by Beth Cronk, Litchfield head librarian
The big push in libraries in the summertime is the summer
reading program for kids. We really want
kids to keep reading regularly over the summer so that they don’t lose ground
by the time school starts in the fall.
But we know that families also like to relax in front of the TV together
sometimes on these hot summer days. Our
library has some recent DVD additions that your family may want to check out.
Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast is a beautiful
reimagining of their animated classic.
Emma Watson and Dan Stevens star as Belle and her beast, with extensive
CGI animation making the enchanted household objects come alive. New songs are included along with the original
songs from the 1991 version, but this isn’t a film adaptation of the stage
musical, which is also based on the animated movie. My daughters and I loved this movie so much
more than we expected to, but we also know people who didn’t really like
it. See for yourself by checking it out
from the library, but be warned that it’s in high demand.
Dark Horse is a Welsh documentary that the website Common
Sense Media recommends for families and that Rotten Tomatoes gives a 97%
positive rating. It’s an inspiring true
story of a group of poor workers in a small town in Wales who pooled their
money to breed and train a racehorse, entering a world usually open only to the
wealthy and high-class. It’s an
old-fashioned tale of beating the odds, especially appealing for horse lovers,
but really a general crowd-pleaser.
The Eagle Huntress is another documentary that can give
people of all ages a glimpse at another part of the world. The film follows a 13-year-old girl in
Mongolia as she trains to become the first female eagle hunter in twelve
generations of her family. If you enjoy
falconry or girl-power stories, this highly-rated movie may be for you. Daisy Ridley (Rey in the new Star Wars
series) narrates.
Planet Earth II is
the new sequel to the BBC documentary made in 2006. This also has Common Sense Media’s stamp of
approval for families, and an amazing 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating. Drone technology plus improvements in cameras
in the years since the original have made the visuals even more stunning. The DVD set includes six episodes covering
different types of habitat, with an overall focus on environmentalism.
Fuller House is the
sequel to the ‘80s-‘90s sitcom Full House. It’s a Netflix show, but we have it on DVD. Almost the entire cast came back to reprise
their roles, with DJ Tanner-Fuller now raising her kids in her childhood home
with the help of two hapless female roommates.
Heavy on nostalgia, the thirteen-episode season is recommended for ages
ten and up.
I’m looking forward to watching The Lego Batman Movie once
it lands on the shelf at the Litchfield Library, but it’s been too popular to
sit there yet. This is a sequel to “The
Lego Movie,” which was very fun and extremely popular with all ages. Batman as played by Will Arnett was a strong
supporting character in that first movie, and he stars in this new one,
learning that he needs to work with others if he’s going to save Gotham
City.
Whether you want to go more educational or more toward pure
entertainment, these movies can appeal to the whole family. Litchfield Library has over 2000 DVDs
available to check out, and many more are available to order from other
libraries. Enjoy a free movie night by stopping at the library!
