Highlights for Children articles from July 2008

Highlights for Children archives from July 2008

Dog days.(Fun This Month)(Dog Star)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Have you heard of the "dog days of summer"? This is what ancient Egyptians and Romans called the days when Sirius (the Dog Star) rose at the same time as the Sun. They tended to be the hottest days of the year. Traditionally, dog days run from...

Ice cream for everyone.(Fun This Month)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... In honor of National Ice Cream Month (July), Lionel and Violet walk their dog to the ice-cream shop. Put the pictures in order from first to last. [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Answer: 1. B; 2. A; 3. D; 4. C.

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

Tongue twister.(Fun This Month)
July 1, 2008... Say this three times fast. Jolly Jerry jars jelly in July. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Four ideas for the fourth.(Fun This Month)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1. Make mini Flags For breakfast-top toast with cream cheese, strawberries, and blueberries. 2. Turn an empty container into a stars-and-stripes drum. 3. Invent a geography game using paper, pens, and a U.S....

Unscramble the word below.(Fun This Month)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Unscramble the word below to discover which Canadian city celebrates its 400th anniversary on July 3. B U E C Q E Answer: QUEBEC

Summer-reading fun.(Dear Readers)(Editorial)
July 1, 2008... Summer is a great time to read. When I was a kid, I always joined our local library's summer-reading club. By reading a certain amount each week, I would win small prizes, like Funny erasers, bookmarks, and stickers. But best of all was the fun...

"maggie and milly and molly and may".(Poem)
July 1, 2008... "maggie and milly and molly and may" maggie and milly and molly and may went down to the beach (to play one day) and maggie discovered a shell that sang so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles, and milly...

What good is the big bad wolf?
July 1, 2008... One by one, Stoney, Betty, and the other wolves in their pack trudged down a snowy bank into the bone-chilling waters of the Cascade River. The wolves had not eaten anything for several days. Now, dinner was waiting across the water. They could...

Goofus and Gallant[R].(Cartoon)
July 1, 2008... "Will that baby ever stop crying?" says Goofus. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Can I do anything to help?" asks Gallant. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "It's just gum," says Goofus. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gallant throws his litter...

Sea-life scrambler.
July 1, 2008... I am the world's largest fish. Fit together the puzzle pieces to unscramble my name! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Answer WHALE SHARK

Lemonade for sale.(Cartoon)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] "Let's play ball," John says. "Too hot," I say. "Let's ride bikes," Erin says. "Too hot and I'm hungry!" I say. "Let's buy ice cream." We need three dollars to buy three ice creams. "Let's sell...

Making the world's rarest syrup: learning to make saguaro syrup sounded like an adventure my family would love.
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It's six in the morning and already hot. In just a few hours, the thermometer will register over a hundred degrees. My family has come to Southern Arizona's Colossal Cave Mountain Park to participate in something few...

The summer sun and the Yup'ik boy: how can it be bedtime when the sun is still up?(Short story)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the summer, in my village in Alaska, the sun hardly goes to bed. He stays up until after midnight. I wonder what his mother is thinking to let him stay up so late. "Wassie, time for little Yup'ik boys to take...

Artist at work.(Hidden Pictures[R])(Image)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In this big picture, find the heart, broccoli, pennant, book, ice-cream bar, pencil, spatula, banana, wishbone, eyeglasses, musical note, candle, fishhook, doughnut, ladle, mouse, crescent moon, ring, toothbrush,...

Jokes.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Ron: Have you guys seen Los Angeles? Bill and Chuck: How could we? She's lost, isn't she? Briana Crane, Virginia Raymond: What did the bald man say when he got a new comb? Mom: What? Raymond: I shall never part with this....

Cabin conundrum.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... During the night, someone removed the signs from the cabins. Using the clues, can you figure out where each sign goes? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] CLUE #1 The Bear's cabin is north of the Cougar's cabin, west of the Eagles', and east...

Steady that float!(Ask Arizona)(Column)
July 1, 2008... Dear Arizona, My Cub Scout troop wants to raise money for charity, but we can't agree on what to do. Some of us want to do a car wash. Some want to do a carnival. We can't decide! Any thoughts? --Hoping to Help in Houston ...

Snail.(Nature Watch)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... From the Roger Tory Peterson Institute Did You Know? A snail doesn't just carry its house on its back--it builds the house. A snail makes its hard shell by secreting a substance that contains calcium, the same mineral that makes bones hard....

Matching.
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Look at each hot-air balloon on the left. Find one like it on the right.

The Timbertoes[R].(Cartoon)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] What was that? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A grasshopper! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tommy and Spot followed it. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It hopped out of sight. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] They...

