February 17, 2013

You are here: Home / Archives for Books & Media / Reviews / Multimedia Reviews

Pick of the Day: Private Tutor: Your Complete SAT Critical Reading Prep Course (DVD)

By on October 12, 2012 1 Comment
DVD cover SAT study guide

Private Tutor: Your Complete SAT Critical Reading Prep Course with Amy Lucas. 2 DVDs. with workbook. Private Tutor SAT. 2012. complete package: $74.95; DVD: $29.95 ea., workbook: $29.95.
Gr 10 Up–Amy Lucas, an experienced private tutor, acts as a personal guide to the reading comprehension portion of the SAT, keeping students invested in and focused on content and practice exercises. Teens will easily relate to her upbeat and friendly approach. Topics covered include vocabulary, sentence completions, and reading comprehension techniques. She [...]

Filed Under: Multimedia Reviews, Pick of the Day, video Tagged With: , ,

Music and Game Reviews from Young Adults

By on October 11, 2012 1 Comment
101712muse

Thermodynamics leading to the creation of a rock album? That’s what our reviewer says led to Muse’s ​The 2nd Law​! Green Day is showing some maturity with ​Uno​, putting their “bratty” roots behind them. And it’s not football season without a new release of ​Madden NFL​, the thirteenth edition—it sounds almost classy!

Filed Under: Multimedia, Multimedia Reviews, Teens & YA, Video Games, YA reviews

Pick of the Day: The Fever of ’57: The Sputnik Movie (DVD)

By on October 11, 2012 Leave a Comment
DVD cover Fever of 57

The Fever of ’57: The Sputnik Movie. 2 DVDs. 88 min./three 30 min. episodes. with tchr’s. guide online. Prod. by Varied Directions Int’l. Dist. by Amazon.com. 2007, 2012 release. ISBN unavail. $179.
Gr 7 Up–By the end of World War II, our rocky relationship with our former ally, the Soviet Union, was a primary concern. This incredible program recounts how Cold War tensions peaked with Russia’s surprise launch of the first satellite to circle the planet and its dramatic effect on [...]

Filed Under: Multimedia Reviews, Pick of the Day, video Tagged With: , , ,

Pick of the Day: Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion (DVD)

By on October 9, 2012 Leave a Comment
DVD Cover of little girl stuffed bunny

Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion. DVD. 13 min. with tchr’s. guide. Weston Woods. 2012. ISBN 978-0-545-044753-9. $59.95; CD, ISBN 978-0-545-044758-4: $12.95; CD with hardcover book, ISBN 978-0-545-44810-9: $29.95.
PreS-Gr 1–Mo Willems’s conclusion (Balzer + Bray, 2012) to his Knuffle Bunny trilogy begins with a photographic sequence of Trixie’s growth from previous books and closes with a similar sequence chronicling Trixie’s journey of maturation. Trixie and her family take a plane to visit her grandparents, Oma and Opa, in Holland. When [...]

Filed Under: Featured, Multimedia Reviews, Pick of the Day, video Tagged With: , ,

Pick of the Day: Titanic’s Final Mystery (DVD)

By on October 5, 2012 Leave a Comment
DVD cover Titanic hit by iceberg

Titanic’s Final Mystery. DVD. 92 min. Prod. by Bedlam Prods. and Airborne TV & Film. Dist. by Inception Media Group. 2012. ISBN unavail. $14.98; Blue-ray: $19.98.
Gr 9 Up–It’s been over a century and people are still talking about the 1912 sinking of the Titanic. Through the years, legend has overtaken fact when it comes to what really happened that fateful night. Tim Maltin, a “Titanic Detective,” leads viewers across the globe as he pieces together a new theory on why the ship [...]

Filed Under: Featured, Multimedia Reviews, Pick of the Day, video Tagged With: ,

Pick of the Day: The Light Bulb Conspiracy (DVD)

By on October 4, 2012 1 Comment
DVD cover of clear light bulbs

The Light Bulb Conspiracy. DVD. 75 min./52 min. Video Project. 2011, 2012 release. ISBN unavail. $89.
Gr 9 Up–Using historical photographs, film footage, and interviews with people in Europe, the United States, and Ghana, the female narrator takes viewers from the beginning of mass production in the 1920s with Henry Ford’s Model-T to General Motors’ annual car models to Bernard London’s proposal during the New Deal era for compulsory planned obsolescence that he believed would keep people working and create a [...]

Filed Under: Multimedia Reviews, Pick of the Day, video Tagged With: , ,

Pick of the Day: Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct (DVD)

By on October 2, 2012 Leave a Comment
DVD pink cover with illustrated dinosaur

Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct. DVD. 7 min. Weston Woods. 2012. ISBN 978-0-545-37414-9. $59.59; CD: ISBN 978-0-545-37498-9: $ 12.95; CD with hardcover book, ISBN 978-0-545-44813-0: $29.95.
PreS-Gr 2–Edwina the dinosaur helps out in her community, bakes chocolate-chip cookies, and everyone loves her, except for Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie, the class know-it-all, who is positive that dinosaurs are extinct. When Reginald makes it his mission to force the townspeople to accept that fact, no one bothers to listen to [...]

