CD
Dream: Lullabies and Lovesongs, Mae Robertson
Lyric Partners
In Mae Robertson's world, lullabies aren't just for putting babies to sleep. She enlivens traditional selections (like ''Golden Slumbers'' and ''Hush, Little Baby'') with soothingly sung family-oriented tunes by Bob Dylan, James Taylor, and Tom Waits. Robertson's warm, luminescent voice also shines on Dar Williams' ''The One Who Knows'' and Radney Foster's ''Godspeed.'' This delightful disc is lovely to sing along with at bedtime, or anytime. A- — Michael Berick
Recommended ages: Infants-6
Educated Kid, The Hipwaders
Hip Kid Music
The Hipwaders, a Bay Area trio fronted by a pair of paramedics, don't wallow too deeply in academics on Educated Kid. Sure, they extol the virtues of reading, geometry, and the Dewey Decimal System, but their danceable New Wave-ish pop and lighthearted lyrics keep their messages fun. Nor is every song a lesson. They also spin amusing tales of dinosaur pirates, a submersible-loving cat and a ''stuffed animal boy.'' This mirth-filled music will ease those back-to-school blues. B — MB
Recommended ages: 6-2
DVD
Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide: Field Trips, Permission Slips...
70 minutes; 2007
Everykid middle-schooler Ned Bigby (Devon Werkheiser) is Nickelodeon's answer to Ferris Bueller, from fourth-wall-busting words of wisdom — don't forget your permission slips on field trip day, people — to using lifeless decoys to dupe adults. The disc's supersize episode takes a back seat to a bonus installment in which Ned has personal space issues when a girlfriend moves in (to his locker, stuffed animals and all). How's a guy supposed to find his stuff come the final bell? B — Tom Russo
Recommended ages: 9-11
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