"Children, I want you to grow up even stronger and better than me" is a commonly voiced sentiment among today's parents. Besides wanting to provide their children with as rich a material life as possible, parents are also deeply concerned with the intellectual and spiritual needs of the younger generation. In our society there are many people who not only love and care for children but are able to remember what it is like to be a child. Their various talents and common understanding of the young are united in the writing of essays and the production of illustrations, cartoons, and photographs for young readers. These materials are collected in a variety of books and periodicals published specially for children.
Although the curiosity and desire for knowledge of young people are very strong, high-quality reading materials designed to supplement classroom texts are relatively rare. Thus, Young Lion Monthly and Long-long Monthly, two periodicals designed for an adolescent audience, have not only been warmly welcomed by middle school students but are also read avidly by many adults! While earlier publications of this sort suffered from crude printing techniques and a lack of materials pertinent to Chinese life and suitable for the age group, today's children's magazines are rich in terms of both content and production quality. Moreover, no longer content simply to imitate foreign children's publications, most of these magazines' articles are focused specifically on the needs and interests of Chinese adolescents.
Young Lion Monthly is currently the most diverse and popular children's publication. As is clear from the quantity and content of mail received from its monthly readers, Young Lion Monthly is read and enjoyed by both children and adults alike. YLM's managing editor, Ya Hsien, provides an apt analogy to describe the function of his magazine: "If you equate classroom lessons with the main course of a meal, Young Lion Monthly constitutes the fruit after the meal--that is to say, it is full of nutritive value yet delicious to the taste."
As Senior Editor Sun Hsiao-ying explains, reading materials for adolescents, like those for adults, must take their audience's opinions, needs, and interests seriously. Thus, Young Lion Monthly strives to be both informative on a wide range of topics and responsive to the issues that are of concern to today's youth. One recent issue, for example, included a special feature article on fashion for young people which incorporated the advice and expertise of a number of fashion designers. Another article dealt with the topic of box lunches, providing information from nutrition experts and recipes for students to try out. Both articles met with an enthusiastic response from the magazine's readers. In addition to running articles of special interest, the sponsors of Young Lion Monthly also organize issue-oriented conferences for young people, enabling them to meet the experts and query them directly.
Among Young Lion's regular features are such columns as "Pet Clinic," which is written by veterinarian Tu Pai and answers children's questions about their pets; "Big Sister Sun's Mailbox," an advice column in which Sun Hsiao-ying responds to readers' questions on a wide variety of topics; and "Chinese Life," an introduction to various aspects of life in the old days of China written by Chu Hui-lang of the National Palace Museum. In addition, each issue of Young Lion Monthly contains a literary section presenting the stories and essays of a number of well-known writers. Readers' contributions of artwork and writing for the magazine's "Creative Garden" are encouraged and appear regularly. Sun Hsiao-ying observes that since the introduction of the "Creative Garden" section, the contributions of young readers have been overwhelming, in terms of both quantity and quality.
Sun Hsiao-ying emphasizes that the success of Young Lion Monthly is ultimately due to all of the people in various walks of life who, over the years, have given unselfishly of their talents and time for the benefit of their "little friends." In order to repay their generosity, the publishers of Young Lion Monthly have issued bound volumes of the journal, the sale of which will provide royalties for the authors. Five volumes have already been published, and they provide a useful reference for young readers. The fact that Young Lion Monthly has enjoyed such success is a reflection of the ongoing concern for young people in our culture and is a symbol of our society's progress.
A relative newcomer to the world of children's publications is Long-long Monthly, which has been in circulation for roughly a year now. Billing itself as "the twenty-first century's new encyclopedic magazine for youth," this periodical is distinguished by the fine quality of its production. Because each new issue features a science column, and because the scientific topic forms the basis of each month's cover design, people often mistakenly assume that Long-long Monthly is concerned exclusively with scientific matters. Not at all--like Young Lion Monthly, Long-Long Monthly comprises a compendium of sorts, presenting a wide range of topics of current interest in a form convenient and comprehensible to youthful readers.
