Highlights for Children articles from April 2005

Highlights for Children archives from April 2005

A certain sandpiper.
April 1, 2005... I knew a tiny sandpiper (Indeed, I know him yet) Who wrapped his toes in sandpaper So he wouldn't get them wet. Now shod in scratchy shoes he goes To soothe a whale who'-s stranded, And he is why the shiny shore is always smoothly sanded.

Find the pictures.
April 1, 2005... Can you find each of these pictures at another place in this book? [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED]

Dear readers.
April 1, 2005... When I was a kid, I loved to discover a new issue of my favorite magazine in our mailbox. I'd grab it, flop on my bed, and read it from cover to cover. When I was finished, I always wished for more. But, of course, I had to wait a whole month...

Sharpen your memory! Play this flag-puzzle game.
April 1, 2005... Make the Game 1. Choose 12 flags you would like to make. 2. Draw and color one flag on each blank index card. Print the name of each nation on the back of its flag card. 3. To make puzzle pieces for each flag, select felt or...

Springer, an orphan orca.
April 1, 2005... A small "killer whale," or orca, swam alone in the waters of Puget Sound near Seattle, Washington. At night she slept under a ferryboat. During the day, she entertained ferry workers and passengers who were traveling between Vashon Island...

What floats?
April 1, 2005... In this tiny pond... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In this tiny pond, I floated a dandelion flower... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In this tiny pond, I floated a dandelion flower and two big leaves... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In...

Jokes.
April 1, 2005... Derian: "Was there any money on Noah's ark?" Amy: "I don't think so." Derian: "Yes, there was. A duck had a bill, a frog had a green back, and a skunk had a scent." Derian Hostetler, Tennessee Danny: "What do you call a...

Matching.
April 1, 2005... Look at each instrument on the left. Find one like it on the right. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED]

All the way to the duck pond.(Short Story)
April 1, 2005... Here s an easy out," Wade says from behind his catcher s mask. "Don't listen to him," I tell Nicole as she goes up to bat. It's spring, and for the past three weeks that's meant baseball in gym class. Teams. With me and my best friend,...

Don't eat me: some frogs say it loud and clear.
April 1, 2005... "Do you hear that whoooop, whoooop, whoooop coming from the swamp?" "Yes," I said. "What is it?" I was a young biology student, new to the rain forest of eastern Ecuador. "It's a South American bullfrog," whispered Bill Duellman, an...

Bears fishing.(Hidden Pictures[R])
April 1, 2005... In this big picture find the ring, puppy, horseshoe, nail, mushroom, needle, mitten, pigeon, lizard, mug, snake, and bottle. Can you find these Hidden Pictures[R] on page 14? Horseshoe Bottle Pigeon Puppy Ring ...

Number soup.(Poem)
April 1, 2005... Number soup, number soup, Throws your lunchtime for a loop. Just can't eat it--too distracting. You keep adding and subtracting. 2 and 5 add up to 7. 1 and 1 construct 11-- Subtract 8 and quick as can be, You will have to find a 3. There's...

Riddles.
April 1, 2005... 1. What state is round on the sides and high in the middle? Alissa Holmgren, Minnesota 2. How do you say "Good morning" to a French skeleton? Henry McEwen, Massachusetts 3. What do you call a turtle that stays awake at night...

A tree needs a special place.(Short Story)
April 1, 2005... Oscar leaped up onto the porch and bounded into the house. He unzipped his backpack, pulled out a plastic bag, and ran to find Mama. "Mama, look!" shouted Oscar. He opened the bag to reveal a baby tree, roots and all. "We got them at school...

The Timbertoes[R].(Comic)
April 1, 2005... "Let's go for a hike!" [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "It's too foggy," said Ma. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pa saw the sun shining. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "It's a beautiful day." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "But it's...

Dillon and Tanner Lynch: there's some of Goofus and Gallant in us all. When the Gallant shines through, we show our best self.(Galland Kids)(Kids Teaching Kids program)
April 1, 2005... Dillon and Tanner Lynch love reading. And they want other kids to love it, too. Last year, the brothers noticed that many kids in their Colorado grade school just didn't seem to enjoy books, even though many of them were getting high grades....

