Jack & Jill Got The Bill and It Was $16 Dollars
Written: Nov 01 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Varied format includes fiction, poetry, health, word problems, spelling and science.
Cons: Advertisements, 6 issues per year.
The Bottom Line: Jack and Jill is an educational magazine that is great for kids ages 8 to 10.
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| modernmarvel's Full Review: Jack and Jill |
We got Jack & Jill as a gift subscription for my 7 year old daughter. We generally like the magazine and keep pulling it out to look at one page or another. The thing I like best is the varied content: there is something here for everyone.
CONTENT
There are 35 pages per issue. Each issue seems to follow roughly the same format.
The inside front cover is poetry sent in by readers. Since this is kid poetry, it varies in quality but my kids seem to like the silly and simple rhymes.
The first page is the table of contents.
The next four pages are a piece of fiction with color pictures to compliment the story. The stories are pretty good and my seven year old can read them by herself. An older child would probably find the fiction too simple.
There are two pages of jokes, riddles and picture sent in by readers. Sample: Where do ghosts go shopping? At the spookermarket. My seven year old finds these jokes very amusing.
There are 4 pages of puzzles. Most of the puzzles are a bit more advanced than what my seven year old is ready for. The November/December issue had a crossnumber puzzle which was to be filled in with numbers rather than words, a riddle logic puzzle, another logic puzzle, a coded puzzle where one specific symbol represents each letter of the alphabet and the child needs to "break" the code and a twelve days of Christmas puzzle that requires kids to fill in words to the song. The September/October issue had more traditional word search and crossword puzzles. The answers to all of the puzzles are in the back of the magazine.
The next 2-4 pages are about science. The September/October issue had an uninspired piece about bones. One page was simply a skeleton with the bones labeled. My child found it boring. The November/December issue had a much better piece on germs where the science was explained in terms a child could understand.
There is a 1 or 2 page section called Jack and Jill's Deli that provides kid recipes. The September/October issue had lunchbox ideas that promoted popcorn and veggies. The November/December issue suggested making cheese sandwiches and then using cookie cutters to make them into cute shapes. The ideas were okay but not anything I haven't seen a hundred times before. On the other hand, I really appreciate that these recipes are healthy since many kid and family magazines publish mostly recipes for sweets.
There are usually a couple of pages of crafts. The September/October issue demonstrated how to make a birdfeeder and how to make jack o'lanterns out of old milk jugs.
There is sometimes a two-page fiction comic.
The publisher hosts a spelling bee contest and each issue has some spelling words broken out by age groups. The 11-12 year old category includes: brachialis, coccyx, phalanges and meninges. I have never been a fan of learning spelling by rote especially in this time of computer spell-checks but if you are a fan of spelling bees, you will like this part of the magazine.
There are two pages called "Ask Dr. Cory" where kids can write in with health-related questions.
The September/October issue has a one page ad for drawing books that can be ordered from the publisher for $25.
MY THOUGHTS AND OUR EXPERIENCE
My daughter likes this magazine and we have read the fiction and science pieces. She also likes some of the puzzles but others are too hard for her and she gets frustrated. There is enough content in this magazine to last us two months so I don't mind the 6 issues per year timing. I also like the varied format. We can pick up this magazine no matter what we feel like doing or reading about.
AGE APPROPRIATENESS
The publisher says the magazine is targeted for ages 7 to 10. I think 7 might be on the young side unless your child is a strong reader or you plan to read the magazine to your child. The best age for most kids would probably be around age 8.
The puzzles are definitely meant for older kids. Even an 8 year old might find some of them too hard to do. For example, one crossword had clues such as: days in a leap year, decimal form of a nickel, year marking U.S. Independence. I think most 7 year olds would not know many of these facts but a 10 year old would probably be able to reason most out.
OTHER INFORMATION
There are color pictures but the pages are not glossy. They issues will last if cared for but they don't have that "meant to last" heavy paper quality.
WEB SITE
The web site is www.jackandjillmag.org.
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
A yearly subscription is 6 issues. A subscription through the publisher costs $15.95 per year. The phone number for the publisher is (386) 447-6302. However, consider checking some magazine web sites that discount subscriptions such as ValueMags and Magazine Values.
FINAL RECOMMENDATION
I really like this magazine. It has a lot of different types of content including fiction, health, science, crafts, receipes, spelling, art, jokes and poetry. There is something here that will appeal to every kid. I also like the varied format: comics, fiction, puzzles and recipes teach kids to take in information in different ways. While we don't read or use every single page in this magazine, we do get a lot of use from it. I definitely recommend it for 8-10 year old kids.
MY OTHER REVIEWS OF MAGAZINES FOR CHILDREN
Your Big Backyard: http://www.epinions.com/content_95156407940.
Kids Discover: http://www.epinions.com/content_94276193924.
Zoobooks: http://www.epinions.com/content_94591684228.
Ladybug: http://www.epinions.com/content_94864641668.
Ranger Rick: http://www.epinions.com/content_96249089668.
New Moon: http://www.epinions.com/content_104430603908.
MY REVIEWS OF PARENTING AND FAMILY MAGAZINES
Family Fun: http://www.epinions.com/content_96390450820.
Child: http://www.epinions.com/content_101465427588.
Nick Jr.: http://www.epinions.com/content_102499978884.
Daughters: http://www.epinions.com/content_110745456260.
Parent & Child: http://www.epinions.com/content_114500210308.
Recommended:
Yes
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