Category: Middle School »

Quibble Kids is a very nice puzzle game that kids as well as adults will really enjoy. Like the puzzle cubes my son has played with, this app app consists of four cubes which together make up a larger puzzle. Each of the smaller cubes have a series of different images that one can see as the player turns each individual cube, looking for images that will correspond together to make up a complete face for this larger puzzle. Correct images may consist of four objects that are of the same variety, such as telephones, clocks, or butterflies, four corners of an image whose pieces fit together like a traditional jigsaw or correspond together such as four beach or Christmas objects.

The player has the choice of these individual cubes moving automatically, tapping to stop the movement as an image comes together in ways that are useful, or of spinning these multi- sided cubes, looking for related images manually. When each theme has been completed, these sides will be darkened to let the player know that they have been used, a nice touch.

I really enjoy this app, and I think that it will be a great hit with kids of all ages. You need to use many parts of your brain to succeed at this game, remembering what you have seen before and what images may work together, especially related objects that are not obvious matches at first, but become more apparent as the player use the logic and the knowledge they posses as individuals.

I appreciate how there is a lengthy section that parents can read about this app, and how one can buy more puzzles as an in-app purchase, something I am normally not a fan of. I also like how one can sample other related puzzles as well before buying.

The images used are of a very high quality and often have a nice pop culture feel to them as many of the photos are of vintage style objects, such as telephones that my son will probably never see. Although easy for kids to use on their own, this is a lovely app for adults to use with their kids as it can create lots of open-ended chatty conversations, especially for the youngest of players, as they may not have come across all the objects seen here in their daily lives, such as the fishing lures and other objects my son knows little about, since we are not a fishing family.

I agree with the developers that this app is appropriate for kids 2-12, but older kids may be turned off by the rather young song selection of Yankee Doodle. Other songs become available if puzzle packs are added later, but the developers may want to add other songs for this app that kids in grade school and beyond may appreciate as well. I personally like the voice of the child who narrated these solved puzzles' themes, but again, older children may not find this little voice sweet, but a marker for this being a “little kid” app and I would recommend an adult voice as an option as well.

In this game, the score is kept for these matches and is determined by how long it takes to solve each part of this puzzle. I think kids in grade school and beyond may appreciate this, trying to exceed their personal best, but it would be nice to have the option to turn off the scoring process so that preschoolers could work these puzzles without feeling in any way rushed.

I really have enjoyed playing this puzzle game. I know it is geared to kids 2-13, but in my opinion, this range should be 2-12 and up as I think older kids and adults will enjoy this as much as I did.

If interested, there is also an adult version of this game available in iTunes.

The Strange and Wonderful World of Ants is a marvelous app for iPad that brings a lot information about ants in a way that is beautifully crafted.

My son and I enjoy this science app very much, as it is loaded with very interesting ant information that I was very impressed with, as I have never spent much time thinking abut ants except for how to avoid any possible infestation. This app taught us about many different types of ants and how they serve the larger goals of the group, be it feeding, protection, or sleeping. I can say that although I would still not a fan of ants if I ever found them in my house, I have a new-found respect for them as a hard working group of creatures that work for the common good. I am very happy for my son to learn this information as it is both fascinating and educational. Non-fiction science apps are not commonplace in the iTunes store; this is a lovely change of pace from our usual storybook apps.

I am impressed with the inclusion of 3 reading levels that will be appropriate for a large range of age groups, as the vocabulary and number of words increase in these sections, making this appropriate for preschool and up to adulthood. The intermediate and advanced sections go into more specifics, which is something older kids and adults will enjoy, but I also admire the quality of writing in the beginner section for its simple prose and almost poetic style of writing.

Narration is included in the beginner section, which is excellent. I really enjoy the narrator's voice which has a sincere quality and is very well recorded. Music plays throughout this app, which is equally well-done, relaxing and transcends simple background music to something I truly enjoy listening to.

It is nice that one can change the reading level during the use of this app without having to start over from the beginning, an interesting touch that is fun to experiment with while reading this book. The lack of narration in the two more detailed sections encourages older children to read more difficult sections by themselves, but I think narration would be a nice option as well, especially since children may benefit from hearing the more advanced vocabulary like “bivouac” spoken.

