Ranger Rick

Title: Ranger Rick

Author: Various

Editorial Director:  Mary Dalheim

Published by National Wildlife Federation

Publications per year: 10 (monthly, except January and July)

ISSN: 0738-6656

Audience Ages 7-12, Grades 1-6

Summary: The classic children’s nonfiction magazine about nature and wildlife. It features nature photography and articles about animals. Most issues contain a craft or project, a cartoon/graphic story, and some activity pages including riddles. The magazine asks for kids to send nature riddles to the “Reader Riddles” page by email or postal mail.  Readers are also invited to send digital photos to a monthly photo contest.

Strengths: The photography in Ranger Rick is always stunning, especially the close-up animal prints. The articles feature many different animals and biomes that are part of most school curricula. The topics would be high-interest for many kids, including ESL or reluctant readers. There are no advertisements, which is refreshing.

Weaknesses: There is a not a great deal of content in the articles. Depending on the depth required, they might be a better starting place for a research project.  Depending on the article and the ability of the students, the readability could be a problem, and teachers should preview the material to make sure the article is appropriate for their classroom. In a library setting, the issues are flimsy and could easily be defaced. 

Uses: Magazines are an excellent choice for ESOL students, learning disabled students, and struggling readers. Animals are a particular interest of many children so this magazine would be a good choice for many reluctant readers as well. Teachers and librarians often recommend magazines for independent reading or DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) time during school hours. For students who are writing research reports (CCSS ELA:W.7 Grades K-6), this magazine would be a great starting place for their research.  The issues also contain many charts, graphs, and other graphics that could be used as examples of text features (CCSS ELA:RI.8 Grades 4-6).  Science teachers could use the articles as high-interest additions to studies about particular types of animals, habitats, or biomes. Magazines also use different types of text structure that could be analyzed by students (CCSS ELA:RI.5 Grades 4-6). Art teachers could use the magazine as examples of superior digital photography. 

Awards: 

Parents’ Choice Gold Award

Periodical of the Year Grades K-5 Association of Educational Publishers.

Distinguished Achievement Award Winner Association of Educational Publishers 

Read Alikes: (all magazines)

·      National Geographic for Kids

·      Zoobooks

·      Click

·      Ranger Rick Jr. 

Other:

Website: http://www.nwf.org/kids/ranger-rick.aspx

http://www.nwf.org/Kids/Educators.aspx

Educator’s resources on their website, with a guide for each issue.

Sports Illustrated for Kids

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Title: Sports Illustrated for Kids

Author: Various

Managing Editor: Bob Der

Published by Time Inc.

Publications per year: 11 (monthly, except January/February combined issue) 

ISSN: 1042-394X

Audience Ages 8-15, Grades 2-8

Summary: This is a nonfiction magazine about sports.  It features articles about sports figures, teams, and other news including an article that comes from the pages of Sports Illustrated.  Regular features include a “Freeze Frame” section with photographs of sports action, pull out cards and posters, Tips from Pros where professional athletes give advice to kids, and an End Zone section with puzzles and a comic. The magazine asks for kids to send humorous captions for photographs, drawings of athletes, and ideas for Sportskids of the Month through their website. 

Strengths:  This is high-interest material, especially for boys and reluctant readers. The articles are well-written with some challenging language (an example quote: “James has already begun to chisel out a prominent place for himself in basketball history”), and the crossover to Sports Illustrated would encourage older students that they were not reading something aimed at young children. There are great illustrations, but there is a lot of content here too.

Weaknesses: Obviously, the material does not have a lot of crossover with curriculum, beyond perhaps biography. The high level of readability could be a challenge if younger students or non-readers tried to tackle it, and a teacher or librarian should make sure that they are not frustrated. Many of the public library issues that I reviewed had the pull out cards and posters removed by patrons.  

Uses: Magazines are an excellent choice for ESOL students, learning disabled students, and struggling readers. Sports are a particular interest of many children, especially many boys, so this magazine would be a good choice for many reluctant readers as well. Teachers and librarians often recommend magazines for independent reading or DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) time during school hours. The issues also contain many charts, graphs, and other graphics that could be used as examples of text features (CCSS ELA:RI.8 Grades 4-6).   Magazines also use different types of text structure that could be analyzed by students (CCSS ELA:RI.5 Grades 4-6).  PE teachers could use the articles about different athletes and sports as inspiration for the students. 

Awards: 

Parents’ Choice Gold Award

Distinguished Achievement Award Winner Association of Educational Publishers 

Read Alikes (all magazines)

·      Boys’ Life

·      Junior Baseball

·      Odyssey

·      SportingKid  

Other:

Website http://siforkids.com/