Television

Avatar - The Last Airbender: The Complete Book 3 Collection

The Complete Book 3 CollectionHaving survived the terrible battle with Azula Aang faces new challenges as he and his brave friends secretly enter the Fire Nation.Their quest is to find and defeat Firelord Ozai. Along the way they discover that Ozai has plans of his own. The leader of the Fire Nation intends to use the massive power of Sozin's Comet to spread his dominion permanently across the four nations.Short on time Aang has a lot of bending to learn and no master to help him learn it. However his friends are there to help and he finds unexpected allies deep in the heart of the Fire Nation.In the spectacular four-part conclusion Aang must fulfill his destiny and become a fully realized Avatar or watch the world go up in smoke.This deluxe box set includes all 21 action-packed chapters from Book 3: Fire.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ANIMATION/ANIME UPC: 097368527249 Manufacturer No: 852724

Book 3: Fire, Vol. 1 Avatar the Last Airbender: Book 3, Volume 1 is a slightly unusual suite of episodes in the Avatar canon, as the majority of programs are even more comical than usual. Not that the five shows included on this disc lack seriousness: the long-running series now finds young Aang (the once and future avatar destined to reunite the world's four estranged nations) and his traveling companions behind enemy lines in the Fire Nation, disguised as colonists. In "Awakening," Aang arises--with a surprising headful of dark hair--from several weeks of unconsciousness (due to the injuries he sustained during a battle for Ba Sing Se) aboard a captured Fire Nation warship. Though he finds old friends Sokka, Toph, and Katara nearby, all urging him not to take matters in his own hands, Aang ultimately feels compelled to go head-to-head with the Fire Lord before he is ready. The result forces Aang and the others to remain incognito, setting up subsequent episodes in which the heroes are forced to lay low and find something else to do with their time besides fight adversaries. In "The Headband," Aang enrolls in a Fire Nation school, where his eyes are opened to such ordinary experiences as dealing with a campus bully and getting a hard time from strict teachers. In "The Painted Lady," Aang, Sokka, Katara, and Toph visit an impoverished fishing village and have to repress their typical instinct to help lest they be recognized as outsiders. (An alternative is found.) "Sokka's Master," in some ways the most enjoyable episode here, finds Sokka feeling useless because he doesn't possess powers similar to his mates. His solution: talk a master swordsman into taking him on as an apprentice. Finally, the most unexpected story in this collection is "The Beach," in which Prince Zuko, Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee--all of whom are back in the Fire Nation, too--take an awkward holiday but end up learning a lot about one another.

Meanwhile, Zuko--following his extended banishment from the Fire Nation--discovers that his father welcoming again, but only because his manipulative sister, Princess Azula, has falsely told everyone that Zuko killed Aang. Fearing that his father will disown him again, Zuko chooses not to tell the truth and works on having Aang quietly assassinated. Where Zuko had been more of a complete human being during his exile, he's back to being a monster again, going so far as to keep his dutiful uncle, Iroh, in a dark, dank prison. --Tom Keogh

Book 3: Fire, Vol. 2 Avatar the Last Airbender: Book 3--Fire, Volume 2 finds the series closing in on a long-awaited day of reckoning with the fire nation. The five episodes on this disc continue those chapters on Volume 1 in which Aang--the young avatar--and his companions Katara, Toph, and Sokka live undercover in the fire nation, awaiting the moment when an alliance of warriors from the air, water, and earth nations converge to overtake the conquering firebenders once and for all. On Volume 2, the path to the day of battle, in typical Avatar fashion, is full of misadventures and intrigue, but also sundry revelations that make the pending series climax that much more interesting. "The Avatar and the Firelord" is the backstory of how the fire nation leader came to be a brutal tyrant in the world. Turns out he was the best friend of none other than the previous avatar; the souring of their relationship led to the troubles young Aang is trying to resolve. (While Aang is finding all this out, the fire nation's Prince Zuko discovers his ancestry is more complicated than he'd imagined, and that he has more of a role to play in ending the war waged by his people.) "The Runaway" is a comedy about mischievous Toph getting into trouble for using her earthbending powers to win bets and make a lot of money. "The Puppetmaster" is a scary story featuring a waterbending old woman who initially enchants Katara, but then later is revealed to be a vengeful monster with terrifying abilities to control people's bodies. "Nightmares and Daydreams" concerns an anxious Aang unable to sleep and stop hallucinating prior to the coming battle, while part one of "The Day of Black Sun" sees the beginning of the allies' invasion of the fire nation. Lots of surprises in this last episode, with a cliffhanger ending that makes the next volume of Avatar most desirable. --Tom Keogh

