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• Offer the latest, freshest information about many subjects
• Present a variety of viewpoints on a specific topic
• Draw the attention and interest of young readers with appealing layouts & photography
• Are not imposing, thus attracting readers who hesitate to open a book
• Support and strengthen the elementary school curriculum
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Their purpose: “Designed to help parents of all backgrounds make informed decisions about which new products are right for their children, the Parents' Choice Awards is the nation's oldest nonprofit program created to recognize quality children's media.
The Parents' Choice Awards program honors the best material for children: books, toys, music & storytelling, magazines, software, videogames, television & websites.
Parents' Choice Foundation's panels of educators, scientists, performing artists, librarians, parents and, yes, kids themselves, identify the very best products for children of different ages & backgrounds, & of varied skill and interest levels.
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• The word “Calliope” - means the Greek goddess of music, song & dance – and it is a unique magazine that blends past and present world history in a completely understandable and relevant way.
• Dramatic tales and high-action plays bring past events vividly to life. Articles illustrated with art from the world's leading museums and other primary sources make the stories seem real. Word origins and activities are designed to intrigue budding historians.
• Each creative issue focuses on a single theme, utilizing thought-provoking articles with coinciding puzzles and games to explore the subject from different angles. The thoughtful layout enables the readers to see that there are many points of view on any topic.
Jerry Litofsky ©2009 Parents' Choice
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• Ranger Rick is an engaging, educational magazine about animals, wildlife & conservation published by the National
Wildlife Federation. Filled with stunning photography and interesting facts, this magazine beautifully engages the reader to learn about the exciting lives of animals and nature.
• Each issue is packed with full-color photos of animals and stories of adventure. Nature activities, crafts, puzzles and games make the learning hands-on.
Trish Moore ©2009 Parents' Choice
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• Spider is designed to fascinate kids at the critical age when they are beginning to read, think and learn for themselves.
• Stories, poems, and short non-fiction articles filled with facts are carefully selected to engage beginning readers.
• Colorful illustrations and detailed drawings enhance the experience. A four-page activity insert in each issue has riddles, puzzles, and games to help kids practice critical thinking.
Tom Czajkowski ©2009 Parents' Choice
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• This highly entertaining, thoroughly researched science magazine is geared to teenagers who want to explore beyond the science lab.
• Odyssey is theme-based, & the editors have thoroughly dissected the many facets of each topic---from the
Internet to the environment, from milk to mathematics--in ways that show kids how cool science can be, and how relevant it is to their daily life.
• A multidisciplinary approach incorporates reading, history and science into each feature. The content is enlightening, amusing, and worth saving.
Jerry
Liofsky, Parents’ Choice 2009
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• Cricket does a beautiful job of engaging young adults with literature. Cricket is filled with ageappropriate fiction, fantasy, folk tales, adventures, poems, history, & biography. The stories are written by top-notch writers & illustrated by award-winning artists.
• There is some educational focus but the intention seems to lean towards entertainment & good story telling. The
"crickets" in the magazine are engaging bugs that hover on the margins of the pages, offering commentary on the stories and explaining difficult words.
• Cricket also has cartoons, crossword puzzles, crafts, and recipes. In addition, it features story, poetry, art, and photography contests that motivate readers to express their own creativity.
Therese Khan ©2009 Parents' Choice
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• National Geographic Little Kids is do-together magazine for parents & preschoolers, filled with fun, age-appropriate features & activities about nature, science & animals. The design of the magazine is creative & dynamic with eyecatching photographs & illustrations.
• It is always compelling & the format & size are great for little hands to manage. Captivating animal stories help develop pre-reading & reading skills.
• Features about different cultures help kids understand the world outside their own "world." Interactive experiments introduce simple science concepts, cooking ideas get kids involved in the kitchen, and engaging puzzles & games teach logic, counting & cooperation.
Gillian McCallion ©2009 Parents' Choice

• Your Big Backyard brings the big world of nature and wildlife right to a child's backyard. With charming, full-color photos & imaginative, illustrated read-to-me stories, kids can see & experience outdoor life up close.
