Easy-to-learn games help children score higher on spelling tests. Illustrations throughout.

Brain-eating fungi, wannabe sorcerers, long-lost relations–does even a hard-core witch stand a chance? Mad sorcerers, psychic vampires, an army of vengeful demons, Marla Mason would rather face them all than a flesh-and-blood ghost from her dysfunctional family past: her con artist brother, Jason. As Felport’s chief sorcerer, Marla would ordinarily consider it her duty to protect her town from such an unscrupulous ne’er-do-well. As his sister, things are a lot…trickier. Now, as Marla attempts to train an apprentice oracle whose magical wires have gotten crossed, Jason is setting up an elaborate sting and drawing her ever-so-corruptible partner Rondeau into the ruse. Their patsy is a filthy-rich wannabe mage and their bait is something so valuable, so dangerous, so sought after, it probably doesn’t exist. But now word’s gotten out that the Borrichius spores do exist and instead of a sucker Jason and Rondeau have a much bigger–and much deadlier–fish on their line: a reclusive sorcerer whose devotion to the mushroom god and command of vegetal magic could bring a fungal apocalypse to Felport. It’ll be the mother of all bad trips unless Marla can pull off the ultimate magical switcheroo…and somehow live to tell about it.

This book offers a practical yet powerful way to understand the psychological appeal and strong motivation to play video games. Video games have come a long way, from Atari's pinging, monochromatic Pong to the garish mayhem of Grand Theft Auto and the stylish sophistication of Beatles Rock Band. And it is no longer just teenagers that are hooked, audiences both young and old can't seem to get enough. But while "video-game addict" has become a common term, are these games really physically and psychologically addictive? With video game sales in the billions and anxious concerns about their longterm effects growing louder, this volume brings something new to the discussion. It is a research-based analysis on the games and gamers, addressing both the positive and negative aspects of habitual playing by drawing on significant recent studies and established motivational theory. Filled with examples from popular games and the real experiences of gamers themselves, it gets to the heart of gaming's powerful psychological and emotional allure, the benefits as well as the dangers. It gives everyone from researchers to parents to gamers themselves a clearer understanding the psychology of gaming, while offering prescriptions for healthier, more enjoyable games and gaming experiences.

Ideal for early years to KS1 children who are learning at home. Daisy Upton has two little kids. She loves them - but they drive her mad. So, to try and keep her sanity she started to come up with quick, easy games using stuff from around the house. And @FiveMinuteMum was born. In her first book, she has collected 150+ games that take 5 minutes to set up & 5 minutes to tidy up. From pasta posting to alphabet knock down, it's a recipe book for guilt free parenting! And as Daisy was a teaching assistant, your little ones will be learning while they play! What could be better? GIVE ME FIVE is the perfect companion for anyone who wants five minutes peace. Also available: Five Minute Mum: Time For School Five Minute Mum: On the Go "I love Five Minute Mum. She's managed to come up with a huge array of activities for kids that are fun and educational yet don't require an Art degree or Diploma in Patience to execute."Sarah Turner, aka Unmumsy Mum

Presents fifty activities to help children in grades 4-8 learn spelling words.

The #1 New York Times bestselling author-artist of the Pinkalicious series, Victoria Kann, is back with an imagination-sparking new book starring Pinkalicious’s brother, Peter. In Peterrific, readers can follow Peter's own adventures as he builds a tower of blocks all the way to the moon. Peter loves to build with blocks. One day, he decides to build a tower that will reach the moon, and he wants to do it all by himself. Will the moon be made of cheese? Can he catch a shooting star? As Peter climbs higher and higher into space, he discovers he doesn’t have a way down! He’ll have to figure out what to do next—all by himself.

The first of its kind, this book brings together a collection of 15 do-it-yourself parties and games designed to allow monster movie fanatics to step inside some of their favorite horror, science fiction, and dark comedy films. Each game is themed after a specific monster film from the classics to those of modern day. With card games, murder mysteries, haunted house games, and detective quests included, there is enough variety to suit any monstrous mood. Each game can be played by all ages with supplies ranging from simple index cards to fake blood and body parts. The book includes full instructions for making each game, along with rule pages, game play guides, spell books, lab books, and more.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 4th International Conference on HCI in Games, HCI in Games 2022, held as part of the 23rd International Conference, HCI International 2022, which was held virtually in June/July 2022. The total of 1271 papers and 275 posters included in the HCII 2022 proceedings was carefully reviewed and selected from 5487 submissions. The HCI in Games 2022 proceedings intends to help, promote and encourage research in this field by providing a forum for interaction and exchanges among researchers, academics, and practitioners in the fields of HCI and games. The Conference addresses HCI principles, methods and tools for better games.

Make More Immersive and Engaging Magic Systems in GamesGame Magic: A Designer's Guide to Magic Systems in Theory and Practice explains how to construct magic systems and presents a compendium of arcane lore, encompassing the theory, history, and structure of magic systems in games and human belief. The author combines rigorous scholarly analysis wi