Highlights for Children articles from May 2008

Highlights for Children archives from May 2008

Change starts with you.(Fun This Month)
May 1, 2008... May 3 is Join Hands Day. On this day, kids and adults come together to work on projects that improve their communities. With some kids and adults you know, come up with a list of ways you could make a difference. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

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

Mother's Day matchup.(Fun This Month)
May 1, 2008... Match the Mother's Day card to the animal baby that sent it. You made me take the plunge--thanks! Mom, you make the den a fun place. I feel comfy hopping around with you. Love, Joey Thank you for putting me in a good school....

Who's waving?(Fun This Month)
May 1, 2008... This flag belongs to Haiti, a country that celebrates Flag Day on May 18. With help from books or a computer, learn to identify five other countries' flags. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Surprise them!(Fun This Month)
May 1, 2008... 1. Write a letter to a faraway relative. 2. Make a paper-flower bouquet for Mom. 3. Teach a sport to someone younger than you. 4. With your parents' OK, help a neighbor with yard work. 5. Draw a comic strip featuring your...

Art cars!(Fun This Month)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] During Art Car Weekend (May 9 to 11), artists in Houston, Texas, turn vehicles into art and have a parade. Design your own art car using cardboard, paint, paper, bottle caps, and other things you find in your house.

Flower funnies.(Fun This Month)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Why couldn't the flower ride his bike? His petals (pedals) were broken. Which flowers have nice smiles? Tulips (two lips).

A mother's example.(Dear Readers)(Editorial)
May 1, 2008... May brings us Mother's Day, so it seemed like a good time to ask six top athletes to share some of their moms' good advice. If you're like me, reading "Coach Mom" on page 16 will make you think about everything you've learned from your mom. ...

Hush-a-bye, baby.(Poem)
May 1, 2008... When the baby arrived with its soft baby toys and its bottles and diapers, the rule was--No noise! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Speak in a whisper, tiptoe around, turn down the music, don't make a sound....

Fiasco on the farm.(Ask Arizona)
May 1, 2008... Dear Arizona, I'm half-excited and half-nervous because my class is taking a field trip to a farm--where we'll actually have to do work! I love animals, but I have no idea how to do farmwork. --Chicken in Charleston [ILLUSTRATION...

Goofus and Gallant[R].(Cartoon)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Goofus forgets to wear his helmet. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I spent the change. Hope you don't mind," says Goofus. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I felt like Goofus when I hogged the computer." Omar,...

Ship shapes.
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] How many triangles do you count on this ship? 14 triangles

Tongue twisters.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Six sick sheep sleep in slick silk sheets. Daniel Holinski, Age 6 Nevada Claire's clean clock clangs. Celeste Ashley, Age 10 Virginia Turtles and pterodactyls tell tall tales of...

Big numbers at a banana-split bar.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] One day a baboon and an elephant came across a banana-split buffet. Each animal wanted to be first to scoop its ice cream. Because there were two animals, there were two ways to line up. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Lost and found: a weather balloon.
May 1, 2008... It's a foggy morning. I watch as Lee Foster and his assistant, Sonia Mark Flechtner, launch a weather balloon. Lee is a meteorologist. This means that he studies the weather and makes predictions about it. He and Sonia work at the National...

Cicada.(Nature Watch)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Did you Know? Cicadas spend most of their lives in the soil, feeding on the juices of tree roots. Finally, the insects dig tunnels to the surface and shed their hard outer skins to become adults. Once their wings dry, they fly in search of...

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

The Timbertoes[R].(Cartoon)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pa was busy in his new workshop. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "Look! One for each of us." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "What are they for?" [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tommy rolled his. [ILLUSTRATION...

Puddle stomping.(Hidden Pictures[R])(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In this big picture, find the book, lollipop, mushroom, pear, hammer, tube of toothpaste, spoon, banana, sailboat, musical notes, candle, pickax, flag, and trowel. Stumped? The answers to this puzzle are on...

Jokes.(Brief article)(List)
May 1, 2008... Man: I rode a hippo to work yesterday. Woman: Surely you can't be serious! Man: I am serious, and please don't call me Shirley. Rebecca Raub, Maryland "Knock, knock." "Who's there?" "A little boy who can't reach the...

Putt-putt puzzler.(golf puzzle)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Pam, Shawn, Stephanie, and Blake just finished a game of putt-putt golf. Add up their scores to see who won. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In miniature golf, the lowest score wins. Pare had 30 strokes, Shawn and Stephanie tied with 29...

Coach mom: these athletes learned a lot from their mothers.
May 1, 2008... We celebrate moms on Mother's Day, but we learn from them every day of the year. We asked some top athletes how their mothers influenced them. Here's what they said. Abby Wambach is a goal-scoring machine. She has the best goals-per-game...

