My 9 1/2 year old daughter isn’t a huge movie fan, which is fine because we try to monitor what she watches–we don’t want her to grow up too fast–but we love to have family movie night at least once a month. We find a DVD that we will all enjoy (or that we can watch after we put my 3 1/2 year old son to bed), get out some snacks, and enjoy the 90 minute experience. Sharing in our children’s interests, including pop culture, gives us more opportunities to connect with them on their level.

I recently received two DVDs from Sony Pictures that fit the bill perfectly.

Both of the children enjoyed Roxy Hunter and the Mystery of the Moody Ghost. Ten-year-oldRoxy Hunter and her mom move into a spooky old house that Roxy is convinced is haunted. She finds some clues about the former owner’s past, and she can’t rest until she put together all the pieces. In the process of tracking down the past of the former owner, she and her best friend (who is a boy, which helps in making it attractive for both genders in your family) also track down some disturbing news about the future that someone has planned. They don’t stop until they figure it all out. This movie originally aired on Nickelodeon and reminded me of the types of movies that we all waited to watch on Sunday nights on TV when I was growing up. The DVD also comes with some “Roxy Rocks” so that your own little detective can show some of the flair that Roxy does.

I wasn’t as sure about the appropriateness The Prince and the Pauper, rated PG, starring the Sprouse twins (from the Suite Life of Zack and Cody). I previewed it first, and I loved it (and would recommend it for eight up–I didn’t seem to see much need for Parental Guidance, especially because any “bad” attitudes are painted as bad, not cute and acceptable). Eddie Tudor is the star of a teen spy show. He’s all that, but he knows it. In fact, if his attitude doesn’t get better, he might be out of a job. When Tom Canty, actor-wannabe, strolls onto the set, Eddie finds a friend. He realizes that they look exactly alike, so Eddie makes the opportunity to take a break from his star-studded life and give Tom the chance to give his dream life a try. Of course, things go awry, and the switch back isn’t so easy, but along the way, they learn more about what their own lives really have to offer. We’ll probably make some time for a Mother Daughter movie this weekend.

Would you like to win one of five 2-DVD sets? Leave a comment and we’ll draw a winner on March 14. If you want to make it interesting, leave a comment sharing the name of one or more of your favorite family films.