SimAnimals Africa Wii Game Review

SimAnimals Africa is a new simulation game available for the Wii and Nintendo DS. Players are given the ability to help take care of the animals of Africa, make friends with them, and maintain their lands.

My Thoughts...

SimAnimals Africa is a game that I think kids will really love. It's quick and easy to master the controls and objectives, and players are given new abilities and goals as they play. The graphics are whimsical and engaging, and there are many ways to interact with everything around you, from the animals to the landscape.

An interesting and fun feature is that you can play as the animal as well as yourself. For instance, I was given a challenge to fill a dry watering hole. First, I had to make friends with an elephant (each animal has its own name and personality) by petting it and feeding it, and then I could play as that animal and control it. I had him go to the larger watering hole, drink water, and then spray it into the smaller watering hole. Elephants can also water dying trees this way.

You start out in a valley full of zebras, and as you move throughout the expansive African plains and deserts, you come upon more species of animals. I like that it gradually exposes you to new animals and different types of challenges as you play. There are also new things to do with the animals and more ways to interact.

Conclusion...

I think SimAnimals Africa will especially appeal to children and young teens. I found that it didn't hold my interest enough for me personally to keep playing, but I know I would have enjoyed it as a kid. My nieces and nephews (11, 9, 4) do love it. I would recommend it for any child who loves animals and enjoys playing with their Wii.

Now you have to check out this Wii gameplay video!



Ready to buy?

You can purchase SimAnimals Africa for the Wii for only $36.99 at Amazon.com.

Disclosure: The review product was sent to me free of charge by the company or manufacturer in exchange for an honest review. This review is 100% my own content, my own true experiences with the product(s), and my own opinion. :-)


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Sarah's Choice Movie Review

Sarah's Choice is essentially the story of every girl. Every girl finds herself facing tough decisions regarding love, morals, and right and wrong, and Sarah, young career girl on the fast track to becoming very successful, is facing the toughest decision of all. She's pregnant, unmarried but living with her boyfriend who may or may not be serious about her, and is certainly not ready to be a mom.

Her Christian mother and sister want her to keep the child. Her physician says it's not a child and that if she cannot provide a good home, she should move forward with abortion. With pressures on all sides, Sarah can hardly think for herself. Her boyfriend doesn't seem to be thinking at all. Then she starts having dreams - dreams about herself and a child... and she starts to wonder if the dreams could possibly be from God.

The question is, can she make a decision she can live with?

Behind the Scenes Video:

My Thoughts: I've been excited about Sarah's Choice ever since I first heard that Rebecca St. James was going to be in a movie. Rebecca is amazing - she's influenced me since I was a teen. She's a singer with a beautiful voice and a unique flair to her music, and hers were the first CDs I ever bought as a teen. I absolutely love her Christmas CD (something different from the traditional - your kids/teens would love it, I'll bet!). So she and I have a history of sorts, and I was waiting impatiently for the movie to be released.

I found Sarah's Choice to be a very moving Christian film. Rebecca was definitely one of the best actresses, and you could tell she really felt her part. I think that's because she has a passion for helping people, and this is a place that girls really need help with. It can be so hard to know what to do when you're being pressured from all sides, but in the end, it's your decision, the one you have to live with. Just make sure that you can live with it. That was something the movie covered well, I thought.

What I liked about it: I love that this movie encourages researching things for yourself, not just trying to make a decision based on others' opinions. After the doctor compares Sarah's unborn baby to a wart of all things, Sarah goes to the internet to find out for herself how much of the baby is developed. She finds that the baby already is developing a brain and eyes. *12/22 - I am aware that not all doctors pressure girls into abortion, and I wouldn't say this doctor in this movie was exactly pressuring Sarah. It was just the wart comparison thing that bothered Sarah and me, too. All doctors are different, of course, and have different ways of dealing with this situation.

I also liked that they brought in the point of view of a woman who had been forced to abort her child at a very young age. The friend talked about how happy she was that she didn't have to deal with a teen, and and that she had plenty of time in the future to start a family, but inside she hurt every time she thought about how old the child would be as each year passed. It was a decision she had to live with for the rest of her life, and it was extremely painful.

