Highlights for Children

Highlights for Children

Frequency	Monthly
First issue	June 1946
Company	Highlights for Children, Inc.
Country	United States
Based in	Columbus, Ohio
Language	English
Website	www.highlights.com
ISSN	0018-165X

Highlights for Children, later Highlights: Fun with a Purpose (often referred to simply as Highlights) is an American children's magazine. It began publication in June 1946, started by Garry Cleveland Myers and his wife Caroline Clark Myers in Honesdale, Pennsylvania (the present location of its editorial office). They both worked for another children's magazine, Children's Activities, for 12 years before leaving to start Highlights. The company is now based in Columbus, Ohio, and owns book publishers Zaner-Bloser, Stenhouse Publishers, and Boyds Mills Press. Highlights has surpassed one billion copies in print. Highlights, High Five and Hello magazines do not carry any third-party advertising or commercial messages.

Before Highlights

Garry Myers earned a PhD in psychology from Columbia University before WWI, providing a basis for the teaching he would do the rest of his life. He and Caroline Myers taught illiterate soldiers for the US Army, with the latter becoming the first ever female teacher employed by the Army. This rich experience led to their pioneering of elementary education. They taught educators and parents for a time at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, during which Garry Myers wrote a nationally syndicated column entitled Parent Problems, and the couple co-authored several books.

They had become national stalwarts in education and wished to share their knowledge so they began to work for Children's Activities. Lecturing across the nation, they not only informed, they discovered and refined what they knew. Certain business endeavors kept them from publishing what they thought was ideal for a children's magazine. Their travels also led to long discussions on what would be appropriate for children, and after finishing with Children's Activities instead of retiring they decided to start their own magazine. Their experience, knowledge and uncompromising methods led to a success for Highlights. Later, they would buy Children's Activities and incorporate it in Highlights.

Highlights Magazine for Children

Highlights Magazine is a monthly publication of puzzles, jokes, crafts, articles, silly stories and more. Highlights is created for children ages 6–12 and has been a staple in homes and reception rooms since 1946. Each issue is 42 pages and is filled with hidden pictures, projects, interactive entertainment and more, designed to encourage children to learn, play and just be a kid.

Highlights is generally targeted as a magazine for first graders through sixth graders, but older children and early readers enjoy reading the stories and finding the Hidden Pictures.

Highlights High Five Magazine for Preschoolers

Highlights High Five is a younger children's counterpart to Highlights, first published with the January 2007 issue. This children's magazine is for preschoolers ages two through six. The goal of High Five is to help children develop and to give parent and child a fun and meaningful activity to do together each month. Every issue is 40 pages and includes poems and stories, crafts, easy recipes, games, puzzles and other activities that encourage children to be lifelong learners.

Highlights Hello Magazine for Toddlers

Highlights Hello Magazine was introduced in December 2012. This magazine for babies and toddlers targets children ages 0 – 2 years old. Highlights announced that this magazine, which is offered in several subscription packages is designed specifically for babies.

The pages of Highlights Hello are made of safe, durable, water resistant material which can be washed in the sink or wiped with a wet cloth. The magazine is mailed in a safe, clean envelope to help prevent babies from being exposed to germs. The corners of Highlights Hello magazine are rounded and the magazine is bound with child-safe stitching instead of staples, so parents do not have to worry about accidents.

Regular features of Highlights Hello include "Tell Me a Story," "Read Me a Poem," "Find It," and more. Highlights Hello also includes expert advice printed inside the magazine's envelope each month to provide encouragement and support for new parents.

Regular Magazine Features

Ask Arizona

First appearing in 2005, Ask Arizona is a column that centers around a girl named Arizona who writes advice for children, similar to Dear Abby or Ask Ann Landers. Its articles depict real-life experiences. It appears in every edition.

Hidden Pictures

Hidden Pictures, published in every issue of Highlights since the magazine's inception, is now found on page 14 of each issue. Children find the smaller hidden pictures within the larger picture.

