Highlights for Children articles from April 2008

Highlights for Children archives from April 2008

Party code.(riddles)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... On April Fools' Day, Emma leaves a note for her friend Jarad with this code: Every third word means the opposite of what it says. Use the code to figure out the meaning of her note below. Attend a small party honoring me in my front...

Find the pictures.(Fun This Month)
April 1, 2008... Can you find each of these 10 pictures at another place in this magazine? [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED]

Look up for inspiration.(Fun This Month)
April 1, 2008... Sky Awareness Week is April 20-26. Write a poem about the sky in this picture--or about the sky above you. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Rainy-day tongue twister.(Fun This Month)
April 1, 2008... Say this three times fast. "My yellow umbrella fell!" the fellow yelled.

Great Scots!(Scottish Americans)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... A tartan is a Scottish plaid worn to indicate a certain clan. Tartan Day, on April 6, honors Scottish Americans. Match each Scottish American above to his or her notable achievement (right). 1. John Muir [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2....

5 ways to love your earth.(Fun This Month)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... 1. Learn to say hello in three different languages. 2. Turn off the computer or TV and play outside! 3. Make your own trail mix with nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. 4. With your parents' OK, donate old clothes, toys, or books to...

We love mail!(Dear Readers)(Editorial)
April 1, 2008... Do you love mail? I know I do! This morning, I spent some time reading the wonderful letters and e-mails you, our readers, sent to us. We get all kinds of mail. Some of you write to us about problems. Veronica in Nevada, for example, wrote...

Blue-Butterfly Day.(Poem)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Blue-Butterfly It is blue-butterfly day here in spring, And with these sky-flakes down in flurry on flurry There is more unmixed color on the wing Than flowers will show for days unless they...

Egg Drop soup.(Short story)
April 1, 2008... "OK, everybody. It's that time of year," said my science teacher, Mr. Beal. "This Friday we'll have the annual Egg Drop Challenge." A couple of my classmates groaned, but no one was at all surprised. Mr. Beal's fifth-grade Egg Drop...

Riddles.(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... 1 What do you find in the middle of nowhere? Jose Valdez, Michigan 2 How do pine trees like ice cream served? Tiffany Chen, New Jersey 3 What does a tooth hate to get in the mail? 4 Why did the golfer wear two pairs of...

Matching.
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Look at each hat on the left. Find one like it on the right.

The Timbertoes[R].(Cartoon)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pa looked at the sky. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tommy walked by. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] He looked up, too. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mabel came along. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] She looked...

Heartbeat of Mother Earth.(pow wow, Native American culture)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When I was growing up on the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation in Oregon in the 1950s, there were no pow wows--only a potluck at the tribal community center. Old men, dressed in black pants and white long-sleeved...

Bungle Bear's burnt toast.(Short story)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "What's that smell?" Mother Bear sniffed. "Is the forest burning?" "My toast! I forgot!" Bungle Bear raced to the kitchen. Smoke rose from the toaster. Bungle Bear pulled out two crispy black slices. ...

Stories for everyone.(Hidden Pictures[R])(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In this big picture, find the spoon, ruler, recorder, drinking glass, adhesive bandage, lemon, needle, stocking, sailboat, domino, artist's brush, binoculars, pencil, crescent moon, crayon, pennant, envelope, and...

Jokes.(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Turtle: Why didn't you finish your homework? Monster: I was full. Casey Ortiz, Massachusetts "Knock, knock." "Who's there?" "Alaska." "Alaska who?" "Alaska another joke if this one wasn't that good!" Nichole...

Soccer Glory.(Poem)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Soccer Glory My shorts are all grass-stained; my jersey's a wreck. I'm covered in mud, from my feet to my neck. My glasses are broken; my cleats are a mess-- it just doesn't get...

Big night at the vernal pool.
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In early spring, my family and I get keyed up when it rains, especially at night. We gather flashlights and rubber boots, and we invite friends to a nature outing in the dark. We wait with excitement for Big Night,...

Goofus and Gallant[R].(Cartoon)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Goofus brings food into stores. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I'll finish this first," says Gallant. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I don't need to practice," says Goofus. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gallant...

Fix the flag mix-up.(match the correct flag to the country)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Someone has mixed up the flags in the classroom. Using the clues below, can you figure out which flag belongs to which country? France's flag has a red stripe on the right side. Italy and Mexico have the same colors on their flags. The...

