Amazon.com
My Fair MadelineA charming story of friendship and girl power pits the pint-sized Madeline against a couple of upper crust crooks, while underscoring the importance of integrity and loyalty. The tale begins in Paris when Miss Clavel (voiced by Whoopi Goldberg) escorts her boarding school girls to the Louvre museum. Captivated by Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa," the fearless and feisty Madeline lingers behind, and becomes the sole witness to an attempted robbery of the rare painting. When she raises a ruckus, the crooks flee and Madeline is left to take the blame for the catastrophe. Banished to a London finishing school as punishment, Madeline goes undercover to expose the thieves, while her best pals get to work in Paris--"intent on finding the truth, 11 girls go out to sleuth." Based on author Ludwig Bemelman's familiar style, the animated film is entirely in rhyme, accompanied by a handful of toe-tappin' tunes. (Ages 3 to 10)
--Lynn Gibson Sabrina the Teenage Witch: Friends Forever
Sabrina the Teenage Witch is turning 13 years old and she's off to the Witch Academy (suggestive of Harry Potter's Hogwarts School) to learn the three principles of witchdom: to use magic wisely, be true to one's friends, and be true to one's self. Feeling inferior because she's only half-witch, Sabrina conceals her mixed heritage and manages to rise to a position of popularity. Sabrina joins her new friends in making fun of Nicole, a "bookworm" who doesn't fit in, but, when Sabrina discovers that Nicole is a half-witch like herself, the pair journeys to the witches' realm in hopes of becoming full witches. The question is, is the cost of becoming a full witch worth the price of their newfound friendship? This Nickelodeon feature-length Sabrina the Teenage Witch follows three previous animated shows and a live action program based on the original 1962 Sabrina the Teenage Witch comic. (Ages 6 and older) --Tami Horiuchi
Groove Squad
When a trio of cheerleaders gets zapped by a jolt of electricity while at a local hairdresser, a lot more changes than just their hair styles. Endowed with special powers like X-ray vision, super strength, and the ability to fly; cheerleaders Christy (voiced by Jennifer Love Hewitt), Ping, and McKenzie soon find themselves with a responsibility even greater than winning the cheerleading championship--thwarting the evil Dr. Nightingale's plans for total world domination. As the trio explores their newfound superhero powers, they learn the value of teamwork and perseverance. The Nickelodeon Groove Squad girls may be stereotypically obsessed with their looks and popularity, but much like Kim Possible, the group quickly proves to be an athletic group of women serious about the sport of cheering and their responsibility to society. Popular teen lingo pervades this feature-length presentation that's packed with humorous details like flower power hippies, a fully equipped car à la James Bond, and a character who sounds like Austin Powers. (Ages 7 and older) --Tami Horiuchi