Filed Under: Multimedia Reviews, Pick of the Day, video Tagged With: , ,

Multimedia Reviews: October 2012

By on October 1, 2012 Leave a Comment

Consumer Education

The Light Bulb Conspiracy. DVD. 75 min./52 min. Video Project. 2011, 2012 release. ISBN unavail. $89.
Gr 9 Up–Using historical photographs, film footage, and interviews with people in Europe, the United States, and Ghana, the female narrator takes viewers from the beginning of mass production in the 1920s with Henry Ford’s Model-T to General Motors’ annual car models to Bernard London’s proposal during the New Deal era for compulsory planned obsolescence that he believed would keep people [...]

Filed Under: Multimedia Reviews

Pick of the Day: The Fairy Ring, Or Elsie and Frances Fool the World (CD)

By on September 28, 2012 Leave a Comment
Audiobook cover with Girl staring at a fairy

The Fairy Ring, Or Elsie and Frances Fool the World. By Mary Losure. 2 CDs. 2:26 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4558-5194-2. $49.97.
Gr 4-8–This is the true tale of Elsie Wright, 15, and Frances Griffith, 9, who concocted a fairy hoax in the early 1900s that grew well beyond their expectations. Tired of being teased by their parents for their stories, Elsie painted and then cut out detailed illustrations of fairies. The girls photographed the “fairies” with themselves in the [...]

Filed Under: Audio Reviews, Multimedia Reviews, Pick of the Day Tagged With: , ,

Pick of the Day: All on a Sunday Afternoon (CD)

By on September 27, 2012 Leave a Comment
CD cover of two men lounging on a porch

All on a Sunday Afternoon.  CD. 36 min. with DVD. Sugar Free Allstars. 2012. ISBN unavail. $12.99.
PreS-Gr 3–On their third CD for families, the Oklahoma City-based Sugar Free Allstars—Chris (Boom!) Wiser and Rob (Dr. Rock) Martin—add to their bluesy, funky catalog of music. Many songs feature the talent of guest artists: vocals by Jack Forman (of Recess Monkey) and Shawana Kemp (of Shine & the Moonbeams) on “Gotta Get Up” (a kicking song sure to get you up and on [...]

Filed Under: Audio Reviews, Featured, Multimedia Reviews, Pick of the Day Tagged With:

Pick of the Day: Love, Mouserella (CD)

By on September 25, 2012 1 Comment
Illustrated book cover of mouse and letters

Love, Mouserella. By David Ezra Stein. cassette or CD. 30 min. Recorded Books. 2012. cassette: ISBN 978-1-4640-4034-1, CD: ISBN 978-1-4640-4033-7. $15.75; book, ISBN 978-0-3992-5410-9. $15.99.
PreS-Gr 1–Mouserella’s letter to her Grandmouse describes her days with the meandering topics of a child, occasionally concluding “and that’s all…but” as she continues with descriptions of her daily activities. Listeners learn about her pet caterpillar and the ladybug she has taught to fetch, a visit to the zoo with a scary cat, a blackout, and [...]

Filed Under: Audio Reviews, Multimedia Reviews, Pick of the Day Tagged With: , ,

Pick of the Day: Can You Canoe? A Mississippi River Adventure Album (CD)

By on September 21, 2012 Leave a Comment
CD cover with 2 men playing bajo on a canoe

Can You Canoe? A Mississippi River Adventure Album. CD. 38 min. with DVD (41 min.). RedEye Dist. 2012. ISBN unavail. $14.99.
K-Gr 5–Grab your fishing gear and your tent, leave technology behind, and join the award-winning Okee Dokee Brothers (Justin Lansing and Joe Mailander) on a leisurely canoe trip down the Mississippi River. These mostly folk, country, and bluegrass tunes are enhanced by virtuoso performances on banjo, guitar, fiddle, mandolin, upright bass, accordion, tuba, trombone, piano, organ, udu, balafon, auto-harp, melodica, [...]

Filed Under: Audio Reviews, Featured, Multimedia Reviews, Pick of the Day Tagged With: ,

Pick of the Day: Don’t Slam the Door! (DVD)

By on September 20, 2012 Leave a Comment
DVD cover illustration of child with dog by door

Don’t Slam the Door! DVD. 10 min. with tchr’s. guide. Nutmeg Media. 2012. ISBN 1-933938-85-4. $49.95.
PreS-Gr 2–If the door slams it will wake the cat, who will tangle the yarn that is to be made into socks. Lumpy socks will cause dad to bump into a beehive. Who knows what will happen after that? In Dori Chaconas’s rhyming story (Candlewick, 2010), a young girl on an old-fashioned farm tries to prevent a cascade of uproarious cause-and-effect events. When, despite all [...]

