Discovery Girls: A Magazine for Tweens and Written by Tweens

Sitting alongside magazines that idolize celebrities and feature diet and dating tips is Discovery Girls, a magazine for tween girls (ages eight to twelve) that focuses on self-esteem building. In a recent issue of School Library Journal, Catherine Lee, the founder of DG, was interviewed about the magazine’s philosophy. Catherine revealed that she wanted to create a publication for girls that would help them feel like they are not alone. What resulted is DG—a magazine that guides tweens towards self-confidence and shows readers that other young girls have similar questions, worries, and problems.

What really makes DG a one-of-a-kind magazine is that over half of its content is written by the readers themselves. Each month the magazine travels to a new state and finds twelve girls that according to Catherine “…stand out as role models, girls with something interesting to say, girls who simply have that special spark…and we also try to get a diverse group in terms of size, ethnic background, and looks, so all girls will feel like they see girls just like themselves on our pages.” Those girls then receive writing assignments that become the articles for the magazine.

Catherine is proud that tweens won’t see models and celebrities on the cover of DG, but themselves. They won’t read about sex and dieting, but friendship and fitting it. What a wonderful step in the right direction.

The entire article is available to read at: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6585035.html?nid=3362.

To learn more about DG or to find out how a tween in your life can become a contributor to the magazine, visit: http://www.discoverygirls.com/.