American Girl Magazine is written for girls ages 8-12, and a yearly subscription runs $22.95. This is a bi-monthly magazine, so you will receive 6 issues for that price.
American Girl’s main focus is to help girls to find their voice and to develop their talents so they can grow up to be empowered women. Using the May/June 2007 issue, I’d like to show you what you’re likely to get in each installment of the magazine:
This issue has a rainbow theme. Right inside, we read letters to the editor sent in from all over the country. Then we see instructions for how to make a cute gift, by taking Skittles or M&Ms, sorting them by color, and then layering them in a clear jar with blue on the bottom, then green, yellow, orange, and then red on the top. Just attach a card you’ve made that reads “Thanks for making every day a little brighter,” and there you have your own rainbow thank you gift. What a cool idea – and a delicious one, too!
We then go to the American Girl Art Gallery page. Readers sent in their own rainbow artwork, and it’s displayed right alongside a picture of the artist. We also get instructions for how to make a cute rainbow headband.
Next is a recipe for how to make a great rainbow salad, using brightly colored fruits and vegetables. You can also make a salad dressing to go on top.
Now we get to see the results of a cool contest. The magazine asked girls to design clothes with a rainbow theme, and they sent in their drawings. Some of these outfits are pretty creative!
Some readers sent in their response to a question: if you were a color, what would you be, and why? It was interesting to see how these girls view themselves.
On another page, we are shown how to make cute lettering for cards or scrapbook pages. I’m noticing there’s a lot of emphasis on crafts and art.
Now we head into a nonfiction article about girls who work hard to protect the environment in their area. This was pretty inspirational – you don’t have to be an adult to accomplish some real good.
I’m starting to get hungry – there’s a recipe for a rainbow cake. Yum!
Toward the back of the book is a long fiction story about a girl whose cousin comes to stay, and everything she brings is pink! How will our heroine stand being surrounded by so much of just one color? It’s all about toleration and learning that everyone has their own favorite things.
On the very last page, we are shown letters from readers who have a variety of questions, and they are answered by the editors of the magazine. These questions cover things like peer pressure and self esteem.
I think this is a pretty fun little magazine. If you’d like to check it out, click here – you can learn more about it and there are online games, etc, that go along with the magazine but weren’t included in it.
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Ladybug: the magazine for young children