Happy Friday everyone!  I have a gift for you – a giveaway!  First of all, here’s what I’m giving away:

-1 Year Subscription to Discovery Girls Magazine – Made by girls, for girls, Discovery Girls magazine is published bi-monthly, which means you’ll receive 6 issues of this award winning magazine, perfect for tween girls!

-1 Set of the 4 Fab Girls Guides – targeted books focusing on: Friendship Hardship, Sticky Situations, Getting Your Questions Answered and Getting Through Tough Times.

-1 copy of the Collector’s Edition – 10 Years of Discovery Girl’s best content in one super-sized Collector’s Issue. Get their best advice, quizzes, healthy tips and tricks, ‘tween statistics and so much more! Plus two free gifts with every issue!

What exactly is Discovery Girls Magazine?  Here’s the rundown:

Recently, I was asked to take a look at Discovery Girls Magazine and see what I thought.  I was interested because my daughter is nearing the age that this publication is geared toward – 8 and up.  Their mission is “to inspire and encourage girls to be more confident and resilient and help them deal with those difficult situations that all girls run into growing up”.  First of all, I want to say it’s a great magazine, full of useful, wholesome information geared toward tweens.  However, I’d have to say 9 would be the minimum age I’d have my daughter read it.  It’s not that the content is inappropriate, but there are things I just don’t want my daughter to worry about just yet, like whether she is old enough for makeup, or how to accessorize a dress 6 different ways.  She will think about these things soon enough!

That being said, there is some really useful content in the magazine, particularly for girls in that awkward “tween” stage, where they’re not little girls, but not yet teenagers.  The first thing I noticed that I really, really like about the magazine is that they use actual girls for the cover.  They are not models, nor are they heavily made up and airbrushed.  They look natural, wholesome, and real…because they are!  I love this, and think it’s great for building self-esteem at a difficult age.

There is also a lot of good information about friendship, trust, bullying, and hygiene.  These are things that become very important as girls get older, and it’s nice to see a resource that presents it all in a very positive light.  I saw a lot of focus on being independent, sticking up for yourself and your friends, and staying true to yourself.  A lot of the content comes from the readers, too, which is great.  Girls talk about their embarrassing moments, or have their questions answered, and there are statistics from the girls for polls they have answered.  There are also fun quizzes, like “Are You Ready for a Pet?”, interviews with good role models (Shawn Johnson), book reviews, craft ideas and games.

Discovery Girls also offers a magazine geared toward Junior High girls (ages 11 and up), which is their “Middle School Edition”.  It offers similar content, but goes more in-depth on issues pertinent to girls heading toward puberty and the teenage years.  There is a bit more focus on topics like peer pressure and fitting in, which are a big deal to girls in this age group.

Discovery Girls has also published a set of books called the “Fab Girls Guides”.  They sent me Book 3 (“Getting Your Questions Answered”) to review. The book is really well-written and very appropriate for girls age 11 and up.  It’s written from the point of view of two “fab girls” – Carmen and Dallas, who answer questions about topics like family, friends, school, and boys.  There is also a chapter about “Tough Stuff”, where they answer questions about divorce, alcoholism, abuse, and cancer.  These topics are all really well-handled, in my opinion, and the answers focus on getting help from adults, talking to someone who can help you, and doing things that make you feel more empowered, rather than helpless.  Again, there is a lot of talk about self-responsibility, confidence, and doing the right thing, which I really like.

I talked with Tatiana Guertin, the Marketing Director at DG Magazine, and asked her what she thought were the best features of the magazine.  Here’s what she had to say:

“The heart of Discovery Girls, both our magazine and book sets, really rests in our loyal readers and the girls that avidly contribute to the publication. When we say our content is “made by girls, for girls,” we’re specifically referring to the fact that all of our content is either written by our inspired by the girls who read and love the magazine. All of our features, questions, embarrassing moments, fashion tips, and more are inspired by our readers – and all the answers to our most loved features (Great Debate, Embarrassing Moments, Matters of the Heart) come directly from our girls. We truly aim to create a publication that speaks to these girls, covers topics that really apply to them and create a medium where they can see that they’re not alone in their thoughts, feelings or experiences.”

So, if you have a ‘tween in your life who would be interested, here’s how to enter this giveaway:

Leave a comment on this post letting me know that you’d like to win.  (Note:  although I ask for your email address when you leave a comment, I never, ever share these email addresses with anyone.  Nor do I use them to send spam or email blasts of any type)

Also, get one additional entry for each of the following (please leave me a comment letting me know):