Cool Children's Book: It's Just a Plant

BuzzSugar — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 08:40:55 -0800

Most anti-drug education aimed at kids is woefully bad, offering "just say no" messages with very few details about what, exactly, these evil drugs do. That's why I'm intrigued by this new picture book about marijuana called It's Just a Plant.

When I first saw it written up on Cool Hunting, I thought it was a joke, but actually, it's a pretty smart little book. Rather than treat pot like a dangerous drug to be avoided at all costs, the book presents pot more like alcohol - something that's not meant for kids but that they shouldn't be afraid of. Even if you don't agree, the book is worth a look, so read more

The It's Just a Plant web site, where you can purchase the book and read it online, makes some good points. According to the book's creators:

"Many parents have tried marijuana, some still use it. Neither feel great about disclosing such histories (many duck the question), for fear that telling their kids might encourage them to experiment on their own. ...

It's Just a Plant is a book for parents who want to educate their children about the complexities of pot in a thoughtful, fact-oriented manner."

What do you guys think?

Movie Preview: Bridge to Terabithia

BuzzSugar — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 09:16:20 -0800

The young adolescent novel Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson is a wondrous and poignant tale of friendship, loyalty, and imagination. I read it several times over as a kid, and it still has a place in my heart. So it was exciting to see that there is a film version of the book coming out in February, though I'm not sure how I feel about the special effects-heavy trailer.

As cool as computer animation and special effects are these days, there is also much to enjoy in the story of the two friends, how close they become, the lessons they learn, how much they come to cherish one another. Paterson's novel is a subtle and tender work, and it's good to bring the title into everyone's awareness. I just hope the film is respectful to the work and avoids simply capitalizing on the surge of interest in recent years in children's fantasy worlds coming to life through fancy technical effects (a la Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia). Regardless, I'll probably still go see it. What do you guys think? Did you read this book as a kid?