What I appreciate the most about this app for my son is how it explains in great detail how wonderfully ants get along and work with each other, a great example in cooperation and socialization that my son, a soon-to-be preschooler can learn from.

The illustrations of this app are simply wonderful, black and white drawings that lush with tremendous detail. I really like how these pages are also filled with a lovely palette of colors like mustard yellows and earthy greens that create large graphic shapes that move and envelope these pages when the pages turn, adding to the beauty of this app.

An interactive feature is also added where one can tap an extremely realistic black ant as he crawls across each page. Here, one gets to read first-person commentary from this ant named E.O. hearing his point of view on what is being covered in each page. I like how even E.O.’s comments are specific to the reading level, I am very happy to read the speech bubbles of E.O. for my son, as I think my reading these short sentences nicely complemented the narration in the beginner section. It would be nice however, if EO’s words were also narrated, they would be understood by pre-readers when they listen to this section alone.

The one thing I don’t understand is why this book states early on that “Ants aren't very strong. Ant's are not very very smart” when they, as it is my understanding, are very strong for their size, routinely being able to pick up or move objects that are larger and heaver than their own bodies. To call ants "not very smart" may send the wrong message as this app goes into detail about how sophisticated they are in many ways. In further pages, E.O. also says that ants are smart, leading to more confusion for myself, but not my child who is unfazed by these issues.

Except for the line of the book which gives me momentary pause, I think this is a very special science app. The narration, drawings, and other elements are top-notch in terms of quality. I really appreciate the added glossary and thoughtful questions that parents or teachers can use to lead discussions about lessons learned from this application. Other resources about ants are also included, something very nice for both home and classroom settings. I would love to see more apps from this developer as I would love to hear more about science from their point-of-view.

123 Pop is a fun and interesting space-themed math game for children as well as adults. Players tap a first number, then a second as these numbers float through space. Adding these two numbers together, tap on a third which corresponds to the sum of the first two. For instance, if one taps “1” and then “3,” the third number tapped is “4.” This seems easy, but these numbers can move quickly, and the third number you are looking for may or may not be visible when you need it to be.

I enjoy this game more than I expected, but I do look at this as a strategy or educational action game, not one that is good to help teach basic addition. Kids who are new to adding will not get very far in this game and may feel either rushed or frustrated, as you need to be fast and a lot needs to get done before your time runs out.

I do think, however, that this is a really fun game for grade-schoolers who have a solid foundation in addition to adults as I find myself using my mind and doing a lot of plotting about what numbers added up to a third that was in easy reach to tap, coming up with with strategies that I will keep to myself and not spoil the fun. There are also special objects to tap to gain points such as rockets and magical stars, and numbers can get sucked into vortexes sometimes as well. Included are three difficulties, but I never felt comfortable past “easy” as the numbers in “normal’ and ‘hard” moved too fast and simply were not fun for me, but “easy” was just right.

The music which accompanies this game is very good here, beautiful, relaxing and maybe even a little melancholy. I enjoyed listening to it very much and was encouraged to keep playing long after I needed to for the sake of review purposes. This game got my mind working more than I thought it would, and I appreciate this a great deal.

I recommend this app for those grade school and up who enjoy number puzzle games and math in general, but not for those who are new to addition as this game is simply too hard and too fast for them to succeed at, but a good game for older kids that they enjoy. I think this will be a hit with adults as well, especially regarding the music which is, by far, my favorite part of this application.

This iPhone, iPad and iPod app “shows to go you” that science, especially physics, can taught in an interesting way that it is not dry and expressionless as was the case with a few of my junior and high school teachers. Actually, it can be fun, as the information on the app says, for the whole family. Go Car Go also demonstrates that it does not take rocket science to teach science. This is a very simple app that clearly shows how different physical properties and design will alter a car’s performance. If I “get” it, anyone can.

You are given a wide variety of different options for constructing your own automobile. You are given the pieces of your car—simple circles (wheels) and squares (car parts) and just have to drag them over to the main screen to design your car. Let’s say, for example, that you vary the weight of your new creation. What will happen as you put it into gear and it starts driving up and down hills? This brings back memories of those Boy Scouts car derbies I did my sons. I wish I had the app then.

