I am an adult, but I can honestly tell you that I am a huge fan of Highlights. Highlights has been around for a very long time. I used to read their magazines when I was a child at the pediatrician’s office, and I’m not a “fifty-something” year old.
If you read my site on a regular basis, chances are that you have seen some of my reviews for Highlights books. Most recently I reviewed their Dear Highlights book. Here is a brief synopsis, in case you missed that review.
Dear Highlights – From the beginning, the editors at Highlights have personally answered every child who has written to the magazine. In this groundbreaking book for adults, Dear Highlights shares letters from kids about their families and friends, their fears and hopes for the future, and how world events have shaped them. The book illuminates a constant thread throughout the company’s 75-year history of responding to children’s letters that all kids want to be heard, for important adults in their life to be present and to assure them that they’re loved and safe.
If you are interested in reading my review, you can check it out here – Highlight’s Lifts Children’s Voices with Dear Highlights; What Adults Can Learn from 75 Years of Letters and Conversations with Kids.
Highlights was kind enough to send me a few more books to review (see below).
When it comes to the holiday season, people are quick to think about toys and games for children. But rarely do I hear of a parent gifting their child books. I know some do (we used to with our kids), but not that many.
When I was a child, I would have LOVED for Santa to gift me a subscription to Highlights magazine. I’m being entirely serious too. Sadly, “Santa” never did for some odd reason. So my only way of reading the magazine was at the doctor’s office.
Back then there weren’t any Highlights books (at least none that I am aware of). These days there are plenty of great options to choose from.
The Highlights Book of Things to Draw – This drawing companion journal to The Highlights Book of Things to Do opens doors for kids to flex their creativity. The Highlights Book of Things to Draw is the essential book that every young artist will love. Kids ages seven and up will find over 175 how-to-draw instructions, games, creative ways to practice drawing, and many more activities designed to get their imaginations flowing.
This is a fun book that gives a child ample places to draw. What I love most about this book is that is suggests to children what they should draw. It poses questions and ideas, which challenge a child to “think” and get creative.
You do not need to be an artist to have fun with this book. Anyone can use this book, from the doodlers (like me) to children who are gifted artists.
I took this book to work with me and one of my 6th grade girls saw it and right away dived into it. She asked me if it was OK if she used it, and of course I said “yes.” She loves to draw, so this book was ideal for her. She spent most of her time with me (in our program) flipping through the pages and drawing.
The Highlights Book of Things to Write – This writing companion journal to The Highlights Book of Things to Do opens doors for kids to flex their creativity. The Highlights Book of Things to Write is the essential book that every young writer will love. Kids ages seven and up will find over 175 creative writing prompts, open-ended questions, games, activities, and more designed to get their imaginations flowing.
This book is just like The Highlights Book of Things to Draw, except instead of drawing, you are prompted to write.
I love that the book offers a lot of different ideas to write about. Where was this book when I was having “writer’s block” to write blog posts? Ha Ha.
This book is for both boys and girls. I think some people might think it’s more so for girls, because many boys (at least the ones I work with) don’t really like to write. The prompts in this book would work with any gender.
There is plenty of room to write, however, if a child likes to write a lot (like me) they will need some extra paper to write on. They can always tape or staple the extra pages to the book page. Another suggestion would be to give a child a notebook along with this book, that way they can write as much as they want with no limitations.
Best Hidden Pictures Puzzles Ever – Here is the ultimate collection of America’s favorite puzzles! With more than 20 different types of Hidden Pictures puzzles, as well as fun and silly facts about them, there’s something for everyone in this “best of” collection. Created for challenge-loving kids of all ages, this puzzle book is bursting with more than 1,500 objects to find in classic puzzles, photo puzzles, inverted white-on-black scenes, two-player puzzles and more.
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE hidden picture puzzles. They are my favorite Highlight’s thing. I’m an adult and I have fun with them. Just because they are made for kids, doesn’t mean the hidden images are easy to find. There have been plenty of times I couldn’t find something (or some things).
Sometimes at work it would take more than one of us to find all the images in a puzzle.
Admittedly some are easy, but there are also some that are a bit more challenging.
Some puzzles are in black and white, and others are in color.
Even young children can have fun with this book.
Last year one of my “work kids” tried to create his own hidden picture puzzle. He was a 2nd grader, so it wasn’t hard to find the hidden things, but I made believe I had a hard time, much to his delight.
This is a great book to have on hand for long car drives, appointments, waiting for food to arrive at restaurants, and for those days kids are stuck inside for recess at school.
The 2022 Almanac of Fun – The Almanac of Fun is back and updated for 2022! Get ready for another year with favorite Highlights puzzles and activities that celebrate traditional and wacky holidays, historical anniversaries, world events and everything in between. Kids can puzzle their way through each month while learning lots of interesting facts, documenting their own occasions and having fun. The Highlights 2021 Almanac of Fun was honored by Mom’s Choice Awards and Parents’ Choice Fun Stuff Award.
I’ve always been a fan of children’s almanac’s because they tend to be a wealth of information for children. This book is no exception.
This is the first such book I have seen like this from Highlight’s. I didn’t even know they made almanacs.
This book is a plethora of kid-friendly fun facts. Even us “big kids” can learn a lot from this book (I sure did!).
My husband and I always talk about the weird “holidays” that we come across, such as National Ghost Hunting Day, National Roof Over Your Head Day, and National Cotton Candy Day (these are legitimate “National Days”). This book is a great resource for those crazy types of “days.”
Each month features a calendar, with something listed for each day of the month (holidays, historical things that happened on a specific day,
As someone who works with children, this book gives me some ideas of things I can plan for (not this year, but in 2022). I can come up with a fun craft or project based on the “days” featured in this book.
In addition, there are fun games and puzzles found within the pages of this book. There are plenty of fun things to read about and do found within the pages of this book.
The holiday season is fast approaching. It’s already the end of September! Before you know it we’ll be planning on our Thanksgiving holiday.
If you would like a heads start on your holiday shopping, consider these and other books from Highlight’s.
You can purchase these books on the Highlight’s website, Shop.Highlights.com. You can shop by age, type of book and more, to make shopping even easier. They have A LOT of books to choose from for all ages (0-12 years old). They even have bundle options.
You can also follow Highlight’s on social media. Their links are found on the bottom left of their website.
What do you think about these books? Do you think your child/grandchild would like any (or all) of these books? Feel free to comment and share your thoughts.
Kimberly
*I received free product samples in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.