• Begin by explaining that this is a poem that describes what fall looks like in places where it gets cold. Make sure your child knows the meaning of the word zigzag. Then look for examples of zigzags in the illustrations.
• If your child asks about the meaning of a word in this poem, the illustrations can help you define the word.
• After reading the poem, encourage your child to look for or make his or her own zigzag patterns.

Our youngest readers may not be ready to sit and listen to this poem. But they will enjoy talking about the illustrations. And you can encourage your child to talk about what fall looks like where you live.

Language Development: Listening & Understanding (Understands an increasingly complex and varied vocabulary.)
*Language Development: Speaking & Communicating (Develops increasing abilities to understand and use language to communicate information, experiences, ideas, feelings, opinions, needs, questions, and for other varied purposes.

Look at These Trees (pages 24 and 25)

• Point to the words as you read the text and the labels.
• If you want to help your child identify the trees in your neighborhood, a number of Web sites can help. You could also look for tree-identification field guides at your local public library.

If you have trees nearby, take pictures of them throughout the year. To make a book, ask your child to describe each photo. Write your child’s words below each picture. By summer, you'll have a record of how the trees change.

*Science: Scientific Knowledge (Expands knowledge of and abilities to observe, describe, and discuss the natural world, materials, living things, and natural processes.)
*Science: Scientific Skills & Methods (Develops growing abilities to collect, describe, and record information through a variety of means.)

Pick a Pack of Jacks (bonus pages)

• Cut out the cards and read the titles to your child.
• Play the game together several times.
• Encourage him or her to teach a friend how to play.
• If your young child is not ready to play this game, spread the cards faceup on a table, and ask your child to find all the matches.

Learning to play cooperatively with others is an important developmental milestone. Playing simple card games helps children learn to take turns, ask for what they want, and follow simple rules.

*Social & Emotional Development: Cooperation (Develops increasing abilities to give and take in interactions; to take turns in games or using materials; and to interact without being overly submissive or directive.)
*Mathematics: Number and Operations (Begins to make use of one-to-one correspondence in counting objects and matching groups of objects.)

*Early childhood standards based on the U.S. Head Start Child Outcomes Framework.

• Before you read the poem, encourage your child to listen for the words that rhyme.
• Help your child "read the picture" to answer the questions.
• After reading this poem, create your own "homemade band."

The questions are designed to help children infer possible answers by using information from the illustrations. Making an inference is a higher order thinking skill, but with help, it's one that even young children can begin to develop.

*Language Development: Speaking & Communicating (Develops increasing abilities to understand and use language to communicate information, experiences, ideas, feelings, opinions, needs, questions, and for other varied purposes.)
*Literacy: Book Knowledge & Appreciation (Demonstrates progress in abilities to retell and dictate stories from books and experiences, to act out stories in dramatic play, and to predict what will happen next in a story.)

Look at My New Shoes! (pages 20 to 23)

• Before reading the story, ask your child to describe what's happening in each picture.
• When you read the story, ask your child to use the pictures and what he or she knows about shoes to help guess what the Spanish words might mean.
• Read the story again and encourage your child to chime in.

Shopping for new shoes is a common childhood experience. Children can use what they know about shoe shopping to help them understand this story, even though they may not know the Spanish words.

*Social & Emotional Development: Knowledge of Families & Communities (Progresses in understanding similarities and respecting differences among people, such as gender, race, special needs, culture, language, and family structure.)
*Science: Scientific Skills & Methods (Begins to describe and discuss predictions, explanations, and generalizations based on past experiences.)

Built It (page 31)

• Discuss the illustration, and ask children to describe block buildings that they have made.
• The second question on this page asks children to infer a possible answer. Children may use their own experiences and say that Rachel will build a house, since doghouses are usually in people's backyards.
• Children can also use the information in the illustration to answer the question. Because there are many stuffed dogs in the illustration, children may say that Rachel will build more doghouses. Both are reasonable responses to the question.

Give your children some small stuffed animals when they build with blocks, and document their work by taking photos of the buildings they create.

*Social & Emotional Development: Self Concept (Develops growing confidence in a range of abilities and expresses pride in accomplishments.)
*Creative Arts: Art (Develops growing abilities to plan, work independently, and demonstrate care and persistence in a variety of projects.)

*Early-childhood standards based on the U.S. Head Start Child Outcomes Framework.