Eliza Orrick: there's some of Goofus and Gallant in us all. When the Gallant shines through, we show our best self.(donating shoes)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... No matter how many shoes you have, you probably don't have as many as thirteen-year-old Eliza Orrick. Eliza has more than 1,600 pairs of sneakers stored on the screened porch at her house in Maryland. She doesn't wear all those shoes. She...

Clumsy as a ... poppy?(Ask Arizona)
April 1, 2008... Dear Arizona, I'm always tripping on things and bumping into stuff. I feel like such a klutz! How can I get more coordinated? --Clumsy in California [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dear Clumsy, I never thought I was the most...

Oops, oops! I goofed! Thanks for sharing your silly moments! Here are a few of them.
April 1, 2008... I was getting home from school, and it had been a busy day. We'd had a math test, done a science lesson, and done seven other works. I was just getting in the door when my mom said, "You're still wearing your pajamas!" I had been wearing my...

Discover what's undercover: a make-it, play-it game for two or more players.(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Are you in touch with your sense of touch? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Have fun finding out with this make-it-yourself game. The goal is to use only your sense of touch to identify objects. Gather It * 2 egg cartons, lids removed...

Passover sleepover.(Short story)
April 1, 2008... "Dad, can Robert sleep over tonight?" [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Sure, Brian," Dad said. I dialed. The phone was already ringing in my ear when Dad added, "Why not invite him for our Seder?" A non-Jewish friend at our Passover...

The squiggly plant.(Your Own Pages)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Squiggly Plant Eliza Ward, Age 7 Connecticut

How Feelings Change.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2008... How Feelings Change I have feelings. When I get home from school, I see my puppy, Dixie. That makes me happy. But when my puppy chews my favorite shoe, I get angry. But then I start to calm down. ...

My self-potrait.(Your Own Pages)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] My Self-Potrait Bekcy Pitoni, Age 6 California

Friendship recipe.(Your Own Pages)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Here is how to make a friend. First you say "Hi." Second you ask if they want to be your friend. Next you flip in some laughter. Then you frost in some playing fair. After that add a bowl of believing in them and kindness. Pour in some...

The trio on stage.(Your Own Pages)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Trio on Stage Micah Suan, Age 8 Illinois

Quiet.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2008... I got the idea for this poem when my classmates were yelling to be quiet. I remembered being at the beach at night when the only thing I could hear was the waves crashing on the sand. Quiet So quiet, I can hear myself breathe,...

Twirl.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2008... Twirl Twirl like a ballerina. Twirl like a tornado. Get butterflies in your tummy. Caroline Hughes, Age 7 Missouri

My hutch.(Your Own Pages)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] My Hutch Audria Jane Linkowski, Age 10 Colorado

Blow, wind. blow.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2008... Blow, wind. blow. Make the mussels wake. Zora Conroy-Chelius, Age 5 New Zealand

Life Is a Baseball Game.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2008... Life Is a Baseball Game Happy A double, a line drive that hits the wall. It's an easy two bases. Very happy A big, deep home run. You know it's gone the moment it hits the bat. Nervous Two...

Sunset over the bridge.(Your Own Pages)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Sunset over the Bridge Isaiah Hwang, Age 6 Pennsylvania

Searching.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2008... Searching I did not know what I was searching for, but my mind told me to keep doing so. So I searched high and I searched low. I searched in the cabinets and on the table. I searched downstairs ...

Penguins made with a painted potato.(Your Own Pages)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Penguins Made with a Painted Potato Ciara Thomas, Age 5 Wyoming

My Imagination.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2008... My Imagination My imagination is very wild. She runs about the dojo a-screamin'. She also acts like she's a-flyin'. My imagination is very wild. Holly Kendrick, Age 9 Georgia

The Question.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2008... The Question I watch as the rain comes down, fast like it can't stop. I wait quiet, silent, still. I wait for an answer. Julia DiSanti, Age 10 Pennsylvania

Such a Rainy Day.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
April 1, 2008... Such a Rainy Day Sitting here not doing anything except tasting crumbles of pizza crust on such a rainy day. Can't go out to play. The air is cold, the grass is wet, and the clouds go by fast. The...

If fish have ears, where are they?(Science Letters)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The ears of fish are inside their skulls. That may seem strange, but since fish live in water, they do not need ears on the outside. Sound is made up of energy waves moving through air, water, wood, or some other...

