Kids bored after the fireworks and fun? If so, here is a rundown of what's new in entertainment as adapted from reviews and ratings by Common Sense Media. Click on the links to read the reviews in full.

Movies
This third installment in the popular franchise, "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" features all the same characters audiences already love and a few, extra-large new ones. The new guys are dinosaurs and the herd is lost in their world, trying to rescue a wayward friend. It is silly, action-packed and has awesome dinosaurs -- what's not to love? Rated PG, OK for Kids 6+

On DVD
If you missed "Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience" in the theater, now is your chance to swoon over the brothers three in the privacy of your own home. Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas perform at Madison Square Garden and take fans behind the scenes as they live their squeaky clean pop star lives. Rated G, OK for Kids 7+

TV
The educational docu-series "Monsters Inside Me" is an up-close look at parasites and what they can do inside the human body. Sound gross? With all the close-ups of bugs and descriptive narration, it is clearly meant to be. The squeamish may want to skip this one. Rated TV-PG, OK for Kids 11+

Books
The sweetly titled "Peace, Love and Baby Ducks" by Lauren Myracle is the story of two sisters struggling to remain close as they grow older. Dealing with jealousy, burgeoning sexuality and less-than-perfect family relationships, the girls learn that sisterly love is not always easy but worth the effort. OK for Kids 13+

Music
With a punk rock sound and clever lyrics, "The Time Machine" by The Sippy Cups explores the milestones of childhood. From losing a tooth to learning to swim, the San Francisco Bay Area band covers it all with a fresh and original sound that totally rocks. OK for Kids 5+

Web
An offshoot of Coolmath.com, "Science Monster" is an instructional site featuring science concepts with a focus on space. It is text-heavy and not exactly cutting-edge, but for those looking for specific scientific answers, it delivers. OK for Kids 13+

Games
"Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" is a multi-platform game that lets players explore the Hogwarts castle and grounds. As Harry, players accomplish tasks and are rewarded with video cut scenes that move the story forward. It is fairly easy to play but might be hard to follow if you haven't read the book. Rated E10+, OK for Kids 10+

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When I was raising my first child, I often had days of overwhelming stress. The pressures of being a single parent, working a full time job and struggling to make it all work out was sometimes quite intense. Most days, I was up for the challenge and nothing could throw me. But every once in a while, the weight of it all became too much and I would fantasize about escaping to a world where everything was easy.

I had it all worked out in my mind. I would live alone in a simple house on a beautiful beach and make my living selling hot dogs from a cart. I would wear bathing suits and flip flops to "work" and spend my evenings in blissful solitude with only my books and music for company.

Of course, I never seriously considered running away. But often just dreaming of that world was enough to get me through the day. And judging by this post at Cafe Mom, I am not the only one with a fantasy escape plan. And based on the comments, my beach scenario isn't even all that original.

But while moms may freely admit to hatching secret getaway plans, I rarely hear a dad acknowledge similar thoughts. I can't help but wonder why.

Are moms more stressed than dads and therefore more in need of a break from reality? Or, as one father suggested to me, are dads more likely to skip the fantasizing and head straight for the beach when things get tough?

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Competition in the pharmacy business must be pretty tough these days. In order to get your business, pharmacies have begun promoting themselves like never before. These efforts to lure customers are not always met with approval. Like when some pharmacy chains started giving away free antibiotics and insinuating that the drug could be used to help fight cold and flu viruses. Experts worried that this type of promotion might send consumers the wrong message about the proper use of antibiotics.

If experts are worried about pharmacies handing out prescription drugs like candy, I wonder how they would feel about a pharmacy that hands out candy like prescription drugs. That is exactly what a Sam's Club pharmacy in Salisbury, Maryland was doing last week.

Sams' Club is a membership store and has a checkpoint at the entry where shoppers must show their identification before entering. But at this particular store, employees weren't just checking member cards, they were also promoting the in-store pharmacy by giving children prescription medicine bottles filled with candy.

