Highlights for Children articles from March 2003

Highlights for Children archives from March 2003

Pebble World.(Poem)
March 1, 2003... Pebble World I found a pebble and looked it over. This could be a whole little world that I held in my hand. With its own little trees. With its own little birds. I held it and looked as closely as I...

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

Lots of fun things to do!(Editorial)
March 1, 2003... Lots of fun things to do! That's how the March issue struck me. It made me recall that common childhood refrain--voiced often by my own children--"There is nothing to do." Children need to find ways to engage their creative spirites. Play,...

Liven up a story! Shake up a story with some sound effects.
March 1, 2003... Leaves rustle as a raccoon crosses a backyard. To make the sounds in this sentence come to life, would you have to find a raccoon and a leaf-covered yard? No! You could use sound effects instead. Sound effects are man-made sounds that...

Aislinn's Caper.(Short Story)
March 1, 2003... Grandfather frowned as he felt the inside of Caper's front hoof. The Connemara pony winced. "It's warm," said Grandfather with a sigh. "I think he has a mild case of founder." "I can't believe he unlatched the bin and ate all that grain,"...

Dizzy spell.(Science Letters)
March 1, 2003... How do we get dizzy? Samantha Brake, Age 7 Virginia You know that your ears do the important job of hearing. The inner parts of the ears also do another job: They give you a sense of balance. Deep inside your ears are some special...

Rocket engines.(Science Letters)
March 1, 2003... How does a rocket engine work? Robby O'Connell, Age 5 Virginia A rocket engine works because chemicals inside it react in an explosion or series of explosions to make a blast of hot gases. The hot gases are pushed out of nozzles...

Swollen skin.(Science Letters)
March 1, 2003... Why does your skin swell up when you hurt yourself? Alexis Haeg, Age 10 Minnesota Let's say that you have bumped your knee and that little blood vessels in the knee are damaged. If those vessels break open, then blood flows into...

My kite.(Poem)
March 1, 2003... The March wind is blowing the dark clouds away. The wind in the trees makes the bare branches sway. It's Saturday morning. I build a small kite out of paper and string and sticks that are light. I go to a field with no trees, and I...

Thinking.
March 1, 2003... * Which jobs are done nearly every day? What would happen if no one did them? * What jobs do you do? How often do you do them? * Which games require a lot of hard work? Are they fun anyway?

Turn around.
March 1, 2003... If you turn around a swallow, you get a stopper. (Reverse the letters of gulp and spell plug.) Now try these. * Turn around part of a fence and get a person who doesn't tell the truth. * Turn around a short sleep and get an item to...

Think about it.
March 1, 2003... If this piece of paper were folded on the dotted line, which piece below would it look like? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ANSWERS: C.

Scrambled lunch.
March 1, 2003... For lunch, Steve had a sandwich, an apple, a carrot, and a cookie. Using these clues, figure out in what order Steve ate the food. * He ate the cookie before the apple and after the carrot. * He ate the sandwich after the carrot and...

Check ... and bouble check.
March 1, 2003... There are at least fourteen differences in these two pictures. How many can you find? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Boys vs. baboons.
March 1, 2003... In Zimbabwe, where I live, corn is the staple food crop for most people. We call it maize. For farmers who live in the countryside, selling maize is the only way of earning money. Farmers hope for good rainfall, because a poor harvest can...

"Who's been eating my porridge?".(Hidden Pictures[TM])
March 1, 2003... In this big picture find the crescent moon, inchworm, fork, flashlight, stocking cap, bagel, horseshoe, mug, boot, comb, ruler, and beetle. Can you find these Hidden Pictures[TM] on page 14? crescent moon [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Proverbs from Around the World.(Poem)
March 1, 2003... Proverbs from Around the World The loftiest towers rise from the ground. (China) He that sleeps much learns little. (Spain) If a bird does not fly, it starves. (Ghana) Think before you speak, and...

Watching a Toad.(Poem)
March 1, 2003... Watching a Toad Next time You catch a fly Don't be so quick. Please go Very, very slow, So I can see How you do the trick.

Jokes.
March 1, 2003... Teacher: "Please turn in your cheese projects." Student: "Why?" Teacher: "Because they will be grated." Jessica Long, Oklahoma Doctor: "You need glasses." Patient: "How can you tell?" Doctor: "I noticed when you...

