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,

On Halloween I dressed up as one of my children's favorite movie characters. For two or three years now, my boys have been obsessed with the movie, CATS (based on the Broadway production). When I told my children that I was going to go out as Grizabella, the glamour cat, they once again pulled out their KIDS FIRST!® critiquing techniques and started analyzing how I would identify with the character. As they stumbled over themselves verbally, trying to get around the fact that they were basically calling me ragged, I was laughing and realizing how happy I was to know that film had once again made it possible for my children to enjoy education. That particular film got them very interested in poetry. If you have any funny/interesting anecdotes of ways media has influenced children in your life, please share them with me.

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

Christine Pollock, Editor

Dear Readers,

Happy November Everyone!

Oh my but this year is just flying by isn't it. Just a minute ago the sun was still beating down on us as we revelled in Indian summer here in Santa Fe and then, kabomb! It's fall and it's cold. Have to put socks on again. The flowers of summer have died back with the exception of the pots of geraniums that I brought inside to cheer us up through the days of longer nights and shorter days.

But one thing that keeps all of us cheer this time of year is movies! And movies we've got. In fact, KIDS FIRST! just went through our list of films in our webstore, www.kidsfirstmedia.com, and moved a bunch of them into our clearance bin so that we can add new titles to the store for the holidays. All our vhs tapes are on sale for $5.95 and almost every DVD title has been discounted by at least 10%. So, when you're thinking about what to buy for the holidays, take a look at our webstore to find some rare finds at some rare prices.

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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Baby Babble DVD. Exposes children to early developing sounds and words, as well as introducing them to simple sign language. DVD. 45 min. ; $15.99; Age: Adult. Talking Child LLC.

Braincandy: My 5 Senses. Braincandy is an inventive series that focuses on children learning about themselves and the world through their five senses. Braincandy introduces concepts about the five senses. Original music score. DVD. 40 min. ; $15.29; Age: 2-5. Think Film Kids.

Corduroy. . .and More Stories About Friendship. Corduroy (writer/illustrator Don Freeman) longs for someone to take him home from the department store. He thinks that finding his lost button may help, so he searches the store when nobody's around. Includes: Yo! Yes? ; Here Comes The Cat! DVD. 54 min. ; $9.95; Age: 3-8. Scholastic Entertainment.

Move 'N Groove Kids, Volume 1. Dance and exercise program based on creative movement philosophy. Teaches action words as well as movement. DVD. 26 min. ; $29.95; Age: adult. KSK Visuals Inc.

Pick Me Up! Fun Songs for Learning Sign Language. A compilation of 20 original songs to help teach children over 200 American Sign Language vocabulary words, including an activity guide with pre-written curricula for parents and educators. Enhanced CD with video clips. Audio. 52 min. ; $15.95; Age: 2-7. Sign 2 Me/ Northlight, Inc.

So Smart: Colors. Pink pigs, orange tractors, and green grasshoppers introduce your child to the world of colors. Original music soundtrack! The 2-disc DVD includes interactive games: build "colors" characters on your home computer, on TV, or choose a colored box and see what's inside! Plus a free activity guide and bonus 50 minute "Cartime" classical music CD. DVD. 120 min. ; $12.95; Age: 1-3. The Baby School Company, Inc.

ANN'S AVENUE ALERTS by Ann Church
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KIDS FIRST!® Across the Country
Avalon Theatre, Washington DC

Avalon Interior Circa 1936

Located in a wonderful neighborhood of Washington DC, the Avalon Theatre is the oldest surviving movie house in Washington. The theater is run by the Avalon Theatre Project, Inc. , a non-profit organization that has returned the Avalon to life as a vibrant and viable movie house, one that serves the needs and interests of the Greater Washington community.

Even before Andy Mencher, programming director, decided to add a weekly Saturday KIDS FIRST!® children's program, I have been fond of the Avalon. The theatre makes an incredible effort to screen important and thought-provoking films. My first viewing of Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 911 was at the Avalon. A notable feat considering this theater is just a straight shot up Connecticut Avenue from the White House.

The Avalon engages the community in a way that, in the case of most theaters, has gone by the wayside. But it is reciprocal because the neighborhood saved the Avalon. In 2001, the Avalon was empty, abandoned and threatened by the mighty wrecking ball. Through community effort, fundraising and just general refusal to let such an historic theater be destroyed - it was rescued.

On April 22, 2003, the Avalon Theatre Project proudly unveiled a beautifully restored theater, combining the best of old architecture with state-of-the art sound, screen, projection, and comfortable new seats. The revitalized theater now offers exciting and diverse programming that includes outstanding independent, foreign, and documentary films, classics, and the best commercial films.

Every Saturday morning at 10am the Avalon hosts Weekend Family Matinees. Check them out if you are in the area.

www.theavalon.org
5612 Connecticut Avenue NW
Washington DC
202-966-6000

If you know of another great location that should be screening KIDS FIRST!® titles, drop me a email, and I will send you a free copy of my latest favorite KIDS FIRST!® festival title.