[Cartoon].(Science Corner)(Cartoon)
July 1, 2008... "I've researched my family tree, and I'm pretty sure this is it." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Bursts of color.(Science Corner)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] What makes the beautiful colors of fireworks? Answer Bursts of Color--Fireworks are made of chemicals that glow in different colors when they are hot. Strontium nitrate glows red. Barium nitrate makes green....

Bobbing blobs of oil.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Fill a clear glass about halfway with water. Add a one-inch layer of cooking oil. The oil floats on top because it's less dense than water. (That means a cup of oil weighs less than a cup of water.) Sprinkle plenty...

I wonder ... why woodpeckers like dead trees.(Science Corner)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Woodpeckers don't eat the wood. They eat bugs that live under the bark. There are usually a lot more bugs in a dead tree than in a live one.

Dino days.(Brief article)(Column)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Were there any meat eaters in Australia? Andrew Clark, Age 8 California Yes, scientists found fossils of a large meat eater there. They think it looked like Allosaurus (AL-uh-SAW-rus), which lived in...

So much the same.(Your Own Stories)(cleft lip)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I was born in a hospital, like most kids. My mom tells me I looked a little different. I had a cleft lip. Usually, before you're born your upper lip grows together. Mine was in three pieces. It sounds scary. ...

The Cougar and the deer.(Your Own Stories)(Short story)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] One day, Cougar and his friend Panther were walking through the forest, looking for something large and tasty to eat. At last, they saw a dead deer on the other side of two large nets strung between three sturdy...

Jurassic field trip.(Your Own Stories)(Short story)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It all started out as a class field trip to the zoo. The bus took a wrong turn. Debby, our driver, didn't notice. She drove to a time portal and fell into the Jurassic time! I saw a... Tyrannosaurus rex!...

Take your fishbowl to the beach: here's a way to look at sea creatures up close.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... I like to take my plastic fishbowl to the seashore. I fill it with ocean water and an inch or two of sand. Then I look for sea creatures that might be hiding inside their shells or in the sand. Hermit Crab Once I found a hermit crab in...

Even if he's green.(Short story)
July 1, 2008... I jumped, grabbed the lowest branch of the maple tree, and hoisted myself up. Here I go again, I thought. "Be careful, Matt," Mom said from the base of the tree. "Don't fall." I reached for the next branch. It wasn't a hard climb. If...

Buried-treasure game.(Crafts)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... 1. Cut felt "water" and glue it to sandpaper. 2. Cut the bottoms off six paper cups. Glue shells, rocks, and wood scraps on them. To Play: Arrange the cups on the sandpaper beach. The first player buries coins or other treasure under one of...

Lantern light.(Crafts)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1. Cut off the top of a half-gallon carton. 2. Glue paper to the carton. Cut a window in each of the four sides. 3. Tape tissue paper inside the holes. Decorate the lantern. 4. Punch two holes near the...

Baseball-bat crayon box.(Crafts)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1. With an adult's help, carefully cut the sharp edge off an empty aluminum-foil box. Decorate the box. 2. Cut a bat handle and a baseball from cardboard, and decorate them. Glue them on the box. 3. Punch...

Fourth of July streamers.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1. Thread a plastic needle with string. Knot the end. 2. From craft foam, cut stars and other shapes. 3. Sew through pompoms and the craft-foam shapes. (Push the needle twice through each shape.) 4....

Message magnets.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... 1. Paint a lid from a frozen-juice can. Draw on a face. 2. Cut out paper "ribbons." Write a message. 3. Tape the ribbons to the back of the lid. Glue a magnet to it. 4. Place the message magnet on the refrigerator, or give it as a...

Firecracker centerpiece.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1. For firecrackers, decorate cardboard tubes of different sizes. 2. For each nose cone, cut a circle from paper. Cut a line to the center of each circle. Overlap the ends to make a cone shape. Tape it together....

You' re on a roll.(friction)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] What You'll Need * a box of tissues (full) * a few crayons * a clear, flat surface What to Do 1. Place the tissue box on the Flat surface. 2. Push the box along the surface. Notice how...

Your best self.
July 1, 2008... I can't see You can stand here. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Pineapple pops.(Recipe)
July 1, 2008... Pineapple Pops Ingredients: 2 cups yogurt 1/4 CUD crushed pineapple 1 can slightly thawed pineapple juice 1. Drain the crushed pineapple. 2. Mix together all ingredients. 3. Spoon the mixture into small paper cups. ...

[Cartoon].(Try This!)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Hey! His shoe just made a field goal!"

Let's go camping!(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * What is different about each kind of camping shown? * How do people prepare meals at campgrounds? * Why might campers keep food in a locker? * When people camp, what do they sleep on or in? * What...

Roadrunner rescue.(Short story)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] If I could have chosen what kind of bird I'd be, it would not have been a roadrunner. First, roadrunners are part of the cuckoo family. How would you like to go through life with that kind of baggage? ...

