The Newsstand - KIDS FIRST!®News 2006

Welcome to KIDS FIRST!® NEWS. All articles are by Coalition for Quality Children's Media unless otherwise noted.

Dear Friends,

A few months ago I had the pleasure of viewing one of those films that reaches in and grabs your heart. I connected to the characters and the situations they were in. The crazy part of it was that the characters weren't even from my culture, and I still totally related. The above quote by Rowling is so true. The film I saw was produced by Search for Common Ground, Nashe Maalo. In my article below, producer Eran Fraenkel tells more about this powerful program and the challenges of filming in a war-torn land.

In our Craft and Activities section, Dr. Toy leads us on a journey to hands-on fun. Our KIDS FIRST!® selection will have children on their feet and using their imaginations. For the craft, artist Christopher Pollock (my husband) shares some of his animal artwork ideas, which are big hits with children (see picture on left).

As always, I welcome your input. If you have comments on titles we have endorsed; notices of awards, publications, and products; or suggestions for articles. . .please drop me a line.

Christine Pollock, Editor
Contact Me

Dear Readers,

I was delighted to see the article that Chris wrote for this week's newsletter about the incredible work of Search for Common Ground. When Ed Palmer, who passed away several years ago, first spoke to me about his involvement in creating Nashe Maalo, I was stunned by the forward-thinking concept of using media in countries such as Macedonia to address racial and class biases. Dr. Palmer was always ahead of his time and was the first employee hired by Joan Gantz Cooney to work on Sesame Street. The relevance of this work continues today, perhaps even moreso. Bravo to Eran Fraenkel and his dedicated team for the work they are now creating in Indonesia. We've already invited Eran to premiere it at our KIDS FIRST! Film Festivals as soon as it's complete.

Along the same lines, I have just returned from a visit to the east coast where I met with colleagues at Listen UP! Youth Media Network. This dedicated group works with teens nation- and world-wide to teach them to produce their own films, most of which address very touchy subjects relevant to their lives. We are proud to have established a relationship with them wherein we will continue to include selections of their titles in our festivals every quarter. The collection for this quarter is the collection called Beyond Borders. If you're a programmer, make sure that you schedule some of these for your older youth audience. You'll be glad you did.

Another organization that we've worked with for many years is Sesame Workshop. This quarter, we're premiering selections from their new infant program called Sesame Beginnings. This program was designed to be watched by parents and their infants together. Sesame created this when they realized how many people were watching Sesame Street, which is really designed for ages two to five, with their infacts.

Also this month, we're delighted to be showing Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, which just took the Oscar® for best animated feature, Anastasia Special Edition, and Holly Hobbie as well as March of the Penguins which just received the Oscar® for best documentary. For a complete list of all Festival titles currently being offered to our festivals, visit our website.

From all of us to all of you, best wishes and happy viewing.

Much love,

Ranny Levy
Founder and President, KIDS FIRST!®

ONLINE JUROR TRAINING PROGRAM

Concerned about what kids watch? Want to do something about it? Become a KIDS FIRST!® juror. It's easy. Take our online training. It will take you about four hours to complete and we will provide you with your own personal trainer. The $40 fee is 100% reimbursable once you evaluate six titles for KIDS FIRST!®. You may keep any movie you approve. What a wonderful way for teachers, librarians, parents, and daycare providers to build their own quality media library while helping evaluate movies for others. To register or get more information, please visit our KIDS FIRST!® juror's page.

KIDS FIRST!® WEB STORE FEATURES
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THE WHEELS ON THE BUS VIDEO: MANGO HELPS THE MOON MOUSE. Through the use of live action, animation, puppetry and animatronics, characters undertake a musical adventure to a reptile show, a bird show, a grocery store and even the moon. Along the way, they learn some early socialization skills. KIDS FIRST!® Adult Juror Comments: Perfect for preschoolers! Songs are lively and familiar. The items used to rescue the mouse will be familiar to most children. Bright colors and well-constructed puppets are a plus. Music is very professional. Human interaction with puppets are appropriate and fun. Altogether, it's very enjoyable and highly recommended. KIDS FIRST!® KID Juror Comments:
Loved this. It's funny. They like the songs and how they blast off to the moon. "The mouse going to the moon was great. " Characters are helpful to one another. "They help the mouse get cheese. I don't know how they had enough money for all that cheese, but they helped him. " End result was that some kids want to become astronauts.