Goofus & Gallant

First appearing in Highlights in 1948, Goofus & Gallant is a cartoon feature created by Garry Cleveland Myers and drawn by Anni Matsick. The strip features two contrasting boys, Goofus and Gallant. In each cartoon, it is shown how each boy would respond to the same situation. Goofus chooses an irresponsible path, while Gallant is kinder. Often the panels would provide description, such as on a school bus: Goofus hogs his seat - Gallant makes space for someone else to sit down. Sometimes the situations would show the boys talking, such as phone courtesy when parents are away: Goofus: "Someone called but I forgot their name." Gallant: "Someone called for you. I wrote down their name and number". Goofus and Gallant's primary function is to teach children basic social skills. Originally drawn in black and white, Goofus and Gallant changed to colored pencils in 1994 and later changed to colored computer graphics in December 2005.

The Timbertoes

Created for a 1932 book of the same name (published by The Harter Publishing Company) by writers Edna M. Aldredge and Jessie F. McKee along with illustrator John Gee, The Timbertoes has appeared in Highlights magazine for over 30 years. The first Highlights incarnation was a full-page black and white comic strip featuring line-drawn characters, later switching to digital color in 2003. The Timbertoes family consists of parents Ma and Pa and their children Tommy and Mabel. The characters, including their dog Spot, cat Splinter, goat Butter, and horse Troy are depicted as being constructed from wood. Upon Gee's death, Highlights Senior Editor Marileta Robinson took over writing the strip, with illustrations done by Judith Hunt and by Ron Zalme.

The Bear Family

Appearing in Highlights from the very beginning until 1989, this cartoon featured a family of bears which included the mother, father and three children named Poozy, Woozy, and Piddy. It reappeared in 1998.

Jokes

Appearing in every issue is a series of 10 jokes of various kinds. A knock-knock joke is always included as a part of this feature.

Riddles

A series of ten riddles. The punchlines appear upside-down at the bottom of the column.

Your Own Pages

"Your Own Pages" is a feature that has drawings, poems, and stories from kids that are sent to Highlights. They are shown in every issue that is made, and a few are selected to appear in the magazine.

What's Wrong?

Featured on the back cover, "What's Wrong?" is a large drawing of a typical scene of children playing, but unusual objects take the place of normal things throughout the picture. The page instructs the reader to find the various objects that are wrong.

Crafts

This is a section where kids can make different crafts, such as puzzles, puppets and cards.

Brain Play

This section comprises a list of several simple questions for children.

Contests

Sometimes Highlights would have an illustration of something and would ask if a reader could submit a short story to accompany this. Other times it could be an unfinished story and the contest would ask if the readers could submit a few paragraphs to complete it. Several ideas would be chosen as winners and featured in a future issue.

Former features

Aloysius

The Aloysius stories were written by Sydney K. Davis. They centralized on an anthropomorphic wolf named Aloysius, who would get into a situation and have to be rescued by the other characters in the story, a male named Samuel Samuel and a female named Wanda. These appeared until 1993.

Highlights Appearances and References in Pop Culture

Highlights magazines have appeared in many movies and TV shows, especially episodes or scenes in doctor's or dentist's offices.

Finding Nemo - Three Highlights magazines are visible in the short scene of a boy and his mother in the waiting room beside the fishtank.

That 70's Show - A short clip of Eric and Kelso called "Doofus and Diligent" parodied Highlights staple "Goofus and Gallant."

Petticoat Junction - Vintage Highlights magazines can been seen in the hotel lobby.

American Choppers - Mickey refers to an article in Highlights that discussed sleep and the importance of naps.

Other references to Highlights include The Simpsons, How I Met Your Mother, Jim Cramer's Mad Money, and Switched at Birth.

External links

• Official site
• Highlights for Children 1 Billion Strong. Business First of Columbus, June 12, 2006.