1. What is the largest body of water in Ghana?

   Lake Lugano
   Lake Louise
   Lake Volta

2. The distance from Vietnam to California is approximately

   3,000 miles
   6,500 miles
   10,500 miles

3. The language spoken in Brazil is

   Spanish
   Brazilian
   Portuguese

4. Transylvania is located on the border of

   Austria and Liechtenstein
   Hungary and Romania
   Germany and Poland

5. The country of Burundi is in

   South America
   Africa
   Asia

6. Which type of tree grows in Lebanon?

   Kauri
   Olive
   Hawthorne

7. The city of Wanxian in China is located on which river?

   Po River
   Yangtze River
   Don River

8. The Sonoran Desert is in

   The United States
   Nigeria
   Chile

9. The Rincon Rainforest is in

   Spain
   Costa Rica
   Egypt

10. A country just east of Russian Siberia is

    Slovakia
    Japan
    New Zealand

Answers:

Answers: See how you've done. You can also check out the related story or article from Highlights or HighlightsKids.com.

1. What is the largest body of water in Ghana?

   Lake Volta
   Related story: "Blue Sausage Girl"

2. The distance from Vietnam to California is approximately

   6,500 miles
   Related story: "Braving the Pacific on a Bamboo Raft"

3. The language spoken in Brazil is

   Portuguese
   Related story: "The Magic Sand"

4. Transylvania is located on the border of

   Hungary and Romania
   Related story: "Rodika"

5. The country of Burundi is in

   Africa
   Related story: March 2008 Highlights, pages 10 and 11, "Soccer Speaks Many Languages"

6. Which type of tree grows in Lebanon?

   Olive
   Related story: "The Olive Tree"

7. The city of Wanxian in China is located on which river?

   Yangtze River
   Related story: "Two Hundred and Fifty Steps"

8. The Sonoran Desert is in

   The United States
   Related story: July 2008 Highlights, pages 10 and 11, "Making the World's Rarest Syrup"

9. The Rincon Rainforest is in

   Costa Rica
   Related story: August 2007 Highlights, page 19, "Evan Green"

10. A country just east of Russian Siberia is

    Japan
    Related story: September 2007 Highlights, pages 8 and 9, "Tiger Cubs on the Move"

Read more stories about kids from different countries at HighlightsKids.com Around the World.

Kids can also learn about American geography from Highlights' Which Way USA?® book club.

Here's a fun way that kids can use their craft skills this summer to construct their own play materials, use their imaginations, and learn about science--all at the same time.

GEAR UP FOR BUBBLE GAMES

Bubble Ingredients
10 cups of water
1 cup of dish detergent
1 teaspoon of glycerin (optional/ found at pharmacy)

Mix the bubble ingredients together in a wide, flat pan.

Bubble Wands
chenille sticks (Also known as pipe cleaners; available at craft stores.)
straws

Make large and small circles from chenille sticks, and twist on a handle. The straws can be used to blow little bubbles.

BUBBLE GAMES

There's a lot to notice, do, and discover when it comes to bubbles. Here are some ideas.

Notice how the bubbles pick up the colors around them.

Notice the shadows made by bubbles. Look at the colors in the shadows.

Try attaching a number of bubbles together on one wand.

Pass a bubble back and forth between teammates.

Experiment with making a very big bubble.

Use a straw to make very tiny bubbles.

Observe what happens when a bubble pops.

See how the wind influences where the bubbles go.

Compare what happens to big bubbles and small bubbles in the wind.

Discover which surfaces bubbles will attach to without popping, and notice how the bubbles look when they attach.

• Select a great setting.
  Want plenty of room for the kids to play? Did you know that many state and municipal parks provide group facilities? To find a state park near you go to www.nps.gov.

• Plan shared refreshments or a "bring your own."
  If you don't have the time or energy to organize who will contribute what to a potluck, ask each family to bring their own food and beverages. The first is more communal, but the second is easier and works well, too.

• Plan games and activities.
  Introduce your kids to some traditional relay games, such as wheelbarrow races (the "wheelbarrow" is created by one person walking on his hands and the other holding up his feet) or potato-sack races (one person hops along holding up a sack). Grown-ups can supervise or get in on the fun! For more suggestions, go to: 7 Family Games to Play Anywhere!

• Recorded music is but one option!
  Playing music sets a festive tone. If you keep the volume down, people can still talk and you'll keep the neighbors happy. Better yet, ask your talented friends to bring guitars. Making music provides a way for people to participate as well as listen. Kids love learning songs and may want to teach you their favorites.