In addition to regular articles on science, Long-long Monthly features a column entitled "Big Brother Long's Mailbox," in which Senior Editor Ch'en Huang responds to questions from readers. It also has a literature section, which Editor Ch'en maintains is the most difficult section to find suitable materials for. Yet the magazine has so far been able to strike a successful balance between "light" reading and the more "educational" materials it contains.
The magazine's most striking features, however, are those having to do with scientific topics. One recent issue dealt with filming techniques, covering in depth the instruments used (cameras, film, tape recorders) as well as developing and production processes. The article was accompanied by lavish color illustrations. Other "scientific" topics have included radiation, computers, satellites, and the exploration of space. The editors seek out distinguished scientists, researchers, and professionals in various fields in order to ensure the accuracy of the information being presented. Most important, according to Editor Ch'en, is explaining these complex matters in language the adolescent can readily understand. "Because science is advancing daily, it is most important for children in our modern society to acquire an understanding of scientific matters. This is why we incorporate so many detailed and colorful illustrations in our articles, to attract children to the topic and to stimulate their interest," he notes.
Because of its substantial production budget, Long-long Monthly is naturally a bit more expensive than other children's periodicals. But, Editor Ch'en reasons, parents are willing to spend a little more money to enable their children to read well-produced extracurricular materials. In order to offset further the costs of production, Long-long Monthly also includes advertisements, an element which has not escaped the notice of its youthful audience. Editor Ch'en states that he often receives letters from readers asking why Long-long has advertisements. Ch'en tries to explain that a private publication needs this kind of financial support in order to continue; he is still not sure that his readers understand, but he wants to make sure they know they are not being shortchanged in any way.
[Picture Caption]
1. The cover of each issue of Young Lion Monthly carries a photograph showing the activities of a Chinese youth group. 2. Young Lion Monthly's Senior Editor Sun Hsiao-ying believes that it is very satisfying to be able to do something for the younger generation. 3. Young Lion Publishing Company's retail outlet. 4. Young Lion Monthly's art editor devotes great attention to the task of designing illustrations.
1. Young Lion Monthly's encyclopedia is Taiwan's first set of encyclopedia for young people; the research and editorial staff consists of more than twenty people. 2. Many children brought their favorite pets along to the "Healthy Pets Conference" sponsored by Young Lion Monthly.
1. Young Lion Monthly's feature "Insect Kingdom" introduced a host of six-legged insects, premier among them the butterfly. 2. The exquisite illustrations in Long-long Monthly are its most outstanding feature. 3. Long-long Monthly's Senior Editor Chen Huang has come up with a great many innovations. 4. The editorial offices of Long-long Monthly.
Many graphic artists produce illustrations for Long-long Monthly. The picture above is the work of Wang K'ai. On the left is an illustration created by Hung I-nan for "The Story of Hsiao Mian-hua."
2. Young Lion Monthly's Senior Editor Sun Hsiao-ying believes that it is very satisfying to be able to do something for the younger generation.
3. Young Lion Publishing Company's retail outlet.
4. Young Lion Monthly's art editor devotes great attention to the task of designing illustrations.
1. Young Lion Monthly's encyclopedia is Taiwan's first set of encyclopedia for young people; the research and editorial staff consists of more than twenty people.
1. Young Lion Monthly's encyclopedia is Taiwan's first set of encyclopedia for young people; the research and editorial staff consists of more than twenty people.
2. Many children brought their favorite pets along to the "Healthy Pets Conference" sponsored by Young Lion Monthly.
2. Many children brought their favorite pets along to the "Healthy Pets Conference" sponsored by Young Lion Monthly.
1. Young Lion Monthly's feature "Insect Kingdom" introduced a host of six-legged insects, premier among them the butterfly.
2. The exquisite illustrations in Long-long Monthly are its most outstanding feature.
3. Long-long Monthly's Senior Editor Chen Huang has come up with a great many innovations.
4. The editorial offices of Long-long Monthly.
Many graphic artists produce illustrations for Long-long Monthly.
The picture above is the work of Wang K'ai. On the left is an illustration created by Hung I-nan for "The Story of Hsiao Mian-hua.".
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