SIGNING TIME! VOLUME 6: MY FAVORITE THINGS. Join Alex, Leah, their frog Hopkins, and Signing Time's Rachel Coleman for more signing fun! Teaches ASL signs for fruits, vegetables, colors of the rainbow, and activities. Divided into segments for colors; and fruits and veggies, and activities, Includes ASL tips. KIDS FIRST!® Adult Juror Comments: Clear, humorous, and entertaining presentation. Vivid colors. Fruits and actions are presented in related vocabulary groups by an enthusiastic adult. Good repetition by kids for an uncluttered, well-paced educational presentation. Complementary soundtrack of original songs. KIDS FIRST!® KID Juror Comments: All watched intently and some were signing and singing along. One child said, "I can spell all of those. " (She was obviously proud of her spelling ability). Kids had a blast sharing things that they could do like swimming. This stimulated lots of participation and conversation among the children.

CHRISTIAN MUSIC FOR PRESCHOOLERS. This title is one of Ranny's Picks! "The Lord's Prayer and a collection of songs with some Christian content that is sure to entertain your baby while teaching some Bible lessons. " KIDS FIRST!® Adult Juror Comments: Strikingly beautiful melding of photography, abstract art, and music except for the ending commercial. Excellent flow save for "smiley" balls floating intermittently. Excellent production. Lovely to look at and listen to. KIDS FIRST!® KID Juror Comments: Only voice is one verse of The Lord's Prayer spoken by several children. Very calming for babies as well as parents. Infants all nodded off in ten minutes. Mood was destroyed by commercial at the end.

BABYPRO: LET'S MAKE A SPLASH. Provides a playful introduction to swimming, diving and surfing. Captivating images of little mouths blowing bubbles, babies splashing and children riding waves are synchronized with lively classical compositions. KIDS FIRST!® Adult Juror Comments: Well produced. Good sequencing. Introduces children to water play; develops basic concepts and ends with high dives and surfing. A great aid for kids who have a fear of water. Covers a broad range of age-appropriate material. KIDS FIRST!® KID Juror Comments: Caught the kids' attention for the most part. "I liked the diving and surfing. " Younger ones commented, "I have a noodle like that! " "They swim just like me. " The one-year-olds kept saying "water" and "swim" and tried to touch the water on the TV. Younger kids danced along to the music. One child insisted, quite animatedly, that he surfs (he doesn't).

YOGA KIDS 3: SILLY TO CALM. Kids learn to move their bodies in ways that mimic the world around them, and as a result the atmosphere changes from a high energy level to a relaxing, calming level. KIDS FIRST!® Adult Juror Comments: Incredibly soothing, fun way to introduce kids to yoga and become aware of how they can control their bodies and their moods. The postures are explained well. Teaches kids about their body parts - breastbone, ribs, calves, ankles. KIDS FIRST!® KID Juror Comments: liked it. "I liked pretending I was a tree or an animal. " "The lady in the video was nice. " "My friends like to exercise and breathe in and out. " We learned the word for peace - shanti.

BABY SONGS: ABC, 123 - COLORS & SHAPES DVD. It's a bright new world of sights and sounds with a collection of 18 delightful, toe-tapping songs from children's music legend, Hap Palmer. Underlying messages are about individuality, self esteem and security. KIDS FIRST!® Adult Juror Comments: Amusing and entertaining. Cute all-around video. Sweet music. This is not really a baby title but it's just right for preschoolers Contains some educational material. Fast paced. "Cute, cute, cute. I enjoy Hap Palmer's music. " KIDS FIRST!® KID Juror Comments: Better suited for preschoolers than babies. Some toddlers enjoyed it, but the fast pace lost the littlest ones. Preschoolers identified with the topics covered and were engaged by the happy music. "Some of the songs are really funny! "

POCKET SNAILS LETTER ADVENTURE. Join Jake and the Pocket Snails on a magical adventure learning the letters of the alphabet. DVD includes interactive activities, music player, Meet the Snails, company bio and TV commercial. KIDS FIRST!® Adult Juror Comments: If you enjoy the Teletubbies, you'll enjoy this. It is very colorful, cute and cheerful. The cognitive benefits of letter recognition are questionable as it doesn't really show examples. Fast paced, good animation; repetitive. KIDS FIRST!® KID Juror Comments: Liked the alphabet and the music. "It made me sing and dance. " "We liked the pocket snails singing together. " Kids enjoyed recognizing the letters they saw onscreen but it didn't hold their attention for long.

