MARCH 2017
www.Highlights.com
Octopus
G !
SINring
Foosball
Grumpy
Page 14
’s Sp ! GLUMPS
It Page 7
onth
Fu n This M
What
Time
Is It?
While visiting Ticktock
World Clocks, Bethany
notices that all the country
labels have fallen off! Using 4 Ways to
the clues below, help her
match each country label
with the correct clock. Explore
Mali is 8 hours behind
China.
a Culture
By Elizabeth Pagel-Hogan
Nepal is 5 hours and 45
On a map or globe, find
minutes ahead of Mali.
a country that you’d like
Ukraine is 6 hours behind to learn more about. Then
China. let the fun begin!
Answers on page 38.
1 . Learn a few
words of a
language spoken
is
a rc h2 s there.
M
Re a d Acro
s
rica Book Swap! 2. Try popular foods
Ame ! ite books.
from that country.
Day With a group of friends, exchange your favor
After you’ve each read them all, give them
awards such 3. Learn a game that
orite Main Cha racter.” kids play there.
as “Coolest Adventure” or “Fav
Mystery Ph
o
4. Celebrate a
icturectsures holiday that is
to
of these 12 pi country.
Can you fin
we r o n p a
ine?
place in this magaz
at another p
ge
3
8.
Tongue Twister
Drew dribbles
during drills.
Dear Reader By Christine French Cully
MARCH 2017t70-6.&t/6.#&3t*446&/0 Editor in Chief
Founded in 1946 by Garry C. Myers, Ph.D.,
and Caroline Clark Myers
Editor in Chief: Christine French Cully
Vice President, Magazine Group Editorial: Jamie Bryant
Creative Director: Marie O’Neill
Editor: Judy Burke
A Few
Things
Art Director: Patrick Greenish, Jr.
Senior Editors: Joëlle Dujardin, Carolyn P. Yoder
Associate Editor: Linda K. Rose
Assistant Editor: Allison Kane
I Love
Copy Editor: Joan Prevete Hyman
Editorial Assistant: Channing Kaiser
Senior Production Artist: Dave Justice
Contributing Science Editor: Andrew Boyles
Editorial Offices: $IVSDI4USFFU
)POFTEBMF
1"
&NBJMFET!IJHIMJHIUTDPN
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This month’s issue of Highlights has
8SJUFSTZPVOHFSUIBOQMFBTFVTFUIFQPTUBMBEESFTTBCPWF
plenty to keep you reading, thinking,
CEO: Kent S. Johnson
Vice President, International: Andy Shafran
and laughing as we “march” into spring.
Business Offices: 1800 Watermark Drive, I hope you will check out the article about my favorite
P.O. Box 269, Columbus, OH 43216-0269.
Copyright © 2017, Highlights for Children, Inc.
animal, “Raising Elephants” (pages 8–9). The more I learn
All rights reserved. about these magnificent creatures, the more I like them.
HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN is published monthly.
*44/9 QSJOU
Dear Highlights,
Let It
Rain!
It’s National
—Jack, Rhode Island Umbrella
Month.
We hope these ideas help, Jack. Good luck!
1 Get exercise and fresh 2 Talk to your
air every day. That may
3 *GZPV’re allowed,
parents.*UNJHIUIFMQ MJTUFOUPSFMBYJOH
help you sleep. to adjust your bedtime. music or read a book.
28
20 22
6 BrainPlay 10 Goofus and 14 Hidden Pictures®
Do you like being Gallant® Puzzle
surprised? Gallant is respectful Animals at the arcade—
around service plus 39 hidden objects!
7 The Glumps animals.
Find out how to cheer 16 My Sci
up seven glumps. 11 You Helped the Which marble will win?
Cartoonists!
8 Raising Kids’ funny captions.
18 Jokes
Elephants Talking chocolate bars!
Bull elephants help 12 Getting Even
19 Onomatopoeia
young males as they Will Rosa try to get
grow up. This poem full of sound
even with Stephanie?
words is fun to read.
