Playing 3rd Grade Adventures is a lot like falling into the middle of a Saturday morning cartoon adventure. On the first CD- ROM, “The Mystery of Mathra,” Uncle Horace is lost in a South American rain forest said to be the home of Mathra, an evil mythical bird. You have to join with a team of young rescuers to find Horace and learn what’s destroying the jungle. But get ready to practice a lot of math, reading, science, geography, and problem-solving skills along the way.

Following this long and twisted tale takes players through “The Monkey Kingdom and the Goo Forest,” where problems are presented by a colorful cast of apes, spiders, and even a quartet of talking flowers that sound a bit like the Beatles. Each problem solved earns you whimsical items for bartering–sneezeberries, goo beetles, or snagnets–that later become your ticket to the keys to the Lost City, where Mathra resides.

Solving “The Mystery of Mathra” takes a lot of perseverance. Although the game is rated for children aged 7 to 9, and is equipped with a system that adjusts the program to different ability levels, it’s really too difficult for 7- and 8-year-olds to play alone. But 3rd Grade Adventures’ games are clever, and kids will love playing along with the animated characters. The package also offers a second CD-ROM full of printable workbooks and activity sheets–just in case parents feel their kids are having too much fun. (Ages 7 to 9) — Sharon Griggins