• Be aware of outdoor safety issues.
  Whether you're near water, burning charcoal, or traffic, it goes without saying that parents need to keep an eye on their kids at all times. Don't forget the importance of drinking plenty of water and using sunscreen and insect repellent.

• Create a clean-up crew.
  Have garbage bags available during the party for on-going cleanup. Then, when everyone is ready to head home, kids can help finish the job by turning into "litter finders."

• Have fun, and remember it's about the people.
  If you're hosting or organizing a party, it's easy to get hung up on details. Remember, however, that the point is to get people together to talk, laugh, and enjoy each other's company. Summer parties provide a relaxed opportunity for families to get together to play active games, move around, and use their outdoor voices...and you don't have to worry about pre-visitor cleaning. Enjoy!

Planning a summer birthday party? Read what parents told us about their kids' birthday celebrations at: Parents' Poll: How Do You Celebrate Your Children's Birthdays?.

Here are ideas to get you started.

Write a Letter
Mailing a letter, drawing, or photo to a grandparent or friend is a great way to stay in contact. Encourage your kids to write letters and design cards that are interesting and original. Consider the different occasions that call for communications. A card can say thank you; get well soon; be my valentine; happy birthday—or simply "hello." See what you and your kids can come up with in sending these and other messages.

Visit the Post Office
A trip to the post office to buy stamps makes a wonderful excursion. Kids can compare the designs on stamps and use the vending machines to buy them. If possible, observe the mail-sorting and distribution routines. Look at all those forms! Look at the scales and note how weight matters. Watch the trucks pull up. You and your kids will share a glimpse into a complex system that relies on the cooperation of many workers.

Create Your Own Inter-Family Mail
Kids can also write and distribute notes at home. It's fun for them to create messages, design their own envelopes and stamps, and use a basket or bag to deliver messages to their very nearby destinations. There's magic in writing a message and having someone else decipher the message—hours or days later.

Share the Joy of Receiving Letters
There is something very special about receiving a personal letter in the mail. Grandparents, uncles and aunts, and yes, even parents, can write to their kids. So much correspondence has been replaced by e-mail that it's easy to forget the pleasure of opening an actual letter and reading the contents.

Observe the Mail You Receive
Noting the postmarks on your mail is a great way to learn geography. Give your kids some nonessential, incoming mail to sort, from your own state or from out of state. Talk about the places the letters come from and try to find them on a map. Also look at the stamps. There's a reason that stamp collecting is such a popular hobby, and today's stamps are more varied and interesting than ever.

Highlights High Five™ includes a "Mail a Letter" feature in the February 2008 issue. Learn more by going to the High Five Parent/Teacher Guide.

Here's another yummy recipe from Highlights High Five™. You and your kids can work together to make these delicious muffins.

You Need

• bananas
• whole-wheat flour
• baking soda
• shortening
• sugar
• eggs
• low-fat sour cream
• vanilla
• salt

Before You Begin

• Make sure you and your kids wash your hands.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Put 12-16 paper liners in muffin tins.

What To Do

1. Cut 4 bananas into pieces, and mash.
2. Mix together 2 cups of whole-wheat flour and 1 teaspoon of baking soda.
3. In another bowl, mix together 1/2 cup of shortening and 1 cup of sugar. Beat until creamy. Add 2 large eggs, the mashed bananas, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Mix well.
4. Add the flour mixture and 1/2 cup of sour cream. Mix well.
5. Fill the muffin cups 1/2 full. Bake for 15-18 minutes.

Variations

• Decorate the top of each muffin with a small slice of banana or a berry.
• Stir in some raisins or nuts.
• For party or dessert muffins, frost the top of each muffin with vanilla icing, and add sprinkles.

For the first three years after my son was born, I was too busy, tired, and distracted to read anything that wasn't illustrated! So I was grateful for the children's books that held up even after what seemed like hundreds of repetitions. As my son got older, I kept reading aloud to him. We particularly enjoyed series books—Mary Poppins, The Wizard of Oz, and The Great Brain. Even though he went through a phase of reading only Archie comics, my son is now an avid reader.

Reading for pleasure is an acquired taste. Some kids discover early on the pleasures of getting lost in a good book. Other children take a while to discover their reading niche. Does your child enjoy humor or mysteries? Is he transported by fantasy or adventure? How about sports heroes? Is she enthralled by science fiction or nonfiction?

