CD-ROM Reviews: June, 2005
-- School Library Journal, 6/1/2005
Art–General
Artus Against the Demon of the Museum. 1 CD-ROM. Systems: Win 95 & later, Macintosh OS 7.5 & later. Crystal Prods. 2005. #CP-5388. $39.95.
Gr 6 Up–Combine great works of art with a clever mouse and an intriguing mystery, and the result is a fascinating game that figures 26 famous paintings in a rather fanciful way. Artus is a young mouse who has been left alone by his parents in their home in the depths of the museum. It is a dark and stormy night, and a horrible demon is attacking the paintings. Thankfully, Artus has magical powers that allow him to plunge into a parallel universe where the art works come alive. Players must help Artus solve the mystery of the demon and save the masterpieces in the museum. There are six adventures, each based on a different painting and telling a different story. Within each adventure, players encounter challenging action and ideas, and must carry out investigations by searching for signs and objects. There are many hidden activities and mysteries: some as simple as running across the screen without being hit by falling fireballs, while others involve riddles, mazes, and logic. Produced with the assistance of the Louvre, the CD-ROM takes an approach which, while respecting the veracity of the works, takes them off their pedestal and brings them within reach of children. Players can easily listen to descriptions of the paintings and their backgrounds, and the games themselves break down the elements of each painting to make them more understandable. While the lack of instructions or goals might be problematic for some users, it didn’t faze most students who just considered it a challenge to be overcome. The lack of directions, however, makes the game less accessible to younger users, and may actually frustrate those who are not willing to explore and make mistakes.–MaryAnn Karre, Horace Mann Elementary School, Binghamton, NY
The Louvre Art for Kids. 1 CD-ROM. Systems: Win 95 & later, Macintosh OS 7.5 & later. Crystal Prods. 2004. #CP-5379. $39.95.
Gr 3-8–This program does a fine job of highlighting 150 pieces of art housed in the Louvre. Cartoon characters Mona, Leo, and a bearded painter take students through the collection, with occasional animation. Leo gives an historical tour of the buildings of the Louvre while Mona provides a narrated tour of the artwork and information about the artists. Each screen has a toolbox to navigate to different collections, historical periods, maps, and themes. There is no search capability, but an index, organized by artists and works, is easy to use. An album is available to save photos, which can then be presented as a slide show. The CD also includes a section of games–jigsaw puzzles, join the dots, find the mistake, look for the detail, and more–which are superfluous and don’t come close to the games today’s students will expect. This easy-to-navigate program would be a good supplement to an art history or world history curriculum.–Linda Fortino, Library Media Consultant, Fontana, WI
Language Arts
Phonics 3b, Advanced Level II: Sports Edition (Gold Medal Series). 1 CD-ROM. Systems: Win 95 & later. Mac 8.1 & later. Help Me 2 Learn. 2004. $24.95 (home use); $39.95 (institutional use); 5 copy lab pack: $139.95; 15 copy lab pack: $349.95; site license: $599.95.
Gr 3-8–This title uses a sports theme to teach and reinforce language arts skills based on third grade standards. The program has nine sections: types of literature (fiction/non-fiction/poetry), writing a paragraph, two sections on grammar that teach parts of speech and noun/verb agreement, punctuation and capitalization, spelling and reading comprehension strategies, and review games. Each section (except the review games) has a specific sport as its theme–everything from hot-air ballooning to archery. There’s a coaching session taught by that sport’s coach, which provides the instructional element of the program and includes some practice to check for retention. A vocabulary lesson follows where students see words, many related to the sport, divided into syllables and used in a sentence. A definition is available if needed. A speed round checks for comprehension. Finally, there’s an application portion where students can play a game based on the highlighted sport or take a quiz to show mastery. Results are tabulated, and certificates can be printed. Student reports can be obtained as well. The program contains simple cartoon-like animation and uses bright colors and fun games to motivate learners. Both male and female coaches are featured. Oral instructions are clear and easy to understand, and the program is extremely user-friendly. Some of the reading may be a little advanced for some users. There are some minor flaws that don’t affect the program. In the literature vocabulary section there’s a typo, an inaccurate statement that unicorns fly, and a definition of poetry as “lines that rhyme,” ignoring free verse. Not all vocabulary words are related to the topic, and the sentences used to illustrate them are poorly written when it comes to context clues. One of the practice questions in the second grammar section conflicts with the rules set out. A pause feature would have been helpful. Still, there is much to recommend this program. Students will enjoy working independently on the program’s different features, and will find the games both challenging and educational. This would be a good way to reinforce key language arts concepts and check for mastery, and might be particularly useful for students needing review.–Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary School, Federal Way, WA
Mathematics
Zoombinis: Logical Journey. 1 CD-ROM. Systems: Win 98 & later. Macintosh OS 8.6 & later. Prod. by Riverdeep. Dist. by Broderbund. 2004. ISBN 0-7630-6530-7. $19.99.
