Before Highlights, There Was Wide Awake

Many, many librarians are familiar with the magazine Highlights. Published for nearly 80 years at this point, it was a staple of childhood doctor’s visits, subscription gifts from aunts and uncles, and school-based activities. The familiar red parallelogram logo calls to mind “What’s wrong?” picture puzzles and word searches. Founded in the 1940s, generations of readers recall this family-friendly, kid-focused publication with fondness, but for the generations that raised them, another children’s magazine might come to mind: Wide Awake. Wide Awake was a children’s magazine founded in the 1870s by Daniel Lothrop, a Boston- based publisher who would make his name as a pre-eminent publisher of children’s books and stories, particularly those with a moral bent. While the magazine lasted less than 20 years, its prolific output of stories, including long-form serializations and pieces from famous authors of the day, left a lasting impression on two generations of child readers,…
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