:
Lexile 820, Grades 3 and up

Book Theme:
Importance of family, loss of family members, the power of imagination


Books with Similar Themes:  
Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms by Lissa Evans, The Clockwork Three by Matthew J. Kirby

Bibliographic Information:
Selznick, B. (2007). The invention of Hugo Cabret: A novel in words and pictures. New York: Scholastic Press.

Story's Website:
http://theinventionofhugocabret.com/index.htm

Plot:  
The Invention of Hugo Cabret takes places in France during the 1930's. The main character is Hugo Cabret, a young orphan boy. Hugo is working on a Automan, a robot his father worked on before he died in a fire at a museum. Hugo is being cared for by his uncle, who keeps the clocks running in the city. One day he disappears and doesn't come back, so Hugo takes over the job to avoid being discovered. He has to steal to survive but is caught by toy seller Papa Georges. Papa Georges steals Hugo's prized notebook and threatens to burn it. Hugo must help Papa Georges in his shop to get it back. He befriends Papa Georges' god-daughter Isabelle who tries to help Hugo get the notebook back. The children discover that Papa Georges has some secrets he's been hiding about his part life, including his connection to the Automan. Can the two children discover them, or will they remain secrets forever?

Review:  
The Invention of Hugo Cabret is an incredible story with unforgettable illustrations. It's very similar to a graphic novel, which tweens love, so many tweens will be drawn in just by the pictures alone. The story deals with tween issues such as establishing independence, the importance of family, and the value of friendship. Hugo and Isabelle also are learning more about the world around them, or at least the world of their families, as the stories unfolds, something tweens will understand as well. The Invention of Hugo Cabret was made into a popular film titled Hugo, which may draw reluctant readers to the book. The Invention of Hugo Cabret is also a great story for tweens to share with their parents and families because of the family theme and illustrations. The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a must-read for all tweens, especially those who are reluctant readers, who enjoy amazing illustrations, or who just want to escape into a world that will stimulate their imagination!

Notable Tweens:

Hugo Cabret- The main character of the story, twelve-year-old Hugo is a mechanical genius who can wind all the clocks in Paris and tinker with machinery like the Automan. He is also resourceful and can survive on his own, that is until he got caught!

Isabelle Méliès- The god-daughter of Papa Georges, Isabelle is also an orphan. She is precocious, curious, and a bit annoying, but she and Hugo eventually become good friends.