special report

HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN

“Fun with a Purpose”
August 2006 Issue
Reader Ages 3 – 12

Mission Statement [from masthead]: “This book of wholesome fun is dedicated to helping children grow in basic skills and knowledge, in creativeness, in ability to think and reason, in sensitivity to others, in high ideals and worthy ways of living – for children are the world’s most important people.”

Note: HIGHLIGHTS buys ALL RIGHTS. The material you sell to HIGHLIGHTS won’t be yours anymore. Be comfortable with that before submission because that’s just the way things are.

FROM THEIR GUIDELINES:

Word Length: “Stories for younger readers (ages three to seven) should be 500 words or less. Stories for older readers (eight to twelve) should be 800 words or less, and should be appealing to younger readers if read aloud.”

On Purpose: “Stories that teach by positive example, rather than preach, are preferred.” [Note: One editor told us they often get too much “purpose” and not enough “fun.” They do want stories that teach by example, but try to keep in mind that Highlights is read voluntarily by children, so if the story isn’t fun, exciting, and lively – the kids just won’t read it and Highlights won’t buy it.]

Taboos: “Suggestions of crime and violence are taboo.” [Note: They also don’t buy pirate stories (no glorifying criminals), name-calling, disrespect toward adults, and using talking animals doesn’t negate any of the above. Yes, the animal world is filled with violence but talking animals aren’t real animals – so they cannot engage is behavior that children should not emulate.]

“Frequent needs include humor, mystery, sports, and adventure stories; retellings of traditional tales; stories in urban settings; and stories that feature world cultures.”

Rhyming stories are seldom purchased. [Note: I have seen rebus stories done in rhyme and some rhyming stories. But your meter must be PERFECT (if you don’t know how to tell if your meter is perfect, don’t send the story to Highlights.) and it must also be a solid story. No weird bits thrown in to make lines rhyme. And of the 14 or so issues of Highlights I have in my sample box, I found exactly ONE rhyming story.]

Payment: Stories -- $150 and up. Rebus -- $100 and up. Nonfiction -- $150 and up. Crafts -- $25 and up. Action rhymes and finger plays -- $25 and up. Party plans -- $50 and up.

TO SUBMIT:

“Editorial material for consideration should be sent to: Highlights for Children, Editorial Department, 803 Church Street, Honesdale, PA 18431. Telephone inquiries should be made to (570) 253-1080. We prefer not to receive submissions electronically.”

[Note: Highlights posts a “wish list” periodically and if you are responding to a need from the “wish list” it is acceptable to send the manuscript to the editor who stated the “wish.”]

ANALYSIS OF SPECIFIC ISSUE

Highlights for Young Children
Fun With A Purpose
August 2006

This issue was a huge celebration issue since the 1 Billionth copy of the magazine was printed with this issue. Also, Highlights celebrates a 60th Anniversary this year and they’ve done a lot of updating of the Highlights “look.”

COVER: One of the new “look” changes is a teaser list on the cover giving readers a glimpse of what will be in the issue. This teaser list showcased an article on how dinosaurs grew (the teaser calls it a “mystery solved.) The teaser also showcases the SUPER hidden picture puzzle and shows a photo of one of the crafts from the issue. The colors of this cover are very bright, lots of primary colors.

INSIDE FRONT PAGE: A round-up of “FUN THIS MONTH.” A suggestion for building new birthday traditions. A quote from one of the Highlight’s co-founders about doing things for others. A fun fact about Highlight’s one billionth copy and how many 1 billion really is. A list of features that were in the first issue of Highlights and are still part of the magazine. A Picture Puzzle for putting the different styles of “Goofus and Gallant” in order. And then the pictures for the “Find the Pictures” puzzle where readers find pictures throughout the magazine.

CONTENTS PAGE: Highlights still codes each article, story, puzzle, etc according to age group and “value” (Creative Thinking or Moral Values). This makes it a great resource for writers trying to learn how to write for each age group.

SMELLS [by Marta Lopez, translated by Kristine Franklin] An non-rhyming poem from Guatemala about the smells around a child’s house – smoke and food cooking – and how they make the child feel.

GOOFUS and GALLANT – This is done in-house as always but has a totally new look with bright colors, cartoony kids (who look a bit younger than the old Goofus/Gallant to me).