During the school year, kids are typically required to read assigned books. But during the summer they are free to explore. Here are some ways to help your kids discover what they love to read.

Go to the local library. While you're there, enjoy the air conditioning, the story hours, and the large selection of books and magazines. Many libraries will order books from their affiliates. With no hidden costs (except perhaps overdue fines), you and your kids can try a variety of styles and genres until you find books that are especially delicious. Encourage your kids to look at collections of poetry, magazines, history books, biographies, encyclopedias, maps, and other types of reference books, in both print and online versions.

Read aloud to kids—even older kids. Beverly Cleary's mother did it, and so did mine. We're all busy, but the bedtime story is a ritual worth preserving. Summer is a good time to add a daytime story-reading ritual as well. As you read together, stop to discuss what's happening, why the characters behave as they do, and what might happen next. It will heighten your shared pleasure.

Be a role model for reading. In our interview with Beverly Cleary, she also reminded us that the best way to encourage kids to read is for them to see you reading. Hearing a well-read story is another way to foster a love of literature and reading. It's even better if it is a shared experience in the car or on a long summer evening.

Create a book group. Are you in a book group? It's a great way to motivate yourself to read and think about what you've read. How about creating a multi-generational book group? Kids can take turns picking the books and hosting. Help your kids prepare thought-provoking questions that will inspire group members to share their reactions and perspectives.

Encourage kids to recommend books to friends. Sharing a book with someone adds to the pleasure of reading. If friends are away for the summer, e-mailing, texting, or mailing book suggestions are ways to keep in touch. HighlightsKids.com provides a place to get recommendations and to share reviews with other kids. The book club can be found at: www.highlightskids.com.

Watch the film after reading. If there's a movie version of a book, consider reading it first. Older kids will find it interesting to observe how the book was interpreted and cut by a filmmaker. Did the film result in a more understandable or engaging version of the story, or did it diminish the impact of the book?

Help kids create their own books, magazines, and stories. Encourage your kids to try their hands at writing and illustrating their own stories. At HighlightsKids.com, they can make up their own "Goofus and Gallant®" stories and create their own Timbertoes® stories. Go to www.highlightskids.com.

For a host of great summer reading recommendations from the American Library Association, go to www.ala.org.

To find programs at your local library, go to lists.webjunction.org.

May your summer be filled with great reads!

As kids grow, they acquire new skills that need to be practiced. Puzzles provide enjoyable ways for kids to build their emerging skills. With puzzles, the goal is clear and the feedback immediate; a puzzle piece either fits or doesn't. Because puzzles are fun, kids will persist and discover that sticking to a task pays off. They feel an enormous sense of accomplishment when they've achieved their goal. Seeing the tangible results of mastering a new skill builds confidence to take on the next challenge. So it's not really so puzzling why kids love puzzles.

Here are some of the specific skills kids are developing and how puzzles "fit the picture."

Seeing Similarities
Matching activities help kids note similarities, which in turn enable them to generalize. When kids notice which puzzle piece fits in a particular place or recognize that an M and an m are related, they are learning how things can be grouped into categories.

Seeing Differences
Making distinctions is another basic cognitive ability. When kids recognize that a puzzle piece is the wrong shape or too big, they are seeing what does and doesn't belong in a category. In a Hidden Pictures® puzzle, kids are challenged to observe closely and note details as they hunt for objects positioned in different directions and embedded in a complex picture. This skill is important when kids are learning to read and need to see subtle distinctions between letter forms, such as a d and a b.

Sequencing
Sometimes, order matters. Young kids are just beginning to understand that the days of the week or the pages of a book are sequenced in a specific way. Dot-to-dot activities provide sequencing practice with a great payoff. If you connect the dots in order, a picture appears!

Remembering
Many puzzles and other activities involve memory—something kids seem to have in abundance, especially when it comes to promised ice cream! Solving puzzles encourages kids to hold visual images in their memories. Where is that blue piece that completes the birdhouse?

Seeing Patterns
Seeing a pattern helps kids predict what's next. The ability to recognize and create patterns is essential in math, reading, and science. Working puzzles and playing games with repetitive rules and procedures provide a hands-on way for kids to practice recognizing and remembering patterns. As they play, kids use what they know to anticipate what follows. Game rules and puzzle-solving strategies follow repetitive patterns. That repetition builds confidence, since kids know what to expect.

