All about the Earth

By Schlessinger Media VHS 7117

(1999) ISBN 1572252316

This educational work is very entertaining and will hold the attention of its audience, one of the best techniques that can be used in any teaching approach.  The interest of the viewer is kept due to the excellent visuals and the well paced music.  In fact the music selected for this piece is geared to a young viewer’s taste.  Facts imparted to the audience are chosen for their interest level in this age group.  What young viewer would not like to know why it is we have life on earth whereas some plants are boiling hot and some others are absolutely forbiddingly cold.

The editing in this video has been well accomplished.  It provides the right amount and type of information that that young viewers usually seek.  This work is recommended for its high level of success in being both informing and entertaining.

Holes

By Louis Sachar

DVD V2266

This film based on the 1999 Newbery Award book, Holes by Louis Sachar, stars Shia LaBeouf as the main character, Stanley Yelnats in this coming of age tale.

The entire Yelnats family has experienced bad luck for generations and when Stanley finds himself unfairly accused of the theft of some very expensive shoes, he is not surprised about his quick conviction and sentencing to a juvenile detention center.  Given his circumstances Stanley initially welcomes being sent to Camp Green Lake however upon his arrival he realizes how extremely misnamed this supposed juvenile detention center is. Even with all these challenges, Stanley manages to find the real purpose of the holes that the camp juveniles must dig every day, who really stole the shoes he was accused of taking, and best of all he manages to reverse the fortunes of his family as well as his own.

With its youthful characters, and their resourcefulness under extremely challenging circumstances, the film Holes will be especially appealing to audiences that include tweens. 

The Hobbit

By J.R.R. Tolkien
DVD V0371

We are invited to visit or revisit Middle Earth in another media so we may discover a fantastic place beyond our ordinary world.  Creatures such as hobbits, goblins and dwarfs populate the world depicted in this story.  Audiences of all ages including those of tween age will be fascinated with the differences in habits and customs they will be presented with in either reading this story or viewing it.

The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz Motion Picture DVD

ISBN 1419807730

For our continued pleasure we are presented (in the DVD format) with the adventures of Dorothy and her companions, Toto her dog, and Tin Man, Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion as they journey in the Land of Oz, all four with their individual goals.  This film has never fallen out of favor with audiences and in fact support for it has increased over the years.  With a heroine that has always appeared to be in the tween age range this is a work that would be a natural for this audience.