to your copy!

Transcription

to your copy!
The
Friends
and
Family
Issue2012
Issue
Themes
forJuly/August
January/FDecemry
Issue
Issue
Themes
Themes
for
for
September/October
2012
2012
March/April 2016
NewMoon.com
™
Meet Jules:
Our Girl of
the Year! 12
Plus:
Super Sleepovers
Design Adventure!
10
20
Girl
Created!
USA $5.50
Display until May 1, 2016
New Moon GirlsTM
March/April 2016
Volume XXIII, Issue 4
Friends and Family
™
Thanks, Volunteers—We Can’t Do It Without You!
New Moon Girls™ is the original girl-centered
media. Girl editors, writers, filmmakers, and artists
from around the world direct our content, working
with adults through our pioneering Share the Power
method. New Moon Girls provides innovative, safe,
respectful, and advertising-free spaces online and in
the magazine where girls develop their full potential
through self-discovery, creativity, and community.
NMG is for every girl who wants her voice heard and
her dreams taken seriously in the world.
GIRLS EDITORIAL BOARD
Clara Kugler
Hallie Meyerson
Leeloo Dysart-Bricken
Luna Sinclair
Maya Buchman
Mazie Jane Hickman
Valentina Rider
Zoe Somogyi
Founder & CEO Nancy Gruver
Interns
Online editorial:
Ayla Otto
Magazine Editor/Design
Helen Cordes
Online Editor
Megan Fischer-Prins
Contributing Editor
Lacey Louwagie
Fulfillment Coordinator Betsy Urban
E-books:
Ava McElhone Yates
Julia McDaniel
Contributing Artists
Heather Sisson
Liza Ferneyhough
Buy single copies & back issues at NMGirlstore.com
Order at NewMoon.com for the newest choices and prices.
Or call 800-381-4743 or 1-218-878-9673. One year membership
of safe social network + magazine $49.99. Amex/Discover/MC/
Visa welcome. Add $6 postage to US, $10 postage to Canada,
and $15 postage to all other countries; U.S. currency only.
Make check (U.S. bank) or money order (U.S. funds) payable
to New Moon Girls, PO Box 161287, Duluth, MN 55816, USA.
Seven-time winner of
Parents’ Choice Gold Award
new moon girls
• www.newmoon. com • March/April 2016
Thanks, Volunteers—We Can’t Do It Without You!
General Support: Parents of the Girls Editorial Board
Volunteer Moderators: Rivers Dysart, Emily Glickman, Mikel
Gordon, Leslie Katz, Nikki Loscalzo, Laura MacIntyre, Melissa
Eddings Mancuso, Lauren Mangion, Laura Marks, Cami Renfro,
Elisabeth Rider, Erika Sevetson, Michelle Strear
Proofreading: Meg Brissenden
Professional Consulting: Jill Zimmerman Rutledge, MSW, LCSW
We welcome your help! Tell us about your volunteer skills at
NewMoon.com.
Thanks and acknowledgment is given to the following
publishers and copyright owners for permission to reprint
selections from their publications and work: Shutterstock,
WikiMedia, and Pixabay. All possible care is taken to trace
ownership and secure permission for each selection.
New Moon Girls (ISSN: 1943-488X print; 2161-914X
digital) is published bimonthly by New Moon Girl Media,
PO Box 161287, Duluth, MN 55816. Periodicals postage
paid at Duluth, MN and at additional mailing offices. Email:
NewMoon.com/contact. Internet: www.NewMoon.com.
New Moon Girls is a trademark of New Moon Girl Media, Inc.
Email change of address (include customer number) at least
eight weeks in advance to subscriptions@NewMoon.com or
send to: New Moon Girls, PO Box 161287, Duluth, MN 55816
USA. New Moon Girls is not responsible for magazines missed
due to lack of timely address change notification.
Postmaster: Send change of address to New Moon Girls, PO
Box 161287, Duluth, MN 55816.
Publications Mail Agreement No. 40064408
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to
Express Messenger International
P.O. Box 25058
London, ON N6C 6A8
Printed in Long Prairie, Minnesota, USA, by
RR Donnelley, with soy ink on recycled paper.
© 2016 New Moon Girl Media, Inc., all rights reserved, including
the right of reproduction in whole or in part, in any form. Email
manuscripts and other editorial material to girl@NewMoon.com.
We do not accept or consider material that is not submitted
electronically. All reader contributions are assumed for
publication and become the property of New Moon Girl Media,
Inc. Reader contributions may be edited for length and clarity.
