Highlights-Updated Wish List

Highlights editors compile a list of their current needs to share with prospective authors. Below, you will find a detailed description of the types of stories, articles, and activities Highlights editors are currently seeking. You may also find these updates at http://www.highlights.com/

Thank you for your interest in Highlights. Happy writing!

Sincerely,
The Highlights Editors

HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN
Current Needs
Winter 2008-2009

NONFICTION CATEGORIES
Nonfiction for Younger Readers (Ages 4 to 8) up to 500 words, Joëlle Dujardin, Associate Editor
All articles should have a clear focus and relevance to young kids.

* First-person accounts of fieldwork
* Photo essays
* Arts stories
* Ancient history
* High-interest animals
* Details from urban life (workers, transportation, etc.)
* Nature

Science, 800 words (two-page features), 400 words (one-page features), 50 words (activities) Andy Boyles, Science Editor

* Features about kids involved in science
* Scientists studying high-interest animals in their natural habitats
* Short, quick, easy, fun science activities

History/World Cultures, up to 800 words, Carolyn Yoder, Senior Editor

* Fun, humorous, kid-friendly articles
* Presidential (NOT Washington and Lincoln) and patriotic pieces
* Need anecdotal articles, rather than broad interviews
* American holidays, specifically Thanksgiving, Easter, Christmas, and little-known holidays
* World-cultures pieces. ALL COUNTRIES. We want intimate snapshots of life in another country.

One-page Activities of all kinds, up to 300 words, Linda Rose, Assistant Editor

* Indoor and outdoor games that involve exercise, creativity, and/or humor
* Activities and games that kids can do whether they're on their own or with others
* Projects that will result in a new hobby or skill and/or a quality finished product
* Magic tricks

We prefer activities that require neither parental supervision nor materials kids aren't likely to have handy.

Short Puzzles, Games, Recipes, and Activities, Manuscript Submissions

* Art activities
* World-cultures activities
* History and geography puzzles
* Logic puzzles
* Math puzzles
* Codes

Any activities that easily lend themselves to strong visuals are a huge plus!

Crafts, Manuscript Submissions

* World-cultures crafts (general or holiday-specific)
* Crafts that encourage play (musical instruments, costumes, etc.)
* Games
* Gifts
* Crafts for all holidays except Valentine's Day

Please send a photo or sample of the craft.

Send magazine submissions to
Highlights for Children
803 Church Street
Honesdale, PA 18431

PUZZLEMANIA

Puzzlemania, our puzzle book club for children ages 6—10, is in need of word puzzles—crosswords, word searches, logic puzzles, word scrambles, and codes. For detailed submissions guidelines, visit www.Highlights.com. Go to About Us/Contributor Guidelines/Puzzles. Send puzzle submissions to hfcpuzzlemania@gmail.com.

New Books and Magazine

New Bilingual Books from Children's Book Press

Quinito, Day and Night / Quinito, día y noche
Story by Ina Cumpiano
Illustrations by José Ramírez

Little Quinito and his family take the reader through a day filled with opposites, including short/tall, quiet/loud, and rainy/sunny.

From first thing in the morning until he goes to sleep, Quinito is off and running— fast or slow, depending on the day. If it’s sunny, he’s off to the park to swing high and low. If it rains, it’s time to stay home and be quiet at naptime and loud at playtime. There’s so much to do before the sun sets.

Ina Cumpiano teams up with José Ramírez once more to show young readers that everywhere they look, opposites abound. Quinito, Day and Night is a delight for readers young or old, tall or short, messy or neat .

24 pages Full-color illustrations Ages 4 to 6 Bilingual English/Spanish


Animals Poems of the Iguazú / Animalario del Iguazú
Poems by Francisco X. Alarcón
Illustrations by Maya Christina Gonzalez

The animals of the Iguazú speak for themselves in their own soaring, roaring, fluttering voices in this bilingual environmental poetry collection about Argentina's Iguazú rainforest.

In the magical rainforest of the Iguazú National Park, toucans have two papaya slices for a beak, and butterflies are the multicolored flowers of the air. Great dusky swifts watch over the park, and the untamed spirits of jaguars roam the jungle. Spanning three countries—Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay—the thundering waterfalls and lush green rainforests of the Iguazú have dazzled visitors for centuries, and are now in danger of being lost.

Following the Amerindian oral tradition, award-winning Chicano poet Francisco X. Alarcón lets the animals of the Iguazú speak for themselves in their own soaring, roaring, fluttering voices, and the resulting poems are as urgent as they are beautiful and humorous. Maya Christina Gonzalez’s mixed media illustrations bring the colors and textures of the Iguazú rainforest to vibrant life.

