Highlights for Children articles from May 2007

Highlights for Children archives from May 2007

Hooray for Asian/Pacific Americans!(Fun This Month)
May 1, 2007... Since 1990, May has been designated Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month. President George W. Bush has called upon people to "learn more about the history of Asian/Pacific Americans and their role in our national story." Asian/Pacific...

On May 1, tie a ribbon around a handful of flowers.(Fun This Month)
May 1, 2007... On May 1, tie a ribbon around a handful of flowers and hang the bouquet on a doorknob as a May Day gift.

Take a look at the photo above.(Fun This Month)
May 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Caption: Take a look at the photo above. Make up a funny story about what you think it means.

5 ways to put fun into fitness.(May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month!)
May 1, 2007... 1. Challenge a friend to a foot race. 2. Learn to juggle. 3. Have a table-tennis tournament. 4. Jog in the shallow end of a pool. 5. Make up a dance, and teach it to Friends.

Name that bridge.(Fun This Month)
May 1, 2007... More than 200,000 people crossed this bridge on its opening day--May 27, 1937. Hint: Part of its name is also the nickname of the state it is in.

Riddles.(Fun This Month)
May 1, 2007... 1. How do hens stay fit? 2. What is smarter than a talking parrot? Answers: 1. They eggs-ercise. 2. A spelling bee.

Find the pictures.(Fun This Month)
May 1, 2007... Can you find each of these 10 pictures at another place in this magazine?

Honoring "Uncle Jack".(Dear Readers)
May 1, 2007... When you're a kid, life seems full of puzzles. It's great to have a friend who likes your "how" and "why" questions and who can help you noodle them. Almost from the time his parents started this magazine, senior science editor Dr. Jack...

The Cactus Hotel.(Poem)
May 1, 2007... The Cactus Hotel A bright white party hat blooms on a saguaro head. The cactus raises its arms, welcomes resting doves, owls, wrens, and offering shelter from harsh...

Goofus and Gallant[R].(Cartoon)
May 1, 2007... "Why can't you walk him today?" says Goofus. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Goofus puts his feet on the coffee table. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gallant speaks to his parents respectfully. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Gallant keeps his...

What Lilly Loopkee Likes.(Poem)
May 1, 2007... What Lilly Loopkee Likes Lilly Loopkee likes sweets, but not chocolate. Lilly Loopkee likes rabbits, but not animals. Lilly Loopkee likes bass, but not fish. Lilly Loopkee likes Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Hawaii, but...

Make it for Mom!
May 1, 2007... You don't have to be a magician to turn something from nature into a wonderful gift for Mom. Visit a flower shop or garden center to find the plants you'll need. For next year, plan ahead and grow your own! Rosewater Room Spray Your...

Nakai's pangolin: one boy saw it. But where did it go?
May 1, 2007... When I was in Murehwa in northern Zimbabwe, I witnessed the capture of a unique animal--a pangolin. The creature was spotted by a 12-year-old boy named Nakai. He was watching over his family's cattle when he saw the animal. At first he did...

Flapping flags.(Science Corner)
May 1, 2007... How can these flags flap in opposite directions? Answers Flapping Flags--The flag on the shore is waving in the wind, which is blowing from left to right. The motorboat is going in the same direction as the wind. It is going faster...

Listen with your teeth.(Science Corner)
May 1, 2007... Hold a metal fork between your thumb and index finger. Hit it with a metal spoon. While the fork is still ringing, gently touch the handle to your teeth. What do you hear? Answers Listen with Your Teeth--Many solid objects carry sound...

Listen with your teeth.(Science Corner)
May 1, 2007... I wonder... how that glop changes into hard concrete. Concrete is a mixture of gravel, sand, cement, and water. The gravel and sand help fill up the space, and cement holds it all together. Cement is made by heating and crushing limestone...

Dino days.(dinosaurs)
May 1, 2007... I know that T. rex couldn't swim, but I was wondering if any other large carnivores could. Liam Brion, Age 4 Alaska Judging by fossilized footprints that show dinosaurs pushing off into water, we think many dinosaurs could swim....

Thinking: we're on the backlot of a motion-picture studio!
May 1, 2007... * How is watching a movie being filmed different from watching something happening in real life? * Which would you rather be--a director, an actor, or a camera person? Why? * What other jobs go into making a movie?