Unsolicited material will not be acknowledged or returned.
New Moon Girls never makes its member list available to other
companies.
3
contents
Friends and
Family
10
Friendship Funfest
Make Message Bracelets
Friendship
Test
page
16
2
Girl Talk
3 Inside the Moon
4 Letters
6 Ask
8 to Luna
a Girl
Body and Feelings Friendship 101
14 Be a “Best” Friend What Would You Do for a Friend?
17 NMG Friends for Life It All Started with Pen Pal Letters
18 Meet My Family!
Girls Share Family Life
24 Fiction
Two Questions
Luna’s Art Gallery
26
27 Poetry
28 Fab Friends and Family Reads
Adoption, Secret Twins, and More
12
Meet Jules, Girl of the Year
Color Jules and Some Cool Women
20
22
30
How Aggravating!
31 Howling at the Moon
32 Calendar
The Last Word
Four Inspirational Girls
Design Adventure
Girl Fashion Designers in Italy
Find Her! Secret Sheroes
How to Get Females on the Map
by giRls
Friends Sharing
When you join our supportive online
community at NMGmembers.com,
you can share your own opinions,
art, stories, advice, photos, and
more, and meet lots of other friendly,
creative girls. Parents sign you up at
NewMoon.com/for-girls.
1
1
girl
Talk
GEB members
Maya (left)
and Mazie
Hi, Girls!
Welcome to our Friends and Family issue! Maya loves Katie’s story
about her “best” friend Anna on p. 14. “It’s amazing to see how
much people will do for those they love,” she says. She thinks
you’ll find the friendship stereotypes (p. 15) on target: “Girls (and
guys) should have friendships they want and not be pressured to
do what others say is ‘cool’ or ‘normal.’”
Mazie thinks you’ll enjoy the saga of four girl designers who got a
dream-come-true chance to learn about the business (p. 20). “It’s
really motivating to see girls achieve their goals,” Mazie says. She
loves what NMG Girl of the Year Jules is doing (p. 12): “She has
inspired so many girls to speak up about how they want to see
changes in the world for women and girls!”
Meet Online
Girls make friends in awesome
ways at NMG’s safe social
network. Here’s just one example.
If you can think of several things
you love about a friend, tell her!
That’s what Edith, 11, Texas, did,
posting drawings, complimentfilled posts, and poetry for other
NMG members. Other girls also
shouted out recently to NMG
friends with complimentary posts
and art. Dearbhail, 11, Ireland, got
girls creating “Kris Kindle” gifts
of personalized artwork for each
other. That’s an Irish custom done
around Christmas time that’s like
a Secret Santa gift exchange.
“It’s so cool to see the ways girls
can connect on NMG,” Edith
says. “I’m excited to see even
more ways!”
Edith and her poster for Mayya
Happy Reading!
Maya & Mazie
Find the 10 Luna Tics hidden in every issue!
Send
YOUR Luna Tics to
NewMoon.com/ howto-get-published-NewMoon-Girls.
This issue’s Luna Tics are created by: Astrid, 14, Ontario; Ava, 11, Wisconsin; Noel, 12, California; Mia, 12, California; EJ
the Eevee, 10, New York; MayyAlpaca, 11, British Columbia; Una, 10, Oregon; Charlotte, 10, Pennsylvania; Jacqueline, 13,
New York; Skye, 12, Wisconsin
2
new moon girls
• www.newmoon. com • March/April 2016
inside
Welcome, Kiki Girls!
the moon
How to Get
Published
We’re loving having girls from Kiki on
board now with us. We’re sad Kiki stopped
publishing, but happy to take in Kiki
subscribers! We hope you all enjoy getting to
know each other.
If you’re a maker, look for how-tos on sewing cool clothes
(sample: skirt how-to above), crafting, cooking up science
magic, recipes, knitting, and more featured often at
NMGmembers.com. You can share your own creations
there, too—join in by getting a parent to set up your online
membership. And remember, any girl can send us any kind of
creativity. Look right to see how to send us your work.
Like Contests and Games?
Inventive NMG members are always dreaming up
new, friendly contests and games to play. It might be
an invitation to submit nature photos or write a story
or join a “change-a-word” game or pose a riddle.
Here’s one we love: Abbie (above left), 12, Georgia,
asked girls to draw portraits of other NMG girls.
Among them, Marine, 10, Washington, drew a
portrait (left) of Laye, 11, California;
Katharine, 15, Minnesota, drew one of
Rosalie, 13, Massachusetts (bottom
left). Find more fun under “Contests
& Games” at the Message Boards at
NMGmembers.com.