Filed Under: Featured, Multimedia Reviews, Pick of the Day, video Tagged With: ,

Pick of the Day: Racing Dreams (DVD)

By on September 18, 2012 Leave a Comment
DVD cover of teen in racing helmet

Racing Dreams. DVD. 90 min. Prod. by Racing Dreams. Dist. by PBS Dist. 2010, 2012 release. ISBN 978-1-60883-668-0. $24.99.
Gr 6 Up–In this fast-paced coming-of-age documentary set in the competitive world of kart racing, three young drivers spend a season navigating each other and their dreams. Annabeth Barnes, 11, Josh Hobson, 12, and Brandon Warren, 13, aspire to race in  some day, but before they can reach their collective goal, they each must face their own challenges off the track as [...]

Filed Under: Multimedia Reviews, Pick of the Day, video Tagged With: , ,

Pick of the Day: If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front (DVD)

By on September 14, 2012 Leave a Comment
DVD cover of man on a cliff overlooking a forest

If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front. DVD. 85 min. Prod. by Marshall Curry Prods. Dist. by Bullfrog Films. 2011. ISBN 1-93777-21-9. $295.
Gr 10 Up–This fact-filled program utilizes archival footage, interviews, and commentary to relate the story of one man’s involvement in the Earth Liberation Front (ELF), an organization described by law enforcement as a domestic terror organization. It traces the evolution of Daniel McGowan from city resident to environmental activist, chronicling his involvement in property [...]

Filed Under: Multimedia Reviews, Pick of the Day, video Tagged With: , , ,

Pick of the Day: The Boxing Girls of Kabul (DVD)

By on September 13, 2012 Leave a Comment
Sepia DVD cover of woman with boxing gloves

The Boxing Girls of Kabul. DVD. 52 min. National Film Board of Canada. 2011, 2012 release.  ISBN unavail. $195.
Gr 9 Up–The opening flashback of this documentary showing the cruel treatment of women under the Taliban will grab the attention of audiences in women’s studies and sociology classes. The video shifts to present day and focuses on three women who are trying to change the lifestyle for women in  where their advancement is frowned upon. They are training to be boxers [...]

Filed Under: Featured, Multimedia Reviews, Pick of the Day, video Tagged With: , , ,

Pick of the Day: Destination Titan (DVD)

By on September 11, 2012 Leave a Comment
Black dvd cover with Saturn's moon

Destination Titan. DVD. 60 min. Prod. by Open University. Dist. by Films Media Group. 2011. ISBN 978-1-621010-127-8. $169.95.
Gr 9 Up–This production documents the design of the Cassini-Huygens probe, intended to journey approximately 2 billion miles to Titan, Saturn’s largest moon that may share common characteristics with Earth in its early developmental period. The probe was engineered to collect a variety of scientific data upon entering the atmosphere and landing on the moon. Its most impressive feature was its autonomous programming [...]

Filed Under: Multimedia Reviews, Pick of the Day, video Tagged With: , , ,

Pick of the Day: A Sick Day for Amos McGee (DVD)

By on September 7, 2012 Leave a Comment
DVD cover illus Elephant, penguin, and man

A Sick Day for Amos McGee. DVD. 9 min. Weston Woods. 2012. ISBN 978-0-545-44751-5. $59.95; CD, ISBN 978-0-545-44756-0: $12.95; CD with hardcover book, ISBN 978-0-545-44809-3: $29.95.
PreS-Gr 1–When Amos McGee wakes up feeling under the weather and stays home from work, his animal friends at the zoo board the bus to pay Amos a visit. They spend the day cheering Amos up by playing quiet games, caring for his every need, and reading him a bedtime story so he won’t be [...]

Filed Under: Multimedia Reviews, Pick of the Day, video Tagged With: , , , ,

Pick of the Day: Pig Tales: Pig Pig Returns and Little Pig Joins the Band (DVD)

By on September 6, 2012 Leave a Comment
DVD cover illustrated pig

Pig Tales: Pig Pig Returns and Little Pig Joins the Band. DVD. 14 min. with tchr’s. guide. Nutmeg Media. 2012. ISBN 1-933938-87-0. $69.95.
PreS-Gr 2–These two charming tales (2011, both Charlesbridge) by author/illustrators David McPhail and David Hyde Costello each feature piglets who, though they are young, learn very mature lessons. McPhail’s Pig Pig doesn’t want to leave his mother and cat to vacation across the country with his aunt and uncle, but as he becomes interested in the unusual places [...]

Filed Under: Multimedia Reviews, Pick of the Day Tagged With: , ,

Pick of the Day: Jim Thorpe: The World’s Greatest Athlete (DVD)

By on September 4, 2012 1 Comment
Jim Thorpe as a young man with his awards

Jim Thorpe: The World’s Greatest Athlete. DVD. 85 min./56 min. with tchr’s. guide. Moira Prods. 2009, 2012 release. ISBN 978-0-97710379-9. $85.
Gr 6 Up–Jim Thorpe’s many accomplishments as well as his shortcomings are described in this remarkable film. Born in a one-room cabin in Oklahoma’s Indian Territory in 1887, Thorpe overcame the many stigmas and hardships associated with being a Native American at that time. Even though he resisted being sent to schools intended to minimize his ethnicity, it was just [...]

Filed Under: Multimedia Reviews, Pick of the Day, video Tagged With: , , ,
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »