Book: "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer
From the first paragraph, the reader is sucked into nine-year-old Oskar's world of random quandaries and silly adventures. Through photographs, illustrations and exquisite prose, the book manages to talk about post-9/11 New York City in a relatable, personal and heart-wrenchingly beautiful manner while still retaining its protagonist's innocent humor. -- Emily Hirshey
MUSIC: "Big Willie Style" by Will Smith (1997)
The funky, curse-free hip-hop jams on this album will take you right back to the mid-'90s, back to a time when the Fresh Prince was still making new episodes. With hits like "Miami," "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It," "Men In Black" and "Just The Two Of Us," you can't miss with this one. At long last, songs that you can dance to that don't promote promiscuous sex, drugs or violence. If that's what you're into. -- Tom Mandel
Movie: "Elf" (2003)
No one plays a giant man-child better than Will Ferrell. In "Elf" Ferrell's inner eight-year old truly shines. Buddy is a human raised at the North Pole who believes he's an elf. When he finds out that, as a baby, he accidentally crawled into Santa's bag of presents, he sets out to find his real father in New York City, a man who turns out to be top of the Naughty (and bitter and cynical) List. "Elf" is not just a Christmas movie but is -- like Buddy's favorite breakfast of spaghetti and maple syrup -- sweet, ridiculous and oddly wonderful. -- Emily Hirshey
TV: "Brothers and Sisters" ABC, Sundays at 10 p.m.
Starting to get homesick? Tune in to Brothers and Sisters on Sunday nights for a full dose of family drama. Sally Field as matriarch Nora Walker will bring back recollections of your own overbearing mother in full force. If nothing else, watch for the sizzling Dave Annable as Nora's son Justin, a drug-addicted Iraq war vet. -- Lily Ringler