Thinking.
April 1, 2005... These kids want to travel someday to interesting places. * What could they use to locate places to visit? * How could they find out the distance to each place? Which time zone it is in? If it is in the same hemisphere? * How might...

Sour milk.(Science Letters)
April 1, 2005... How does milk sour? Amanda McDowell, Age 8 Tennessee Milk contains a sugar called lactose. There are bacteria that make their living by causing lactose to react with oxygen to make lactic acid. Like other acids, lactic acid is...

Talking tummy.(Science Letters)
April 1, 2005... How do our Stomachs grumble? Lauren Lee, Age 11 Massachusetts The noise probably does not come from the stomach. It comes from the rather violent churning that goes on all the time in the long tube below your stomach, the intestine....

Check ... and double check.
April 1, 2005... There are at least twenty-two differences in these two pictures. How many can you find? [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED]

Belly flops and gutter balls.(Short Story)
April 1, 2005... Lewis loved sports. He watched them on TV. He listened to them on the radio. He read about them in the newspaper. One day, Lewis decided that he wanted to be an athlete. "I want to find a sport that I'm good at," he said. "I will help...

I wonder ... why the dog is burying the bone.(Science Corner)
April 1, 2005... That is a built-in habit that all kinds of dogs have. When dogs were hunters in the wild, they never knew when they would find another meal. So they saved leftovers by burying them.

How full is it?(Science Corner)
April 1, 2005... A barrel has water in it. You have nothing to use to measure the water. How can you tell if the barrel is half-full? ANSWERS: "Science Corner" (page 24) How Full Is It?--Tip the barrel. half-full more than half less...

See for yourself.(Science Corner)
April 1, 2005... See for Yourself In the spring, mark one leaf of a plant by tying yarn loosely around its stem. Measure the leaf once each week for a month. How fast did it grow?

Dinosaur days.(Science Corner)
April 1, 2005... Since snakes are reptiles and some species are venomous with fangs, did any dinosaurs have venom and fangs? S.C. Latane, Age 10 Virginia So far, no one has found any dinosaur fossils that look like fangs for injecting venom. ...

The bear family.
April 1, 2005... Poozy: Has anyone seen my magnifying glass? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Woozy: Or my book on insects? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Piddy: I borrowed them to look for bugs in the garden. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mom: Shouldn't you...

Hang around with these animals!(Quick Crafts)
April 1, 2005... Bunny Bank 1. Cover a 5-inch cardboard tube with construction paper. 2. Glue paper ears and a ribbon loop just inside the top of the tube, and glue the tube closed. 3. For a face, glue on ribbon whiskers, a pompom nose, pompom...

Decorate your table with Passover place cards.(Crafts You Can Make)
April 1, 2005... 1. For each cup, cut out a 2-inch square from colored paper. Roll the paper into a cone. Glue the seam closed, then trim the top to make the edge even. 2. Fold half of a 2-inch-long silver chenille stick upward. Spiral the other half of...

Let this meteor ball streak across the sky.(Crafts You Can Make)
April 1, 2005... 1. Set a tennis ball near one corner of a 22-inch-square scarf or piece of lightweight fabric. 2. Wrap the corner fabric around the ball, and secure the fabric with string. 3. Go outside to practice swinging the ball by the tail of the...

Craft challenge.
April 1, 2005... Create a cast of puppet characters from envelopes and old magazines.

These butterflies flutter and sway.(Crafts You Can Make)
April 1, 2005... 1. Press a ball of craft clay into the bottom half of a plastic egg. 2. Stick three 5-inch-long chenille sticks into the clay. 3. Cut out three butterflies from tissue paper. Decorate their wings. 4. Poke the tip of each chenille...

Find your way through a drinking-straw.(Crafts You Can Make)
April 1, 2005... 1. Line a shoebox lid with paper. 2. Cut drinking straws into different lengths, and make a maze from the pieces. 3. When you are satisfied with the maze, glue the straw pieces in place. Draw Go and Stop signs at the start and finish...