In terms of physics, the concept deals with mass, weight, and inertia—different words, same concept. Mass is the amount of matter in an object; bricks have a lot more mass than sponges. Weight is the gravitational force exerted on an object. Weight depends on the mass of the object. The earth will pull on the brick more, so it is heavier. Mass always remains the same; weight changes. So, if you make two cars, the one with the greater mass will weigh more. OK. Now add in inertia. That’s the tendency of objects to resist motion. A still object remains still unless a force causes it to move. An object in motion stays in motion unless a force makes it stop. Finally, the more the mass, the more the inertia or more difficult something is to stop. When I see a chocolate candy bar, it is difficult for me to stop moving.

So, who cares? Right? I just went through all of this explanation to demonstrate that just by making a couple of cars, you can actually see all these physics concepts in action. You are actually learning and not even realizing it. With Go Car Go, you are given 48 different courses, each with its own set of obstacles. When you make your car, you can guess what is going to happen once it gets going and see if you are right. There is also a Sandbox Mode to let you compete with others for who travels the longest.

I love the very simple stick drawings on this app. It does not clutter up the science with a lot of unnecessary bells and whistles. However, do not just hand this over to your kid and say, “Here. This will help with your physics questions.” The concepts are explained—easily—but having an adult read along and provide some explanation would be helpful for younger kids who are just getting into Isaac Newton. There are no ages listed that I could find. Elementary school children can just have fun building and watching their cars move along or flip over. Junior high school kids will need some assistance. High schoolers and adults—you too—will have fun and even learn a thing or two.

GoKids Apps: Save Paris! is a wonderful kids application that combines gameplay with extensive information about Paris. This makes a fantastic app for children who may travel to Paris as there is a lot of useful travel information provided in this app, but it will surely be enjoyed by kids with no travel plans. It is highly educational and a lot of fun, especially for families as up to four people can have individual game information saved at once.

I am really pleased by the delivery of this interesting facts. The concept of saving Paris from invading aliens in genius, and this app is quite engaging, even for me as an adult. This game starts out with the player being informed that aliens are invading Paris, and it is his job to keep this from happening. There are 10 secret agent missions full of well-chosen information about Paris, as well as a mini travel guide making this a very rich learning experience.

I love the look of this game; it is stylized and colorful. The developer has hit the right note with these aliens, as they are crafted to look a little bit menacing, but with a lot of humor mixed in. I enjoy reading about their horrible plans for Paris, the story line drawing me in like no other educational app has. The music choice is also very good, with a modern beat that creates some suspense and is very fun to listen to by both kids as well as parents.

I love the alien invasion concept of this app, as each secret mission contains a dossier of slides that one studies to prepare himself to battle the Gloopy aliens. Even as an adult, I found this delivery to be very effective, making me feel important and relied upon to study these slides in order to save Paris. Kids will focus and study hard without knowing that this is work, a great way to have children learn.

The gameplay used here to test the information studied is a classic “memory” style game where the player turns over cards looking to match questions and their corresponding answers. Time may run out if too many answers are answered wrong, and then the Gloopy aliens will take over Paris. A fun “wack-a-mole” type game is also included that all ages will have fun with as well.

This “memory” style of game is a very good choice to test the player's memory of facts learned, but I wish this game, as well as the other "memory" style apps which keep score or is timed, would let the players see the cards flipped over for a few seconds in the interest of trying to memorize their positions, in some ways this may make these games easier, but would really working one's ability to concentrate as well. I am also not a huge fan of the first flip of a card being counted as a mistake, as sometimes I lose in a mission, not because of my lack of knowledge or the ability to remember the location of specific cards, but because I have not yet found what I am looking for and I pile up a lot of wrong answers. Another way to handle this in general would be not to count the first flip of a card against the player.

This issue aside, I think that this is a wonderful, fun, and highly educational app that kids will love and parents will be very pleased with its in-depth content. The information provided is thoughtfully chosen and would be a big help if one were traveling to Paris any time soon, or just learning about a foreign land. I love the inclusion of such phrases as “do not enter,” appreciating the real world uses, but it would be nice if these French expressions, landmarks and such could be tapped to be heard, because being able to recognize these words printed is very different from being able to recognize them if heard. I have enjoyed this app a great deal and have learned a lot. I look forward to the other travel apps being developed by this developer. This one is awesome.

