'EXPEND4BLES'

Rated R for strong/bloody violence throughout, language and sexual material.

What it’s about: The fourth installment of the geezer teaser action franchise sees some new faces joining the crew as they embark on another mission.

The kid attractor factor: The broad action movie appeal might be a draw for teens.

Good lessons/bad ...Read more

School is back in session and, for some parents, that means learning how to get a quick and nutritious breakfast into their children's stomachs before they head out the door.

I don't have school-aged kids anymore, but I sure remember how difficult it was after getting them dressed, readying their backpacks and making them brush their teeth to ...Read more

'A HAUNTING IN VENICE'

Rated PG-13 for some strong violence, disturbing images and thematic elements.

What it’s about: Ten years after "Death on the Nile," Detective Hercule Poirot is back to investigate a medium at a seance in Venice.

The kid attractor factor: Perhaps there's an appeal for kids who love Agatha Christie mysteries and spooky...Read more

More migrant children than ever are transiting through Latin America and the Caribbean, and they are uniquely vulnerable to the threats of the region’s dangerous migration routes, according to a new report from the United Nations’ lead child-welfare agency.

“More and more children are on the move, of an increasingly young age, often alone...Read more

'THE NUN II'

Rated R for violent content and some terror.

What it’s about: Sister Irene once again battles a nun demon that's taken possession at a French boarding school.

The kid attractor factor: The horror genre will be a draw for some teens.

Good lessons/bad lessons: Have faith in yourself, in what you see and in what you believe.

...Read more

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- As a child growing up in a home with domestic violence, Dawn Runyon remembers “Hefty bagging” and “hopping on the Greyhound” whenever it was time for her and her mother to run for safety.

“In the blink of an eye, everything that I knew was turned upside down,” she said. “I was raised with that just being normal.�...Read more

'THE EQUALIZER 3'

Rated R for strong bloody violence and some language.

What it’s about: Robert McCall, Boston's best vigilante hero, makes his way to Italy to tangle with the mafia.

The kid attractor factor: Not much — this is a big, violent, operatic, adult action movie.

Good lessons/bad lessons: Stand up to those who would abuse their...Read more

'GRAN TURISMO'

Rated PG-13 for intense action and some strong language.

What it’s about: Based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough, a gamer who won a sponsored driving academy that paved the path to his successful racing career.

The kid attractor factor: Teens and older kids might be interested in the game aspect, and the rousing sports...Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- In a landscape long empty of bears, the North Bay is now home to an increasing number of young and growing families, living lives full of drama and adventure.

A remarkable new genetic study has found that Sonoma County-based matriarchs are raising healthy cubs, sometimes stashing them up in tall fir trees. Absentee fathers ...Read more

'BLUE BEETLE'

Rated PG-13 for sequences of action and violence, language, and some suggestive references.

What it’s about: The first Latino superhero in a DC movie gets his origin story: Jaime Reyes is a recent college grad who forms a symbiotic relationship with an alien scarab, offering him a powered-up battle suit.

The kid attractor ...Read more

This summer, while her son was away at camp, my friend got a crash course in parent-child communication.

The son sent a letter, composed of a few three-word sentences. One of those sentences sat smack in the center of the page and spelled out his desire, written in capital letters for emphasis: “NO MORE LETTERS!”

My friend got the message....Read more

'JULES'

Rated PG-13 for strong language.

What it’s about: Ben Kingsley plays a lonely older man who has an alien crash in his backyard.

The kid attractor factor: This is more of an adult dramedy, not much appeal for kids.

Good lessons/bad lessons: Sometimes you can find friendship in the most unlikely places and with the most unlikely ...Read more

'HAUNTED MANSION'

Rated PG-13 for some thematic elements and scary action.

What it’s about: A grieving ghost tour guide in New Orleans tries to help a family with their haunted house.

The kid attractor factor: Older kids who are interested in spooky material might be into this — it's a gateway horror movie.

Good lessons/bad lessons: ...Read more

Two Sacramento police officers referred to a group of kids as “ghetto” and “retarded” before improperly putting a 14-year-old Black boy in handcuffs. Both are still on the force.

Police Chief Kathy Lester, then a deputy chief, sustained allegations of discrimination against Officer Brandon Lundgren and excessive force against Officer ...Read more

No disabled child should grow up in a nursing home. That should be obvious — but in Florida, it’s not.

For 10 long years, the state has been in court fighting litigation over its system of care for some of Florida’s most severely disabled children. About 140 of these kids — “medically fragile” children — do, in fact, live in ...Read more

'BARBIE'

Rated PG-13 for suggestive references and brief language.

What it’s about: Barbie and Ken leave Barbieland and discover both the good and the bad of the real world.

The kid attractor factor: Kids might be drawn to this film based on the popular doll, but this is much more meta and mature, dealing with complex emotional themes.

...Read more

A federal judge has delivered a stunning rebuke to Florida health administrators, ruling that the state’s long-standing failure to provide adequate care to children with complex medical needs has resulted in the “tragic” and illegal warehousing of fragile children in institutions.

Florida’s unwieldy system of funding and providing care ...Read more

'MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING PART ONE'

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some language and suggestive material.

What it’s about: Ethan Hunt and crew are back to save the world once more, this time from an artificially intelligent weapon.

The kid attractor factor: Kids and teens might be drawn to this action-...Read more