A magazine subscription can start your child's reading career off on the right foot. Besides, who doesn't love getting mail? Ladybug is a monthly magazine jam-packed with stories, songs, skill-building activities, cartoons, games, and ear-pleasing poems. The magazine has a nice mix of reading levels--some text is easy enough for a beginning reader, while other stories can be saved for reading with the family. Colorful illustrations draw readers in and make the characters pop off the page. Sure to keep kids running to the mailbox all year long. (Carus Publishing, $59.40/year)