Animal Poems of the Iguazú initiates Children’s Book Press’ goal of an eventual conversion to the use of recycled paper for all new titles and reprints of backlist titles; the book is printed using 100% recycled paper.

32 pages Full-color illustrations Ages 6 and up Bilingual English/Spanish

A New Young Adult Novel from Cinco Puntos Press

The Smell of Old Lady Perfume

Claudia Guadalupe Martinez’s debut novel for young adults is a bittersweet story about death, family, and the resilient emotional strength of the human heart.

Chela Gonzalez, the book’s narrator, is a nerd and a soccer player who can barely contain her excitement about starting the sixth grade. But nothing is as she imagined—her best friend turns on her to join the popular girls and they all act like Chela doesn’t exist. She buries herself in schoolwork and in the warm comfort of her family. To Chela, her family is like a solar system, with her father the sun and her mother, brothers, and sister like planets rotating all around him. It’s a small world, but it’s the only one she fits in.

But that universe is threatened when her strong father has a stroke. Chela’s grandmother moves in to help the family. The smell of her old lady perfume invades the house. That smell is worse than Sundays. Sundays were sad, but they went just as sure as they came. Death was a whole other thing, and Chela doesn’t understand that’s what everyone is waiting for. In her grief and worry, Chela begins to discover herself and find her own strength.

Claudia Guadalupe Martinez was raised in El Paso, Texas. She learned that letters form words from reading the subtitles of old westerns for her father. She went on to graduate from college and moved to Chicago to become one of the city’s youngest non-profit executives.

A new magazine from the editors of Highlights!

Highlights High Five is perfect for young children aged 2-6!

Highlights High Five is the newest offering from the publisher of the nation's #1 children's magazine, Highlights for Children. Like its older sibling publication, Highlights High Five is founded on the belief that children are the world's most important people and helps set children firmly on the path to becoming curious, creative, caring, and confident individuals.

Highlights High Five celebrates the early years of childhood—a time of discovery when learning happens at every turn. Our magazine is dedicated to helping parents, educators, and other caregivers nurture young children by:

* encouraging a natural sense of wonder about the world;
* promoting reasoning, problem solving, and creative self-expression;
* fostering a love of language and a rich vocabulary;
* and inspiring them to be kind, to get along with others, and to grow in self-confidence...for
children are the world's most important people.

On Writing for Children

René Colato Laínez

Tips From Editors and Authors

A Writing Tip from Highlights and Calkins Creek Books Editor Carolyn Yoder

When kids are asked if they like history—or social studies—their answers tend to be a big flat "No." But if kids hear and understand that history involves them—their stories, their parents' stories, their ancestors' stories, the stories about where they live, the stories about what they do—history...becomes personal, and more importantly, relevant.

I strongly encourage authors to investigate their lives in order to discover these "little" (or "big") stories of history. I have met a mother from the Midwest whose mother sewed blankets in the Caribbean during World War II, a ninety-year-old writer who captured the story of her great-great-grandfather moving west to Indiana, and a young girl who discovered dinosaur bones in her backyard.

Think about writing your stories, the stories of your family or the stories about where you live. Capture the human element and the historical element. Together they will help to make your stories universal.

Carolyn P. Yoder is the senior editor of history and world cultures for Highlights and has written numerous articles on research and writing history for children. She spent a decade serving as the award-winning editor in chief of Cobblestone: The History Magazine for Young People; Calliope; Faces; and Odyssey, which led to her position as assistant publisher of Cobblestone Publishing, Inc., overseeing development of its book division.

Carolyn is currently editor of Calkins Creek Books—the history and historical fiction imprint of Boyds Mills Press, publisher of her book George Washington: The Writer and her most recent work, John Adams: The Writer, released in October 2007. She also reviews juvenile history books for the Civil War Book Review and has been a writer and editor for the New Jersey Historical Society.

* * *

A Writing Tip from Philomel Editor Patricia Lee Gauch

Fiction, nonfiction, picture books, easy readers . . . the great books come alive. They breathe. They lament. They stand up and cheer. And, whether I had intended or not, they pull me as editor, as reader, into their living world, allowing me to breathe and lament and stand up with them. The heart of a really good book beats.

Okay then, you might ask, what makes a good book's heart beat? There are more answers to the question than anyone can give in one morning, but I believe you give yourself a leg up in discovering the heartbeat, if as a writer you dare to look at life on a slant.

