And in the blink of an eye, it’s already the second month of 2020. Luckily, you have an extra day this month to finish that book or TV show you started during the holidays. And as always, CASA is here to point you in the right direction and recommend some stellar books, TV shows, movies and podcasts for you! Read on to learn more about Greta Gerwig’s new adaption of Little Women, the Netflix hit Cheer, or a podcast about the life of Mr. Rogers called Finding Fred.
If you’re Netflix queue is running low, watch
Cheer, now streaming on Netflix
“Cheer profiles a team of college students on a competition cheerleading team, many of whom have overcome hard situations similar to what many of the kids we serve experience. The show depicts several important things that particularly remind me of CASA; the first one being the courage and resilience of young people (and humans in general). Secondly is the importance of knowing as a young person that there is someone who believes in you. And finally, how important structure and high expectations can be. What these students are doing is incredibly hard and demanding, and the coach rightfully has a lot of rules in place and holds them accountable. But you see the team flourish through that, and it’s clear that they would do anything for her.” – Laura Wolf, Chief Executive Officer
Fast Color, now streaming on Amazon Prime
“Fast Color is about a family of African American women who have a superpower and have been driven into hiding. The reviews refer to it as a superhero movie, but I don’t think that’s a great description. There are powers involved, but in my opinion the movie is more of an allegory about women (especially women of color) being denied the freedom to use their power. It's a really interesting film with great performances. It’s a good jumping off point for conversations about power.” – Amy Gamber, Director of Volunteer Engagement
Little Women, now in theaters
“I just saw Little Women and I absolutely loved it. It’s a classic story that was made to feel completely modern and relevant to today’s society despite being set in the Reconstruction Era. It highlights the importance and closeness of siblings and how they stay connected despite challenges and life changes. It’s a must-see!!” – Meredith Chambers, Child Advocacy Specialist
If you’re on the hunt for a good read, check out
Kitchen Table Wisdom by Naomi Remen
“I’ve been into the book Kitchen Table Wisdom lately. It’s mostly for those of us in the helping field. I love it because it validates my feelings of sorrow and hope as I work in a system that doesn’t necessarily always encourage the professionals to feel these emotions. It makes me feel a little less alone—even though CASA does a great job of offering emotional support!” – Kathryn Schorg, Child Advocacy Specialist
The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida
“Naoki is a Japanese boy with autism, and he was 13 years old when he wrote this book. He was (still is) non-verbal and can communicate only with a keyboard or with a pointer and a picture of characters/alphabet. He is unable to live on his own and his condition was severe enough that he was not able to be main-streamed for his education. The book is a fascinating look inside the mind of a person with autism. He answers all the questions that “neuro-normal” people ask about those with autism. Along the way, there are creative short stories that provide a break from the question-answer format. It is worth the read, especially since autism can be present in children in the foster care system. Make sure you read the introduction in the beginning—written by a father of a son with autism—and the interview with the person who translated the book from Japanese to English at the end. Both give remarkable insights into the world of those with autism.” – Dori LeBlanc, CASA Family Finding Volunteer
If your commute is dragging along, tune into
CBC’s podcast Hunting Warhead
“Hunting Warhead is a podcast about how police forces work internationally against child sexual abuse. It’s interesting because it goes into the criminal side of how law enforcement catches perpetrators and how legislation needs to change. Just be warned that they do interview perpetrators, which could be triggering.” – Kayla Reese, Early Family Engagement Specialist
iHeartMedia’s podcast Finding Fred
“The Finding Fred podcast is all about Fred Rogers’ (AKA Mr. Rogers’) life and dedication to sharing his knowledge of child development and empowering young children to become emotionally capable and stable adults. The podcast also discusses what adults today can take away from Fred’s messaging about sharing our feelings and failures and taking care of one another.” – Grace Kelsoe, Child Advocacy Specialist
2020 CASA Recommends February