Book 3: Fire, Vol. 3 At the beginning of Avatar the Last Airbender: Book 3 Fire, Vol. 3, things don't go quite the way one would have hoped at the end of Vol. 2. Aang--the young avatar--and his companions Katara, Toph, and Sokka were part of a major assault on the tyrannical fire nation, and hopes of victory were high. In "The Day of Black Sun, Part 2: The Eclipse," however, circumstances reverse the heroes' fortunes, forcing Aang, his friends and the very youngest warriors to flee the battle. As they regroup at the Western Air Temple, mourning the expected imprisonment of the adults left behind, Aang comes face to face with an unexpected, would-be ally: Zuko, prince of the fire nation. Sokka and Katara refuse to accept Zuko's guarantee that he is truly on their side (they've been through this before), but Toph and Aang are a little more receptive to the idea. Good thing. In "The Firebending Masters," Aang accepts that Zuko could be the firebending mentor he needs to show him how to conquer the most elusive of the four elements. But it isn't easy: Zuko loses his power and must retreat to a fire nation temple, where he can learn the origins of his native gift. The set of five stories on this disc concludes with the two-part "The Boiling Rock," in which Sokka and Zuko infiltrate a fire nation maximum security prison in hopes of freeing Sokka's father. Trying hard to stay clandestine, Zuko's identity is revealed anyway, jeopardizing not only the mission but Zuko and Sokka's very freedom. The excitement is endless in the long-running Avatar series, and developments (especially Zuko's acceptance by Aang and the others) are as heartening as they are surprising. --Tom Keogh

Book 3: Fire, Vol. 4 The long-running series Avatar the Last Airbender comes to a dazzling conclusion in Book 3 Fire, Volume 4. Poised for quite a number of episodes (seen in previous volumes) to go to war against the tyrannical Fire Nation, Aang the young Avatar and his cohorts must now bring down the Fire Lord and his army, or watch them ramp up their destructive powers during an imminent solar eclipse. But there's a lingering question only Aang can answer: can the Avatar, who has never killed anyone, bring himself to take the Fire Lord's life? That is what he must do, according to Zuko, the Fire Prince who has thrown in his lot with Aang and the latter's friends.

While Aang is sorting that out--receiving various wisdoms from past Avatars and advice from a giant turtle-lion creature--Zuko and Katara take another leg of the battle by confronting Zuko's crazed sister. Meanwhile, Sokka re-asserts his latent talent for commanding dangerous missions as he and earth-bender Toph attempt to sabotage Fire Nation airships. The final episodes on this disc are thrilling, in no small part because they have been so long in arriving. Before those, however, there are a couple of interesting chapters to get through, including "The Southern Raiders," in which Katara attempts to exact revenge for the disappearance of her mother. As always, there's some comic relief, in this case "The Ember Island Players," in which our heroes experience the ignominy of watching some of their previous adventures become a ridiculous, staged play. --Tom Keogh

Schoolhouse Rock! (Special 30th Anniversary Edition)

