THE GREAT DETECTIVE PARTY AND OTHER THEME GAMES FOR CHILDREN Irene N. Watts Markham (Ont.), Pembroke Publishers, 1989. 84pp, paper, $9.95 ISBN 0-921217-28.5. CIP Kindergarten to Grade 7/Ages 5 to 12 Reviewed by Frances Nokes. Volume 17 Number 4 1989 July This volume takes the current interest in party ideas and aims it in a worthy direction by centering on activities. As a theatre director and consultant who has worked with teachers and children, as well as the author of eleven plays for children, Wails is a well-qualified compiler. The approximately one hundred games described by Watts in the context of theme panics arc accessible in an index of games by category. (There is a heading index as well.) Games that fit into more than one category arc listed more than once. The category headings arc "Introductory Warm-up," "Competitive" (individuals and teams), "Running," "Escaping," "Catching and Tagging," "Acting, Miming and Imagining," "Listening," "Looking, Finding and Memorizing," "Speaking and Story telling," "Drawing, Writing and Making," and "Guessing." Ideas about costumes as well as rele­vant literature {British and American clas­sics as well as a fine representation of modem Canadian titles) and videos are given for each of eleven theme parties. Age range, group size and props are all clearly indicated at the beginning of each party description. Age ranges span from three to thirteen, with children from five to twelve served best. An excellent resource for children, parents and teachers! Frances Nokes, Winnipeg, Man.