Ladies First Rocks!
We want to see what you make!
You can write, draw, and send
photos for all parts of the
magazine and online community.
It’s simple to send your work.
1
Online members, post your
stuff at NMGmembers.com.
Any girl, submit your work at
NewMoon.com/how-to-getpublished-New-Moon-Girls.
2
Check your email—we email
you if we want to publish
something you made. We can’t
publish your work if you don’t
reply to the email we send.
3
Read the enews your parents
get from Nancy every Friday for
special times to send us your
work.
4
Answer the new polls at
NewMoon.com/polls. A lot of
poll answers are included in
articles we write.
Girl groups are an awesome way to meet friends, have fun, and talk
about ways to make your life better. We love how the Washington
girls group Ladies First (Ladies1storg.com) discusses growing
healthy friendships, something that can make a big difference
in a girl’s life. And we love how leaders used NMG writing about
friendship as a learning resource. We invite all groups to use NMG!
Imagine That!
Deadline: March 15, 2016
Tell us about places you conjure,
for this world or for yourself.
Sharing wisdom about friendship and other important topics helps
all girls. We like “the assumption game” that Ladies First does in its
programs for girls from elementary
through high school. In the game,
girls answer this question: “What
did you assume about a friend
when you first met her, and what
have you learned by getting to
know her?” Try it—answers can
really open up great conversations.
Thanks, Ladies First!
What’s Your Future?
Deadline: July 1, 2016
Got predictions for your life
ahead? Curious about cool jobs?
Ladies First middle school friends
All About Emotions . . .
Deadline: May 1, 2016
Let it out­—thoughts on anger,
joy, sadness, and all the rest.
3
L etters
to
luna
letters to
luna
Dear Luna,
The January/February 2016 issue
is my favorite so far. I loved the
debating articles and learned a
lot. It will come in handy for
my household. NMG is such
a wonderful place, and I am
grateful to be part of such a
wonderful community. Lately I
have been feeling like a Misfit Toy
from Rudolph the Red-Nosed
Reindeer, and I’m so appreciative
to have the wonderful girls here
who I can learn from and trust.
Amelia, 14
I’m Luna, the spirit of New
Moon. I love to hear from
you! Write me at NewMoon.
com/how-to-get-publishedNew-Moon-Girls.
well, I got to find out what they
would be, too!
Tikki, 11
Massachusetts
Dear Luna,
I know that girls aren’t supposed
to share email addresses in their
online community posts, but can
I give a girl my email address in
a private message? That way, we
could pen pal chat each other and
have fun. Thanks!
Alechalla, 13
Montana
New York
Dear Luna,
I took the quiz in the November/
December 2015 issue, “What
Animal Are You?” I discovered I
was a cat. It was really fun, and
since I know my friends really
Dear Alex,
Luckily, NMG online members
can send pen pal messages
by clicking on the “Message”
button to email
Shining Star Shout-Out!
Clara, 13, Minnesota,
and her mom Heather are big
NMG fans. So after they noticed
that Clara’s school library didn’t
have NMG magazine, they’ve
been donating a membership
each year, so that ALL girls at the
school can read it! Heather’s a
reading specialist, and she also
brings old NMG issues for her
students to read. “I especially
like the original stories that girls
4
new moon girls
contribute,”
Clara says.
Heather likes
NMG’s message
that “every girl
is powerful and can make a
difference.” Many thanks, Clara
and Heather!
Tell us about your Shining Star
actions to help spread the word
about NMG—email a few details
to girl@NewMoon.com. Thanks!
• www.newmoon. com • March/April 2016
another member right on
our safe online community.
NMG member Mathilde, 10,
Washington, started a pen pal
club—thanks so much, Mathilde!
See p. 17 for more pen pal ideas.
ove
luna
Dear Luna,
I gave a speech at my
school about the
effect of palm
I loved the
oil harvesting
debating
on orangutan
articles.
habitat. I want
others to know
that so many
beautiful creatures
are dying in Borneo when we
innocently buy a bag of Skittles.
Please check any processed foods
and candy bars for palm oil
content. To help orangutans,
visit RedApes.org and donate
or “adopt” an orangutan
like I did. Thanks so much!
Anise, 10
British Columbia
Dear Anise,
We love hearing from activist
girls like you—keep it up!
ove
luna
voice box
Worst Peer
Pressure?
