Archives for November 18, 2024

Starting high school brings big changes for Immie and Jack, who’ve been everything to each other ever since Jack crashed his skateboard into Immie’s yard when they were seven years old. All of a sudden, a game-winning goal catapults Jack into star status with the soccer team, and Immie is meeting new girlfriends whose questions are making her wonder about the identity of her father for the first time in her life.

And amidst all of this, they’re both realizing their feelings for each other might run deeper than they thought. Can their friendship—and the promise of something more—weather the storm that is growing up?

 ALL MY BESTS (available now) a smart and emotional romance told through playlists and memories follows two young teens struggling to hold onto each other as their friendship changes.

This is a fun book to read!

Author Bio

Lita Judge is the award-winning author and illustrator of many children’s books, including Flight School, Penguin Flies Home, Red Sled, Red Hat, Good Morning to Me!, Born in the Wild, Even the Smallest Will Grow, When You Need Wings, and her illustrated young adult novel, Mary’s Monster. She lives with her husband, two cats, and a parrot in New Hampshire. You can visit her online at LitaJudge.com.

This comprehensive guide, which just earned a starred review from Publishers Weekly, is a must-read for kids and their grown-ups when talking about the election this season.

This inclusive, non-partisan book is packed with archival photos, did-you-know facts, masterful breakdowns of complicated systems, and best of all: original reporting. Brower interviewed carpenters, cooks, barbers, and other Hill staffers about their perspectives and patriotism. She also contextualizes the Capitol and our democracy within history, including recent events like the January 6th insurrection, which features firsthand accounts from people on the ground, including one of the Capitol’s catering managers and young staffers from both sides of the aisle, providing a new and important oral history. 

I found this book to be very educational and entertaining!

Self Disclosure: I received free copies of the above books to facilitate this post. Images were also provided.

Tired of family chores, and only caring about his gifts, a teenager wishes a little too hard and accidentally makes Christmas disappear! As the only one who remembers its existence, it’s now up to him to bring the holiday back to the world and learn the true meaning of Christmas.

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Adele B. comments, “Saving Christmas is pure entertainment and kept a smile on my face until the end! It could easily be the next holiday classic. I like the juxtaposition of funny moments, with more deep and heartwarming ones.” Braedyn M. adds, “Saving Christmas has everything I would expect from a Christmas movie, and some things that I didn’t.  Humor, charm, and the holiday spirit give this movie an original Christmas feel, but the mystery and dual reality make it enjoyable not just in December, but throughout the year as well.” See their full reviews below.

Saving Christmas

By Adele B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 10

Saving Christmas is pure entertainment and kept a smile on my face until the end! It could easily be the next holiday classic. I like the juxtaposition of funny moments, with more deep and heartwarming ones. All of the visuals and acting are engaging and definitely draw you in.

The story starts with a glimpse at a typical teenager, Nick (Ricardo Ortiz), annoyed that his computer isn’t working and he could care less about Christmas. Meanwhile, his family is passionately preparing for Christmas and, despite Nick’s lack of enthusiasm, they make him participate. Nick is shocked while putting up the lights and awakens only to discover that his family has drastically changed and Christmas has disappeared. With tables turned and as the only one who remembers its existence, Nick enlists the help of his best friend Ben (Josh Zaharia) to help him save Christmas and bring the magic of the holiday back to life for his family.

This film definitely kept my attention and I stayed curious wondering what was next in this crazy adventure. Richard Ortiz, as Nick, has great comedic timing and is very relatable. I couldn’t help but route for him in his fight to save Christmas. It is so touching the great lengths he goes to get his family into the holiday spirit. The camera work is terrific with seamless transitions that make it easy to watch. The sets and props look so realistic and typical of everyday life by a middle class American family. I also enjoyed the costumes, especially when they dress up for Christmas as each outfit s personalized for each member of the family. My absolute favorite costumes are his sister Jojo’s outfits and her hair styles bas they perfectly match her personality.  We quickly see the fun relationship that Jojo and Nick have as well as the bond between all of the family members .I love how Nick uses simple items like pom-poms and candy canes all around and his family loves them. It really shows how much he adores his family and the strong bond between them. I love seeing the actors get into their different characters both with and without Christmas. The one shortfall is that the supporting actors didn’t quite stand up to the dynamics of the main characters. Also, I was not so fond of the background music in some scenes and in a few spots the lip movements are out of sync with the person speaking.

The film’s message is to always be grateful for what you have and to appreciate loved ones. It highlights the true meaning of Christmas and how traditions bring us joy. It also reminds us to never give up when we are faced with a challenge, especially if we are fighting for something we truly believe in.

I give Saving Christmas 4 out of 5 and recommend it for ages 8 to 12, plus adults. This film premieres on VOD and streaming on November 5, 2024.

Saving Christmas
By Braedyn M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 16

Saving Christmas has everything I would expect from a Christmas movie, and some things that I didn’t.  Humor, charm, and the holiday spirit give this movie an original Christmas feel, but the mystery and dual reality make it enjoyable not just in December, but through out the year as well.

Nick Baker (Ricardo Ortiz) is a 16-year-old boy whose only goals in life are to make movies, and open presents.  So when his Mom (Casey James) tosses a thousand and one Christmas chores his way, he wishes for Christmas to disappear.  To his surprise, it actually does, and with it, all the joy and opportunities Christmas provides, drastically altering the lives of those around him.  Now, as the sole person who remembers the holiday, Nick must find a way to restore the season, and return Christmas to its former glory.

My favorite character in the film is Nick’s best friend, Ben (Josh Zaharia).  No matter what crazy idea Nick has, such as Christmas, Ben tries to find the positive in it.  When Nick is late for a film group meeting, Ben tries to reason with the other members, telling them that Nick must have a reason for being late, and not to kick him out of the club.  Nick’s family is quite interesting.  Each member of their clan brings something different to the table.  When Christmas is forgotten, the way they change is fun to watch. Nick’s younger sister, Jojo (Ella Wejr / Ellexis Wejr), goes from being a regular girl who loves the atmosphere of Christmas, to a professional, business women who is president of the debate club. Some parts of the film are kind of hard to understand, and make it slightly confusing.  For example, in the beginning, we see Nick having the time of his life on his computer, but the montage ends and we see him sleeping at his desk.  At first I thought that he only dreamt the whole thing, but later we learn that he often works during the night, as it “brings out his creativity.”  Some parts are kind of corny, but nothing that detracts it as a good holiday movie.

The film’s message is that it is better to give than receive. Before Nick erases Christmas, he is on the receiving team when it comes to gifts. But once the holiday is gone, he sees how he took the kindness of others and everything they did for him for granted. Be forewarned that there is a bit of profanity in this film. 

I give Saving Christmas 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to ages 8 to 18, plus adults. Saving Christmas flies into theaters on Nov 5, 2024.