Frequency Monthly

First issue J une 1946

Company Highlights for Children, Inc.
Country United States
Based in Columbus, Ohio
Language English
Website www.highlights.com
(http://www.highlights.com)
ISSN 0018-165X (https://www.worldcat.org
/issn/0018-165X)
Highlights for Children
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 J une
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.
1 Before Highlights
2 Highlights Magazine for Children
3 Highlights High Five Magazine for Preschoolers
4 Highlights Hello Magazine for Toddlers
5 Regular magazine features
5.1 Ask Arizona
5.2 Hidden Pictures
5.3 Goofus & Gallant
5.4 The Timbertoes
5.5 The Bear Family
5.6 J okes
5.7 Riddles
5.8 Your Own Pages
5.9 What's Wrong?
5.10 Crafts
5.11 Brain Play
5.12 Contests
5.13 Dear Highlights
5.14 Puzzles, short stories, and poems
5.15 Your Best Self
6 Former features
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6.1 Aloysius
7 Highlights, appearances and references in pop
culture
8 See also
9 References
10 External links
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.
[1]
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
[2]
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 is a monthly publication of puzzles, jokes, crafts, articles, silly stories and more.
[3]
Highlights is created for children ages 612 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 is a younger children's counterpart to Highlights, first published with the J anuary 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.
[4]
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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
[5]
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.
Ask Arizona
Appearing in the magazine since 2005, "Ask Arizona" is a story series featuring a girl named Arizona who
writes an advice column for other children, similar to Dear Abby or Ask Ann Landers. The article depicts
real-life experiences and appears in every issue.
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 J essie F. McKee along with illustrator J ohn Gee, The Timbertoes has appeared in Highlights
magazine for more than 50 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 J udith Hunt. Since 2003, the
Timbertoes have appeared in color with Ron Zalme as the illustrator. Rich Wallace is the current writer.
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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 prints drawings, poems, and stories by readers who submit them to 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.
Dear Highlights
Dear Highlights is an advice column from real children appearing at the back of each issue.
Puzzles, short stories, and poems
Every issue of Highlights features puzzles, short stories, and poems throughout the issue. A puzzle is always
featured at the front side of the back cover.
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Your Best Self
"Your Best Self" is a one-panel comic showing kids doing the right thing.
Aloysius
The Aloysius stories were written by Sydney K. Davis.
[6]
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 magazines have appeared in many movies and TV shows, especially episodes or scenes in doctor's or
dentist's offices.
Mad Men: Season 4 - Episode 5 - Sally Draper is reading a Highlights magazine while waiting to see a child
psychiatrist.
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 J unction - Vintage Highlights magazines can been seen in the hotel lobby.
American Choppers - Mikey refers to an article in Highlights that discussed sleep and the importance of naps.
Arrested Development - George Bluth, Sr. mistakenly recalls Goofus and Gallant as names of biblical figures in
The Immaculate Election.
BioShock Infinite - Dimwit & Duke are a parody of Goofus and Gallant.
The Simpsons - In Hardly Kirk-ing, Homer mentions he is subscribing to Highlights, until Marge tells him it's a
children's magazine and tells him to read the full title as proof. He then read 'Highlights for- D'oh!'
The Boondocks - In Season 1, Episode 15, "The Passion of Reverend Ruckus", J azmine has a copy of the
magazine to bring during a planned trip to visit Huey's friend, Shabazz K. Milton Berle in Death Row.
In the sprite comic 8-Bit Theater, the four main characters read mostly fictional magazines while waiting in one
strip. The childish character Fighter is seen reading Highlights.
Other references to Highlights include How I Met Your Mother, J im Cramer's Mad Money, and Switched at
Birth.
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^ The Founders - Highlights for Children (http://wayback.archive.org/web/20100111063828/http:
//www.highlights.com/founders)
1.
^ "History of Highlights Magazine for Children" (http://www.highlights.com/in-detail). Highlights for Children.
Retrieved 3 J anuary 2013.
2.
^ "Highlights Magazine for Children" (http://www.highlights.com/highlights-magazine-for-kids). Highlights for
Children.
3.
^ "Highlights High Five Magazine for Preschoolers" (http://www.highlights.com/high-five-magazine-for-kids).
Highlights for Children. Retrieved 3 J anuary 2013.
4.
^ "Highlights Hello Magazine for Toddlers" (http://www.highlights.com/highlights-hello-magazine-for-kids).
Highlights for Children. Retrieved 3 J anuary 2013.
5.
^ "Obituaries: Sydney K. Davis" (http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AT&p_theme=at&
p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=10048B81B5AEE4C8&p_field_direct-
0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM). Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
2004-01-24. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
6.
Official site (http://www.highlights.com/)
Highlights for Children 1 Billion Strong (http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2006/06
/12/daily6.html). Business First of Columbus, J une 12, 2006.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Highlights_for_Children&oldid=610599474"
Categories: American children's magazines Advertising-free magazines
Companies based in the Columbus, Ohio metropolitan area Publications established in 1946
Monthly magazines Honesdale, Pennsylvania
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