Check it out! Magazines offer knowledge and fun in library’s children’s department
Article Photos
In this day of heavy homework loads, extracurricular activities and electronic stimulus (electronic games), some pleasant pastimes have become just that times from the past.
"As a children's librarian, I am happy to report that children do still read books," said Susan Slater of the Warren Public Library. Many read because they want to and some read only because it is an academic requirement. This article, however, concerns a different type of reading format: magazines.
How many adults remember having a magazine subscription as a child? My family subscribed to Highlights magazine when we were children. There was such excitement among my siblings and me when an issue would arrive in the mail. We would gobble up the pages (not literally) during the first reading, then return to the issue several more times over the next couple days to devour what was missed during the previous readings.
During these tough economic times many families are turning to free quality entertainment and enrichment. The library is a great source to turn to for such resources. The Warren Public Library Children's Department has plenty of excellent books, movies and audio books available to Warren children. But many people forget or don't realize that the Children's Department also has a nice selection of magazines for younger and older children. Many also might not realize that magazines can be checked out. The actual rule is this: the newest issues of magazines do not circulate until the next issue arrives. The older issues can be found by simply lifting up the shelves on which the current issues are displayed. Magazines check out for two weeks, the same as books, audios and movies.
There is a nice selection of magazines currently available in the Children's Department. There are many ways these could be utilized for children: keeping them occupied while traveling, reading before bedtime or reading while adults are reading newspapers, books or magazines. Magazines could also be utilized to encourage reading for reluctant readers. The photo captions, short stories, articles, graphics, photo spreads, comic strips and games do not pose a threat to children who are overwhelmed by too much text. Some of the reading is simple and light-hearted and many contain short but interesting articles.
The following is a list of magazine titles that can be found in the Children's Department: American Girl (ages 8-14) contains articles, cartoons, advice and craft ideas; Boy's Life (ages 8-18) covers a wide range of topics typically of interest to all boys; ChickaDEE (ages 6-9) is chock full of puzzles, comics, animals, crafts and jokes; Dig (ages 9-14) explores archaeological finds and facts all over the world; Ladybug (ages 3-6) encourages early readers with short stories, rhymes and songs, all with fun illustrations; National Geographic Kids (ages 8-14) has lots of animal facts and stories, plus games and cool graphics; Nick Magazine (ages 8-14) contains activities, puzzles, comics, contests, jokes, pullout pranks and celebrity interviews; Ranger Rick (ages 7-14) is full of animal articles and stories, cartoons and riddles; Sports Illustrated (ages 6-16) covers all types of sports for young sports enthusiasts.
As the holidays approach, an interesting gift idea would be to get a magazine subscription for a child in your life. Browsing through these magazines could give some great ideas in terms of which one might be appropriate for that special child.
A display window on the parking lot side entrance to the library has been dedicated to children's magazines. This display has already caught some people's interest and has led to some magazines being checked out. Parents and children are encouraged to browse through the magazines and check out some of the issues. The children's magazines are located under the wooden geese in the children's department, which is to your right as you enter the department.
