End-o'-the-Week Kid-Lit Roundup

We're magazine junkies at our house. I've often worried that my epitaph might read "He read a lot of great blogs," but the truth is that magazines are an even bigger culprit whenever I'm falling behind on my towering to-read pile. For me, good magazines hit that sweet spot of immediacy and depth--whether it's the New Yorker, Harper's, the Believer, or even just good ol' Entertainment Weekly.

Who knew I could get my son addicted to magazines at an early age, too! Silas is our first child, so I had no idea there were so many options out there--even for preschoolers. I grew up on Ranger Rick and Boys' Life (despite, um, never making it past Webelo), but even littler kids can get started with Ladybug (from the makers of Cricket and Spider, for older kids) and a junior version of Highlights. The makers of the popular Cricket line also put out a thicker-stock magazine for the wee-est of subscribers, called Babybug.

So far, we only have firsthand experience with two kids' magazines: a friend just got Silas a subscription to National Geographic Little Kids, which he loves. The animal photography is a hit, and he especially likes the format--just about seven inches square, perfectly proportional to prop up in his lap.

The other great magazine we've enjoyed getting--a series of age-appropriate titles, actually, like the Cricket magazines--is StoryBox from the U.K. It's a little more spendy to subscribe if you're in the U.S., but the quality, variety, and high production values in StoryBox (and AdventureBox, for ages 6-9, and DiscoveryBox, for ages 9-12) can justify the expense. Check out the links for Web previews--and I'd love to hear recommendations from parents, teachers, and librarians who have read these or other kids' magazines, so please share any feedback in the comments!

More links from around the kid-lit blogosphere:

The Tintin movie is cast! Spielberg has finished lining up his cast, including Daniel Craig, Simon Pegg, and Andy Serkis--who hopefully won't have to be a villain again, like he is in Inkheart. (via Bookshelves of Doom)

A million kid-lit blog links. Okay, not quite literally. But hooray for the new KidLitosphere Central site, which has assembled a nigh crazy-long list. (via Fuse #8)

Neil Gaiman interview mp3. This interview from Just One More Book includes some funny and characteristically Gaiman-esque commentary on Twitter and blogging. (via achockablog)

"What makes a children's classic?" And when exactly do you introduce them to Austen and Dickens? (via Bookninja)

The January Carnival of Children's Literature. It's time again for kid-lit bloggers' favorite posts of the month. (via Jen Robinson)

Al Roker interviews the Newbery and Caldecott winners. Check out Neil Gaiman and Beth Krommes on the Today show:

--Paul