Though this is a Christian movie, I didn't think they came on too strong or that it would alienate anyone who watched it. Sarah feels things that most of us do or have at some point in our lives. I could relate to her when it came to hard decisions (not the career woman thing so much but we all have our selfish pursuits) and I think that those that watch it will feel her pain as she tries to navigate the emotions inside and around her and make a decision that she won't regret.

This movie is very pro-life (as I am), obviously, but there are no graphic scenes of abortion or tactics like that to scare people from having an abortion. This is simply the story of a girl's heartfelt struggle to make a life-changing decision.

Could it have been better? It could probably have been written a little better, though I'm not sure what exactly should have been changed. Well, I felt that Sarah's relationship with her boyfriend wasn't developed enough visibly - I never really knew why they were together and what connected them. That is my only complaint, though.

Family-friendly? Yes. No sex, no graphic scenes of abortion, no foul language - this movie is very family-friendly.

Conclusion: A very touching film exploring the thoughts, emotions, and consequences of the abortion decision in a very positive, thoughtful manner. I enjoyed it and highly recommend it for viewing with the family and/or youth group!

Find out more about Sarah's Choice at Pure Flix.

Wanna own it?

You can purchase Sarah's Choice from Amazon.com for only $17.99.

I received a copy of Sarah's Choice courtesy of Pure Flix in exchange for an honest review. This review is 100% my own opinion and in my own words.


I ♥ comments!

Scholastic's Storybook Treasures DVDs: The Night Before Christmas AND Animal Antics

Storybook Treasures: The Night Before Christmas

I love the holidays, don't you? And the holiday DVD's you can unpack from your Christmas boxes and watch every night of December (and maybe even November! lol). Before my daughter was born, I had only collected movies for adults like Miracle on 34th Street, It's a Wonderful Life, and The Santa Clause. Now I've begun my collection of children's DVDs and I'm having a blast doing it!

One of my favorites comes from Scholastic Storybook Treasures. As you can tell from the few Christmas movies for adults I mentioned I have in my collection, I'm someone who truly appreciates classics. I love classic movies, classic books, and classic storybooks for children, so the Storybook Treasures The Night Before Christmas ...and other classic holiday tales DVD set totally appealed to me!

This two-DVD set includes all of the following classic storybooks read aloud with gorgeous animated illustrations and optional read-along words at the bottom of the screen:

The Night before Christmas ♥ Seven Candles for Kwanzaa ♥ In the Month of Kislev ♥ Too Many Tamales ♥ Max's Christmas ♥ Morris's Disappearing Bag ♥ The Little Drummer Boy ♥ The Twelve Days of Christmas ♥ Great Joy ♥ The Clown of God ♥ Merry Christmas, Space Case ♥ Sam and the Lucky Money

Did you know that each story/poem/song has won at least one award? My favorites in this series are The Night Before Christmas (extremely whimsical and cheerful), Max's Christmas (about little bunnies who want to see Santa Claus come), Morris's Disappearing Act, and Merry Christmas, Space Case. Another thing I really like about these DVDs is that there is a selection of stories showing how all different people celebrate the holidays, including Kwanzaa (Seven Candles for Kwanzaa), Hannukah (In the Month of Kislev), and the celebration of Christ's birth (The Little Drummer Boy).

This set is, without a doubt, a treasure for the holidays, and one your children will want to pull out year after year. I recommend it!

Treasury of 50 Storybook Classics: Animal Antics

This set of seven DVDs is just too much fun! I'm an animal-lover, and I can tell that my daughter is already as well. She goes for the stuffed animals more than dollies, just like I did as a child. I knew she would enjoy the Animal Antics set. From puppies and kitties to horses, cows, and owls - almost every animal imaginable is in a story! This is a great learning tool for teaching the types of animals in a fun way. Some of our favorites are Harry the Dirty Dog (remember that one?) Chicken Little, The Bear Snores On, Make Way for Ducklings, and I, Crocodile. See a list of all of the stories here.

See a sample video: Harry the Dirty Dog



Eight hours of animal-related stories read by well-known voices like Sarah Jessica Parker and Meryl Streep - Another highly-recommended set of stories on DVD for your little one!