Stack the Countries is a universal app and a wonderful sequel to the fabulous Stack the States application. Like Stack the States, Stack the Countries mixes a vast amount of geographical and related information together with a fun physics-based puzzle game that adults as well as grade schoolers and beyond will really enjoy.

The basic game play goes as follows: Answer a question about a specific country, the subject being chosen from a variety of topics that may include such things as capitals, landmarks, flags, or country recognition based on shape. A correct answer will allow this country to drop onto a platform at the bottom of the screen. Keep answering questions, and the states will stack on top of each other until they tower over a finish line mid-screen. The strategy comes in the actual stacking, as most of these countries are not close to shapes that stack cleanly. Rotate each country to make stacking easier, and do keep in mind that the laws of gravity and physics will decide if the stacking is successful. If not, the entire tower may fall, even knocking the countries off the platform itself.

What is impressive about this app is the sheer amount of information included in this very fun and educational application. A learning section is included that is wonderful. Here, each continent has a map filled with countries that you can tap to find more information about, such as country name and flag design. The scale used is excellent, but I would love to be able to zoom in and enlarge the map to see smaller countries in detail as some of them are quite small and difficult to tap on.

One can learn even more about these countries by viewing flash cards also arranged by continents. After choosing a continent, one can tap a country and read in great detail information about their chosen country of which the player will later be tested on, such as capital, map, languages spoken, major cities, and landmarks. This is a important section to explore as it will help greatly in the answering of questions that allows countries to be stacked - kids will be studying without even realizing it! It is also nice that when playing the game portion of the app, one can choose to focus the question on two or more subjects, but I wish you could confine the questions on a specific continent or country as well.

As one continues to play this game and stack countries past the finish line, the player will win a personal country for his individual map, which will be slowly filled in as more and more countries are earned. Two mini games, "Map It" and "Pile up," are included and become to be unlocked as the states are collected.

As with Stack the States, Stack the Countries allows six players and one guest to keep track of their personal maps and countries won, a really great inclusion for large families or small groups of students. Wonderfully shot photos of famous landmarks are used here as background images as one stacks countries to one's heart's desire, something I have enjoyed both here and in Stack the States. This is an amazing educational experience that kids as well as adults will become addicted to. I have been impressed with all of developer Dan Russell-Pinson three apps for both their educational value, creative and fun game-play. I hope he continues to make apps long into the future.

Sr. Mistu is a fun, quirky iPhone game that I have come to really enjoy. Help Sr. Mistu, an elderly blind man, search all over for olives to complete his pizza. Sr. Mistu can’t see, so you will have to trace with a finger a safe path for Sr. Mistu and his dog, Gaido to follow collecting olives along the way. Be aware that Sr. Mistu is a city dweller so for him to wander around searching for olives can be dangerous! Look out for oncoming traffic as well as baby carriages or things falling out of windows that can harm Mistu, keeping him from continuing on his adventure.

Other levels take him to different, aquatic locations full of pitfalls as well. I was intrigued the first time I lead Sr Mistu and Gaido from dry land to an underwater adventure in the sea. Now you must be equally concerned with running out of air as you are with colliding into various oceanic creatures as well as other objects one must avoid.

This game is fully hand-drawn with a lot of love as well as many details. In fact, there are more than 400 objects and characters for Mistu to interact with over many game levels, and I have found the fish and other animals from the sea levels especially interesting to look at.

I am impressed with the number of levels this game offers. There is a lot of game play here, and I appreciate how much timing and strategy is needed to succeed at this unique application, as well as the chance to try and try again at my own pace without feeling rushed, even when speed is part of the game play. Although challenging, I find this game relaxing to play while still working my ability to focus and strategize. I am glad the tracks one makes from the previous try are still visible as you keep playing, as it is a necessity to learn from previous mistakes in order to bring Sr. Mistu to safety. I would recommend Sr. Mistu to patient children in upper grade school and beyond, as well as adults who will have fun with this unique iPhone application.

I also really enjoy listening to the track used in this app by The Black Atlantic, an indie band based out of Holland. The acoustic song used is quite poetic and lovely, and its melancholy tone adds depth to this game in a way I can’t fully explain. I am smitten with this eccentric game, and I am glad that I have been introduced to it.