Welcome to Voice Box, where you speak out
about hot topics. This time, we’re talking about
the pressures we feel to act a certain way, and
how it makes us feel. Check out our “Sound
Off” topic below and share your opinions.
I feel pressured to act more shy,
to have a crush, to wear clothes
I hate, and to not speak my
mind. When that happens, I feel
uncomfortable and unhappy.
Penelope, 9
Vermont
to, just so he can have alone time
with his girlfriend. I get mad and
sad.
person. It doesn’t always relieve
pressure, but it can give you a
sense of truthfulness.
Angelina, 10
California
Laye, 11
California
Often when I hang out with
other kids, I feel pressure to
change who I am and adjust my
personality to ‘fit’ with the group.
Instead of being a combination
of many things, I have to be a
stereotypical person with one
ruling trait. I want people to
become friends with me because
of my true self, not a fake and
unreal persona I’m forced to
create. Kids also create their fake
person. It’s obvious that most
kids hate this, and yet they inflict
the same pressure upon their own
peers, creating a vicious circle.
Sometimes I feel pressured to
be thinner, and then sometimes
to not be too thin! I also feel
pressured to be more grown up
than I am. This makes me feel
depressed and angry.
I feel pressure when I ice-skate at
the rink, which I love to do. I’m
orthodox Jewish, which means
that I live by certain rules such
as wearing skirts that cover my
knees and shirts that cover my
collarbone and elbows. I don’t
find this to be limiting when I’m
skating, but all the other girls
wear pants and leggings, and they
don’t know why I’m wearing
such “weird” clothes. I feel that I
get immediately labeled as a girly
girl. I’m really more of a tomboy
in a skirt for religious reasons. If
At an age where it’s still
more girls knew about this type
almost impossible to
of religion-based modesty,
know who I am,
then I, and many other
I feel pressure having other kids
Orthodox Jewish girls,
to change
attempt to make
would have a much easier
who
I
am.
me into someone
time fitting in, and not
else just makes
wish we could wear pants.
everything more
Rina, 14
confusing. And I don’t
feel like I can easily find other
Michigan
kids who share my view on the
topic.
I feel like my dad sometimes
wants me to play with his
girlfriend’s kid when I don’t want
I hope more kids believe that it’s
okay to be an interesting, unique
Morrigan, 11
California
Sound off!
What’s the
easiest and
most fun:
to be an
oldest kid,
youngest,
middle, or only
kid? Twin? Why? What would you
pick if you could?
Go to NewMoon.com/polls to
take the “Easiest family role?”
poll. Just ask a parent to sign up
there for free parenting advice
and more, so you can take polls.
We do this for your safety.
Your answer could be in the
magazine or on the website!
5
ask a girl
ask a
girl
Ask a Girl is an advice column for girls, by
girls. Thanks to NMG online members who ask
questions and give great advice!
Dear Ask a Girl:
I’m so sad because I switched
schools and all my friends were
at my old school. I worry that
we’re going to grow apart.
Things started out fine at my
new school—I made a few
friends I’ll call L and J. L was
very nice to me and J even
invited me to her birthday party.
But all of a sudden, they started
to ignore me. Help!
Needs Friends, 12
Hawaii
Dear Needs Friends,
I’m so sorry! I’ve had a lot of
friends move away, and it hurts.
Talk to L and J and ask them
what’s going on. They might not
have realized they were hurting
you. But if they were purposefully
ignoring you, try reaching out to
people who seem like someone
you’d want to know. Say “hi,”
6
new moon girls
and help them with something.
Tell them about your interests,
and join clubs and activities. Be
sure to keep talking with your
old friends and invite them over.
Let me know how this goes!
Dear Needs Friends,
Mia, 12
California
Curious, 12
Washington
I’m sorry—it’s hard to leave
friends behind. You can always
fall back on NMG friendships! L
and J might have been trying to
welcome you, but not want to be
super-close friends. That’s okay.
Solstice the Ghost,
Keep talking to them, and
13
All of a
Ohio
sudden, they also chat with other girls. Be
yourself. People will like you
started to
for yourself.
Dear Needs
ignore
me.
Friends,
Snowflake, 14
Minnesota
I know it’s hard to
move. Keep in touch with your
old friends, but start talking to
other girls or boys. Some ideas
Dear Ask a Girl:
or questions to ask to start
conversations: What are some
hobbies/things you like to do? (It I’d like advice (along with other
doesn’t have to be the same as
girls on this site who are also
your hobbies—opposites attract!) pre-period) about what periods
Do you have any siblings? Were
are like. What did you older girls
you born in a different place?
feel like the day or week before
Ask about books, TV shows, and you got your first period? Did you
movies they like.
know before it happened?
