I think that Big Miracle fits in this “interesting non-fiction category.”

The Big Miracle movie is based on a true story. Reporter Tom Rose was one of the people who went to Barrow, Alaska to cover the event. He wrote a book called Freeing the Whales: How the Media Created the World’s Greatest Non-Event, which has recently been republished as Big Miracle, movie tie-in.

The original title shows a bit of his tongue-in-cheek philosophy (and honestly, this almost satirical view does come across a bit in the movie, too), but in reality, Rose’s book is pretty balanced. He gives information about Alaskan Eskimo whale-hunting (and how the subsistence hunting legislation actually caused more whales to be killed than before), the culture in Barrow, Alaska, the way news media works, what makes a story popular and why, the oil business of drilling in Alaska (correctly expressed in Texas vernacular as the “all bidness”), and so much more.

Set in the Cold War era of 1988, politics come into play as well, when a Russian ship is the only one available that can reach that area to break the ice.

If you see the movie (and I do recommend it for you and your whole family — I loved it), don’t expect the book to be a story like this is, but if you want to know more about the people and culture in this small remote Alaskan town and how this even affected them (and didn’t affect them), I can highly recommend this book. I haven’t quite finished it, but it’s a very readable look at this one event and the real-life characters who were principals in the action.

Truly a movie for the whole family

Big Miracle opens February 3.

I can’t wait to share it with my family, because I know that they’ll all love it, which is rare to be confident that my 13-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son, not to mention my husband, will all enjoy the same movie!

**Universal Studios took care of my travel expenses for this lovely trip to Santa Monica, California for the Big Miracle press junket, in exchange for coverage of the movie, however, I was not told what to say. My opinions are completely my own.

Check out all the Big Miracle movie coverage over at 5 Minutes for Mom:

• Drew Barrymore and John Krasinksi
• Behind the Scenes on the Big Miracle Set and Blogger Interviews (Kristen Bell)
• Ted Danson and Dermot Mulroney

If you’ve seen the movie, you can review it for us. If you’ve read the book it’s based on, even better.

• Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, book by Johnathan Safron Foer
• John LeCarre’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
• Stieg Larson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
• Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum in One for the Money
• The Secret Life of Arrietty is based on the classic The Borrowers (I’m actually pretty sure I’ll be “making” Kyle read this book then taking the kids shortly after it opens February 17).

I just ordered Tom Rose’s account of the true story of whale rescue told in the new movie Big Miracle on my Kindle, because once again, I get to participate in a press day. I can’t wait to see the movie Big Miracle, to talk with the talent, and to even go on a real whale watching tour, and of course I’ll be telling you all about it later this month here and at 5 Minutes for Mom, including if the movie represents the true story that Tom Rose told in his book (I think I even got to talk to two of the “real” people who were involved in the whale rescue).

• And don’t forget all those DVDs. Maybe you watched a movie and then found out it was a book and read it. Maybe you read a book years ago and then caught the movie on TV.

I love this column. I think that a story is a story — and a good story is worth sharing, whether it’s on screen or in the pages, so I’d love to feature great content each week.

If you are interested, you can email me with your idea (5minutesforbooks AT gmail). I’ll tell you if I think it would be a good fit, and we’ll post it when we have an opening (sometimes that very week and other times it might be a few weeks). If you have a blog, you can link back and introduce our readers to you in that way, but you don’t have to be a blogger to participate.

**The other place we welcome guest posts is the On Reading column that runs each Sunday. That topic is pretty much anything you would want to share about the practice of reading. The posts can be reflective or instructional. These columns usually get lots of comments and interaction, which we love.

Jennifer Donovan has been reviewing books for 5 Minutes for Mom since 2006 and managing 5 Minutes for Books since it launched in the summer of 2008. She also tries to squeeze a blog in at Snapshot every now and then.

When I was on my Alvin and the Chipmunks Chipwrecked press junket, there was a product room showcasing all the products, including this fun dance game. What I really liked about it is that it’s active, but that it’s totally kid friendly, unlike some of the dance games out there (I know that I, along with other parents, have asked our younger kids not to play certain songs on the lineup). These are popular songs, such as “All-Star,” and “Life is a Highway,” but there are lots of throwback songs that the kids will like but will really make the parents like “Tricky,” “Karma Chameleon,” “Play that Funky Music Chipmunk,” “Beat It,” and “You Really Got Me.”

This game has a lot of text on the screen, but Alvin and the rest of the chipmunks read everything, making this game appropriate for readers and non-readers alike. I highly recommend this game to preschoolers and up (as I’m watching an enthusiastic 2nd grader enjoying it right now, and I have to admit that I liked it a lot). They seem to be pretty forgiving on how precise your movements are.

