Highlights for Children articles from April 2003

Highlights for Children archives from April 2003

Accidentally.(Poem)
April 1, 2003... Accidentally Once--I didn't mean to, but that was that-- I yawned in the sunshine and swallowed a gnat. I'd rather eat mushrooms and bullfrogs' legs, I'd rather have pepper all over my eggs ...

Find the pictures.
April 1, 2003... Can you find each of these pictures at another place in this book? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Stimulating the thinking process has always been a major goal of Highlights.(Editorial)
April 1, 2003... Stimulating the thinking process has always been a major goal of HIGHLIGHTS. Our readers have often noted that we include many questions within each issue for which we do not give answers. Our intention, of course, is to motivate kids to find...

Sports banquet game plays: the season is over, and the sports banquet is tonight. Do you know what to do when you get there? Score some points by using these strategies.
April 1, 2003... Uniform It's safe to assume that jeans, sneakers, and T-shirts are illegal procedures. You'll want to look your best in case any photographers are there! False Start It's illegal to start eating until everyone has been served and...

When Benny was lost.
April 1, 2003... When Benny and Mom went shopping, Benny got lost. He didn't mean to. He thought he was right beside Mom, but when he looked up, she was gone. "Mom!" Benny called. Many people hurried by, but nobody stopped for Benny. The store seemed...

Easter--the Greek way: Easter, the Greek way, is celebrated this year on April 27, 2003.
April 1, 2003... We did everything in our house two ways--the American way and the Greek way. I'm a first-generation American. I grew up in a big house filled with my extended, multi-generational Greek family. I was raised in both cultures, with both...

Thinking.
April 1, 2003... * If you were fishing, which group would you like to join? * What are some advantages of fishing from a boat? What is good about fishing from shore? * Who is being helpful? * What other outdoor activities can kids and parents do...

Bill won.(Poem)
April 1, 2003... Bill Won Bill tried to pull a rope away from Joe. Bill won--Joe let go.

Goofus and Gallant[R].
April 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED Caption: Goofus takes seconds before everyone has had a share. "Has everyone had a slice?" "Why should we pick it up? We didn't drop it there." Gallant helps keep the community clean.

Bubble, bubble, spittlebug: who is hiding in that foa?
April 1, 2003... In spring, you may have seen white foam on an evergreen tree or other plant. It looks like spit! The foam is where young spittlebugs live. These insects are protected by the foam. They usually don't do much harm to the plants. A...

Batter up!(Hidden Pictures[TM])
April 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: In this big picture find the orange slice, fish, envelope, spoon, needle, potholder, carrot, candle, artist's brush, domino, tack, hanger, and flag. Can you find these Hidden Pictures[TM] on page 14? ...

Building blocks.
April 1, 2003... Match each tower to the pile of blocks that was used to build it. ANSWERS: "Building Blocks" (page 15) l-B; 2-D; 3-C; 4-A. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Riddles.
April 1, 2003... 1. Would Little Miss Muffet share her curds? Lilli Bailey, Georgia 2. What should you do when you find Chicago ill? Malcolm Carey, Michigan 3. What gets colder as it warms up? Anna Marsala, Illinois 4. What is three...

The best invention.
April 1, 2003... Last October, we asked you to tell us which invention you think is the best. Thanks for all of your wonderful responses! Here are just a few. I think the pencil is the best invention because it's always fully charged, it has its own delete...

The dog who barked backward: his bark kept him from finding a home.(Short Story)
April 1, 2003... There once was a stray dog named Rufus who was the most amazing dog on Kumquat Street. He could hear a ladybug blowing its nose. He could see a pill bug eating a black licorice whip at midnight. Rufus could even smell a caterpillar that hadn't...

Let no one stop you.(Flashbacks)
April 1, 2003... I grew up in New York City during the Great Depression. During this time, the government sponsored a program that employed artists and musicians to teach in communities across the country. My parents sent the six of us children to these...

Musical vibrations.(Science Letters)
April 1, 2003... Why do instruments vibrate? Kirsten Ingham, Age 7 Ontario The instruments' vibrations make the music. The easiest place to see those vibrations would be on a stringed instrument such as a violin. In a wind instrument, such as a...