• Features ask questions & give answers to such common queries as "why do ducks have webbed feet?" or "where do fireflies go in winter?" The interactive text prompts discussion and active learning.
• Fun crafts & nature projects are geared for family fun. ages.
An added bonus: there are links to websites within the articles for additional games, facts & activities.
Gillian McCallion ©2009 Parents' Choice
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• Ladybug is a read-aloud magazine that opens the door to reading for kids ages three to six.
Each issue is packed with enchanting stories and poems written by some of the world's best children's authors.
• Interactive graphics & engaging illustrations by award-winning artists add an extra level of delight for the child. The writing is just the right length for a bedtime story, or an afternoon break. It's an ideal way to introduce young kids to the joy of reading and being read to.
Patricia Prugh ©2009 Parents' Choice
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• Zoobooks is about animals, reptiles, birds, & insects magazine. Each issue focuses on one topic. The coverage is thorough, with photos & illustrations showing the creature in its natural setting, details of bone structure & muscles, maps, descriptions of different breeds or characteristics.
• The text is readable & the photographs, charts, & drawings are compelling. A pullout section with puzzles, number games, & make-it-yourself activities adds another dimension to both the learning & the fun.
Trish Moore ©2009 Parents' Choice
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• Cobblestone is an American history lesson.
Each issue thoroughly explores one specific theme such as "Women Want To
Vote," "Office of the President," or "Abraham
Lincoln."
• Using well-researched features, interviews, timelines, speeches, & maps, the magazine manages to bring each topic to life.
• Activities, crossword puzzles, cartoons, contests, and brainteasers keep the voice entertaining, without losing the educational bent.
Jerry Litofsky ©2009 Parents' Choice
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Gillian McCallion ©2009 Parents' Choice
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• Click magazine explains to preschoolers how the world works one topic at a time. It covers a wide range of ideas, such as space, building, oceans, or transportation.
• Each issue tackles a broad concept & then uses familiar stories to explore it further. It is filled with great illustrations, easy to follow layouts & educational content.
• Additionally, each article has a pullout section that includes games, craft projects, charts & activities.
Gillian McCallion ©2009 Parents' Choice
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• Ask explores intriguing topics in science & the arts, such as why animals sleep, why people love music, & how the solar system was formed.
• It introduces kids to inventors, artists & scientists, as well as to their ideas.
• Ask goes beyond simple facts, using humor, poetry, photography & illustrations to spark kids imaginations & challenge them to explore the world around them.
Trish Moore ©2009 Parents' Choice
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• Published by the Hopkins Center for Talented Youth, this magazine is geared to curious, motivated students who seek academic challenge & enrichment beyond the classroom.
• Imagine concentrates on thought- provoking articles to inspire youth to think about their future. Filled with informative student-written articles about academic competitions, summer programs, & internships.
• Imagine also includes college-planning advice, reviews of selective universities, & profiles of exciting careers.
This publication is also a valuable resource for parents, teachers, counselors & librarians.
Jerry Litofsky ©2009 Parents' Choice
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• Family Fun magazine provides dozens of creative ideas for parents to do together with children from pre-school to pre-teen.
• Features range from family outings to arts & crafts, from parties to nutrition, from games to giving.
• Each issue is filled with seasonal projects & information, plus pictures of families that have tried the featured ideas.
Patricia Prugh ©2009 Parents' Choice
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• Sports Illustrated Kids is for sports fans. More than 7 million young sports enthusiasts enjoy reading about their favorite pro, college & amateur heroes each issue.
• Readers find exciting action photography , performance & nutrition tips from star athletes, the month's best youth athletes, imaginative artwork
& features designed to encourage kids to love reading every issue.
• Articles focus on the positive lessons that can be learned from athletes
& the world of sports, including goal setting, overcoming challenges & obstacles, striving to be your best & maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
• SIFK also has several special Issues, including the NFL, MLB and NBA
Previews, a double issue that includes our annual Gotta Get It Guide of the latest gear and gadgets for the holidays & the celebration of the
SportsKid of the Year.