Schoolhouse Rock the timeless collection of animated songs that taught an entire generation that "Knowledge Is Power" is on DVD for the first time in this Ultimate Collector's Edition 2-disc set.Now every day can feel like Saturday morning as you sing along with "I'm Just A Bill" "Three Is A Magic Number" "Interjections!" and the rest of your favorite tunes. Featuring a catchy new animated song by the original series' creators the 30th Anniversary Edition DVD rocks your house with every Schoolhouse Rock short ever created!Disc 1: The Original 46 Animated Songs All-New Song "I'm Gonna Send Your Vote To College" Play-All Feature Shuffle-All Feature Rockin' Top 10 JukeboxDisc 2: The Long-Lost Song "The Weather Show" Never-Before-Released On Video "Scooter Computer And Mr. Chips" 3-Song Set Behind-The-Scenes Footage Top 20 Countdown "Earn Your Diploma" Trivia Game Arrange-A-Song Puzzles 4 Music Videos By Contemporary Artists Emmy Awards Featurette Nike Commercial Of "Three Is A Magic Number" Audio Commentaries 5.1 DTS Of All-New Song "I'm Gonna Send Your Vote To College"System Requirements:Running Time: 283 Min. Color. This feature is presented in "Standard" format. Copyright 2002 Buena Vista Home Video.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating:  UPC: 786936157826 Manufacturer No: 2304803

It's a good bet that any American kid growing up in the '70s or '80s learned some elementary lesson from the seminal musical series Schoolhouse Rock!. Airing from 1973 to 1984 (and often revived), the ABC Saturday morning shorts effortlessly introduced kids to grammar, science, multiplication, money, and American history--three minutes at a time. In one smart, comprehensive 2-disc set, all 46 songs and plenty of extras are collected. The four creators developed the series slowly, a welcome diversion from their advertising agency jobs, and ended up taking home four Emmys over the years. The background material includes 10 audio commentaries and a making-of feature for the new song, "I'm Gonna Send Your Vote to College." The DVD subtitle option is a great bonus for those who need to know every word from such favorites as "Three Is a Magic Number," "Interjections," "I'm Just a Bill," and "Conjunction Junction." (Ages 3 and older) --Doug Thomas

Camp Rock (Extended Rock Star Edition)

This summer is gonna ROCK! Get ready to sing and dance like never before with the electrifying Disney Channel Original Movie CAMP ROCK! Disney's exclusive DVD and Blu-ray disc explode with "Too Cool" bonus features including an extended never-before-seen ending and "How To Be A Rock Star" a sensational series full of tips and secrets from the CAMP ROCK cast to help make your real-life rock star dream come true! When Mitchie scores a job as a cook at Camp Rock her life takes an unpredictable twist and she learns just how important it is to be true to yourself. Join the platinum-selling Jonas Brothers and the hottest cast of performers at the coolest summer camp anywhere! Experience CAMP ROCK in a whole new way in this Extended Rock Star Edition packed with hit music hip dance moves and bonus features that will have your family singing dancing and rocking over and over again.System Requirements:Running Time: 90 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: TV-G UPC: 786936750812 Manufacturer No: 05603000

Camp Rock is a Disney Channel original movie about a rockin' teen summer camp that's highly appealing to tweens and young teens despite the movie's failure to favorably compare with truly great Disney Channel movies like High School Musical. Joe Jonas (of the Jonas Brothers stars as Shane Gray, a member of the rock band Connect 3, who is compelled to serve as an instructor at Camp Rock in order to counteract his increasingly negative public image. Tess Tyler (Meaghan Jette Martin) is the camp diva whose self-absorption defies description, Caitlyn (Alyson Stoner) is a past Tess groupie who's now ostracized from the popular kids at camp, and Mitchie (Demi Lovato) is a camp newcomer whose mother is the camp cook. Caitlyn initially befriends Mitchie, but the friendship wanes when Mitchie makes up an elaborate story about her family to get accepted into Tess's exclusive clique. As Mitchie struggles to maintain her façade around camp, Shane begins to reform his bad-boy ways and find his own personal voice and he and Mitchie become friends--unfortunately, their new relationship is based partially on Mitchie's lies. In the end, Mitchie's deception is exposed as is Tess' true villainy and the perfect summer camp experience threatens to turn into the worst summer ever for everyone involved. Camp Rock is infused with lots of energy, fun choreography, and a ton of good, if not particularly memorable, music. Add in the cast of generally unlikable characters with extreme characteristics whose changes of heart at the end of the film are not particularly believable, and Disney's got an entertaining film for tweens and teens that adults might just as well skip. --Tami Horiuchi

