Kid-friendly education
DVDs
Jump In!: Freestyle Edition
G, 85 mins., 2007
Only in the magical world of Disney would an all-American teenage boy
who's on the path to local boxing fame suddenly find a passion for
competitive double-Dutch jump rope, and somehow the world seems a better
place for it. That stretch is made not only plausible but pleasurable by
the acting chops of good-natured cutie Corbin Bleu (High School Musical)
as the pugilistic lead and Akeelah and the Bee's old soul Keke Palmer as
the neighbor who introduces him to the sport. Naturally, there are
lessons for our hero to learn and fears for him to overcome — such as
public humiliation and the disappointment of dear old Dad, played by
Bleu's real-life father, David Reivers. (And, of course, there's the
children's-movie staple of the dead mother.) But the
jump-rope-competition scenes, with their intricate steps and tricks, are
full of the kind of nonstop, whirling-dervish action that can keep
parents and kids alike engaged. And if everyone learns a little
something about personal choice, gender equality, or teamwork along the
way, so much the better.
Bonus: Kids can get into the groove with a step-by-step double-Dutch
primer. (And parents can make sure they try it outside and away from
Grandma's china.) A — Abby West
Recommended ages: 5 and up
Books
Does My Head Look Big in This?
By Randa Abdel Fattah
Like most girls in this book's leafy Melbourne, Australia, suburb, Amal
likes studying, shopping, and text-messaging friends. But when she
decides to wear a Muslim scarf called a hijab, she finds prejudice
everywhere — even at her ritzy private school, where she refuses to
lecture on Islamic terrorists: ''Maybe somebody else could talk about the
IRA,'' she says. ''I'm just dying to understand how the Bible could allow
people to throw bombs and still go to church.'' A fascinating look at
Islam. A — Tina Jordan
Recommended ages: 9-14
TV
Cyberchase
PBS, Check Local Listings
Listening to the not-exactly-easy-on-the-ears voice of star Gilbert
Gottfried first thing in the morning may not be what you'd want with
your latte, but it's worth the sacrifice. Now in its fifth season,
Cyberchase provides a dose of good-for-you TV without kids even
realizing it — they're so wrapped up in kid-oriented outer-space drama
they don't even register they're learning about parallelograms,
fractions, money, robotic reasoning, and so on. B+ — Eileen Clarke
Recommended ages: 6-11