Drop a Letter (by Valeria Girandola) a word puzzle/riddle about making new words by dropping a letter from a bigger word.

Facing Right (by Louis Magila) a picture puzzle.

Gallant Kids (focuses on a child, Jennifer Ries) About a child who wrote a letter to the mayor of Tigard, Oregon asking for a special “Family Day” celebration. The event turned into a Family Week that was so successful, the city plans to do it again.

Goose Feathers (by Lori Mortensen) Written in Third Person/past tense. A silly story about how Mother Goose came to write “Hey, Diddle Diddle.” Very short paragraphs. Lots of dialogue. Includes sensory details like sound [flappity-flap] and lots of action.

Home Sweet Home (by Sherry Shahan) Article uses photos of 6 homes (A round house in Africa, a shepherd’s trailer, an underground home in Australia, an apartment, a log cabin, and the homes along the canals in Venice) to show how difference conditions affect the type of homes people live in.

Morning at the Farm (by M. Cornelia Edmiston) The poem about animal sounds in the morning encourages a kind of riddle where reader figure out what order the animals awoke.

Cubeword (by Anthony Poulton-Smith) a picture puzzle based on the reader’s ability to visualize a 3-dimensional form made from a flat image.

Science Letters (by Dr. Jack Myers) Reader questions about why wet skin wrinkles and if the earth is made of stars.

Yikes! There’s a Fish in My Lap (by Lissa Rovetch) Story set up as an Ask Arizona column. Does being nervous of meeting new people make you a bad neighbor? “Arizona” tells a story about a funny thing that happened when she met a very shy girl.

When a Bowerbird Seeks a Mate (by Jack Myers, Ph.D.) A very focused article on the “bowers” made by male bowerbirds and experiments done on how female bowerbirds react to the decorations chosen by males and the way the males dance.

Surf’s Up (by Toni Saddler-French) A logic puzzle linked to an illustration of colorful surf boards.

The Strongest Animal in the Jungle (by Susan Taylor Brown) A rebus in which a snail proves he is stronger than an elephant or a lion.

Missing Numbers (by Anthony Poulton-Smith) A math puzzle where numbers in order increase by 9 each time…readers fill in the missing numbers.

Wouldn’t It Be Fun? (by Kimberly Watson) Silly poem about growing hamburgers from the seeds on a hamburger bun.

The View from Camp (by Clare Mishica) A story made up of letters from camp by two campers who are roommates – one is an optimist and one is a pessimist. They aren’t sure about one another at first, but end up as good friends.

Crafts – two page spread with six crafts: a hanging dragonfly, bracelets, a mask, a necklace, a ping-pong basketball game, and rangoli (floor designs) for special occasions.

My Puppy Sings the Blues (by Erin Berger) Written in first person/present tense. Story where main character learns that although her puppy’s howl sounds unhappy – it doesn’t mean it is.

The Timbertoes (by Marileta Robinson) Nice colorful story of Tommy Timbertoes saving the forest from fire.

Play Outside (by Ellen Javernick) Summertime outdoor games to play with friends – stretches, coordination games, relays.

Your Own Pages – lots of reader poetry and drawings.

Thinking – Illustration with thinking questions.

Nature Walk – Grizzly Bear (from Roger Tory Peterson Institute)

How Fast Did T.rex Grow (by Ann Finkelstein) Focuses on one scientist’s study of growth rings in the dense bones of an adult T.rex with a couple direct quotes. Includes a sidebar on other fast growth – more dinosaurs and marine animals today: the blue whale and the elephant seal.

The Magic Sand (by Rod Robinson) Third person/past tense. A multi-cultural story of a boy who wants to do something kind for his grandmother, so he brings her magical healing sand from Guarapari. It doesn’t heal her, but he learns about another kind of magic.

Science Corner – fun science facts, science questions to think about, and an activity.

Dino Days – Answers to reader questions about dinosaurs.

BrainPlay – questions for young readers to think about.

Matchstick Wonders (by Barbara Kramer) Feature article on a man who creates elaborate models with matchsticks. Includes photos of the Capitol building, the space shuttle Challenger, a crooked house, and Hogwarts Castle (a work in progress).

Dear Highlights – Advice for Reader questions about sharing, peer pressure, social anxiety among others.

This page last updated on 01 August 2006