Readers do not want what is straightforward, understandable, four square, typical, sturdy, easy, predictable. No, I believe character and plot and setting and language—on a slant—is what readers thirst for. They are intrigued with what is odd, aberrant, offbeat, strange—for goodness' sake. And praise be!

Patricia Lee Gauch is vice president and editor at large of Philomel Books as well as a respected author in her own right. She holds a doctorate in English literature, and has taught children's literature on the college level and reviewed for The New York Times. Patti has edited three Caldecott books, including Owl Moon by Jane Yolen and John Schoenherr, and So You Want to Be President? by Judith St. George and David Small. She has worked with many well-known authors, including Jane Yolen, Andrew Clements, and Brian Jacques.

* * *

A Writing Tip from Award-Winning Poet and Author Eileen Spinelli

Here's a beautiful quote that I love. Natalie Goldberg said, "If you love the work, it will love you back." How can you love the work if you're already a mile down the road worrying about whether it's going to be published? The publication will take care of itself. I hate to see writers just cringing and skipping ahead, and worrying about publication. I think it interferes with what you do. It makes you afraid to take risks, for one thing, because you are too afraid. "Is the publisher going to want this?" or "Is the editor going to like this?"—that's the adult in you.

Kids aren't afraid of risks. It's a wonder we're all here alive for all the risks we took when we were younger. You'll be more able to do what you need to do and take risks if you kind of let the other parts go. Let the marketing go. Make the marketing the lower rung on the ladder rather than the top rung. The top rung needs to be the writing and the joy that you derive from it, even if you never get published. Honest.


Eileen Spinelli is an award-winning author and poet whose work includes the 1991 Christopher Award winner Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch. Eileen has published more than thirty books for children. Some of her recent titles include Bathtime, Rise the Moon, Moe McTooth, Three Pebbles and a Song, The Perfect Thanksgiving, and City Angel.

* * *

These tips come from workshops given by these authors and editors at the Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop at Chautauqua. If you'd like to learn from them in person, join them for the 2008 workshop. Find out more at www.highlightsfoundation.org.

The Highlights Foundation
814 Court Street
Honesdale, PA 18431
Phone: (570) 253-1192
E-mail: contact@highlightsfoundation.org

Magazine Submissions

Stories for Children Magazine

www.storiesforchildren.tripod.com

Stories for Children Magazine is currently in need of the following:

NONFICTION articles for ages 3-6 (no more than 400 words)
NONFICTION articles for ages 7-9 (400 to 800 words)

POETRY - see new Guidelines

We're in particular need for FEBRUARY and MARCH 2008 issues. Please read the Submission Guidelines page before submitting.

SFC is not a themed magazine but if you need a kickstart, check out our Monthly Idea Calendar. We're always short on crafts, recipes, games and puzzles so if you have any tucked away, send them in.

SFC welcomes new writers. This would be a great time for you to submit.

Warmly,

Wendy Dickson
Assistant Submissions Editor
Stories for Children
http://storiesforchildren.tripod.com

Iguana Magazine

www.nicagal.com

We are always looking for material in español to publish – fiction, non-fiction, interviews, recipes, poems, photographs, comics, puzzles and more.

Please contact us about submissions at: revista_infantil@yahoo.com


[Writer's Guidelines] [Illustrator's Guidelines] [Photographer's Guidelines]

WRITER'S GUIDELINES

General Guidelines

* We do not accept translations. All submissions must be originally written in Spanish.

* We do not pay persons under the age of fifteen for contributions.

* We hold first time rights and do not consider material previously published.

* We accept queries.

* All materials are paid upon publication.

* All materials can be submitted electronically via email.

* Articles may be edited for length, grammar, and punctuation.

* We publish 6 issues a year. However, all proposals are considered.


Fiction

* We accept realistic fiction, stories, fantasy, humorous tales, legends, science fiction, fables, myths, mysteries, fairy and folk tales.

* Stories should be 800 words or less.

* Payment is US$0.05 per printed word.


Non-Fiction

* This section includes biographies / interviews with Latino personalities that have influenced the lives of Latinos in America, art, history, animals, nature, technology, science, geography, and stories about children from other cultures and countries.

* Articles should be 800 words or less.

* References, bibliography, and / or sources of information must be included with submissions.

* Payment is US$0.05 per printed word.


Arts & Crafts

* Article should include clear directions with no more than five steps.

* The project should require common households and inexpensive materials.