ABC Music is the third universal educational app from the developers at Peapod Labs which teaches not only the alphabet but now also different musical instruments through various photos as well as video clips and fun facts.

This app works very similarly to the earlier apps ABC Wild! and ABC Go. Tap on a letter from the main menu and then scroll through corresponding pictures of something music-related that starts with the same letter chosen. At the bottom of the screen, the object will be spelled out and any of these letters can also be chosen as well, or you can choose your favorite from the index. If online, a window in the top left corner containing a preview screen of a video can be tapped connecting you to YouTube or just read about your choice by tapping a question mark. It is very helpful that the index keeps track of what photos you have already looked at and what else there is for you to discover.

As with the other apps, the background music and the photographs included are very well done, and I enjoy them all very much. I also enjoy watching the videos as they give great examples of these instruments in use, especially instruments that one may not be readily exposed to such as a zither or unique instruments like the jaw harp. Their selection is nicely varied, and I found some of them to be quite moving and surely inspiring to young musicians. Like the other apps in this series, there is a lot to explore here, but in order to get the most out of this app WiFi is helpful because you won’t hear the sounds of these instruments without the included videos. Sound samples imbedded directly into this app would be a nice addition, especially when an internet connection is not possible. This aside, ABC Music is a great way to introduce various musical instruments to children, getting them interested in letters as well. I am curious to see if Peapod Labs will continue with this series or come up with something entirely new.

JigsawGeo USA is an interesting educational universal application which teaches a great deal about the U.S.A. map, including the finding of the 50 states, as well as learning state capitals and flags.

I really like this app for learning the 50 states and their places on the U.S. map. Geography has never been my strong suit, I always thought it was more important to be able to read a map easily and quickly as a reference tool instead of committing this kind of information to memory. Because of this, I find myself sometimes challenged when I play app games that focus on knowledge of state geography.

What I like about this game is that the map as a whole can be seen, with the ability to zoom in and out to see detail. There are three different sections in this app. In “Surveyor,” you are being taught the name of each state and where it belongs in the map. In “Navigator,” you learn the capitals, and “Discover” focuses on state flags. I appreciate that for each mode of this game, you are looking at each state as a piece of a puzzle and you need to match it up with the corresponding state outline. Even if you are stuck and don’t know where a piece goes in the map, focusing long enough will always allow you succeed, much like connecting pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. I really enjoyed learning about U.S. geography as I played, and I think that this is an excellent resource for students.

Although time is kept and some kids may enjoy beating their personal best, I like that you can take as long as you want to finish this map. An option to remove the timer altogether would be a nice addition.

The basic look of this app is attractive. There may be more visually interesting apps that touch upon this same information, but I find this one especially good for teaching straight-up geography. Parents or teachers may enjoy the fact that although interactive, this app keeps the focus on the map without any distractions. The scale here is excellent, and “Resume Game a nice option to have in case one is called away and wants to continue the game later.

It is especially nice that although I did not print it myself, the iTunes description says that this app's web site contains a printable PDF of the U.S. map, both labeled with the states, as well as without, which could be used as coloring pages.

I highly recommend this app to anyone who wants to learn more about U.S. geography, as well as state capitals and flags. I found this a great learning experience. This would have helped me learn this information had it been available when I was in school.

The Raven By Edgar Allen Poe from vNovel Interactive delivers two well-done versions of this classic gothic poem. Choices include watching this poem, nicely enhanced with music and voice-over, or reading this poem to oneself. Here the experience is heightened by the use of sound effects nicely placed throughout. Be sure to keep an eye out for hidden faces that appear and disappear among the illustrations. A version in HD is also available.

From the time this famous narrative poem was first written in 1845, many versions have been made available to the fans of Edgar Allen Poe. Here, I found both the experiences of "listening" as well as "reading" this application to be nicely stylized and good choices for anyone who is looking to be exposed to this gothic tale, as the illustrations further the experience and are extremely well done, as is the music and narration. Although the narrator speaks a little fast at times for my taste, the sound of his voice works very well to create an eerie, dark quality as do all the elements of this application.