Each of these sets is for ages 2 or 3 and up, but my 19-month-old daughter enjoys them immensely. The stories are fairly short (2 hours and 4 minutes for the Christmas set and 8 hours total for the animal antics set) so she has no problem with them being too much for her short attention span. Each story is narrated by a new person and is filled with new and different illustrations and animations, so they keep her attention pretty well. We love Scholastic Storybook Treasures and love to share them with our friends!

Want to own them?

You can purchase Scholastic Storybook Treasures: The Night Before Christmas ...and other classic holiday tales for only $11.96 right now from the Scholastic Store! Use the coupon code SSHAP5 to get 15% off plus free ground shipping.

Scholastic Storybook Treasures: Animal Antics is available for $49.95 at www.newkideo.com.

I received the review product(s) free of charge from the company/manufacturer in exchange for an honest review. This review is 100% my own content, my own true experiences with the product, and my own opinion. :-)

Harry Potter Years 1 and 2 Blu-Ray Giveaway!

I am a true Harry Potter fan. I have read all of the books (SO well-written!) and I own every movie on DVD. But I didn't always love this boy wizard so - after seeing the first movie I was a bit disappointed. I had expected more after all of the hype... so for awhile I didn't follow the Harry Potter craze.

Then the fourth movie released in theatres, and my sister-in-law asked me to go to the movie with her. I agreed, but wasn't expecting much. I thought it would be a kiddie show. That day, I never thought of Harry Potter like that again - I was awe-struck! Dragons, magic flying cars, normal-appearing kids with magical abilities and oh-so-cute English accents, and characters that you cared about right away. Oh, and of course the evil, extremely complex Voldemort that wants to destroy all that is good.

I read the books, discovered that they were even better than the movies (if that's even possible), and that was it for me. I was hooked.

After I read the books, I purchased the first three movies and watched them all. And you know what? I appreciated them in a new way. I love seeing the three kids so young and there is something that really endears you to them when you see their personalities bloom on camera. Each movie is extremely well-made and a delight for both children and adults. Harry Potter is one of the series' that my husband and I watch over and over - like once a month we go through them all again. They're that good!

Guess what? Harry Potter Years 1 and 2, the ULTIMATE EDITIONS, are on Blu-Ray and DVD now! How awesome is that? This is something I'm really excited about because the Ultimate Editions include:

• A NEW 1-hour feature from Creating the World of Harry Potter, an 8-hour documentary series revealing the filmmaking magic behind all 7 years!
• Theatrical and Extended Versions of the films
• Over 2 hours of special features
  
• Magical collectibles

"For the first time ever … uncover the intimate details, never-before-seen screen tests, inside stories by cast and filmmakers, and director’s critical decisions behind the creation of Harry Potter’s world on screen!"

These became available December 8 and would make wonderful Christmas gifts, don't you think?

Ready to Buy?

You can purchase Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Ultimate Edition and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Ultimate Edition right now from Warner Brothers on sale for $31.96 each! They normally retail for $39.99.

Prize info: One (1) winner will receive the Blu-Ray Ultimate Editions

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Ultimate Edition on Blu-Ray
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Ultimate Edition on Blu-Ray

*Blu-Ray prize pack is valued at $99.98 [includes year one & year two releases]

Shipping Guidelines: The Harry Potter Ultimate Editions Blu-Ray giveaway is open to participants with a United States mailing address only (international readers can enter if they have a friend in the States who can accept their prizes by mail.)

How To Enter (mandatory): Tell me in a comment who your favorite Harry Potter character is!

Extra Entries (Optional) (Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry)

Get 1 extra entry for each: Add my button to your sidebar ♥ Become a Facebook Fan ♥ Follow my blog ♥ Subscribe to my blog by feed reader ♥ Subscribe to my blog by email ♥ Follow me on Twitter (@kindred_spirit) ♥ Tweet this giveaway (daily tweets available!) ♥ Share this giveaway on Facebook

You can Copy/Paste this Sample Tweet:

Win the Harry Potter Years 1 & 2 Ultimate Editions from @kindred_spirit and Warner Brothers! Ends 12/31 http://bit.ly/4TjrEQ

Giveaway will be closed on December 31 at midnight and winner notified by email and posted on my blog - good luck, everyone!

Disclosure: The review product(s) were sent to me free of charge by the company or manufacturer in exchange for an honest review. This review is 100% my own content, my own true experiences with the product(s), and my own opinion. :-)

See full review, giveaway, and disclosure policy here.

