Dear Highlights: What Adults Can Learn from 75 Years of Letters and Conversations with Kids

by Christine French Cully

A unique, inside look at American childhood through the conversations between Highlights magazine and its young readers and a call to grown-ups to make time to actively listen to the children in their lives.

Every year, tens of thousands of children write to Highlights magazine, sharing their hopes and dreams, worries and concerns, as if they were writing to a trusted friend. From the beginning, the editors at Highlights have answered every child individually. Longtime editor in chief Christine French Cully has curated a collection of this remarkable correspondence (letters, emails, drawings, and poems) in Dear Highlights–revealing an intimate and inspiring 75-year conversation between America’s children and its leading children’s magazine. From the timeless, everyday concerns of friendship, family, and school, to the deeper issues of identity, sexuality, divorce, and grief, here is a unique time capsule of American childhood in the voices–and the very handwriting–of children themselves. The book captures a child’s-eye view of some of the most important events of the past 75 years: the COVID-19 pandemic, 9/11, the Challenger Disaster, and the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Cully’s insightful narrative becomes a call to action for adults to lean in and listen to children, to make sure our kids know that they matter and what they think matters, and to assure them that they have the power to become people who change the world.

By turns funny, heartbreaking, moving, and enlightening, Dear Highlights will cause readers to reflect, to listen, and to embrace the children in their lives.

From the foreword by nationally syndicated columnist Amy Dickinson:

“In times of great stress or trouble, Mr. Rogers advised children: ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ That’s exactly what children writing to ‘Dear Highlights’ find when they put pen to paper: helpers whose open-minded trust and kindness surely has made our world a better place.”

Genres: Nonfiction, Parenting, Audiobook, Education, Childrens, Adult

336 pages, Hardcover

First published August 10, 2021

Reviews

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happy 75th Anniversary, Highlights! Due to the commitment of the founding family to their mission, this magazine remains a respected presence in the publishing community. They also have a stellar reputation with the children who write them letters. Someone from Highlights answers each and every letter, picture, poem, and email that they receive. This is in addition to the letters that are featured and answered in abbreviated form in the "Dear Highlights" column. Current Editor-in-Chief Christine French Cully notes the "validation that rides along with a letter sent to a child from a caring grown-up." This collection is divided into topics with pictures and poems included. It seemed to be skewed more heavily to the 21st century, so I was a bit disappointed about that. Reading this curated collection of letters not only reminds me of what it feels like to be a kid, but also reinforces the fact that challenges come to us throughout life and there are some problem-solving techniques that are tried and true at any age.

[Jerry Baird · Rating 4 out of 5]

it's amazing that Highlights is 75 plus years old. What a great read for new and old parents who want to know what their children are thinking, feeling, and doing from the past to today with even chapters on Covid 19. An excellent read even for those parents who need socialization skills themselves to address their personal issues.
This should be a coffee table book for all parents and allow them to address the issues with common place answers to make them and the world a better place.
I loved the book and the writings. Deciding on who will get one under their tree for the holidays this year.

[Maggie Carr · Rating 5 out of 5]

***all the feels*** this book was amazing! I've never been a stranger to the magazine but grouped together the letters and individualized responses to every letter and email just gives me shivers. Inside these pages are correspondent's handwritten poems, drawings, pleas for help and understanding. I have so much respect for the editors who write back with such care and compassion, helping these children/teens feel heard, valued, loved.

[Sandra Rice · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute...but repetitive.

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a kid I didn’t go to the doctor’s office a lot. But when I had to, there was a magazine I always looked for—Highlights. I always tried the hidden stuff in a picture exercise. Dear Highlights is a nice collection of letters culled from over a 40 year period. I never knew the editors answered each letter, whether it was published or not. Reading the letters offers key insight into the psyche of kids and although much time has passed, children still have similar angst and concerns. Thanks to of the publisher and Edelweiss for the early read.

[Eydie sanders · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I think it's impressive that they answer every letter, that is some of the banalest, generic, non-helpful advice I've ever heard. They assume that every parent is going to listen to reason and say, "oh, thank you for bringing this to my attention, my child." In one letter, they told the kid he was probably exaggerating. It'd be better if they didn't try to give advice that is pretty much meaningless.

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was beautiful and heartbreaking to read letters from kids over the decades and I have fond memories of Highlights. I struggled with many of the responses from the staff of Highlights- sometimes ignorant to reality of children's lives and sometimes just awful advice. The book does have sections that attempt to explain how their responses have changed over the years, but when I got to a letter from 2016, I was shocked when the advice given to a child who shared being abused by his father- "if he hits you hard enough to leave bruises, then it's important to tell an adult right away." Their responders need to be better trained!

[Mary Northrup · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have fond memories of reading Highlights for Children at the doctor's office when you were a kid, you will probably appreciate this book, a collection of letters written by children and replies from the people at the magazine. Most of the letter writers are adults now, and some are old adults, which gives an interesting perspective while reading this book.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highlights magazine has been a staple in the waiting areas of medical offices in the United States for over 75 years and is one of the few magazines exclusively targeted towards children. This book collects highlights from their "Dear Highlights" column in which the magazine editor answers questions submitted by children.

The questions are a window to the mind of children and show when they seek advice from a grown-up outside of their circle. Sometimes the questions can be innocent and other times heartbreaking. Other reviews question the effectiveness of the column, considering there is little background information or knowledge of the child's guardians/household. I counter that by considering the nature in which the questions are being asked. The child is looking for an outside perspective from an adult they don't know. The response is valuable information for the child to gain insight or thoughts they may not be getting within their own home. Unlike adults who may "know better," and are seeking validation when asking for advice, some of the children are asking questions in earnest.