* A sample of the finished project should be included with the material.

* The payment is US$25.00 per project.


Poetry

* It can be serious or humorous.

* It should be no longer than 15 lines.

* Payment is US$15.00 per poem.


Other

* Recipes, puzzles, games, word search, brain teasers, math and word activities.

* Payment will be determined per submission.



ILLUSTRATOR'S GUIDELINES

* Illustrations, cartoons, comics, drawings, cover illustrations.

* All art work must be submitted digitally, at a minimum of 300dpi at full size, via tif.

* Payment will be determined per submission.



PHOTOGRAPHER'S GUIDELINES

* Photos of children and animals.

* Payment will be determined per submission.

Skipping Stones

www.skippingstones.org

Skipping Stones is an award-winning, international, non-profit magazine, now in the 14th year! We celebrate ecological and cultural diversity, facilitates a meaningful exchange of ideas and experiences. Young readers of Skipping Stones, ages 8 to 16, hail from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. We try our best to make their reading of Skipping Stones an active experience, relevant to issues confronting them locally and globally.

Youth respond to the world through Skipping Stones Magazine...

Skipping Stones readers hail from north, south, east, and west. From villages to inner cities, youth have something to say, about their culture, school, religion, environment, neighborhood... and Skipping Stones provides a forum for sharing it. Any way you choose to express your dreams and opinions, Skipping Stones provides a place for writers and artists of all ages and backgrounds to communicate creatively and openly.

Writings (essays, stories, letters to the editor, riddles and proverbs, etc.) should be typed or neatly handwritten and limited to 750 words and poems to 30 lines. We encourage writings in all languages with an English translation, if possible. And, we love illustrations! Please send originals of your drawings, paintings, or photos. Include your name, age, and address along with your submission.

Ideas for Submissions:

* Cultural or Regional Celebrations: First-hand descriptions (with photos or illustrations)
* Writings accompanied by children's artwork
* Bilingual submissions or writings introducing (using words/phrases from) other languages
* Folktales, hospitality customs, recipes, music, folk art and architecture from around the world
* Living Abroad and Immigration: Your memorable experiences
* Cross-Cultural Communications: Ways we express ourselves through language, proverbs, tales, songs, body language, symbols, etc.
* International Humor: Jokes, funny stories, riddles, games, cross-cultural mix-ups, etc.
* Photo Essays on a country or region
* Families and Community: Getting along, unique gatherings or projects, intergenerational experiences, multilingual families
* Creative Problem Solving and Peace-Making
* Cooperative Games, Quizzes, Riddles, Puzzles
* Life as a Minority: Challenges and successes
* Living with and Understanding Disabilities
* Unforgettable Moments: Times of transformation or revelation.
* Inspirations or Role Models in your life
* Right Livelihood: Earning a living while helping the world.
* Technology: Its impacts on the planet.
* Sustainable Living: Our Mission, Purpose and Challenges. How can we care for the Earth and all its inhabitants?
* Nature: Unique ecology, resource conservation, endangered species, fighting pollution
* Taking Action: Reports of or suggestions for children's involvement in community, ecology or social justice; actions to improve the world
* Raising Caring Kids: What tools do we use? Improving self-awareness and self-esteem; encouraging creativity, non-violence and tolerance; being a role model
* Parent/Teacher Guide: Lesson plans, ideas, activities, experiences and suggestions.
* Any other multicultural, social, international or nature awareness theme that you wish to write about!

You can send us your submissions by snail mail or via E-mail with Word attachments).

Please to:

Managing Editor
Skipping Stones
P.O. BOX 3939
Eugene OR 97403-0939 USA

Highlights Fiction Contest 2008 and PaperTigers' Interviews

René Colato Laínez


Three $1,000 Prizes to Be Awarded in Fiction Contest

Highlights for Children will accept submissions to the publication's 29th annual fiction contest during the month of January 2008. The contest is open to anyone interested in writing for children and three winners will receive $1,000 each.

For this year's contest, Highlights seeks stories set in the future.

Under contest rules, any unpublished story is eligible, whether submitted by a professional or a new author. Previous winners have included both published and first-time authors.

"Kids deserve the best, and we've long been committed to doing all we can to help raise the quality of writing for children," said editor in chief Christine French Clark. "Encouraging children's writers is what we do every day, but this annual contest allows us to recognize them in a special way. It's especially gratifying when we discover new talent."

