Stone Marshall

There’s A ‘Minecraft’ Version Of Disney World, And It Might Be Better Than The Real Thing

by Stone Marshall | Nov 6, 2014 | Minecraft News | 0 comments

One uneventful Friday night, I decided to visit Disney World. I’d been once before, packing all four parks into five days. It was intense, and I didn’t get to go on all the rides.

This time I wanted to take it easy. So I wandered around the Germany Pavilion at Epcot. I rode on Pirates of the Caribbean at Magic Kingdom. Twice, actually. I ate some snacks so I wouldn’t die.

Oh, and I did all of that from my couch in “Minecraft.”

Someone built a 1:1 scale of Disney World in “Minecraft,” which is the game that Microsoft recently paid more than $2 billion to own.

“Minecraft” is what’s called an open-world sandbox game, where players can build amazing creations, walk endlessly, or even play against each other online.

The multiplayer functionality of “Minecraft” is where people from all over can participate and play with each other in the same virtual world. Some people even host their own servers. There are hundreds if not thousands of gorgeous creations in the game, ranging from entire cities to replicas of real-life landmarks.

Once Upon A Dream

And that’s where Disney World comes in, or as it’s called in “Minecraft,” the MCMagic server.

The brains behind the magic is David Wasman, who goes by the name TheRealDuckie in the game.

He started out building the castle with a couple friends. He then saw on the “Minecraft” subreddit that someone else had built the front train station.

“I put two and two together, and figured I could put each one on opposite ends of Main Street, and then it just blew up from there,” Wasman tells Business Insider.

He then got to thinking that there are thousands of people who would never have a chance to make it to Disney in their lives. So he started a free server running out of his bedroom to give people an opportunity to visit the park.

“The server could only handle around 20 people at the time,” he laughs.

Through word of mouth, other builders from around the world pitched in to help him create more of the park, brick by brick. The number of people willing to help out grew, and three years later, the entirety of Disney World was online and accepting hundreds of visitors a day.

“I knew I had something,” he says. “I knew that being able to take from that magic that Disney already created, I can’t take any credit for that. But I can at least continue it in some way. It’s an homage, really.”

Building a team to help create stuff for a “Minecraft” server is a well-known part of the “Minecraft” world. Ever since Mojang (the maker of “Minecraft”) allowed people to host games on their own servers, there have been teams of people offering their building expertise to help make each server unique.

One of those teams, called ChiseledBrick, was started by a 13-year-old. People can spend anywhere from $50 all the way up to $200 per build, depending on various factors, such as the size of the build and the level of detail involved.

“It’s usually a form of investment. A server usually wants to have a good spawn area because it is the first impression of the server,” ChiseledBrick founder Justin Wang says.

Spawning is where a player is placed in the game world once they sign on. Or where they are “reborn” after they die.

In MCMagic, there’s no dying. It’s strictly for wandering around and checking out the parks. The spawn area looks like the front entrance to Disney World, the ticketing and transportation center. You can read about different aspects of the park, and learn how to do things and which commands to type in.

The best part is that you don’t actually have to walk anywhere. For example, you can just type in that you want to go to the Magic Kingdom, and you’re magically transported to Main Street.

Magic Everywhere

MCMagic is completely nonprofit. Any money that they make from donations goes right back into supporting the servers.

“I’ve paid, for the history of the servers, about 90% of the costs out of pocket,” Wasman says. “I’ve spent well over $16,000.”

Courtesy of TripAdvisorThe real Cinderella’s castle in the real Magic Kingdom.

There are hundreds of “cast members,” too, who help guests find things and make sure that everything is running smoothly. They also ensure that the space remains family friendly. There are constant reminders in the chat area on the left that no foul language will be tolerated.

“We are very big on the safety of our guests,” Denise Neill, one of MCMagic’s moderators, tells Business Insider. “We have a very young user base. We don’t allow any profanity, outside links, or any advertising on the server. Our goal is to make sure that when you come here, you know that your 7-year-old is not being approached by anyone who can get them into trouble.”

And even those cast members run the place on a volunteer basis. People who hang out on the server often enough and want to help out even further, whether by acting as a tour guide or a moderator, have to submit an application.

Neill stumbled on this server before taking a trip to Disney World with her husband, and just fell in love with it, she says. She’s been helping out with the server on and off for about three years, all as a volunteer.

“It’s just so much fun,” she says. “I’ve learned something new every day, and I’ve built really good relationships with people I’ve known for three years here.”

She said it’s not uncommon for people who meet on the MCMagic server to hang out in real life, and even meet up in the real Disney World.

