Great Summer Movie Rentals for the Tweens

For most school districts there are just a few weeks of school remaining. So what do you do with the kids over the summer? It is especially difficult to keep the tweens (kids between adolescence and teen years) amused. Well here are eleven great movies that are educational, and both you and your tweens will enjoy them. I've left out the usual titles like The Princess Diaries, Happy Feet and Hannah Montana, and have opted for a list that includes classics, oldies but goodies and more obscure (less known) titles. Each movie is fun, adventurous and inspiring, and although they are not elementary or babyish, the stories are still very easy to follow. Most importantly, they are free of violence, sexually explicit material and grossness. Since most summer breaks last about eleven weeks, I've suggested a movie for each week.

1. Finding Buck McHenry - (92 minutes - great for boys, but girls will also enjoy); Jason knows everything there is to know about baseball, but is not a very good player. When he is cut from his team, he joins up with a couple of other kids to form an extension team. Jason is determined to get this team started and after getting some baseball tips from the school janitor, he gets the idea that the janitor should coach his team. The janitor turns out to be an excellent coach who refers quite a bit to the techniques and skills used by players in the negro leagues. The movie becomes a great adventure and detective story when Jason suspects that his janitor is actually former negro league baseball star Buck McHenry. The movie includes lots of awesome facts about the negro leagues.

2. Frankie and Hazel - ( 92 minutes - especially delightful for girls, but boys will also enjoy); This delightful movie is about two best friends who are very different. Frankie is being raised by her grandmother after both of her parents are killed in a car accident. Hazel (Frankie's neighbor) lives with her father and brother. Frankie's mom was a prima-ballerina and Frankie is one of the best dancers in her class. Frankie's grandmother and teacher hope that Frankie will become a prima-ballerina like her mom, but Frankie has a passion for baseball. Hazel is passionate about her community and decides to run for mayor. The girls work and team together to help each other aspire to reach their dreams. Great story about setting goals and aspiring for your dreams.

3. Facing the Giants - (112 minutes - the whole family will enjoy this movie - note that this movie has a Christian message); Coach Taylor has been losing games season after season and some of the parents/school staff hold a secret meeting to discuss getting rid of him. Personally things are not much better in Coach Taylor's life. After a reevaluation of his life, Coach Taylor begins coaching with a new philosophy and a new strategy. Have lots of tissues nearby as this is a good tear jerker. There are also lots of funny spots and great football scenes.

4. The Sweetest Gift - (90 minutes) - Mrs. Martin is a very hard working woman raising her kids all alone. She is doing her best to teach them right from wrong and provide for them as best she can. When the Martin's goat runs away, it ends up at the farm of the Wilson's, a black (African-American) family. From then on the Martin kids begin hanging out at the Wilson's home unbenounced to their mom. When the Martin's teen daughter Kate helps the Wilson's young adult daughter Ruby start a candy business, Mrs. Martin becomes upset. The story follows the relationships that build between these two families. This movie offers a great lesson about racism and prejudice.

5. The Parent Trap (the remake - 128 minutes) - Most of you remember The Parent Trap made in 1961. This movie is an updated version of the original Parent Trap. The story is about two tween girls who go off to summer camp. Although the girls are very different in their likes/dislikes, and personal styles, they are stunningly identical in appearance. As in the original Parent Trap, they get into lots of mischief at camp, and discover that they are actually twin sisters who were separated after their parents divorced. The girls scheme to switch places after camp in order to have the opportunity to spend time with the parent they've been separated from. There are lots of good laughs for the family in this movie.

6. The Karate Kid - (An oldie but goodie - runs about 126 minutes) - You probably remember this movie from when you were a kid, yet your kids have probably not seen it yet. It's a story about a young man who learns karate from an older martial arts master. This story will inspire discipline and commitment in your child. There are also sequels of this movie. In the Next Karate Kid, the student is a girl and it's just as much fun as the original movie. If you consider martial arts "violence", this is not the movie for your family.

7. Miracle - (136 minutes - the boys will love it!) - A wonderful story about the 1980 U.S. hockey team and their road to Olympic victory when they take on the Soviet Union. Another great story about overcoming obstacles, setting goals and never giving up.

8. Ice Castles - (110 minutes) This was one of my favorites growing up. The story is about a young girl who dreams of skating in the olympics. That dream seems to be shattered when she is involved in an accident. With the heart of a champion and the help of her boyfriend and others, she pursues that dream despite her handicap and obstacles that face her. Another tear jerker and great story about persistence, diligence and endurance.

9. Annie: The Movie - (126 minutes.) A movie based upon the comic strip Annie and the broadway musical Annie. Annie is a young orphan living in New York during the depression. The orphanage is run by a mean lady named Ms. Hannigan (played by Carol Burnett) and it is just a horrible place to live. You and your kids will fall in love with Annie and the other youngsters at the orphanage. Annie's life changes when she wins over the heart of a wealthy businessmen named Mr. Warbucks.

10. Polly: Comin' Home - (100 minutes) - This movie directed by Debbie Allen and starring Keisha Knight Pulliam (known for her role as Rudy on the Cosby Show) is a remake of the musical Pollyanna from 1960. It is a musical about a young orphan who strives to integrate her small town.

11.The King and I - (133 minutes) Made in 1956, this movie is a timeless classic. Mrs. Owens is recently widowed and has a young son. She accepts an assignment to teach English for the household of the king of Siam. She has some trouble adjusting to the different customs and bumps heads many times with the king. It is funny and delightful.