Contest guidelines state that all entries must be postmarked between January 1 and January 31, 2008. The stories should not exceed 800 words, and they may be considerably shorter for younger children. Stories glorifying war or crime or containing violence or derogatory humor are not acceptable.

Manuscripts or envelopes should be clearly marked "Fiction Contest." Those not marked in this manner will be considered as regular submissions to the publication. There is no entry form or fee. Authors who wish their work to be returned should enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope with each submission.

The three contest winners will be announced on Highlights.com in June 2008. Winning manuscripts become the property of Highlights and will appear in the periodical at a later date. All other contest submissions will be considered for purchase at regular rates and terms. A list of winners will be sent by mail if a self-addressed stamped envelope is included with submissions.

Highlights also accepts the submission of articles, stories, and fillers throughout the year.

For guidelines or additional information, write to Fiction Contest, HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN, 803 Church Street, Honesdale, PA 18431.

PAPERTIGERS' INTERVIEWS

PaperTigers is a website about books for young readers, with a special focus on the Pacific Rim and South Asia, that offers a wealth of book-related resources for teachers, librarians, parents and all of those interested in the World of young readers’ books. This month, they interviewed Gary Soto and Amada Irma Perez. Take a look at these fantastic interviews at http://www.papertigers.org

An interview with Christianne Meneses Jacobs, editor of Revista Iguana.

René Colato Laínez

IGUANA is a Spanish-language magazine for children ages 7-12 who grow up learning and speaking Spanish. IGUANA features fictional stories with characters, experiences, and settings that are familiar to the targeted readership. Additionally, IGUANA presents biographies / interviews with personalities that have influenced the lives of Latinos in America; historical articles; stories about children around the world; science articles, with related experiments to be tried at home; nature articles; interesting facts; recipes that kids can make at home; craft projects; artwork; reader-submitted works; puzzles; games; humor; poetry; and contests. www.nicagal.com

This interview was also published by Multilingual Living Magazine September/October 2007. biculturalfamily.org/magazine.html


What is the story behind your publication, Iguana magazine?

My husband and I created Iguana because we are raising our daughters in a bilingual environment. We searched, but could not find quality literature originally written in Spanish. Our desire to read in Spanish to our oldest daughter, who was three years old at the time, inspired us to start Iguana. We researched the idea for about a year and discovered that there is no other Spanish language magazine for children published in the United Sates. We were encouraged by the positive responses to the idea by librarians and teachers.

What’s your magazine’s mission? Who is your audience?

The mission of Iguana is to serve as a tool for Spanish language retention and Latino cultural preservation. Our primary audience is Latino families with children who are growing up learning Spanish. Additionally, schools with dual language programs, bilingual families, libraries and Anglo families who want their children to learn Spanish, as recommended by their teachers.

Why the name “Iguana”? Is the iguana on some of the covers a real one?

Many of the children magazines in English have names of animals. We thought it was a good idea to use a word that can be spelled the same way both in English and Spanish. Besides, I grew up in a tropical country, Nicaragua, where every day at noon all the iguanas living in our backyard would come out to take sun baths. The iguana that appears on some of the covers is T-Bo and he is a real iguana. T-Bo is a 16 year old rhinoceros iguana owned by Reptiles Adventures here in the Phoenix area. T-Bo is very professional and is always a joy to work with.

Tell us more about yourself, your background and how do you handle bilingualism at home.

I grew up in Nicaragua and came to the United States when I was 17 years old. I went to Wesleyan University in Connecticut and earned a degree in Government. I returned to California after graduation and then began my career as an elementary school teacher. I was a bilingual teacher for several years in Los Angeles before the program was eliminated by a state wide proposition. I moved with my family to Arizona five years ago. I have a Masters’ Degree in Education and a Reading Specialist Certification. I am currently a first grade teacher in one of the lowest socio-economic areas of Phoenix. Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to grow up bilingual. I did, however, study English from the time I was nine years old. Now I am married to an Anglo and have two daughters, Isabelle Selene, 5 and Katherine Celeste, 21 months. My husband and I decided before Isabelle was born that he would speak English and I would speak Spanish. Both of our girls understand everything we tell them in either language. Katherine is not talking yet, but Isabelle needs to be reminded to switch languages. She feels more comfortable speaking in English. It can be a challenge to get her to speak in Spanish. We are considering spending next summer vacationing in Nicaragua to immersed the girls and my husband in the Spanish language and Latino culture.

Your magazine is wonderfully creative and very attractive with its high variety of content – you present not only factual, historical and even scientific tidbits of information, but also cartoons, short stories and poems. Where do you get your ideas? Who inspires you?