Do You Want To Build A Theme Park?

In order to get Disney World looking like the real thing, the team solicits help from Disney fans.

They ask people who are going there to take detailed pictures, they use aerial images from Google, and they’ve even found the blueprints to some of the rides in order to build them to scale.

The amount of detail is insane. You can download what are called “resource packs,” that allow you to experience the parks as intended. And that even includes the music. And the shows, such as “Fantasmic.”

And people love it. “At this time, we’ve had around a quarter of a million guests on our server,” Neill says. “I remember when we had a party for our 5,000th guest. We get a new player every few minutes.”

But thanks to the quick way of getting across the parks, there aren’t any crowds to deal with.

ScreenshotThe sorcerer’s hat in ‘Minecraft.’

To Infinity And Beyond

There aren’t any plans to expand beyond Disney World. They’ll never build the Disneyland in California, or any of the other parks around the world.

But that doesn’t mean the work is over with the parks. Cast members in MCMagic are constantly building new things, ranging from changing up the different seasonal decorations, to huge projects like new rides or attractions.

For example, it was just announced that they’re removing the sorcerer’s hat from Disney’s Hollywood Studios. So it’s only a matter of time before they remove it from MCMagic.

“They will never be done,” Neill says. “This is a work in progress forever. You have to remember that Disney changes every six months. That means something new is coming.”

Minecraft Book Intricately Catalogs Every Block

by Stone Marshall | Nov 6, 2014 | Minecraft News | 0 comments

Blockopedia is a new book published by Egmont that details every block in Minecraft. While players will enjoy the extra information, onlookers are offered a window into how Minecraft provides a creative canvass for block based constructions.

Minecraft blocks are the essential elements that not only make up the world, but that players use to make their creations. Each block has different qualities and inter-dependencies that require a detailed understanding to make the most of them. Even young players soon learn how this all works and can identify the numerous types of blocks they may need.

The book, itself shaped like a block, groups things into different categories: naturally generated blocks, ores and minerals, plants, liquids and gasses, player created, utility and mechanism. Each of the blocks is measured for blast resistance, light-emitting qualities, transparency, physics and flammability.

These details will make more sense to those who have played the game, but even for outsiders it’s fascinating to see just how much is going on beneath the surface of Minecraft. Although the game looks simple and visually retro, this block ecosystem is as complex as any modern video-game.

Blockopedia

As with any “fan service” publication though there is an element of cashing-in on the popularity of a particular product or brand. Certainly, Minecraft represents a huge potential audience, and with the book releasing on December 4th is likely to sell out before Christmas.

However, Blockopedia has more content than might be expected here. This, along with the top class presentation, should ensure it is both useful and interesting once the initial novelty has worn off.

Another potential downside with a printed book like this is that it can go out of date quite quickly. Here though there is enough solid basic information that the book will continue to be useful even when it is no longer comprehensive.

Written by Alex Wiltshire, former editor of Edge magazine, the book expands on the basic properties of each block to offer advice and suggestions around their function and use in the game. The extends to how the blocks can be used in crafting to make a variety of useful secondary building materials.

Minecraft Book

Perhaps the only real omision in the book is an alphabetical index to look up blocks. Without this readers have to flick through pages or leaf through the table of contents to find particular block’s details.

The book follows the other Minecraft themed publications from Egmont, Minecraft Construction handbook, Minecraft Combat handbook, Minecraft annual and the Minecraft Beginner’s handbook. These each offer more instructional information about the game and are complemented by the Blockopedia information.

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Papa talk: Interest in reading can be cultivated early

by Stone Marshall | Nov 5, 2014 | parent-news | 0 comments

The ability to read is doubtlessly one of the most important fundamental skills a child can have, and without it, his or her education course will have suffered a stillbirth right from the outset.

S/he will never even be able to master all the other subjects if they can’t read. So, reading isn’t something one can take lightly at all. Many children do get to love books and reading. But how about the reluctant reader, one who has no interest in reading books whatsoever? How do you handle them?

I quite clearly remember when my younger brother and I were in primary school; we weren’t much of readers. But one of our teachers encouraged us to visit our town’s public library, which in a pleasant coincidental twist, was attached to our school. We walked into the library and got overwhelmed by this huge array of books arranged in a series of bookshelves, one after another.

We were further intimidated by the number of people, mostly adults, at the reading tables, reading silently. We didn’t even know where to start, and often found ourselves staring, fingering and leafing through books whose contents we couldn’t make heads or tails of.