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American Girl has always been one of my favorite magazines. I started subscribing when I was about seven, & I'm still getting it now, at age 13, in addition to the typical "teen magazines." This magazine has great craft & party ideas, & stories about real girls who've had different kinds of interesting experiences. From reading some of the
Amazon reviews, I've gotten the idea that some girls are upset by the fact that American
Girl publishes hardly any stories about boys, puberty, & makeup, & they have too many articles on crafts & parties. However, I think the fun craft 8 party ideas are part of what makes American Girl a great magazine. Although pre-teen life doesn't revolve around back-to-school themed sleepovers & Christmas ornament crafts, a girl doesn't need to shut crafts & parties out of her life the day she turns twelve. If you're looking for a magazine with advice on how to put on lip liner & deal with your crush, this may not be the magazine for you. But I think there are plenty of magazines with advice about makeup & boys, & American Girl is a great magazine, even if it doesn't talk much about those topics. I think many girls will enjoy this magazine, especially those between the ages of 8 and 12 (although there are eleven-year-olds who feel to old for the magazine,
& fourteen-year-olds who still read it faithfully).
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Highlights for Children
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• School Library Journal is a monthly publication with articles and reviews for school and public librarians who work with young people.
• It was founded in 1954 as Junior Libraries after breaking off from Library Journal. In 2006 School Library Journal had a circulation of 38,000 subscribers and over 100,000 readers.
• Early in its history, the periodical published nine issues annually; it now publishes one issue per month as well several e-newsletters including Curriculum Connections, SLJ
Teen, and SLJ Extra Helping. In 2008 School Library Journal launched Series Made Simple, a twice-annual supplement which features reviews of series nonfiction books.
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• Kirkus Reviews is a book review journal founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus . It serves the book & literary trade sector, including libraries, publishers, literary & film agents, film and TV producers and booksellers.
• Kirkus Reviews is published twice a month. Reviews appear two to four months prior to a book's publication,
& it features 4,500 titles per year: fiction, mysteries, science fiction, fantasy, translations, nonfiction & children's & teen books. Kirkus has long been a respected, authoritative pre-publication review source within the literary and film industries.
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• Booklist is the magazine the New York Times calls
"an acquisitions bible for public and school librarians nationwide," is the review journal of the American Library Association.
• It recommends works of fiction, nonfiction, children's books, reference books, and media to its 30,000 institutional and personal subscribers.
• In-house editors and contributing reviewers from around the country review more than 7,500 books each year, most before publication
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• What is a graphic novel?
• A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using the comics form. The term is used in a broad manner, encompassing nonfiction and fictional stories.
• Graphic novels are typically bound in longer & more durable formats than familiar comic books, using the same materials methods as printed books, & are generally sold in bookstores & specialty comic book shops. It has also gained increasing acceptance as desirable materials for libraries.
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Today's young adults feel comfortable with non-text visual media, from video games to graphical icons used with standard computer programs.
• Graphic Novels employ a highly cinematic approach to storytelling.
• Graphic Novels utilize combinations of text and pictures
(sequential art) to convey messages in a manner unique to comics.
• Understanding comics requires a special type of visual literacy, which in turn offers a translatable skill in today's highly graphical environment.
• Reading comics with a critical eye helps develop an appreciation for art and different artistic styles.
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• Action
• Powerful Images
• Important Themes
• The Super-Hero as Modern Mythology
• Titles can be found for any reader's tastes & interests.
• Enjoyment: Graphic Novels are fun to read.
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• Graphic Novels hold a special appeal for highly gifted students.
Several studies show that fantasy and science fiction are the favorite genres of recreational reading for gifted children and teens.
Gifted readers are especially captivated by the believable details of well-crafted imaginary worlds.
• Most teen and pre-teen Graphic Novel fans have tried their hand at writing and/or drawing their own comics.
• Numerous novelists, screenwriters, directors, illustrators, actors, and other creative talents admit to being avid Graphic Novel
readers as children, and a surprising number continue to read them as adults.