A lucky messenger.(Short Story)
March 1, 2003... Mordy was excited. It was time to fill Purim shalach manot baskets! Mom put four straw baskets on the kitchen table. Then she brought out three bowls. One bowl was filled with apples. One was filled with grapes. The last bowl was filled with...

Make a purim basket.
March 1, 2003... 1. Cut off the top half of a half-gallon milk carton. 2. Glue on construction paper to cover the bottom half, inside and out. 3. Cut four triangles from yellow paper to look like hamantaschen. 4. Put a large drop of white glue on...

Hidden countries.
March 1, 2003... Can you find the name of a country hidden in each sentence? 1. This pain in my elbow is annoying. 2. I bought a rug and a lamp at the yard sale. 3. Is jazz music way in or way out? 4. The metal pipe rusted in the rain. 5....

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

What are your favorite books?
March 1, 2003... My favorite book is Our 'Solar System by Seymour Simon because it shows you the important planets of the solar system. My favorite part is when they talk about the Earth because we live on the Earth. Shanalee Ortiz, Age 9 Florida My...

Dr. Grace Hopper: "dare and do".
March 1, 2003... When she was seven years old, Grace Murray decided she just had to find out what made an alarm clock work. She took apart her bedroom clock. Then she couldn't figure out how to put it together again. She took apart another clock--then...

MVP.(Short Story)
March 1, 2003... 8:00 The red numbers on the clock showed that there was one quarter left in the game. In just eight minutes, one team would win the seventh-grade championship. The score was tied at 24. Our sweaty team huddled around Coach Sanchez....

The bear family.
March 1, 2003... Woozy: Look, Poozy finished making his bird feeder. Piddy: It's kind of crooked. Woozy: Yes, but if you say that to Poozy, you might hurt his feelings. Piddy: Should we fib and say it's perfect? Mom: Why not say something nice...

The owl.(Poem)
March 1, 2003... The owl wakes up late at night (Eyes wide open. Fingers spread out beside your eyes.) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] And leaves its nest in silent flight, (Flap your arms.) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Searching for a tasty treat...

Riddles.
March 1, 2003... 1. Why did the sheep keep going straight down the street? Mahalia Sobhani, Wisconsin 2. How do you identify a dog? Richard Lacy, Texas 3. What is the laziest food ever? Kshama Bhyravabhotla, Georgia 4. How do you...

Go with the flow.
March 1, 2003... If each of these things was in its own bucket, which would flow out when the bucket was tipped? Which would roll? Which would ooze? Which would scatter? Which might not come out at all? Which could not be held in the bucket in the first place?...

Fan yourself over the rainbow.(You Can Make It!)
March 1, 2003... 1. Color six craft sticks. Fan the sticks out so that they are one inch apart at the top. Glue them together at the bottom. 2. Spray a small coffee filter with water. Sprinkle it with drops of food coloring, or paint it with watercolors....

Do the ladybug shuffle!(You Can MAke It!)
March 1, 2003... 1. Cut out construction-paper circles to fit eight plastic caps. You can use caps from milk cartons, film canisters, or soda bottles. 2. Decorate the circles to look like ladybugs. Use spots to number them from one to eight. Glue the...

People your play with peanut puppets.(You Can Make It!)
March 1, 2003... 1. Draw faces on peanut shells with different-colored markers. 2. Glue on hats, yarn hair, felt dog and cat ears, and thread whiskers. 3. Put a drop of glue on the pointed end of a wooden kebab skewer. Poke the skewer into the bottom...

Craft challenge!(You Can Make It!)
March 1, 2003... Using only yarn and glue, create a picture on poster board.

A spider even Miss Muffet would love.(You Can Make It!)
March 1, 2003... 1. With an adult's help, cut or break off the top of a pinecone to make the spider's body. Paint it black. 2. Cut two black chenille sticks in half. Twist the four pieces together in the middle to form eight legs. Glue the legs under the...

Send a pot-of-gold greeting.(You Can Make It!)
March 1, 2003... 1. Fold a 9-inch-by-12-inch piece of yellow construction paper in half. Cut an arc as shown at right. 2. Fold the arc inward as shown at left. 3. Cut a 6-inch-by-12-inch rectangle from green construction paper. 4. Put glue on the...