MySims Agents Wii Game Review

I've been on the fence about Sims games since they came out and I first played The Sims on my PC. I quickly was drawn in and played it way too much for about a week or two, but eventually life (real life, lol) distracted me from the game. I don't have the game anymore (it was actually my sister's). Fast forward to now. I haven't played much in the way of simulation games in awhile, and wouldn't have thought I had time. But when EA Games asked me if I wanted to review MySims Agents, I agreed wholeheartedly. I'm a gamer mom through and through, and writing game reviews is so much fun for me... almost as fun as playing them!

The Experience
It took me about five minutes to become completely immersed. I. Love. This. Game! It's nothing like what I expected - it takes a lot of brain work as you solve puzzles, search for clues, and and take in your surroundings in a whole new way. The characters are engaging and there is so much around you to explore - this game is right up my alley. I really think the people who wrote and developed MySims Agents are extremely talented. The dialogue between characters is witty and humorous - at times I would find myself laughing out loud at something a character said. Though they don't speak English. There are subtitles. Some of the things they do (like the ability to lie down and sunbathe on the beach, splash in the water, or take a break and dance between cases) and their babbling voices are about the only things reminiscent of The Sims.

Here's the Deal:

You start out by creating your sim - there are a lot of fun appearance, clothing, and accessory customization options , and you "earn" more options as you play the game by solving cases and finding treasure chests along the way. This keeps things interesting and fun. After making your sim uber cool-looking, you are tossed into a quaint little neighborhood as an amateur sleuth. Soon you're picked up by a secret agent who is impressed with your skills and gives you a job as another agent. You start out solving little nothing cases like finding a girl named Poppy's dog, or finding out who sent the flamboyant hairstylist (with poofy pink hair, yikes) flowers, then work your way into more dangerous cases. The bad guy behind a lot of the town problems is a guy named Morcubus. As you're playing the game, you know he's a guy that needs to be dealt with and you'll probably be facing him in the end. I haven't finished it myself yet, but I hear this game has a cliffhanger ending that gives you hope that there will be another. I'm excited about that.

Controls:
Using both the Wii remote and the Nunchuk, I found it very easy to navigate my sim through the game. There were really no overly frustrating challenges (jumping from box to box, etc) that would make me want to throw the remotes, which is nice. The controls are quickly mastered. You use the nunchuk joystick button to move your sim around, and point and click with your Wii remote.


Difficulty:
The actual running around and searching for clues, talking to people, etc, is simple and will be fun and easy for young people, too. I would say that kids who can read will enjoy this more because all of the communication and clues are found in subtitles. I appreciate this because there's no way I would want to sit through all of that talking. I can click through non-relevant parts and move on to solving the case.

I think this is ideal for young people 10 and up because there are some really challenging puzzles requiring math and critical thinking to solve throughout the game. Four types, actually: The first type involves fixing various broken items by putting gears and screws in the right places; in the second, you move levers up and down and side to side to pick a lock; in the third, you are given a number of molecules that must be linked with a certain number of other molecules (math, ugh); and in the fourth, you must move the pointer through a maze. I loved them all, though I had to get my husband to help with the molecule game at one point. If you're buying this game for a child, I would be prepared to assist now and again as they need it. There's no way to move on in the game without beating each of the puzzles.

Multiplayer? This is a one-player game.

Replayability:
This would be fun to play again, after some time has passed and you don't remember all of the details. You are given the opportunity to recruit people to be your fellow agents, and there is a lot of strategy involved in helping them grow in smarts, athleticism, etc. That's something that could keep you playing until you had it all the way you want.

Follow the leads!

Pros:

• Entertaining storyline, engaging characters, and laugh-out-loud moments
• It's easy to learn the controls and what you need to do to move on in the game
• Challenging brain puzzles (mini-games) throughout
• Fully customizable sims with opportunity to earn more options as you play
• You move around a lot, so there are always new surroundings and things to explore.
• The graphics are great, especially the background graphics.

Cons/Suggestions:

• Although nothing is torturously long and you can skip through scenes you don't want to watch, when you're customizing your sim it takes a minute to load your options. It seems a bit unnecessary, especially since the agent clothes, street clothes, and costumes are all on different screens and there is a loading time between each category. It would be nice if they were all in the same place.
• I love being able to click around my surroundings and explore - I would really like it if the game had been longer or there had been more places to solve cases in.
  
