KIDS FIRST! News

The Not-So-Wimpy Wimpy Star Zachary Gordon
By Raven Devanney

I was given the chance to talk to 13-year-old actor Zachary Gordon, who plays Greg Heffley in both Diary of a Wimpy Kid one and two [2010’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid and 2011’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules].

Zachary said his passion for acting provides an escape from the real world and is a fun experience. I was able to relate to him because both of us love acting for the same reasons.

He is able to relate to Greg Heffley because both Zachary and Greg love video games and have older siblings. Zachary has two older brothers and is able to understand Greg’s pain.

Zachary said his favorite scene to work on is the one where he was running away from the coach after playing a prank on him, and he ran over a dumpster. In between takes, he said, he was able to relax in the dumpster of fake “trash.” 

He said he read the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid book and told his mom he wanted to make a movie adaptation of the book before he had even heard about the Wimpy auditions. When he got the part, he was able to use some of his own ideas — which I think is very cool! 

The most difficult scene to prepare for was the talent show because he had to wear a tight body suit, which became very uncomfortable after a while.

Zachary said he has met so many amazing people and his cast has become a family away from home. The kid cast would play games like treasure hunts on set. He is happy say that he has kept in touch with his cast mates and is hoping that there will be more films in the Wimpy series.

This film has been great for Zachary’s career and he is looking forward to new doors opening up!

Photos: Zachary Gordon in Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (top), Raven Devanney (bottom)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on June 21.

As a KIDS FIRST! film critic, 14-year-old Gabriella Chu had the enviable opportunity to meet in person with Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer star Jordana Beatty and with Judy Moody‘s creator, author Megan McDonald, when they were recently in New York. “I like the character herself because she’s so independent and she’s a leader. She never cares what anyone else thinks,” Beatty told Chu. And that, McDonald told Chu a short time later, is a big part of what she wants Judy Moody’s fans to take away: “I think in real life we have a lot of moods and a lot of disappointments, but Judy always finds a creative way, and I think she always kind of meets those obstacles with a sense of humor. I would like kids to know [to] just keep a sense of humor about it. Everything doesn’t always go perfectly in life, but I think Judy is kind of an inspiration that way.”

Read both interviews in full below, and view them on YouTube.

Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer
Talent interviews by Gabriella Chu

I was so excited to interview Jordana Beatty and Ms. Megan McDonald on the upcoming film: Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer! I left school early on Wednesday, May 25, 2011, to make sure I would be at the press meeting and interview on time. At about 4:00, both stars came in. I was so elated to have the opportunity to chat with them for a bit.

INTERVIEW WITH JORDANA BEATTY
(Photo: Jordana Beatty, left, with Gabriella Chu)

Gabriella Chu: What do you do with other actors when you’re not working on set?
Jordana Beatty: I love to play games with them a lot, like Uno. We also just hang out and chat, and we still do school work together.

Chu: Do you still keep in touch with them?
Beatty: Yeah. I e-mail them because we are obviously in different countries and I can’t wait to see them!

Chu: What is something that you hope kids watching the movie will learn from you?
Beatty: I hope that it will teach them to go out and have the best summer ever. Don’t just stick around at home in front of the computer all day, but actually go out and do something.

Chu: So what does that mean to you? What is a fun summer to you?
Beatty: I think for me it’s doing the things I like best, so: going to the beach a lot, surfing, baking and reading.

Chu: Cool! I know you’re Australian. Have you ever been to New York before?
Beatty: I’ve been before but only for a very short time, so I’m excited to be back.

Chu: Do you like it?
Beatty: I love it!

Chu: Is it very different from Australia?
Beatty: Yes, definitely. The weather is a lot different and there are so many buildings and I definitely don’t know my way around.

Chu: What advice do you have for kids who want to be actors?
Beatty: I think if you don’t get something the first time, then keep trying — because that’s what I did and it worked.

Chu: Do you identify with your character in the movie?
Beatty: Yeah, in a couple of ways. We both have the same color hair, we both have a great imagination, and we both get in lots of moods.

Chu: What do you think is the most fun aspect of playing Judy Moody?
Beatty: That’s a hard one. I like everything. I like the character herself because she’s so independent and she’s a leader. She never cares what anyone else thinks. I like her qualities and her family and I love her bedroom.