• www.newmoon. com • March/April 2016
I’d like advice
on what
periods are
like.
Dear Curious,
It’s hard to know
when your period
will start. It’s
common to get it
at around the same
age that your mom did, but that
might not happen. You may
notice discharge (clearish stuff in
your underwear) shortly before
you get it. But some girls don’t
get discharge, and others may
have it for a year or more before
their period. I didn’t get discharge
until after I got my period.
Sarangutan, 15
Michigan
Dear Curious,
It really varies with how your
period will feel. Some people
have really long, heavy, crampfilled periods, while others have
short, light, barely painful ones. I
have one friend whose cramps are
extremely painful, and another
friend who doesn’t even get
cramps. It’s going to be different
for all of your friends.
Emnog, 13
Florida
Dear Curious,
I didn’t feel my period coming.
My underwear was bloody,
and that was that. My period is
annoying but not bad. You’ll be
able to tell your friends when
you get your period, and they
can help you with medication if
you get painful cramps and with
making sure no one is watching if
you need to get a pad out of your
backpack. Sharing with friends
really helps.
Amelia, 14
Montana
Dear Ask a Girl:
I’m not saying I have a crush,
but how do you talk to a crush
when you can hardly make eye
contact with them?
Crush?, 12
California
Dear Crush?,
Before my crush turned kinda
jerkish, I always made it a
goal to say at least one word
when we passed each other in
the halls, even though I sort of
looked away when I saw him. It
WILL work if you do it, since I
was able to carry out a full-on
conversation with him by the end
of the year. For anyone who has
this problem, just talk to them
whenever you see each other,
and soon you’ll be able to not be
awkward around them.
Anna, 13
New York
Dear Crush?,
It’s actually easier than you think.
You will get the most nervous
right before you say “hi,” but
after that when he responds
and you are in a conversation,
the nervousness just evaporates
slowly. Well, I did have one
crush where I couldn’t even hear
his name without blushing, and
when he came around to talk to
me or my friends, I would clam
up.
Frostie the
Snowman, 13
Wisconsin
Want to ask a girl?
Visit NewMoon.com to
join our online community.
How do
you talk to a
crush?
Dear Crush?,
1: TALK TO HIM. 2: Become
friends. 3: Try to tell him you
like him. I became good friends
with my crush and we do things
together. We bug each other and
tell secrets. We text each other.
The only thing is I’m not sure
how to tell him I like him without
him being like “uh, OK,” and
then scooting away. I don’t want
rejection.
Kandy Cane, 11
British Columbia
Dear Ask a Girl:
Some girls were mean to me and
called me names last year, and
they’re in my class this year. I’m
afraid they’ll do it again. Advice?
Sheenagh, 8
Ontario
Editor’s note: Several
girls advised
Sheenagh to tell an
adult or teacher
or friend, such as
Emily, 11, France,
who said:
Now the
girls are my
friends!
If it happens, be strong
and tell an adult or friend.
Then just ask them to stop.
Stella, 11, Washington, said: Tell
your teacher that these girls gave
you problems last year. I did this
and the girl who was mean to me
left me alone.
Sheenagh wrote back with good
news. She said:
Thanks for your advice,
everyone! I told them to stop,
and now the girls are really nice
to me and are my friends!
7
body and
feelings
Friendship 101
You can keep your friendships close
and healthy (and add more friends)
with these great guidelines.
Growing up as a girl isn’t always easy. Your body
is changing, your interests are changing, and your
friendships are changing. Even when it gets hard,
holding onto friends is almost always worth it.
Here are five rules for keeping your friends—
without losing yourself!
understand where she’s coming from. Write her
a letter or poem, or give her a favorite candy bar,
and ask her to forgive you. If you’re the one who’s
angry with your friend, do your best to open your
mind when your friend wants you to forgive her.
You can’t be mad at each other forever.
Rule #1: No one likes a fake.
During your journey to find a good friend, you may
feel pressure to be popular. A lot of girls think that
if they aren’t friends with the “in” crowd, no one
will like them. Not true! No one likes a fake. A
friend will appreciate you for who you are.
Rule #5: Breaking up is hard to do.