Luke's magical minutes.(Short story)
May 1, 2008... In a faraway kingdom, Luke walked along a forest path thinking hungrily about the only food in his waist pouch: a wheat roll. Beneath a towering oak tree, he came upon a gray-haired woman wearing old green shoes. "Fair morning, good...

Who's working harder?(Science Corner)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Which animal is holding more weight? Who's Working Harder? The cat is holding more weight. The weight that each one supports depends on where the pig sits. Since the pig is sitting about two-thirds of the way between the duck and the cat,...

Patterns in nature.(Science Corner)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Look for stripes, waves, and zigzags on leaves, bark, and rocks. What other patterns can you find outside?

I wonder ... how a can keeps food from spoiling.(Science Corner)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Food is spoiled by living things such as bacteria and molds. They ruin your food when they eat it. The food inside a can is heated to kill the bacteria and molds. Then each can is sealed to keep any more from getting...

Dino days.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Did T. rex eat its predators, or try to, even if its predators could have killed it? Sarah and Matthew Coffey Ages 12 and 6 Illinois There were no predators of T. rex. It was the biggest meat eater in its environment. (It...

Field Day is fun for everyone.(Thinking)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * How many of these events can you name? * What might happen if a giant ball rolled onto the track? * Which events will have a winner? Which will not? * Why do schools have field days? * Invent your...

The mysterious egg.(Poem)
May 1, 2008... The farm slept through the gusty storm all tucked away inside and warm, while rafters shook and hinges squeaked, shutters banged and branches creaked. The night was dark. The wind blew strong. A little egg was blown along. ...

Make way! It's the children's parade!(Norway's Children's Parade)
May 1, 2008... It's early morning. Work crews hang Norwegian flags from lampposts along the main street in Decorah, Iowa. As the sun rises, the breeze freshens and the flags start to ripple. Courthouse Square begins to fill with kids let out of school. ...

Changing picture.(Crafts)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1. On two sheets of paper, draw ten lines spaced one inch apart. Cut off the last strip on each sheet. 2. Cut one sheet in half along the fifth line. Draw a different picture on each of the two halves. Fill in...

Mini pinata.(Crafts)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Pinatas are colorful containers often filled with treats. During festivals such as Cinco de Mayo, children take turns trying to break them open. 1. Collect four short paper tubes. For legs, cut two of the tubes...

Happy flowers card.(Crafts)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1. Fold a piece of paper in half. 2. From paper, cut out six hearts of the same size and three flowerpots. 3. Glue the pots onto the card. Print MOM on them. 4. Glue the hearts together in pairs, as...

Family banner.(Crafts)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... 1. Cut a square of felt for each family member. 2. Ask each person to decorate and sign his or her square. 3. Glue two loops of ribbon to the top square and glue ribbon strips to attach the other squares. 4. Slide a stick through...

Jewelry box.(Crafts)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 1. Cut the tops off two soap-bar boxes. Tape the boxes together. Cover them with paper. 2. Cut a lid from cardboard. Cover it with paper. 3. Punch two holes in the box and the lid, and use ribbon to tie them...

Home-run game.(Crafts)(baseball field handicraft)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... 1. Cut card stock to fit in the bottom of a note-card box with a clear plastic lid. 2. Draw and color a baseball diamond on the card stock. Space the bases at least a quarter of an inch from the edge. 3. Make holes in the three bases...

Science letters?(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Why doesn't lightning strike in the same place twice? Tiffany Elliott, Age 9 Nebraska Lightning can and does strike the same place more than once. A good example is the Empire State Building in New York...

The game of Nim.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Nim is an ancient two-player mathematical strategy game. To play, place 21 small round objects in a circle. With a friend, take turns removing either 1, 2, 3, or 4 of the objects from the circle. The player who picks...

I'll keep looking!(Cartoon)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "I've lost my keys," said Mom. "I'll help you find them," said Nick. "Thanks," said Mom. "I'll look in the kitchen. You can look in the living room." Nick looked under the piano. He found his missing puzzle...

Best-friend contest.(Short story)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "A best-friend contest?" asked Tammy. "What's that?" Tammy and Kim had just stepped off the school bus one Thursday morning. "A contest to pick a best friend," explained Kim. "But we've been best...

Bubbles.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
May 1, 2008... Bubbles Bubbles, bubbles in the am Bubbles, bubbles everywhere. Wonderful, shimmering, lustrous things-- one to a lavender orchid clings. Entranced, I gaze upon it-- watch lovely rainbows on it. For...

Happy scarecrow.(Your Own Pages)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jenny Ma, Age 9 New Hampshire

The Paper's Lament.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
May 1, 2008... The Paper's Lament I always hoped since the day I was made from wood pulp that someday I would be used for something important. Maybe a scientist would use me to figure out a new theory, or I would be...

