CD-ROM

-- School Library Journal, 11/1/2006

Also in this article: Entertainment  Sex Education  Social Studies

Gr 5 Up–Nancy Drew is off to Paris in the 14th title in the award-winning mystery game series. She has agreed to become the assistant to Minette, a volatile fashion designer. Minette has begun to act strangely, and her investors have asked the young detective to investigate her behavior and find out if the designer will have her Spring collection ready on time. As Nancy begins working with Minette and her assistant, threats are made and unwelcome guests begin arriving. She questions Minette’s ex-boyfriend, her rivals, her models, and the people she works with in the fashion industry. The player, as Nancy, must solve many puzzles based on baking cookies, developing photos, exploring catacombs, and much more. The game can be played on two challenging levels of difficulty. A “second life” is available whenever Nancy is fired or dies. Several games can be saved and reloaded, and Bess and George are available for hints whenever the player is stuck. The sound and music are well integrated and never distracting, and the graphics are rich and realistic. Although it would have been interesting to have seen more of the museums and fabulous sites of Paris included in the game, the venues do give players a feeling for the cafes, parks, and markets of Paris. Fans of the previous games will enjoy playing this challenging addition to the series.–MaryAnn Karre, Horace Mann Elementary School, Binghamton, NY

Gr 6-9–Middle school students will find most of this production a fun way to learn about AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. Based on current research, the program is set in the studios of a fictional TV station and offers four activities. “Actor’s Guild” is a collection of live-action clips where viewers can watch rehearsals of three scenes from a production about peer and societal pressures. “Talking the Talk” is more interactive and offers students a chance to choose an option for the animated “Trudy Danger’s” talk show guest and watch the scene play out. The “WSTDtv News” portion asks viewers to select one of four news stories based on historical fact and write captions. “You Better Know This” is a 30-question quiz show for one or two players. Players answer questions or respond to “What would you do?” questions, and receive a score. All but the first module are animated drawings, which might not appeal to older students. Facts and concepts about HIV/STDs, social pressure, and skills to reduce health risks are important and timely. The program runs with either QuickTime or Windows Media. While this title does not provide enough information for a full health or biology unit on the topic, it would make a popular computer work station option.–Joan Karasick, Greenwich High School, CT

Gr 4 Up–Tour Mexico with a colorful combination of narration, still photographs, illustrations, and fascinating text. There are five sections—”Mexico City,” “People,” “The Great Historical Sites,” “History, Nature and Traditions,” and “Historical Itineraries”—covering many aspects of Mexican life, geography, history, faith, cuisine, art, sports, and culture. For example, “Historical Itineraries” covers “Lands of the Maya,” “Central Valleys and Plateaus,” “Valley of the Oaxaca,” and “Cultures of the Gulf”; each of these sections is divided into more specific topics. After a introduction to each section, students can move through subsections using simple navigation tools. A disappearing toolbar at the bottom of the screen can be used to go to the Index/Album, open the help section, copy text, print, or exit the program. The program can’t be easily minimized, so copying and pasting of text is problematic. The compass rose symbol locates sections of the CD-ROM that are opened on the map. The index is searchable by keyword, and clicking on words in the index takes users to the selected text portions. All text, images, and music are copyright protected. Featuring descriptive text, interesting facts, exceptional graphics, and lively music, students will enjoy this fascinating introduction to the land and people of Mexico.–MaryAnn Karre, Horace Mann Elementary School, Binghamton, NY