Lobsters' colors.(Science Letters)
April 1, 2003... When a lobster is uncooked, it is a brownish color. But when it's cooked, it turns red. We just wanted to know why it turns red. Lily and Felice Chan Ages 10 and 8 New York The red color is due to a pigment, astaxanthin...

Check ... and double check.
April 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: There are at least sixteen differences in these two pictures. How many can you find?

The Teakettle's Song.(Poem)
April 1, 2003... The Teakettle's Song It happened one Tuesday. It happened at three. Queen's butler was taking his afternoon tea. And that's when he noticed a dent in the kettle a gash on its handle, some stains on the metal. So he ran...

Two trees.(Science Corner)
April 1, 2003... Which tree is older? Helpful facts: The circles that show in the cut ends of the trees are called tree rings. In many kinds of trees, one new ring forms each year. Two Trees--A is older. The number of rings in its cut end shows that it is...

Change the flow.(Science Corner)
April 1, 2003... Clean a pencil with soap and water, then hold it almost straight up and down over a sink or jar. Pour a thin stream of water from a glass or pitcher onto the side of the pencil. The water will run along the pencil and stream off the end of it....

I wonder ... why that rock has layers.(Science Corner)
April 1, 2003... The rock was made from many tiny bits of other rocks, called sediment. Long ago, this land was at the bottom of the sea. Sediment settled to the bottom, making layers. Over many years, heavy layers on top pressed down on the bottom layers and...

Dinosaur days.(Science Corner)
April 1, 2003... Was T. rex really as mean as it is in the movies? Jamie Dobbs, Age 11 Texas T. rex wasn't as mean or scary as it is shown in many movies, especially the Jurassic Park movies. But T. rex was scary. This meat eater was longer than a...

Jokes.
April 1, 2003... Customer: "Waiter, this coffee tastes like mud." Waiter: "It was just ground this morning." Daniel Simard, Colorado Sammy and Caitlin were walking through the woods when they came upon an orange mushroom. Sammy: "Caitlin, you...

Highlights chefs say ...(You're the Chef! Recipes from Our Readers)
April 1, 2003... 1. Wash hands. 2. Get together everything you will need. 3. Clean up. 4. Have a scrumptious good time!

Banana treats.(You're the Chef! Recipes from Our Readers)(Poem)
April 1, 2003... Banana Treats Ingredients: a peeled banana, cut in half granola honey two clean ice-cream sticks Directions: 1. Put a few tablespoons of honey on one small plate and a half-cup of granola on another. 2. Push an...

Pizza bagel.(You're the Chef! Recipes from Our Readers)(Poem)
April 1, 2003... Pizza Bagel Ingredients: two bagel halves five or more spoonfuls of tomato sauce 1/4 cup grated cheese toppings Directions: 1. Place the bagel halves, cut-side up, on a cookie sheet or toaster-oven tray. 2....

Banana boat.(You're the Chef! Recipes from Our Readers)(Poem)
April 1, 2003... Banana Boat Ingredients: banana (not peeled) mini chocolate chips mini marshmallows Directions: 1. Peel down just one strip of the banana peel. (Do not peel the banana all the way around or pull off the peeled...

These candles will light up your birthday!(You Can Make It!)
April 1, 2003... 1. To make each candle, glue felt around a short cardboard tube. Cut out a cardboard base a little wider than the candle. Glue the candle to the base. 2. Cut out a white felt circle to fit the candle's top. Cut an X in the middle of the...

Send secret messages with this signaler.(You Can Make It!)
April 1, 2003... 1. Wash and dry a metal lid with a pop-up vacuum seal. 2. Trace the lid onto white paper. Cut out and trim the circle so that it fits inside the lid. 3. Remove the paper from the lid and write the alphabet in two columns: A to M and N...

You "wool" love this sheep.(You Can Make It!)
April 1, 2003... 1. Cut off the back of a cereal box and fold it in half so that the label faces inward. Cut out the shape of a sheep using the folded edge as the sheep's back. 2. Color the sheep's legs and head with a black marker. Glue on two wiggle...