The most surprising element of this book was how seriously the magazine responds to the letters. Highlights seem to take extra care to address the issues without prescribing specific action. Hearing some of the responses can be frustrating as an adult, as the magazine tends to send children back to an adult to discuss an issue rather than resolving it themselves. Generally, this is good advice since so many of the problems stem from fear or shame. In issues where an adult is a problem, they also advise speaking to school counselors or other trusted adults.

Since the book is a collection of letters and responses, it can be browsed rather than read straight through. Most of the book would be appropriate for children to hear and could be a good family read and ice breaker to talk about issues.

[(a)lyss(a) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cute book. It compiles letters from kids writing in over the years and includes the response from the Highlights team. The book is organized by topic with questions about family, school, etc. If you're familiar with Highlights there is something nostalgic about reading these letters.

That being said, the people responding to the kids seem to always assume good intention, which may not always make sense. The book notes that in cases of abuse or danger things are properly reported, but there are lots of sad letters about young kids grappling with big feelings where the responses are largely learn to be more patient, talk to your parents, or share your feelings. While this sounds like great advice, sometimes those things just aren't an option for some kids and telling kids to talk to adults that may also not have the skills to help them isn't helpful. It feels like a lot to tell small children they need to be the bigger person in situations where they are literally children who seem to be experiencing something that's big enough for them to write about.

Some of the letters are lighthearted, others are sad. It's an interesting look at the advice kids have asked for and received.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

In its 75-year history, "Highlights" magazine has received thousands of letters from children asking for advice. This book is just a sampling of poems, drawings and questions the editors have seen and it is heartening to know that every single letter from a child is answered personally. Understandably many of the letters deal with everyday problems such as school, friends and family life but there are some that sadly deal with fear, bullying, death and world events. Frightening times such as 9/11, JFK's assassination, and Covid 19 have brought anxiety to young people and they have put their feelings on paper asking a trusted magazine to help them navigate through their fear. The answers are always on point with carefully worded messages and often toll free numbers given for expert advice from counselors. I'm sure it is just the nature of the responses to be quite similar but that made the book a bit tedious after awhile. It is, however, an interesting peek into the minds of our children.

[Lou Florio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book much more than I imagined. It took me back to the days of my youth, even as it increased my empathy and understanding of youth of today. In each letter you gain insight into the universality of the childhood experience with all its joys and cares, and with each answer you can find a model for healthy, caring, mature response. This book could be read for pleasure, but if a parent, mentor or someone who works with children, you can find an excellent model for your own responses to children in your life. It’s a simple book with much to offer.

[librarian4Him02 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to read Highlights growing up, so I thought it would be interesting to see what sorts of letters the magazine has received over the years.

The letters were organized by topic and the editor started each chapter with an explanation of what the editors learned from answering letters on that topic. Also, she gave an explanation of how the letters and letter submissions have evolved over the years of the magazine's publication.

This book left me wanting to read Highlights again! It was a great, nostalgic read!

[Kelly Veatch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just really loved reading through all the letters from children in this book. As an educator, it was a good reminder for me to know all the things that kids think about and worry about. Stuff that affects adults, affects kids too. I also enjoyed reading letters through all the years and various events in history. It was a very long book. And, I did get a little tired of reading towards the end. But, overall, a great book!

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating collection of letters from kids to the editors of the magazine, Highlights. Each letter is crafted a response befitting the situation and offers the child some helpful suggestions for deal with a variety of situations. It was fun to hear on audio with a variety of individuals reading the letters.

[Stacie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an avid Highlights reader in my youth, I very much enjoyed listening to the letters themselves, as well as the editors’ thoughts on what those letter tell us about growing up as an American child. My gratitude to my Grandparents Salsbury who gifted our family with an annual subscription. Who knew my interest in psychology grew from the dialogue found in these letters.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

3- The parameters of the responses to kids letters was limited by liability and parental considerations and although often good advice was given , it felt stiff or rote at times. Interesting to see how world events influenced and at times traumatized even young kids. Artwork by the kids was really telling as were their poems

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept, but despite the claim that it follows 75 years worth of knowledge, the oldest letters I recall dated back to the assassination of JFK and the grand majority of letters were from the last 20 years. I also didn’t quite understand the inclusion of a chapter devoted specifically to covid 19 letters when other chapters focused on more general themes.

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of letters written to Highlights magazine over the years. It was interesting to see how the experience of childhood hasn't changed throughout the years. Kids still worry about making friends, still contemplate the issues of divorce, bullying, etc.

[Leticia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kids are amazing. It isn't the author responses that led me to give this 5 stars, which others have pointed out are a bit problematic. It's the emotions, humor, and the insane talent that some of the kids writing into Highlights have. I love it.

[Karthika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Childhood- the age of innocence, memories, and nostalgia. This book is a wonderful collection of letters and replies for various problems children face during their childhood. The art of letter writing, expressing and the succinct replies containing a wealth of information is just awesome.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dear Abby for kids

[Lcharlson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like remembering reading "Highlights".

[Denise Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved highlights as a kid and had subscriptions for my kids and grandkids. I just did not care for this book. Sorry..

[Susan Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, and often touching, letters from children asking for advice from the folks at their favorite magazine, Highlights.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful and poignant collection of letters that demonstrate the commonality of children's desires and worries through the decades.

[Lizzie]

Somehow anxiety-inducing more than anything else, for me.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

4* for sentimental reasons.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5