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Concern #1: "Parents and Community Members Will Object to
Comics in the Library.“
• Library literature indicates this fear is unfounded. School and Public librarians who initiate a
Graphic Novel collection are surprised by the absence of negative feedback from the public.
• Graphic Novel collections in libraries can (and do) generate favorable publicity for the library.
• Librarians with Graphic Novel collections notice that word-of-mouth about the new service brings new patrons to the library.
• Graphic Novel collection can serve as a focal point for young-adult programming, including guest speakers, discussion groups, and swap meets.
• Nevertheless, librarians must exercise care in selecting Graphic Novels and graphic novels which are age-appropriate and suitable for their user community, and they must be prepared to address any censorship challenges which might arise.
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Concern #2: "Graphic Novels Are Junk Literature, Unsuitable for
Libraries.“
There is nothing inherently wrong with light entertainment of good-toreasonable quality.
• Kids like Graphic Novels. This is, without question, the most compelling reason for libraries to purchase them.
• Many Graphic Novels and graphic novels represent serious works worthy of serious attention.
• Graphic Novels can be an important tool to encourage reading and improve reading skills.
• Graphic Novels represent a uniquely American art form and an important aspect of popular culture.
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Concern #3: "Graphic Novels Portray Violence, Sexism, Anti-
Social Behavior, and Other Inappropriate Messages or
Themes."
• The majority of currently published Graphic Novels, especially traditional super-hero comics, portray positive messages, such as using one's abilities to help others, the value of perseverance, and striving to be the best one can be.
• Many of today's Graphic Novels do present questionable material, including raw language, extreme violence, sexual activity, the objectification of women, and flagrant disrespect for authority, to name a few. As with any collection-building effort, librarians must make an effort to identify comics and graphic novels appropriate for their user community.
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Concern #4: "Graphic Novels Are Too Fragile a Medium. They Won't Hold Up to the Rigors of Library Use.“
Modern Graphic Novels utilize high-grade paper, inks, and printing methods.
The days of newsprint comics are largely gone.
• Shelf-life of library comics can be extended through the use of plastic magazine covers or similar preservation methods.
• In most cases, school and public libraries treat their Graphic Novels as a current browsing collection, retaining recent years only, as with other popular periodicals.
• Given their relatively low subscription prices, the cost-per-circulation ratio for
Graphic Novels is extremely favorable for libraries.
• Librarians with strong reservations about collecting Graphic Novels as periodicals should strongly consider collecting trade paperback collections and graphic novels.
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Concern #5: "Won't Graphic Novels Be Stolen from the
Library?"
• By slightly defacing each Graphic Novel, libraries effectively eliminate the value of the item as a collectible object. This can be accomplished by stamping the Library's name on the margin or inside cover, by punching a small hole in each cover, or similar means which do not obscure the story and art.
• Experience indicates that most libraries with Graphic Novel collections actually realize a net increase in holdings, despite any potential losses from theft and damage. How?
By encouraging patrons to donate unwanted comics from home.
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• Heard any good books lately? From such classics as CHARLOTTE’S WEB to
HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE , there has never been a better selection of audiobook titles available.
If you’ve never tried an audiobook, it is entertaining for the whole family, audiobooks benefit kids in a multitude of ways. Even if you or your kids don't like to read, you're sure to find an audiobook that grabs your attention. Many audiobook titles are narrated by famous actors or even full casts of performers.
• Recent research also confirms that while the kids are having fun listening, they are also improving their reading ability, vocabulary and comprehension.
• Audiobooks are a great way to make the most of time in the car. It’s a great way to introduce good books when you are hitting the road for a vacation, driving to a soccer game, a picnic or cross-country .
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• Go to your public library.
• Choose a chapter book in audiobook form in either CD or cassette –or- download a chapter
book from a site such as Amazon to an IPOD or
MP3 player.
• Listen to it and take (informal)notes on how it differs or is similar to reading for you, along with the basics of the story line. Take note of how the narrator tells the story.
• Be prepared to discuss in class next week.
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