Why do mice like cheese?(Science Letters)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A lot of cartoon mice seem to love cheese, but there's no reason to think that real mice would like it. Mice survive by eating seeds and other plant materials. They probably could not digest cheese very well. ...

How come when a candle is burning an orange tip is on it?(Science Letters)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The orange flame is made up of gases so hot that they glow. When a candle burns, heat melts wax at the top of the candle. The liquid wax flows up the wick and rises into the air as a hot gas. Then the gas burns....

Good morning, good night!(Short story)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Robin hopped out of her nest early one morning before the sun came up. Owl was still awake. "I love the sunrise," sang Robin. "I love the sunset," hooted Owl. He yawned and fluffed his feathers. Robin...

Goldfish windsock.(children's craft)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1. Paint both sides of two paper plates. Let them dry. 2. Hold the plates together and cut a mouth shape. Glue on wiggle eyes. 3. Cut out fins and a tail from paper. Glue the fins, tail, a ribbon hanger, and...

Beautiful butterflies.(Crafts)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1. Fold two stacked pieces of paper in half. Draw half a butterfly along the fold. 2. Cut designs into the wings through all four layers, then cut out the butterfly. 3. Unfold the butterfly. Glue a square...

Windmill bank.(handicraft)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1. Cover a round cardboard container with felt. Decorate it. 2. From cardboard, cut two windmill-paddle shapes, like the one shown. Cover them with felt. Punch holes through the center of each paddle. 3....

Crafty tip.(Crafts)
April 1, 2008... Make gluing easier! Squeeze glue on a paper plate and dip small craft parts into it.

Rain stick.(handicraft)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Diaguita Indians in Chile make rain sticks out of cactus stalks, dried cactus needles, and small pebbles. Some people think that rain sticks originated in Chile hundreds of years ago. 1. From paper, cut two...

Supremely fun pizza game.(Crafts)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... 1. Cut a pizza crust and sauce from felt. Put the sauce on the crust. 2. From felt, cut out 12 pieces each of cheese and of your favorite pizza toppings. To Play: Give each player the same number of cheese pieces and the same number...

Craft challenge.(Crafts)
April 1, 2008... Make a puzzle from an old map.

Who returns first?(animal behavior)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Which kinds of animals are the first to show up in your area in the spring? Take notes about when and where you first see each one. By Harry T. Roman [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In Nevada, Hoover Dam holds...

I wonder ... why the puffer fish blows up like a balloon.(Science Corner)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The puffer fish swells up to protect itself. When a puffer fish thinks it is in danger, it quickly fills its stretchy stomach with water or air. That makes its whole body suddenly expand. The quick change in size can...

Dino days.(dinosaurs)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] What would T. rex do if a volcano erupted? Zain Ziada, Age 7 Illinois Run! Many illustrations of dinosaur days show a lot of volcanoes. But I'm not sure there were any more active volcanoes then than...

The Bear family.(Cartoon)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mom: I'm off to help plant the community garden! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Piddy: Can I come? Mom: Sure. But remember, we're there to help, not to play. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Mr. Zebel: You'll...

Crawdads and dominoes.(Short story)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I'm not much of a hugger, but I gave Grandma a hug when we walked into her house. I tried not to look at Grandpa's chair but saw it anyway. It still looked the same: worn-out white leather, pointed at the television....

Your best self.
April 1, 2008... Our favorite show is on! Be right there! I promised Mom I'd finish this. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Check ... and double check.
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] There are at least twelve differences in these two pictures. How many can you Find?

Brain play.(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Scare at the beginning and see how far you can go, thinking of good answer from your own head. START How are fingers different from toes? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Name some Foods you'd see in a bowl. On a plate. In a pot. ...

Sorrounded by food: farm work is not easy. But it can be sweet!(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Melissa Lehman lives with her family on a 150-acre farm in Pennsylvania. They grow fruits and vegetables to eat and sell. As soon as the soil gets warm in the spring, Melissa's father drives a tractor. It has a...

Dear Highlights.(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2008... My inventions don't work. What can I do? Elijah (by e-mail) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] You might think it's a problem that your inventions don't work, but most inventors will tell you it's not. In fact, making something that doesn't...

Picture puzzler.(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... How many of these items can you identify? Answer Box 1. Aluminum-can tab. 2. Telephone cord. 3. Umbrella. 4. Pine needles. 5. Guitar. 6. Pencil. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]