NEW ENDORSEMENTS ********************************

More New Endorsements can be found at http://www.cqcm.org/kidsfirst/html/newendorsements.htm

*** = Titles receiving the highest scores are given a three star rating.
** = Titles that meet or exceed the criteria receive a two-star rating.
* = Titles that meet the baseline criteria but require some extra consideration on the part of the viewer a one-star rating.

Video/DVD-Ages 2-5
** THE OLD RED BARN CLUB: A DAY ON THE FARM. Experience the joy and wonder of life on a farm in this learning adventure featuring puppet characters, original music and interactive learning games. Discover shapes, sounds, colors and letters while learning about farms, machines and animals. Adult Juror Comments: Very sweet and charming. Covers lots of stuff that preschoolers will find interesting - farms, animals, colors, shapes, and games. The structure works well. Lots of cinematography of farm animals, tractors, and other things interspersed with educational segments about horseback riding, how a dairy farm works, what hay is used for. Games are age appropriate and fun. Kid Juror Comments: Kids enjoyed it. "I liked everything. " The two-year-olds went crazy over it and wanted to watch it again right away. "I learned about animals. " "I loved the chicks, and I learned about milking a cow. " Older kids sang along and played along. They all said they'd watch it again. DVD. 34 min. ; $15.95; Age: 2-5. IMEDIA.

Video/DVD-Ages 5-8
* TWENTY TRUCKS. Watch your child name and number twenty trucks in action. This fun and informative video teaches children about more about twenty different kinds of trucks and the work they perform. Adult Juror Comments: Full of good information about trucks from delivery to rescue. It's easy to follow. Good background. The variety of trucks is extraordinary. Best audience is a child who is infatuated with trucks. Kid Juror Comments: The kids who love trucks thoroughly enjoyed this. Others just didn't stay with it. "I learned more than I ever knew about trucks. This is cool. " "If I wanted to know about trucks, I'd read a book. " DVD. 40 min. ; $14.95; Age: 4-6. HAMMERSHARK MEDIA, LLC.

Video/DVD-Ages 8-12

** RIGOLETTO. "Returning hurt for hurt never helped anybody," young Bonnie said. But what is she to make of the hurtful Ribaldi who has moved into Castle Gate and threatened to evict her family? When she goes to work in his mysterious old mansion, she helps him see that the ugliness he holds inside is far worse than his hideous appearance. And she soon sees that this "beast " is a master singer and teacher who can help her unlock the beauty of her own voice. As Ribaldi teaches Bonnie to sing, her kindness melts the ice around his heart to reveal goodness and a rare wisdom that has been buried for years. Although the children of the town discover his beautiful soul, some of their parents allow ugly rumors to fuel the fires of their hate. Don't miss the stirring finish as this musical masterpiece builds to a crescendo. Adult Juror Comments: Great musical. Humorous with good morals. People looking for the operatic Rigoletto will not find it here. This storyline is more like Phantom of the Opera with a great story about a desire for talent and fame that many children dream about. Great social interactions between generations and social classes. Ribaldi is a character you could easily hate. When people do, you realize that they and you were wrong about him. He teaches us to look beyond appearances. Kid Juror Comments: Good story. It was fun to watch. "I really liked it. Me tool" They enjoyed the music and the story. "I wish I could sing like the girl. " "I have a friend who would love it because she likes that kind of singing. " They related to the misbehavior in the story. "Sometimes I'm mean, too. " "The mob people were mean. " "Ribaldi reminded me of the Phantom of the Opera. Bonnie reminded me of me. " "You learned that you cannot judge people by the way they look or the money they have. " DVD. 98 min. ; $12.95; Age: 8-12. FEATURE FILMS FOR FAMILIES.


SELECTIONS FROM KIDS FIRST!® FILM AND VIDEO FESTIVAL 2005
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For a complete list of all Festival titles currently being shown, visit our website.