But just to appease our teacher, we grabbed any books we thought would serve the purpose and headed for the librarian’s table. We suddenly bumped into our Science teacher, a pleasant lady who always looked out for her pupils. She took one look at the books each one of us was clutching and stopped us in our tracks.

She turned us back and had us return the books to their shelves. She led us to a section of books written for younger minds. She then picked books by Enid Blyton, the famous British children’s writer. We were, however, horrified by the number of pages each book had and were convinced we would never get round to finishing them.

Books were loaned out for 14 days, but we returned the books even before seven days, having read every page, almost non-stop, and after swapping the books between us! We fell in love with reading from then on, and by the time I sat for my PLE, I was reading novels read by secondary and university students!

I have always attributed my reading and writing abilities to this one incident in my life and will forever be indebted to this lady, who sadly passed on not long after. Carol Quick, a clinical social worker, observes that for all children, being at ease with letters, their sounds, and words is an important foundation for learning throughout life.

She advises parents to identify what captures a child’s interest and imagination and start the reading project there.

“Comics or joke books may not be your first choice to boost literacy, but the reality is they can be very motivating. Children will often amaze you with their ability to read something that they really want to read,” she says.

I recollect sometimes going to my mother as a little boy in primary school to solicit for money to buy books.

“And if you go and buy those books with funny drawings (comic books), you’ll be in trouble with me,” she would always warn. I would buy the ‘serious’ books but would always save some for the ‘comics.’ I greatly believe that comic books enriched mine and my brother’s vocabulary and educated us on the way of life in Europe and America.

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Books to Motivate Every Reader

by Stone Marshall | Nov 5, 2014 | parent-news | 0 comments

As educators, one of our overarching goals is to support literacy communities where leisure reading can motivate all of readers to develop a lifelong love of reading. In this column, the members of the Children’s Literature and Special Interest Group, feature titles that have the potential to both support struggling readers and challenge more confident ones. For example, panel art might motivate reluctant readers while picture books with surprise twists offer unique challenges for more avid readers. Through the use of whitespace, illustrations, varied sentence length, complexity, and text features, the titles afford opportunities to scaffold the reading process. Through interesting storylines and the use of humor, these selections will provide wide appeal to both avid and reluctant readers.

Grades K-2

Bee, William. (2013). Digger Dog. Illus by Cecilia Johansson. Somerville, MA: Nosy Crow/Candlewick.

With such a positive attitude and big smile, everyone needs a friend like Digger Dog. In this story, Digger Dog loves to dig for bones, but he also teaches the sound of the letter D, all about using comparatives and superlatives, and good adjectives. Most importantly, Digger Dog teaches the rewards of perseverance. On every page, Digger’s animal friends have his back as he tries harder and harder to dig up the biggest bone ever. A surprise-ending, four-page fold-out showing Digger’s bone digging success (a dinosaur digit!) inspires some primary-aged critical thinking as readers are encouraged to wonder about things they cannot see. Humorous illustrations in bright, sunny colors are enhanced by graphic polka dot backgrounds throughout the book. Visual cohesiveness partnered with consistent text patterns make this picture book a winner.

—Emily Ritholz, Reading Specialist, Quarryville, PA

Cohn, Ariel. (2014) The Zoo Box. Illus by Aron Nels Steinke. NY: First Second.

In this comic book style picture book, a brother and sister are left home alone to discover a suspicious box in the attic. The story starts with the parents reminding the children of bedtime, but the kids proceed to put on animal costumes (a tiger for the older sister, Erika). They then open the box labeled “do not open.” The children remain calm when first emerges an ostrich. From there, the story takes one fantastical turn after another. Young readers will enjoy the pacing of this book as they make sense of the bizarre “zoo” the children find themselves in. The amount of text varies from page to page which will help reluctant readers. There are wordless double-page spreads, eight panel spreads with only a few speech bubbles, and pages with plenty of text. This appealing offering will help build familiarity with the graphic novel format and also build confidence in young readers.

—Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Barnett, Mac (2014). Sam & Dave Dig a Hole. Illus by Jon Klassen. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

This irresistible picture book invites readers on an adventure with two boys and a dog. Armed with shovels, Sam and Dave are digging for “something spectacular.” As in the best picture books, readers needs the illustrations to understand the story. Humor is embedded in what the pictures convey that the text does not and the plot depends on pictures. The muted tones, varied page layout, and subtle details within the pictures are all key elements in this clever story. The book is meant to be read and re-read which will provide lots of practice for reluctant readers. In addition, young people will likely notice the ending twist before their teachers or parents.

—Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania

DiCamillo, Kate. (2014). Leroy Ninker Saddles Up. Illus. by Chris Van Dusen. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

“Yippee-i-oh!” This transitional reader offers witty wordplay, a creative storyline, and endearing characters. Leroy Ninker has aspirations of becoming a cowboy. Even though he has a hat and nifty boots, he is missing one of the most essential items needed to be considered a “true” and “bona fide” cowboy—his very own horse. His search for a horse comes to fruition when he meets Maybelline, an oversized and friendly animal (with four large teeth). Leroy is instructed to follow some unusual rules. First, he must shower Maybelline with compliments or she won’t gallop or respond to any other commands. Second, Maybelline loves to eat, so he must feed her “plenty of grub” and finally, he should never leave Maybelline unattended. Unfortunately, Leroy leaves Maybelline alone and she runs away. Through a series of adventures and missed opportunities, Maybelline and Leroy finally reunite on Deckawoo Drive at the home of familiar characters (Mrs. Watson, Mercy, Stella and Frank). DiCamillo’s brilliant use of descriptive language and character development coupled with a heartfelt message about friendship make this a must-have for the classroom. The illustrations and the ‘horseshoe marker’ page numbers add to the light-hearted mood of the text. Teachers might be interested in viewing more information about the book, including a teacher’s guide at the publisher’s web site:

—Mary Napoli, Penn State Harrisburg

Hanlon, Abby. (2014). Dory Fantasmagory. New York, NY: Penguin Young Readers.

Imaginative, creative, humorous, and playful are just a few ways to describe this transitional chapter book. Dory, also known as Rascal, is the youngest sibling. Despite the fact her older brother and sister think she is a baby, her imagination and creative sense of play provide her hours of entertainment. Through a series of make-believe characters, Dory and her imaginary friend Mary, find ways to occupy their day (and also annoy her older siblings, Luke and Violet). Her sister threatens Dory that unless she stops acting like a baby, she will be snatched up by the ruthless Mrs. Gobble Gracker. Dory decides to defeat Mrs. Gobble Gracker by pretending to be a dog and engaging in other mischievous acts. Will she defeat Mrs. Gobble Gracker? Will her brother and sister finally play with her? What will be her next adventure? Dory is a well-developed and relatable character. The mix of words and illustrations (along with comic speech bubbles) make this an entertaining read-aloud.

—Mary Napoli, Penn State Harrisburg

Grades 3-5

Gaiman, Neil. (2014). Hansel and Gretel. Illus. by Lorenzo Mattotti. New York, NY: RAW Jr. /TOON Books.

In this retelling of the classic fairy tale first published by the Brothers Grimm in 1812, Gaiman’s gift of descriptive language offers subtle nuances to provoke readers to question the underlying tone and messages of poverty, war, and abandonment. Gaiman adds an interesting ending where Hansel, Gretel, and their father live prosperous lives, never having to worry about food or shelter. He includes background information about the origin of the tale and a short bibliography of other Grimm collections. Moreover, he shares information about how his collaboration with illustrator Mattotti developed. Lorenzo Mattotti’s initial renderings were part of an exhibit to celebrate the Metropolitan Opera Production of Hansel and Gretel. His haunting illustrations immediately sear through the reader’s emotions. The wordless double page spreads contain swirls of blackness that support Gaiman’s text, but can also be ‘read’ independently. Gaiman & Mattotti’s rendition will intrigue and puzzle readers.

—Mary Napoli, Penn State Harrisburg

Judge, Lita (2014). Born in the Wild: Baby Mammals and their Parents. NY: Roaring Brook Press.

This unique book presents 26 species of baby mammals. With a balance of storytelling through illustration, repetitive verses, and informational text this book offer a delightful experience for a wide variety of readers. Accordingly, the book can be read repeatedly and on many levels. The basic narrative pages contain just a simple sentence (The baby needs protection. The baby needs shelter) but the pages in between feature paragraphs devoted to each animal. These pages still maintain plenty of whitespace with bolder, colored text used to direct reader’s attention to the focus animal. In this way, readers can pick animals to focus on and read those sections. Readers with more motivation or endurance will find the back matter satisfying (containing further details on each animal, a glossary, sources, and a listing of websites). The art is an additional selling point for this book. The animals are drawn with a softness and realism that makes each one endearing.

—Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Spinelli, Eileen. (2014). Another Day as Emily. NY: Alfred A. Knopf.

