November 2011 Notable Toys — All

WowWee Paper Jamz are affordable and innovative instruments that provide an instant rock star experience and open-ended play. The creative blend of technology and play is made possible with Active Graphics Technology circuit-embedded paper, which allows kids to play like a pro by simply touching the paper surface. With cutting-edge technology, this Paper Jamz Pro microphone lets anyone sound like a pop star. USB cable included. For ages 8 and above. Batteries 3 x “AAA” (not included).

Get the real deal with The Real Lightning McQueen. His eyes and mouth come to life with impulse projection technology. Kids can interact with Lightning McQueen like never before as he teaches them how to maneuver him and rewards their driving skills. With bump detection technology, Lightning McQueen will react to collisions and even call in his pit crew for repairs. Lightning McQueen not only delivers his famous lines from the movie, but also speaks new, never-before-heard lines that can only be heard when driving The Real Lightning McQueen. Launch date: October 2011.

The Nerf VORTEX NITRON Blaster features a cutting-edge acceleration trigger that propels a full-auto storm of discs toward targets with extreme range for an all-out assault. The Centerfire Tech electronic scope features pulsing targeting lights to help kids center their aim. The included 20-disc magazine and onboard magazine storage make reloading quick and simple. In addition to being fully automatic, the NITRON is fully customizable with the Tactical Rail System that is compatible with most VORTEX and N-Strike Mission Kit accessories (sold separately) for a fully customizable battlefield experience.
— As of 10/18/2011 this product had 3.6 out of 5 stars from 5 reviews on ToysRUs.com. Pros: Appealing visual design; automatic. Cons: There is a lag when firing; takes lots of batteries, which is expensive.

With a BEYSTADIUM™ arena to fight in and exclusive battle tops and launchers, kids can start their dueling practice as soon as they're set up. Customize the BEYSTADIUM with three battle cores: the Zip Core forces straight-line movement, the Chaos Core brings chaos to the tops' movement, and the Deflector Core brings craziness because it affects right-spin and left-spin tops differently. With the tournament grids and official rule book, kids will be ready to do battle . Set up the exclusive GALAXY PEGASUS™ and METEO L-DRAGO™ tops for a launching, spinning attack.
— As of 10/18/2011 this product had 4.4 out of 5 stars from 7 reviews on ToysRUs.com. Pros: Fun; good starter kit. Cons: Expensive.
— As of 10/18/2011 this product had 3.5 out of 5 stars from 22 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Bey Media L-Drago is is a left-spinning top and is great; beys come assembled. Cons: not very durable; top has to be set just right before spinning, otherwise it won't go.
— In a Summer 2012 survey Deran Muckjian, owner of Catch a Falling Star in Lexington, Mass., told TDmonthly that they sell 40 Hasbro Beyblade figures every month.

The Mattel Barbie Sisters Go Camping! Camper has everything Barbie needs for her camping trips in one foldable and portable camper. With enough room to sleep all four sisters, the pink-tastic design of the camper with cool graphic touches is sure to please all. Kitchen accessories, such as food pieces and dishes, are included to enhance imaginative play, along with a bathroom complete with a toilet and shower. Don’t forget to bring Barbie’s cute puppy along for the ride, and use the pet bed for when it’s time to rest. The camper even comes with a Jacuzzi for Barbie and her sisters to relax in. This totally foldable and portable design makes it easy to carry anywhere, so Barbie’s adventures can continue anyplace.

With real-as-can-be movements, sounds and actions, COOKIE MY PLAYFUL PUP lets kids experience the joy of having a puppy of their very own. When kids pet her on her head or back, she barks, moves her head and wags her tail. Give her cheek a little scratch and she'll turn toward their hand to ask for more. When they tell her just how sweet she is, she'll respond with puppy babble that sounds just like she's talking. She loves her squeaky toy — when kids make it squeak, she'll turn her head toward the sound. When kids put her toy bone in her mouth, she'll make crunching sounds like she's chewing it. This pup is about 14 inches tall and can either sit up or lie down.
— As of 10/18/2011 this product had 4 out of 5 stars from 22 reviews on Walmart.com. Pros: Realistic; fun; entertaining. Cons: Dog doesn't "walk" so many reviewers reported their kids lost interest after a couple days; batteries run out quickly.