  Other than that, there was nothing that made me think, "Oh, I don't like that."

One of my favorite characters, Yuki (black spikey hair). She's rather obsessed with biting people. Yikes.

Conclusion:
A very entertaining interactive game that I think children, teens, and adults should all play! My husband and I watch Monk all the time and love detective stories, so I think this game especially appealed to me because of that. I really enjoyed the challenge of finding clues, solving problems, and trying to figure out "whodunit". :-) This is one of my top Wii game recommendations!

Find out more about MySims Agents and view screenshots and trailers at EA Games.

Buy it!
You can buy MySims Agents for only $40.00 with free shipping at Amazon.com right now!

MySims Agents is also available on DS (I have not played that version).

Thank you to EA Games for sending me a copy of MySims Agents for the Wii free of charge for review and testing purposes!

{Holiday Gift Giveaway #21} FIFA Soccer 10 Wii Game

FIFA Soccer 10 for the Wii is now available! This release has some great enhancements and additions like 360-degree dribbling and online multi-player mode, and is being heralded as a great game for children and adults alike.

FIFA Soccer 10 was made so that those who play it have a realistic soccer gameplay experience. Here are some of the specifics according to the EA website:

"On the pitch, critical gameplay fundamentals have been enhanced to ensure that FIFA Soccer 10 mirrors real-world soccer, providing more sophisticated ball control, and physical interaction. On attack, players now analyze space more effectively, curve their runs in an attempt to stay onside, create passing lanes naturally, and drive for more variety in attacking options. On defense, new concepts like position priority enable defenders to multitask so dangerous spaces left open by teammates out of position are covered. Plus, slide tackle targeting, press marking, and better urgency clearance logic provide new options that make defending a tactical skill in FIFA Soccer 10."

I'm not so much into these types of sports games myself, so I asked my husband, a die-hard gamer, to give his thoughts on the game. He usually plays games on the Playstation 3, so this was a new experience for him, and a very positive one! Let's find out what he thought of FIFA Soccer 10:

I started up FIFA Soccer 10 with a slightly skeptical mind-set. I normally do all my gaming on the Playstation 3 - mainly Call of Duty. But I'm always up for a sports game, so I gave it a try. Here are my opinions on the specifics of FIFA Soccer 10...

Controls: The controls were easy, yet effective. Getting used to them took only about 10 minutes. I used the standard setup with a nunchuk attachment and had no trouble with moving or handling the ball.

Graphics: The graphics were simple and good. We do have a rather large 48" LCD TV and the game looked great.

Age recommendation: 3 and up. Fine for children of any age as long as the child has the motor skills to handle the control.

What I Like: Simple and fun. Jumping in and playing was easy and enjoyable. Also, the game is great to play with friend because of the easy controls.

What I Don't Like: Being that this version is on the Wii, some of the content I would be used to seeing on the PS3 is lacking. However, the lack of some content, like creating a custom player, did not hamper my enjoyment.

Conclusion:
If you like sport games and soccer, FIFA Soccer 10 for the Wii is a great game that is fun to play - both solo and with friends.

View trailers, reviews, tips and tricks, and more at the EA website.

Buy it!
You can buy FIFA Soccer 10 for the Wii from Amazon.com for only $46.99 right now! It ships free with Super Saver Shipping. :-)

Giveaway Closed

Prize info: One lucky commenter will win a copy of the FIFA Soccer 10 Wii game! Open to anyone in North America!

How To Enter (mandatory): Watch the embedded game trailer above, then tell me in a comment what makes this game look like fun to you and who would you like to win it for?

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Get 1 extra entry for each: Add my button to your sidebar ♥ Become a Facebook Fan ♥ Follow my blog ♥ Subscribe to my blog by feed reader ♥ Subscribe to my blog by email ♥ Follow me on Twitter (@kindred_spirit) ♥ Tweet this giveaway ♥ Share this giveaway on Facebook

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Get 3 extra entries: Blog about this giveaway!

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FIFA Soccer 10 Wii Game Giveaway! Open to anyone in North America - ends 12/15 http://bit.ly/4SMP2I @kindred_spirit

Giveaway will be closed on December 15 at midnight and winner notified by email - good luck, everyone!

