Color me behind the times for not noticing this sooner, but while I was catching up on blogs yesterday I happened across a post about a new site for kid-friendly video surfing. The Totlol site is “a community-moderated video website designed to be enjoyed by those between the ages of 6 months and 6 years.”

What does that mean? It means that it’s kid-safe YouTube; the videos are all, in fact, from YouTube. This is just a community providing a kid-safe filter so that you don’t end up accidentally showing Junior something you’d rather he not see. And you needn’t worry that some all-knowing parental figure is making choices for you, either—Totlol works by polling and analyzing the responses of its members.

According to their About page, here’s how the process works:

1. When scouting parents search the YouTube database via a Totlol interface.

The scouting interface lets parents search and watch videos just as they used to do on YouTube.

When they find a video that they think is appropriate and relevant they can choose to submit it.

2. When submitting parents are asked to review the title and tags associated with the video and to provide a review of the content.

They are also asked to specify the main language of the video and categorize it.

This information, together with the original YouTube information is presented at screening.

3. The screening part of the process is where the community plays the most significant role.

Each Totlol user is invited to screen videos submitted by others and to answer screening questions. The answers are collected and analyzed by computer.

Only videos that pass the grade are then available for the viewing tots.

The end result is that you never have to worry that searching on The Wiggles brings up something other than your child’s favorite Aussie foursome, and you can let your computer-savvy little one surf with a bit less supervision and a lot less worry.

Ordinarily I’m unimpressed by what feel like arbitrary filters, but the community aspect of Totlol makes it a much more viable offering, I think. What’s not to like about a place where my kids can keep themselves amused for precious minutes while I do frivolous things like fix their lunch or sort their laundry? Exactly.

Well, I guess technically it’s more of an eventuality than a chance—I already told you over a year ago that the beloved silly kids’ book Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs was being developed into an animated film by Sony. But with a scheduled 2009 debut, little was known at the time other than that it was under development.

A few days ago, however, the MTV Movies Blog revealed that a couple of big names have signed on to voice roles in it:

Between their big-time work on shows like “Saturday Night Live” and “Friends,” and twisted characters in such films as “Just Friends” and “Hot Rod,” Anna Faris and Andy Samberg have proven themselves to be two of our most animated funny people. Now, both are about to become real-life cartoon stars.

Be sure to check out the link to see a video of Anna Faris talking about the film. She’s so… so… well, so delightfully blonde in that clip, I could instantly see her as an animated weather girl. Good call by Sony, methinks.

On the other hand, you already know how I feel about adaptations of books our kids love. They never (for me) truly live up to the greatness of the original written word, and so I’m not sure whether this infuriates me or makes me relieved:

“It’s actually only loosely - very, very loosely - based on the book,” Faris explained. “But it’s about a small town that rains food, basically. So hamburgers come down, and ice cream, and [the residents] have to figure out a way [stop it]. Eventually, it gets more and more dangerous, and they have to figure out a way to stop the satellite machine that’s raining food.”

Maybe it’s a semantic quibble more than anything else, but if it’s only loosely based on the book, why don’t they call it something else…? Because, you know, if they did, I might not whine so much about how it’s not nearly as good/detailed/funny/captivating as the original, when it comes out.

Why the big studios aren’t consulting me on these things, I’ll never understand.

If you happened to read this USA Today article yesterday, you may have been led to believe that the bad news about kids and reading is never-ending. Kids aren’t reading enough! The computer is pulling them away from books! Brain-eating zombies are coming to devour us all! (Okay, strictly speaking, I suppose that last one was, um, made up by me. Details.) Their article suggests—among other things—that television and internet time is directly responsible for declining reading rates in older kids.

In contrast, the Publishers Weekly report on the same study is more straightforward:

The study found that a majority of children (68%) think it is “extremely” or “very” important to read for pleasure, and “like” or “love” doing so. However, that number decreases with age: 82% percent of children ages five to eight “like” or “love” reading, compared to 55% for children ages 15 to 17. It also found that although children can readily envision a future in which reading and technology are increasingly intertwined, nearly two thirds prefer to read physical books, rather than on a computer screen or digital device. Additionally, a large majority of children recognize the importance of reading for their future goals, with 90% of respondents agreeing that they “need to be a strong reader to get into a good college.”