20 Opposite Day
When “boring” is good.
22 What an
Astronaut Sees
Scott Kelly’s spectacular
photos from space.
Deser
Designt
Astron
au
s
Kelly t t Scott
ook th
photo is
of the
Sahara
.
32 Crafts
Test your spelling skills with
the Words o’ Gold game.
34 Cracking
Code Purple
U.S. cryptanalyst Genevieve
26 Call On Me! Grotjan makes history.
When you really want the
teacher to call on you. 36 Your Own Pages
See more drawings from 39 The Timbertoes®
26 Check . . . creative kids like Braden! What season is it, anyway?
and Double Check
Funniest movie ever! 38 Riddles 40 Ask Arizona®
What do mermaids wear A tale of sneaky cats and
28 Francis, the in a car? teeny-tiny giraffes.
Lonely Dragon
Will he ever find a friend? 42 Dear Highlights
When friends don’t agree.
31 Paws and Think
Baseball players get in
Johnso
n 43 Picture Puzzler
shape at spring training. B ra d e n BS MJOB
P Flight-path frenzy.
/PSUI$
"HFŔ
MARCH 2017 5
ST
AR
Ta
ke
T
on you
a h r br
ike ain
!
How do
you decide
How would
camping in MARCH Do you
what snack
be different from like being to eat?
camping in AUGUST?
surprised?
WHY OR
WHY NOT?
Name
some What are the
places best things Name something you
where about your don’t understand as
you can school class? well as you’d like to.
find a fan.
Into my room
slumped seven glumps,
grumpy creatures
all made of lumps.
They kept me up
with thumps and bumps.
I couldn’t rest
with all those glumps!
So . . .
MARCH 2017 7
Raising Elephants
Only bull elephants can calm teenage males.
By Jennifer Berry
In Namibia, Africa, a teenage Etosha National Park. “This is Alone at the water hole, the
male elephant leaves the safety where it’s really fascinating. young male elephant seems to
of his family on the way to a Good mentors enjoy engaging enjoy chasing away a giraffe. He
local water hole. Far ahead of with these youngsters, and is becoming more confident and
the herd, he is at risk of being others push them away or have aggressive. In recent months, he
attacked by lions. But he is no interest in them.” has also become more aggressive
becoming independent and with members of his herd. Young
curious. The sooner he arrives Family Life males spar with one another
at the water hole, the more time This young male has lived as a form of play fighting.
he’ll have with adult male in a herd of female elephants, In the teen years, their bodies
elephants, called bulls. Soon, called a matriarchal pack, all his produce natural chemicals called
bulls will play an important role life. Young elephants are cared hormones, which can cause them
in this young elephant’s life. for by their mothers, aunts,
“Young males have to enter grandmothers, siblings, and
the adult male world and they cousins. The pack has kept him
The young male’s
look for an entry into this safe, and he has formed bonds future depends on
world,” says Dr. Caitlin with his family members
O’Connell-Rodwell, a scientist as unique as our own, says
the relationships he
who studies African elephants in Dr. O’Connell-Rodwell. builds with bulls.
8 MARCH 2017
Male calves push
each other in a
play fight.
Gallant
®
YOUR Goofus and Gallant Moments Tell us when you’ve felt like
Goofus or Gallant! Visit
HighlightsKids.com or write to
“I felt like Goofus when I left “I feel like Gallant when
a freezer door open and we had I help my mom and dad
to throw away all the food.” around the house.” Goofus and Gallant Moments
Madelynne, Age 10, Ohio Corwin, Age 7, California 803 Church Street
Honesdale, PA 18431
Cartoonist Harley
Schwadron came up
with this caption:
“When someone
invents fire, I’ll
be ready.”
MARCH 2017 11
G g “Want to go to the pool
tomorrow?” Rosa asked
en
Stephanie during recess. The
pool at the YMCA was one of
their favorite places.