Disclosure: The review product(s) were sent to me free of charge by the company or manufacturer in exchange for an honest review. This review is 100% my own content, my own true experiences with the product(s), and my own opinion. :-)

See full review, giveaway, and disclosure policy here.

{Holiday Gift Giveaway #16} Wubbzy's Christmas Adventure DVD

Don't you love collecting Christmas DVDs? I do! There's nothing more enjoyable for me than pulling out my box of holiday movies and watching them all over again. This year is extra special because I'm collecting Christmas cartoons as well as movies! My daughter is finally old enough to appreciate cartoons and I want to share the fun with her. :-)

One of our favorites this year is Wubbzy's Christmas Adventure. This was actually my first experience with Wow Wow Wubbzy, though I had heard a lot about the cartoon in blogland. I wasn't disappointed, and neither was my toddler! The simple character design, bright colors, and happily lilting voices make it easy for littler ones to follow, but I think that older children will be able to enjoy it as well. There are also a lot of "music videos" that are cheerful and encouraging - one of the songs encourages kids to make their own presents themselves, which I thought was very sweet. My daughter loves the music and dances around during these parts.

Watch the Trailer!



Features:

• Six holiday episodes (70 minutes)
  
• Coloring and activity sheets
• Printable holiday cards
• Music videos
  
  

Conclusion...

Wubbzy's Christmas Adventure is a great holiday cartoon - both my toddler and I recommend it! :-)

Prize info: Three (3) lucky winners will each win Wubbzy's Christmas Adventure DVD! Open to US only.

How To Enter (mandatory): Leave a comment telling me what your or your child's favorite Christmas DVD is! Please leave your email address in your comment or make sure it's in your public profile so I can let you know if you win!

Extra Entries (Optional) (Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry)

Get 1 extra entry for each: Add my button to your sidebar ♥ Become a Facebook Fan ♥ Follow my blog ♥ Subscribe to my blog by feed reader ♥ Subscribe to my blog by email ♥ Follow me on Twitter (@kindred_spirit) ♥ Tweet this giveaway (example below) ♥ Share this giveaway on Facebook

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Win Wubbzy's Christmas Adventure DVD from A Kindred Spirit's Thoughts (3 winners!) http://kindredspiritreviews.blogspot.com @kindred_spirit #giveaway

Get 2 extra entries: Add my Giveaway Extravaganza Button to your sidebar. (Find it in my right sidebar)

Giveaway will be closed on December 5 at midnight and winner notified by email - good luck, everyone!

Disclaimer: The review product(s) were sent to me free of charge by the company or manufacturer in exchange for an honest review. This review is 100% my own content, my own true experiences with the product(s), and my own opinion. :-)



If you have a moment, leave a comment -
It'll make me jump up and down for joy! :-)

{Holiday Gift Giveaway #15} Scholastic Treasury of 100 Storybook Classics on DVD

I'm always on the lookout for new DVDs for my daughter. I think it's good to have a wide variety of educational entertainment that is fun to watch and a learning experience. My most recent discovery is a set of 16 DVDs released by Scholastic.

The Treasury of 100 Storybook Classics is one of the coolest collections of classic storybooks on DVD that I've come across! It includes 100 classic tales narrated by well-known celebrities like Meryl Streep, Patrick Stewart, and Danny Glover. The illustrations are just as charming as they've always been, but they've added character sound effects and charming animation to make the stories even more fun. You really need to see a preview to appreciate it, so take a look at this example from one of the DVDs here at the Amazon.com listing.

What I really like:

• The stories are separated by category (all of the stories about dinosaurs on one disc, etc).
• The way Scholastic kept all of the original illustrations but added some excitement by animating them!
• The selection of stories (all of my favorites!).
• Your child can read along on the screen.
• Love that I recognize celebrity voices reading the stories! Very cool.

What I don't like:

It does take some looking to find exactly what you want. It would be nice to have it all on a few DVDs. But this in no way changes my opinion of the set.

Watch my video review to find out more about this awesome set:

Buy it!