The bottom line for kids and technology, when it comes to reading, is actually much more encouraging than the USA Today article leads one to believe. In fact:

In terms of technology, the study found that more children ages eight and up spend time online than read for pleasure on a daily basis. However, the finding has a silver lining. “High frequency Internet users are more likely to read books for fun every day,” said Heather Carter, director of corporate research at Scholastic in a statement. “That suggests that parents and teachers can tap into kids’ interest in going online to spark a greater interest in reading books.” Nearly two-thirds of children ages nine to 17 “extended” the reading experience online, including activities such as visiting an author’s Web site, using the Internet to find books by a particular author or visiting a fan site.

If this is the sort of thing that interests you, be sure to go to the source on the Scholastic site to get the facts. (My contact at Scholastic has indicated that USA Today will be issuing a correction on yesterday’s article.)

Speaking as a mom to kids who are definitely children of the technology age but also rabid readers, I think the data is promising. Kids aren’t getting online instead of reading, they’re getting online to expand their reading experiences. It sounds good to me!

Maybe you were following along this past weekend when the space shuttle Discovery took off on its 14-day flight. What you may not have known is that a very familiar character was on board with the astronauts.

That’s right. Buzz Lightyear is on the space shuttle.

I heard he had a rigorous training program beforehand, too. Oh, look! Here’s some footage:

(Raise your hand if you think Buzz Aldrin is an incredibly good sport.)

NASA explains:

As seven, well-trained astronauts begin an important mission to the International Space Station on Saturday, May 31, one toy astronaut, Buzz Lightyear, will begin a journey to help educate children across the country.

The liftoff of space shuttle Discovery kicks off a new education initiative between NASA and Disney Parks. A 12-inch-tall Buzz Lightyear action figure will be carried aboard the shuttle as part of the partnership to encourage students to pursue studies in science, technology and mathematics, one of NASA’s main educational goals.

Disney’s Youth Educational Series and NASA have developed an online program known as the Space Ranger Education Series. It includes fun educational games for students, as well as materials for educators to download and integrate into their classroom curriculum.

“NASA is excited to help students understand the science and engineering currently underway on the International Space Station,” said Joyce Winterton, NASA assistant administrator for Education. “The educational games and resources from this partnership will allow students to explore the science and math behind space exploration with a beloved character.”

Your kids can play along with Buzz while he’s in outer space. (Heck, just about everything adults might want to know is available, too.) I’d say you’d have to be a fool not to agree this is possibly NASA’s most awesome mission ever.

(Pssst! Should this spark a new obsession with everyone’s favorite space ranger, Ty’s has you covered. Just sayin’.)

I’ve got three items here to take you into the weekend, and these will be of particular interest to you if your kids—like mine—are already done with school for the season. Everyone knows that there’s no magic quite like summer, and also no purgatory quite like a child who is only too eager to tell you that he or she is boooooooored.

(Ah, children! Can’t live with ‘em, can’t eat them for dinner without folks complaining.)

First up: Scholastic has once again launched their Summer Reading Buzz program, which is great either as a stand-alone pursuit or in conjunction with a program sponsored by your local library. Not only does it get your kids jazzed about reading, but every four read books your child logs means Scholastic donates another book to children in need. (This is one of my very favorite Scholastic sites, and I promise your kid will love it.)

Next: If your child has the chops to become a junior reporter, check out the Time For Kids Junior Talent Search. (Get your entry form here and make sure those entries are postmarked by June 20th, 2008.) It’s open to kids 13 years of age or younger, and twelve lucky winners will report for Time For Kids for a period of one year. Winners also receive… a t-shirt. Okay, this isn’t one you enter for the swag, but it sounds like a cool experience, nonetheless.