It was illuminating to look into the question of why kids are so drawn to puzzles. The answer is that they give kids a fun way to practice emerging skills, master new ones, and develop a "can-do" attitude when faced with new challenges.

With all the talk of over-scheduling, it seems odd that any child today would claim to be bored. But when they finally have some unstructured time, a lot of kids are at loose ends during summer vacation. Accustomed to adult-directed after-school programs and time-consuming homework, many kids have difficulty recognizing their own interests, initiating their own projects, and coming up with their own activities. It's not surprising, since they often have little experience discovering what they truly love to do and creating their own fun.

Highlights Hidden Picture®
Dog's Bath

When I was young and complained that I had "nothing to do," my mother, a French teacher, was quick to point out that the French phrase for "I'm bored" is "je m'ennuie," which means "I bore myself." Throwing my boredom back in my lap was unsettling, but it left a lasting impression. I, like all bored kids, wanted to be rescued with a new toy, a field trip, or some other external distraction. Since my busy mother didn't oblige, I was left to fend for myself. This helped me discover that I liked to read and draw.

As a parent, I sometimes followed my mom's lead. When I refused to keep my son occupied, he and his friends designed maps of imaginary countries, sold their outgrown toys in the playground, formulated an original concoction for melon juice, and created their own interview show using an old super-8 movie camera.

Parents can play a role in helping kids discover their own interests and express those interests through engaging activities. Most kids have a clear passion for something—be it pets, baseball statistics, singing, cooking, biking, party planning, or building things. Many hobbies evolve over time. Summer is a great time for kids to explore their enthusiasms. It's freeing that they aren't being tested or graded on their free-time activities. While all kids need some downtime to just "chill," school-age kids are often happiest when they're engaged in a project with a goal they've defined.

Need help knowing how to steer kids in their own directions? Here are some suggestions.

Give your child room to explore a variety of interests.
Dinosaurs? Decorating? Space travel? Guitar playing? Poetry? Juggling? Insects? Observe what your child loves to explore instead of pushing your own agenda. What makes him smile? What gets her energized? Encourage your kids to learn more about what interests them—and don't disparage their passions, even if they strike you as odd.

Help kids find age-appropriate ways of exploring interests.
"Age-appropriate" is key here. When expectations are unrealistic—for instance, pushing your child to turn his fascination with insects into a Nobel-Prize project—kids are quickly discouraged. Do help your kids gather materials and find resources on the Web or at the local library. Help when needed. But investing in expensive equipment or turning an activity into your project can send kids running in the opposite direction.

Support kids as they develop their own plans and strategies.
The kid who is happiest working in the kitchen may decide to set up a baked-goods and lemonade stand; the pet lover might create ads and business cards to open his own dog-grooming business for neighborhood dogs; the child who loves to draw could create a backyard art show and invite other kids to add their artwork to the show. Make suggestions and offer help when needed, but encourage kids to plan the specifics on their own.

Be a role model for productive activities.
Seeing you garden, collect stamps, or volunteer are all ways that kids discover how to translate interests into activities. Share your enthusiasm for the activities you like. Don't assume that your interests are automatically going to be your child's, though they may turn out to be. Kids can learn valuable skills by helping you with your projects. What also rubs off are attitudes about being engaged and productive—a sure-fire way to beat those summertime "I'm bored" blues.

• Are children happily focused and absorbed in hands-on projects?


• Are children given the opportunity to decide what and where they will work?


• Do children have opportunities to play outside?


• Do children hear a variety of stories read during the day?


• Is the room decorated with the children's original artwork?

Beyond safety and supervision, which are basic, there are a number of key features that indicate that an early-childhood program focuses on emotional, social, and physical development as well as intellectual growth. To learn more about how to pick a good early-childhood program, go to the National Association of Educators of Young Children's website at www.naeyc.org.

• Introduce this story by explaining that one character can read and one cannot. Ask your child to listen for clues to decide who can read and who cannot.
• After reading the story, ask your child to use the pictures to retell it.

Learning how to find and identify the first letter of a word is an important early-literacy skill. Duck looks for words that begin with the letter A. He found "arugula" and "apple." Ask your child to look for other words in the story that begin with the letter A, and then hunt for words that begin with the first letter of your child’s name.

Literacy: Alphabet Knowledge (Identifies at least 10 letters of the alphabet, especially letters in the child's name.)
*Literacy: Book Knowledge & Appreciation (Demonstrates progress in abilities to retell and dictate stories from books and experiences, to act out stories in dramatic play, and to predict what will happen next in a story.)

