Violet and the Mystery Next Door

Review

Common Sense Media says

Engaging choose-your-own adventures with friendship theme.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Violet and the Mystery Next Door is an interactive mystery storybook with a "choose your own adventure" vibe. The story itself tells the tale of Violet and a new boy who has moved in next door. As the book progresses, she finds a way to get to know him, and they work together to solve a small mystery. By the end, they are friends. At two points in the story, the reader has to make a choice between two paths. The choice doesn't really change the end of the story, but it does change some of the activities faced along the way.

  • Ease of use3
    The app is simple to use, but there are two quirks that keep it from being ideal. The first is that you have to touch a relatively small arrow to turn the pages, rather than using a more intuitive swiping motion. The other is that some items are highlighted with yellow lines so you know you can touch them, but others have no highlighting. 
  • Violence1
    The kids in the story engage in a snowball fight. The reader is encouraged to throw snowballs at an opponent, but it's all in good fun.
  • Sex0
    Not applicable.
  • Language0
    Not applicable.
  • Consumerism1
    There is a link from the main menu page that allows you to browse the publisher's other titles and click through to purchase them in the App Store.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking0
    Not applicable.
  • Privacy & safety4
    The app allows you to connect with Facebook and Twitter, but both are optional.
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Is it any good?

 

VIOLET AND THE MYSTERY NEXT DOOR has a positive story of friendship with interactive elements and games. Kids may be frustrated that their choice of story path doesn't change the end result, but it does add some additional value by providing different story choices. The variety of interactive elements and engaging tale make this a nice addition to a book app library.

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This review was written by Christy Matte

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This review was written by Christy Matte
Category:Books
Platforms:iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad
Price:$2.99
Size:86.80 MB
Publisher:My Black Dog Books, LLC
Version:1.1
Release date:March 17, 2011
Minimum software requirements:iOS 3.2 or later
This review was written by Christy Matte

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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