Rosa and Stephanie did
everything together. They rode
the school bus together. They sat
Art by Marcin Piwowarski together during lunch. They took
dance lessons together and even
went to the same summer camp.
They were best friends. Most of
the time.
Sometimes, though, when
Stephanie was with other
friends, she ignored Rosa or
treated her like a little kid, even
though they were the same age.
Rosa and Stephanie had played
together since they were babies,
but sometimes Stephanie didn’t
act like a friend.
Today was one of those times.
“Sorry. I’m already going
to the pool,” Stephanie said.
“Toni and Vanessa and I are
going.” She smiled, but it
wasn’t her nice smile. She
walked away to join Toni and
Vanessa, and Rosa was left
standing alone.
“Um, maybe
we could all
go together.” MARCH 2017 13
d
ou fin
Can y jects
ob
these big
in the ?
picture
wedge of
orange
toothbrush
ladder
snowman
spool of
thread
dog collar
eyeglasses
hockey ring
stick
crown
needle
slice of
pizza
T-shirt carrot shoe nail cherry lollipop mushroom
14 MARCH 2017 Check out our Hidden Pictures app!
At the Animal Arcade By Gar y LaCoste
horseshoe
ruler
ice-cream
cone
traffic
light
bell
crescent
moon
spoon
headphones
snake
mug
sock
golf
club
fishhook
,
US also find the candle
banana saltshaker artist’s brush BON magnifying glass, and sailboat?
Ca
envelope,
n yo u
Answers on HighlightsKids.com.
MY SC
A flamingo can
wade, swim, and
fly. Its body is big
(3 to 4 feet long)
but weighs less
than 10 pounds.
Spotlight
Filtering Food
Long legs and a special beak and mouth
make the flamingo a pro at feeding in
water and mud.
The flamingo wades in lagoons and other
shallow waters for its food. It turns its head
nearly upside down and uses its tongue to As the
suck water into its mouth. Then the tongue flamingo
pumps the water back out through many wades, its
small ridges, or lamellae (lah-MEL-ee), feet stir up
that line the beak. They strain food, like
mud filled
algae and crustaceans, from the water.
Spines on the tongue move food to the with food.
throat. Then it’s swallowed and digested.
Thinking Challenge
Long,
whiplike tail
Dinosaurs
By Dougal Dixon
Art by Robert Squier
Amazonsaurus
AM-uh-zahn-SAW-rus
“lizard from the Amazon”
Small compared with other sauropods (huge
plant-eaters), Amazonsaurus is the first relative
Marbles in Motion of Diplodocus found in Brazil’s Amazon region.
It lived about 40 million years after Diplodocus.
Marco rolls one marble across a carpeted floor and
another across a smooth wood floor. If the marbles
WHEN:
are the same and he rolls them in the same way,
which marble will roll farther? Why? Think of 112 million years ago
your best explanation, then read ours 252 201 145 66 Present
Tell Me Why
Wh do we lose our voice,
Why
or become “hoarse”? —Katie
That can happen when our vocal cords
become irritated. The vocal cords are two
Researchers think that folds of tissue near the top of the airway. When
feeding upside down makes air from the lungs passes between them, they
blood flow to the tongue and vibrate, making the sound we call our voice.
But if strain or infection makes them
mouth, strengthening them
irritated and swollen, they vibrate differently.
to pump water in and out as That can cause a raspy, “hoarse” sound that
fast as 20 times each minute. may be difficult to hear. Some people call that
“losing your voice.”
HOW LONG:
40 feet
WHERE:
Body similar
to Diplo WHAT IT ATE:
but half Low-growing plants
as long
MARCH 2017 17
JOKES Conor: Do you want to go to the
bank near the stream?
Claire: Can we go to the pool? Henry: Sure.
Mom: Well, it “deep ends” on (They walk to the stream.)
your behavior! Henry: Wait a minute. This is just
Calvin Lewis, Massachusetts some dirt near a stream!
Conor: Yes, it’s the riverbank. Do
“Knock, knock.”