Eleven-year-old Suzy and 4-year-old Parker are pictured on the cover of this book as typical siblings. Suzy is easy to relate to as she spends her summer talking to her pet fish, participating in the library’s “Tween Time,” and becoming friends with an older boy named Gilbert. The character is tested when Suzy becomes jealous of the attention Parker gets for being a hero by calling 911 for a neighbor and gets rejected for a part in a play while her best friend is chosen. Suzy’s story maintains a hopeful tone throughout but her inner struggles with feel familiar with readers. Written in brief poems, the book moves fast. Some readers will want to take their time with individual poems (and possibly investigate Emily Dickinson further) while others will feel satisfied with the quick pace of the story.

—Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Grades 6-8

Holt, K.A. (2014). Rhyme Schemer. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.

In the tradition of Love that Dog and Locomotion, K.A. Holt’s Rhyme Schemer explores the love/hate relationship between a boy and poetry. Kevin is in middle school and he is a bully. Ironically, he becomes a victim of bullies when his secret love of poetry is discovered. As “the poetry bandit,” Kevin rips out pages from books, then creates and pins up ingenious Found Poetry, which angers and baffles teachers while students cheer on this mysterious Robin Hood of words. Readers empathize with the emotional rollercoaster ride that is middle school. Who has not felt the way Kevin feels when he writes: “I am not a stone./I am not a rock./I am not a giant and unblinking and cold./ There is an earthquake./In my guts.” Kevin survives family problems, school disciplinary action, and self-esteem issues. Middle school students who struggle academically or emotionally will identify with Kevin. In the end, it is everyone’s angel, the school librarian who uplifts and supports Kevin. The book closes with a smile and a very important middle school reminder: Be Kind.

—Emily Ritholz, Reading Specialist, Quarryville, PA

Thomson, Ruth (2014). Photos Framed: A Fresh Look at the World’s Most Memorable Photographs. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.

Photographs capture moments in time and serve as passports to understanding our past and capture our present. There is nothing quite like the experience of gazing at a photograph to convey emotion and its significance of a particular moment in time. In this well-organized nonfiction text, Ruth Thompson provides readers with a visual journey through history. The collection of 27 high quality photographic images feature an iconic self-portrait of photography inventor, Louis Daguerre (1844) to more contemporary images, including the Royal Wedding portrait of Prince William and Kate Middleton. The front matter includes a “note to readers” to pay close attention to the intricacies of each image. The table of contents includes headings, such as “portrait photography, nature photography, photography as art, and documentary photography.” Each double page spread contains information about the photograph and the photographer. There are also color coded questions to facilitate observation and discussion as well as text boxes: Blow Up and Zoom In. Each text box provides further opportunities for readers to observe and consider the details of each image. The adjacent page contains a full color photograph along with a relevant quote from the photographer that captures his/her keen perceptions to keep the reader interested and entranced. This is unquestionably an informative, well researched, and engaging nonfiction selection.

—Mary Napoli, Penn State Harrisburg

Grades 9-12

Lewis, J. Patrick & Lyon, George Ella. (2014). Voices from the March on Washington. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong.

This book bridges non-fiction and poetry beautifully. Readers will learn about the March on Washington through poems in “imagined voices.” These poems present this historical event through the eyes of fictionalized characters—a third-grader from Washington, D.C. to a 16-year-old from Georgia to a Spelman College student. These voices are complemented by poems that capture the events of the time period, including poems devoted to Rosa Parks, Bayard Rustin, and Langston Hughes. The book starts with black and white photos, an in depth introduction, table of contents, and an initial poem titled “Reflection.” The end matter includes a guide to the voices, bibliography, websites, and two indices (one by voice and one by title). While the book has a satisfying arc read as a whole, the variety of poems and the detailed information about all the voices give this piece a special kind of accessibility to a wide range of readers for a wide range of purposes.

—Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Smith, Andrew. (2014). 100 Sideways Miles. NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Finn Easton and Cade Hernandez are best friends. Their friendship is the heart of this novel which features first love, a tragic death, and the protagonist’s struggle epilepsy. In addition, Finn is also dealing with unwanted notoriety because of similarities he shares with a characters in his father’s famous cult-classic science fiction novel. While events in the story may seem bizarre and even disturbing, the deadpan dialogue between characters and classic teenage sarcasm make for a hilarious read. Fans of young adult literature will immediately “get” these characters and more reluctant readers will be drawn in by the charisma of the characters.

—Lesley Colabucci, Millersville University of Pennsylvania

These reviews are submitted by members of the International Reading Association’s Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) and are published weekly on Reading Today Online.

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