Dancing in the rain.(Short Story)
April 1, 2005... Plop, plop! Ashley looked up. Something was on the roof. Ping, ping, ping! Something was hitting the windowpane. Ashley ran to the window. She couldn't see the mountains outside because it was raining so hard. Ashley...

What's hiding?
April 1, 2005... There's a creature hiding in this bush! You can see part of it, but we want you to draw the rest of it. Send your drawing to What's Hiding? HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN 803 Church Street Honesdale, PA 18431 Be sure to include...

Seeing through Dorothea's eyes: even before she held a camera in her hands, Dorothea Lange captured pictures in her mind and heart.(Biography)
April 1, 2005... Every day after school, Dorothea Lange walked through the streets of downtown Manhattan, heading for the library where her mother worked. She moved so quietly that no one really noticed her at all. Dorothea didn't mind going unnoticed--it gave...

Bridges at night.(Short Story)
April 1, 2005... I like to cross our bridge at night when all the city lights are bright. The city stretches far and wide. I see its lights on every side. Ahead, tall buildings stand up high. Their rows of windows light the sky. I see more lights on boats that...

What would you do.
April 1, 2005... * if you found ten dollars in a school hallway and no one else saw you find it? * if you saw your pet cat climbing a tree toward a nest of birds? * if your friend invited you to stay at his house for supper? * if you rushed loudly...

Animal anagrams.
April 1, 2005... Rearrange the letters of each word to make the name of a living creature. pea sale sneak shore balm tang bare low tan went "Animal Anagrams" (page 33) 1. Ape. 2. Seal. 3. Snake. 4. Horse. 5. Lamb. 6. Goat. 7. Bear. 8. Owl. 9. Ant....

Goofus and gallant[R].
April 1, 2005... "Whoops! Sorry. I didn't know you hadn't read this magazine yet." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Have both of you finished reading today's paper? I'd like to cut out a few comics." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Goofus gets angry with...

The misery contest: neither Sarah nor the dragon was having a very good day.(Short Story)
April 1, 2005... Sarah's day in the castle kitchen started out badly. Soon, though, it got so much worse that her breakfast of scorched eggs and toast became a pleasant memory. About mid-morning, her blankets, drying by the fire, burst into flames....

Brain play.
April 1, 2005... Start at the beginning and see how far you can go, thinking of good answers from you own head. Do all animals swim? Think of five things that remind you of spring. Why don't kites fly away? Which fruits can be eaten without...

Brad Parks: a man with dreams.(founder National Foundation of Wheelchair Tennis, 1979)(Biography)
April 1, 2005... Brad Parks's opponent gave the tennis ball a toss into the air, and Parks started forward. As his opponent hit the ball, Parks changed the direction of his sports wheelchair and cut off the wide angle of the shot for a perfect return. When...

Butterfly Garden.(Our Own Pages)
April 1, 2005... Butterfly Garden [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caroline Vanderwall, Age 5 North Carolina

The Good-Night Song.(Our Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2005... The Good-Night Song Good night, my mama, Good night, my daddy--I had a special day. Good night, my mama, Good night, my daddy--I love you oh so much. Kate Puckett, Age 3 Virginia

My Favorite Star.(Our Own Pages)
April 1, 2005... My Favorite Star [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Josh Pociask, Age 8 Wisconsin

Mom.(Our Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2005... Mom We like to play with stuffed dogs and cats, and play safari with old straw hats. When I have a problem, she gives me the key. But I like it best when it's just Mommy and me. Lee Moor, Age 8 ...

On a Stormy Night.(Our Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2005... On a Stormy Night On a stormy night, I cannot sleep. I hear boom, boom! Sometimes I think it is angels bowling or a giant skipping down the road. Sometimes I hear a howl in the wind. Is it a ghost? Is it a...

A Princess and Her Castle.(Our Own Pages)
April 1, 2005... A Princess and Her Castle [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Drew Bryant, Age 6 Georgia

Music.(Our Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2005... Music I sit at the table and wait for nothing except the smell to arrive in my face, of Mom cooking a melody. She tunes the drums as she taps on the countertop. She plays the violin as she rubs the pot...