Gr 3-6–The Bloats have taken over Zoombini Isle and need help through perilous terrain and treacherous obstacles to reach their new utopia. Zoombinis, which are uniquely identified by hair, eyes, noses, and feet, meet 12 exciting challenges along the way. With four levels of difficulty from which to choose, students employ mathematical thinking skills such as data analysis, logical reasoning, problem solving, and theory formation to move along in what is a fantastically entertaining and thrilling adventure. The dramatic narration takes players from one ordeal to the next, carefully explaining each step. Each puzzle involves one or more additional characters that add to the fun. Navigating through the program is simple, and directions can be skipped once students become familiar with them. Accompanying print materials are almost as much fun as the onscreen puzzles. The easily installed program can be enjoyed in small groups or by individual players, in a lab setting, in classroom centers, or at home. While ideally suited for grades 3 to 6, it would also be fun to use in first and second grade gifted programs or in the upper middle grades.–Linda Fortino, Library Media Consultant, Fontana, WI
Science
Zoombinis: Island Odyssey. 1 CD-ROM. Systems: Win 98 & later, Macintosh OS 8.6 & later. Prod. by Riverdeep. Dist. by Broderbund. 2004. ISBN 0-7630-7199-4. $19.99.
Gr 3-6–The object of this game is to save Zoombini Island from the ecological destruction of the Bloats and restore the Zerbles’ habitat. First, players must design a team of 12 little blue Zoombinis by choosing from a limited number of hairstyles, eyes, noses, and locomotion styles. The game may be played at three levels, “Not So Hard,” “Oh So Hard,” or “Very Very Hard,” as users move around the always-accessible map to meet the different challenges. In “The Planetarium,” players use their knowledge of sequencing, comparing, spatial reasoning, modular arithmetic, and astronomy to aid the process of metamorphosis. Gears and ratios are presented as users try to figure out the mechanical principles behind the catapult and send Zoombinis over the wall. “The Greenhouse” tries the players’ skills of observation, comparing, mapping, and recognizing and forming patterns. In “The Garden,” players must consider multidimensional arrangements of data, sort and group by attribute, and form and test hypotheses. “The Wall” hones students’ skills in mapping, recognizing patterns, cryptography, and forming and testing hypotheses. “The Corral” uses a Venn Diagram to teach set recognition, collecting evidence, comparing, and observation skills as players deduce the correct type of snozzleberry to feed to each Zerble. Observation, comparison, sorting, and set recognition are used in “The Barn” to familiarize players with the concept of genetics as they seek to create a certain type of Zerble offspring. These games are difficult to navigate without first carefully reading the instructions, and may still be frustrating because some of the tasks are unclear. Lack of feedback at the end of a mission is also disconcerting. An excellent onscreen users’ guide and help button make up for some of its shortcomings. While the program may be too ambitious, it certainly will hold children’s attention with its vivid 3-dimensional graphics, interesting premise, fun puzzles, and whimsical quality.–Leigh Ann Rumsey, Penn Yan Academy, NY
CORRECTION: Bubblebee: Songs for the Young at Heart (May 2005, p. 70), a solid collection of 18 original rollicking songs combined with gentler tunes, was listed with an incorrect title (Bumblebee: Songs for the Young at Heart).
