Playmobil Skull Pirate Ship
(Playmobil $29.99 Score:) New for 2007, Playmobil Skull Pirate Ship is big and showy, but our tester had trouble connecting the deck and hull securely. Kids will need help attaching the “nets” that clamp the ship together, and once done, it will not be convenient for storage. ALthough younger kids also needed help with Lego's Pirate Ship,the end products seemed sturdier for play. (800)752-9662.

Age: . Award Year: 2007.

American Girl Emily
(American Girl $87 Score:) In the American Girl collection of dolls, each comes with a book that introduces girls to a bit of history through stories. Emily is in fact not an American girl, but an English girl, an auburn-haired beauty evacuated during WWII from London, to live with Molly and her family. Still top rated, any number of historic dolls from various times in our history. Last year’s winner was also an English girl, Elizabeth, from a prominent Loyalist family (and best friend of well-known Felicity). She’s 18" tall with long blond hair and blue eyes. PLATINUM AWARD 06. Still top rated, Nellie O’Malley (Samantha’s best friend). PLATINUM AWARD ’05. 7 & up. (800) 845-0005.

Age: Early School Years,Later School Years. Award Year: 2007.

Tiptoes Touche Mediterranean Madge
(Manhattan Toy $19.99 Score:) The latest in one of our favorite lines of plush—they’re fun and funky, and come with plenty of attitude. You can select Madge the pig in her new polka dot bikini or her pink boa, or Gladys the cow with hot pink shoes. (800) 541-1345.

Age: Early School Years. Award Year: 2007.

Elephant
(Folkmanis $36 Score:) An oversized floppy-eared grey elephant with a clever two-ring mechanism that raises and lowers the trunk, this full-bodied puppet is sure to take over the show! On a more domestic scale, there is also an adorable 13" brown Tabby Cat ($22 4), the favorite of one of our toddler testers! Still charming, a 30" honey-colored Golden Retriever ($60 4). (800) 654-8922.

Age: Preschool,Early School Years. Award Year: 2007.

Air Hogs Hydro Launcher
(Spinmaster $99.99 Score:) Promises to take flight from the water! Marked appropriately 14 & up (the propellers have a potential to really hurt). Equally neat looking, Air Hogs Helix Helicopter ($69.99)—a small-scale copter designed for indoor use. If this works, it will be great. No assembly required. 8 & up. Neither ready for testing. (800) 622-8339.

Age: Later School Years. Award Year: 2007.

Hot Wheels Flashfire
(Mattel $89.99 Score:) Newest from the Pro Power Series, this oversized RC is an all- terrain racing car that can splash through water, leap over rocks, and thrill young drivers. It has an 8 multi-channel system that means you can race up to 8 cars at once—pretty cool! (800) 524-8697.

Age: . Award Year: 2007.

Roboreptile and RS Media
(WowWee $350 Score:) RS promises to provide all of your media needs in the package of an interactive robot. Comes with a small color LCD screen on his chest, tweeters and woofer, a USB connector, and music playback; you can input data from your PC. Comes loaded with four personalities (each with its own distinct animations and expressions). Comes with 50 MB of internal memory or you can use an external memory card (additional purchase required). Also new, Roboreptile ($120 4), the latest in the robo “creature” line, 21⁄4' long, is truly creepy in that Jurassic Park/Terminator kind of way, with 28 remote functions. We found him less responsive to commands than his predecessors. 8 & up. Still top rated, the less expensive earlier versions: Robosapien ($99) and Robosapien V2 ($250); and Roboraptor ($100 ), a scary 32"-long white robotic dino that thinks he’s in a scene from “Jurassic Park.” He hisses and snaps. For our older toy testers this was cool. (Some little siblings may truly be freaked out by his aggressive nature). 10 & up. (800) 310-3033.

Age: Later School Years. Award Year: 2007.

Star Wars
(Lego Systems, Inc. $34.95 Score:) For Star Wars fans there are several new kits worth noting: Jabba’s Sail Barge ($74.99/781 pieces 4): Our 11-year old tester thought the age label (8–12) was off—you’d need to be older to do this kit. He liked the toy, but had tough comments for the directions: “pictures were too dark on the instructions and that really threw off some of the building.” For the hard-core Star Wars/Lego fan, consider the Imperial Star Destroyer ($99.99/1366 pieces), and of course you’ll need the B-wing Fighter ($34.99/435 pieces) to go along with that! (800) 223-8756.

Age: . Award Year: 2007.

K'nex Vertical Vengeance Coaster
(KNEX $59.99 Score:) Here is the latest twist on a K’nex roller coaster. This one is over 5 feet high, with a motorized chain lift that takes two cars to the top—where they zoom down the loops and spiral turns of 33 feet of track. Our crack K’nex testers gave the directions very poor ratings. Ages 10 & up. For younger K’nex builders, Light ups! 30 Models Kit ($29.99) looks challenging with rods that light, but not available for testing; also Gear Action Building Sets ($29.99 3) that have gear-driven motion; these work, but directions are not clear. 7 & up. (800) 543-5639.

Age: Later School Years. Award Year: 2007.

Mag XL Magformers
(Rainbow Products $16.99 Score:) Here’s the newest fun in magnetic toys! Choose a set of either 14 or 30 geometric squares and triangles that can be set down on a flat surface. Give them a lift and—abracadabra—you have a 3-D ball that clicks together! Kids will have fun exploring the countless ways to invent new connections and constructions. Safe enough to leave out on the coffee table with no small magnets to worry over. This will entice grownups as well as kids. 5 & up. (541) 826-9007.

Age: Early School Years,Later School Years. Award Year: 2007.