Common Sense Selections

Common Sense recognizes outstanding entertainment with an official seal for quality and impact. Common Sense Selections include age-appropriate media with the potential to spark family conversations, entertain families of all kinds, and have a positive, lasting effect on society.

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Recent Honorees

Superbuns TV show poster: Superbuns wearing a superhero cape standing on an open field. Big sister is seen in the back.

TV

Superbuns

age 2+

Cheeky preschool comedy saves the day with kindness.

Network: Peacock (2023)

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Planet Earth III TV poster: Elephants walk beside a river

TV

Planet Earth III

age 6+

Attenborough's masterful series talks adaptation, has peril.

Network: BBC America (2023)

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Unicorn Academy TV Poster: Sophia, a teenage Latina girl, with her unicorn Wildstar

TV

Unicorn Academy

age 8+

Magical, immersive world of adventures has some peril.

Network: Netflix (2023)

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Remember book cover: A young girl with curly, brown hair and a braid over her shoulder holds her hands open; a symbolic mix of warm and vibrant colors in red and purple, land animals, sea life, insects and plants swirl around her

BOOK

Remember

age 4+

Gorgeous, poetic reminder of child's place in the world.

By: Joy Harjo (2023)

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The Tree and the River book cover: Illustration of blue river running through a natural green landscape with a big tree highlighted in the foreground and the reflection of a blue-gray city below in the river

BOOK

The Tree and the River

age 5+

Past, future mix in compelling wordless tale of one place.

By: Aaron Becker (2023)

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Daily Dose of Sunshine TV show poster: Nurse nurse Jung Da-eun stands with other doctors outside hospital.

TV

Daily Dose of Sunshine

age 15+

Heartfelt dramatic comedy shows kindness, has mature themes.

Network: Netflix (2023)

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Rustin Movie Poster: Close-up of Colman Domingo as Bayard Rustin

MOVIE

Rustin

age 13+

Strong performances, racial violence in civil rights biopic.

In Theaters (Release Year: 2023)

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Stuntboy, In-Between Time book cover: Black boy running downstairs in a cape and Black girl running with a marker

BOOK

Stuntboy, In-Between Time (Stuntboy, Book 2)

age 7+

Great apartment adventure graphic novel has heart and humor.

By: Jason Reynolds (2023)

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PODCAST

Rebel Girls: Growing Up Powerful

age 8+

Educating and empowering pod for young girls and teens.

Production company: Rebel Girls (Average run time: 8 minutes)

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Radical Movie Poster: Eugenio Derbez squats, his back turned to the viewer, in front of his 6th grade students

MOVIE

Radical

age 13+

Moving drama has positive messages, violence, language.

In Theaters (Release Year: 2023)

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Spy in the Ocean TV show poster: Whales, seals, sharks and other sea creatures gather under water in the ocean.

TV

Spy in the Ocean

age 5+

Ocean-dwelling robotic creatures captivate in docuseries.

Network: PBS (2023)

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Curses! TV Show Poster Image: A boy and girl run out of a glowing cave with two creepy sidekicks

TV

Curses!

age 8+

Fun archaeological adventures with a spooky twist.

Network: Apple TV+ (2023)

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Loud and Proud book cover: An illustrated image of Shirley Chisholm holding a megaphone and speaking to a crowd of people at a rally, holding signs in support of her campaign

BOOK

Loud and Proud: The Life of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm

age 5+

Spirited, inspiring biography of Black political pioneer.

By: Lesa Cline-Ransome (2023)

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What's Inside a Flower book cover: Digital illustration of flowers, leaves, insects, etc.

BOOK

What's Inside a Flower? And Other Questions About Science & Nature

age 4+

Beautifully illustrated, fact-packed intro to plant kingdom.

By: Rachel Ignotofsky (2021)

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Lessons in Chemistry TV show poster: In this show's poster, Elizabeth Zot is shown from the hips up, in a 1950s style white dress with a green collar and belt. Her hands are on kitchen tools, and behind her is a cloudy blue sky. The words "Lessons in Chemistry" appear above her head in white.

TV

Lessons in Chemistry

age 14+

STEM-focused retro delight has sexual violence, death.

Network: Apple TV+ (2023)

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The Yellow Handkerchief book cover: Mexican grandmother wears yellow handkerchief next to brown-skin granddaughter, roses are in front of them, a blue sky with a few white clouds behind them

BOOK

The Yellow Handkerchief

age 4+

A heartfelt self-journey celebrates Latino family, heritage.

By: Donna Barba Higuera (2023)

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Time Traveling Tonya podcast art: a young girl with brown skin sits atop a tortoise in front of a pink and purple swirling background

PODCAST

Time Traveling Tonya

age 5+

Time travel pod makes history fun and relevant for kids.

Production company: GoKidGo (Average run time: 13 minutes)

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Alebrijes book cover: A clockwork owl peers at the reader from an opening in a tree trunk

BOOK

Alebrijes

age 11+

Clever, hopeful sci-fi adventure explores future dystopia.

By: Donna Barba Higuera (2023)

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Crazy Fun Park TV Poster: Henry Strand, Stacy Clausen, and Hannah Ogawa stand in front of a group of people at the entrance of eerie theme park.

TV

Crazy Fun Park

age 13+

Horror-comedy explores grief, friendship in the afterlife.

Network: Hulu (2023)

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Oscar's Handmade Halloween: Oscar the Grouch pops up from his trashcan, TV host Sunny Anderson holds a Halloween jack o lantern behind him.

TV

Oscar's Handmade Halloween

age 2+

Nothing spooky in this DIY Halloween Sesame special.

Network: Max , Discovery Family Channel (2023)

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