Chu: Are you a lot like her in real life?
Beatty: I think so, but we are very different in a few ways as well.

Chu: How?
Beatty: We are both different because we come from very different families and we’re from different sides of the planet. She also has a little brother, of course, and I have no siblings. Just cousins. So that’s a big difference as well. And she has different friends, obviously, and we definitely don’t dress alike. She’s very mismatched.

Chu: If she was a real person, do you think you would be good friends with her?
Beatty: Yes, definitely. She is very fun-loving and she’s great at heart.

Chu: It’s been a pleasure meeting you, Jordana. I like the movie a lot.

This has been an interview by Gabriella Chu for KIDS FIRST! You should go out and see Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer coming out on June 10!

INTERVIEW WITH MEGAN MCDONALD
(Photo: Megan McDonald, left, with Gabriella Chu)

Chu: When I was a bit younger, I used to read the Judy Moody series. I’m a fan. What inspired you to write the books?
Megan McDonald: Well, originally, the books were based on my own life a little bit because I have four older sisters. So you can imagine that with lots of siblings a lot of funny things happen. I kind of make the same things happen to Judy and Stink in the books.

Chu: Yesterday, I just watched the movie. I like it a lot! Especially how Judy Moody and Aunt Opal are always coming up with such creative ways to have fun. Was it hard thinking of those ideas?
McDonald: We had tons of ideas and we didn’t get to use them all in the film. But it wasn’t really hard because I think that’s really a part of Judy’s character. She’s so creative, so even if hard or difficult things happen to her, she always finds a creative solution. I also wanted it to be like the simple things that we like to do when we were kids, like having a club with your friends or riding a rollercoaster.

Chu: How involved were you in the creation of the movie?
McDonald: I am so lucky, because a lot of writers don’t have anything to do with [it] when the book goes to film, but I got to co-write the screenplay so I got to dream up what the whole story of the movie would be and write it. The producer also asked me if I would come on set, so I got to go every day when they were filming and be kind of in a consulting role to make sure that everything was very authentic to Judy Moody’s world.

Chu: So do you think the movie is a good interpretation of your books?
McDonald: I think it is, because it really captures Judy Moody’s character. She is a big sister to her little brother Stink, but also her kind of kooky kind of fun-loving aunt comes to stay, and so she has this wonderful new relationship with her aunt, who’s kind of like a grown-up Judy Moody. That’s a little different from the books because she is a new character, but there is so much that’s part of Judy Moody’s world in the movie — like her mood ring, her cat named Mouse, her magic 8 ball, and all of the things that readers will know and love about Judy. The Toad Pee Club with her friends is also in the movie, so I think it sticks very closely to the spirit of Judy Moody and the books.

Chu: What message are you trying to get across in your books?
McDonald: In the books, I don’t really sit down and consciously think of the message. It’s more like I hope kids will be inspired by Judy’s character and the person she is. I think she’s very independent, knows her own mind, has strong opinions and [is] very outspoken. I also hope that from the film, [they get] she wants to have the best summer ever and a lot of things go wrong. I think in real life we have a lot of moods and a lot of disappointments, but Judy always finds a creative way, and I think she always kind of meets those obstacles with a sense of humor. I would like kids to know [to] just keep a sense of humor about it. Everything doesn’t always go perfectly in life, but I think Judy is kind of an inspiration in that way.

Chu: What particular age group do you think the movie is suited for, for most kids?
McDonald: If I had to pick an age group, the core age group is 7- to 10-year-olds. But when we did some preliminary screenings, my niece came, who is three years old, and sat through the whole 90-minute movie and was just wide-eyed on the edge of her seat. So even really little kids enjoy Judy Moody. I’ve also had 18-year-olds who read Judy Moody when they were that age. They take their friends and come, so I think even if you’ve known Judy Moody when you were a kid, you will still enjoy it. I think grown-ups enjoy it because it’s very funny and makes you laugh out loud.

Chu: Do you think we’ll be seeing more of Judy Moody in the future?
McDonald: I certainly hope so. I would love for there to be a sequel some day. I know Jordana would love to play Judy Moody again. We will keep our fingers crossed and hope that will happen someday!

Chu: I hope so too! These are all the questions I have today. Thank you so much for your time Ms. McDonald.

This has been an interview from Gabriella Chu for KIDS FIRST! You should go out and see Judy Moody. It’s coming out in theaters June 10!

