Cheap Reader Rabbit 2nd Grade Mis-cheese-ious Dreamship Adventures (Software) (Windows, Macintosh) Price

Aimed at children in the second grade, this Reader Rabbit program offers a challenging series of educational games. Players must climb Mount Cheesemore, for example, by completing a series of math formulas. The challenge is to place the cheese blocks correctly, in such a way that all the formulas are balanced. Getting one or two of the numbers to tally may be easy, but completing the third can be quite the test. In another game, crossing a fast-flowing river depends on the user's ability to make compound words, or to identify synonyms and antonyms.

The games are perfect for children studying or previewing a second-grade curriculum. They are set at a perfect range of difficulty, simple at first, but with an automatic increase in toughness as players master the spelling, science, and math skills presented in the activities. At higher levels, parental assistance may be required to complete the puzzles. What's more, players must complete some tasks in order to get to others--there is no way to skip out on the language or science drills if you want to rescue the Dreamship.

This is not to say that the game is low on entertainment value. It is filled with bright characters and charming animations. As a setting, Mount Cheesemore provides pleasant and consistent goofiness. The educational content is not understated--children will know they are working--but the game environment is fun and offers plenty of enjoyment and variety along the way. --Alyx Dellamonica