Just got a cool press release that Demi Lovato, one of the stars of Camp Rock, just started shooting a new show, Sonny with a Chance, about a girl who stars in a sketch comedy show for kids.

According to the release:

Production has begun in Burbank on Disney Channel's Sonny with a Chance, an original comedy series for kids and families about a talented Midwestern girl who gets the chance she's been dreaming of when she's cast

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Imagine a world without Harry Potter books. Or some of Judy Blume's best stuff. Or The Golden Compass. Or R.L. Stine's deliciously scary Goosebumps series.

All of those authors and books are included on a list of the 100 Most Challenged/Banned Books from 2000-2007.

Banned Books Week this year runs from September 27 to October 4, and many bookstores and libraries are hosting… Read More

I didn't get to go to the Emmys and I didn't get to a Disney showcase yesterday where the studio talked about its many upcoming projects. But, even without my presence, the Emmys -- I think -- went great, and Disney's announcements are exciting times 100. Johnny Depp, everyone's favorite loopy pirate, figures prominently in several of the studio's new flicks.

Here's the rundown:

• A fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie is in the works, with Johnny Depp

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So, moms, do you and your teen ever watch Brothers & Sisters, the family drama about the Walker clan? Maybe you wonder about the delicious food that appears on the show, especially the fancy fare for the Walker's big family meals. Check out this exclusive clip -- part of a set of special features to be included on the show's second season DVDs, out tomorrow. In it, you get an inside look at the jobs of the show's food stylists… Read More

I'm not in the habit of passing judgement (at least in print) on the dating habits of celebrities, adult or child. (Really, to do it well would take all day, every day.) But much has been made of teen queen Miley Cyrus' new older maybe-boyfriend, model Justin Gaston.

Miley is 15 ( turning 16 in October with a Disneyland birthday party for charity); Justin is 20.

According to People, Gaston is a friend of Miley's… Read More

Yes, I'm a little behind on must-rent DVDs, but think of it this way: The list I give you today should make for weeks of rentals.

Here are some of the recent releases I'm deeming worthy of a family movie night:

A few from August:

The American Mall -- This one slipped through the cracks in early August. From the producers of High School Musical , the film is about Ally, whose mom owns a record… Read More