I also very much enjoy the section of this app where one can read to oneself. Here, there are sound effects like doors creaking, wind blowing or noises from the raven itself. Although these sounds are sometimes a little on-the-nose, I find that they do add a lot to the experience and I appreciated being a little startled when the raven squawked for the first time. The words are delivered at the bottom of the screen and are easy to read - one phrase at a time, but it does to some degree take away from the original paragraph structure intended by Poe.

I think this would be a good application for students as well as Poe fans. The illustrations, music and narration make it a very worthwhile version of this classic poem.

Wizard of Oz is a marvelous version of the classic book for iPad with gorgeous artwork and quality interactions. Without narration, this book is intended to be read alone or out loud to one's children and would also make a lovely book for advanced readers to read on their own.

I loved this book as a child and I am a big fan of this app as well. I really appreciate how elements from both the classic 1939 movie as well as the original book have been interwoven to make a wonderful new version of this story. The artwork here is really wonderful and includes not just lovely drawings, but also many pages of paper-cut illustrations which I appreciate for their use of interesting textures as well as delivering additional details and dimensions to this story.

Lovingly adapted, this app is 45 pages and keeps intact events that are omitted from many other shorter Oz versions including one of my favorite moments of the gang in the poppy field as well as other details Oz enthusiasts will enjoy. I really enjoy how movie details here are kept in tact as well, and love the artwork used showing the world before Dorothy opens the door to Oz as well as the ending back in Kansan is in black and white - one of my favorite elements from the movie. Still, it is nice that Dorothy's shoes remain silver which is true to the original book, something that I appreciate.

The interactions are also very nice here and can sometimes be quite involved, which I really like. The developers give detailed info about these interactions on their site. I hope at some point these valuable and fun details can be added to the app itself as they could be of interest to those who may not think to go to an independent site looking for more information.

Although I do love narrated apps, I respect the decision not to include narration here as this makes a lovely story to read to children or for an advanced reader to read to themselves. The interactions are can be sophisticated at times and will appeal both to children who are able to read this book to independently, to older students and adults as well as to younger kids who get to listen as this story is read out loud.

I have really enjoyed this app and I hope that more apps are created by these developers. All the elements are very well done, and I hope to see more from them.

Auryn Ink is an interesting app for iPad which simulates watercolor painting, geared to those with an intermediate to high skill level. There are a multitude of options artists can utilize that will bring this experience as close to really painting with watercolors that one can get without paints and paper, my favorites being how the colors blend and overlap like one would find while working with water colors, as well as how gravity affects the paint, having it run if the iPad is tilted. Other options include selecting canvases with different textures which will affect how the paint is applied in terms of paint flow and brush strokes. There is control over bristle patterns and brush strokes as well as the ability to wet and re-wet the canvas at will, and It is always nice to see undo and erase buttons in drawing or painting apps, something not possible to do when painting in real life.

I found that the interface of this app could be easier, but with some practice it became simpler to navigate. I think artists will appreciate this app when it is not convenient to set up paper and watercolors, especially while traveling and it is nice that one can email finished pieces, but I would also like to be able to save a painting as to go back and finish at another time and the resolution could also be better. This app is also not very sensitive, sometimes having to go over an area more than once for the brush stroke to register. I do think this would be enjoyed by artists who understand this apps limitations, enjoying the ability to paint anywhere they would like with no clean-up.

Treasure Island by Cyberia is an amazing adaptation of the classic Robert Louis Stevenson book for iPad, which does a really great job of incorporating many different elements together such as sound, animation, and interactions to make a wonderful interactive story.

I have really enjoyed this interactive storybook. This app showcases how iPads can bring books to life while still maintaining the reading experience. Although I do love a good narration to a story, I respect the choice of the developers to not have an option to listen to this book out loud. Geared to children nine years and up, this book is designed to be read either by themselves or with the help of a adult and would be a great choice in encouraging kids to read.

This book is full of beautiful illustrations combined seamlessly with interesting animated elements on many of the pages. Creative interactions are also included that, along with the animations, are never random or distracting but instead further the story. The use of sound is also wonderful here, which includes the sounds of both the sea as well as the “arg” of pirates as well as well-done music which creates great moments of suspense for the reader.

