My kids have always been crazy about the Leap Frog DVD’s. We’ve spent many an afternoon together watching and learning about letters and their sounds over the years from cute characters Leap, Lily and Tad. Just before school began for the new year I ran out to our local store and snagged a copy of the brand new “Lets Go to School” movie for them to enjoy.

Initially I thought that Noah might be the only one interested in watching about starting school, however as the jazzy music and cute voices kicked in I found all three of my young boys (ages 8, 7 and 4.5) watching it together and giggling. Leap Frog marks it as appropriate for ages 3-6.

Here’s the premise of this video:
School starts tomorrow, and Tad and Lily are nervous! Join Tad, Lily and their magical firefly Edison as he shows them that the classroom is more nervous than they are! As the twins calm the blocks, globe, clock and more first-class characters, they build skills that help them get ready for school.

Preschool Skills: – Phonics skills – Counting – Animals

Special Features: – 5 sing-along songs – Interactive alphabet book – A sneak peek at Math Adventure to the Moon™

**If you purchase your copy online you can get FREE SHIPPING! Use promo code FSNDVD at checkout to receive free shipping on this item. *

Help your little learners get a hop ahead for the new school year with Leap Frog! – Daria

If you’re looking for the perfect heartwarming DVD both you and your daughter will enjoy, then may we—and by “we” I mean my 8- and 11-year-old daughters any myself—suggest Ballet Shoes, a family-friendly drama that won over UK audiences during its premiere last Christmas.

Now on DVD for American audiences, we received a copy of Ballet Shoes to review for Boutique Cafe’s Daily Dish. The film is based on the best-selling novel by Noel Streatfeild and tells the story of Pauline, Petrova and Posy Fossil, three orphans adopted by an eccentric explorer and raised as sisters by his niece. Each of the girls has a unique destiny: Pauline wants to act; Petrova dreams of being an aviator; and Posy is born to dance. As challenges arise the three orphans fight to keep their family together.

My girls and I enjoyed every minute of this movie, and I can even say I’d be happy to watch it again. (Can’t say the same for most of the other DVD’s on the shelf…) We all enjoyed the story and the struggles and the triumphs, though I think my girls enjoyed watching Emma Watson (a.k.a. Hermione Granger of Harry Potter) the most. Along with Emma Watson the film features an award-winning cast: Emilia Fox, Victoria Wood, Richard Griffiths, Marc Warren, Gemma Jones and Eileen Atkins. With great acting and a great story Ballet Shoes is a must-have movie for the family.—Emily

My children always look forward to a Scholastic review because it means another DVD or two full of their favorite stories, and the most recent DVDs don’t disappoint.

Diary of a Spider…and More Cute Critter Stories title story features one of my children’s favorite books, Diary of a Spider, the sequel to the popular (and another Hill favorite) Diary of a Worm. The story is one of the few I can read—and watch—over and over again. The award-winning animated adaptation is engaging and of course the humor in the story is great for kids and adults alike. The DVD features more critter stories with Scholastic’s wonderful Read-Along option: Roberto the Insect Architect, Norman the Doorman, The Mysterious Tadpole and The Story of the Dancing Frog.

Corduroy…and More Stories About Caring brings the much-loved character from the classical storybook to life. On this DVD the title story is an animated adaptation of the original Corduroy, which tells the story of Corduroy’s search for his missing button in hopes it will help his being purchased and taken home. The story uses both live action and stop-motion animation. When the story first started I had to clue in my kids about the lovable bear, and because it started out in a dimly lit department store with a “live” teddy bear, they asked if it were a scary story. But I quickly put their fears to rest, as did the story itself, and the proceeded to watch it and the other features quite a few times that afternoon. The DVD also includes six other stories.

My children have thoroughly enjoyed their Scholastic DVDs and I have enjoyed their watching something other than Nick toons and Playhouse Disney. And if you have a preschooler at home you’ll definitely want to pick up a few of these DVDs; the Read Along feature is wonderful for beginning readers.—Emily

I don’t know the exact number of DVDs we have but I do know they take up way too much room in our cold storage. Between A Bug’s Life to Zorro is some prime shelf space I’d rather use for more important things like Girl Scout Thin Mints and Keebler Grasshopper cookies. But how to downsize? MMDesign Studio’s DiscSox are the perfect solution for saving space when it comes to multimedia storage.

DiscSox’s DVD Pro storage sleeves hold 2 DVDs plus the DVD’s graphics and wrap. These thin yet sturdy matte vinyl sleeves (with integrated fabric for extra protection) let you store over 65 DVDs in just 12 inches of space! Their side-loading feature keeps DVDs free of dust, and the aforementioned fabric actually helps clean the disc every time you put it away. My favorite option is the DVD Pro Storage System, which includes 50 DiscSox DVD Pro Sleeves, a DiscSox tray, at least 5 DVD Pro Dividers and 96 movie labels. I wish I could have reviewed this before Father’s Day, as it would have made the perfect Father’s Day gift!

MMDesign’s fabulous multimedia storage products aren’t limited to DVDs. They also offer similar solutions for music, data, game and photo storage. If you’re multimedia storage looks anything like mine (i.e. basket next to the TV, vertical towers of games, shelf after shelf of DVD cases) then DiscSox may be the answer to your space-saving prayers!—Emily

How many of you fondly remember Harold and the Purple Crayon or can recite Chicka Chicka Boom Boom from memory? And who hasn’t read Goodnight Gorilla more times than she can count? Well now those favorite books can be your child’s favorite—and educational—DVDs.

In March Scholastic unveiled six storybook classics on DVD: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom…and More Fun with Letters and Numbers; Chrysanthemum…and More Mouse Mayhem; Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type…and More Amusing Animal Tales; Curious George Rides a Bike…and More Monkeying Around; Good Night Gorilla…and More Great Sleepytime Stories; Harold and the Purple Crayon…and More Stories to Spark the Imagination. These storybook classics have been completely refreshed, re-authored and repackaged with new, thematic story collections and celebrity narrators. Yes, celebrity narrators!

The kids and I have enjoyed watching our Chrysanthemum and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom DVDs. They sure beat a few other DVDs we have (not naming any names) and I love that I can watch these without falling asleep! Each of the new DVDs offers at least an hour of stories, an enhanced read-long function allowing children to follow the narrator as the story is read, and a new kid-friendly navigation (mom friendly too).

Scholastic Storybook Treasures collection has won numerous awards including Parents’ Choice, the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children’s Video, American Library Association Notable Video selections, NAPPA Gold Awards, and Parenting Magazine’s Best DVD of the Year making it the #1 award-winning line in the children’s video marketplace. All the more reason to enter our giveaway for your own collection of priceless stories (on DVD) from Scholastic Storybook Treasures!—Emily

* Giveaway! Scholastic is giving away five two-packs from the selection of DVDs mentioned above! Please leave a comment with a valid email address telling us your favorite storybook classic for our drawing. We’ll draw the winners from the comments and contact them via email. Deadline: May 20, 2008 (midnight). The winners will have 24 hours to claim their prize or a new winner will be chosen.