Cartwheels and butterflies.(Short story)
May 1, 2007... My friend Ann paints the prettiest butterflies. They look so real it's as if they could fly right off the paper. My painted butterflies are splashed and splotched. My butterflies are definitely stay-on-the-page butterflies. My friend...

Zebra's recital.(Hidden Pictures[R])
May 1, 2007... In this big picture, find the handbell, two butterflies, screw, eyeglasses, sea horse, snake, flag, candle, tack, golf ball, spatula, fan, mug, ring, and belt. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Jokes.
May 1, 2007... Nadine: "Which state can see the farthest?" Carl: "Mississippi." Nadine: "Why?" Carl: "Because it has so many 'I's.'" Noelle Kinsell-Baer, Illinois "knock, knock." "Who's there?" "Ice-cream soda." "Ice-cream...

Birthday Poem.(Poem)
May 1, 2007... Birthday Poem Wake up! Wake up, Dear birthday child! The world is sweet And bright and wild, With music, scents, And sights to see, With things to touch And things to be, With gifts you won't ...

The King of Svendoolia?(Ask Arizona)
May 1, 2007... Dear Arizona, Every day I bring in the mail from our mailbox, and there's never a single letter for me. I just keep hoping tomorrow will be different. --Starving for Letters Dear Starving, My mom always says I devour books...

May-be this, may-be that.
May 1, 2007... Each of the clues below describes a word that starts with may. 1. Pilgrim ship. 2. Top government official in a city or town. 3. What people dance around on May Day. 4. Baseball legend named Willie. 5. Tasty spread on...

A hot dog at the ballpark.
May 1, 2007... Felix took his younger brother, Ernesto, to a baseball game. Put these pictures in order of what happened first, second, and so on. "A Hot Dog at the Ballpark" (page 18) The pictures should be in this order: C, B, A, D, F, E. ...

Matching.
May 1, 2007... Look at each dragonfly on the left. Find one like it on the right.

Moon Climber.(Creatures Nobody Has Ever Seen!)
May 1, 2007... The Moon Climber is a fish out of water. He has plungers for hands and feet so that he can stick to the moon, Logan Fernandes, Age 7 Massachusetts

Mr. I-Need-a-Haircut.(Creatures Nobody Has Ever Seen!)
May 1, 2007... Mr. I-Need-a-Haircut lives in prairie-dog holes. He is a clown, and because there are no barbershops around, he can't get his hair cut. He is very, very small. Garrett Portanova, Age 9 Florida

Silliness gloss.(Creatures Nobody Has Ever Seen!)
May 1, 2007... He lives up in the trees. He runs for exercise. He eats tomatoes. When he works, he is a lawyer. He is a baseball player. Alexis Irlbeck, Age 6 Iowa

The Dreamblower.(Creatures Nobody Has Ever Seen!)
May 1, 2007... The Dreamblower tries to make sure you have good dreams. He catches them in the Land of Dreams. He tries to get there before Nightmare-blower so people don't have bad dreams. He has nets to catch dreams, pouches to carry them, strong teeth to...

The Giggle Pie.(Creatures Nobody Has Ever Seen!)
May 1, 2007... The Giggle Pie is a pie monster that is sure to make you laugh uncontrollably. You won't be able to stop until she is out of the room or 20 feet away. If you ask what flavor she is and she says banana cream--you will crack up. Kelby...

The Talents Bug.(Creatures Nobody Has Ever Seen!)
May 1, 2007... The Talents Bug has 12 feet that he can't use very well, so he has to fly. There are stars at the end of his antennae. He is perfect at every subject. Sometimes when he flies around, some of his magic lands on somebody. That's how people get...

The Fire Ant.(Creatures Nobody Has Ever Seen!)
May 1, 2007... The Fire Ant is an ant that is made out of fire. He has a girlfriend called Water Ant. She is made out of water. Fire Ant eats hot stuff, like hot sauce. Xavier Smith, Age 8 North Carolina

Wear a music maker.(Crafts)
May 1, 2007... 1. Use a pen to poke a hole in the bottom of two fruit-snack cups. 2. Cut a piece of ribbon long enough to fit over your head and hang comfortably around your neck. 3. Place the cups rim to rim. Thread the ribbon through the two cups,...

