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Shaking Your Family Tree

March 18, 1999
	FAMILY TREE DETECTIVE AND FAMILY TIES by Myra Vanderpool Gormley, C.G.
The Family Tree Detective: Cracking the Case of Your Family's Story by Ann Douglas and illustrated by Stephen MacEachern is a superb new book that would make an excellent birthday or Christmas present for children ages 7 to 12 in your family. Not your ordinary "how to trace your genealogy'' for kids, this one takes a child on a fascinating journey of discovery, revealing ways to uncover intriguing pieces of family lore that will delight, entertain, and enlighten young readers. For example: "Here's an excuse to stick out your tongue at the dinner table -- and a way to get your parents to stick out theirs, too! Ask everyone around the table if they can roll their tongues like hot dog buns. Can you? Can other members of your family?'' Before you ask what on earth does rolling your tongue like a hot dog bun have to do with genealogy, the author goes on to explain. "The gene that allows you to roll your tongue in a U-shape is a dominant gene,'' and then directs the reader to "Detective Tips'' on the page about dominant genes. For today's high-tech kids there is information about e-mail, audiotapes, videotapes and surfing on the Internet, plus traditional genealogical tips. The text is complemented with "Branching Out'' activities such as how to build a family time capsule, "Detective Tips'' and "Amazing Family Facts'' sidebars, plus lively, colorful illustrations. The Family Tree Detective (48 pages; $9.95) is published by Owl Books of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is available in bookstores in Canada and the United States, and on the Web at http://owlbooks@owl.on.ca. STAR BREAK Family Ties (Deluxe Edition, $29.95) is new software for genealogists. In addition to the most of the standard formats genealogists use -- charts, reports and data filtering, it can automatically and easily create a Web page, including photos and images. The scrapbook feature allows unlimited (it is claimed) photographs, audio files, videos and other documents (such as birth certificates and marriage licenses). It supports all picture formats, including Kodak Photo CD. PAF (Personal Ancestral File) users will find the program easy to use as it can read and write PAF files directly, with no import or export necessary. Additionally, Family Ties has some unique LDS (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) reporting options that enable the user to pre-qualify names and submit data to Ancestral File(TM) or Temple Ready(TM). However, if you are not familiar with the way PAF handles notes, be sure to read Appendix D in Family Ties user's guide, which comes with the software. Information from the database can be printed in only two formats -- Ahnentafel and Modified Register reports -- in the Books Options, and notes and an index can be included with these. Family Ties works with Windows 3.x, Windows 95 and 98. It requires a 486 Intel microprocessor or higher, 2MB of RAM, 4MB of disk space, a 256-color VGA monitor or better, a CD-ROM drive and a mouse. Details about Family Ties and how to order or upgrade can be found at Individual Software Inc.'s Website: http://www.individualsoftware.com/consumer/conft5.htm. Click Here  for Myra's Archive (c) 1999, Los Angeles Times Syndicate Myra Vanderpool Gormley and Julie Case are co-editors of Missing Links, a free weekly genealogy e-zine. To subscribe, send your request to: Missing Links Newsletter Return to Myra Vanderpool Gormley Main Page Return to Columns Main Page
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