Rumors Hurt

Gr 2–5—An African-American cast deals with an issue that is all too common with preteens—gossip and rumors. Live-action vignettes show how jealousy can lead to false rumors that can escalate. Adult intervention helps, and an apology solves the problem. The young actors are excellent and the concept is important. However, the script is poorly written and lacks focus, and the solution is too easily achieved. The program's slow pace results in lags in the story. Segues are abrupt at first and then much fancier without a purpose toward the end. A song is poorly performed, and the audio quality is unsatisfactory. It's often difficult to hear the actors over ambient noises and occasional music. The best part of the program is a segment at the end where a puppet explains about rumors and thoughtful questions are posed, with the opportunity to pause the film to discuss them. That is not enough to overcome the program's unfortunate flaws.—Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary, Federal Way, WA