A father chocolate bar and his
son are outside on a sunny day. you want to play?
Henry: Oh, man. And I brought
Baby chocolate bar: Daddy, can
I take off my jacket?
“Who’s there?” money!
Amelia Larson, Nebraska
“Ketchup.”
Daddy chocolate bar: Sure thing.
But why?
Baby chocolate bar: Because
I don’t want to turn into hot
“Ketchup who?” Make us laugh!
Send a joke or riddle, along with your
chocolate! name, age, and address, to
Jessica Burnette, Tennessee “Ketchup with me
A book never written: Backward and I will tell you.” 803 Church Street
Sayings by Daisy Oopsy. Heather Chesson, Louisiana Honesdale, PA 18431
Maeve Dwyer, Illinois
Set
the
Table
By Clare Mishica
topoeia
Onoma f words
se o
is the u te sounds.
ita
that im xamples
Some e , buzz,
ck
are qua lash.
and p nk of
s
u thi
Can yo hers?
any ot
MARCH 2017 19
“Good
night,
Mom.
Have
a bad
day at
work!”
Opposite
Day
By Katherine Pebley O’Neal
Art by Pablo Pino
What an
after a record-breaking 340 days
living and working aboard the
International Space Station
Sees
the big windows of the Cupola
(the module he’s in above) and
shared them with the world.
Check out a few of his
ace!
Photos from sp
pictures and comments as you
imagine yourself in orbit, and
see our planet through an
astronaut’s eyes.
22 MARCH 2017 Photos by Scott Kelly, courtesy of NASA, except New York City photo by
Oleg Kononenko, courtesy of ROSCOSMOS-NASA.
ans in
This view of salt p
bism,”
Utah “looks like cu
is a
he wrote. (Cubism
at
modern-art style th
ric
often uses geomet
shapes.)
“Bahamas, the
strokes of your
watercolors
are always a
refreshing sight,”
he wrote.
“Cool frozen
lake in
Himalayas!”
astronaut Kelly
captioned this
photo.
To astronaut
Kelly, frozen
fields in Russia
look like
“snow art!”
BEYOND
H
SKY-HsItGation
e
The spac es
u t 220 mil
flies abo . (Compare
r th
above Ea passenger
that to a t a b o u t
a
airplane
up.)
7m s il e
Shortly before he
returned to Earth,
he captioned
this desert photo
taken over Egypt:
“I’m going to
miss the colors
of Africa!”
Astronaut Kelly
captured this
colorful view of the
Diamantina River
as he flew over
Australia.
24 MARCH 2017
From space,
the Himalayas
“look a bit like
funnel cake,”
he commented.
“Great Lakes,
you are a great
masterpiece,”
he wrote, sharing
this view of part
of the river system
between Lake
Superior and
Lake Huron.
“The
17,500 ever-changing
MPH the ISS colors of
eed ,
At this sp Africa,” he
mpletely
travels o
c
e planet labeled this
around th
every 90 view of the
minutes!
Sahara.
Call On Me!
Teacher! Teacher! Call on me!
I’m holding up my hand!
My arm is bouncing boldly
Like a crazy rubber band.
I’m hovering above my seat
At least an inch or two.
I’m even raising my big toes
Inside both of my shoes.
I’m winking with my left eye,
And wiggling my right ear.
Pick me, oh won’t you? Pretty please?
I see you getting near . . .
At last! Hooray! You said my name!
You’re looking straight my way!
Now, can you just remind me of
What I was going to say?
—Jesse Anna Bornemann
26 MARCH 2017
Tongue
Twisters
Buy three,
United
get three free!
Sophia Sherry
Balloons
"HFŔ8JTDPOTJO
of
America
By Michael Spaur
Tom told Timmy to If you unscramble the letters on the light blue
talk to Tony. balloons, you can spell HAWAII. Which 9 other states
Cecilia Rozek can you spell using each colored group of balloons?
"HFŔ0LMBIPNB
Answer on page 38.