This game is also available on other platforms including the DS, which we haven’t played yet, but I wanted to get this review up ASAP, because I do think that this would make a great gift.

Be sure to check out my review of the film (and enter to win the first 2 movies on DVD and a $25 Fandango gift card) as well as some fun facts about the film (and me on camera!).

The movie opens December 16 and is rated G.

Jennifer Donovan admits she’s living a pretty charmed life (online at least). She’s happy to back to blogging at Snapshot and pleased to cover such fun events at 5 Minutes for Mom.

Benjamin Mee’s We Bought a Zoo fits perfectly in this latter category. Due to several changes in his family — namely an inheritance from his father’s death and not wanting his mother to grow old alone — Mee and some of his siblings ended up buying a plot of land that happened to contain a zoo.

Mee’s writing style is funny with flashes of the technical. Professionally he was trained as a psychologist making some of his observations about the humans and animals he works with very interesting. He has also done some science writing, so that factors into his style as well. I love a memoir that teaches me about interesting things as I’m reading.

The one downside is that it does read a little detached. He’s writing about his wife’s illness (in the movie she’s already passed away), and her death and his recovery, but if you’re not reading closely, you almost miss any reflection about that. But this is an upside as well. It allows the story to truly focus on the adventure and the strain (and even the danger) of buying a dilapidated zoo and readying it to reopen.

The most recent occasion of nocturnal fear was while walking the dog, Leon. I heard something big moving very slowly toward me. I hesitated, hoping that the idiot dog would pick up on it, and, ideally, challenge it and be eaten by it rather than me. But he remained oblivious, selfishly snuffling around the many animal scents rather than volunteering to sacrifice his life for me (page 203).

Benjamin and Leon the dog were both safe, as instead of being a puma in heat as he had worried, it was actually a neighbor’s cow “stalking me because it presumably thought that I was the farmer, breaking the habit of a lifetime by bringing it food at 3 a.m.”

Read my review of the movie over at 5 Minutes for Mom today. I loved this movie. Check out who I recommend this film for (and who I think should skip it). It’s a completely different take on the story than the book, definitely exploring more of the emotional side while still looking at the adventure and virtual impossibility of making this zoo work, but in spite of the many differences, it’s obvious that the idea is the same. I liked them both in different ways (but love the overall presentation of the movie).

I’m giving away my own very gently used copy of the book. I bought it at the airport and read it, but it’s ready for a new owner! Just leave a comment if you’d like to win, and I’ll announce the winner on the 12/21 giveaway post (U.S. shipping only, please). If you comment on the We Bought a Zoo movie review as well, I’ll count that comment as an extra entry for the book. The giveaway is closed.

Jennifer Donovan loves books and movies, for different reasons. She blogs at Snapshot about life with her family in Houston.

The Muppets — November 23

Okay–this isn’t a book at all. However, I think it’s going to be a big holiday favorite. My family got to see an early screening Monday night, and it was a huge hit with all of us! When I interviewed Jason Segel for the Despicable Me press junket, he mentioned that he was writing this, and he was trying to go pretty old school traditional with it.

It’s rated PG, but it’s a very mild PG. There was no language that I recall and no innuendo. My 7-year-old son and my 13-year-old daughter each LOVED it. My husband and I laughed a lot too. There were a lot of nods to the 80′s that the adults got that the kids didn’t.

I was particularly curious about how Kyle responded to the musical numbers, such as these, but he liked them (which surprised me, honestly), because I’d have thought the irony would sort of go over his head.

Check out Christie O’s thoughts over at 5 Minutes for Mom as well.

Hugo — November 23

I just saw a preview for this last week, and I got chills. I’m not sure how close it is to the book The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick — maybe it’s more detailed in the spirit of the book? The book is awfully exciting, and the film does look like a great adventure. That eye in the keyhole at about 1:51 is directly from the book and gives me chills when I see it. I would love to take the kids to see this over the weekend.

War Horse — Christmas

I didn’t know much about this until I saw it on the Tony’s. Apparently it’s a children’s book (I actually thought it was a YA book, but it says ages 8 and up) by Michael Morpurgo which was first adapted for the stage, and now the Steven Spielberg movie adaptation is out Christmas Day. It looks pretty incredible. If nothing else, really cinematic — those images! That soundtrack! I’d like to drag my family to this one. After watching the preview, I just want to click through and watch it again:

Are there any other movies that are coming out this holiday season that you are waiting for (book adaptations or not?). Do you plan to see any movies this weekend with your family? Tell us what you think if you have seen them!

