Television: 6 Smart Kids-TV Shows

It's summertime, and for parents, that can mean only one thing: the eternal worry about the kids getting too much fresh air and exercise. Fortunately, the TV industry, ever vigilant against the dangers of UV radiation, has a full slate of safe vacation choices for toddlers, tweens and teens.

THE LIFE & TIMES OF JUNIPER LEE

(CARTOON NETWORK, SUNDAYS, 7:30 P.M. E.T.)

Cartoonist Judd Winick met his future wife Pam Ling on season three of The Real World. Now he's used her Chinese-American culture as the springboard for the story of a sarcastic 11-year-old who is the Te Xuan Ze, the protector of humanity from supernatural villains. It's a little derivative of Buffy the Vampire Slayer--O.K., a lot--but Juniper has its own clever twists; for instance, only she can see her monster enemies. Let it never be said nothing good came out of reality TV.

DEGRASSI: THE NEXT GENERATION

(THE N, FRIDAYS, 8 P.M. E.T.)

The kids of Degrassi High spend so much time learning about important social issues it's a wonder they have time left for geometry. In its fourth season this Canadian young-adult soap tangles with sexually transmitted disease, mental illness and cheating--oh, plus the aftermath of last season's school shooting. But Degrassi's frank, melodrama-free writing and well-chosen cast--who, shockingly, actually look and act like kids--save it from earnest afterschool specialdom.

CATSCRATCH

(NICKELODEON, FRIDAYS, 8:30 P.M. E.T., DEBUTS JULY 9, 8 P.M.)

If you have a cat, you probably suspect it wants two things: infinite luxury and you gone. In this SpongeBobian romp, a feline trio inherit a fortune from their late owner and indulge their fantasies. In various episodes, megalomaniac Mr. Blik travels to the moon in search of an ingredient for a barbecue recipe, sweethearted Gordon tries to find a unicorn, and ditzy Waffle hunts the world's most wicked mouse. You'll laugh till you cough up a fur ball.

TIME WARP TRIO

(NBC, SATURDAYS, 10:30 A.M. E.T., DEBUTS JULY 9)

Why do so many kids' shows feature books as magic objects? Are they ashamed of being TV? This take on the theme is at least based on a book series, by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith. Three boys use a magic tome to time-travel, meeting odd characters--including their great-granddaughters. It's a clever history lesson that doesn't feel like homework.

THE BUZZ ON MAGGIE

(DISNEY, FRIDAYS, 8 P.M. E.T.)

The network says this cartoon is aimed at kids from 6 to 14. Is that even possible? Well, older kids will appreciate the savvy pop-culture parodies and the heroine, a sassy, tween fly with a nonconformist streak. When a clique of her trendy peers decides it's no longer cool to regurgitate food--part of the natural fly digestion process--she defiantly barfs on a plate of garbage and declares, in a Spartacus moment, "I am a fly!" The barfing jokes explain why the 6-year-olds will like it.

64 ZOO LANE

(NOGGIN, DAILY, 10 A.M. AND 4:30 P.M. E.T.)