Reviews+

The made-for-TV version of Victor Hugo’s classic, Les Miserables, stars Gerard Depardieu as Valjean and John Malkovich as Javert. Be sure to read the starred review of this superb production.

Findaway World launches the Playaway Bookpack program, which features preloaded audiobooks and their print versions. There are currently more than 200 titles available for preschool through young adult readers. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is now accepting nominations for the 2014 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The National Book Foundation’s Up All Night online exhibit showcases National Book Award Winners and Finalists in Young People’s Literature. Educators interested in integrating educational games into the K-12 curriculum are invited to attend a one-day workshop on August 19 during the Serious Play Conference.

Summer vacation calls for cool tunes and lots of screen time. Daft Punk's latest album promises to put them front and center on the U.S. music scene—tracks from Random Access Memories will be blasting from car windows. To escape the heat, our reviewer recommends hitting the virtual race track with Grid 2, a car racing game. And for fans of everything Mario, add Minis on the Move to the collection for puzzle fun and games.

Serious themes such as anti-bullying and gay rights are skillfully woven into Tim Tharp’s Mojo, featuring Jessie Bernstein’s stellar narration. Read the starred review of this audiobook featuring wildly careening plot twists, fabulous characters, and madcap antics.

One of my favorite discoveries at ISTE was Graphite. Launched by Common Sense Media, the nonprofit known by parents, teachers and librarians for its high quality, nonpartisan reviews and its popular Digital Literacy and Citizenship Curriculum, Graphite promises to be the go-to platform for helping teachers make sense of an exponentially evolving number of digital [...]

"Young people are pretty savvy about marketing...They don't consider something 'bad' or 'annoying' just because it's marketing, the way many of us in the previous generation did."

The DVD version of Rebecca and Ed Emberley’s The Ant and the Grasshopper turns Aesop’s fable on its ear and celebrates the joy of community and music.

In Fox Forever, the satisfying conclusion to Mary Pearson’s “Jenna Fox Chronicles,” Matthew Brown’s narration brilliantly captures the emotions of the characters. Check out the starred review.

A stellar new production by the ever-inventive team at Nosy Crow, a Earth-bound intergalactic duo, and an interactive trip back in time to 79 CE, share this month's list of favorite apps.