The Treasury of 100 Storybook Classics 16-DVD set retails for $99.95. You can buy it on Amazon.com for $89.99 with free shipping right now. :-)

Prize info: One very lucky commenter will win the Scholastic Treasury of 100 Storybook Classics! Open to US only.

How To Enter (mandatory): Visit Scholastic and tell me what else you would like to own! Please leave your email address in your comment or make sure it's in your public profile so I can let you know if you win!

Extra Entries (Optional) (Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry)

Get 1 extra entry for each: Add my button to your sidebar ♥ Become a Facebook Fan ♥ Follow my blog ♥ Subscribe to my blog by feed reader ♥ Subscribe to my blog by email ♥ Follow me on Twitter (@kindred_spirit) ♥ Tweet this giveaway (example below) ♥ Share this giveaway on Facebook

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Win a 16-DVD Treasury of 100 Storybook Classics by Scholastic! http://kindredspiritreviews.blogspot.com @kindred_spirit #giveaway

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3 extra entries: Blog about this giveaway with a link to this giveaway.

Giveaway will be closed on December 5 at midnight and winner notified by email - good luck, everyone!

Disclaimer: The review product(s) were sent to me free of charge by the company or manufacturer in exchange for an honest review. This review is 100% my own content, my own true experiences with the product(s), and my own opinion. :-)




If you have a moment, leave a comment -
It'll make me jump up and down for joy! :-)

Gift Book Alert! Bear Portraits by Jill Greenberg

Bear Portraits
by Jill Greenberg
Little, Brown, and Company (November 2009)
104 Pages

Bear Portraits completely changed what I thought I knew about bears. I've seen them at the zoo and watched movies about them, but you never really get a chance to really see them. Not like a photographer does, anyway. That's what Jill Greenberg is - a photographer. And a pretty amazing photographer. She's known for her celebrity portraits and has another book similar to this one out called Monkey Portraits which surprised everyone by being a huge hit. And it's no wonder when you see her photography! Everything is manipulated a bit so that while gazing at one of her bears you are unsure whether it's truly a photo or a painting. But there's one thing you are sure of - it's beautiful.

This is the ultimate coffee table book. Once you open it up, you have to keep going. The reason that it is a portrait book and not just a photography book is that each bear has its own expressive personality. These aren't just photos - they're a very unique and deep look at each individual bear.

I seriously had no idea that bears could be so expressive! Regal, vulnerable, fierce, even goofy. This book is a pleasure to look through, and I'm sure will capture the attention and interest of young and old alike. I recommend it!

Features:

• A fascinating introduction by the author/photographer.
• Random quotes related to specific portraits or bears throughout the book.
• Detailed information on each bear featured in the book.

Cool Fact: All of the bears in Bear Portraits have been in movies (like Dr. Dolittle 2, Gentle Ben, True Heart, Snow Dogs, and more) or on TV in some way, shape, or form!

Buy it!

Bear Portraits retails for $26.99. You can buy it right now on Amazon.com for only $14.97!

The end...

of this review. ;-)

Disclaimer: The company/manufacturer sent me the review product free of charge in exchange for an honest review!

If you have a moment, leave a comment -
It'll make me jump up and down for joy! :-)

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Wii Game ♥ Review and Giveaway!

{Holiday Extravaganza Giveaway #6}

Are you or your children Harry Potter fans? I certainly am! Though it wasn't until I read the books that I became a die-hard fan. Now I own all the movies on DVD and the books in hardcover - and I'm hooked!

What I hadn't tried - until now - was a Harry Potter Wii game! But that has been remedied, and I'm here now to share my thoughts on the new Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince game for the Wii.

First of all, I want to note that I have never played any of the other Harry Potter games, either on the Wii or any other gaming platform. So this won't be a comparison review. This is a review by a young mom who loves her Wii and the Harry Potter series. My experience with gaming platforms is pretty much limited to Nintendo: The Wii, Nintendo 64, Super Nintendo, and regular Nintendo. I've played some games with my husband on his Playstation 3, but I'm not really in love with that system. I'm a Nintendo girl at heart, I guess. ;-)

I may as well tell you right now that I'm really enjoying the Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince game. It's been a week now and I go back to it every day - it's fun! I now believe that anyone who has a child who wants to get an idea of what it would be like to go to school at Hogwarts and really get an "interactive Harry Potter experience" should think about buying this game.

