MPAA Rating: PG
Distributor: Lions Gate
Director: Doug Atchison
Starring: Keke Palmer as Akeelah Anderson, Angela Bassett as Tanya Anderson and Laurence Fishburne as Dr. Joshua Larabee.

When Akeelah Anderson's principal urges her to participate in the school spelling bee, the 11-year-old reluctantly reveals her hidden talent. She fears that peers will reject her as a “brainiac,” but her excitement grows at the possibility of competing in D.C. To reach her goal, Akeelah will have to overcome her mother's worries and grief from her father's death. Will she please her strict coach, Dr. Joshua Larabee, and find out why a fellow speller is cruel to her? Will she expand her spelling skills enough to succeed on a national level?

Rough language is used a handful of times in this film, and one adult drinks while another smokes. With those exceptions, the movie is full of good messages. Akeelah's widowed mother works hard for her family. The girl's teachers and principal see her potential, increase her vision and help her work toward her dreams. Akeelah's siblings and neighbors believe in her, giving her the courage to bee at her best.

Clubhouse readers will likely find themselves cheering for Akeelah as she spells her way into their hearts.

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