Have a laugh.
March 1, 2003... When Louie came home from the playground, his mother was waiting for him, and she was angry. She said, "Why did you run off before finishing that job I gave you?" "But I did just what you asked," Louie said. "You told me to hang the rug on...

Tell the story.
March 1, 2003... What's the story behind this picture? You tell us? In an upcoming issue, we will print some of the stories that we receive. * Make sure that your story has fewer than two hundred words. * Include your name, age, and full address (street...

For wee folks.
March 1, 2003... * Which kids are using their minds the most? * Which kids are being the most active? * Who may be learning the most? * What do you do for fun? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Just my size.(Short Story)
March 1, 2003... "What are you making, Tata?" Dikike asked her father. "A little boat?" She eyed the small canoe and said, "It looks just my size." Dikike's father laughed and said, "Now what would a little girl do with a canoe?" Dikike thought for a...

Are you a good sport?
March 1, 2003... Have you ever watched an athlete face a disappointing decision by an official yet remain calm and continue to play with enthusiasm? It isn't easy to keep one's temper during the heat of a game. I asked some of the sporting world's best "sports"...

Can you do it?(Science Corner)
March 1, 2003... Can you write the numeral 6 while moving your right leg in a circular, clockwise path? Can you do it while moving your left leg in the same way? Can You Do It?--For most right-handed people, it will be hard to write the numeral 6 (a...

Dinosaur days.(Science Corner)
March 1, 2003... Write to "Dino Don" Lessem Do you have a dinosaur drawing, joke, question, or other contribution for Dino Don? Include your name, age, and complete address, and mail to Dino Don, HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN, 803 Church Street, Honesdale, PA 18431....

Drop it?(Science Corner)
March 1, 2003... Imagine that someone dropped these things from the top of a building at exactly the same time. In what order would they hit the ground? Drop It!--The tomato and the bowling ball would hit at the same time because the force of gravity pulls...

I wonder .. why birds sings.(Science Corner)
March 1, 2003... Most of the birds that sing are males. Partly, the male sings for a female to be his mate. But mostly he sings to tell other males of his kind to stay away because he has claimed the area as his space for living and finding food. ...

The Timbertoes.
March 1, 2003... A strange note! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] What did it mean? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Maybe it is a map." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pa got out the raft. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Which way? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

I am the first bird.(Our Own Pages)(Poem)
March 1, 2003... I am the first bird of spring. You should listen to me sing. James Broomfield Age 6 Wisconsin [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Blue, the Poem.(Our Own Pages)(Poem)
March 1, 2003... Blue, the Poem Sky is blue Sea gulls are flying Oceans are rising below them Water is blue Sky is blue Nicolaas Van Ooyen, Age 5 California

Shooting Stars.(Our Own Pages)(Brief Article)(Poem)
March 1, 2003... Shooting Stars Flying past my window one night, Going so fast it's hard to catch sight, One big star, trailed by light. Brandy Shelley, Age 9 New Jersey

Playing with My Dad in Our Garden.(Our Own Pages)
March 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Azmina Aysha, Age 5 Massachusetts

Cat Magic.(Our Own Pages)(Poem)
March 1, 2003... Cat Magic Cat comes, Cat sneaks, Cat jumps, Cat peeks, Cat creeps, Cat sleeps. Denali McGlashan Age 5 Alaska

Walking the Dog.(Our Own Pages)
March 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Olivia Rosen, Age 7 Washington

My Dad.(Our Own Pages)
March 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Kayla Kolbert, Age 9 Minnesota

Animals on a Farm.(Our Own Pages)(Brief Article)(Poem)
March 1, 2003... Animals on a Farm We have to milk the cows And also feed the chickens. We have to tend the horses And feed the little kittens. The sheep go in the barn, The calves get feed and hay. At last our chores are...

Spring.(Our Own Pages)(Brief Article)(Poem)
March 1, 2003... Spring Spring is happy, Full of love, Flowers, tulips, Robins, doves, Baby birds Who need care. Trees are budding Everywhere. Mattea Wilber, Age 8 Pennsylvania

The First Day of Spring.(Our Own Pages)
March 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jack C. Guerra Lamos, Age 7 Spain

My Closet.(Our Own Pages)(Brief Article)(Poem)
March 1, 2003... My Closest Dirty, messy, full of dust-- clean it up, it's a must. Full of clothes lying 'round-- shirts on the rod, jeans on the ground. Yesterday's pizza on the floor; pick up one slice, you'll find more. ...