These chocolates will make you smile (back).(Crafts)
May 1, 2007... 1. Cut a square box to measure 5 inches by 3 inches. Make a flip-up lid by cutting along the two short sides and one long side. 2. Decorate the box with paint and felt. Attach a paper fastener to the middle of the front, as shown. Just...

Keep your stationery in a case.(Crafts)
May 1, 2007... 1. Cut two 16-inch-by-10-inch pieces of wallpaper scrap. 2. Let one sheet extend over the other sheet by a half inch. Fold over the extended wallpaper and glue it down. Flip the paper over, and do the same on the opposite end. 3. To...

Make a get-well banner.(Crafts)
May 1, 2007... 1. Cut a piece of felt or Fabric. Paint "Get Well Soon" in the middle. 2. Decorate around your message with rickrack and cut felt or fabric. 3. Glue the top edge of your banner across a straight stick. 4. Cut a piece of yarn twice...

Play 1, 2, 3, launch!(Crafts)
May 1, 2007... 1. For the board, cut a 16-inch cardboard square. 2. With an adult's help, cut the top from a clean 2-liter plastic bottle, and discard it. Cut eight evenly-spaced slits from the rim of the bottle to 11/2 inches from the bottom. Place the...

How to catch a horse.
May 1, 2007... The horse's saddle is not soft. Since I don't know how to ride a horse correctly, I bounce up and down. Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Some friends and I are riding in Lesotho (leh-soo-too) with a tour guide. We are many miles from cars or paved roads....

The Timbertoes[R].(Cartoon)
May 1, 2007... Chirrup! sang the bird. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Chirrup! whistled Tommy. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Can you teach me?" asked Mabel. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "It's easy. Just blow." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Phhhfft!...

Science letters.
May 1, 2007... How do turtles get into their shells? Geoffry Boudousquie Age 9 Idaho A turtle doesn't get into its shell and couldn't get out even if it wanted to. The shell is part of the turtle's body. It's made up of bones (mostly the...

Run-out Rick: running out is usually a bad thing.(Short story)
May 1, 2007... I have a problem. I run out of things. My friends even call me Run-Out Rick. Ninety-nine percent of the time, running out is a bad thing. But once, just once, I lucked out.... It all started last Thursday morning when the milk ran out and I...

Stream.
May 1, 2007... I watch a star-shaped leaf float by, a sweet-gum leaf, I think. I put a pinecone in the stream. Do pinecones float or sink? This pinecone floats. I try some bark and see that bark will float. I put some stones on top of it. This bark becomes a...

"Test" you funny bone: welcome to Hee-Hee Academy. Class is in session!
May 1, 2007... 1. What do teachers put on their pizzas? 2. Why didn't the monster finish his homework? 3. What did the astronaut read in space? 4. Why did the tiny ghost join the soccer team? 5. What word do even teachers spell wrong? 6....

24 hours before the mast.
May 1, 2007... Twenty sailor wannabes slouched in sloppy rows on the deck of the Pilgrim. The brig tall ship was anchored in the calm waters off Dana Point, California. Beneath the 24 stars of the American flag flying from the ship's mast, the "sailors"...

Firefly.(Nature Watch: From the Roger Tory Peterson Institute)
May 1, 2007... Did You Know? Fireflies make their own light by producing a chemical reaction in their bodies. They use light the way birds use their songs: to show where they are and to find a mate. Usually the male flies around, flashing his light. The...

The bear family.(Cartoon)
May 1, 2007... Piddy: Wait, Poozy! I want to go, too. Poozy: No, Piddy. You're too little. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Piddy: It's not fair. Poozy and Woozy won't let me play. Mom: Sometimes big cubs like to spend time alone with their friends....

I got it right! He couldn't seem to find the right words.(Short story)
May 1, 2007... Crack!" went the egg. Out stepped a little duckling. He shook himself and looked around. No one was there. So he waddled off to find someone. In the middle of the path was a mud puddle full of piglets. "Oink! Oink!" said the...

This is a zebra playing "Old MacDonald Had a Zebra".(Your Own Pages)
May 1, 2007... This is a zebra playing "Old MacDonald Had a Zebra" on the guitar. Naomi Jane Flores, Age 4 Michigan [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

When I look.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
May 1, 2007... When I look into the ocean, what overcomes me is a sudden emotion. I wonder how it would be to live a life down in the sea. But then I think about jellyfish stinging me. So after this ...

