Kid Recommended Mom Approved Movies Based On Books

April 9, 2015 by

The kids’ summer lessons won’t be starting until mid-April, so we’ve been bonding over movies (lots of ’em) the past couple of weeks. I’ve been using https://avoidcensorship.org/ to access pirate bay, which I think is the easiest way to find films.
Since we’re also book lovers, we’ve been watching several movies that are based on novels we love. Here’s our list of Kid-Recommended Mom-Approved Movies Based on Books:

Chronicles of Narnia

Since 2005, Walden Media has released three film adaptations of the Chronicles of Narnia. This is a series of seven novels written by C.S. Lewis. We have a collection of the entire series and have already read the Magician’s Nephew, The Horse and His Boy, and The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe. Their familiarity with the characters and the stories are partly why the kids love the movies. Only three novels have been adapted into movies though: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian (Jade’s fave), and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Jakei’s fave).

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The stories revolve around the Pevensie children and their adventures in Narnia – a world created by Aslan, a powerful and wise lion. There’s fantasy, adventure, mythical creatures, captivating scenes – just what every child wants in a movie! We both loved watching these but they were difficult to get hold of on streaming services. I considered using Proxies.sx after lots of recommendations, which is apparently a great way to watch films for free from a huge index, but I finally managed to find the DVDs hidden under a load of toys.

Bridge to Terabithia

Being one of my favorite books, Bridge to Terabithia was among the very first chapter books I read to my two little ones. They love the book but they love the movie even more. Jade says that the movie is “really good” and she loves “the wild imagination of Leslie and Jesse.” Jakei likes “the boy because he is good”.

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In this movie, the life of Jesse Aarons is transformed when he becomes friends with Leslie Burke. Together they create a magical forest kingdom and call it Terabithia. My kids can totally relate to both Jesse and Leslie as they also have wild imaginations and often create their own make-believe kingdoms.

City of Ember

This science fiction film starring Bill Murray is based on a 2003 novel by Jeanne DuPrau. The story is set centuries from today in a dying underground city called Ember. With power and supplies including food about to run out and the city’s structure about to collapse, two young adults find a way out. Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow bravely stand against a corrupt mayor and face various obstacles in their quest for a safe way out of Ember.

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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

If my memory serves me right, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was the very first chapter book that Jade managed to read on her own. Since that first Roald Dahl book, she has read half a dozen more of his fantasticilicious stories. Well, it’s no surprise that she and her brother love the movie adaptation of the Chocolate Factory.

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The film version that my kids saw was the one starring Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka. I’d still love for them to watch Gene Wilder’s version of Willy Wonka though. Maybe I could ดูหนังออนไลน์ (watch movies online) in their older versions on accessible movie streaming sites from other countries, like Thailand. I mean I’ve looked almost everywhere else.

Wizard of Oz

Now who doesn’t know this wonderful novel written by L.Frank Baum? It may have been written a century ago but it still remains popular generation after generation. Proof of this is the many adaptations, both on stage and in the widescreen, that have sprung from the story.

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After watching Judy Garland as Dorothy, you may want to watch the Disney adaptation Oz the Great and Powerful.

Oz the Great and Powerful

The story is set 20 years before the original story of the Wizard of Oz. In this adaptation, we learn how Oscar Diggs (portrayed by the dashing James Franco) came to be the Wizard of Oz. We also find out that the Wicked Witch of the West wasn’t so wicked before.

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Michelle Williams who plays Glinda the Good Witch of the South also plays the role of Annie who would eventually become the mother of Dorothy Gale. Now, I’m hoping they would do a re-make of the Wizard of Oz. Just imagine how amazing the visual effects would be with all the technology available now.

These are just the ones we have recently watched. Among those that the kids have already seen and loved are the Harry Potter series (strictly parental guidance though as the kids have plenty of questions about the characters and the events), Alice in Wonderland, Forrest Gump (strictly parental guidance also and you may want to skip some scenes involving Jenny), and Matilda. I’m sure there are plenty more but my memory fails me. 😛

Then there are also those that we have yet to see but are definitely in my list: Oliver Twist, Charlotte’s Web, The Jungle Book, To Kill A Mockingbird, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, James and the Giant Peach.

How about you and your kids? What movies do you love and recommend? Would love to read about your mom approved movies, too.

