Description: Bill Nye's site is by far one of the most innovative resources currently available for children. The site is highly Flash-dependent and, therefore, provides young visitors with the excitement and interaction that they desire. Apart from the visual effects, this is a great learning resource.

Great site because:

• Although the site takes some time to load, children are kept occupied with continually-changing quick facts at the bottom of the screen.
• Bill Nye's site includes plenty of exciting (yet educational) elements such as sound rollovers, episode guides, and inventive e-postcards.

The Chopping Block, Inc.

Desciption: The Chopping Block, Inc., a web design firm located in Chicago, specializes in high-end, interactive websites for a variety of clients. The site is themed to an orange grove, and the company's products are little less than amazing.

Great site because:

• The theme of an orange grove is unique and not suited for some companies, but it successfully sets the tone for the site and its style.
• Interesting interactive elements, such as orange blossoms that appear to sway in the wind when the mouse passes over them, further point out the company's attention to detail and environment.

Harry Potter

Description: The official site for the Harry Potter movies is Flash-based but loads fairly quickly, and the wait is worth the reward. The content of the site changed radically between the first and second movie, which keeps visitors coming back, and every element goes toward creating the environment.

Great site because:

• The Flash movies get visitors interested in the content of each movie, and the site does a wonderful job of continually updating information.
• Every page and button evokes the environment of a magical world, so it is nearly impossible not to become immersed in the site.

Pear Design, Inc.

Description: Undoubtedly one of the quirkiest web design sites available, Chicago-based Pear Design, Inc., includes bright colors, strange wording, and nostalgic images of people made to express different ideas about the print- and web-design company. This site illustrates why design companies' websites do not have to have a corporate look to be successful.

Great site because:

• Pear Design is not Flash-based, but it does include five amusing Flash introductions that rotate each time the page is reloaded. Each includes a vintage photo of a person or people saying inventive things (such as a woman in a bikini heard to say "When my husband's away, I call Pear Design).
• The contents are cleverly arranged in simple but meaningful categories such as "curious," "stuff," "gloat," and "ring-a-ling."

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