Poem for Mother's Day.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
May 1, 2007... Poem for Mother's Day If my mother were a flower, she'd be a special kind, because in the middle of my heart I'd remember how much I love her. And she may not be a special flower to everybody, but she's very,...

A Flying Butterfly.(Your Own Pages)
May 1, 2007... A Flying Butterfly Lexes Legerski, Age 6 Wyoming [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

A Whisper Weaves.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
May 1, 2007... A Whisper Weaves Through the rocks, through the leaves, through the lilies a whisper weaves. A whisper weaves, both night and day, like the colors of a tropical bird the whispers lay. They're...

A Game of Chess.(Your Own Pages)
May 1, 2007... A Game of Chess Joseph Magana, Age 9 California [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Larry O'Gus.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
May 1, 2007... Larry O'Gus Larry O'Gus, Larry O'Gus, Larry O'Gus, the dancing bus. He turned on his wipers. He turned on his lights. He waltzed and polkaed and danced all night. Larry slid to hip-hop. He...

My Fish Tank.(Your Own Pages)
May 1, 2007... My Fish Tank David Sterner, Age 12 Colorado [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

People See God Every Day--They Just Don't Recognize Him.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
May 1, 2007... People See God Every Day--They Just Don't Recognize Him People see God in my sister Tara and in my daddy and mommy. People see God on Maipuhi Place in Ewa Beach on sunny days. People see God in church, at the...

Me, the Pilot.(Your Own Pages)
May 1, 2007... Me, the Pilot Nick St. Clair, Age 8 North Carolina [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Someday.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
May 1, 2007... Someday Someday I'll dance in the spotlight, my toe shoe tied on very tight. As I hear the music, I'll start to dance. I'll put the audience in a trance. I'll jump and spin every way, then leap into a grand jete....

A Whiffle Bird.(Your Own Pages)
May 1, 2007... A Whiffle Bird Samuel Swansen, Age 5 Pennsylvania [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Friends.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
May 1, 2007... Friends You may not know it, but we are still friends. You may not see it, but we are still friends. You may not like it, but we are still friends. Don't have three; have four. Don't have four;...

Trees.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
May 1, 2007... Trees Trees, with all their uses how wonderful they are, and how little we appreciate their greatness. Take, for instance, the maple with its sweet sap, or the redwood with its beauty and...

Hockey Goalie.(Your Own Pages)
May 1, 2007... Hockey Goalie Brendan Rosengren, Age 3 Minnesota [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Sylvia, tree dancer.(Short story)
May 1, 2007... "You've got to be kidding!" I say out loud. tugging on the rope again. I'm fifty feet up in a red oak. staring across at the sugar maple fifteen feet away that just ate my climbing rope. Thanks a lot, tree. Actually, it's my fault. Dad...

Brain play.
May 1, 2007... Start at the beginning and see how far you can go, thinking of good answer from your own head. START Tell a difference between a spoon and a fork. Can you touch your toes with your knees? Name something that is black and...

Stone soup: a Swedish folktale.(Short story)
May 1, 2007... One day, a hungry traveler arrived at a small village. He asked the villagers for a bowl of food. But the villagers had no food to spare. "Then I'll make stone soup for everyone," said the traveler. First he built a fire. Above it he placed...

Your best self.(Cartoon)
May 1, 2007... Wow! You're an artist? I didn't think so, but I found my own style. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Riddles?
May 1, 2007... (1) What's the difference between a fish and a piano? Samantha Stikeleather, Oregon (2) If you say my name, I am already gone. What am I? Kevin Chon, California (3) Why was the baby ant confused? Seneca Nagy, Pennsylvania...

Dear Highlights.
May 1, 2007... I am afraid of the dark. How do I stop being afraid? Erica S. (by e-mail) You might want to avoid watching scary TV shows or reading scary books. These things are meant to entertain, but they may put frightening thoughts into your...

Picture puzzler: what common word or phrase does each picture pun represent?
May 1, 2007... 1. sit ME 2. stand 3. top 4. a ppod 5. this 6. This picture pun was sent to us by Emily Pommerencke, age 12: E-anything 7. AWAY Answers 1. Sit next to me. 2. Stand in line (or in a straight line). 3....