1 . APPL _ 5. L _ AF
Color Me Green By Barbara J. Barata
Each of these words is missing letters from the word
2 . TU_TL _ 6. _ M _ _ ALD
GREEN. Can you complete the words to find the names 3. F_O_ 7. _ _ AP_
of objects that are often green?
4. S _ AK _ 8. P_ A _
Answers on page 38.
MARCH 2017 27
Francis,
the Lonely
Dragon
By Cindy J. Acab
Art by Keith Frawley
Francis the
dragon lived in
a big cave on
the side of a big
mountain close
to a big ocean.
He had lots of
food, lots of toys,
and a beautiful
view. But there
was one thing
Francis did not
have—a friend.
Francis tried to make friends with the townsfolk, but they would all run away.
Aaaugh!!!
Aaaugh!!! A dragon,
A dragon, a a dragon!
Aaaugh!!! A dragon, a dragon! Hide Run for
dragon! Run for the hills! out of sight! your lives!
28 MARCH 2017
One day, a boy named Nathan noticed Francis in the
park. Nathan had heard tales of the scary dragon,
so he hid behind the bushes.
AH . . .
AH . . . . . . CHOO!
The fire was just right for browning the baker’s bread.
MARCH 2017 29
Just then, the librarian, startled by
the sight of the dragon, bumped p You’re quite
into the baker. Th-th-thank you. welcome.
You’re quite
welcome.
Francis finally
had a friend.
a w s nd
Spring Training P a
Think
Flying
Cardinal
By Susan Shadle Erb
1. Fold red poster board in half. Cut out
a cardinal’s body, keeping part of the
fold uncut at the top.
2. Use a marker to draw the bird’s face.
Add wiggle eyes.
3. Cut out wings from poster board. Cut
a slit in the body. Insert the wings.
Here’s
Use two small pieces of poster board
to cover the ends of the slit. how you
4. Find the center of balance by holding put it
the top of the bird with two fingers. toget
Punch a hole in that spot. Tie on a
yarn hanger.
Shamrock Pin
By Robin M. Adams
32 MARCH 2017 Craft samples by Buff McAllister. Photos by Guy Cali Associates, Inc.
Craft Challenge! Make a creature out of
yarn, glue, wiggle eyes, and cotton balls.
Words
o’ Gold
A Game for 2 or
More Players
By Beth Bogert
1. Paint a small ice-cream
container and lid. Glue on a
rainbow made from cardstock
and markers and five coins cut
from gold cardstock.
2. For the handle, twist two
chenille sticks. Poke two holes
in the container. Attach the
handle, and twist each end.
3. Cut out 31 more coins from gold TO PLAY: Put the coins in the container.
cardstock. Write the letters of the Shake it with the lid on, then pour out the
alphabet on them, one letter per coins. Players write down as many words
coin (on one side only). Write the as they can using only the letters facing up.
vowels (A, E, I, O, U) twice. Whoever makes 10 words first wins.
Tulip
Pencil Box
By Monica M. Graham
O n a warm afternoon in her co-worker, noticed her it!” “Whoopee!” “Hooray!” broke
September 1940, a young concentration and walked the silence of the room, which
woman sat at her desk on the over. The woman shared her was usually as quiet as a library.
second f loor of the Munitions discovery and they went to To celebrate, the team sent out
Building in Washington, D.C. fetch their boss, Frank Rowlett. for Coca-Colas. It was the first
Her hazel eyes peered through Another man joined them. one the woman had ever tasted.
rimless eyeglasses at strings of All three crowded around the
letters and numbers. She had woman’s desk as she pointed The Purple Solution
been looking at symbols like out how some symbols stood The woman’s name was
these for more than a year and at a certain interval from Genevieve Grotjan and she was
they still didn’t make sense. one another. a code breaker, or cryptanalyst,
All of a sudden, something Rowlett jumped up and down. with the U.S. Army’s Signal
jumped out at her, and she Small dashed around the room Intelligence Service (SIS). Many
became very still. Al Small, excitedly. Their cries of “That’s cryptanalysts were people who
Storm
gather
Gray clouds
ll
Raindrops fa The Seasons
ashes
Lightning cr Summer sunshine, summer heat,
ars
Thunder ro summer sandals on my feet.
s blowing
Wind start The sun smiles at me.
ay
Sun goes aw gray!
e cl ea r blue sk ies are But the sunshine will soon take
Now th a rest when fall crawls out.
reener
Sky turns g Autumn, autumn, turning cool.