Sadly, there are situations when you and your
friend may need to say goodbye. Sometimes, people
change. Even though this might feel sad, it’s OK if
you and your friend just grow apart. If your friend
starts to act mean, or do scary stuff, like drugs or
alcohol, then sometimes it’s best to walk away.
You’ll find new friends, even if it doesn’t seem like it
at the time.
Rule #2: Get a life!
Friends are great, but remember—you aren’t
attached at the hip. When friends hang out every
waking moment, they tend to fight over little things
and get tired of each other. Spending too much
time with one person just isn’t healthy. You can be
open to hanging out with other people—it’s OK to
have more than one bud at a time. Go see a movie
or have a slumber party with your friend, but join
some clubs or sports, or take a class so you can
meet new people, too.
Rule #3: Talk it out.
Once you find a good friend, you’ll want to keep
her. So watch out for misunderstandings that
could push your friendship over the edge. We often
listen to gossip and forget to get the truth from
the original source. If you hear rumors about your
friend, ask her for the real story. Talking things out
can prevent a fight, and save your friendship.
Conflict in friendship is OK, as long as you
keep listening to and respecting each other.
Rule #4: You can’t be mad forever.
You may want to make up with your friend
after a huge fight. If your friend is mad at you,
remember why you started fighting in the first
place, and make sure your friend knows you
8
new moon girls
• www.newmoon. com • March/April 2016
Friends make it easy to fly through the toughest
parts of life. It’s great to know you’ve given a friend
a shoulder to lean on when she’s needed it. Show
you care for the special people in your life, and
you’ll always have a place in each
other’s hearts.
Tips? Get NMG Free!
Want to see a free past issue? Think
of a friendship tip that’s helped you,
and send to girl@NewMoon.com. To
thank you, we’ll email the past issue
that you’d most like. And we’ll share
your friendship advice at our online community at
NMGmembers.com.
The friendship article you just read
is from 2008. You can find lots of
goodies in past issues of NMG
magazine. Visit NMGirlstore.com
to find them. You can order paper
issues or download issues instantly
after purchase.
Friendship Smarts
By Sophie Dalager
Dr. Verna Price created Girls In Action
(GIA), a program that has helped over
3,000 girls become better friends, use their own
power, and reach their goals. Most of the GIA
groups are in middle schools and high schools in
Verna (left, and above) with 2015 GIA grads and mentors
Minnesota’s Twin Cities, and Verna has started
programs in Central America and Africa. I love
add skills and emotional maturity to yourself, you’ll
how she teaches girls that every one of us—no
automatically add that to others.
matter if we’re black or white or rich or poor—has
plenty of power to do what we want with our lives.
•Subtractors: It’s wise to stay away from them.
This is something that we don’t always learn at
They’re likely to talk behind people’s back, make
school.
drama, and usually take much more than give.
Verna suggests you notice which friends are
I also like how Verna talks about the kind of friend
subtractors and decide whether you should stay
you can be, and how you can make smart decisions
around them.
about the friends you make and keep. It’s really
a simple message:
•Dividers: They’re dangerous “friends.” These are
Friends can be
friends who can target you and want to isolate you.
adders, subtractors,
They may tell you that your other friends don’t care
multipliers, and
about you like they do.
dividers.
•Adders: Everyone
should be an adder
in their friendships!
You’ll continually,
consistently, and
intentionally add value to your life and your
friends’ lives. If you have big dreams, be an adder.
In our Girls in Action gatherings, Verna encourages
all of us to find a core purpose and then cultivate
positive energy in our friendships. We all have
the power to think what we think. And after
we’re done thinking, we should choose our words
carefully. If we find ourselves talking negative, we
can stop. Words are powerful.
•Multiplier: Adders, move on to being a multiplier.
Multipliers make things happen. They don’t
divide circles of friends; they multiply them. They
bring people together to start programs in school,
neighborhoods, and communities. And when you
What kind of friend are you going to
be?
Sophie, 10, Minnesota, enjoys reading
books, playing softball, and skiing.
Let’s Talk Hair!
Hair can be a fun way to express
yourself. You might try a temporary
color change, or invent a cool braid, or
go fluffy like a llama. Or you
might prefer to stick your
hair in a ponytail and forget
about it, which is fun, too.
Whatever way you view hair (on
any given day), give us your hairy
thoughts for an upcoming
magazine and online look at
hair creativity and history. We’ll
learn about new notions of hair
health—after all, it’s important to keep
your scalp (skin is your body’s biggest organ)
healthy, and avoid risky products pushed on us.
Share your ideas, advice, photos, and drawings at
NewMoon.com/polls. Thanks!
