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Great Interactive Software for Kids - Fall 2007
(formerly Notable Computer Software for Children)

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1701 AD, Aspyr Media, http://www.aspyr.com 512.708.8100, PC CD-Rom, Multiplayer options (1-4), Rated E 10+, Windows XP, disk required to run.  Collections: Public Library, School Library, Home. $39.99
Strategize in the golden age of exploration in the 17th and 18th centuries by building, trading, exploring and declaring battles on land or sea.  Ask the queen for help, or conduct secret operations to build rapport between parties.  Hundreds of subgames reward players in an impressive 3D simulation world.

Anime Studio, E-Frontier,  http://www.e-frontier.com 831.480.2010, Windows and Mac compatible, disk not required to run, network licensing available.  Ages 10 and up.  Collections: Public Library, School Library, Home. $49.99
A complete animation program for creating 2D anime and cartoons for print, video, web design, fine art, comics and education.  Character templates can be manipulated by using bone structure and timeline controls.  Background photos, techniques, props and soundtracks can be imported directly into the film for maximum creativity.  A helpful tutorial and built-in reference guide facilitates the process for even the youngest of film makers.

Big Brain Academy, Nintendo, http://www.nintendo.com Nintendo DS, Multiplayer options (1-8), Rated E. Collections: Public Library, Home. $19.99
Fifteen games, three difficulty levels and grades from A+ to F- purport to boost your brain power.  Choose from Practice Mode to Test Mode and make your little professor proud by amassing brain weight.  Practice strategies and improve your skills in categories--Think, Memorize, Analyze, Compute and Identify.

Collage Machine, ProtoZone Interactive, http://www.protozone.net  631.425.2858, Mac and PC compatible (Windows 98 and up, Mac OS 8.1 and up), disk not required to run.  All ages. Collections: Public Library, School Library, Home. $24.95
Look, Mom, no sticky mess!  Collage Machine allows users to create a collage from hundreds of included images, letters and numbers.  Options to drag, drop, resize, and even draw your own pictures or import digital/photos allow for a free-ranging creative experience.  School-agers may find their scrap-booking grown-ups want a turn!

Crazy Machines 1.5, Viva-Media, http://www.viva-media.com PC CD-Rom (Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista), disk not required to run. Rated E, Collections: Public Library, School Library, Home. $19.99
Crazy Machines 1.5 has more gizmos, gadgets, & whatchamacallits than its original version. This edition to the original wacky contraptions game will have you inventing with bottle rockets, cannons, bombs, and robots. The elements and puzzles are all new. The brain-teasing and wacky parts are better than before and sure to entertain everyone.

KaleidoDraw, ProtoZone Interactive, http://www.protozone.net  631.425.2858, Windows and Mac compatible (Windows 98 and up, Mac OS 8.1 and up). Disk not required to run. All ages. Collections: Public Library, School Library, Home. $18.95
A fun and easy way for beginners to explore the art and science of patterns and symmetry.  From a wide palette of colors and images, the user selects a drawing tool. As the tool is dragged across the drawing surface, it repeats the chosen image around a point, creating unique rosette patterns based on the designated symmetry form.  Images can be drawn so quickly that the program acts like a virtual kaleidoscope, creating ever-changing bursts of color. The created kaleidoscopic pictures can be saved, printed, or just plain enjoyed at the moment of creation.

Kaleidopix, Protozone, Inc. Interactives, http://www.protozone.net 631.425.2858, Windows and Mac compatible, disk not required to run.  All Ages. Collections: Public Library, School Library, Home. $24.95
With over 60 different patterns to choose from, you can create your own kaleidoscope with Kaleidopix.  In addition, you can import your personal pictures or create your own with the patterns and colors you like.  Have fun creating a print or moving kaleidoscope, all the while learning about patterns and symmetry.

Nancy Drew: The Creature of Kapu Cave, Her Interactive, http://www.herinteractive.com PC CD-ROM (Windows XP/Vista). Disk required to run. Rated E, Collections: Public Library, Home. $19.99.
Nancy goes to Hawaii to be a research assistant for eccentric entomologist Dr. Kim Quigley. It doesn’t take long before she is embroiled in a mystery involving insects, a top-secret research lab, and a vandalized camp. Luckily, she can count on help from the Hardy Boys, who are on the island investigating a mystery of their own. Players progress through the adventure story by interacting with characters and by solving puzzles, which reveal clues to the two interlocking mysteries. The puzzles vary in difficulty, but hints are available either through the very helpful official Strategy Guide or through online user forums.

Sid Meier’s Railroads, Firaxis,  http://firaxis.com/ PC CD-Rom (Win 2000/XP), Disk required to run.  Rated E, Collections: Public Library, Home.  $39.99.
Kids who love trains, and teens who are looking for an easy-to-understand business simulation to conquer alike will revel in the world of model and real-life railroads.  Introductory graphics rival the latest Hollywood animation.  Fifteen historic and fictional scenarios, five difficulty-levels, and multi-player options provide long-lasting play.  Realistic locomotion sounds make even the tutorial fun.

Snapshot Adventures: Secret of Bird Island, Large Animal Games, http://www.largeanimal.com 212.268.0569, PC CD-Rom (Windows 2000,XP,Vista), disk not required to run, online download. All Ages. Collections: School Library, Home. $19.95
One can easily become engrossed in this game.  The story revolves around the mystery of ‘your’ missing grandfather.  You have to travel the country to meet your grandfather’s friends who have clues to his disappearance.  While traveling the country, you photograph different birds to add to your Field Journal, and even make and share your own bird with others.


2008 Great Interactive Software for Kids Committee
Ann Crewdson, Issaquah Library, King County Library System, Issaquah, Washington.
Anna R. Healy, Rochelle Lee Fund, Chicago, Illinois.
Kirsten Freeman-Benson, West Slope Community Library, Portland, Oregon.
Angelique Kopa, Harford County Public Library, Belcamp, Maryland.
Jane S. Ritter, Mill Valley School District, Mill Valley, California. 
Becky White, Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

 

 

recommendations
This is the current list of ALSC Notable Computer Software for Children.