Filed Under: BookWorms, Busy Bees, Family Fun, Kids At Work

Hot News!!! The SCHOLASTIC SIZZLING SUMMER SALE IS ON!

March 30, 2015 by

SUMMER’S HERE! For many, summer’s the perfect time to catch up on family bonding and go on vacations.  Some make summer more productive by enrolling their children in various sports or art programs.  As for us, we’re doing both and a whole lot more.

The little kids will be enrolled in Voice and Drums lessons this April until early May. We also have a couple of trips lined up. Then, we’re planning on developing their entrepreneurial skills by putting up a summer snack stand. Of course, we’ll also be taking advantage of the school break by catching up on our book lists this year.  Which is why we’re not letting THE SCHOLASTIC SIZZLING SUMMER SALE end without scoring some new titles!

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This much-awaited sale started last week, March 23, and will run until May 24.  That’s still a long time from now, but the earlier you go, the more chances you have of hauling good finds.  My BFF who lives near the warehouse already bought her first haul of books last week.  She’s always superduper thoughtful and buys interesting books for us as well.  Can’t wait to get our hands on the new Magic School Bus books she got for us!

Purchase 2,000 pesos worth of books and you also get a free bundle of books worth 1,000 pesos.  Books are offered at up to 80% discount so 2,000 pesos would get you dozens of books already! There’s a wide selection of picture books, fiction and nonfiction books, popular series, references, inspirational, arts and crafts, and interactive products so everyone in the family can get their pick.

The SCHOLASTIC SIZZLING SUMMER SALE is open daily from 9am to 6pm, except on Sundays and holidays.  In observance of the Holy Week, they will be open only until noon on April 1.  Regular schedule will resume on April 6.

Summer’s really the best time to catch up on reading so make sure you have new exciting books to enjoy this vacation!

How To Get There?

If you’re bringing your own car, just follow the map shown above. From Ortigas Extension, turn right at C.Raymundo Ave. The Scholastic Warehouse is at the left side.  There are banners outside the warehouse so you won’t miss it.

Via Public Transport, take a bus or jeep going to Ortigas Extension (there’s a jeep terminal on the side of Robinson’s Galleria), get off C. Raymundo, and take a tricycle going to the warehouse.

Bring sturdy ecobags so you can carry your stash with ease.

Filed Under: BookWorms, Kids At Work, Products We Love Tagged With: , ,

Off the Bookshelf: The Magic School Bus

November 20, 2014 by

Last Friday was report card day and I couldn’t help noticing that the little girl’s grades in Science has consistently been the highest among all her other subjects. Back in preschool, she also received the Discovery Smart award twice. The little boy doesn’t have a Science subject yet, but like his sister, he also has an innate curiosity and a penchant for discovering how and why things work. It’s no wonder indeed that both of them LOVE the Magic School Bus!

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These Magic School Bus books have been read many times over.  Don’t ask me how many times coz I’ve lost count already.  I’ve also lost count of the many questions the kids have asked wanting to know more about Australia, or what animals eat, or the monarch butterfly, and so on and so forth.  They’ve read the books so many times that it seems they know most of the stories and characters by heart. Ask them what The Friz’s first name is and they’ll tell you in a second. They are also familiar with the kids in the Friz’s class and can describe them as if they were their real classmates.

Aside from the making scientific facts easier to understand by integrating them into humorous stories, I also love how each book shares “reports” or assignments written by Ms. Frizzle’s students.  These notes help encourage my little ones to write on their journals too.

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Since it was first published in the late 1980s, The Magic School Bus has since been adapted into a television series and published with early readers and chapter books versions.

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Aside from reading the books, the kids also love watching the TV series. It’s not shown on television anymore but we were blessed to have been given by Tita Gen three VCDs from the Magic School Bus TV series.

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The Magic School Bus is highly recommended for school age children. My kids started reading them at 4 years old and still get very excited whenever they are given a new title. This book and television series is indeed a great way to foster children’s love for Science.

Filed Under: BookWorms, Kids At Work, PLAYhouse preSCHOOL Tagged With: , , ,

Three More Adarna Books in Filipino-English

September 11, 2014 by

Made a quick run to the bookstore yesterday for the little girl’s illustration board which she needed to bring to school today.  Of course, no trip to the bookstore would be complete without some new books.  Since I want to improve their skills in Pagbasa, I bought three more Adarna books in 2 languages.