Ann Church

SELECTIONS FROM KIDS FIRST!® FILM AND VIDEO FESTIVAL 2006
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For a complete list of all Festival titles currently being shown, visit our website.

A Gift from Santa. L. 3.5 min. A story about a sarcastic little girl named Moe and her penguin friend, Petey. Petey wants to get a puppy for Moe, but he can't afford him, so he sends an urgent e-mail to Santa. Will Santa come through in time? Ages 3-8. Suzanne Hensler.

Eloise: Little Miss Christmas. L. 66 min. Eloise and all of her hotel friends are putting on a holiday show like no other. Incorporating traditions from the different religions and cultures of her friends, they learn the true spirit of the season is having the people you love all together and happy. Based on the best-selling books written by Kay Thompson and illustrated by Hilary Knight. Voices of Lynn Redgrave, Tim Curry, and Curtis Armstrong. English & Spanish. Ages 5-8. Anchor Bay Entertainment.

SpongeBob SquarePants: Whale of a Birthday L. 85 min.
SpongeBob SquarePants Whale of a Birthday includes 7 brand new season 4 episodes, first time on DVD! Ages 8-12. Paramount Home Entertainment.

Ice Age: The Meltdown L. 90 min. The action heats up and so does the temperature for Manny, Sid, Diego and Scrat. Trying to escape the valley to avoid a flood of trouble, the comical creatures embark on a hilarious journey across the thawing landscape and meet Ellie, a female woolly mammoth who melts Manny's heart. Voices of Queen Latifah and Ray Romano. Ages 4-10. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

PollyWorld L. 68 min. Polly Pocket™ makes her movie debut in Pollyworld™. Join Polly™ as she hits the world's most fabulicious™ amusement park full of monster good rides, the ultimate shopping experience and music to the max to compete with her classmates. With Polly's totally fab best friends behind her, there's nothing a little girl power can't overcome! Ages 5-8. Universal Studios Home Video.

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

Hello Baby Productions. Max Reynal and Doug Morrione work together to create unique and alternative video productions for babies and young children.

Magic Al Entertainment. Explore the wondrous secrets of the Magical World Magic Shop and discover that if you believe in magic, and believe in yourself, anything is possible!

One Wee World. Introducing the world's first multicultural DVD series specifically created for both children and grown-ups to enjoy learning about different world cultures. Kids from 1-111, will love exploring the fascinating countries of the beautiful world we live in right from their living room.

Smart Neurons develops and produces products that are aimed towards preschool children. Their products range from software CD-ROM's to DVDs.

MEMBER NEWS
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Congratulations VanDerKloot!
VanDerKloot Film and Television, along with sister companies Magick Lantern and Little Mammoth Media, will celebrate 30 years in the production industry.

Congratulations Dr. Toy! Dr. Toy was nominated as "Wonder Woman" for the Women in Toys and Playthings Award. Women In Toys, the organization started to give women working with the toy, entertainment and licensing industries a professional networking base, announced a slate of 43 women nominated for the third annual Wonder Women of Toys awards. Awards will be given out February 11, 2007.

Mifflin Lowe's Beasts by the Bunches a "Smash hit" with Syracuse Symphony
After a great summer doing 45 library and festival shows all over Rhode Island and Massachusetts, Lowe finally did the orchestral version of Beasts By The Bunches on September 30th --- with the prestigious Syracuse Symphony Orchestra. Read More About It.

ReelTime Rentals, Inc. Enters Deal With Baby Genius
The broadband video rental service will make Baby Genius' infant and toddler targeted programs available via ReelTime. Under the agreement Baby Genius will provide programming from its library as well as its new and upcoming releases.

Bindi Irwin gets her own show on Discovery Kids Network
Currently entitled Bindi: The Jungle Girl, the project was initially to be a father/daughter deal, and some of the scenes shot before Steve Irwin's death will be incorporated into the series. A very outspoken and self-assured young lady, Bindi's show is scheduled to join the Discovery Kids Network in 2007.

MEDIA NEWS
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RCN Corporation Launches New Digital Interactive Cable Programming
It includes some new parental control options, as well as enhanced search features and increased speed, in its Boston, NY, Eastern Pennsylvania, Washington DC and Chicago markets. In addition to its standard parental controls (e.g. time restrictions, by rating, by channel etc), RCN has added the ability to restrict viewing by content advisory, such as "Adult Situations" and "Fantasy Violence. "

David Bowie and Sponge Bob
At the urging of his daughter, Bowie has recorded a voice over for an episode of Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants. The famous rocker lends his voice to a character named Lord Royal Highness in an episode that is slated to air next year.
FAMILY AND PARENTING NEWS
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Boy Scouts' New Media Badge
A Boy Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, etc. , etc. He is also respectful of copyrights. Boy Scouts in the Los Angeles area will now be able to earn an activity patch for learning about the evils of downloading pirated movies and music. Read the full article from Yahoo.

Disney Links Marketing to Nutrition
Walt Disney, addressing the growing concerns of parents over child nutrition, said that it would curtail the use of its name and characters with food items that did not meet new nutritional standards. The new guidelines would limit how much sugar, calories and fat could be in snacks and foods marketed by companies that Disney has licensing relationships with. Read More.