Rocket Ship Taking Off.(Our Own Pages)
March 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jon DuBouis, Age 8 Missouri

Visions in the Dark.(Our Own Pages)(Brief Article)(Poem)
March 1, 2003... Visions in the Dark When you turn around a corner or get scared in the dark, thinking there's a dog ready to bark, Seeing lots of shadows, looking so alive, thinking that you might just be tricking...

Calico Kitten.(Our Own Pages)
March 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Beth Huerter, Age 12 Nebraska

River of Words.(Our Own Pages)(Brief Article)(Poem)
March 1, 2003... River of Words Rivers, streams... I've seen them all. But the most beautiful one I have seen is the one right next to my old camp. It always made me busy. It always had frogs and newts to catch, dams to make....

Skiing Days.(Our Own Pages)(Brief Article)(Poem)
March 1, 2003... Skiing Days Waiting in line, Slowly Sliding Toward the lift, The chair pushes me on And I sit, Lifting, Lofting Higher. The mountain drops away. At the top I push off the seat ...

President Abraham Lincoln.(Our Own Pages)
March 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Stephen Hubrel, Age 11 Arkansas

My Fuzzy Kitten.(Our Own Pages)(Brief Article)(Poem)
March 1, 2003... My fuzzy kitten, My fuzzy kitten, full of fur, loves to scratch me, then starts to purr. But when I feed him, he's so sweet. He wraps his tail around my feet. Courtney Supper, Age 8 New York

Iguanas.(Our Own Pages)
March 1, 2003... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Kelly Fisher, Age 8 Ohio

Butterflies.(Our Own Pages)(Brief Article)(Poem)
March 1, 2003... Butterflies Beautiful butterfly Up in the air, Tree to Tree, Everywhere, Round in circles, Floating, flying, Landing on lovely Yarrow. Karissa Preiser, Age 11 Michigan

Pick your produce.
March 1, 2003... Find the three baskets that contain the same six fruits. Baskets C, D, and F contain the same six fruits.

Goofus and Gallant[R].
March 1, 2003... "I'm never going to play with James again! He played with Chris today instead of me." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gallant understands that sometimes his friends want to play with someone else. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Goofus can't...

Headwork.
March 1, 2003... Start at the beginning and see how far you can go, thinking of good answers from your own head. How many thumbs do you have? How many toes? Which is louder, a meow or a bark? Do you throw a ball with your right hand or your...

Think it over.
March 1, 2003... Do you use your mind more... * To eat a pie or to make one? * To tell your brother why you like him or to argue with him? * To count a pocketful of change or to tell how old you are? * To teach a puppy a trick or to feed him?...

The cowboy's home on wheels: the chuck wagon was more than a mobile kitchen. It was the cowboy's home.
March 1, 2003... Texas rancher Charles Goodnight had a problem. He needed skilled cowboys to drive his herd of two thousand longhorn cattle to New Mexico to be sold. He couldn't offer high wages. He couldn't promise easy jobs or even nice weather. But he...

No English yet.(Dear Highlights)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... There is a new girl in my school and she is from Taiwan. She can't speak any English. How can I be friends with her? It's great that you want to befriend this girl. You can probably play simple games like tic-tac-toe or hopscotch together...

Brother likes to fight.(Dear Highlights)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... My brother likes fighting. He always says it's OK, but I always say we shouldn't fight. He never understands. Because you and your brother have a basic disagreement about how you should treat each other, you will probably need to get help...

Art critic.(Dear Highlights)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... My teacher passed out paper. I didn't know what to draw, so I looked around the room and saw a lot of things. I drew a crayon box with school supplies. I thought it was nice, but my friend made fun of my drawing. What should I do? It's not...

Fair and square.(Dear Highlights)(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... In Sunday school we played a game. I won the prize, but everyone thought I won because my mom is the teacher. What should I do? Let your mom know how you are feeling. She can probably help you decide whether you should try to forget what...

Mystery photos.
March 1, 2003... Can you identify the common items shown in these close-ups? 1. Aluminum foil. 2. Ice-cream cone. 3. Cantaloupe rind. 4. Cellulose sponge. 5. Peach skin. 6. Rose. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]