Movies and Books

Here is a list of good movies and books that I will be updating:
Home Fires - based off a book of true stories

Poldark

The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler - based on a true story

It Happened on 5th Avenue - classic black and whiteAnzac Girls - true Australian storyCoat of Many Colors - true Dolly Parton storySpellbound - excellent Hitchcock filmThe Dick Van Dyke ShowArt of the Heist - real art heistsHard Times - DickensDefying the Nazis - The Sharps' WarDoctor Thorne - Jillian FellowsAs Time Goes by - BBC Comedy  The Scarlet and the Black - Gregory PeckCome in Spinner - AustralianThe Reckoning - Beverly LewisLove & Friendship

Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales

An Old-fashioned Thanksgiving

Have Yourself A Goofy Little ChristmasThicker Than Water

Mickey's Once Upon A ChristmasRemember the TitansWreck-it RalphFather Knows BestPlease Don't Eat the Daisies - Doris DayDo not disturb - Doris Day The SaintRear Window - HitchcockWoman in Gold The Man Who Knew Too Much - HitchcockCedar Cove - Hallmark TV show filmed in Vancouver, BCPaper Planes - another Australian must see for the familyThe Shop Around the CornerBabar, the Movie - good family funJurassic ParkJurassic World

Growing Pains

Jurassic World

The Peanuts Movie

It's A Wonderful Life

The Three Musketeers - Disney

PaddingtonLittle Lord Fauntleroy

Murder, She WroteMonarch on the Glen - Scottish BBC

The Hundred-foot Journey

Dolphin Tale 1 and 2

Bride Wars - good mostly clean chick flick

Royal Upstairs Downstairs - A Glimpse Into the World of Stately Homes and CastlesPetticoat JunctionThe Strauss FamilyThe Man in the Grey Flannel SuitThe Railway ChildrenRamona and BeezusThe Parent Trap new and old versionsRosemary & Thyme - excellent BBC TV show Swiss Family RobinsonThe Lady VanishesFamily MattersCadfaelNew Tricks37 DaysNumber 10Goodnight Mister TomTooth FairyMiddlemarchThe No. 1 Ladies' Detective AgencyYes, MinisterThe First ChurchillsThe House of EliottThe Barchester ChroniclesThe Shop Around the CornerUnder the Greenwood TreeBramwellThe BuccaneersOur Mutual FriendThe Nanny DiariesThe PallisersBerkeley SquareWives and DaughtersLark Rise to Candleford - BBC (a bit slow)

Books worth noting:
Children's Books:

~A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen 
Youth Books:~Alex & Eliza - A Love Story by Melissa de la Cruz~Prisoners in the Palace by Michaela MacColl  
Fiction:~Waves of Mercy by Lynn Austin
Non-Fiction:~The Mystery of Princess Louise by Lucinda Hawksley~Fabergé's Eggs - One Man's Masterpieces and the End of An Empire by Tony Faber~The Romanov Sisters - The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra By Rappaport, Helen~Street Craft by Riikka Kuittinen  ~Finding Betty Crocker by Susan Marks
Home Decor:

~Pool Idea Book by Lee Anne White~Quick & Easy Curb Appeal

~Studio Spaces
~Sarah Style by Sarah  Richardson
~At home Sarah Style by Sarah  Richardson

~Elements of Style - An Encyclopedia of Domestic Architectural Detail 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid review

I've seen Diary of a Wimpy Kid around for quite some time (since 2007) and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about so I picked up the first book in the series from the library.  This 215 page book is a novel, with cartoons interspersed on the pages.  It would be a tolerable book about a middle school child's first year of middle school, if it weren't for a few instances in the beginning of the book.

  The worst of which deals with the wimpy kid's little brother getting a hold of his oldest brother's heavy metal magazine with a scantily dressed women on the front and then taking it to daycare for show and tell.  The mother then makes the older brother answer questions for a list she has written out (page 42) finishing with this quote:

"Do you have anything you 

want to say to women for

having owned this offensive 

magazine?"

I'm sorry women.

Of course this is meant to be funny, which only reinforces that fact that undressing women with one's eyes, etc. is not only harmless, its funny and acceptable.  

A few months ago, I read in the Vancouver Sun that young boys who look at too much porn have trouble relating to women later in life and develop hate issues towards women.

Books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid are the worst for reinforcing the fact that porn is OK and harmless because they are suppose to be books of childhood innocence and fun and so anything in them should be OK to copy. 

As I said this is one of the instances in the book.  Read that book for yourself and decide if it is OK for you.

Children's books

Get your kids to read Wonder and then read it yourself.  A great teaching book, well written, entertaining, and easy to read.  (Too bad Palacio has to use the Lord's name in vain.)  Best children's book in 2012 (in my personal opinion).

The False Prince is well written.  First book in the series but good as a stand alone book too.  She makes me want to read another one of her books.

The Royal diaries is a very well done series.  Well research too.  Makes me want to read more about the time period or the person.  I  own the Anastasia book. (I got it for 10 cents!)

Dear Canada is another series by Scholastic; although it is good, it is not researched as well as it should have been (A lot of the books in the series is like this).  The editors should have caught this.

Turtle in Paradise is a very easy read.  Not much substance but still a good book.

Enjoyed the Guests of War series; especially book 2.  The series follows a brother and sister as they travel to Canada, as war guests, to escape WWI in England.

Anne of Green Gables

L.M. Montgomery put Canada on the map!  You have to read these!  Its a must.  Really.  Many good teaching points.

Blessings,

the little mennonite