My fiery furnace.(Your Own Pages)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] David Counts, Age 11 Idaho

Arachnid Life.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
May 1, 2008... Arachnid Life Spider of colors yellow and pink, Each web you spin is so unique. Your tiny back covered in hair, Each strand of silk spun with care. Flies and bugs best beware Of your sticky trap up in the air....

All About My Horse.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
May 1, 2008... All About My Horse My horse is a red dun. Riding him is really fun. I feed him grain every day, Along with a little alfalfa hay. He really likes to go. His name is El Nino.

The basketball game.(Your Own Pages)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Basketball Game Aadhik, Kuila, Age 6 New Jersey

Green grass.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
May 1, 2008... Green grass, Green grass, A little flower popped out-- Hello! Julie Pittman, Age 5 Pennsylvania

Construction site in my city.(Your Own Pages)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Construction Site in My City Timmy Baca, Jr., Age 6 California

Dogwoods.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
May 1, 2008... Dogwoods White clouds covering the horizon, the true beauty of spring. Snow of nature's rebirth, clouds of white upon the coming of spring. As spring arrives, whiter and whiter the dogwoods grow. Fairies...

Blue jay.(Your Own Pages)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Blue Jay Tobyas Lyons, Age 12 Tennessee

Singing wings.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
May 1, 2008... Singing Wings A dragonfly flies all over, landing sometimes on a leaf or clover. It flies around and around. It's as if it never will touch the ground. Madeline Wright, Age 7 Minnesota

Some days I feel happy.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
May 1, 2008... Some days I feel happy, sometimes quite dreary. But I should know when I feel low, a butterfly will come to greet me. Harris Chambers, Age 10 Texas

My guitar.(Your Own Pages)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] My Guitar Marco Capoccia, Age 8 Maryland

Mother's day.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
May 1, 2008... Mother's Day I can give you a present. I can give you a mug. I can give you a big hug. If I give you these things, What would you say? I will say, "Happy Mother's Day!" Tedrick Owens, Age 6 ...

Dance world.(Your Own Pages)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Dance World Michael Baer, Jr., Age 5 New Hampshire

Supermarket.(Your Own Pages)(Poem)
May 1, 2008... Supermarket Go, park, cart park, cart, enter cart, enter, look enter, look, take look, take, walk take, walk, wait walk, wait, pay wait, pay, exit pay, exit, leave. Aaron Chou, Age 8 New...

Our fishtank.(Your Own Pages)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Our Fishtank Jessica Miguel, Age 9 Ontario, Canada

The great kite mix-up.(puzzles)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Cameron, Kim, Jared, Cooper, and Jen went to the park to fly kites. As their kites zipped through the air, a strong gust of wind tangled their lines and brought the kites down into an oak tree. Using the clues, can you match the kites to their...

Your best self.(Cartoon)
May 1, 2008... What're you doing with all of that junk? I'm recycling it. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Follow the H.(puzzles)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Find your way from the hammerhead shark to the helicopter by touching only the things that begin with the letter H. Move across, up, down, or diagonally. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Follow the H [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Muscle magic tricks.(Do your muscles have a mind of their own?)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Make two ordinary objects feel like magnets Magnetic Erasers 1. Get two unsharpened pencils with erasers. Grasp one in each hand. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2. Push the eraser tops against each other, hard, for a total of 30...

When kids hunt fossils: dirt holds ancient treasures.(paleontology)
May 1, 2008... The third-graders eagerly stick their hands into piles of gray and brown dirt on their desks. These kids aren't playing. They're doing scientific research. The dirt isn't ordinary soil. It's from the grave of a mastodon, an extinct cousin of...

Send me a letter.(puzzle)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... "Send me a letter that I can read," my pen pal requested, and I agreed. I found an envelope, wrote her address, walked to the mailbox, and sent her an S. "What were you thinking? Why did you send... an S in the mail?" asked my used-to-be...

Riddles.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... (1) Why doesn't the mother kangaroo like rainy days? Destiny Elliott-Carr, Texas (2) Why did the cake go to the doctor? Eli Cooley, Pennsylvania (3) What do you say when someone wants your cheese? Leanne Olona, New Mexico...

Brain play.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Start at the beginning and see how far you can go, thinking of good answers from your own head. START Who makes your meals? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Which is harder, a marble or a cotton ball? How many noses are there among...

Papa's paper: when Papa finds the paper, he sits ... and sits ... and sits.(Short story)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Papa is my favorite pal. He gives me piggyback rides and Granny Smith apples! I'll do anything for Papa except bring him the newspaper. When Papa finds the paper, he goes to the big red chair, and he...

Dear Highlights.(Column)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With your parents' help, perhaps you can talk to the owners of restaurants in your area. Ask them how they got to have their own restaurants. Ask what they had to know. You can learn a lot simply by asking questions....

Picture puzzler.(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Let your eyes take a trip through the illusion funhouse! Close your left eye. Stare at the red ball atop the flagpole as you move the page slowly toward your face. X At some point the X will disappear! [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...