Self-Portrait Really du ll!
blowing Time for me to go to school.
Andy Hough Wind stops Something tingles in the air.
ght
"HFŔ0SFHPO Stream of li t!
stormy nigh I see pumpkins ever ywhere.
W hat a very ith The leaves dance to the ground.
Kendall Sm
TBT Get ready, winter is coming soon!
"HFŔ"SLBO
Mathew Lauture
"HFŔ/FX:PSL
The Cactus
A prickly cactus
In the Great Basin Desert
Chicago Nights
The ice is sparkling.
With large pink f lowers.
Viet Nguyen The moon glows so bright.
"HFŔ7JSHJOJB
Juliette Dill
The buildings are tall.
"HFŔ(FPSHJB I love Chicago nights.
Allison Oropeza
"HFŔ*MMJOPJT
36 MARCH 2017
Bumblebee Lake House
Gentle water ripples,
Bumblebee, bumblebee, Grass sways,
Flying through the flowers. The sweet smell of beauty
fills the air,
Oh, how I’d love to see you take off. Trees dance to the beat
I’d always let you be free. of the wind,
Bryce Birch Turquoise heads with
"HFŔ*OEJBOB soft beaks break the
surface of the water,
Stepping stones make
their way to the bank,
Party Bot Sipping tall glasses
of lemonade and
Madison DeNoyer
listening to the sound
"HFŔ.JDIJHBO
of chirping birds,
Sitting there, learning the
Mom, you wipe my nose true meaning of life.
and wash my clothes. Bridget LaGier
I play with rocks and "HFŔ*PXB
don’t wear socks.
Raachit Kotha You work so hard and
"HFŔ/FX+FSTFZ
are good at cards.
When I tell a joke and
Oh, My Baseball make you laugh,
Oh, my baseball it feels better than a bath.
You mean my two-seam Rylan Herndon
fastball, changeup, and "HFŔ5FYBT
knuckleball
You are like a big, white
coconut
I think of striking people out
with you
You feel nice, rough,
bumpy, and warm
Emma Coats
You are the best red, "HFŔ,FOUVDL Z
white, and blue ball
Your speed is amazing,
spinning like a tornado
Your grip fits my pitches Share Your
I cannot live without you, Creative Work
my baseball We’EMPWFUPTFFJU
Aarav Worah "SUNVTUCFPOVOMJOFEQBQFS
"HFŔ/FX:PSL 1PFNTNVTUIBWFGFXFSUIBO
XPSET"MMTVCNJTTJPOT
NVTU CF DSFBUFE CZ ZPV
8FDBOOPU *ODMVEF ZPVS OBNF, BHF,
Hazel Wenrich SFUVSOZPVS BOE BEESFTT .BJM UP
"HFŔ/FX.FYJDP XPSL,TPZPV
NJHIUXBOUUP
LFFQBDPQZ. :PVS0XO1BHFT
$IVSDI4USFFU
)POFTEBMF, PA 18431
Loopy Hoops D
RI DL ES
Why do I
always have to
be the referee? What do baseball and cookie
s
1 have in common?
Julia Arnold, Indiana
jacket with
What do you call a
e pocket
53 bottle caps in on 2
r?
and 63 in the othe
Alvis, New York
38
2. Heavy. 3. Sneakers. 4. Sea belts. 5. Their
MARCH 2017 Answers: 1. They both need the batter.
A fierce wind blew.