Dragon Ball Z: Season Six (Cell Games Saga)

Having at last achieved his Perfect Form the evil Cell's powers have soared to terrible new heights overshadowing even the greatest of the Z-Fighters. Eager to demonstrate these newfound abilities and prove his superiority Cell proposes a tournament. He issues an ultimatum to the people of Earth: produce a worthy opponent or die!The day of reckoning upon them Goku and the Z-Fighters line up to participate in Cell's twisted game the world's best hope of defeating the monster. But they are not the only ones brave enough to accept the challenge - the reigning World Martial Arts Champion Mr. Satan has also stepped into the ring!Now with the fate of the human race hanging in the balance one of these valiant fighters must come forward to defeat the seemingly invincible Perfect Cell - but who will it be?Format: DVD Genre: ANIMATION/ANIME UPC: 704400022487 Manufacturer No: 0

At the end of season five of Dragon Ball Z, artificial android Cell achieved his perfect form and challenged the Z Fighters to a martial arts tournament to determine the fate of the Earth. Now the tournament begins, but it proves to be a very uneven adventure. The contest begins slowly: The first 11 episodes are just set-up and filler, with little action. The battles between Cell and the Z Fighters offer plenty of excitement, as the brawlers blast each other through rocky cliffs and fling bursts of energy into space. Goku correctly predicts that Gohan will crush Cell. But the story falls into repetitions; Cell has to be killed three times before he'll stay dead. When Cell announces the tournament on TV, Mr. Satan, a WWF-type, appears as Earth's champion. Although he's a coward and a phony, the TV crew fawns over him--a lame gag that goes on far too long. The filmmakers also change the rules in mid-story. Cell had to absorb Androids Nos. 17 and 18 to achieve his perfect form. After a series of body blows from Gohan, he vomits up No. 18 (intact); later, he regenerates himself into an even more perfect form without the Androids. Goku is killed and decides to remain in the Next World with King Kai, rather than risk attracting more evil creatures to Earth. But when Trunks returns to the future, he destroys Cell before he can travel to the past and achieve his perfect form… which means the Cell that killed Goku never existed. Season six could have easily fit on four discs--the last two discs contain just three episodes apiece, and the only extras are textless songs and some trailers.(Rated TV PG. suitable for ages 8 and older: violence, tobacco use, ethnic stereotypes) --Charles Solomon

(166. What Is the Tournament? 167. The Doomsday Broadcast, 168. Meet Me in the Ring, 169. No Worries Here, 170. A Girl Named Lime, 171. Memories of Gohan, 172. A New Guardian, 173. Dende's Dragon, 174. The Puzzle of General Tao, 175. The Games Begin, 176. Losers Fight First, 177. Goku vs. Cell, 178. Cell's Bag of Tricks, 179. No More Rules, 180. The Fight Is Over, 181. Faith in a Boy, 182. Gohan's Plea, 183. Android Explosion, 184. Cell Juniors Attack! 185. The Awakening, 186. The Unstoppable Gohan, 187. Cell's Break Down, 188. A Hero's Farewell, 189. Cell Returns! 190. The Horror Won't End, 191. Save The World, 192. Goku's Decision, 193. One More Wish, 194. Free the Future

