Archives

The May/June 2023 edition of BFE has a lot of summer-themed articles, including summer herb recipes, hobbies to start in the summer, how to plan a firepit, and some exciting book and movie releases to look forward to this summer! We also have an article on how to freshen up your room, as well as all of our usual columns and features (crossword, comics, "Book of the Month," "Advice From A Cat," and "Make It!"). 

The March/April 2023 edition of BFE includes our typical installments of "Book of the Month," "Advice From A Cat," and "Make It!" with some other fun articles. This issue is sponsored by Helen Williams, so we have some articles about her favorite topics, including archaeology and ancestry. We also have an article on how to grow herbs and one about the best travel destinations in the eastern US, plus comics and a crossword. 

The November/December 2022 edition of Best Friends Essential has, as always, new installations of our columns ("Advice From A Cat," "Book of the Month," and "Make It!") as well as a crossword and some comics from xkcd. This issue is sponsored by Erin Ford, so we've included articles about things she likes, such as fostering animals, good podcasts to listen to (for people of all ages), and information on the movie It's A Wonderful Life. We also have some fun Christmas-themed articles, such as a debate about when to start celebrating Christmas, some fun Christmas traditions to try with your family and friends, and even Christmas jokes! We even have a fun holiday experiences poll, plus a feature on the World Cup!

The September/October 2022 issue of Best Friends Essential has new installations of "Advice From A Cat," "Book of the Month," and "Make It!" We also have a lot of Halloween-themed articles, including some about how to make your own haunted house, what Halloween movies and show episodes to watch, the pros and cons of Halloween costumes for cats, and a review of the new Hocus Pocus 2! In addition, there are articles about the best ways to study, the history of Daylight Saving Time, and fun fall activities, plus more comics and an amazing crossword!

The May/June/July/August 2022 edition of Best Friends Essential is a double issue! It has two of all the normal columns, more comics, a bigger crossword, and tons of interesting articles! Learn how to plan a game night (with recipes!), hear about some of the coolest things in England and Scotland and the history behind them, discover some of your new favorite songs on our back to school playlist, and tell us what you think about Bridge Books after reading our pro/con article. Enjoy!

The March/April 2022 edition of Best Friends Essential includes some new features, such as "Make It!" and "Travel Talk," as well as installations of "Advice From A Cat," "Book of the Month," another crossword, and more comics from xkcd. We also introduce a new writer, Noe Penman-Breglia, who provides us with a spring playlist and an interesting guide to Washington DC. Enjoy, and happy spring!

The January/February 2022 edition of Best Friends Essential was sponsored by one of our readers, Amanda. You can find more information about sponsoring issues on page 4 of the November/December issue. In this edition, we have a few winter snack recipes, an Olympic skiing article, a feature about backpacking including an interview with an experienced backpacker, new "Advice From A Cat" and "Book of the Month" installations, and more!

The November/December 2021 edition of Best Friends Essential was sponsored by one of our readers, Aileen, and has articles about things she finds interesting. There are more details about sponsoring an issue in an announcement on page 4. In this issue, we have an article about how guitars are made, one about Southern holiday traditions, another "Advice From A Cat," a great crossword, and more comics from xkcd. 

The September/October 2021 edition of Best Friends Essential has  an article about the best magazines to subscribe to, three fun fall recipes, an interesting crossword, funny comics from xkcd, a question from Bolt for Linh, and a review of Storm Runner.

The August 2021 edition of Best Friends Essential includes another history article, this time on gel pens, another recipe (for chocolate crinkle cookies), an article on great shows to binge-watch with your family, another wonderful crossword,  installations of "Advice From A Cat" and "Book of the Month," and more comics from xkcd. 

The May 2021 edition of Best Friends Essential includes exclusive articles on lemonade stands and on the history of B'nai Mitzvot, as well as a wonderful question for Linh from Gravy, another great crossword, a review of Neil Patrick Harris's middle grade debut, The Magic Misfits, and an important announcement. 

 The April 2021 edition of Best Friends Essential includes a review of Wildwood (a book by Colin Meloy, illustrated by Carson Ellis) per reader suggestion, a debate about whether video games are good for you, a challenging crossword, insightful horoscopes, and a thought-provoking editorial about why we shouldn't colonize Mars. 

The March 2021 issue of Best Friends Essential debuts some new features, including "Advice From A Cat." There is also an article on birdwatching (including interviews with experienced birders), and a special on the history of tea.

This February 2021 issue of Best Friends Essential has some great features, including interviews with the Lubbers family kittens, Linh and Bolt, and pages of ideas for quarantine fun. It also includes insights on the world of virtual school for teachers and students, as well as an original comic by Nora Lubbers.