The
Timbertoes
®
The wind shook the shutters. A tree branch broke. The snow turned to sleet.
Spring is
coming!
MARCH 2017 39
Ask
izona ®
40 MARCH 2017
a teeny giraffe and the star of
When something
at least 100 stories my dad has stressful happens
invented over the years to make
us giggle.
at our house, our
“Yes, indeed,” he continued. dad tells us an
“Just like Charlie, Edward went
missing one day. His family Edward story.
looked everywhere. And I mean,
everywhere. Just as they were Edward! Riding a roller coaster
about to give up all hope, along to Boombalaba.”
came Edward, carrying his teeny- “Well, I’d say that’s quite
tiny suitcase! When his family enough seeing-the-world for one
said, ‘Where, oh where have day,” said my dad. “Let’s get you
you been?’ Edward answered, back home where you belong.”
‘I wanted to see the world. I took So, dear Sneaky-Cat Owner,
a boat to China, a hot-air we’re all extra, extra careful not
balloon to Africa, and a to leave the doors open now. But
outside with the squirrels and roller coaster to Boombalaba!’” the fact is that escape artists
pigeons?” said Tex. “There’s no such place as escape once in a while! Maybe
“You know what this reminds Boombalaba!” Indi giggled. you should make sure you have
me of ?” my dad said as he pinned “And even if there were,” I said, a good, clear photo of your cat
a f lyer on our park’s community smiling, “you wouldn’t be able to just in case you need to make a
bulletin board. get there on a roller coaster.” “Missing” f lyer sometime. And if
“An Edward story!” Tex and And right at that very moment, you find yourself in a panic, try
Indi and I said together. who should come running up to telling an Edward story. You’d
You see, every time something the bulletin board? be surprised at how a teeny-tiny
stressful or scary comes up “Charlie!” I squealed, scooping giraffe can take your mind off
around our house, my dad gets him up and kissing his nose. your worries!
the same little twinkle in his eye “We were so worried about
and says “You know what this you!” said Indi. “Where, oh where Ciao for now,
reminds me of ?” Then he tells have you been?”
us an Edward story. Edward is Tex laughed. “He was with Arizona
“Where, oh where
have you been?”
Dear
Highlights
I want to become
friends with this boy
at school, but my
two best friends
think he’s weird.
What should I do?
T., California
My big sister makes
It’s good to understand that you may not always agree with fun of the things I like,
your friends. Perhaps they haven’t made the effort to get to such as certain movie
know this boy. They may be judging him simply by the way he
characters and toys.
dresses or because he has different interests. Try not to let their
opinions make you feel unsure of yourself. Sometimes I lie about what
The fact is, it’s up to you to decide who your friends are. If I like so she won’t tease me.
you and this boy get along well, then there is no reason the two Any suggestions?
of you can’t be friends. Perhaps your other friends will be more Allison (by e-mail)
open-minded once they know him a little better.
Try talking to your sister
about how you’ve been feeling.
You might say something such
as “It makes me feel bad when
I have a 17-year-old you tease me about the things
cousin who lives far I like. I wish I could be myself
away. I miss her a around you.” Perhaps the two
LOT. I write letters to of you can agree to talk about
her. Any other ideas for your differing interests in a
respectful, kind way.
keeping in touch?
Try not to let it bother you
Chloe, Texas
when your sister disagrees with
your opinions. If she continues
One thing you could try is
to tease you, try your best to
keeping a journal together.
ignore her.
You can write in the journal
for a certain amount of time
(perhaps a week or a month)
and then mail it to your Write to us!
cousin. She will read your entries and then add her own entries Please include your name, age,
for a few weeks before mailing it back. Over time, you’ll create and full address. Mail to
a wonderful record of your friendship together! Dear Highlights
You could also ask your parents for ideas. With their 803 Church Street
permission, you might call your cousin or video-chat with Honesdale, PA 18431
her sometimes. Or e-mail us at Letters@Highlights.com.
Picture
Art by Mike