Iguana wants to introduce children to a wide variety of topics that schools either glance over or do not cover due to lack of time. As an educator I am knowledgeable of school curriculum. Our students are only taught the basics in schools while general culture is neglected. An educated person has knowledge about a variety of topics and can sustain an intelligent conversation with anyone. We try to encourage our readers to know more. Therefore, Iguana contains various sections such as Inventions that Changed the World, Mythology, Children Around the World (with history and geography) and a feature on exotic animals, recipes, arts and crafts and comic strips. One of my favorite features is the interview section in which I select a successful Latino/a who can be a role model for Latino children. I highlight their beginnings and their accomplishments. The goal is to show Latino children that Latinos can be successful and contribute their talents to society.

Who writes and illustrates for you? How do you collaborate?

Iguana has a core group of approximately 30 writers and 35 illustrators who live throughout the United States and around the world. Our writers must be native Spanish speakers who can write in Spanish and are familiar with all the intricacies of the language. I have writers who only write fiction pieces, and writers who contribute both fiction and non-fiction. Our illustrators do not have to be native speakers. There is more flexibility in that respect. We are very fortunate to live in the Internet era since a large portion of our job is done through email and the Internet.
As the Editor of Iguana I plan the editorial calendar for our six issues and brainstorm topics of interest to children. I assign articles to the writers and give feedback. I discuss illustrations with my husband, who is Iguana’s Art Director. I then communicate with the artists and assign illustrations. I maintain the deadlines and make sure everyone turns their articles in on time. I assist my husband reviewing the illustrations and requesting changes. I then communicate the changes to the artists. I also write several pieces for each issue.
I handle other work involve in running the magazine. I take care of subscriptions and renewals. I send out press releases several times during the year. I constantly meet with businesses and individuals, and attend meetings related to the Latino community. I also travel to book festivals and conferences.
As the publisher I keep a tight grip on the budget. I pay all of our contributors. I attend business meetings seeking financial support and sponsorship for Iguana. Additionally, I give interviews. I read newspapers and magazines to keep informed. My husband and I have more than 25 subscriptions to magazines, not including our daughters’ subscriptions. We are magazine junkies!
My husband deserves credit as well. I am able to work full time as a teacher and run the magazine thanks to his unconditional love and support. He does an amazing job taking care of our daughters, designing the magazine, keeping the accounting and supporting me.

What particular advice or message would you have for bilingual kids? Parents and educators?

My advice to bilingual children is to continue learning more about their chosen language. Learning to speak the language is not enough, children must learn to read and write like native speakers. We are living in a global economy and parents need to help their children understand that being bilingual, or multilingual, is an asset to them. They will be able to communicate with more people around the world as well as opening the possibilities to obtain great jobs because of their language skills.
I would advise parents of bilingual kids to keep trying hard everyday and do not give up on the journey toward raising bilingual children. It is difficult at times, but be persistent. Traveling with your kids to countries were the language is spoken can be a great experience. Try to expose your children to the beauty of your language and culture.
I would advise educators to show respect for and support the minority language that their students speak at home. Educators need to teach other children about tolerance and acceptance of differences. The Unites States is a diverse nation and children need to start getting along with all kinds of people from they time they are small.

Interview with publisher Kent Brown About Authenticity

René Colato Laínez

Kent Brown is the publisher of Boyds Mills Press and Highlights for Children Magazine.

What does a manuscript need to have in order to be multicultural?

My belief is that depiction of events, traits of persons, customs, which reflect a culture make a book multicultural. So, a book about baseball, where the kid has a minority name, unless there is some substantial culture learned by the reader, is just a book about baseball.

For example, I did a book with Laurence Pringle called Octopus Hug. In it, a father plays special games with his kids, including one that is a big pile-up on the floor, the octopus hug. So far there is only suburban US culture depicted. The illustrator chose to depict an African American family. The book got special use because it was a book depicting a father taking an active role with his children, and many members of the African American community praised the book as an important work to the African American community. Was this book multicultural? I don't know. I don’t think is was in the sense that it depicted any cultural flavor; it did, however, "teach" that suburban families might all have the same routines and fun, regardless of ethnic background, which is likely true (more of a statement about economic class than ethnicity).

Of all those manuscripts that you receive in a daily basis how many are real multicultural or have the potential to be multicultural?