DVD SNEAK PEEK
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. A. 85 min.
From the Academy Award®-winning* creators of Wallace and Gromit. When their town's prized produce starts disappearing, our cheese-loving inventor and his savvy canine companion must use all their wildly imaginative inventions to try to capture a mysterious beast of epic and fluffy proportions! Ages 8-18. Dreamworks/Universal Studios Home Entertainment Studios Home Entertainment. * The Wrong Trousers (Winner, Best Animated Short, 1993), A Close Shave (Winner, Best Animated Short, 1995). "Academy Award®" is the registered trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

DVD SNEAK PEEK
Anastasia Family Fun Edition. A. 100 min.
A spellbinding mix of adventure, comedy, romance and music, this acclaimed animated spectacular tells the thrilling story of the lost Russian princess Anastasia and her quest to find her true identity. When the shadow of revolution falls across Russia, the royal family's youngest daughter barely escapes with her life. Years later, Anastasia and a band of heroic companions must battle the evil Rasputin, his sidekick Bartok the bat and a host of ghostly minions in a headlong race to reach Paris, reclaim her rightful destiny and solve the greatest mystery of the 20th century. Voices of Meg Ryan, John Cusack. Age: 5-8. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

DVD SNEAK PEEK
Kids Ten Commandments. A. 2 hr. 30 min. E. This five DVD collection delivers the Ten Commandments through the adventures of Seth, an 11-year old boy. Each film is based on a story about historical Bible characters. Created with the help of an eight-member advisory board comprising leading theologians. Includes: The Not So Golden Calf, The Rest is Yet to Come, A Life and Seth Situation, Stolen Jewels, Stolen Hearts and Toying With the Truth. Features the voices of Tom Bosely ("Port Charles"), Jodi Benson (The Little Mermaid), Peter Strauss ("Rich Man, Poor Man") and Lou Diamond Philips (Young Guns). Ages 6-12. Lionsgate Family Entertainment.

DVD SNEAK PEEK
Holly Hobbie & Friends - Surprise Party. A. 44 min. Holly Hobbie, the bonneted girl who charmed her way into America's hearts years ago, is back to enchant a new generation of fans. The new Holly Hobbie & Friends is about the things today's girls love - best friends, sleepovers, adventure, music and much more. Features the theme song "Twinkle In Her Eye" performed by LeAnn Rimes, and Alyson Stoner (Cheaper By the Dozen, as the voice of Holly Hobbie) Viacom International Inc. /Paramount Pictures. © 2006 Those Characters From Cleveland, Inc. ("TCFC"). All Rights Reserved. Holly Hobbie™ and related trademarks are owned by TCFC. American Greetings with rose logo is a trademark of AGC, Inc.

KIDS FIRST!®RECOMMENDATION
March of the Penguins. L. 85 min
In the Antarctic, every March since the beginning of time, the quest begins to find the perfect mate and start a family. This courtship will begin with a long journey – a journey that will take them hundreds of miles across the continent by foot, in freezing cold temperatures, in brittle, icy winds and through deep, treacherous waters. They will risk starvation and attack by dangerous predators, under the harshest conditions on earth, all to find true love. Directed by: Luc Jacquet; As told by: Morgan Freeman; Cast: Introducing the Emperor Penguins; Ages 8-18. Warner Home Video.

NEW AND RENEWING MEMBERS
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Please welcome these new or renewing members and visit their web sites.

BABY HANDS PRODUCTIONS
http://www.mybabycantalk.com

BOOGIEBUBBLE PRODUCTIONS, INC.

CINEMA WERX
http://www.cinemawerx.com

MEMBER NEWS
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VeggieTales: Sheerluck Holmes and the Golden Ruler
London is loco for Sheerluck in this edge-of-your-seat mystery that teaches the importance of friendship. Just in time for the Easter Holiday, this thrilling whodunit hops into stores everywhere on DVD and VHS March 11 and 14, 2006 in Christian and general market stores respectively. See VeggieTales titles KIDS FIRST!® has endorsed on our website.

All Dogs Go to Heaven Now on DVD
On March 14th, consumers looking for man¹s best friend won¹t have to search further than their DVD player when Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) unleashes the All Dogs Go To Heaven 1 & 2 Double Feature 2-disc set and the hit TV series All Dogs Go To Heaven. KIDS FIRST!® has endorsed An All Dogs Christmas Carol and All Dogs Go to Heaven Activity Center.

