Description:
Miss Frizzle gleefully leads a pack of kids to the red-hot edge of an active volcano, to burn information into their curious brains about magma, a'a, and Krakatoa. Most parents would gladly let this wonderfully wacky lady take their kids wading in lava, and we heartily endorse the "learning is good" spirit of Magic School Bus, which is abundantly present in this fine field trip.However, we feel that the folks who design the Magic School Bus programs would do well to add some new shtick to their repertoire. Structurally, this program is a mirror of other MSB offerings: kids can explore 10 activities inside of the school bus, or leave the bus and go volcano-side to learn factoids from the Magic School Bus Kids and play a few more games. Though these programs always emphasize freeform learning, the folks who design the programs cling to this now tiresome "in the bus," "out of the bus" formula. That complaint aside, the activities use real-life volcanoes, 3-D graphics, and multiple photographic and video images of spewing lava and underwater steam vents. Visually, Magic School Bus Volcano Adventure is fantastic. Some of the activities inspire experimentation and learning. A "make your own volcano" lab invites kids to combine three amounts of gas with three thicknesses of magma, then renders the recipe's results: a volcano that either explodes or seeps depending on the combination of materials used. "Dare to Compare" features four real-life volcanoes (Mount St. Helens, Krakatoa, Mauna Loa, and Eldfell) and compelling graphics and information about what sets these volcanoes apart. A world map highlights volcanic activity around the globe. A site called "Green Machine" allows kids to plant trees and watch them colonize on the stark gray flanks of a volcano. Then they can cause an eruption, wipe out the burgeoning life, and start all over. Kids can play volcano games with three levels: in "Operation Rescue," they use spatial skills to guide hot lava down a slope and away from homes and cars. Speedy mousing and evasive maneuvers come into play in "Rub-a-Dub" as kids maneuver a submarine around steaming vents and lava tubes to collect volcanic rocks. And a game called "Leaping Lava" could cause survivors of Mount St. Helens to have flashbacks. Players must guide the Magic School Bus across multiple mudflows by hopping from log to log and avoiding burning lava patches. During this one, the Magic School Bus theme music plays in a minor key. It's rather creepy. Volcano Adventure will please most junior volcanologists. But if your child can already pronounce "pahoehoe" and knows the difference between lava and magma, they'll quickly tire of having only the inside of the bus, or the rim of the volcano, to visit. (Ages 6 to 10) --Anne Erickson
| 