Bessie, the Ballerina Cow.(Your Own Pages)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Bella Orobaton, Age 9 Switzerland

Books!(Your Own Pages)(Poem)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Books! Books keep secret stories. Some books glitter when you open them. Some books pop up when you open them. Some books have colorful pictures or titles. Some books are long. Some are short...

Who, Me?(Your Own Pages)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2008... Who, Me? I feel like a minnow among bass when I go to the high school for French. I think I will be squashed if I am not careful. It is hard to find my way because the crowd blocks my view. One day I find myself far away from class, lost...

Playful Kitty.(Your Own Pages)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ryan Knight, Age 6 South Carolina

Dawn Song.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Dawn Song The lark bird's song! It wakes the dawn; the silver silence now is gone. It wakes the valley, greets the land, with magic none can understand-- the work of Mother Nature's hand. It dries my...

Green.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Green Green is an apple I do not like, a grape that is sour, a Christmas tree with lights. Green is a field of grass or a light that means go, a leaf on a tree, a frog and a toad, and peas,...

Goldilocks and the Three Bears.(Your Own Pages)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Maya Powell, Age 5 Ukraine

My horse's name.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
July 1, 2008... My horse's name is BlackJack. When I ride him, he thinks I'm his backpack. Andrew Barlow, Age 7 New Jersey

Myself.(Your Own Pages)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Rhea Contractor, Age 6 India

The Declaration.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... The Declaration The Declaration is an important thing, as important as a diamond ring. King George made unfair laws. When the colonists found out, they dropped their jaws. To write the Declaration,...

My Fish, Bubba New and Cheeks.(Your Own Pages)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Taylor Buschy, Age 11 Colorado

The Tiger Is Running Away.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... The Tiger Is Running Away (based on a painting by Henri Rousseau) I see a tiger ripping through the grass in a big storm. Lots of leaves. Lots of trees. Some lightning. Lots of plants-- in greens,...

Crab in the Ocean.(Your Own Pages)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Palak Patel, Age 9 Texas

Dragons at Sunset.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Dragons at Sunset As I watch the clouds go by, I see a dragon in the sky. In its sharp-clawed hand it holds its magic orb of light. The clouds have passed; the dragon is gone. 'Tis the magic of sunset in...

Moon Voyage.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Moon Voyage I climb up on a rainbow, then jump up on a cloud. The whispering winds now sound quite loud. I hop onto an asteroid and set sail for the moon. This is taking a while. I hope I am there soon....

The Burning Bush.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... The Burning Bush In summer green and calm, flowing in the wind, soft and warm, protecting all around it. Then cold winter winds come. Red and vivid like uncontrollable flames, mad with power as...

Science letters.(Column)
July 1, 2008... What do fireflies eat? Find out on HighlightsKids.com. What are the largest eagles that ever lived in the history of planet Earth? Freilly Santana New York We asked Alyssa Bell, a scientist at the Natural History Museum...

Check ... and double check.(Cartoon)
July 1, 2008... HOLD IT! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HOLD ON! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] There are at least twenty differences in these two pictures. How many can you find?

Sound bites: listen to your ... food?(sounds in your food)
July 1, 2008... The next time someone makes popcorn, close your eyes and listen carefully. Pop. Pop. What does that sound like? Keep listening. Ping. Pop. Poing. Could those be the sounds of a fireworks show? The world is full of sound. We hear some sounds...

Rescuing our documents of freedom.(The Declaration of Independence)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the summer of 1814, Stephen Pleasonton served as a senior clerk for Secretary of State James Monroe. Pleasonton worked with other clerks in the State Department offices in Washington City, the nation's young...

Summer Night.(Poem)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Summer Night Beam of light catches the hand on the maple tree. Flashlight tag. You're it!

Riddles.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... (1) What do you call a snail on a ship? Arthur Paleologos Massachusetts (2) What happened when the silly camper bought a sleeping bag? Hannah Byrd, North Carolina (3) What do you call a crow that walks on a high wire? ...

Brain play.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Start at the beginning and see how far you can go, thinking of good answers from your own head. START Name something that is big. Name something that is bigger. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] What is your favorite food? Why do...

Blueberry pie.(Short story)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Today Grandma and I are going to make a blueberry pie. We want to surprise Mom when she comes to pick me up. Mom loves blueberries as much as Grandma and I do. She especially loves blueberry pie. I look in the...

Dear Highlights.(Column)
July 1, 2008... My friends make fun of me because I'm a boy who loves to cook. Should I stop cooking? Jason (by e-mail) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It's great that you love to cook! Many of the world's most respected chefs are men. Try to have a sense...

Picture puzzler.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Nine campers in this scene are posing For a picture. In each row-horizontally, vertically, and diagonally-they have something in common with one another. Figure out what. Then join the Camp Hike-a-Lot scavenger hunt; find as many things as you...