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With little babies, it is sometimes hard to tell if the child is a boy or a girl. In the absence of gender-specific clothing or a peek inside the diaper, most babies could pass for either sex. But as a child gets older, it becomes easier to tell the boys from the girls. In addition to clothing, clues can be found in developing facial features, hair styles and even toy preferences.

But even if you can't tell the gender of someone's child just by looking, you can always come out and ask the parents, right? Usually, yes. But in the case of a two-and-a-half-year-old Swedish child, the answer would be "none of your business."

Aside from the parents and few other people, nobody knows if the child they call Pop is a boy or a girl. Pop's parents subscribe to a feminist philosophy in which the idea of gender is an unnecessary and potentially harmful social construction. They believe that by keeping Pop's gender a secret from the world, their child will be allowed to grow up without preconceived notions of how he or she should be treated based on his or her gender.

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By all appearances, Brooke Greenberg is an average baby. She giggles and coos when she's happy and enjoys rocking in her swing. She can also be quite stubborn and is quick to voice loud disapproval when she's unhappy with something. At about sixteen pounds and 30 inches tall, the curly haired little girl appears to be a typical six-month-old. But Brooke Greenberg isn't an infant, she's sixteen years old and something of medical mystery.

Since her birth, Brooke's body and brain have not aged in the conventional sense. She remains the size of an infant and has the mental capacity of a toddler. Her bone age is estimated to be about 10 years old and she has a mouth full of baby teeth. She rides in a stroller and, because her esophagus is so small, must be fed through a tube.

"There've been very minimal changes in Brooke's brain," says Dr. Richard Walker of the University of South Florida College of Medicine. "Various parts of her body, rather than all being at the same stage, seem to be disconnected."

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Happy Friday again! If you don't already have plans for the weekend, here are some ideas as adapted from reviews and ratings by Common Sense Media. Click on the links to read the reviews in full.

Movies
"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" may have been inspired by a kid's toy, but it was definitely made with adults in mind. Brutal violence, sexual images and every bad word in the book make the film inappropriate for younger kids. Big special effects, too many characters and multiple story-lines make the film hard to follow and results in a movie that is more spectacle than special. Rated PG-13, Iffy for Kids 13+

On DVD
With a top-notch comedic cast, "Pink Panther 2" should be a rollicking good time. Unfortunately, the combined efforts of Steve Martin, Lily Tomlin and John Cleese can't rival the pure genius of the original Inspector Clouseau, Peter Sellers. It might not live up to expectations, but with only slapstick violence, a little flirting and no objectionable language, at least it won't offend. Rated PG, OK for Kids 11+

TV
Set in the world of competitive gymnastics, "Make It or Break It" is yet another variation of the 'snobby bad girl versus the nice good girl' theme. If viewers can look past the tired plot device, the film offers an interesting look behind the scenes of athletic competition. Rated TV-14, OK for Kids 12+


Books
As the title suggests, "King of the Screwups" by K.L. Going is about a teen who is always messing up. His latest transgression has resulted in him being kicked out of his father's house and sent to live with a flamboyant relative. It's a well-written and sometimes humorous tale of a boy struggling to please his emotionally abusive father. OK for Kids 14+

Music
Although "The E.N.D" by The Black Eyed Peas is mostly a raunchy party album with songs about booty calls and sex toys, there are a few slightly more serious offerings as well. Most of the tracks have clean language, but the ones that don't might more than make up for that. OK for Kids 15+


Web
"Bill My Parents" is a site that allows kids to shop online at select retailers, choose what they want to purchase, and then send a request to a credit card-carrying adult to pay for it. Or not. Maybe it is a good way to give your teen some independent shopping experience without actually handing over the credit card. But it is bound to make hearing "no" a lot more frustrating to a kid who just spent an afternoon filling up a virtual shopping cart. Iffy for Kids 15+

Games
"My Sims Racing" for Nintendo Wii puts players in the driver's seat as rookie race car drivers who must save a town by winning races. It is fast-paced fun but requires lots of reading and easily frustrated kids might have difficulty with the controls. Rated E, OK for Kids 7+

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Actress Live Tyler recently found herself in a situation that I'll bet many of you have been in as well: She witnessed a woman losing her temper with a child in public. In Tyler's case, the woman was a grandmotherly type who was allegedly yelling at and hitting a young child in a stroller.