The founding inspiration for online store Little One Books (littleonebooks.com) was Joan McCoy and Barney Cohen‘s quest for quality books, music and videos to share with their new granddaughter. The idea percolated for nearly two years before gelling into a purpose, resulting in four years of dedicated development that culminated in last April’s launch of the music-video-bookstore for ages zero to five.

“There are so many classics, we find, especially in the grandparents world,” says McCoy. “People remember books from their childhood and want to get them for their grandchildren.” Which is why Little One Books, while not ignoring the new Disney and “Dora” offerings, is focused more on providing customers “something a little bit different and unusual,” McCoy explains.

And it takes a unanimous two-thumbs-up from both partners for an item to make the select Little One Books list of titles.

With the books, for instance, McCoy explains, the criteria include great artwork and a well-written, compelling story. “We read each book and talked about it,” she says. And the child development specialist for their local library system – the Seattle Public Library – helped them vet their list and understand the behavior of children at different ages.

“Age appropriate” is the common theme among all lines of product. For music, “We want artists who write for children,” explains McCoy, noting that a lot of what’s out there is really for adults but just repackaged for children. Little One Books also carries classical music that’s appropriate for children — works that are not so complicated musically and that feature simpler instrumentation. To this aspect of Little One Books, Cohen brings the experience of his long career in the music business.

And the couple credits KIDS FIRST!’s own Ranny Levy for helping them develop the video selection. Videos must contain no violence, be educational and encourage interaction, such as asking the viewer to repeat words or do some movements.

“Getting good product into the hands of very young children is a passion of mine,” McCoy enthuses. Recognizing that other grandparents (and parents) share that interest, she and Cohen wanted to help them sort through the immense amount of children’s product available. Hence, Little One Books’ select list. “We want to give people choices, but not so much as to be overwhelming.”

And that’s why, also, within Little One Books’ zero-to-five age range, product is organized by specific age. As McCoy points out, there are occasions when people are looking for a gift to give a child they may not know really well — but they will always know the age of the child.

Cohen relates the feedback he received from one customer: “[He] was totally baffled about what to give an acquaintance at a baby shower. … He was dreading shopping, didn’t know what store to go to, and anticipated it would take an hour out of his day. But he went to our site and found something in a few minutes. … He said it was the perfect gift; the person who received it loved it.

“When people tell us they like what they buy or we did something to improve their lives, it’s a real charge.”

Last Chance to Sign up for the LA and NY Boot Camps

Are You a Winner? These DVDs Want to be Yours

Enter our July sweepstakes chance to win a free copy of one of the following fantastic KIDS FIRST! titles: Veggie Tales; Sweetpea Beauty, Goodnight Moon, To Save a Life, The 13 Ghosts of Schooby-Doo, Sesame Street: 20 Years and Still Counting and Jackie Chan’s The Spy Next Door (with one special copy autographed by Jackie Chan).

Congratulations to our May winners: Chris, Melissa, Sheila, Christina, Gilda, Shana, Cindy, Leslie, Michelle, Nancy, MaryGrace, Charice, Peter, Cathy, Marilyn, Denise, Eddy, Elizabeth, Erica, Christina, Dania, Bonnie, James , Valerie and Pat.

 

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Congratulations, Joshua Carlson! This teenager from Minnesota with a passion for independent film recently won a trip to Florida when he won the KIDS FIRST! Orlando Makes me Smile contest.

KIDS FIRST! teamed up with the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc. and the Florida Film Festival for this short film competition with a theme focused on fostering family relationships and the joyful experiences that can be found in Orlando. Carlson won a family vacation for four in Orlando, complete with airfare, lodging, theme park tickets and all access filmmaker passes for the Florida Film Festival, April 9 through 18, 2010. In an email interview, Carlson tells us a bit more about his work and travel experience.

JC: When I was 5 I realized I loved movies and everything that went into making them.  When I turned 12 I got my first video camera and I started making video’s with my family and I knew this was my passion. My first was a stop motion animation movie called Justice Heros.

CP: How did your family show support?

JC: They have encouraged me to pursue my dreams by getting training and learning what was really good equipment to use.

JC: My sisters have acted in some of my films and they also have written most of the music. My parents have taken me to locations for shoots and helped me get equipment and have let me spend extra time working on my dreams of making films.

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