Speaking of Family Movies — Check out my Family Movie Night giveaway featuring 5 Christmas films from Universal, including Beethoven’s Christmas Adventure over at 5 Minutes for Mom.

Jennifer Donovan enjoys watching movie, but doesn’t watch as many as she’d like. She blogs about life with her family — a 13 year old daughter and a 7 year old son — at Snapshot.

Lily and Snow Flower are laotong – sworn sisters brought together in a match meant to provide the emotional companionship that would not be found in a marriage in 19th century China. They communicate through nu shu, a secret language that’s passed back and forth between women, hidden in the folds of a fan. In the novel, the story is told by the elderly Lily, surrounded by her extended family.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is coming to Blu-ray and DVD on November 1st. The story of Lily and Snow Flower is woven into a new tale involving their descendants who are also close friends but dealing with the modern struggles of careers and complicated love lives. I’m sure most readers will agree that the movie doesn’t usually stand up to the book, but I’m curious if mixing the two plots will result in a richer one that will stand on its own merits.

To view a trailer of the movie as well as a unique story flip book that combines lines from the book with scenes from the movie, visit http://www.snowflowerstory.com/

Did you see the movie when it was out in theaters this summer? Do you look forward to catching it on DVD?

Nancy couldn’t imagine going through the foot binding process. She writes about her 2 boys, books and life in Colorado at Life With My Boys and Books.

I’ve seen the previews for the new movie I Don’t Know How She Does It starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Greg Kinnear, Pierce Brosnan and Kelsey Grammar (and more). The cast is incredible, and the previews look great. It looks like a fun mom’s night out sort of movie — one that I figured I’d rent when it came to DVD.

It’s the kind of movie that I figure I’d enjoy, but is it too real to be entertaining? After all, even though I’m not a working mother as Sarah Jessica Parker is in the movie, I am quite aware of the difficulties of balancing personal growth, motherhood, and marriage, and oh yeah, what about housekeeping, sleep, and leisure? However, knowing that it’s based on a book tells me that it might be more than just a fluffy chick flick. I actually enjoy reading books that feature characters with lives remarkably similar to mine, and the same goes for a well-made movie.

Heck, it’s cheaper than therapy, right?

I was recently approached with an offer to give away the book on which the movie was based along with a movie poster (pictured), and I jumped at the chance.

Check out the preview below and keep reading to see how you can win:

You can also “like” them on Facebook and find out more at the website. The movie opens this weekend!

If you’d like to win a copy of the book I Don’t Know How She Does It and a movie poster, please leave a comment below.

To make it fun, leave a comment telling me how YOU do it. What’s one secret to multitasking that you’ve mastered? Or if you are too busy to be creative, just leave a comment, and you still might win the book and the poster.The giveaway is closed.

Don’t miss a thing: Check out our current giveaways. Subscribe to our feed or video reviews on YouTube. Follow us @5M4B on Twitter or on Facebook.

Jennifer Donovan doesn’t really do it all, but she does try to foster an independent spirit in her children so that she doesn’t have to it. The words “I’ll do it myself” are music to her ears. She blogs at Snapshot.

The second book The Power of Six just came out (linked to Amanda’s review).

There are hopes that all six books will be made into movies. Regardless, I guess the good news for all the fans (Amanda says that “everyone” is reading it at school right now) is that there are least 4 more books to come, and possibly another movie or two.

I haven’t read either book, but Amanda and I did watch I Am Number Four: The Movie on DVD. The movie was pretty good, and I think told the story pretty well. Amanda kept saying “It didn’t happen that way!” or “He didn’t find that out until later!” but the story and most of the details seem to be the same.

The movie is rated PG-13, probably for intensity and cursing (As always, Plugged In gives a great review for parents who want to know exactly what content is there). There is a fair amount of cursing, more than I would like Amanda to be exposed to in theory, but in reality she hears it ALL day at school (and that’s another soap box). Amanda said that the movie was scarier than the book. Music was used quite effectively to heighten the suspense and scariness. There were also some fighting scenes and sort of creepy (more than scary) aliens. Most of the fighting scenes were very dark, so that more was left to the imagination (which could be good or bad).

I didn’t know this, but Alex Pettyfer, who stars as Number Four/John Smith in the movie, also starred in Beastly, which I recently listened to and watched. Dianna Argon (Glee) is also another teen favorite (and she did a fantastic job playing a different type in this movie), so I can see an easy built-in following for these movies. I hope they encourage tweens and teens to pick up the books as well!

Have you and/or your kids seen the movie or read the book? Do you look forward to more of either?

Jennifer Donovan loves a good story, whether she gets lost in the pages or in her media room. She enjoys sharing her love of these things with her kids, and here at 5 Minutes for Books and at her Snapshot blog.