You Can Paint Flowers (page 24)

• Painting can be messy! To help keep things neat, place small paint cups on a cookie sheet and put paper on a flat, even surface.
• Children can use the tray as a palette for mixing colors. Add a water container and a sponge to the tray so children can wash their brush before dipping it into a new color.
• Gluing the pieces of paper on the page to make the center of each flower will help young children organize the space.

Encourage children to try mixing colors on the tray or the paper.

*Creative Arts: Art (Gains ability in using different art media and materials in a variety of ways.)
*Approaches to Learning: Engagement & Persistence (Shows growing capacity to maintain concentration over time on a task.) *Science: Scientific Knowledge (Shows increased awareness and beginning understanding of changes in materials and cause-effect relationships.)

Tracks in the Sand (page 32 and 33)

• Help your children identify which object made each set of tracks.
• Talk about what else you might see on a beach.

After talking about this illustration, try this. First, collect some objects. Then put sand, flour, or cornmeal in the bottom of a shallow pan. Ask children to close their eyes as you press an object into the sand. Then have them open their eyes and try to decide which object made the mark. Take turns pressing and guessing.

*Science: Scientific Skills & Methods (Begins to participate in simple investigations to test observations, discuss and draw conclusions, and form generalizations.)
*Language Development: Speaking & Communicating (Develops increasing ability to communicate information, opinions, and ideas.)

*Early-childhood standards based on the U.S. Head Start Child Outcomes Framework.

ACTIVITIES
Fun This Month (page 2)
Create a comic strip and solve a maze.

Find the Pictures (page 2)
Look for the 10 pictures hidden throughout the issue.

Hidden Pictures® (page 14)
Find the glove, ring, and other objects.

BrainPlay (page 39)
How is a cookie like a plate?

HUMOR
The Timbertoes® (page 29)
Spot saves the day when Tommy loses his hat.

READERS' CONTRIBUTIONS
Your Own Pages (page 20)
Readers see drawings and poems from their peers all over the world.

REBUS
Perfectly Purple (page 19)
A purple-loving girl finds a way to "make" her goldfish purple.

ACTIVITIES
Fun This Month (page 2)
Create a comic strip and solve a maze.

Find the Pictures (page 2)
Look for the 10 pictures hidden throughout the issue.

All Together Now (page 8)
Solve this word puzzle.

Hidden Pictures® (page 14)
Find the glove, ring, and other objects.

Thinking (page 24)
Ponder what happened to create the need for repair in this scene.

Marty's Mixed-Up Trip (page 28)
Rearrange the photos to put them in the order in which they were taken.

States and Stats (page 28)
Use the clues to learn about four cousins.

Crafts (page 30)
Make a Flying-Fish Game, design a Shovel Frame, and create a Diving-Ring Mobile.

BrainPlay (page 39)
Would you rather be a turtle or a fish? Why?

Picture Puzzler (page 43)
Find what each row of windows in the red building has in common. Then find a variety of things throughout the scene.

FICTION
Am I a Frog Yet? (page 22)
Rory's hard work pays off in swimming class.

What's a Kloosh? (page 36)
Klooshmaker finally finds the origin of his name.

HUMOR
Jokes (page 15)
Readers relate the best jokes they have heard.

The Timbertoes® (page 29)
Spot saves the day when Tommy loses his hat.

Riddles (page 38)
Kids share their favorite riddles.

NONFICTION

A Pickle of a Prize (page 12)
Read about the dog who found the stolen World Cup Trophy.

READERS' CONTRIBUTIONS

Your Own Pages (page 20)
Readers see drawings and poems from their peers all over the world.

Dear Highlights (page 42)
The editors deal with readers' concerns about asking people to join a club and feeling shy about swimming lessons.

REBUS
Perfectly Purple (page 19)
A purple-loving girl finds a way to "make" her goldfish purple.

SCIENCE AND NATURE
Science Corner (page 18)
Discover where a clam gets its shell.

Dino Days (page 18)
"What kinds of tools do you use to dig up dinosaur bones?" Dino Don Lessem answers this question.

VALUES
Goofus and Gallant® (page 8)
Goofus shares rumors about others; Gallant doesn't gossip.

The Bear Family (page 25))
The cubs find ways to reuse items instead of disposing of them.

VERSE
The Sidewalk Racer; or, On the Skateboard (page 5)

S Is for Snake (page 15)