When Kids Do the Testing

For weeks, all Karen Reid of Oak Ridge, Tenn., heard from her son Scott, she says, was, "Reebok Pumps this, Reebok Pumps that." The fourth-grader wanted her to buy him a pair of the flashy high tops and explaining why she refused to part with $150 for athletic shoes got her nowhere. Then Scott read that the Pump was heavy and can be uncomfortable. End of tug-of-war.

What convinced Scott was an article in Zillions, a consumer report for kids that evaluates everything from peanut butter to video games. The bimonthly magazine (circ. 250,000) is published by the nonprofit Consumers Union,...