Looking for Empowering, Intelligent Magazines for Girls and Young Women

September 20, 2016 9:21 AM

So this happened. I would totally subscribe to the magazine on the right for my daughter. Am trying to find its (English language) equivalent. Does one exist?
posted by zarq to Society & Culture (24 answers total)

What age?
posted by amanda at 9:23 AM on September 20, 2016

Response by poster: My daughter is 8 and a half. But anything from 8 through late teen years would be fine.

If I can't subscribe to it for her now, it would be good to have the option in mind for when she's a little older.
posted by zarq at 9:32 AM on September 20, 2016

Why, look what just popped up on my FB feed this morning: Kazoo!
posted by drlith at 9:36 AM on September 20, 2016 [5 favorites]

Rookie? Tavi Gevinson has featured on Mefi a few times before. She started as a bit of a fashion writer ingenue. She started Rookie magazine and it seems like a very thoughtful publication created by and for her peers. it is mainly an online magazine (and I presume this will be the dominant form of media consumption for your daughter in the future), but they also do publish a physical "yearbook" for purchase.
posted by like_neon at 9:37 AM on September 20, 2016 [10 favorites]

Kazoo has come up in my social media lately.
posted by vunder at 9:41 AM on September 20, 2016

Cricket magazine- it's known as the 'New Yorker' for kids, and I loved it as a kid.
posted by bearette at 9:43 AM on September 20, 2016 [6 favorites]

Response by poster: Kazoo looks fantastic, thank you drlith!
posted by zarq at 9:44 AM on September 20, 2016

May I offer this string of tweets as a counterpoint:

https://twitter.com/stavvers/status/777457932288061441
posted by threetwentytwo at 9:44 AM on September 20, 2016 [1 favorite]

The second magazine screams "Girl Scouts" to me, so that's a route you could consider.
posted by teremala at 9:48 AM on September 20, 2016 [3 favorites]

My nine-year-old likes Discovery Girls.
posted by mbrubeck at 9:48 AM on September 20, 2016 [1 favorite]

Kazoo

BYOU

Discovery Girls

American Girl Magazine

New Moon Girls Magazine

Chop Chop Magazine

National Geographic Kids
posted by cooker girl at 9:51 AM on September 20, 2016 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: May I offer this string of tweets as a counterpoint:

I have no problem with my daughter learning how to put on makeup, dress well or how to fit in. But I also don't want to emphasize to her that being pretty and popular are the be-all and end-all of girlhood. This is a magazine with an airbrushed Disney star on its cover paired with a slew of article headlines about fashion, beauty, hair, etc. There's far, far more to my kid than her looks and what she wears. She's brilliant, creative, artistic, sassy and has a whole world of opportunities ahead of her. That's the message I want her to take to heart. A magazine that emphasizes that to her is what I'm looking for.
posted by zarq at 10:00 AM on September 20, 2016 [14 favorites]

I asked a very similar question about tens years ago and got some good reccomendations.
posted by cosmicbandito at 10:01 AM on September 20, 2016 [1 favorite]

The American Girl Magazine is very good and I definitely recommend it. I would still read it occasionally when I was home from college, because a subscription came for my youngest sister. Great crafts and stories, I learned about art and vocabulary (i still think of the magazine when i use the word soirée), articles about girls in sports and science - now I wish I could find a magazine like this for adults!
posted by umwhat at 10:12 AM on September 20, 2016 [2 favorites]

What that meme does not say is the original comparison was with an official Boy Scout magazine, not a junior version of Men's Health, esquire or GQ. Scouts and 4-H are great to orient kids on the road to becoming adults, and Boy Scouts has co-Ed options such as Venture Crews if your kids' interests align. For magazines, American Girl, Cricket, Muse, Cobblestone, Faces, and Dig into History are options.

Also, our kids pick up National Geographic & Popular Science at this age.
posted by childofTethys at 10:21 AM on September 20, 2016 [3 favorites]

More for teen girls but Clover Letter is a great daily email newsletter (also available as an app) which "delivers inspiring, empowering, and actually-relevant news" for young women. You can check out the archives here
posted by kitkatcathy at 10:31 AM on September 20, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'll also throw in a vote for American Girl Magazine. It strikes a good balance of empowerment AND showing that it's ok for girls to like "girly" things.

For an extra dose of girl power, buy them from a Girl Scout! Magazine sales are part of the fall product line and sales will start in most Councils around the country October 1st--put your order in through a Girl Scout and support your local troop!
posted by phunniemee at 10:34 AM on September 20, 2016 [4 favorites]

Seconding National Geographic. I picked up the adult magazine at that age (always was a bit of advanced reader) but I have heard excellent things about their offerings for younger kids.
posted by Tamanna at 10:50 AM on September 20, 2016 [1 favorite]

For your daughter's age into the teens I highly recommend Faces. -- the next age step up from Cricket, it gives kids a global perspective on ideas, stories, ways of life, focusing on kids from countries around the world.
posted by flourpot at 10:59 AM on September 20, 2016 [3 favorites]

Muse magazine is about science and by the same company as cricket. It has changed a bit recently (more science, less art and history) but is still great.
posted by azalea_chant at 1:05 PM on September 20, 2016

> The second magazine screams "Girl Scouts" to me, so that's a route you could consider

GSUSA doesn't have a magazine for girls any more, sadly.
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:07 PM on September 20, 2016

New Moon Girls Magazine
posted by fingersandtoes at 5:35 PM on September 20, 2016

Seconding Rookie - I subscribe to their tumblr feed because it's always a delight to see the articles I was hungry for as a teenager and young college student.

Heavy on creativity and participation; light on news and politics.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 8:37 PM on September 20, 2016

For older teens, Shameless is consistently excellent.
posted by bibliotropic at 11:22 PM on September 20, 2016