9
just for fun
Friendship Funfests
Are there a gazillion or a bazillion fun things to
do with friends? Try these inventive sleepovers
and crafty ideas, and tell Luna about yours!
Decorate pillowcases like Lola (top
right), 11, Wisconsin, and friends did.
By Tallulah Costas
Sleepovers are superfun, whether it’s with one
friend or 10. Check out these sleepover themes and
activities, and tell us about yours!
short, interesting questions on little pieces of paper,
put them in a bowl, and pick one. No trading!
Build Your Own Food Ever been served something
that you like in general, but aren’t thrilled with
some parts? Let guests create a custom treat.
Infomercial Charades In teams of two, think up
a product and try to show your friends
what it is without using words. Guess
correctly, and your team’s up next.
Sundaes are easy—get different ice
creams, sauces, and toppings such as
crumbled candy or nuts.
Make a batch of cupcakes, and let guest
decorate with colored icings, sprinkles, and
other edibles.
For personalized pizzas, invite guests to add favorite
toppings, such as cheeses and veggies of all kinds,
to personal-sized unbaked pizza crusts.
Sushi-rolling is an adventure,
but not hard. Provide cooked
sushi rice to spread on
seaweed wrappers, and let
guests put on ingredients
they prefer, such as slivered
cucumber, avocado, and
carrots. Then roll it up!
Spooky CREEPOVER Build a
sheet fort, turn out the lights, and tell ghost
stories. Or sleep in a tent in the backyard,
and use the sheets to impersonate ghosts and
“haunt” your family.
Crazy Hair Gather all your hair accessories and
make wacky hairstyles on each other.
20 Questions You and your friends write down
10
new moon girls
• www.newmoon. com • March/April 2016
Stage Play Put on a play or
talent show for your parents and
siblings. Make up a story, get one
from a book of kids’ plays, or act
out a book. Dr. Suess, anybody?
Danceathon Play a collection of great
songs, and dance your hearts out. Ask
friends to show off any dance moves they know.
And, of course, sing along or do a karaoke contest!
Who Am I? Tell guests to come dressed as a favorite
public person, whether it’s a movie star or singer or
someone they admire. Guess who’s who.
Game Extravaganza Play board games, card
games, and imagining games. Bring out scarves and
dress-up clothes and random items to imagine a
world of mythical creatures and beyond.
Hope this inspires sleepovers you want to have, and
don’t forget—there are always pillow fights!
Tallulah, 12, Virginia, was a NMG Girls
Editorial Board member, and is now
a blogger/editor for Tom Tom
Magazine, the only magazine in
the world dedicated to female
drummers. She loves sleepovers,
cats, all sorts of music, cake, and
playing drums.
Make It!
Craft a Friendly Message
You know what you like in each of your friends,
right? You might really love the way one friend
cracks you up, and how another one seems to know
when you need a supportive hug.
Tell them! These message bracelets let each friend
know that her unique awesomeness is appreciated.
And if a friend needs an encouraging boost to reach
a goal (see “Sing On” pix below), a bracelet can
spell that out. Or put a wacky phrase you two say
to each other on a bracelet.
Gather a few supplies at
a craft store: alphabet
beads, colored beads,
and charms; and
something to string
them on, such as
stretch cord, beading
wire, thicker cord,
chain, or embroidery
floss. Then get beading!
String your message on
your cord (these ones
are on stretch cord), and
put one or more beads
between words. When
you’re finished, tie the ends
where the beads stop, using
at least two knots. If you
use wire, twist it several
times. Then hide the ends
by threading each end back
through several beads on
either side of the knot.
String up the goofy
phrase that makes you
two laugh hysterically!
This one’s so easy—
make a bunch.
Like to make friendship
bracelets with embroidery
floss? So do NMG
girls! Search “Make It!” at
NMGmembers.com to find a tutorial on making
friendship bracelets and more! NMG members,
share your creative how-to there, too.
Flying Secrets
Make a message bracelet that
has a secret friendly message,
and send it flying over to a
friend! All you need is a pen
and the wide rubber bands
often used with
veggies at the
store (ask a parent or snoop
around the fridge).
Stretch the band around
something big (the bigger
the better),
such as a
cutting
board or large book. Write
a message with the pen,
and then remove. Now your
message is hard to read—
unless the recipient stretches
the rubberband out again. Have
fun, and be careful with your aim
(and getting caught if you’re in school)!