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I’ve always liked Adarna books because most – if not all – of them relate Filipino values and good character with engaging stories.  What I love about this new set of Adarna books is that they also integrate Math and Science concepts in the stories.  They would make great supplements to Math lessons in counting and days of the week or Science lessons in water cycle and water forms.

All three books come in two languages which makes for great practice in reading both in Filipino and in English.  Since both my kids are proficient readers in English,  I read the books to them in Filipino then they read the English translation by themselves.  I’ll be reading more stories in Filipino to my two bulilits to help develop their skills in Pagbasa at Pag-unawa.  Thankfully, there’s plenty of Adarna books available in our fave bookstores.

Munting Patak-Ulan

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Just yesterday morning I asked my little boy if he knew where rain comes from.  So when I saw this book on the shelf, I put it right into my shopping basket.  The story tells of how Little Raindrop and his siblings fall from the sky; help people, animals, and plants; and go back to their Mother Cloud.  This would also be a great supplement to an Araling Panlipunan lesson about forms of water or a Science lesson on the water cycle.  At the end of the story, there’s a page that explains the different forms of water and provides an example for each one.  Among the three new books, this was both kids’ first choice for bedtime reading.

Sampung Magkakaibigan

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More than providing a lesson in counting from 1 to 10 in Filipino, this book also shows children how one should behave and treat others.  The story revolves around Karlo who mistreats his nine classmates and ends up all by himself.  Although this is recommend for kids age 6 and above, this book would also be great for preschoolers who have just started going to school.  It’d be a great way to tell them about the different behaviors of children they would meet in school and to instruct them on how to deal with each one.

Ang Kamatis ni Peles

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Remember the story of the ant and the grasshopper?  This might very well be a sequel to that story.  In this book, the grasshopper Peles gets tired of wandering around and decides to change his fate by working as hard as Hugo the Ant.  Peles plants tomato seeds given by Hugo and patiently takes care of them and waits for them to sprout.  Kids learn the value of hardwork and patience through the story of Peles. If your child is learning about the days of the week in Filipino, this book would be a good supplement for his lessons.  There’s also an instruction for proper composting at the end of the story.

Filed Under: BookWorms, Kids At Work Tagged With: ,

Off the Bookshelf: Horrid Henry’s Birthday Party

July 19, 2014 by

I never thought that I’d say this about a children’s book but Horrid Henry is off our bookshelf and is never going back on it. I don’t even want to give it to another child. It’s horrible, horrid, horrendous.

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The story starts with Henry being excited for his birthday and his parents dreading that same day. Throughout the story, we read about the horrible things Henry does to his family and everyone else.  I wouldn’t mind reading a book about a mischievous boy but this one does not end with any resolution or consequence for Henry’s actions.  He actually gets away with all his mischief.  It ends with a picture of Henry with an evil grin and the lines “But Henry didn’t care. They said that every year.” 🙁

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I’ve not allowed my kids to read this book as they are at a very impressionable age. They might think that it’s fine to do naughty things like Henry does. I wouldn’t have minded if the story ended with Horrid Henry learning the consequences of his actions but this story ended with his getting away with his naughtiness. Not really a very good example for very young kids.

Would I recommend this book to others?

No, no, and no!

Before I had time to publish this post, I spotted a girl reading a Horrid Henry book while waiting for her mom in a salon.  I couldn’t help asking her how she found the book and if she was a frequent reader of Horrid Henry. Horrid Henry Rocks is 9-yr-old Rachel’s first Horrid Henry book. The book consists of four different stories, and like the one I’ve read, Henry gets away with horrid behaviour in each one of them. I asked Rachel if she feels that she could also get away with mischief just like Henry, she said that she knows she won’t because the story was just fiction and that in real life, her mom wouldn’t ever let her get away with the things Henry does. When asked if she enjoyed reading the stories and if she would want to buy another Horrid Henry, she just said, “Maybe. I don’t know.”

Although the nine-year-old girl was able to distinguish fiction from real life and was not in any way encouraged to imitate Henry’s ill-behaviour, I’d still keep this book away from our bookshelves.

Filed Under: BookWorms, Kids At Work Tagged With:
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