Nikki the Cat.(Our Own Pages)
April 1, 2005... Nikki the Cat [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Stephanie Silver, Age 4 Nevada

Hot Wheels.(Our Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2005... Hot Wheels I like to have them, have them all. But that would mean not to collect any more. Zack Zimmer, Age 11 Ontario

I Know, I Watch.(Our Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2005... I Know, I Watch She leaves her nest every three hours. I know. I watch. She sits in her nest like the queen of the world--muscular, with bright-colored wings. I know. I watch. She protects her young and...

Pond Pony.(Our Own Pages)
April 1, 2005... Pond Pony [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Lindsay Fraser, Age 9 Nova Scotia

What Is Aqua?(Our Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2005... What Is Aqua? What is aqua? Aqua is the ocean, full of mysteries. It is the smell of fresh dew in the morning. Aqua is the long-lost cousin of blue and green. Aqua hears the waves calling ...

Dump Truck.(Our Own Pages)
April 1, 2005... Dump Truck [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mateo Florez, Age 6 Washington

Sun, Moon, and Stars.(Our Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2005... Sun, Moon, and Stars When the sun is rising high in the sky, I wake up in my gentle bed, and look up high at the blue, blue sky, and see the great yellow sun. When I go to bed, the moon and starlight...

Red Bird, Blue Bird.(Our Own Pages)
April 1, 2005... Red Bird, Blue Bird [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dalton Bright, Age 5 Alabama

How Do I Feel.(Our Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2005... How Do I Feel? I feel funny, I laugh. I feel angry, I scream in my pillow. I feel sad, I cry. I feel very happy, I downright laugh my head off! Mackenzie Ellis, Age 8 Ohio

Me, the Scarecrow.(Our Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2005... Me, the Scarecrow I have fuchsia gloves for hands, and a velvet dress that blows in the wonderful whooshing wind. My maracas rattle. Shika, shika, shika. Beautiful blue blossoms tinker behind me. The...

Corvette.(Our Own Pages)
April 1, 2005... Corvette [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Will Slaven, Age 9 Iowa

High in the mountains of Ecuador: the author traveled to South America to work and live.(farming developments)
April 1, 2005... It was late afternoon when I arrived in the village of Angahuana. I had traveled by truck high into these green mountains and then walked along a curvy road. All I carried in my backpack was clothes, water, and a sleeping bag. I didn't know...

Sad about awards.
April 1, 2005... My school gave out awards, but I didn't get one. They even had a P.E. award, and I'm great at that. I feel really sad. Megan H., Florida We all like to be recognized for the things we do. But most of the time good things go...

Can't get a hit.(baseball practice query)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... I can't hit a baseball. My dad tries to teach me, but I don't really do it right. What can I do? Michael P., New Jersey Even professional baseball players only hit the ball once for every three or four times. So try not to feel too...

Sharing cat care.
April 1, 2005... My sister and I share a cat. I'm the one who takes care of it, and she just plays with it. How can I get her to help? Lauren S., Oklohoma It might help to make a chart listing everything that has to be done to take care of the cat. On...

Scared of shots.(immunization fear)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... I have to get a shot in about three months. I know that's a long time from now, but I'm scared. What should I do? Torie R., Hawaii Immunizations aren't pleasant, but they are necessary. And the worry and fear of getting a shot is often...

Homegrown humor: what do fruites and vegetables say when they're in trouble.
April 1, 2005... Ozzie: "How much birdseed should I buy?" Store clerk: "How many birds do you have?" Ozzie: "None, but I want to grow some." Father: "Eat your spinach, son. It will put color in your cheeks." Son: "But I don't want green...

Books that were never written.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Soil: Dig In! by Hans R. Durtie How to Put In Seedlings by Neil N. Plant Increase Your Luck! by Flora Leif-Clover Too Late to Plant? by Ida Star. Ted Sooner Gardening for Beginners by Uneeda Seed Time to Harvest by Rosa...