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Hearts Beat Loud

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Hearts Beat Loud
Format: Digital Movie, DVD, Blu-ray
Who it’s for: Adults, Teens

If you like feel-good movies, about fathers and daughters, with great soundtracks, well, I’ve got a film for you:

Hearts Beat Loud stars Nick Offerman as Frank, and Kiersey Clemons as his daughter Sam. Frank and Sam’s mother were musicians. She died when Sam was little, and Frank never re-married. He’s been running a record shop for 17 years, but things are going to have to change. Sam is heading across the country soon, to pursue her dream of studying to become a doctor, and the record shop won’t support her out-of-state pre-med tuition.

Frank and Sam have regular jam sessions, and one night they play a song Sam has written, about her budding summer romance, which Frank records, and uploads to Spotify on a whim. To their surprise, the song becomes a hit, and the opportunity to pursue a career in music opens up to Sam and Frank. Frank has fantasies of their daddy-daughter-duo sweeping the indie rock scene, while Sam is firm about going to school, despite developing strong feelings for her new love. What will they do?

I thought Hearts Beat Loud was really sweet, and just what I needed to escape the complicated world we find ourselves in, just for a few hours. Offerman and Clemons have great chemistry, and the movie also features entertaining performances from Toni Collette as Frank’s landlady, and Ted Danson as his bar-owning best friend. This intergenerational story may also be a good movie for parents to share with their older children (it’s rated PG-13). Put the DVD or Blu-ray on hold, or stream it via Hoopla today!

New Year’s Celebrations for Kids

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The New Year, a time to reflect on what has passed and to celebrate new beginnings, is just around the corner! How do you celebrate? These vibrant and lively stories offer a doorway inside two young girls’ celebration of family culture and tradition.  

 

Shante Keys and the New Year’s Peas by Gail Piernas-Davenport
Format: Book
Who it’s For: Kids

We set out with Shante on her quest to find the missing ingredient for her family’s New Year tradition.  Told in rhyme, this mission unfolds on the streets of Shante’s neighborhood but ultimately becomes a journey through the cultures and traditions of her neighbors too. By the end of the story,  it’s clear she can experience the beauty of the wide world just by looking at what makes the people she sees everyday unique.  What I love about this story are the underlying messages of diversity, community, teamwork and sharing! Also, included at the back of the book are a fun recipe to try at home and a resource for the cultures of other countries, their traditions and celebrations.

Find it in the catalog.

 

Freedom Soup by Tami Charles
Format: Book, DVD, Digital Audiobook, Digital Movie
Who it’s For: Kids

In this story, we meet Belle and her Ti Gran as we are dropped into their gloriously delicious adventure in cooking set against a backdrop of their Haitian history.  The dynamic and bright pictures dance off the page taking us with them. You can almost feel and taste the freedom Ti Gran talks about while she cooks.  Luckily for us, the recipe for Freedom Soup is in the back of the book!   And as an extra tidbit, the author offers up a little information about the real Ti Gran as well!

Find it in the catalog and on Hoopla as an audiobook or streaming video.