American Girl Magazine a Winner!

American Girl magazine is a bimonthly publication directed toward girls ages 8 to 12. It's been a consistent award-winner, having won, among others Parents' Choice Gold Awards in 1998 through 2002 and Parents' Choice Silver Awards in 2004 and 2005.

The magazine contains a number of regular age-appropriate features, including:

- Puzzles - these include word and picture puzzles, mazes, etc.

- Crafts - these range from holiday items to everyday ones - for example, one suggestion was to have a canvas clothes separator hanging in the closet, with each section labeled by a day of the week, for laying out outfits in advance; another suggested covering a plastic container with decorative paper, and then filling it with handwritten personal memories and pictures as a gift to someone special.

- Monthly Polls (early training for those election exit polls!) For example, a recent issue asked what readers considered an ideal "sports role." The overwhelming response: someone who praises the players.

- Party Ideas - do-it-yourself ideas for planning parties that don't cost a lot, but translate into lots of personalized fun

- Contests - all types - a recent one featured poetry writing

- Jokes - sent in by readers, and proving that girls in this age group are very savvy about what is humorous!

- Advice - feedback from readers show that this is a particularly popular part of the magazine. When 11-year-olds state that the advice helped them solve problems with their friends, you know something is of value!

- Girl-to-Girl Advice - advice from a reader on a particular issue - a great forum to allow young girls to express their problem-solving ideas.

- Non-Fiction Articles - these vary in each issue. One in particular that stands out in my mind is an article about a young girl who was touched by the poverty she saw in a Peruvian orphanage, and the group that she founded to provide aid.

- Fiction - short stories about girls and their activities. These deal with a great many issues, including friendship, family, and fitting in.

In addition, there are sometimes recipes, contests, photo spots, sports tips, and other informative topics.

While the magazine covers a great diversity of issues relating to girls in this age group, there is no emphasis on dating, and little on fashion or other media-related issues - so, girls are spared a good deal of hype that other magazines offer. That doesn't seem to have hurt its popularity, since it has a vast readership.

The magazine is colorful. The cover always shows a bright, upbeat-looking girl. Some of the features contain illustrations appropriate for the subject matter, and quite a few contain photographs (especially the nonfiction articles.)

Overall, the magazine is a good blend of information and activities. It also provides a great deal of opportunity for readers to give feedback. One of the goals of the magazine is to "affirm self-esteem;" another is to "celebrate girls' achievements...yesterday and today." The magazine achieves these goals in my estimation. I think it's a refreshing publication.

American Girl prints 6 issues a year. Each issue runs about 48 pages. Individual copies are available for $4.50 each; one-year subscriptions cost $22.95, two-year, $39.95.