MEDIA NEWS
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Video Librarian Labels the Best of Best for Libraries
Randy Pitman, publisher and editor of Video Librarian, is dedicated to supplying librarians with topnotch titles, many of which are KIDS FIRST! festival and endorsed titles. Keeping up with increase of film availability and what's hot on the market, Pitman and his staff have reviewed over 1,500 in the past year and narrowed them down to a Top 25 list which can be found at www.videolibrarian.com.

FAMILY AND PARENTING NEWS
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New Study Finds Vast Gender Imbalance in Top-Grossing G-Rated Movies
"Where the Girls Aren't," is the first report from a major study by the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California (USC) for the See Jane program of the national nonprofit Dads & Daughters (DADs). The See Jane program was founded by Geena Davis to advocate for balance in gender representation and address gender stereotyping in media made for children zero to 11 years old. The full report can be found at www.seejane.org.

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Our Neighborhood- Nashe Maalo by Christine L. Pollock

It was a war zone in Macedonia. Families were torn apart and food was stockpiled for refugees from Kosovo in a warehouse. In this same warehouse, there was a buzz from people working hard. A director called for a filming break as jets buzzed overhead on bombing raids. Bringing quality media to the children of Indonesia is no easy task, but Eran Fraenkel and his coworkers from Search for Common Ground were, and are, up for the challenge.

Since 1994, Fraenkel has worked with locals and professionals from abroad to develop a sound program that would be a natural marriage of education and media to create a TV program with the intended outcomes of (1) intercultural understanding, (2) conflict prevention through greater intercultural awareness, and (3) teaching and modeling conflict resolution skills. Ed Palmer, Former Chair of the CQCM National Board, and Brett Pierce from the Children's Television Workshop were part of this process. Together they all created a successful curriculum for the show, Nashe Maalo (Our Neighborhood).

Nashe Maalo went into production the spring of 1999. After five years running, they did a final assessment on the show and discovered that 96% of all children (all ethnic communities, all parts of the country) and about 70% of their parents had been regular viewers of the series for at least three of the five years it has been produced.

Nashe Maalo is in four languages - depending on who is speaking to whom. But for the Macedonian-speaking part of their audience, they have Macedonian language subtitles for all non-Macedonian dialogue; and for the Albanian-speaking audience they do the same with Albanian. The other two language communities understand either or both of the above.

When asked how to begin international programming, Fraenkel responds, "I think that programs likes this need to be conceived in terms of specific peoples, societies and their needs rather than as 'international programs.'" In the final assessment of Nashe Maalo, they found out from viewers (children and youth) that they see and want the possibility of Macedonia becoming a successful pluralistic country in which there is room for everyone. Even if they haven't succeeded in providing a specific way of attaining this goal, for viewers, Nashe Maalo has come to symbolize a vision of the Macedonia they want to live in.

Fraenkel and his team are currently looking at creating an animated TV series for youth (12-15) that deals with very much the same kinds of issues as Nashe Maalo (inter-cultural, inter-ethnic acceptance and respect, conflict prevention through greater awareness. This TV series will be based on a comic book series that Search Indonesia has been publishing and distributing on a limited scale for the past two years. They want the TV series to be national, and are looking for ways to make the print comics be part of the outreach effort behind the TV show.

Those who wish to support Fraenkel and Search for Common Ground can do so in various ways which are spelled out at Common Ground Productions, which is the media arm of Search. See www.cgponline.org. People taking a specific interest in the work in Indonesia are welcomed to contact Eran Fraenkel at efraenkel@indocg.org.

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CRAFTS AND ACTIVITIES

Dr. Toy's Tips on Use of Video by Stevanne Auerbach, PhD. /Dr.Toy
www.drtoy.com Smart Play /Smart Toys (www.educationalinsights.com)

Preschool Educational
Young children are enthusiastic about learning, experiencing, and discovering everything. Teachers and parents can encourage learning by providing a lot of hands-on activities, music, movement, and reading. In each of these areas you can help your child by using media like videos and CDs to complement all these activities. A great audio CD for imaginative movement is Animal Groove.

Craft

Pipe Cleaner and Wire Animals
based on Animal Groove
idea from artist Christopher Pollock

Materials: Paper, pencil, pipe cleaners or small needlenose pliers and a roll of 20 gauge wire. (The artist used 16 gauge, but recommends a higher gauge for younger children).

For instructions, go to craft page.

