American Girl Magazine

Recommended grades 4-6.  American Girl magazine mimics women's magazines in style, though offers developmentally appropriate reading material for young girls.  Adult authors pack the glossy pages with crafts, life tips (like how to avoid stress), exercises to be enjoyed with friends, and complementary quizzes (where no answer is a wrong answer).  American Girl makes room for reader contributions featuring art and short stories submitted by readers, empowering girls to create and contribute.  Other than a couple plugs for the American Girl franchise, including their dolls and books, there are no advertisements in this magazine, which will be welcomed by parents.  For girls who want to start reading magazine, this is a good alternative to teen magazines, and celebrates tweens where they are, without pushing them to grow up, but still respecting their individuality.  Recommended, ***.

babybug magazine

Recommended Birth to age 4.  From the creators of Cricket Magazine, Baby Bug Magazine publishes short, illustrated stories for pre-developing readers.  The magazine, published nine times a year, features around six separate illustrated stories or poems in each issue.  Stories are illustrated in a variety of artists in different styles, including soft watercolors, and bold charcoals.  The magazine is small, a good size for a younger reader to hold, and printed on thicker paper than other magazines from the publisher.  A subscription to the magazine will bring fresh read-alouds, and gives adults access to parenting guides via the Cricket website.  As soon as children grow out of the level of magazine, it is free to transfer to the next level up; a great benefit with rapidly growing readers! Recommended, ***