Ah, if Octopus Hug is multicultural just because of the artwork, then a high fraction of the fiction we receive could be multicultural.In my definition, less than 5% of submissions reflect some multicultural claim. I believe that some fraction could be made multicultural by superficial editing, such as the use of ethnic groups in the artwork. Again, not sure how to count them.

A thought: we do books that have kids in wheelchairs, completely incidental to the story. So these books are not about a physical disability, but they tend to reinforce the normalness of seeing disabled persons, and show that they are a regular part of society. That is a desirable thing with respect to multicultural topics: that we see, incidentally, a mix of ethnic groups, cultural artifacts, ethnic observances, etc. But those incidental pieces, while working toward better acceptance of differences and a celebration of our diversity, do not themselves constitute multicultural.

What is lacking in these stories?

What is lacking in a great many stories presented as multicultural is a perspective that lets the reader know more of unique cultural or accurate historical viewpoints.

Are they full of stereotypes or misconceptions?

Well, the bad ones are. And there are some instances where an accurate depiction, however accurate, may reinforce stereotypes.
Two examples:

I receive awful lot of stories about Mexican culture that has kids whacking a Piñata. Nothing wrong with this artifact of Mexican holiday celebration, but having stories about piñatas, over and over, as if that the only thing we might identify with Mexican tradition, subtly reinforces that Mexicans are a people who spend their time whacking piñatas.

Another common example: Chinese New Year. We did this in Highlights magazine. Has the advantage of being attractive to illustrate, picking the parade in San Francisco. Surely that is a part of Chinese (on Chinese-American culture and tradition). But its portrayal has the tendency over time to "teach" that Chinese people are people of big parades and big dragons.

Can an author write books outside his/ her culture?

Absolutely.
Can a Euro-American capture the emotion of emigrating from Central America across mountains and rivers? Can you make it up? Not without understanding its relevance in American culture, the experience as shared by many living in the US, and the likely high emotional stake in the whole process.
Can someone read about it enough to capture all the flavors? Probably. Do they usually? No. Can men write about the emotional lives of women? Some can. But it takes insight, extensive research, and pure effort.
So now lets take the other side of the coin.

I did a book by a suburban white middle class woman. She illustrated a book set in Jamaica. Was it accurate? Was it appropriate? Yes, because this woman had a passion for Jamaican culture; lived there seven years, and had a post-graduate degree in cultural ethnology.

She went on to illustrate a book set in Nigeria. She had not been there. But she got books from the British Museum of the period. She studied the look of the landscape. She did research into the trees and plants of the area the book was set. She got a cultural anthropologist at Harvard to review her sketches, and presented them as well for comment to the Nigerian born author. Could and African American yuppie, born in Westchester County, NY, going to Ivy League schools, and generally having no interest in Nigerian culture, done better?

My example is art. You asked about writing. Yes, I think anyone can write about a specific culture. But it does not happen authentically very often. The people most passionate and steeped in a culture are typically the best to write about it. Most of those examples are members of the culture.

What do these authors need to do in order to write an authentic multicultural picture book?

Passion, anyone can do it. But those who care are most likely to get it. With the passion is an intense knowledge. Mostly such passion and knowledge exists in a within the ethnic group members. But I think it’s not exclusive.

I never lived the life depicted in What Jamie Saw, by Carolyn Coman, for a magnificent example. I doubt Carolyn lived exactly that life. But she knows it. She nails it cold. We are there, and it is believable.

Virginia Ewer Wolfe nails down the character and thoughts of a young woman living near poverty, though she has not lived that way. Somehow she has studied it, not just imagined; living as a youngster on an apple ranch with connected labor housing, watching her mother stitch up a worker on Saturday night at the kitchen table, gave her some credential, not quite living it, but clearly pretty important in her development.

Muchas gracias Kent

Writing for Children's Magazine

René Colato Laínez



If you have an article, short story, poem or recipe and want it to be publish in a children's magazine, you can submit it to Highlights for Children. Highlights is the best magazine for children in the United States.


HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN
Current Needs
Spring/Summer 2007

FICTION CATEGORIES
Fiction for Young Readers (readers ages 2 to 7) up to 500 words, Marileta Robinson, Senior Editor
No current special needs.

Fiction for 8- to 12-year-olds (readers ages 8 to 12) up to 800 words, Joëlle Dujardin, Associate Editor

• Holiday stories (but not necessarily Christmas), especially Valentine's Day (not sappy) and Halloween (not scary)
• Humorous stories
• Historical fiction about little-covered time periods
• Multicultural pieces

NONFICTION CATEGORIES
Younger Nonfiction (readers ages 2 to 7) up to 500 words, Joëlle Dujardin
Younger nonfiction should be written for readers ages 4 to 8 and should not exceed 450 words. All articles should have a clear focus and relevance to young kids.