The classic oven has been updated to be light bulb-free and comes with yummy mixes and pans for cooking up all kinds of sweet treats. Oven comes with baking pan, cupcake pan, pan pusher, chocolate chip cookie mix, red velvet cake mix, pink frosting mix, rainbow sugar crystals package, paper cupcake wraps and instructions/recipe booklet.
— As of 10/18/2011 this product had 5 out of 5 stars from 4 reviews on ToysRUs.com. Pros: Easy, fun.
— As of 10/18/2011 this product had 3.9 out of 5 stars from 22 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: No assembly required; very easy;  Cons: Does not include many mixes; mixes make small quantities of food; extra mixes are expensive.

It's easy for kids to prepare meals for a birthday bash, picnic, backyard barbeque or to cook up just about anything with the Fisher-Price Dora Fiesta Favorites Kitchen Playset. The Fisher-Price Dora Fiesta Favorites Kitchen Playset includes: A double sided "fiesta recipe card" that kids can place in the kitchen window to cook delicious meals like tacos, huevos rancheros, hamburgers, and more; Dora talks kids through each recipe with fun phrases that correspond to the recipe; A refrigerator, oven, stovetop, grill, sink and a phone; More than 60 English and Spanish phrases, and 20 play pieces. Requires three AA batteries, included.

The Tonka Chuck & Friends Race Along Chuck is bursting with energy and wants to race. Kids can push or pull Chuck to make him go. Kids can fill and empty his dump bed and press the cab lights to hear over 50 phrases and sounds.

Blast through the droid ambush with LEGO Star Wars Mace Windu's Jedi Starfighter! With quad flick missiles and the reliable R8-B7 astromech droid to navigate and repair damage, Mace Windu's Jedi Starfighter will be more than a match for the tactical droid TX-20 on his Separatist speeder.
— As of 10/18/2011 this product had 4.5 out of 5 stars from 14 reviews on Google Product Search. Pros: Mini Figures are great; lots of details and extras included. Cons: Many similar sets have been made.

Frankie, Clawdeen and Draculaura have all been getting ready together to "cut up" the dance floor and boogie the night away at the Dawn of the Dance at Monster High. This three-pack is the only place you can find Draculaura in her Dawn of the Dance outfit.

The Power Wheels Fisher-Price Dune Racer Ride On is a 2 seat, open cockpit design 12v battery operated ride on with large off road tires. This  dune buggy's main feature is Monster Traction which delivers superior terrain performance versus other battery operated ride ons. The Power Wheels Fisher-Price Dune Racer Ride On drives 2.5 and 5mph forward and 2.5 mph in reverse. It also has a front storage compartment and seat belts for added play, a metal frame and nickel plated side safety bars. For enhanced appearance the product has metal plated wheels, front bumper, and shifter.
— As of 10/18/2011 this product had 4.3 out of 5 stars from 12 reviews on ToysRUs.com. Pros: Low and wide build makes it more stable than other Power Wheels vehicles; fun; two kids can ride at once. Cons: Tires are very noisy; battery does not last long.

The girls from Monster High are fabulously freaky and ready to cheer in their fearleading uniforms. The three Draculaura, Cleo de Nile and Goulia Yelps dolls come with a set of pom poms and a Skullete megaphone and they're ready to get the high school crowd up on their feet and out of their seats. Draculaura and Cleo are dressed in cheer uniforms and ready to rock the crowd and Ghoulia is there to "represent" as the ultimate Monster High fan.
— As of 10/18/2011 this product had 4.8 out of 5 stars from 5 reviews on ToysRUs.com. Pros: Great attention to detail; lots of accessories.

Air Hogs Hyperactives Pro R/C Vehicle has ultimate control in micro scale performance. Reach scale speeds of over 450 mph. 2.4 ghz radio frequency communication for hobby inspired performance. Multi band for challenging friends. Up to 10 vehicles can run at once. Foam tires for maximum traction,and stability. Wide stance, and dune buggy inspired design enhance speed and stunt performance. Pistol grip controller charger for precision control and ultimate performance.
— As of 10/18/2011 this product had 5 out of 5 stars from 3 reviews on ToysRUs.com. Pros: Fast; easy to use; high quality.

