Reviews

COMPUTER GAMES

Millie Metre and Her Adventures in the Oak Tree
(Tivola, £19.99, PC and Mac, Age 4-8)

This second offering from Tivola starring chirpy young girl Millie Metre combines a fun concept with a nature trail, and is certainly worthy of the invented but rarely achieved term "edutainment".

Millie's mission is to save a beautiful old oak tree from being felled by its owner Twit, who fails to appreciate the variety of wildlife the tree is home to. If Millie can find 10 living things and take a photo of them, he'll spare the tree.

You get to navigate around the tree, playing games, meeting the wildlife and learning about them, all the while helping Millie take the photos she needs to save the oak. The five-year-old we introduced it to played it again and again.

The graphics are a little homespun, but it's charming, informative and fun to explore. Likely to appeal more to five and six-year-olds than sevens and eights, we'd say.

Physicus
(Tivola, £19.99, PC and Mac, age 10+)

This 3D fantasy adventure packed with teaching about science will prove quite a challenge for teenagers, never mind 10-year-olds.

The graphics and visuals are stunning in this game - and more than a little reminiscent of the seminal Riven adventure - and at times you need something nice to look at as you grapple with solving physics-based riddles and scientific problems.

As to the storyline: you're saving the world, basically. As the notes explain: "A meteorite has hit the planet, causing it to stop rotating around its own axis. One half of the earth looks set to freeze solid in Arctic conditions, while scorching heat is making life unbearable on the other half. Can humankind be saved from this terrible disaster? Just one enormous repulse set off from a huge machine could set the earth rotating again ..."

Your task is to discover and fire up the machinery and generators needed to source the power.

It's a superbly put together game, but best suited to those youngsters (and oldsters) well equipped with patience, persistence and a willingness to get stuck into scientific principles to find the answers.

Christian Family Network review team
Got a recently released computer game or piece of software of interest to CFN members that you'd like featured? Mail us - we've got a prize bundle waiting for every one published!

BOOKS

Who left Grandad at the chip shop? by Stewart Henderson (Lion, £8.99)

If you - and your children of course, for whom they were written - have enjoyed the daft, nonsense, poignant and surreal poetry collections of Steve Turner, you'll enjoy this batch from Liverpudlian lyricist Stewart Henderson.

A regular performer at arts festivals, clubs and on BBC Radio 4, Stewart's beautifully observed and at times endearingly silly wordplay is perfect for kids of all ages. The subjects range far and wide from school to animals, recollections from childhood, inside the thoughts of a child.

Edward Lear and Spike Milligan are acknowledged influences, and there's a rhythm and lilt that typifies the Merseybeat poetry scene that Christian and former Greenbelt compere Stewart emerged from.

Whether it's narrative poems, limericks, flights of fancy or acute observation, this is a collection which will delight kids and have adults nodding in recognition.

Aimed at 7-11s, there's plenty here for younger and much, much older. Thoroughly recommended.

Click Here for a taster!

Christian Family Network review team

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		COMPUTER GAMES Millie Metre and Her Adventures in the Oak Tree (Tivola, £19.99, PC and Mac, Age 4-8) This second offering from Tivola starring chirpy young girl Millie Metre combines a fun concept with a nature trail, and is certainly worthy of the invented but rarely achieved term "edutainment". Millie's mission is to save a beautiful old oak tree from being felled by its owner Twit, who fails to appreciate the variety of wildlife the tree is home to. If Millie can find 10 living things and take a photo of them, he'll spare the tree. You get to navigate around the tree, playing games, meeting the wildlife and learning about them, all the while helping Millie take the photos she needs to save the oak. The five-year-old we introduced it to played it again and again. The graphics are a little homespun, but it's charming, informative and fun to explore. Likely to appeal more to five and six-year-olds than sevens and eights, we'd say. Physicus (Tivola, £19.99, PC and Mac, age 10+) This 3D fantasy adventure packed with teaching about science will prove quite a challenge for teenagers, never mind 10-year-olds. The graphics and visuals are stunning in this game - and more than a little reminiscent of the seminal Riven adventure - and at times you need something nice to look at as you grapple with solving physics-based riddles and scientific problems. As to the storyline: you're saving the world, basically. As the notes explain: "A meteorite has hit the planet, causing it to stop rotating around its own axis. One half of the earth looks set to freeze solid in Arctic conditions, while scorching heat is making life unbearable on the other half. Can humankind be saved from this terrible disaster? Just one enormous repulse set off from a huge machine could set the earth rotating again ..." Your task is to discover and fire up the machinery and generators needed to source the power. It's a superbly put together game, but best suited to those youngsters (and oldsters) well equipped with patience, persistence and a willingness to get stuck into scientific principles to find the answers. Christian Family Network review team Got a recently released computer game or piece of software of interest to CFN members that you'd like featured? Mail us - we've got a prize bundle waiting for every one published! BOOKS Who left Grandad at the chip shop? by Stewart Henderson (Lion, £8.99) If you - and your children of course, for whom they were written - have enjoyed the daft, nonsense, poignant and surreal poetry collections of Steve Turner, you'll enjoy this batch from Liverpudlian lyricist Stewart Henderson. A regular performer at arts festivals, clubs and on BBC Radio 4, Stewart's beautifully observed and at times endearingly silly wordplay is perfect for kids of all ages. The subjects range far and wide from school to animals, recollections from childhood, inside the thoughts of a child. Edward Lear and Spike Milligan are acknowledged influences, and there's a rhythm and lilt that typifies the Merseybeat poetry scene that Christian and former Greenbelt compere Stewart emerged from. Whether it's narrative poems, limericks, flights of fancy or acute observation, this is a collection which will delight kids and have adults nodding in recognition. Aimed at 7-11s, there's plenty here for younger and much, much older. Thoroughly recommended. Click Here for a taster! Christian Family Network review team © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.