Young People

Alfred Hitchcock's Ghost Stories For Young People
$8.99
I found out that this "CD" did not contain the full selections from the vinyl record (that I also own). There's a selection missing between "The Helpful Hitchhiker" & "Jimmy Takes Vanishing Lessons", containing Alfred Hitchcock's comments. I don't know why this was omitted (intentional or not). That said, 2 of the stories will give the kids shivers while the others are humorous with a twist at the end but appropriate for this collection. Even if kids don't know who Alfred Hitchcock is, I'm sure they would enjoy his comments. Listen to this in a dark room.

Plays : Drama Magazine for Young People
$44.00
Presents one-act plays and programs for young people in lower grades through high school, to perform in schools, drama groups, libraries and clubs. Plays includes comedies, holiday plays, dramatized classics, special occasion plays, skits, creative drama and puppet plays.

American Heritage History of United States for Young People
$1.99
For the first time ever from American Heritage, the country's most respected American history magazine, comes a new standard in multimedia reference for the home and school. Based on The American Nation, the authoritative book used in schools across the country, this disc is ideal for students of all ages who have American history homework. A wide array of multimedia features including nearly 30 minutes of live-action video, almost 1,000 photographs' and over two hours of audio and music. Two on-screen hosts guide your kids through the disc, making it accessible to all ages. A 3D navigable time capsule that makes exploring American history fun. A fully searchable library, including a Notebook and Report Maker to help kids apply what they learn to their school studies. Multimedia biographies of all the presidents and 50 of the most historic Americans. 3D virtual reality walkthroughs of American homes. An interactive exploration of the most thought-provoking and controversial issues of our time. A multimedia overview of America's unique cultural history, from the earliest music to the most recent sporting event A direct link to the American Heritage: The History of the United States for Young People World Wide Web site to keep up-to-date on current events.

Young People (1940) [VHS]
$9.98
Shirley Temple's movie career was past its peak when she appeared in this movie. She was twelve years old and as perky as ever, but her popularity was waning for a variety of reasons.

Shirley plays Wendy Ballantine, an orphan in the care of Joe Ballantine (Jack Oakie, who had more than 100 movie and television appearances) and Kit Ballantine (Charlotte Greenwood, who some may remember in "Oklahoma!"). Joe and Kit raise Wendy as though she was their own daughter. This film uses clips of Shirley from her earlier movies to show her at various ages. The gimmick generally works.

Joe, Kit and Wendy are a popular vaudeville act, but being in show business puts them on the road and in hotels constantly. Kit and Joe decide that it would be better for Wendy to settle down. The trio settles on a farm purchased by Wendy's late father.

Unfortunately, the small town near the farm is full of ultra-conservative people who have a dislike and distrust of anything new. By new, I mean anything that has existed for less than 50 years. Some of the townspeople do everything possible to drive the Ballantines out of town. The last straw seems to be when Wendy organizes her classmates into a rousing vaudeville style show, which somehow upsets the ultra-conservative sensibilities of the townspeople.

After the continuously offensive treatment by the townspeople, the Ballantines decide to leave town and go back to show business. On their way to the train station their car gets stuck in the mud, caused by a powerful storm. The Ballantines head for shelter and encounter a group of children stranded by the storm. The Ballantines shepherd the children to a nearby house, but one of the children is missing!

Will the missing child be found? Will everyone survive the terrible storm? Will the Ballantines miss their train? The answer to these and other questions await the viewer!

This movie misses the magic of Shirley's earlier movies. Shirley does a fine job, as do the other members of the cast, but the script and the plot are less than inspired. I did like the movie even though the ending was highly predictable and I recommend the movie to fans of Shirley and Jack Oakie. If you want to see Shirley at her prime I recommend most of the movies she made from 1934 to 1939 as a better starting point. Watch this movie only after you have seen a number of her other movies.

Good Luck!