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Pollyworld by Christine L. Pollock

What is it with children and tiny items? There is definitely an attraction there. Savvy daddy Chris Wiggs tapped into this truth back in 1983. Using a powder compact, he fashioned a small house for his daughter Kate's tiny doll. Thus was the beginning of the ever-popular Polly Pocket doll and her friends. As the decades rolled by, there were several changes in the doll, but not in children's attraction to her. "I have tubs filled with Polly Pocket clothes and furniture," laughed one mother at playgroup. Other moms agreed and named their favorite features of the doll. They loved the easy, slip-on, rubbery clothes and especially loved the styles, which are fun, yet not risqué. Now Polly and her friends are appearing in a charming new medium, the movies. Pollyworld, makes its world debut only on DVD November 14.

Polly Pocket and her friends Lila, Shani, Lea and Crissy can't wait to begin the most spectabulous adventure ever! Along with their classmates, they are invited to spend the weekend at the grand opening of PollyWorld, the most "off-the-hook" amusement park and shopping experience EVER! Over the weekend the class will be competing in a charity version of their favorite mega race reality show "Roll Like That! " Teams will participate in numerous challenges that test their agility, teamwork, problem-solving skills and endurance. Polly and the Pockets will even get to rock out on live television in the final challenge. Thrilling rides, exotic attractions, cool contests, delicious treats, amazing fireworks, music and shopping await them. But that's not all . . . Polly's dad has the biggest surprise . . . he is getting married and has brought his new fiancé, Lorelai, for the weekend to meet his daughter. Polly's stepmom-to-be seems cool enough, until the girls discover her evil plot.

A favorite moment in the movie for supervising producer and director of entertainment for Mattel, Nancy Bennett, is when Polly meets Lorelai for the first time and learns that she is going to marry her father. Bennett thinks there is great humor and heart in this scene. She points out that there are many different types of families today. The important thing is to be secure in knowing that you are loved and supported by your family. PollyWorld is animated in 2D with CGI elements. The creators at Mattel wanted to bring Polly to life in a style consistent with the image children have come to know and love on the Polly Pocket toy. The pace of the story as well as the music appeals to both girls and younger boys. There is great music, tons of humor and the movie has a wonderfully engaging plot.

If you are interested in learning more about Polly and her friends, just check them out at the Polly Pocket web site. You could also go to the KIDS FIRST!® Film Festival web site to find out where it is showing near you.

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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)

Preparing for the Holidays- The holidays are coming soon. This is a good time to prepare with a variety of activities that provide good transitions. Holiday preparations can put extra strain and pressure and this can build up for everyone in the family and interfere with relaxation. Have a good assortment of items to provide balance. Well-being it is important for children and parents so find more time for play. Prepare a “Play Chest” with a variety of simple, interesting activities including games, videos and books. A great KIDS FIRST!® title, crammed with activity ideas, is Dr. Toy's Smart Play, Smart Toys.

Placing People - Idea from reader, Julia Gabor. This is the great activity for naming heroes and defining how we perceive them. Gabor recommends Start Something, a free program for youth 8-17, that addresses three national priorities: character education, volunteer services and career exploration. Through September, 2007, Start Something participants can apply for individual grants of up to $5,000 to assist in pursuing their dreams.

Materials: 4 posters

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.

Other Events

November 19-24 Canada's National Media Education Week. The first of its kind in Canada, this week will highlight the importance of media literacy and Web literacy as key learning areas in the information age. Read More.

January 12-14: Memphis, Tennessee. Activists, media makers, educators, journalists, policymakers and concerned citizens will gather in Memphis this January to mobilize for better media. The National Conference for Media Reform, sponsored by Free Press, is for "anyone who is concerned about the state of our media and committed to working for change. " This is an outstanding conference with top speakers, including Bill Moyers, Amy Goodman, Ben Bagdikian and others. Expect thousands of people committed to democracy and the need for a media system that supports rather than restricts free speech.

January 19: Hempstead, NY [Long Island]. Reclaim the First Amendment: A Conference on Constitutional Theories of Media Reform, cosponsored by the Free Expression Policy Project of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law and by conference host Hofstra University. Free and open to the public, reservations requested.

February 1-4, 2007: Raleigh Studios, Hollywood. The 12th Annual International Family Film Festival is leaving the
suburbs of Los Angeles and moving down the road to Hollywood. Read More

SPECIAL OFFERS:

KIDS FIRST!® Cares
Through the combined efforts of Corporations for Character, KIDS FIRST!® , and your generous donation, we can fulfill our mission to provide positive, encouraging movies into each of more than one million children's hospital beds. This effort will provide entertainment for children while they are confined in a hospital. To support KIDS FIRST!® Cares, click here. All credit card transactions are secure.

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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 or KIDS FIRST!®.

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 ****************

This newsletter may be reprinted with permission.
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-ROM's 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).
Coalition for Quality Children's Media, 112 W. San Francisco St. , Suite 305A, Santa Fe, NM 87501.