Media Matters

Book by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows I listened to the audiobook and highly recommend it, as the narrator was spot on! This is a very funny, romantic fantasy with some loosely accurate historical bits. There’s nothing deep about it, but if you’re in the mood for something light and VERY entertaining to listen to, this is the book you want. It’s also fairly clean (some innuendo between a married couple and a joking reference to never having “kissed with tongue”) , so you could enjoy it with your older teenagers.

 Book by Alan Gratz A powerful, but heart wrenching book about three different refugee families: Jews escaping Nazi Germany in 1939, Cubans escaping Fidel Castro in 1994, and Syrians escaping a civil war in 2015. 

 Book by Dan Gutman. Even if you have no interest in baseball or baseball cards, this book is still an enjoyable read. It spans genres: fantasy/sci fi, historical, contemporary fiction, sports… It has good messages about doing what’s right regardless of the cost. Since I’ve only read the first in this series, I’m curious if the baseball hero/time travel premise gets old as the series continues, but it definitely works for this first installment.

Halloween may be the most difficult holiday when it comes to finding movies and books that support your values. Everyone has different ideas of what is or isn’t appropriate. I try to stay away from anything that glorifies violence, celebrates evil, or generally causes the Spirit to leave. Here are some ideas: *Dia de los muertos is the day after Halloween, a holiday that is all about celebrating ancestors who are dead. The animated movie “Coco” revolves around this holiday. You could even throw a party with this theme. Decorate with old photos of loved ones. Read stories of your family’s history! Visit a cemetery. Have reverence for those who have come before. *Harry Potter has enough fantastical creatures and suspense to work as Halloween stories or movies, and hosting a Harry Potter themed Halloween party could be a fun family tradition! *The classic Scooby Doo cartoons are fun mysteries where the supernatural elements always end up being not so scary after all. *There is a 20 minute...

 Nonfiction book by Garrett Graff. This is a very well done audiobook, with over 45 different voice actors narrating hundreds of first person accounts of the various events of 9/11. It was heart wrenching to listen to, but also compelling and important, particularly as a means of helping today’s young adults who didn’t personally experience that day to better understand what happened and why it affected the nation so much. My favorite parts were learning about the angels, both seen and unseen, who helped people on that day. My only complaint was the inclusion of the actual flight transmissions. They are so choppy and full of static that I couldn’t understand any of what was being said. I appreciate the attempt at authenticity, but I think a re-enactment would have helped with comprehension during that section. Also be warned it is a very long audiobook! I listened at 1.2x which worked well with the material. Note: This is very graphic in terms of gore and might be too disturbing fo...

 Book by Megan Fraser Blakemore. This is a fantastic mystery where fantasy meets science, with a hint of Tuck Everlasting thrown in. Great themes of friendship and forgiveness are woven in too. Too often mysteries involve either murder or the supernatural; this was a refreshing change and lots of fun.

 Novel by Christina Soontornvat. This was a fabulous, feel-good book! It took a little while to get me hooked, but then I couldn’t put it down. If I had to categorize its genre, I might call it magical realism, or realistic fantasy. It reminded me of “Over the Moon” in some ways, and of “Les Mis” in other ways. Themes include: law vs. justice vs. compassion, what would your blessing/wish for someone be?, one person making a difference, freedom vs. safety, sharing your inner light, choices vs. heredity, etc. No questionable content, other than a reference to someone having an affair (and regretting it). Recommended ages 10-adult.