Best of Elmo's World DVD Collection

Elmo's World: Birthdays Games & MoreJoin Sesame Street's curious red monster as he explores birthdays games and pets! Elmo's World offers kids and adults a fresh and light-hearted take on the world around them. Each episode comes to life in Elmo's bright exciting and very original room - the drawer door shade and TV all join in the fun. And he's even visited by a singing birthday cake! Also featuring Elmo's pet goldfish Dorothy the zany Mr. Noodle and classic songs that will delight viewers of all ages.Elmo's World: Flowers Bananas & More!Join Sesame Street's curious red monster as he explores flowers bananas and hair! Elmo's World offers kids and adults a fresh and light-hearted take on the world around them. Each episode comes to life in Elmo's bright exciting and very original room - the drawer door shade and TV all join in the fun. And he's even visited by a muppet banana and a talking cactus! Also featuring Elmo's pet goldfish Dorothy the zany Mr. Noodle and classic songs that will delight viewers of all ages.Elmo's World: Head To Toe With Elmo!One two buckle your shoe...Elmo gets dressed and you can too! Come along and learn all about jackets hats and shoes with Elmo. With a dancing shade a mischievous drawer a frisky television and a playful computer Elmo's World is the perfect place for preschoolers to learn all about the world around them. Elmo and his friends take a trip to the shoe store learn how to make a magical hat and chat with a fuzzy pink jacket. Getting dressed and learning are fun in Elmo's World!Runtime: 150 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: NR UPC: 828768411490 Manufacturer No: 82876841149

Schoolhouse Rock: The Election Collection

This new collection from the Schoolhouse Rock franchise includes 14 songs from the classic TV series focusing on the election process. Among them are 'I'm Just A Bill', 'Shout Heard Round The World', 'I'm Going To Take Your Vote To College' and more...including the brand new song 'Presidential Minute'. Also contains an interactive election tracking kit with stickers that lets kids follow the election process. Limited Edition!

Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! A Tale of Tails

Wubbzy is an infectiously lovable cartoon character with a kooky crooked tail that lives in a CGI world of unusual looking animal characters, pink and purple trees, and buildings with zig-zaggy walls. An impulsive young creature, Wubbzy greets each day with enthusiasm and a healthy dose of curiosity and is always on the lookout for a fun new experience. When trouble arises, Wubbzy counts on his good friends Widgit, a lover of machines and master inventor, and Walden, a science whiz, to help him creatively solve even the most difficult problem. In these eight humor-filled episodes, Wubbzy and his friends engage in everything from trying to straighten out Wubbzy's crooked tail to building the fastest road racer ever, stopping a volcano from erupting, and caring for a pet fleegle. While things rarely work out like the three friends plan, they always manage to have loads of fun while discovering the value of things like friendship, liking oneself, helping others, truthfulness, self-restraint, and taking responsibility for one's actions. A Nick Jr. program with huge appeal to preschoolers and their parents, Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! promises to rival the popularity of Blues Clues and Dora the Explorer. (Ages 3 to 7) --Tami Horiuchi

