Video Game Play and Addiction: A Guide for Parents, by Kourosh Dini, MD; self-published, 2008; $15.95; www.videogameplayandaddiction.com.

How much video game time is too much? Child psychiatrist Kourosh Dini, an avid gamer himself, addresses this question in this thoughtful and balanced book. He explains the allure of games, describes the potential benefits of gaming, and offers guidelines on assessing an overuse problem.

“Dini’s research and arguments are very solid. Actually, this is one of the most accessible, well-written, and reasoned books I’ve seen on this subject.”
– Software Judge

“The author explains parent-child communication in very simple, sensible terms: your child isn’t going to want to learn your language, so you have to learn his to communicate well with him. Dini emphasizes that the effects of a video game depend on the child-and-family dynamic.”
– Tester/Editor
 

VeggieTales: Tomato Sawyer and Huckleberry Larry’s Big River Rescue, Big Idea, 2008; 50 min.; $14.99; www.bigidea.com; for ages 5 to 8. This brilliantly creative series uses animated vegetables as characters in classic stories that teach history, social values and a bit of religion, in a way that will still be enjoyed by nonreligious families. In this tale, Tomato Sawyer and Huckleberry Larry are two friends homesteading along the banks of the Mississippi River. Everything changes when they run into Big Jim, who is on the run, and the boys risk losing everything to help him.

 

For more tasty VeggieTales, check out:

Judge's Top Pick! 

Brighter Minds Media, 2008; $19.95; www.brightermindsmedia.com; for ages 8 to 14. Requires: Windows XP or Vista; or Mac OS X 10.3 or higher.
This isn’t your typical “tycoon” game! In Venture Arctic, kids don’t build amusement parks or railroads. Instead, they harness the powers of nature to manage an arctic ecosystem and learn about the environment, conservation and animal relationships as they relate to climate and weather. In short, players learn to manage a very complex system. Tackling the challenges of representing animals in a virtual environment, as opposed to fantasy games in which kids create an imaginary something in a world they manage, the Venture Arctic creative team has achieved some nicely rendered and animated game play. This software got all-around thumbs-up and is a great value for the money.
 

Film Movement, 2007; 80 min.; $19.98; www.filmmovement.com; for ages 12 and up. A modern-day Romeo and Juliet, where the friendship between two children is threatened by their parents’ differences. The film shows how families who dislike each other can bond when faced with tough situations. Beautifully shot, it offers a glimpse into Cuban life and culture. The music is superb; the scenery exquisite. In spite of political or cultural differences, it shows how much we have in common with other cultures. There is some limited profanity and mock violence.

Parent’s comment: “The cinematography is beautiful, and it’s an interesting glimpse into another culture’s music, politics and education.”
 

Very Derryberry Productions, 2007; $12.99; www.debiderryberry.com; for ages 2 to 7. Derryberry is a prolific voice-actress in cartoons for Disney and Nickelodeon, and you can tell why on this collection: her sweet, high and slightly raspy voice is a total kid-magnet! New arrangements of classics and solid originals make this collection the complete package.