And last (but not least): How’d you like to be drawn into an upcoming Batman comic book? You can go enter the sweepstakes here or use this handy-dandy little widget right down here (click on the “WIN” tab):

The winner gets the original, signed artwork as well as 50 copies of the comic book. (And probably a deep love of milk mustaches, but that isn’t mentioned specifically.)

So there you have it; three distractions for your kids. No need to thank me.

If you have a school-age child, chances are you are well-acquainted with the phenomenon that is High School Musical. Why, you’d be hard-pressed to avoid it. Just taking a look at the variety of items available in the Ty’s High School Musical store is an easy confirmation of the popularity of this particular musical phenomenon.

And now there’s a chance for your little darling’s dreams of being a similar musical star to come true, says Disney. In preparation for the upcoming High School Musical double-header on the Disney Channel this June, your child is being given a chance to star, as well! Check it out:

The Disney Channel is asking kids and teens 14 years of age and younger to submit their own music videos featuring themselves singing one song from the hit film franchise High School Musical. To participate in “My School Musical,” participants can choose from the songs “Bop to the Top”, “Getcha Head in the Game” and “I Don’t Dance”.

All videos must be uploaded by Friday May 30, 2008. Kids can rate their favorite video and link them to friends on Disney’s website. The winning video is scheduled to air during telecasts of High School Musical and High School Musical 2 on Friday, June 13 (6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney Channel.

Ready to have at it? Go visit the official Disney My School Musical site and get to work! Don’t want to submit a video? That’s okay; you can watch and vote on videos already submitted.

There are a lot of awfully cute kids on there, already, but of course yours is even cuter, I’m sure.

Dear Hollywood,

Sincerely,
The Toy Box Mommy

Seriously, people. I’m experiencing some hefty deja vu, here. Some books are meant to be enjoyed as books. Period. That’s part of their allure.

I guess Hollywood didn’t get my memo, though. Hugo Cabret is slated to become a feature film:

“Ice Age” helmer Chris Wedge has signed on to direct Brian Selznick’s magic-themed children’s novel “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” for Graham King’s GK Films, Johnny Depp’s Infinitum Nihil and Warner Bros.

“The Aviator” scribe John Logan has been tapped to pen the adaptation.

King and Infinitum Nihil’s Christi Dembrowski will produce the live-action film, which centers on an orphaned boy who secretly lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station and looks after the clocks. He gets caught up in a mystery adventure when he attempts to repair a mechanical man.

The studio is eyeing a fall start date.

I’m crushed. It’s not that I think it won’t make a good movie—it probably will—but it will be something entirely different from the experience you get in reading it, and I fear that it can’t help but somehow degrade the tale, that way. Great books should just be great books, sometimes.

I know most people disagree with me. That’s fine. Why, back in my day, we read books, and movies consisted of hand shadows made on rocks with a flashlight. Harumph.

Now, where did I put my Geritol…?

I’d never seen a graphic novel before I became a mom; never much of a comics fan as a kid (except for the obligatory comics smuggled into the cabin at camp, to be read by flashlight after lights-out), I’ve never heard of one that really piqued my interest. Even after learning more about graphic novels I sort of assumed they were just for grown-up comics geeks and didn’t explore the matter further.

And then Scholastic started their line of graphic novels and I began to see the allure, at least for kids. (Do not get all up in arms if you, an adult, enjoy graphic novels as well. That’s great. My experience thus far has only been with volumes targeted to younger readers.) As my kids devoured these graphic-laden tales I began to see how it really is a niche all its own, one that cannot be filled with just chapter books or just comic books.

And so I was, of course, delighted, to read the news that DC Comics will be bringing us graphic novels for the kiddie set:

DC Comics is teaming up with children’s book and graphic novel publisher Stone Arch Books to produce a series of illustrated chapter books based on DC’s famous characters Batman and Superman. The new line of books, called DC Super Heroes, will launch later this spring with 12 titles and publish a total of 48 titles over the next four seasons. The following season the line will add chapter books based on DC’s Wonder Woman character.

