“The Great Debaters”     PG-13 on DVD ***

This true story takes place in 1935 at a small black college in west Texas and their debate team. The movie begins with 4 young African-American college students and their debate coach who guides them and motivates them to use the gift of speech to change the world despite the challenges and prejudices they face. The culmination of the story is when Harvard University, the national champion debate team, accepts the offer to debate them. I was moved by the power of this story and the courage of these young people. I would highly recommend this movie to middle school and older to watch and talk about.                             

This is a powerful book about the Korean War. Often in our history we have ignored or simply skipped over this transformation and difficult time in our history. Many veterans of the Korean War call it the forgotten war and yet thousands of men and women were wounded or lost their lives in this so-called police action. This book is not just about battles and warriors but about the politics and context that led us to this conflict and how, even today, impacts lives. This is not a short read and yet I would strongly recommend this book to you, especially if you are a veteran of this war or know of someone who is. Please once you read it, you will want to talk about it.

“New In Town”   Rated PG in theaters *1/2

Big city girl is sent by corporate HQ to fix one of its floundering factories in a small town in Minnesota. Yes, every stereotype of Minnesota, its citizens and its culture are used, sometimes very funny. The girl finds love and a new understanding of life in small town middle America, despite the quirky but quaint folks of this rural Minnesota community. This storyline is an overused one and frankly, I liked “Grumpy Old Men” better! So when you watch this movie, you will want to tell an Ole and Lena joke!!!