Ranger Rick is in many classrooms in which I substitute teach. I found myself 3 days in a row teaching the same 3rd graders and this, along with Highlights for Children, were the teacher's magazines of choice, although the children were getting out Sports Illustrated for Kids from the library on library day. There happened to be a lot of reading time in this class (as there are in most) and not one child reached for Ranger Rick. When I asked a couple of children why they weren't what I got was shrugged shoulders.
~Both issues are 38 pages long with a picture of an animal on the cover. I found the March cover particular interesting to me since it is on Coyotes, asking Good or Bad? We have a coyote problem in our town and most think the answer is bad...we'll see what the magazine says. Each issue has a variety of articles but both have "Dear Ranger Rick" and "Ranger Rick's Adventures" where the coyote article can be found. They also both have a pull-out game section.A Closer Look
~The March issue starts with a terrific 6-page article of "Mush, Mush! Off to Our Wild Winter Camp" which tells the story of a young boy who goes to New Hampshire for the weekend in the middle of winter for dogsledding and camping. The pictures are great of Michael, friends and Michael's dad with the dogs, the campsite, the campfire and other pictures pertaining to the weekend. The article is very easy to follow. Not every 7-year-old will be able to read every word in the article, but most will be able to read most of it. They will have a tough time with some of the names of the dogs, but they will ask how to pronounce it or what it means and you will tell him or her that it is the name of the dogs.
~Dear Ranger Rick is a place where children have submitted answers to question or as in the February issue, poetry. The question answered in March was "Where is the strangest place you ever found wildlife?" There is a snail mail and e-mail address to send in submissions.
~The March issue has a card that suggests giving it to your teacher to order a free wildlife poster and kit. This particular promotion is targeting for teachers but this isn't a magazine just for the classroom. I would have it in my house in spite of it being educational!
~Ranger Rick's Adventures addresses the coyote issue really well. It is done in cartoon form on 4 pages and ends with More Facts (There are facts throughout the cartoon as part of the cartoon narrative.) and this is where children can learn that coyotes can present a danger and problem for people and gives ways that we can keep coyotes (and other wildlife) under control.
~The pull-out game section includes fill in the blanks, a game (The Great Dogsled Race) and a crossword puzzle. The crossword puzzles have been done so children are reading this magazine- or at least doing the crossword puzzle. All games in this section teach the children something. They are fun to do but I will stress it again, educational.
Ranger Rick is certainly geared for the child interested in wildlife but I don't think it is so specific (as Opposed to Sports Illustrated for Kids which will not appeal to a child not interested in sports.) that your child has to be a budding ranger to enjoy it. I think most children like animals and I think most children will enjoy reading this magazine. It may not be the first one they reach for if given a choice, but if you subscribe to it and it is reading time in your house, I would love to have your child reading this magazine.
In the class I was in, there was a girl who didn't like to read. She had, though, read Ranger Rick already and although she can read just doesn't like to. Reading Judy Blume for example is a chore for her. This is the kind of magazine that I would recommend not just for the child interested in reading but for the child who isn't because it is engaging, fun and educational all at the same time.
I highly recommend Ranger Rick. Your child will get information, games and can get involved in contests, send in letters and read! It is [not expensive] for each issue if you do the math. Although there is no upper age limit and I enjoyed reading the magazine, I would say from experience that once your child hits 12, he or she will no longer want to read this magazine and it will be time for National Geographic or Discover!
