Movies / Books

Age: 3+

A great Book about a dad cleverly helping his son getting over his worries about going to school. It is also a great bed time story helping kids to calm down and reconnect with their parents. 

 This book has impacted me so profoundly that I will never be entirely the same. Circe is the story of a woman who was underestimated and shunned by her family, but she never got bitter because of it. She, however, took what she had and changed it according to her needs and adapted to her new life and made the best out of it. The book tells you that gifts come in many different forms and those with hidden talents are overlooked and devalued. 

#fantasy, #adventure #mythology, #characterdevelopment

Age: 15+ 

If animals were granted human intelligence, would they die happier or unhappier? That’s the intriguing question at the heart of this book. This book is both thoughtful and meditative but also enjoyable and fascinating. 

Adults 

The story revolves around two girls in India from different backgrounds, Mukta a temple prostitute (Devdasi) and Tara from a normal household loved by her parents. After 11 years away Tara travels back to India, to search for a young girl, Mukta, who was kidnapped while staying with Taras family. In this journey, Tara has to face her own guilt and demons from the past, and she must unravel family secrets that she might have preferred to leave alone. 

All ages: 

I recommend this book to everyone I know who has a daughter/son. This book has simple, sweet illustrations and wonderful affirmations which makes it   a must have book for our children no matter their age. The book teaches us how to be a person, a full person, above and beyond what the world’s real or imagined expectations may be of any of us. 

Age: 2+

Great book for kids who are going trough separation anxiety which is a normal part of a childhood development. 

Age: 2+

It is a story of a girl who goes to daycare for the first time. What starts off as a scary venture, soon turns into fun that she can't wait to get back to. 

Age: 3+ 

This beautiful book discusses feelings for kids, and shows that having feelings, whether happy or sad, is good and normal. It allows the readers to see themselves through feelings. 

All ages 

From this book children can learn about the importance of caring, giving, and how we should treat others.It is really a story about parenthood, and the lengths to which parents will go for their children.

16+

This book is well written, fast paced, and unpredictable. Indeed, many of the concepts that this book brings up stayed with me long after finishing. It comes with many twists and turns but never falls into farce. A great, thought-provoking read that has renewed my enthusiasm for the thriller genre.

17+

Samra’s story is incredibly powerful and inspiring. In this book, Samra talks about leaving her troubled Pakistan escaping the clutches of religious intolerance, migration to Canada, and discovering her own queer identity. Samra, artist and activist, did not want to sacrifice her identity as a Muslim when she came out. This is her story of her journey and how she found a community.

#memoirs-and-biographies #nonfiction # feminism #Queers

Age 13+

The show’s central character is Sam Gardner, an 18-year-old, on the autism spectrum, who decides to become independent. The series shows the effect that Sam’s autism has on the rest of his family. The show is obviously filled with compassion for Sam and tries hard to give the audience some sense of what his everyday experiences are like. #autism #teens

Age 15+

This movie has a balance between telling a cutesy teen romance and exploring darker topics surrounding mental illness (depression and bipolar disorder) bullying and suicide. 

Trigger warning: This story contains a frank discussion of suicide.

Age 17+

It is the story of what countless families in this country are going through right now. When you love someone who has an addiction that is consuming their life, it consumes everyone around them as well.

Age 16 +

It is the story of a hard-pressed African-American single parent and his five-year old son struggle to survive and fulfill the American dream in San Francisco in 1981. It is a refreshing account of the power of the human spirit and a heartwarming tale of unlikely accomplishment.

Age 10 +

It is the story of a hard-pressed African-American single parent and his five-year old son struggle to survive and fulfill the American dream in San Francisco in 1981. It is a refreshing account of the power of the human spirit and a heartwarming tale of unlikely accomplishment.

Age: 16+

This movie is the story of a group of teenagers and it shows how life in the ghetto had been cheapened by a toxic cocktail of racism, poverty, violence and substance abuse. 

Watching this movie, families can talk about the strong language especially the "N" word, and the way women are referred to. They can also talk about the ways that our society can help to put an end to it.

Age: 8+

The animation was flawless, of course, the story was strong and so was its message. In this movie the way the Queen (mother) and Merida(daughter) interact with each other is similar to how a real mother and daughter would act. Throughout the film, the Queen and Merida get into many arguments for lack of understanding  to what one has to say to the other. In the end, of course, they put aside their differences and actually learn more from one another than they ever thought they could.

Age: 7+

‘Inside Out’ is an amazing cartoon and I highly recommend it. It teaches us that our emotions are all important, every single one of them. They all serve an important function and we cannot selectively feel some but not others. It shows how our identity is shaped by our emotions and also how those emotions shape how we view ourselves and others.

Age: 7+

Moana teaches her audience to be brave, never restrict themselves with fear, be what they want to be, and believe in themselves. Moana is a story of courage, faith and love.

Age: 12+

The story is great and meaningful. The movie is about a young  boy's struggle when he faces a real life survival crisis. He teaches us to believe in faith and never  lose hope in the hardest of times.