8 Episodes: A Tale of Tails - Wubbzy feels like an outsider because of his strange curvy tail the kids think it s too kooky and won t play with him, and it keeps causing trouble. Widget invents a machine, the Tail a Tronic, to straighten out Wubbzys tail, but it only makes things worse. Walden puts things in perspective by showing Wubbzy that there s nothing wrong with being a little different. And when Widgets invention, the Robo-Cluck, goes way out of control, it s Wubbzy s tail that saves the day. The other kids realize that they were totally wrong, you cant judge a Wubbzy by his tail.
Special Delivery - The Mailman leaves a package for Walden in Wubbzy s care. Wubbzy can t resist opening it, and finds a really cool toy train inside. He starts playing with it, but then he cant figure out how to stop the runaway train. He has to put it back in the box before Walden gets there! Widget tries to help him corral the train, as they wind up chasing it all over the backyard. Finally Walden shows up, and calmly uses the remote control to stop the chaos. Widgets Wild Ride - Wubbzy is excited about racing in the annual Wuzzleburg Derby. But when Widget gets a look at Wubbzy s little road-racer, she gets all kinds of great ideas for souping it up. She puts in huge wheels and turbo-engines and sails and the works. There s no way that Wubbzy can lose! Except he can t control this monster car, and it goes completely berserk stopping and spinning, and driving right into Wuzzleburg pond. Widget is sorry that she ruined Wubbzy s chance to win but maybe all is not lost yet. Attack of the 50-Foot Fleegle - Wubbzy wants a new pet, so he goes to the Pet Truck Man and gets a strange little animal called a Fleegle. The Pet Truck Man warns him to read the care manual, but Wubbzy thinks he knows how to take care of a pet. So he feeds it candy instead of the right food, and it starts growing. And growing, and growing.Soon it s a huge animal rampaging through Wuzzleburg, eating every sweet in sight! It s all Wubbzy s fault, so he has to figure out how to stop it! Come Spy with Me - Walden is acting suspicious about something he must have a secret. Wubbzy and Widget decide to spy on him; they don trench coats and fedoras, and trail him all over town. They are not the smoothest of spies, unfortunately tracking Walden to the library, they manage to knock over a whole shelf of books. Then they follow him to the Yum-Yum Restaurant, and finally to Mt. Zubba Bubba. They deduce that hes moving away! But Walden reveals that his real secret is a surprise gift for his two spying friends. Wubbzy Tells a Whopper - Wubbzy accidentally breaks Widgets Sandy-sander, and rather than tell her the truth, he concocts a story about a monstrous Growlygus who stole it. Widget is intent on tracking down the Growlygus, and insists that Wubbzy help her. Wubbzy has to keep embellishing his little fib to keep Widget from finding out the truth he leads his friends on a wild goose chase into the woods, looking for the mythical animal. The mess grows bigger and bigger until things get way out of control, and Wubbzy has to tell the truth. Bonus Episodes:
Mt. Fizzy-Pop - There s a whole lot of shaking going on in Wuzzleburg, and it s because old Mt. Fizzy-Pop on Dino Island is bubbling and rumbling. Walden is afraid that it s about to erupt! Puddle Muddle - Wubbzy is all spruced-up to get his picture taken with Widget and Walden, but en route to the studio he spots a mud puddle, and can t resist splashing around in it. Now he s all muddy, and has to take another bath. From now on he ll stay away from puddles!

Peanuts Holiday Collection (It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown / A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving / A Charlie Brown Christmas) (Deluxe Edition)

Sesame Street - Elmo's Potty Time

Always educational and entertaining the loveable puppets of SESAME STREET help preschoolers learn how to use the potty in this fun-filled musical episode. Favorite characters like Elmo Baby Bear and Grover steer kids toward healthy bathroom habits in an imaginative program of songs games and skits designed to ease children's potty-time anxieties and fears.System Requirements:Running Time 45 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: NR UPC: 828768411599 Manufacturer No: 82876841159

Avatar The Last Airbender - The Complete Book 2 Collection

Avatar: The Complete Book 2 DVD Collection includes 20 action packed episodes from season 2/Book 2: Earth plus an inclusive never-before-seen bonus disc! This 5 disc set centers around Avatar Aangs continious quest to master the four elements. Together with Katara Sokka Momo and Appa he journeys across the Earth Kingdom in search of an Earthbending mentor while fighting off the treachorous Princess Azula who will stop at nothing to defeat the Avatar!System Requirements:Running Time: 492 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: ANIMATION/ADULT SWIM Rating: NR UPC: 097368511941 Manufacturer No: 851194

Book 2: Earth, Vol. 1 Avatar the Last Airbender: Book 2 Earth, Volume 1 finds Aang, the Avatar and potential reconciler of a world divided into air, earth, water, and fire kingdoms, now a master Waterbender. That means he and companions Katara and Sokka can now leave the Northern Water Tribe and concentrate on mastering earth. New adventures and dangers await the heroic trio in the five episodes included on this DVD, which finds Aang experiencing nightmares about the power of the Avatar State. He also meets an earth kingdom general with plans for attacking the warrior tribes of the fire nation, gets trapped with possible love interest Katara in the Cave of Two Lovers, and gets pulled into a supernatural swamp by a tornado. As always, Avatar is above average as an engaging anime tale, with a wonderfully original storyline and striking artistry. --Tom Keogh

