I was a reader of "world" (the former name of kids" in the 70's and 80's, and I loooooved it. When I had nieces and nephews, I was excited to be able to share this with them - but what a come down - it's shamefully pandering to commercial interests, and the cool science and nature activities are just plain gone. I'm a lifetime member of NG, and am embarassed by this magazine.

i bought this magazine for my nephew tyler who was 8 when he first started getting it and he told me that he loves it!!!!!!!!!!!!! tyler loves reading about the world, other kids in other countries and especially about animals!!!!!!!
tyler told me he likes it better than ranger rick. this magazine is 'ripped' from the mailbox and taken to his room and devoured every month.

I, like so many others, grew up reading the National Geographic magazine.

Naturally, I thought that NG Kids could only improve upon the experience for my five-year-old. I was severely disappointed. Not only is most of the material vaccuous, it looks like it's been designed by an advertising reject on uppers.

The advertising is shameful and irresponsible. In an age when we are preoccupied by the health of our children, particularly their diet, the latest issue advertises a major fast-food chain right on the cover.

I would strongly recommend that you go with something like 'Ranger Rick' or 'Ladybug' which have children as their main focus and are not edited by twenty-somethings still recovering from a late adolescence.

On top of that, any half-witted hacker can download their entire subscription base in a few minutes by just entering in subscription numbers - it doesn't even ask for a simple validation step like entering in your zip code.

My 5 year old daughter will read then re-read each issue of this magazine. There are different articles and wonderful pictures. Then I usually end up reading it myself!

The folks at National Geographic have a well-deserved reputation for excellence and it continues full-steam with this GREAT publication. Unlike a lot of kids' magazines in which the editorial content is nothing but filler between video game ads, National Geographic World is the sharpest, best-produced kids' magazine on the market.

Each issue is packed with genuinely interesting stuff. The writers never preach or talk down to their audience. And just like its parent publication, National Geographic World is full of great photography. The design is first-rate and it avoids the trend chasing that dooms competitors to being virtually unreadable thanks to poor design. In 10 years, each issue will look as fresh and dignified as it does today. This is a superb publication, and with so many kids' magazines glorifying belly baring pop musicians, doling out sex advice to 12-year-olds, and hawking violent video games, this is a wonderful breath of fresh air.

(Be forewarned that this is not a magazine aimed at younger children. I'd recommend it for kids 7-8 and older. Even then, some of the content is geared toward for pre-teens and early teens--although there's nothing that will scare or trouble the younger set.)