• First-person accounts of fieldwork
• Photo Essays
• Arts Stories
• Accessible Biographies of key historical figures
• Kids living in various cultures
• Ancient history
• High-interest animals
• Details from urban life (workers, transportation, etc.).

Science, 800 words (two-page features), 400 words (one-page features), 50 words (activities) Andy Boyles, Science Editor

• Features about kids involved in science
• Scientists studying high-interest animals in their natural habitats
• Short, quick, easy, fun science activities

History/World Cultures, up to 800 words, Carolyn Yoder, Senior Editor

• Fun, humorous, kid-friendly articles
• Presidential (NOT Washington and Lincoln) and patriotic pieces
• Need anecdotal articles, rather than broad interviews
• American holidays, specifically Thanksgiving.
• World cultures pieces. No need for India, but everywhere else. We want intimate snapshots of life in another country.

Adventure, up to 800 words, Kim Griswell, Coordinating Editor
Adventure articles that bring the reader in and let him/her come along for the adventure. Rather than telling kids "I went here and wasn't it grand" the best articles share the adventure.

Arts, up to 800 words, Kim Griswell, Coordinating Editor

• Need more contemporary articles with high kid-appeal. A fresh, focused slant rather than overviews.
• No need for "classic" arts articles, especially bios of famous artists.

Sports, up to 800 words, Judy Burke, Managing Editor

• Sports "how-to" pieces (except how to dive, how to shoot a basketball, and how to throw a football). Each article should be reviewed by an expert before submission.
• Contemporary female-athlete bios. It helps when the author interviews the subject for these.
• No need for baseball biographies or track-and-field biographies right now.

Economics/Personal Finance, up to 800 words, Kim Griswell, Coordinating Editor
Articles that address economics or personal finance at a kid's level.

Gallant Kids, up to 400 words, Kim Griswell, Coordinating Editor
Articles about a kid or kids who are serving others in some special way. Articles must be about unique, interesting, kid-generated projects. The idea is that when kids serve others, they are being their "best selves."

Full-page Activities, up to 400 words, Linda Rose, Assistant Editor

• 300-Word Activities of all kinds, appealing to a wide age range whenever possible.
• Indoor and outdoor games that involve exercise, creativity, and/or humor
• Activities and games that kids can do whether they're on their own or with others
• Some cooperative games (we publish both cooperative and competitive games, but receive more submissions of the latter)
• Projects that will result in a new hobby or skill and/or a quality finished product
• Magic tricks
• Activities to get children outdoors, moving around, or creating.

We prefer activities that do not require parental supervision or materials kids aren't likely to have handy.

• Picture Puzzlers Take a look at several recent issues to see the kind of puzzle we try to present here.
• A large visual puzzle with little text, offering our readers an entertaining and visually interesting puzzle activity. Art need not be supplied with the manuscript, but basic sketches showing your idea or detailed art/photo suggestions are helpful.
• We need fresh manuscripts/ideas for this page that we haven't already done.
• We need more ideas with more than one thing going on.
• A big visual puzzle with activities here and there on the page.
• Original board games that are visually interesting and can be played on the page are also welcome!

(Picture Puzzlers should not require readers to write in the magazine.)

Puzzles, Games, Recipes, Other Short Activities, Tiffany Hoffman, Editorial
Needs for Mixed Pages include:

• Art activities
• Activities with a sporty theme
• World culture activities; holiday games
• Geography-based activities
• History puzzles/activities
• Sequencing activities
• Recipes
• Code activities

We have very little need for logic puzzles and word games at this time.
Any activities that easily lend themselves to strong visuals are a huge plus!

Crafts, Tiffany Hoffman, Editorial

• Multicultural crafts (general or holiday-specific)
• Crafts that encourage play (musical instruments, costumes, etc.)
• Crafts with direct boy appeal
• Seasonal crafts (general autumn and winter activities?we have enough snowmen)
• Gifts, usable crafts (we have enough picture frames and cards)
• Crafts for all holidays, specifically non-Christian holidays (we have enough wreaths, Santas, Thanksgiving turkeys, and Christmas crafts)
• Fourth of July and summer crafts

Please send a photo or actual sample of the craft. A drawing doesn't really provide enough information.

Send submissions to
Highlights for Children
803 Church Street
Honesdale, PA 18431