I couldn’t help but look forward to the Evidence Examination page (even though the instructions tell you not to skip ahead, sometimes I can’t help but take a peek at the next couple of pages to come). This page has a picture of a postcard on it and something that is obviously a code that needs to be broken. There’s even a ‘key letter’ in the postage stamp box. This one would be easy.
Or so I thought!
That’s my notes as I tried to figure out what the code was. As you can see, following the key letter didn’t actually get me very far.
Suffice to say, I figured out from the format of the code that it was probably a website address, even though AAA just didn’t convert to WWW no matter what I tried (and when I did convert it to WWW it just created a nonsense string of gibberish).
So I worked backwards and wound up on a website with this logo:
 |
| Picture taken from the mysterious website address in the code. |
Which took me to a letter from Keri Smith, congratulating me on my
sleuthing skills. It also told me that some of the mistakes, like those I
encountered in the Code Cracking activity, were intentional and
part of the test.
I think so far this has been one of my favourite activities in
this book. I’m really hoping that there are some more like it in the future.
It’s fun having to follow clues onto the internet to solve riddles and
mysteries. This page definitely spurred me on to play with this book some
more.
This all looks very interesting and it's always good to give those brain muscles a good work-out too!! Maybe we should try to get a group going that could make some code cracking activities as a monthly post or something?
ReplyDeleteIt is good fun. I have so much love for this book.
DeleteA code cracking activity would be good fun. Perhaps coded message which when translated reveal different blogs for an unusual sort of blog hop?
I'm not surprised that interactive books are now incorporating the internet....or has that been going on for awhile and I'm just now finding it out. I do love a good sleuthing activity. I have had some through my Genealogy Research and it's always so fun and rewarding to solve a problem or knock down a brick wall. I bet I'd like this book. Thanks for the review and introduction.
ReplyDeleteSue at CollectInTexas Gal
I know I bought a puzzle game when I was on holiday and that had an online element (once you solved a puzzle you could go online to unlock something extra).
DeleteI enjoy activities like this and I can see how it could be linked to genealogy research. I dabbled in it myself and it's so much fun when you suddenly make a breakthrough. If you ever pick up a copy of one of Keri Smith's books you'll have to let me know what you think. This is one of my favourites. ;-)