Children's magazines

I just finished an assignment on selecting magazines for elementary and middle school kids and it was surprisingly enlightening. I didn't know, for example, that magazines are a good way to encourage the reluctant reader, although it certainly makes sense. Find out what subjects a kid is interested in, and hook him or her up with a magazine on that subject. The articles are short, not intimidating, interesting and easy to read. Kids' magazines also have crafts, puzzles, recipes, and even jokes or comic strips.

Here are my top picks for kids' magazines:

Appleseeds. A social studies themed magazine for ages 6-9, although the articles could be read to younger kids. (I'm thinking about ordering a subscription for my rising kindergartner.) Beautiful color and kid-friendly descriptions of history and culture. Each magazine has a theme. The current issue's theme is "spies" and includes an article about George Washington's use of spies. I looked at a sample issue whose theme was "ancient Egypt." It included an article about what it was like to be a child in ancient Egypt, another about the various jobs available there, and another on mummification. Includes puzzles and crafts as well. Available from http://www.cobblestonepub.com .

Ask. A science-themed magazine for ages 6-9. The sample that I previewed included articles on why animals play, how the brain is mapped, and how a doctor's checkup works. Includes a lot of comic book type pages. Available from http://www.cricketmag.com .

Click. Similar to Ask, but for younger kids, grades K-2. The sample I previewed included articles on birds' beaks, why summer is hot, life on a farm, and what happens to your body when you get a cold. Available from http://www.cricketmag.com .

Highlights for Children . For ages 7-10. This one has been around for awhile. I had a subscription when I was a kid, and I still remember the stories, the crafts, the jokes and riddles, and the Goofus and Gallant comic strip, in which Gallant always did what he was supposed to do and Goofus was, well, a Goofus. It has fiction and nonfiction, crafts, hidden pictures, puzzles, science experiments, and it takes entries from kids. Available from http://www.highlights.com .

Ladybug . For ages 3-6. Stories, poetry, and beautiful artwork. The characters Max and Kate, who are siblings, and Molly and her cat Emmett reappear in every issue. The sample that I previewed also had a children's song in it. Available from http://www.cricketmag.com .

National Geographic Little Kids . For the preschool set. My kids enjoyed this one. Articles about animals, pull-out cards with pictures of wild animals on them (which they kept--the cards that is, not the wild animals), crafts, science experiments, and recipes. Mama Mirabelle's geography and wildlife lessons feature regularly. Available from http://kidsblogs.nationalgeographic.com/littlekids/ .

Spider . For ages 6-9. Fiction and nonfiction, poetry, foreign language words (the sample I previewed had ten words from the Maori dialect, spoken by native New Zealanders), crafts and recipes. Available from http://www.cricketmag.com .

One of the best parts about almost all of these magazines? No ads!

A good site to check out various children's magazines is Children's Magazine Guide. It divides the magazines up by age, takes you to the websites and lets you see samples of some of the 'zines.