A bunny basket will save your place.(You Can Make It!)
April 1, 2003... 1. You will need a clean, plastic, snack-size fruit container for each person at the table. 2. Punch twelve holes below the rim of the container. 3. Lace raffia, yarn, or ribbon through the holes. 4. Braid strips of raffia, yarn,...

Remind yourself with this mini message board.(You Can Make It!)
April 1, 2003... 1. Cut out three 5-inch squares from corrugated cardboard. Glue them together, place a book on top, and let them dry. 2. Cut out an 8-inch-by-10-inch piece of scrap fabric. 3. Cover the cardboard with the fabric, folding a half-inch...

Craft challenge!(You Can Make It!)
April 1, 2003... What can you make out of a clean milk carton--a house? a boat? a truck? You decide.

Building the biggest dinosaur.
April 1, 2003... Two years ago, the dream of a five-year-old dinosaur fan came true. I was that young dreamer--many years ago. My dream was to make the largest dinosaur skeleton ever. With the help of a team of talented people, I rebuilt the skeleton of...

Creating or destroying?
April 1, 2003... Which children were creative? Which were destructive? * Sonya built a tree house. * Frank tore up his sister's drawing. * Tim carved a dog from a bar of soap. * Chris broke a window with a stone. * Jess wrote a poem...

Name the mouse!
April 1, 2003... For the past six months, this mouse has been appearing on our pages. His job is to tell you about exciting features on our Web site, HighlightsKids.com. We think he's been doing a great job, but now we have a job for you: help us choose a name...

Matching.
April 1, 2003... Look at each birdhouse on the left. Find one like it on the right. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The Timbertoes.(Comic)
April 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Gray skies, April showers. Then, surprise-- Here come the flowers! "Spring is here!" They all rushed out to see. Tommy found a robin's eggs. Mabel found a buttercup. Ma...

Running the hills.(Short Story)
April 1, 2003... "You'll have to be quicker off the line to beat Kendall on Friday," Coach Dugan said. Kendall this, Kendall that. For weeks, I'd been hearing about how fast this kid was--Kerry Kendall from Wilson Middle School. I was tired of it. "We...

For wee folks.
April 1, 2003... * Who might be new to this school? Which kids might make him feel welcome? How could they do that? * Have you ever felt left out? What did you do about it?

Ode to the Guinea Pig.(Poem)
April 1, 2003... Ode to the Guinea Pig Oh, guinea pigs, what noble creatures! Blessed with all the finest features. Silken fur from tail to muzzle, Trained from birth to squeak and nuzzle. Potato shaped, Prepared to nap On...

Nighthawk.(Nature Watch)
April 1, 2003... Did You Know? Nighthawks aren't hawks, and they don't fly only at night. These birds often fly at dawn and dusk, catching insects in the air. The birds can open their mouths very wide to catch many flying bugs at once. Nighthawks live in...

The Forest.(Our Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2003... The Forest The forest is dark and deep, So quiet you would fall asleep. As I watch the trees sway, I go along my way. I love the forest at night. It is such a lovely sight. Matthew Koberlein, Age 9 ...

Calvary.(Our Own Pages)
April 1, 2003... Calvary Silas Blodgett, Age 10 New Mexico [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Light.(Our Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2003... Light Light is a symbol of hope. Light will overcome the dark. Light will fill our souls with joy. Light is a symbol of hope. John Cushman, Age 9 Massachusetts

Who?(Our Own Pages)
April 1, 2003... Who? Casey Lee Adams, Age 6 Washington [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The First Drop of Dew.(Our Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2003... The First Drop of Dew The first drop of dew is a pearl on a flower, a blanket on a spider's web, a drink for an ant, a puddle for a termite, a burden for a germ-- but for me it's a tiny drop of dew. ...

Pig Family.(Our Own Pages)
April 1, 2003... Pig Family Abigail Wooster, Age 9 New Hampshire [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Good Things and Bad.(Our Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2003... Good Things and Bad Don't like to read. Don't like to write. Don't like the sandwich Mom just said to bite. Don't like bedtime. But to ride my bike, get messy, be funny are the things that I like. ...

What is Green.(Our Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2003... What is Green? Green is a snake that silently slides, and a smooth mint leaf that satisfies, the grass smelling zesty on my moonlit strides, and a silent tree that the breeze divides, a rain-forest frog that croaks and...