KIDS FIRST!® Film and Video Festival Schedule
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Join us as we travel around the country with film festivals. Find out when we will be in a town near you. For details read here

ARIZONA
Yuma, AZ

CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles, CA
Newport Beach, CA
San Jose, CA
Tiburon, CA

COLORADO
Denver, CO

FLORIDA
Miami, FL

HAWAII
Hanapepe, HI

ILLINOIS
Rockford, IL

INDIANA
Fort Wayne, IN

MASSACHUSETTS
Brookline MA
Williamstown, MA

MICHIGAN
Ironwood, MI

MINNESOTA
Minneapolis, MN

NEW MEXICO
Albuquerque, NM
Santa Fe, NM

NEVADA
Las Vegas, NV

NEW YORK
Brooklyn, NY
Garden City, NY
New York, NY
Queens, NY


OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma City, OK
Tulsa, OK

OREGON
Ashland, OR

TENNESSEE
Nashville, TN

TEXAS
Austin, TX
Dallas, TX
Houston, TX
Spring, TX

UTAH
Salt Lake City, UT

VERMONT
Shelburne, VT

WASHINGTON
Seattle, WA

WISCONSIN
Milwaukee, WI

WASHINGTON DC
Washington, DC

March 20-21 University of Washington. Just Think: Professional Development Workshop, Images of Youth 2006-New Directions in Media Literacy and Teen Health.

March 24-25 UnConvention Center, New York City, NY. Celebration of Teaching & Learning Information and online registration is now available at registration.

March 31 University of Connecticut, Storrs, Ct. Northeast Media Literacy Conference, "Rethinking Media Literacy in a Changing Youth Culture."

To add your event to this list, please send a notice to Chris.

Seeking Producer of Children's Programming who will research, develop, manage and edit local children's programming for WTIU - including the Emmy Award-winning program The Friday Zone - under the supervision of the WTIU Station Manager. Information.

SPECIAL OFFERS:

For Homeschoolers
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Become a Coalition for Quality Children's Media Member
If you've found our e-zine and web site helpful, please consider becoming a member of KIDS FIRST!® Members help underwrite the various projects of this organization. The Coalition for Quality Children's Media relies on the generous support of its members and donors to support its programs. An individual/family membership is only $25/year. An organizational membership is $100/year. An independent producer membership is $200. To join, go to: http://www.kidsfirst.org or contact our office at 505.989.8076.

VISIT OUR MEMBERS' SITES ******************
Please visit our website for an up-to-date list of Coalition members by clicking here: http://www.kidsfirst.org/kidsfirst/html/whomem.htm.

IF YOU FIND THIS NEWSLETTER USEFUL . . . FORWARD IT TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY ****************

ADVERTISE IN THE EMAIL EDITION OR ON THE KIDS FIRST!®WEB SITE
Contact Ann ************************

Send comments, questions and feedback to: Chris

To SUBSCRIBE to our free e-zine, KIDS FIRST!® NEWS: Send e-mail to join-kidsfirst@kidsfirst.org Or fill out the simple form at: http://www.kidsfirst.org To leave this list, send e-mail to leave-kidsfirst@kidsfirst.org or use the link below: http://list.kidsfirst.org/cgi-bin/process.pl?id=18066423L

This newsletter may be reprinted with permission. Write to: kfnews@kidsfirst.org
Copyright 2002 by Coalition for Quality Children's Media, http://www.kidsfirst.org

ABOUT CQCM AND KIDS FIRST!®
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KIDS FIRST!® is the not-for-profit Coalition for Quality Children's Media's initiative that evaluates and rates children's media - videotapes, CD-ROMs and television - using a highly acclaimed method that has been praised by parents and educators alike. It utilizes professionally designed criteria and evaluation tools and engages a volunteer jury comprising child development professionals, teachers and parents nationwide and children of diverse geographic, socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. KIDS FIRST!® endorsed titles appeal to people around the world and include many programs on topics important to children's development. KIDS FIRST!®-endorsed titles are available on CQCM's award-winning Internet site, in the KIDS FIRST!® Film and Video Festival and in reviews we provide to more than 75 publications.

CQCM evaluates feature films, television programs, videos, CD-ROM, DVDs and audio recordings. For an application form and application deadlines, visit our website at http://www.kidsfirst.org, call our office (505.989.8076) or send an email to Jury Coordinator.
Coalition for Quality Children's Media, 112 W. San Francisco St. , Suite 305A, Santa Fe, NM 87501.