Magazines for Teens & Pre-Teens
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Good magazine for pre-teen girl
Oct 2010
Anyone out there have suggestions for a good magazine that my 12-year old daughter would enjoy? Something fun, fashion is fine, but not trashy, not gossip or celebrity news, not inappropriately advanced. Cosmo girl seems way too old and trashy, but how about Teen Vogue? Discovery Girl? Any other suggestions? Thanks a lot!
Hi, My daughter, now in college, loved CRICKET magazine as a middle schooler. You will find nothing unwholesome in this magazine. Ways to exercise her creativity, have fun, and read some really good stories are what your daughter will find in each issue.
I am providing the link for you to take a look and see if this might be something she would enjoy: http://www.cricketmag.com/CKT-CRICKET-Magazine-for-Kids-ages-9-14?cm_mmc=PPC-_-google-_-brandword-_-cricket_magazine=CM-4orvX-KQCFQoBbAodIiSWjA
You are so right about staying away from most commercial magazines for teens which I believe concentrate way too heavily on appearance and materialism over substance. Most kids are bombarded with this garbage at every turn. CRICKET is a very high quality magazine that my daughter would read from cover to cover the moment it arrived. Pro Substance over Fluff
My 12-year-old has really enjoyed the American Girl magazine (not catalog) for the last few years. Though she still reads it, she may be starting to outgrow it a bit, so we recently agreed to her request to get Teen Vogue as well. It's definitely a bit more sophisticated (articles about having a gay best friend, etc.), but I haven't seen anything objectionable in the editorial content. One big problem I DO have, though, is with the ads -- many seem to be the same sort that would run in regular Vogue, and a few have been very provocative and inappropriate for preteens and young teens (e.g., a perfume ad with two naked forms entwined in a clearly sexual embrace). So if you decide to try Teen Vogue, I'd definitely advise flipping through and slyly ripping out anything you find objectionable before you hand it over to your daughter. My daughter, who's pretty crafty, also steals my Martha Stewart Living when it arrives every month. Anyway, looking forward to seeing what others recommend! (BTW: Does Seventeen still exist? I have fond memories of it from my own young teen years ... ) Leah
Our now 13 year old daughter likes these magazines (Muse & Stone Soup): http://www.cricketmag.com/MUS-MUSE-Magazine-for-Kids-ages-9-14 http://www.stonesoup.com/ If she is artistically inclined, she can submit work to Stone Soup.
If she likes animals and the natural world, National Geographic Kids is also good: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/ Parent of Teens
My daughter loved Muse and American Girl magazine. larkst
Another great magazine and website for girls 9-14 is New Moon Magazine. It is edited by and for girls & is not materialistic, overly sexualized, or slick like many of the teen magazines out there. Dawn
My daughter thoroughly enjoys New Moon Girls magazine. Take a look at www.newmoon.com. The articles and messages are positive and inspirational for pre-teen girls. Maria
My 16 year old read New Moon magazine for years, and now my 12 year old reads it cover to cover. It's also a safe online community, but my 12 year old isn't interested in that part. The print magazine has 6 issues a year. Many of the articles and stories are written by girls. There is no advertising in the magazine. Check it out at www.newmoon.com Claire
I recommend New Moon (http://www.newmoon.com/magazine/), especially if the girl likes to write. My daughter enjoyed receiving it when she was a pre-teen and also as a young teen, and in her mid-20s recommended that I sign up her 9-year old cousin, who joined their board.
From their website: Our bi-monthly magazine is 100% advertising-free, highest-quality content for girls age 8 and up! You won't find diet advice or popularity contests here.
New Moon Girls magazine is about helping girls discover and honor their true selves, engage in meaningful pursuits and dialogue, and express their voices in ways that matter.
(Not connected with the Twilight series.) New Moon enthusiast
Magazine for pre-teen girl besides American Girl?
Sept. 2009
Can anyone recommend a magazine for a pre-teen girl? We already have a subscription to American Girl. Janet
Check out New Moon Girls. They also have a great website for girls. ellen
We've had subscriptions to Spider (until 11), Stone Soup (age 10-11), Cricket (11/12), and now Cicada.
Spider, Cricket and Cicada are all part of the same group, and have a mix of stories, nonfiction, and pictures -- sort of like The New Yorker for children, with more emphasis on fiction.
Stone Soup has stories published by children. My daughter tired of it because the fiction was all realistic fiction, and she prefers fantasy.
Although these aren't for girls in particular, my daughter's liked them, and has looked forward to their arrival.
If you are looking for books, I'd recommend Tamara Pierce, Patricia Wrede, Ellen Klages, Pat Murphy and Wendy Lichtman. They all write books that appeal to pre-teen girls and have strong female heroines. Carol
New Moon!! No ads. By-girl content. http://www.newmoon.com/magazine/ RK
My 11-year-old has been getting New Moon Magazine for a couple of years now. She loves it! http://www.newmoon.com/ Susan
My 8 year old daughter loves Family Fun Magazine -- it's a nice combo of ideas, crafts, food, places -- a little bit like Sunset Magazine for kids! Yes, it's sponsored by Disney, but it's got lots going for it. ''Fun'' mom....
My daughters loved ''Muse,'' another high quality magazine by the folks who publish ''Cricket'' et al. For kids ages 10-14, it's a science, history and arts magazine which is highly engaging...they kept all their issues and referred to them often for interesting stories - like did Napoleon die of lead poisoning from his wall paper on Elba? Cool stuff. Now that they are older teens they like Mental Floss for the same reasons. Natasha B.
Sports magazine for son, not too offensive for mom
Sept. 2002
My 15-year-old son is interested in a subscription to Sports Illustrated. I believe he wants it for the sports news, and I think this is great, but I'm expecting that I won't be happy having the swimsuit issue in our home. Can I get away with Sports Illustrated for Kids, or is he too old? Are there any other not-too-offensive-to-mom magazines, sports or otherwise, that teenage boys like? Thanks.