Book 2: Earth, Vol. 2 The five chapters in Avatar the Last Airbender: Book 2 Earth, Volume 2 continue the story of young avatar Aang's adventures deep within the Earth Kingdom. As usual, each episode is a seamless blend of grave drama and comic relief, but the stakes seem higher than ever with the addition of a new member to Aang's team. Joining Katara and Sokka is Toph, a blind but powerful earthbending girl trying to obscure her aristocratic origins by defeating large, scary men in the ring. Aang recognizes Toph from his vision of an earthbending teacher, whom he needs to help him master control over the earth element. Toph also adds a kind of sardonic, tart tone to Aang's journey, ultimately leaving her world to join the series' trio of young heroes. "The Blind Bandit" finds Aang, Katara, and Sokka working hard at convincing Toph to help their mission. "Zuko Alone" carries on the tale of the firebending prince who now travels alone and anonymously, but comes close to befriending a boy in an Earth Kingdom town. (The episode is full of interesting flashbacks from Zuko's youth.) "The Chase" also concerns Zuko's past, but is primarily about Aang, Katara, and Sokka adjusting to Toph's somewhat self-centered presence on the team at the same time Princess Azula is relentlessly hunting them all down in a kind of speeding tank. "Bitter Work" finds Toph having difficulties training Aang, while "The Library" is an exotic episode about a professor who leads the crew to a library containing information useful against the Fire Nation. When they get there, they find the place guarded by the owl-like Wan Shi Tong, who begins sinking the library in defense against the perceived invaders. --Tom Keogh

Book 2: Earth, Vol. 3 Avatar the Last Airbender: Book 2 Earth, Volume 3 covers chapters 11 through 15 in the ongoing saga of Aang, the 12-year-old reincarnation of an avatar destined to reunite the warring nations of fire, earth, water, and air. Still traveling with his friends Katara, Sokka, and newcomer Toph, Aang gets into some of the strangest and most compelling situations yet seen on his journey to master control over all four elements. The first story, "The Desert," finds Aang so upset over the abduction and criminal sale of his flying bison, Appa, that the powerful boy shows a streak of rage, demonstrating to himself that he could easily use his emerging skills to harm enemies if he wished. Still, Appa remains missing through this volume, leading the gang on a mission to survive a desert sojourn and survive during a perilous flight (with a young family in tow) over a pass through mountains and ocean in "The Serpent's Pass." They also get involved in a bizarre fight (in "The Drill") against the Fire Nation army and its gigantic drill, which is aimed at the outer wall of Ba Sing Se, a city occupied by earth people. Once inside Ba Sing Se, however, things get really weird: smiling officials (in "City of Walls and Secrets") outlaw any discussion of the war outside in order to keep the population placid and the economy rolling. Finally, "Tales of Ba Sing Se" is an original piece made up of individual vignettes focusing on each of the major characters. If there is anything surprising about Book 2 Earth, Volume 3, it's the amount of romance (kissing, even!) in the air. These Avatar boys and girls are growing up. --Tom Keogh

Book 2: Earth, Vol. 4 The long journey of young Avatar Aang and his friends Katara, Sokka, and Toph continues in this dramatic installment in the Avatar the Last Airbender series. Picking up from Volume 3, the first chapter on this disc, "Appa's Lost Days," traces the hard times of Aang's winged bison, Appa, after the latter is stolen in order to blackmail Aang into not going to the Earth King with information about a pending coup. The clever Aang manages to find Appa anyway and complete his crucial mission, though he learns, in "The Earth King," that the sheltered monarch doesn't buy the notion that his own counsel, the power-grasping Long Feng, could be behind such a conspiracy. Complicating matters is the arrival of Princess Azula to take control over forces loyal to Long Feng, while Zuko, the reformed Fire Nation prince now acting as a humble but happier servant to his wise, tea-drinking uncle, is powerless to stop her. (On the other hand, Zuko forms an unexpected bond with one of Aang's allies.) Everything comes to a head in "The Crossroads of Destiny," in which Aang, suddenly confused by the sage advice of a guru who tells him he must free himself of a crucial emotional attachment, joins the others in an uphill effort to stop Azula from overtaking the Earth King. As engaging and frequently funny as every other volume in the Avatar series, Volume Four is a great ride through a climactic time in the long-running story. --Tom Keogh