Libby Young recommends some sites for summer surfing
Summer is the time for some serious surfing, of both the hi-tech and wet varieties. With so many people baking on the beach, the web picks up speed, making a bit of self-indulgent browsing too tempting to resist. Better still, all the public holidays lower the call costs and give you twice as long online for your money. So in the summer spirit here are some websites to enjoy this holiday.
How Stuff Works is perfect for a little pleasant research into all those topics you’ve been too busy to pursue during the year. Covering an amazing variety of subjects, from technology to health, the site explains how car engines work; how human cells work; how boomerangs work – you get the picture. A definite public holiday site because once you start into it you’ll not want to leave.
Howstuffworks
Catching up on scientific research can also be fun. South African divers filmed three coelacanths in the ocean depths off the north-east coast this year. Online video clips show this living dinosaur in its natural environment. The website provides articles on what is known about its biology and behaviour.
Dinofish
Discovery’s Kids website is about more than just fun and games – although that is a big component of it – with sections on history, planet Earth, dinosaurs and technology. The text is well written, and online polls provide a degree of interaction. Several webcams give live coverage of polar bears, sharks and baby elephants.
Discovery
The summer holidays are also a perfect time to catch up on some reading. The What Am I Going to Read.com site offers reviews and interviews but, best of all, it hosts online discussion forums where you can share your thoughts on the plot and character development.
Whatamigoingtoread
The complete text of over 2 000 classic works is available online completely free from Bibliomania. The library includes fiction, drama, poetry and short stories. There are also articles, and dozens of study guides to help with teacher preparation. Other resources include Culpeper’s Herbal, a complete guide to natural remedies, Soule’s Synonyms and Roget’s Thesaurus.
Biblomania
With the rand taking blows from the dollar, Amazon.com is likely to hurt the pockets of South African buyers but it remains a useful resource for non- buyers. Every book is rated by readers and also lists other books bought by them, providing an invaluable guide to books in a similar vein.
amazon.com
Happy holidays and happy reading.
– The Teacher/M&G Media, Johannesburg, December 2001.