Advantages: Fun for a while, easy to get the hang of
Disadvantages: Addictive, community is a disgrace, time-waster

...MapleStory, MapleStory, MapleStory... you could write a book on this game and the split in opinion it has caused. Some people say it is the best game ever made, some say it is a waste of time. I personally take the second opinion, but I respect the fact that, for some people, this game is highly enjoyable, if only for a little while. Picture the scene... I met up with my friends and one of them told me about this amazing game they had discovered. Since I had nothing better to do that evening, I decided to check it out. After a horrendously long download time, although this may be faster if you are playing on a better computer, I finally installed the game and began. Enter your character's name... hmmm, a cool name would be "BlackMagic"...taken. Let's try, "DevilStar", taken. How about, "NightShade"...you guessed it, taken. Eventually... Read review

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Advantages: Colourful pictures and excellent stories
Disadvantages: None

...This book was bought for my daughter as a Christmas present from her Grandparents a few years ago. It was purchased from County Bookshops and cost about ten pounds which I thought was extremely good value. The stories are written by Georgie Adams and the illustrations are by Selina Young. The book itself is a large and heavy book and is suitable for children of all ages as it can be read to a small child or read alone by an older one. There are 264 pages in all each bursting with stories, poems and adventures. The cover of the book is a lovely picture of two children reading the book together and below them are several characters from the stories that they are reading about. The months of the year frame the edges of the front and back covers and the colours are very bold and eyecatching. As you will see from the title... Read review

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Advantages: Laptop friendly, comprehensive tutorial for beginners
Disadvantages: Expensive for what it's worth, not for the experienced Sims players

...~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ MY HISTORY WITH THE SIMS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Well, yes I had Sims 1 for ages and only had Sims 2 for about 6 months ago for Christmas. I am someone who is careful with my money, so I always like to wait for the price to go down before having it; whether I buy it, or someone else buys it for me as a gift. I tend to borrow the expansion packs from my friend and I have become incredibly addicted to Sims 2. Therefore, it was a real treat when ‘The Sims: Life Stories’ came out and I got it for my birthday present. No waiting for the price to come down! I was a tad bit annoyed, as I was so into Sims 2, I weren’t sure whether to start the ‘Life Stories’. Well, after 2 months, I decided to since it was half term. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ABOUT THE LIFE STORIES ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Having... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Good introduction to the Easter story
Disadvantages: None

...The easter Story A few weeks ago, I was teaching the Easter story to a group of young children, and being unable to find an appropriate book, went on a mission to find something. I wanted a book which told the story in a simple but informative way and which had interesting pictures without any pictures which could distress them in any way. Fortunately, I found this book, which suited my purposes exactly. The story is written in such a way that there is a line of very simple text at the top of each page, and underneath each picture is a more detailed explanation of what is happening in the picture. There are ideas in which an adult can help their child to begin to read with the suggestion that the whole story is read to the child and the child is given the chance to talk about the pictures. I then asked children to read... Read review

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Advantages: One of the most beloved and quintessional Christmas films of all time
Disadvantages: Not available on DVD in the UK

...****************************************************************** TITLE: Christmas Story, A RATING: ***** CAST: Darren McGavin, Melinda Dillon, Peter Billingsley, Ian Petrella, Scott Schwartz, R.D. Robb, Tedde Moore, Yano Anaya, Zack Ward, Jeff Gillen, Colin Fox, Paul Hubbard, Leslie Carlson, Jim Hunter, Patty Johnson, Dwayne McLean, Tommy Wallace, Jean Shepherd, Bob Clark. DIRECTOR: Bob Clark SCREENWRITERS: Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown & Bob Clark STUDIO: Metro Goldwyn Mayer RUNNING TIME: 93 min. RATED: PG (US & UK); for a fight scene and mild profanity. DVD AVAILABILITY: Not Available on Region 2 DVD; Region 1 DVD and PAL VHS Available from Amazon.com ****************************************************************** INTRODUCTION... Read review

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Advantages: Very colourful, lively and a great way of learning
Disadvantages: The songs stay in your head all day!

...What's the story in Balamory? Well, I'll tell you. The story in Balamory is the one thing that makes my 16 month old son a happy little chappie at mealtimes. Little toastie soldiers and teddy bear bickies don't get a look in unless Miss Hoolie is hollering out of the tv, encouraging the UK's toddlers to join in with the program. WHAT IS BALAMORY ALL ABOUT? Balamory forms part of the children's group of programs on Cbeebies. Unlike a lot of children's tv where studio backlots play a large part in the making of the program, Balamory is actually set in real-life Tobermory on the Isle of Mull. Balamory comprises a number of colourful characters. Literally! In my opinion, the creators of the program have thought very carefully as to how to portray the various characters... Read review

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