Funny stuff from Toy Story 3, out in theaters this weekend.





Love that elevator! - Jeremiah

Flickr user St3f4n's photos of storm trooper action figures kicking around and stirring up trouble are hilarious and really well-done, and thanks to his Creative Commons licensing, we can share a few of our favorites here. The photos combine a purposeless behavior, getting in over your head, and seeking outlets to express powerless rage in a way that reminds me of being a teenager, and St3fan's careful figure positioning expresses so much more than you'd think these little guys could.

















There are 365 in all - check out the full series if these make you laugh. - Jeremiah

Idea: Brilliant. Execution: Brilliant.

Artist Bill Zeman invited his daughter to "commission" illustrations for him to create "on spec." The results of these are predictably wacky, but the best thing about this book is the critiques: Zeman documents in detail his daughter's occasionally approving but frequently withering and capricious assessments of his work. Tiny Art Director is a steal at about $10 on Amazon.com.

Tiny Art Director - Jeremiah

As a middle school teacher, I’m always elated to discover a story that will hook reluctant readers. In her new series "Conspiracy 365," Australian crime writer Gabrielle Lord has crafted an incredibly readable novel and a fairly ingenious concept for a series.

Fifteen-year-old Cal Ormond must survive the next 365 days. In order to do so, he’s going to have to unravel the mysteries surrounding his father's untimely death and outsmart the thugs who are hunting him down. The story will unfold, one book at a time, each month throughout 2010. I read January, a fast-paced and engaging first installment that lays out a series of questions, but no answers. February and March installments have arrived on schedule, with new releases planned for the beginning of each month.

For my money, Lord has developed a sure-fire recipe for keeping young readers hooked, one cliffhanger after another, until the end of the year. If the author is able to maintain the momentum through the remaining books in the series, she's going to have a hit on her hands. Middle grade fans of television's 24 and the Jason Bourne trilogy will enjoy the twists and turns Lord has up her sleeve. Be prepared to suspend your disbelief for just long enough to enjoy this quick ride, because you'll be glad you did.

Erica Fry is a middle-school teacher in Brooklyn, NY. - Erica

Microsoft's new gaming interface, dubbed Project Natal, takes the concept of Nintendo's Wii (much loved in our household) a step further by eliminating the controller altogether and enabling the interface to track 11 different points on the player's body. It's pretty incredible, as you can see:



Not sure about a game designed simply to have you flailing, but the potential for this interface is pretty exciting. - Jeremiah

Toon Books - the series that redefines "comics" for young children and makes them an invaluable early reading tool - introduced us to some surprisingly versatile online comic panel creation software that your kids will enjoy playing with.

After fooling around with it, I wrote:

In fact, it works so well, they should take it further. Add the ability to sequence multiple panels on a page and to draw your own characters with a rudimentarly drawing tool, and they could either sell this software on a standalone basis or provide exclusive access to purchasers of their books through an access code.

Then I started browsing some more and realized that Comics Lab Extreme, a companion product to the Comics Lab that Toon Books had brought me to, does just that. Multipage comic books, artwork upload, and more. Great stuff for tech-savvy kids with an interest in comics. And it's all free.

Anyone out there have kids who love a particular comics software, online or off? - Jeremiah