I don't think you have anything to worry about regarding Sports Illustrated. The Swimsuit issue comes out once a year and is really no big deal. It's not like Playboy or Hustler. It's just a bunch of beautiful young women in skimpy bathing suits. I don't think your son would like the one more suited to younger kids.
However, you need to find out what else your son is interested in. My son plays the guitar so he likes all the music magazines like Guitar, etc. He sees ads for instruments, interviews with bands and he usually gets some tabs for his guitar. He plays video games and will read one of those various magazines for tips on games he likes. Then there are the Bike magazines. He loves to trick out his bike and has a job putting bikes together (bicycles) so he reads those magazines. There really is a magazine for every interest. You could even get it down to specific sports if all he is interested in is sports. Go to your favorite magazine store or find one with a lot of different magazines. Bring him along and find something acceptable to both of you. (Barnes and Nobles or Borders are good places to start) Marianne
Sports Illustrated is the most well-read magazine in our home -- kids and parents both enjoy it. There are two options for the SI swimsuit issue: (1) you can ask that that they not send the issue (that's an option now offered on the subscription form) or (2) I think you can get a women in sports issue in place of the women in suits issue. I've had a subscription for years, before either of these options was available. Just like I had to explain to my daughters who wanted Barbie dolls that no women have ever looked like that, I had to educate my son that real women buy swimsuits that they can swim and dive in. My son's grown now and I think he has a pretty well-adjusted view of women. Enjoy the adult SI, your son is too old for SI Kids.
If your son is a sports fan he will not be satisfied with the kid version of Sports Illustrated. My 19-y-o son has subscribed for several years, and also other mags like ESPN and Sports and various single-sport magazines. I think Sports Illustrated is sort of the king of the sports magazines though and the others are more supplemental than replacements. RE the swimsuit issue - pretty tame stuff compared to the non-sport competition. It seems that boys often do want to have girly magazines around and better Sports Illustrated than Playboy or Hustler or whatever. I did tell my son to keep the swimsuit issue in his room and that I didn't want to find it lying around the house since I think that kind of thing portrays women as sex objects. He tried to claim that the women in the swimsuits are actually athletes, and that is the reason why they appear in the magazine. ha ha. Anyway, I think Sports Illustrated is fine for a teen boy and nothing to worry about. A MOm who hates sports
Good magazine for 11-year-old girl
June 1996
This is a message to X. Ma inquiring about a good magazine for her 11 year old daughter. New Moon magazine is written by girls aged @ 8-14 for girls of all ages. It is a great magazine! My daughter (age 10) has been getting it for about 3 years already and loves it. The girls make all the editorial decisions and do all the writing. Issues have focused on such things as: Collections & Hobbies, Oceans & Waterlife, Creativity, Music & Dance, The Earth and The Rainforest, Rites of Passage & The Moon, Daughters & Mothers, Daughters & Fathers, and Endangered Animals to name a few. It also has a large letters section and penpal opportunities. I recommend it highly.
Subscriptions run $25/year and are available through New Moon Publishing, PO Box 3587, Duluth, MN 55806-3587. Phone: 218-728-5507. Kathryn
My 11 year old daughter enjoys Cobblestone (a history magazine) and American Girl (a magazine put out by Pleasant Company, who produce the 18 Historical dolls and books). Dawn
Here's a quote about a new magazine for teenage girls which I saw in my local newspaper. It sounds very interesting to me, though I couldn't get a sample copy, except for paying $8. I thought that was rather expensive, so decided to wait until I see it on the stands or in the library. Here's a few excerpts from the new article:
A new magazine for teen girls is out, but it won't help readers figure out how to make a boy like them or how to get rid of that pimple. Instead, the March/April issue of Blue Jean Magazine deals with the blues (My father's a successful doctor, my mother's a writer. I feel unbearable pressure to be successful.)
Blue Jean, which aims to be multicultural, is free of advertising and is written by teen-agers. Despite the title, there's not one wardrobe tip. Beyond feature stories and reviews it also has creative writing and a regular column on college issues. The price is $29 a year for six issues. The magazine is available only through subscription now. For information call 1-716-654-5070.
Actually, after re-reading this information and comparing the general contents of this magazine to the teen magazines on the stands which my 11 year old had begun to read, I'm sending away for a subscription today. The other magazines tend to be full of info on how to be sexy and other topics I feel can be fruitfully put on hold for a few years.... Linnea
I also wanted to mention that my 10 1/2 yr. daughter and all of her friends love the American Girl magazine (available through Pleasant Company; I think they are in VA.) It comes 6 times a year and she reads it cover to cover. The one problem with it may be that some of the stories are connected with their line of expensive American Girl dolls. Randice
My kids subscribe to several good magazines.
American Girl ( for girls 8 and up ) P.O. Box 420210 Palm Coast FL 32142-9896 1 year ( 6 issues) $19.95 2 year (12 issues) $36.00 they will bill you or enclose payment. Ranger Rick Magazine (ages 6-12) (12 issues $15) Your Big Backyard Magazine (ages 3-5) (12 issues $14) National Wildlife Federation P.O. box 777 MT. Morris, IL 61054-0777 (bill or pay) National Geographic WORLD National Geographic Society P.O. Box 98178 Washington, DC 20078-9801 (12 month subscription/junior membership $17.95) (bill or pay) If a bunch of you want to get clever on this one they have a price break for gift membership/subscriptions of $12.95 for each additional one. Guideposts for Kids (a Christian publication a la Norman Vincent Peale) P.O. Box 1419 Carmel, NY 10512-9869 1 year ( 6 issues) $15.95
Roger