• KIDZONE: C — REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE Produced by Sharon Lipovsky Knowledge Network (Open Learning Agency), 1991. VHS cassette, 15:00 min., $29.95. Resource guide $6.00. KIDZONE: E — CURIOUS ABOUT SCIENCE Produced by Sharon Lipovsky Knowledge Network (Open Learning Agency), 1991. VHS cassette, 15:00 min., $29.95. Resource guide $6.00. KIDZONE: G - WATT'S UP Produced by Sharon Lipovsky Knowledge Network (Open Learning Agency), 1991. VHS cassette, 15:00 min., $29.95. Resource guide $6.00. All distributed by T.H.A. Media Distributors Ltd., 1100 Homer St., Vancouver, B.C. V6B 2X6. Grades 4 to 7/Ages 9 to 12 Reviewed by Wendy Zwaal. Volume 20 Number 6 1992 November "Kidzone" is a half-hour magazine-style program for children aged seven to twelve, produced by British Columbia's educational service, the Knowledge Network. It is currently broadcast in four provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario. These three videos are excerpts from the television series, packaged topically - on the environment, electricity conservation and safety, and science. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle deals with the environment and includes five segments. A rap about packaging details the damage done to the environment by excessive packaging. In a contest called "Breathing for Bucks," two contestants compete to see whose life-style is less detrimental to the air. A genie comes out of a bottle in "Genie Rap" and raps about the damage done to water by cleaning products. A detective investigates "The Case of the Giant Vegetables," in which the benefits of composting, both to waste reduction and to gardening, are the solution to the mystery. The final segment is about a car wash aimed at saving the environment, but instead of making money, the volunteers wash cars for free as an incentive to motorists to recycle oil. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is both informative and entertaining. The segments are short and interesting, and would easily hold the attention of children. Curious about Science contains four episodes that explore different areas of science. "Science World" includes a short tour of Vancouver's Science World, and demon­strates that science is not boring. "Weather" explains how to forecast weather, including forecasts based on simple observations and information from satellites. "Aquarium" is not an average visit to the aquarium, but a behind-the-scenes look at how the pools are built and maintained. "Geology" includes a visit to a volcanic cone and demonstrates that geology is more than just rock collecting. Curious about Science shows children that science and scientists are not boring, and the short segments encourage children to investigate the subjects more thoroughly. Watt's Up is a series of four game show segments about electrical conservation and safety. Two contestants compete for "power points" and the winner appears on the next segment. The questions are interesting and full explanations of the answers are given. The videos are entertaining and fast paced, and contain a great deal of information. There are Teacher's Resource Guides available that detail how to use the videos in the classroom. These guides and the lessons included in them are directly linked to the B.C. public school curriculum, but can also be used in other jurisdictions. The videos are highly recommended: they are interesting, informative and affordable. However, a note about the teacher's guides - if the entire series is purchased, then the Teacher's Resource Guide is included; if not, the guides must be purchased separately for $6.00 each. Wendy Zwaal is a children's librarian at Newmarket Public Library in Newmarket, Ontario.