Book links:

~ My summer reading list
~ Book Review: Janeology by Karen Harrington
~ Book Review: Far From the Land: An Irish Memoir by Thomas J. Rice
~ Mini-Reviews: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy, and My Husband’s Sweethearts by Bridget Asher
~ Book Review: Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz
~ Book Review: On Folly Beach by Karen White
~ Book Review: Letter to My Daughter by George Bishop
~ Book Review: Friendship Cake by Lynne Hinton
~ Book Review: Touch Magic: Fantasy, Faerie, & Folklore in the Literature of Childhood by Jane Yolen
~ Book Review: The Passage by Justin Cronin
~ Book Review: The Heretic’s Daughter by Kathleen Kent
~ Auntie’s Bookstore, Spokane, Washington
~ Book Review: Shakespeare Wrote for Money by Nick Hornby
~ Mini-Reviews: Hunger by Michael Grant, An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon, and When Forgiveness Doesn’t Make Sense by Robert Jeffress
~ Book Review: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
~ Book Review: Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor
~ Book Review: Guernica by Dave Boling
~ Book Review: Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
~ Book Review: Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos
~ Book Review: The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams
~ Book Review: The Other Side of Dawn by John Marsden
~ Book Review: Undercover by Beth Kephart
~ Mini-Reviews: Mouse Guard: Fall 1152 by David Petersen; Burning for Revenge and The Night is for Hunting by John Marsden
~ Spotlight: Poet Billy Collins
~ Book Review: Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
~ Book Review: Fallen by Lauren Kate
~ Book Review: Get Lucky by Katherine Center
~ Book Review: One Amazing Thing by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
~ Book Review: The Heart is Not a Size by Beth Kephart
~ Mini-reviews: The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan, The Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell, Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin, Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
~ Book Review: Every Last One by Anna Quindlen
~ How does your mood affect your reading?
~ Book Review: The Wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Moran
~ Book Review: A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King
~ Book Review: Maps and Legends: Reading and Writing Along the Borderlands by Michael Chabon
~ Book Review: The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli

Movie links:

~ Morelli and Ranger casting for the Stephanie Plum movie
~ If I were casting the Stephanie Plum movie
~ Movie Review: Avatar
~ Summer movie preview: which ones are you dying to see?
~ Movie Review: Saving Grace
~ Movie Review: Invictus

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From the creators of The Princess and the Frog and The Little Mermaid comes the story of a clever little hero on a great big adventure. Join the Sherlock Holmes of Mousedom on a heroic journey unraveling clues through London. If you like Sherlock Holmes, you’ll love The Great Mouse Detective.

When the diabolical Professor Ratigan kidnaps the city’s master toymaker, the brilliant Basil of Baker Street and his trusted sidekick Dawson set off to track down Basil’s lifelong nemesis. Little do they know that the evil rat’s trail leads all the way to The Queen at Buckingham Palace!

Get on the case with Basil, the master of disguise, as he tries to elude the ultimate rattrap and foil the perfect crime. Now digitally remastered, fully restored and complete with exclusive bonus features, The Great Mouse Detective is better than ever in The Mystery in the Mist Edition!

My kids were so excited to get The Great Mouse Detective on DVD to review – we’ve checked out the VHS tape from the library enough times that we’ve pretty much worn it out. They love the idea of a mastermind detective – and the clever way he solves problems. Jonathan still remembers when he was much younger, Professor Ratigan scared the living daylights out of him.

The quality of the DVD is much higher than the VHS version, obviously, and I love the hand-drawn animation. This is definitely a must-have for families and Disney collectors alike.

(Disclosure: The Great Mouse Detective was provided to me by Click Communications for the purpose of review. The above link is an Amazon affiliate link. If you click on it and subsequently purchase anything, I will receive a small percentage in commission.)

© carrie for Mommy Brain, 2010. | Permalink | 3 comments

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Welcome to a world where anything is possible! Academy Award-winning director Hayao Miyazaki (2002, Best Animated Feature, Spirited Away), and legendary filmmaker John Lasseter together with Disney bring to life a heartwarming and imaginative telling of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale The Little Mermaid. And now it’s even more thrilling through the magic of Blu-ray with never-before-seen bonus features that take you on a journey deep into the film’s enchanted world!

A young boy named Sosuke rescues a goldfish named Ponyo, and they embark on a fantastic journey of friendship and discovery before Ponyo’s father, a powerful sorcerer, forces her to return to her home in the sea. In her quest to become human and reunite with Sosuke, Ponyo stumbles upon and releases her father’s magical Water of Life and triggers a gigantic storm. Now balance must be restored to the world they all cherish.

Ponyo will delight your family with its timeless story, and on Blu-ray it will dazzle your senses with its enhanced high definition picture and sound.

Noah’s review: This was more aimed at younger children than Miyazaki’s other movies. It wasn’t one of his best. 3 and a half stars.

Jonathan’s review: I think it’s the best movie about a fish I’ve ever seen. I liked it a bunch. 5 stars.

Ponyo is available now on DVD. The DVD special features include a story board feature and a behind the scenes feature.

(Disclosure: Ponyo was provided to me by Click Communications for the purpose of review. The above link is an Amazon affiliate link. If you click on it and subsequently purchase anything, I will receive a small commission.)

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Introduce your entire family to Castle in the Sky, featuring a timeless story of courage and friendship with stunning animation from acclaimed Academy Award-winning director Hayao Miyazaki (2002, Best Animated Feature, Spirited Away). Plus, this 2-Disc Special Edition DVD includes never-before-seen bonus features that transport you deeper into the film’s amazing world!

This high-flying adventure begins when Pazu, an engineer’s apprentice, finds a young girl, Sheeta, floating down from the sky, wearing a glowing pendant. Together, they discover both are searching for a legendary floating castle, Laputa, and vow to unravel the mystery of the luminous crystal around Sheeta’s neck. Their quest won’t be easy, however. There are greedy air pirates, secret government agents and astounding obstacles to keep them from the truth – and from each other.

Add Castle in the Sky to your DVD library, and this magical and uplifting classic from Studio Ghibli and Disney will thrill and amaze your family for years to come.

Noah’s review: Castle in the Sky is my most favorite Hayao Miyazaki movie. It’s about a girl named Sheeta and her magical blue necklace. I like Mayazaki’s animation, especially his backgrounds and how the airships are designed. 5 out of 5 stars

Jonathan’s review: I like the part when they became members of the Dola gang – the pirates. 4 and a half stars.

Josiah’s review:I don’t really like this one as much. 2 stars.

Castle in the Sky: Special Edition – 2 Disc DVD is available now on DVD. The DVD special features include a featurette about the studio and an introduction by John Lasseter.

(Disclosure: Castle in the Sky was provided to me by Click Communications for the purpose of review. The above link is an Amazon affiliate link. If you click on the link and subsequently purchase anything, I will receive a small percentage in commission.)

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