New Moon: The Magazine for Young Girls and their Dreams. Subscription information: New Moon, P.O. Box 3587, Duluth, MN 55803-3587. On the Web at http://www.newmoon.org.

OVERVIEW

New Moon is a beautiful bimonthly magazine for girls ages 8 to 14. The theme of the issue reviewed is "Fantasies and Fairy Tales." Many of the contributions are from girls. "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..." (p. 3).

Regular features include "How Aggravating!" (examples of what’s unfair to girls and women), "Pen Pals" (finding a pen pal), "Calendar" (famous women and their achievements), "Ask A Girl" (advice from readers to readers), "Global Village" (girls’ experiences and customs from other countries), "Science Side Effects" (science column), "Women’s Work" (stories of women at work), and "Herstory" (a woman from history).

The current issue contains many stories, fairy tales, and legends, some submitted by readers. A catalog of New Moon products is stapled into the center of the magazine. Some products are quite unusual, as a dream pillow "filled with sweet-smelling herbs, crystals, and essential oils [which] can be used as a tool in the enhancement and recall of dreams" (catalog, p. 7). The artwork throughout the magazine is quite lovely and adds considerably to the experience of reading it. A theme of some of the submissions and stories is how girls experience gender inequality. It is strange to read letters and articles from 10- and 12-year-olds decrying sexism and supporting lesbian relationships.

A short article entitled, "Weaving Your Dreams Into Your Life" challenges girls to think about something they love doing and explore how that activity can point to their skills and abilities. The article includes a wonderful worksheet to encourage girls to reflect on what they love doing and consider how their preferences may express their unique strengths. The article was written by a nine-year-old girl!

CONCLUSIONS

New Moon offers girls positive role models of other girls and women who are doing things they enjoy and accomplishing their dreams. The magazine is inspiring and uplifting. One questions the wisdom of exposing young girls to sexism and feminism, as most young women will eventually be confronted with sexist behavior. A more prudent course of action might be to wait until the girl actually experiences sexism, and then talk through the issue and possible responses. Constant attention to the issue at such an early age may build the expectation that sexism occurs all the time, everywhere. It might also perpetuate negative stereotypes of men.

Carol Harllee cCYS