Many Bugs.(Our Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2003... Many Bugs One dragonfly fluttering through the air. Two spiders catching their share. Three bumblebees ready to sting. Four grasshoppers ready to spring. Five waterbugs float. Six flies on a boat. Seven...

A Sitting Tree Frog on a Lily Pad.(Our Own Pages)
April 1, 2003... A Sitting Tree Frog on a Lily Pad Kevin He, Age 6 New York [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The Flowers.(Our Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2003... The Flowers One rainy day all the flowers were sad... but out came the sun to make them all glad. They jumped with joy, oh, way up high... and that's why there's a rainbow up in the sky. Dawnn...

Candy in the Sky.(Our Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2003... Candy in the Sky Clouds made of cotton candy, Marshmallow planes, The sun made of lollipops-- Please make it rain. The rain is made of tiny gumdrops. I will be in a tree. When I get there, I will eat...

Change in Life.(Our Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2003... Change in Life Oh, I know it's tough When things change around you. Sometimes you have a funny feeling; Sometimes you feel scared, shy, or sad. But you will get used to it. That's what change in life is ...

Petunias After Rain.(Our Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2003... Petunias After Rain A lovely, lacy petunia sits quiet after rain, after struggling to stay still many times in vain. They hold water like a goblet, with lacy frills bent low. Petunias--they are resting, ...

Me as a Mustang.(Our Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2003... Me as a Mustang My hair is wild like a horse's mane. I run around and snort. I run as quickly as a wild horse. I gallop as fast as a mustang. My legs feel strong and powerful as I run. Elizabeth Jensen, Age 7 ...

My Friend and I Dance the Nutcracker.(Our Own Pages)
April 1, 2003... My Friend and I Dance the Nutcracker Samantha Wirth, Age 7 Illinois [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The Polar Bear.(Our Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2003... The Polar Bear The polar bear that's big and white has lots of hair and sleeps at night. At the North Pole he makes his home, and though it's cold he does not moan. He's a good hunter with his...

Pot.(Our Own Pages)
April 1, 2003... Pot Prerna Sadarangani Age 11 India [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The Passover Easter basket.(Short Story)
April 1, 2003... It was the first night of Passover, and everyone in Laura's house was busy getting ready for the Seder meal. In the kitchen, Mom was making matzo balls for the soup. Laura's brother, Jordan, was setting the table with the special Passover...

Frog said.(Short Story)
April 1, 2003... "Oh no!" said Frog. "My new hat just blew away." Dragonfly heard Frog, but not very well. "Hurry, Mouse," said Dragonfly. "Frog said that a blue rat just flew into the hay." Mouse heard Dragonfly, but not very well. ...

Headwork.
April 1, 2003... Start at the beginning and see how far you can go, thinking of good answers from your own head. Wiggle your toes. Can you wiggle your ears? -- What is a hammer used for? -- Could a rabbit learn to read? Would it listen to a story?...

Turn, turn, turn.
April 1, 2003... * Caterpillars turn into butterflies. * A wheel will turn round and round. * The baseball player takes his turn at bat. * I will turn left at the stop sign. * The weather will turn warm soon. * Please turn off the TV.

Ending a friendship.(Dear Highlights)
April 1, 2003... My dad does not like some of my friends, and he tells me not to play with them. I'm not sure why he doesn't like them. How am I supposed to tell them I can't hang out with them? I'm not very popular, so which kids should I play with? Brian...

Waiting for a lizard.(Dear Highlights)
April 1, 2003... My dad said I can get a pet lizard in a few years, but I have to show that I'm responsible. How can I do that? Matthew G., Ontario It's great that you are thinking ahead about this. Many people get a pet because they know it will give...

Sisters leave a mess.(Dear Highlights)
April 1, 2003... I have the computer in my room. Every time my sisters come in to use the computer, they leave stuff in my room. What should I do? Bainta B., South Carolina Ask your parents if you can put a cardboard box or a laundry basket in your...

Mystery ads.
April 1, 2003... Each of these mystery ads may remind you of a familiar nursery rhyme or story. How many can you identify? LOST AND FOUND 1. FOUND--Single glass slipper, outside the palace. Call the prince. 2. FOUND--Crooked sixpence, leaning...