We recently got this subscription as a gift for my 7 year old daughter. Since the magazine only comes out 6 times a year, the giver also sent along a handful of back issues.
On the inside cover page, the issuer describes the magazine: New Moon . . . is an international magazine for every girl who wants her voice heard and her dreams taken seriously. With girl editors ages 8 to 14 and girl contributors from all over the world, New Moon celebrates girls, explores the passage from girl to woman, and builds healthy resistance to gender inequities. The New Moon girl is true to herself, and New Moon helps her as she pursues her unique path in life, moving confidently out into the world.
Personally, I couldn't have put it all together better myself.
CONTENT
Each issue is about 50 pages long. The pages are smaller than the average magazine, however there are no ads, so all of the 50 pages are content. The content is similar in each issue, however many issues also have a theme (father / daughter relationships, music, rain forest are a few).
Each issue carries several short pieces or articles. Some of these pieces are fiction, either written for the magazine or excerpts from books or other publications. Much of the non-fiction centers on a girl or a woman and her accomplishments. One of the great things about the magazine is that it is multi-racial, every race is featured. All of the articles are also upbeat - even the fiction talks about the accomplishments of girls.
Some recent article topics included: The history of bras (and how to choose one for yourself), what it is like to produce a play, the life of Bessie Smith, a short piece on the Lilith Fair, a fiction piece about a girl that couldn't enjoy her piano because the keys were made of ivory, a non-fiction piece about a girl in a wheelchair that dances, a non-fiction piece about a girl that works at Youth Radio, a non-fiction piece about a 12 year old girl that plays jazz on the drums, a non-fiction piece about a stuntwoman, an article about making your own music instruments, an article about a woman that repairs violins for a living, and an articles about twins who live in China and play cello (with a page of information about China).
Each magazine also generally includes:
Dear Luna: Luna is, I guess, the goddess (or at least the voice) of the magazine. This section is letters from readers to Luna / the magazine. Want to know what your daughter is thinking - teen angst and all? Read these letters and you will get some good insights.
Draw Luna: Girls send in drawings of what they think Luna looks like.
Luna's Art Gallery: These are drawings on any topic sent in by readers. They are usually accompanied by a statement by the artist.
The Bad, the Ad, and the Beauty: Girls discuss an advertisement and why it might demean women. Occasionally, they discuss why an ad benefits women.
Pen Pals: Girls can publish their name and address to look for pen pals. Girls can also write to anyone with their name and address published to find a pen pal.
Poetry: Poetry sent in by readers. A lot of it is on what it is like to be a girl and is surprisingly good.
Ask A Girl: Girls write letters in to the magazine asking other readers for help. Girls can then respond with advice.
How Aggravating: This is a section where girls can point out things that demean women and girls. This could be boys ganging up on a schoolmate to larger society issues such as advertisements that depict overly thin women. Sometimes, however, girls also point out how girls could be nicer to girls.
Howling at the moon: This is a section where girls can write in about "moments of empowerment and sing about the good things in your life."
WHAT ABOUT BOYS?
I was a little worried that there might be some boy-trashing in this magazine. However, they publish letters from girls that question the feminist agenda - the girls ask why the magazine focuses just on girls. They also state that not all boys are bad. The editors agree with the writers and point out that sometimes girls need a forum where they can just be with other girls. I think New Moon does a good job of providing such a forum - without trashing boys or men.
AGE APPROPRIATENESS
The girls that write into this magazine seem to be around 7-14, with the heaviest concentration being 10-13. A child would have to have at least a third grade reading level to comfortably and easily read the magazine. My 7 year old can read many articles but she stumbles over some of the advanced vocabulary.
The content is a bit skewed toward pre-teens and early teens. I read this magazine with my daughter. There is quite a bit of teen angst in letters that older girls write into the magazine that my daughter doesn't really relate to yet (which I am grateful for) so I tend to skip those parts. There are also some topics in those letters, particularly those that relate to boys and dating, that go over her head, so I try to skip those parts as well. I think this is a fine magazine for a young girl, however it would be best if an adult is there to make sure the articles and letters are age-appropriate. Certainly there is nothing toxic, however, letters about dating boys may be too advanced for us now.
Since the magazine is easy to store and fits well on a bookshelf, I plan to leave old editions in my daughter's room. There is great advice on dating, boys, and other teen issues. I feel that, when my daughter starts searching for advice on these social matters, she would find good advice in this magazine.
SIZE, BINDING, PAPER
The first thing that struck me about this magazine is its size. It is smaller than most other magazines at about 8" x 6". Personally, I like the size because it fits well on a bookshelf with other books. The paper has a slightly glossy look and feel to it. The binding is two staples.
The covers are color and there is some color to the inside pages, however don't expect glossy pictures. Most photos are black and white, although some other drawn illustrations are in color. The May/June 2003 issue does have glossy pictures, however there is a note on the inside cover that states "this issue brought to you in color through generous donations by New Moon friends." I assume that means future issues will probably revert back to partial color.
PRICE
The cover price is: $5.50 U.S. and $7.00 CAN. A one year subscription is 6 issues and $29. Subscriptions to Canada must be paid in US dollars plus you have to add another $6 US dollars. You can subscribe on the web site or call credit card orders into 1-800-381-4743.
If you think the price is high or don't want to wait a year for 6 issues, you can call and order back issues.
WEB SITE
The web site is www.newmoon.org.
FINAL RECOMMENDATION
This is simply a great magazine and I can't recommend it enough. I think it will be great to have around while my daughter navigates those tricky pre-teen and early teen years as a voice that encourages her to be herself. The price is rather steep but the content is worth it and the magazines are timeless. They will remain on the bookshelf for a long time.
After meeting Emlyn Llewyn and her father Nia learns that she has special magic of her own but when she is warned to stay away from their house by t...More at Toys R Us
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.