The Plot Thickens

This particular game is, obviously, based on the sixth book and movie, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. You play as Harry Potter and are given "quests" to complete as you make your way through the game. For example, Harry finds the Half-Blood Prince's potion book and, as in the movie, finds himself being taken in by the genius therein. Though the movie play parts of the game that you have to sit through can be a bit tedious, there is some humorous dialogue that made me laugh out loud - Hermione and Ron's verbal sparring especially.

To add extra interest and fun, there are school clubs that you can join to try to beat your scores in Dueling, Potions, and Quidditch (flying around on your broom trying to catch the Snitch).

Okay, now let's get down to details.

Controls: You need the Wii Remote (Wand) and the Nunchuk for this game. I think the Wii must be the best platform for Harry Potter games because the Wii Remote is already like a magic wand. It makes role-playing that much easier! Figuring out the different controls for activities like dueling, playing Quidditch, and making potions is very simple, which was a relief to me. I hate playing games that take you forever to figure out the controls! And to move Harry around the castle, you use the little directional stick on the top of the Nunchuk - that's super easy as well. Oh, and I should mention that you use your arms a lot when dueling and making potions, and this actually made my arms sore! I guess I'm a bit out of shape, huh? And how embarrassing is it to have to tell people that my arms are sore from dueling??? ;-)

Graphics: I think the graphics are great! Of course. the characters seem a bit like lifeless dolls at times, but it doesn't bother me at all. The castle is very detailed with hundreds of paintings and tapestries that I actually want to stop and look at sometimes. I know, I'm a nerd.

Difficulty Level: I think most children over the age of 8 would be able to enjoy this game. The younger kids can give the dueling a go, that's one of the most challenging and exciting mini-missions. Different hand motions are taught for each spell such as Expelliarmus, Stupefy, and Levicorpus. You can choose to practice your dueling and potion-making anytime, too. Potion-making is challenging because you're timed and have to make sure you're adding the right ingredients, the right amount, and you stir and heat the ingredients yourself. If you make a mistake, smoke pours out of the cauldron and you have to wave it away quickly. It probably sounds more complicated than it is - I don't think the activities are too difficult for children at all, and different age groups will enjoy different aspects of the game more.

Missions: There is the main mission that follows along with the movie and book, but there are also mini-missions as well. As you explore the castle (usually on your way somewhere with Nearly Headless Nick's directional help), you can collect Hogwarts Crests and unlock bonuses and mini-games, do "good deeds" for fellow students and get rewards, and earn badges. You also learn new spells as you go.

Two-Player: There is a two-player dueling mode that is unlocked at some point early in the game. I played this with my husband. I beat him. ;-) I'm not sure yet whether there are more opportunities for two players to interact together. I'll update this review when I get further into the game.


What I didn't like: There is a LOT of dialogue as they try to fill in the plot so you know where you're at in the story. Not enough to make me want to turn it off, but I have been known to walk away for a moment until it's over. I've seen the movie and read the book, so I know what happens. And there's no way to skip past it.

The only other thing is that you're running around the castle from one place to the other an awful lot. The size of the castle is very life-like, which is cool and tedious at the same time. The cool aspects are the moving staircases, the portrait shortcuts (as long as you know the password), and the mini-quests as you go.

Conclusion:

I find this game to be worth buying. I think that fans of Harry Potter will enjoy it and kids will have a blast experiencing life in Harry Potter's world! The cons I listed are not near enough to cause me to dislike the game or put me off from buying future Harry Potter releases. I recommend it!

Note: This game is rated E for Everyone and is available for X-Box, Wii, PSP, PS3, PS2, Nintendo DS, and PC/Mac. My review is on the Wii version only.

View trailers, interviews, and more at the EA website.

Buy it!

You can buy this game on Amazon.com for only $46.99, and it ships free with Super Saver Shipping!

Giveaway!

We're giving away a copy of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince for the Wii to one lucky winner!
Open to US and Canada.

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Giveaway will be closed on November 28 at midnight and winner notified by email - good luck, everyone!

Disclaimer: This product was provided free of charge to me by the company or manufacturer in exchange for an honest review. This review is 100% my own content and my own opinion, and I was not reimbursed in any other way for this post.

See complete rules and disclaimers regarding giveaways here.