An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)Last night on HBO I watched the premiere of this American Girl movie. I enjoyed the Kit movie from last year, they are really on a roll now I have to say!! This movie is a MUST see for students from 3rd or 4th grade and up. The movie is about a 5th grade girl who is new to a school and is soon bullied by a click of 3 girls, one in particular named Tara. This is not a sugar coated movie and you see Chrissa's situation go from bad to worse as she struggles to handle it by herself.
I figured this movie would be like every other typical Disney-style movie where Chrissa will eventually get revenge on the "bad guy", you know with some plot where say she makes some elaborate contraption which will embarrass the heck out of Tara and spill green paint on her or whatever and everyone will laugh at Tara and Chrissa will be the hero. That is NOT how this story goes at all, and I am very impressed American Girl (who is in the DOLL business) did not fantasy candy-coat the story. Rather, as you will see, it is shown with much more realism and makes you think about what you would do if you were in Chrissa's (or her parents') situation.
I actually have someone who has been bullying my 10 year old daughter over the past few months and ironically I got a few pointers from this movie last night, it made me think a little different about how to approach the situation. It also reinforced some of my beliefs on what makes someone a bully as well as providing some tips on ways to keep Chrissa staying strong.
Like other viewers, I bet you will be curious to see what bully Tara's parents look like - in every other movie (e.g. Camp Rock) the snobby/mean girl's mother is usually some self-centered witch who is nasty with her daughter and thus the chain continues....in this movie, you never get to see her parents. I think that is a good thing because it really let me focus on the rest of the story. I am seriously considering buying a copy for my local school and/or library to donate it, it was that good. The acting was fantastic and Chrissa is absolutely charming, I would love to have a friend like her for myself or my daughter!

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Meet Chrissa Maxwell. She and her family have just moved, and she has to start at a new school mid-year. Will she fit in? Can she find new friends? On her very first day, Chrissa is seated with three girls who greet her with teasing and tricks. The Mean Bees really know how to stingthey bully her in class, on the bus, online, and even at swim club. Chrissa cant seem to make any new friends; not even with the girl who seems to need a friend the most. When the biggest bully becomes Chrissa's swimming rival, the taunting finally goes too far. Now its up to Chrissa. Will she find a way to stand strong and stop the bullying?

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Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)This movie was actually a lot better than I expected, and had some hilarious moments. I can relate to some of the things that happened to Greg. I have not read the book, so I couldn't compare it. 12 year old Greg Heffley is nervous about starting middle school. Him and his dorky best friend, Rowley Jefferson try to fit in and become popular, but that's easier said than done. Throughout the school year, Greg and Rowley come up with weird ways to become popular like being a Safety Patrol officer, wrestling, and performing in epic school plays. In order to truly appreciate this film, you either need to be a parent, or think from the perspective of a kid. I highly recommend DIARY OF A WIMPY KID!!!

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LIVE-ACTION ADAPTATION OF JEFF KINNEY'S ILLUSTRATED NOVEL ABOUT A WISE-CRACKING JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT.

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Trevor Romain: Taking the "Duh" out of Divorce (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)Trevor Romain and the Comical Sense Company score a home-run with this children's video on divorce. In an area where visual resources for children-of-divorce is lacking, this movie not only takes on the challenge of filling a void, but creates a resource for children, families and schools that has a high "usability" factor (Trevor has included a resource guide that is worth the price of the dvd alone).
The characters of Skye and Jack lend a sense of safety through familiarity and approachability. These characters could very well be any child you know. Trevor brings out the vulnerabilities of divorce in a careful but realistic way. He hasn't shied away from the fact that it is perhaps the second most difficult issue for a child to endure, next to the loss of a parent. This is not a watered down, "cutesy" movie...as a therapist I was moved by the reality of pain that Trevor was able to capture.
Finally, Trevor depicts Skye's pursuit of finding peace over her parent's divorce in the most creative and cognitively accurate way...I won't spoil it for you. It alone was worth the price of admission.
No divorce is easy, no divorcing parent should believe that a conversation with their child about it will be either. Trevor offers a tool that can help bridge the gap. This movie will not replace healthy post-divorce parent-child interaction/involvement ...in fact, Trevor's gem is just the beginning of the conversation.
A must have for anyone directly involved in the care of children-of-divorce.
Jeffrey Natalie, LSW - Child, Marriage and Family Therapist
ErieKIDS Organization

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Skye's parents have just dropped a bombshell - they're getting divorced! Trevor uses Skye's experience to give kids practical, helpful advice for dealing with the pain of divorce. After all, as Skye discovers, her parents aren't divorcing her - they love her!

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