Upset by what she saw, Liv was moved to act. What she said to the woman isn't clear, but judging by the shouting match that followed, it was not well received.

It is hard to stand by and watch as a child is being treated roughly by a parent or caregiver. But is it ever okay to step in and bust a "bad mother"? Cafe Mom readers are talking about it and offering some very thoughtful comments on the subject.

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Recently, while helping my 8-year-old with her homework, I realized that in many ways, learning math is just like learning to spell. Except that math is a heck of a lot easier. In both subjects, there are rules that, if followed, will lead you to the correct answer. But unlike math, spelling has all those pesky exceptions to the rules. And there are few spelling rules with more exceptions than the "i before e" rule.

That standard works in some words, but not all. Like when following the letter "c." In that case, you make the long "e" sound with "ei." Those two letters can also make the long "a" sound in certain words where the "e" comes first (like sleigh). And in many words (seize, leisure, protein) neither the rule nor the exceptions apply.

You probably have a pretty good handle on spelling by now, but for kids who are just learning, that "i before e" business can be pretty confusing. In fact, the British government has decided it is so confusing as to be "not worth teaching" and has instructed primary school teachers to stop passing it on to their students.

At least one spelling expert agrees with the decision, but for many of us the "i before e" rule is the only one we actually remember learning. And despite all the exceptions, I think the rule is helpful. I cannot be the only adult who still runs that little ditty through my head when writing certain words. But in an age where students are asking -- and getting permission -- to use text message abbreviations in the classroom, it might be time to get rid of this rule.

What about you? Do you think the "i before e" rule is still worth teaching? Or does it just cause more confusion?

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New York mom MeMe Roth has "been to obesity" and doesn't want her children to go there. The daughter of overweight parents herself, Roth has dedicated her life to fighting what she calls "secondhand obesity." As founder and president of National Action Against Obesity, she's waging war against "obesity handed down from one generation to the next, as well as from citizen to citizen."

Her web site urges supporters to "recognize obesity as abuse-abuse of our children, abuse of ourselves-and together take action." But in much the same way that PETA alienates the very people it is trying to reach with aggressive and often hostile tactics, Roth has managed to anger those she claims to be trying to save from the misery of being fat.

Case in point: Last year the 40-year-old was jailed after protesting the free ice cream sundaes at a YMCA event by tossing out the toppings.

Today, she is taking aim at the public school in New York where her two children are in the second and fourth grades. While she is generally okay with the lunch menu at P.S. 9 in Manhattan, she is vehemently opposed to the junk food served on special occasions. In the past, she has lobbied for permission slips for foods not on the official menu and has consistently made a fuss about the unhealthy snack foods she claims are offered to her children on a regular basis.

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As a kid, few things are as exciting as the anticipation of the last day of school. As the days get longer and warmer, the countdown to sweet, sweet freedom is a welcome distraction to the rigors and routine of the school year. But some elementary school students in Southern California are going to have to start over with their final countdown as their school year has been unexpectedly extended for an additional 34 days.

Through no fault of their own, the students at Dickson Elementary in Chino and Rolling Ridge Elementary in Chino Hills were dismissed 5 to 10 minutes early on thirty-four separate occasions since the school year began. This means they have missed anywhere from 170 to a maximum of 340 minutes of state-mandated classroom time. That adds up to maybe a day or two in school, but because of a quirk in California law, the students cannot just make up the actual missed minutes. They have do those 34 days all over again!

The rules are intentionally strict to discourage schools from deliberately shortening days and the penalty for non-compliance involves loss of state funding. But in this case, the short days were merely a clerical error on the part an associate superintendent, who has taken full responsibility and, coincidentally, is planning to retire this year. Probably a smart move on her part.

The kids are understandably upset and I imagine their parents are none too happy as well. But on the plus side, the students will get a jump start on next year's curriculum and enjoy some extra arts, music and science classes. That sounds like just as much fun as sleeping late and swimming all day, right?

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