The books will feature original prose stories with illustrations by DC Comics artists. […]

Stone Arch Books President Joan Berge said basing chapter books on DC super heroes, “is just one more way to hook a reluctant or struggling reader. DC characters are well-known and of high interest to the striving young reader and we hope they will spark a growing interest in reading.”

I can’t wait to see ‘em. I don’t care how much your son dislikes reading… he won’t be able to resist the lure of these caped crusaders, is my guess.

Personally, I’ve thought it quite nice that “modern” kids’ television and films have had enough adult-worthy content to keep us doting parents from falling asleep while the kids enjoy them. This is hardly a new concept; even back in the early days of Sesame Street there were little jokes and asides and gags inserted specifically for the amusement of the double-digit set.

But last week The Guardian’s Michael Hann officially took issue with children’s films, insisting that they’re missing the mark entirely:

Now, however, too many kids’ film-makers spend too much time worrying about their adult audience, and make movies that pass the kids by. We remember the successes - the likes of Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Shrek and The Incredibles - and forget the many failures, such as 2004’s Shark Tale, which required a working knowledge of mafia movies to negotiate the sub-plots, something surely beyond pre-teen punters.

He goes on to point out movies which “require” (his word) knowledge of purely adult matters to comprehend in their entirety, then takes issue with the most basic of metrics—the run-time:

Even last year’s big animated crit-hit, Ratatouille, failed at the most basic level (not that those handing out the plaudits noticed): it was nearly two hours long, a good 20 minutes more than most of its target audience can comfortably sit through. (For comparison, Finding Nemo clocked in at 100 minutes; Toy Story at a merciful 81 minutes, offering viewers no chance to get bored.)

I’m not sure I agree, here. I mean, what age of kids are we talking about? My kids can sit through a 2-hour movie, no problem. And they’ve been able to from a very young age, I think. As for me, I do recall a couple of lousy kids’ films which shall remain nameless (ahem) during which I wished I’d lied to the kids and told them the theater was closed or the movie was sold out. Now, if I get bored, I just sit there and feel bored; if a child gets bored, maybe he acts up or cries. I guess that’s more problematic from the theater-goers point of view.

But honestly? I don’t know a kid—of any age—or a parent who didn’t love Ratatouille. Isn’t that the point, for the whole family to love it…? I’ve yet to meet the kid who says, “Oh, yeah, I liked it but it was too long!” I guess I’m saying I find Hann’s criticism a little broad.

Fans of J.K. Rowling’s creations have a whole new reason to get excited—Amazon is sponsoring an amazing contest to give fans a shot at seeing one of the seven copies of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Through April 22nd, 2008, you can take a shot at winning a very magical trip:

Amazon.com wants to send you and a friend to London, England to spend a weekend with the rare and delightful book of fairy tales (security guards included, of course), handwritten and illustrated by J.K. Rowling herself. Open to muggles ages 13 and older in 24 countries, the Beedle the Bard Ballad Writing Contest challenges you to creatively answer one of the following three questions in 100 words or less:

• What songs do wizards use to celebrate birthdays?
• What sports do wizards play besides Quidditch?
• What have you learned from the Harry Potter series that you use in everyday life?

English-language submissions will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. PDT April 22, 2008. An Amazon.com committee will select 10 semi-finalist submissions (based on creativity and writing style) from each of two age categories: 13-17 and 18-and-over. Amazon.com customers will determine the two finalists and Grand Prize winner by voting for their favorites. The Grand Prize includes round-trip airfare, two nights lodging at a London hotel, as well as an expense allowance. Plus, each of the finalists from the two age groups will receive an Amazon Gift Certificate in the amount of $1,000.

I can’t really think of a prize more fanciful than if they could offer you a weekend at Hogwarts. And really, if they could do that, then you’d have to worry about being turned into a teacup or having your soul sucked out by Dementors or something. The trip they’re offering sounds a lot safer, and still pretty exciting.

You’ve gotta love that it’s open to kids, too. The Harry Potter enterprise knows its fans, that’s for sure. May the best muggle win!