I can’t imagine a child not becoming completely drawn in after the first page or two. In fact, I wish I were a nine year old discovering this app for the first time. I can, however, imagine the period language seeming foreign to some young readers. If so, parents may want to help in the reading and share in the experience. I think this app can also be appreciated by older students as well, including teens and adults, as a great interactive story which has no age restrictions.

Thoughtfully abridged, parents will be happy to know that the style of language is maintained while making the story accessible to children and I really appreciate that there is a glossary of words included as well as a short biography of the author. I like the ease of the interface as well, swiping to turn pages and double tapping to raise a bar from the bottom of the page containing such options like a table of contents or a glossary as well as the option to turn off the sound and a general help button for instructions. It is also a nice feature that one can scroll through the contents option, looking for a specific page by viewing a small preview of each page - this working nicely as each page is unique looking. It is also nice that the app will open to the page you left off on, a very helpful for longer eBooks.

Cyberia has risen to the short list of developers I will be keeping a watchful eye on, hoping for another wonderful application from these thoughtful storytellers.

Gulliver’s Travels – Part I – Voyage to Lilliput very nicely brings the classic Jonathan Swift tale to the iPad with both abridged as well as unabridged versions, options include that include listening to this story or reading the full, original text by oneself.

I am very impressed with the way this application has brought Gulliver’s Travels to the iPad. I remember enjoying this book when I read it a long time ago in school, but I appreciate it even more now with the addition of beautiful illustrations peppered with moving animations that really bring the story to life, as well as an interesting musical score and sound effects. My favorite moment here is when Gulliver is first brought to the city, bound on a flat and moved by horses. The animation of this moment in the story combined with the use of music here is very captivating.

I like how the text being read appears on what looks like antiqued paper, both taking up the screen as well as appearing in the corner of the illustrated pages. The narration can also be turned off if one chooses to, but the narration is very effective here in telling the story and I enjoy listening to the narrator speak.

One also has the choice of reading the text in its full, unabridged form without narration. Here, all the text is shown as if it is printed on the antique paper like many pages of the abridged version. The illustrated pages remain as well, which I think is a nice touch. It would be nice if the app had a way of bookmarking the page that one may be reading in case called away before completing the story or numbers could be added to pages themselves to make it easier to look for the last page read. Luckily, there is a section which makes finding a specific page easier, allowing the reader to view a small preview of each page with the option of jumping to the page in question, but if you stop reading on a text page the small view of each page is less helpful in finding your spot. Page numbers are added to the preview window for the original version, but without page numbers in the story itself it is still difficult to find the place you left off, an issue because one may not be able to read the full 121 pages in one sitting, especially if one is reading to a child with a short attention span.

All in all, I think this app would be an excellent choice not just for those studying Jonathan Swift in school, but for anyone who enjoys a great story. I hope more beautifully crafted books like this from Inverted Pear are created, especially the other books in this series.

Fablescapes is an interesting and creative application consisting of two motifs, “Pirate's Adventures” as well as “Knights and Wizards." Being a story-builder, this app allows the player to tap and drag a wide range of characters and objects all over these landscapes to create different scenes. Nicely-done themed music accompanies each of these themes as well.

I am impressed with the quality shown here; the landscapes as well as the characters and object choices look excellent, reminding me of the style used for “Dragon’s Lair,” and I like how most of these elements are interactive, tapping to see what different options and poses there are for each of these selections. I appreciate that these characters are also animated so one can do things like choose characters to face each other and duel if you want to. It is also very cool that you can fill the page with an army of the same character if you choose, as well as re-size any of these characters or objects, making the possibilities endless.

I give the developers credit for including their Youtube video, which demonstrates this game in the body of the app, and it does a good job of giving one creative ideas. I think kids who enjoy the creative play of Playmobile or action figures may enjoy this app when out and about. Parents, please note that this app has a warning of cartoon violence and horror/fear themes, but there is no overt violence here, only what the player’s imagination may bring.

Personally, I did not find that I was able to come up with as many great and creative ideas for these landscapes as shown in the Youtube video. I do wish there was a way to add voiceovers or sound effects to the characters or text to one’s stories, or to save the scenes made for another time, but I think the right child or adult would have a lot of fun with this app as the production value is undeniably quite high with a lot of variation to choose from.