Having enough ammo on hand can mean the difference between winning and losing when it comes to NERF blaster missions. The Nerf Vortex Vigilon Disc Blaster holds up to 5 long-range discs, and its built-in clip drops down at the touch of a button. Simply release the clip, reload the discs and reengage the clip for minimum rearming time and maximum blasting action. Offering long-range, high-powered disc-blasting technology, Nerf Vortex Vigilon Disc Blaster hurls ultra-distance discs for the ultimate battle experience. The Nerf Vortex Vigilon Disc Blaster comes with 5 discs and instructions.
— As of 10/18/2011 this product had 4.3 out of 5 stars from 8 reviews on ToysRUs.com. Pros: Easy to reload; shoots long distances. Cons: Discs bounce off of the surfaces they hit and become lost.

Once the balls pop out of the elephant's trunk, it's anybody's guess which way they'll roll — into the belly for put-and-take play, across the room for baby to crawl after, or back through the trunk for more poppin' surprises. With 10 fun tunes to play and this elephant's trunk controlling the poppin' direction, the play is exciting, engaging, and fun.
— As of 10/18/2011 this product had 2.9 out of 5 stars from 8 reviews on ToysRUs.com. Pros: Entertaining; helps develop hand-eye coordination; music is cute. Cons: Fan that blows the balls is loud; balls don't blow automatically so younger kids may have trouble using it.

Moshi Monsters love collecting Moshlings. Now kids can bring home Moshlings of their own with a Moshi Monsters 3 pack. Inside they'll discover 3 cute Moshlings and 1 secret code. The next time they log online,  they can use the code to retrieve 1 special item for their Moshi Monster. It's the perfect mystery gift for a Monster. Colors and styles vary. Three moshi monsters are selected at random at time of shipment. The Moshi Monsters 3-Pack Figures includes: 3 Moshling Figures; 1 Code for 1 Special Item; and a Bonus 3 Day Premium Trial Membership.
— As of 10/18/2011 this product had 5 out of 5 stars from 2 reviews on ToysRUs.com.

Fly the LEGO Ninjago Lightning Dragon Battle (2521) to rescue Sensei Wu. Frakjaw and Kruncha have captured Sensei Wu and stole the nunchucks of lightning with their helicopter. Help Jay and the fearsome Lightning Dragon to rescue him and retrieve the golden weapon before they escape into the Underworld.! Beware of the helicopter's snapping jaws and flick missiles.
— As of 10/18/2011 this product had 4 out of 5 stars from 2 reviews on ToysRUs.com. Pros: Dragon is durable; mini figures are great. Cons: Helicopter is not very durable.

Watching the rising and falling colored blobs in these lamps is hypnotizing. They measure 13.75 inches tall and come in three assorted colors: pink, green and blue.
— Mary Porter, owner of Curiosity Zone in Ashburn Va., told TDmonthly in an October 2011 survey that she sells several of these lamps each month, making them her best selling tween item.
— Marc Slotin, owner of My Imagination Station in Spartanburg, S.C., told TDmonthly in a Fall 2013 survey that lava lamps were a big seller with tweens.

This bracelet features a pink band covered in orange rhinestones, and bright orange ties. 7" long.
— Joanne Smith, owner of JaZams in Princeton, N.J., told TDmonthly in an October 2011 survey that jewelry from Natural Life is a best selling product for tweens at her store.

A class trip to a local natural history museum  takes a  dangerous turn for the characters of this book, the fifth and allegedly final installment of The Secret Series, when a mummy with a missing finger goes missing. Launch date: September 2011.
— As of 10/19/2011 this book had 5 out of 5 stars from 155 reviews on BarnesandNoble.com.
— As of 10/19/2011 this book had 5 out of 5 stars from 7 reviews on Amazon.com.
— As of 10/19/2011 this book had 4.39 out of 5 stars from 106 ratings on GoodReads.com.

There’s a conga in the Congo with these 10 wild instruments. Includes Leopard conga drum with 10-bell tambourine lid; Antelope slide whistle; Hornbill water whistle; 2 giraffe maracas; Croc cabasa & clacker; Twister hand drum and 2 snake drumsticks.

Designed by a physician to assist in developing a child’s oral-motor alertness. The Busy Bee Baby Buzzer stimulates auditory senses with blinking lights and music. The bee gently vibrates and plays soothing and calming classical tunes. The bee’s soft ears are ideal for the orally-dependent child. The color buttons let caregiver or child select what they’d like to hear.

Place the last puzzle piece into the emergency vehicle to see the lights flash and hear the sirens. This 9-piece wooden peg puzzle features three 3-piece emergency vehicles, with a full-color, matching picture under each piece.