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"FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT," Adam Lambert (RCA)

Polarizing though Adam Lambert is, even his detractors must admit "American Idol" has never had anything quite like the show's latest runner-up.

Hollywood serves up a heaping of hope in the days before Thanksgiving, although one comes in a palatable PG-13 package and the other with a provocative, harrowing R.

"The Blind Side" and "Precious" focus on young people who, without the kindness of strangers and their own determination, would be doomed to horrid existences.

A look at how the movies stack up:

A guide to movies from a family perspective:

"The Twilight Saga: New Moon"

-- Rated: PG-13.

-- Suitable for: Mature tweens and up.

-- What you should know: This is the second movie based on Stephenie Meyer's best seller about a human girl, her vampire boyfriend and, now, a werewolf rival.

-- Language: About nine stronger versions of "heck" or "darn."

It is said that Garth Ennis is the best writer of World War II stories in the comics biz today, and "Battlefields" ($29.99, Dynamite Entertainment) is convincing evidence of that.

Here are some great new children's books by previous winners of the Newbery and Caldecott Medals:

-- Two-time Newbery Medalist Lois Lowry has just published her first picture book, "Crow Call" (Scholastic, $16.99). Based on a memory from Lowry's childhood, "Crow Call" tells the story of a special day that a young girl named Liz spends with her father, just back from World War II.

Weren't we just talking about Halloween? Well, now, Thanksgiving is here, and that, of course, means parades.

Here are some great new children's books by previous winners of the Newbery and Caldecott Medals:

-- Two-time Newbery Medalist Lois Lowry has just published her first picture book, "Crow Call" (Scholastic, $16.99). Based on a memory from Lowry's childhood, "Crow Call" tells the story of a special day that a young girl named Liz spends with her father, just back from World War II.

They're almost like an endangered species: The elusive male TV watcher. Sure, they can be found in large numbers watching sports or "South Park," but when you move beyond that, it's more difficult to get them to tune in.

Everything we know we learned from television:

-- Most wince-inducing holiday-themed headline ever: "Jon and Kate will reunite for Christmas."

The most popular movie of all time -- winner of eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture -- was first released 70 years ago.