Back in August, I told you all about a few of my favorite magazines from the Juvenile (J) section of the Columbia Public Library. For those who are unfamiliar, this section lies between our J graphic novels and our J fiction. You’ll know it when you see it — there’s a rack of comics and several comfy chairs to sit in while you peruse! I started helping with this section a few months ago and was pleasantly surprised by the amount and variety of magazines we carry. We have subscriptions for horse lovers (Young Rider), sports fans (Sports Illustrated for Kids), those who want to stay caught up on world news (Faces, The Week Jr.), and nature enthusiasts (Xplor, Ranger Rick).
Why are magazines so great, though, especially for kids? I touched on this briefly during my last blog post, but the more I investigate the magazines we carry, the more I appreciate their potential benefits in home and/or school education. The activities are age-appropriate, they spark curiosity and they connect kids with our big, bright world. They’re also a great way to introduce kiddos to reading for fun — the freedom to choose a magazine that calls to them can be liberating to children. When you’re young, you don’t exactly get to decide where you go and when, but we can give children the chance to explore the world through their book and magazine choices, allowing them to investigate the wonders of our big, beautiful world from the safety of home.
I also sincerely appreciate the array of diverse topics that our magazines cover. Some of the magazines I’ll be going into detail about today, like Kazoo, are written with certain groups like young girls in mind. I like that we have these because it’s important to show our kids that they matter — that there are spaces designated for them. This isn’t to say that anyone else is unwelcome to read them or will not enjoy them; in fact, I think it’s quite the opposite! It’s important for everyone to witness women in STEM, people who break racial, ethnic and religious barriers and others who blaze trails in their field. For members of marginalized communities, it can be empowering to see that someone with a similar experience has achieved a goal. For people outside of those communities, or people of privileged identities, it’s crucial to recognize the humanity, dreams, goals and potential that other people have, regardless of how different those others may be. (If you’re interested in hearing more about this, Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop’s work goes into detail about her “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors” idea!)
One more thing: many of these juvenile magazines have sister publications for younger readers. I will be listing them as well because they’re similarly useful for introducing young ones to the joy of reading! Most of these sister publications are at the edge of the Columbia Public Library’s children’s section, on a shelf towards the northwest windows. One side of this shelf is dedicated to preschool-aged children’s magazines, and the other is for adult magazines such as Practical Homeschooling, Consumer Reports, Attention!, and COMO Magazine. DBRL has a great deal more in our collection than I have listed here — I recommend taking a look next time you get a chance to see if we have anything that appeals to you personally!
Anorak – Printed with vegetable ink on recycled paper, Anorak is a unique read for unique readers. Each issue is dedicated to a topic, thing or idea and explores it in a way that is fresh, creative, and perfect for elementary-aged kiddos. It reminds me of Illustoria with its games and puzzles. There are also ways for Anorak enjoyers to write in to the magazine to include their opinions, thoughts and artwork, which adds to the magazine’s collaborative feel. I chose the ‘Octopus issue’ from May 2023 to read for this article, because octopi are the coolest animals ever and I LOVE to read about them. From this issue, I actually learned that octopi are older than dinosaurs, believe it or not! This magazine is a blast to peruse, especially due to its bright colors, clever illustrations and out-of-the-box presentation and information. This specific issue includes drawings of a bunch of different octopi & their most notable attributes, along with containing an interview with a real octopus spotter!
Anorak also prints a sister magazine for younger children, titled Dot. This publication is directed towards preschool-aged children. It includes the same creative flourish and bright colors that make Anorak stand out. The issue I picked up for this blog is called “The Green Issue” — perfect for me, since my favorite color is green! The issue contains brainstorms of reasons to like and appreciate green, things in the wild that are green, jokes about green things, and crafts galore! Perusing this magazine with a little one could be a great way to bond and strengthen their reading capabilities.
Kazoo – I appreciate that Kazoo is a magazine directed towards young girls that encourages investigation of the world and creativity in a number of different ways. While I and many others do love clothing, makeup and personality quizzes, there are thousands of other topics that interest young girls! The ‘Tiny Issue’ that I read for this post includes the story of chemist Rosalind Franklin. Her X-ray crystallography work (taking pictures of how crystals form and fit together) was instrumental in the discovery of the molecular makeup of many things, namely DNA, RNA, coal and graphite. I really love that this magazine shines a spotlight on women who have or had dreams and ambitions. This and other examples of a woman studying what she wants to study and making groundbreaking scientific discoveries — especially in a time where women were not as respected in the field — is inspiring and empowering for many people. There’s also a LOT of unique crafting ideas in this publication, along with games and jokes for readers to share with a friend. This magazine might be designed for young women, but kiddos of any gender will enjoy it!
Sports Illustrated (for Kids) – This magazine is a great way for sports-obsessed kids to get into reading. Even kiddos who might not like picking up a book or graphic novel might be swayed by the coolness of their favorite sports teams! I enjoy the kids’ Sports Illustrated publication — there is an awesome amount of representation for different sports — basketball, bowling, rugby, football, soccer…you name it, this magazine will reference it! It also includes players of differing genders, ethnicities and other identities. Even though I might not be the type to sit down and watch a sporting event, I can appreciate how much dedication goes into making it into a career! The issue I just read had a whole article about Ilona Maher, who is a world-renowned rugby star. If your kiddo or student is fascinated by sports, this magazine could be a key to broadening their horizons in reading.
Ranger Rick – Ranger Rick is the National Wildlife Federation (NWF)’s juvenile publication. The magazine’s namesake first appeared in a book called “The Adventures of Rick Raccoon”, which was published in 1959. The book had a follow-up novel before the NWF decided to create a monthly publication starring the raccoon as a way to familiarize children with NWF’s ideas, information and values. Each issue follows Rick (the raccoon!) as he explores different parts of the world or nature and explains their function to the reader. I found this information accessible and kid-friendly, as well as interesting! The pangolin issue delves into the secret lives of — you guessed it — pangolins, alongside articles that detail animal defense mechanisms, plants that eat things (pitcher plants!) and even comics about how plants like sagebrush help to define and feed an ecosystem.
Ranger Rick has a sister publication in our preschool section, too — actually, two of them! Ranger Rick Zoobooks focuses on different animal groups in the world. An issue might focus on schools of fish, tigers or moose and elk. I picked up the issue about koalas and other Australian mammals and was treated to an amazing array of information about them (Did you know kangaroos like the taste of cardboard boxes? Weird…), including photos and diagrams that explain parts of their life. This title may be best suited to read alongside an adult or an older sibling since it’s pretty text-heavy. The other is called Ranger Rick Jr. and is exactly what it sounds like! Much of the same information and activities that make Ranger Rick such a good resource for elementary-age kids are ‘aged down’ for preschoolers in this magazine. I loved the shark issue that I read through — the cover article is, of course, dedicated to its many-toothed namesake, but just like Ranger Rick, this magazine covers a great many topics in a single issue. Check out the desert feature for fun facts and information about nature’s hardiest flora and fauna!
If you’ve been intrigued or inspired by this post, I can’t recommend enough checking out our kids magazine sections. If you have any difficulty finding them, just ask the folks at the Columbia Public Library children’s desk for directions! We love to show folks around. Please do explore our comic sections as well — we have some J-level comics adjacent to the J magazine shelf, and we have teen magazines at the very front of the young adult section if you have any older kids (or you are a HUGE NERD, which is a very awesome thing to be) — these include such classics as the Spider-Man, Birds of Prey, X-Men, Avengers, you name it. Thanks for joining me in shining a spotlight on these resources!
