As soon as I spotted Whizz Pop Bang! I knew Alfie would love it. He’s heavily into all things science and he has inherited my passion for magazines. When his copy arrived he immediately sat down and read it from cover to cover and completed the crossword, all the while telling me interesting facts he discovered. There’s a great mix of topics (Issue 1 covers subjects as diverse as space, cats, sleep, bees, chocolate, ice, soil), all presented so as to have maximum appeal for children – using colourful graphics and short, snappy blocks of text, peppered with experiments and puzzles. I really like that it’s gender neutral (there are male and female characters and experts) with strong messages to encourage girls into science – the first issue profile piece looks at fossil collector Mary Anning. It also supports the National Curriculum, which is no bad thing. Recommended for six to eleven year olds, issues cost £3.75 each or you can subscribe for six months for £19.99 or 12 months for £34.99. This month’s issue is the third, but you can buy back copies from the store – and I would recommend you do. It’s entertaining, educational and (huge bonus) doesn’t come with the plastic tat usually associated with children’s magazines.
Leave a Reply