Beadmaking for Change
Have you ever made beads from
paper? You can help African
women who make beautiful paper
beads to fund a better future for
themselves and
for girls often
denied education. Visit
BeadForLife.org to learn
more, and search “Make It!”
at NMGmembers.com to see
how to make paper beads.
11
Meet NMG’s
Girl of the Year: Jules!
What happens when girls tell the world about what they
care about? The world becomes better. Here’s why we find
Jules, 15, New York, an inspiration for all girls!
By Jules Spector
I’m so honored to become NMG’s Girl of the
Year—thank you, girls! I love seeing all the ways
girls around the world help each other be strong
and do what we want. Here’s how I became a
feminist activist.
When I was 9 years old, I pulled a book off my
mom’s bookshelf, Half the Sky, by Nicholas Kristof
and Sheryl WuDunn. I was horrified to learn of
all the ways women and girls were treated badly
and unfairly in so many places around the world,
and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why this
should happen!
A few years later, I discovered a way I could help
through Girl Up, a United Nations Foundation
organization that helps girls worldwide be
Jules Faves
Favorite things to do: Dancing/
rapping along to the musical
“Hamilton,” reading, hanging
with my friends, taking long
walks with my mom, colorcoordinating my entire life,
playing with my hedgehog, and
writing blog posts!
Favorite animal: HEDGEHOGS! My pet hedgehog
Hercules Mulligan is the cutest thing in the
world. That’s me and him above!
Favorite song: “Guns and Ships”
or “The Schuyler Sisters” (left) from
Hamilton
Favorite snack: Vegan chocolate chips
and coconut date rolls
Favorite female to be in charge of the world:
Angelica Schuyler/Hillary Clinton/Gloria Steinem
12
new moon girls
• www.newmoon. com • March/April 2016
treated more fairly through
better access to education, avoiding child marriage,
and other measures. I started a Girl Up club, and so
far we have raised over $4,000 for girls’ education
in countries such as Malawi, Guatemala, India,
Ethiopia, and Liberia, which is AWESOME!
I became a Girl Up Teen Advisor in 8th grade,
and really loved working with a bunch of
incredible teenage girls whom I look up to
SO much. Just being part of Girl Up gave me
amazing opportunities. I was a teen reporter at the
international Social Good Summit where people
talk about solutions to problems, and I went to
Washington, DC, to advocate for the Girls Count
Act. Thanks to the incredible power of girls, we
won! Now girls around the world will get birth
certificates so they can more easily go to school, get
other services, and eventually own property.
You Can Jules, Too!
One of the things we admire about Jules
is that she makes speaking her mind
seem easy—and it is! A few ways:
*Making change simply means saying
even little things in everyday settings.
Making a short, respectful comment in class
or in casual convos counts. Practice by saying
opinions in a diary or around family, and then take
it out in public­—a little at a time is fine.
*Blogging (with permission) is easier than ever,
and gets your views out to lots of people. We love
how Jules blogs (TeenFeminist.com) about issues
both serious and fun. You’ll learn about “go as an
awesome woman” Halloween outfits; donating
to get bikes to girls in Guatemala; cool t-shirts
(Pizza Rolls, Not Gender Roles); why girls and
women should stop saying “sorry” so much and
stop worrying about thigh gaps; and getting girls
in schools worldwide. Try blogging privately to try
your wings!
I met Malala Yousafzai and interviewed
her for ABC News along with
trailblazing reporter Diane Sawyer,
and hosted a panel at my school with
awesome women who advised girls
how to be advocates. I heard Michelle
Obama speak about the importance
of girls’ education, and asked Hillary
Clinton a question at the launch of the
No Ceilings campaign, which breaks down barriers
so girls can achieve their goals.
Jules (top row, second from left) at 13 with the
Girl Up Teen Advisors
Two years ago, I started my blog, TeenFeminist.
com, so I can speak directly about what is on my
mind as a form of personal activism. I hope this
encourages other girls to speak out about issues
they care about and fight the pressure to stay quiet.
I’m also a Be Loud Ambassador for School of
Doodle, a SUPERcool free online arts school for
girls. In 9th grade, I spoke about the power of girls
for Women Moving Millions, a group that helps
make things more fair for girls and women.
I’m now a high school junior, and I also intern for
The Harnisch Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated
to investing in girls and women everywhere. I love
working for this awesome organization.
Here’s what I’ve learned from my journey so far:
Girls CAN and WILL change the world. Girls have
the STRENGTH, POWER, and INTELLIGENCE
to make incredible changes to the world. Girls
need to be LOUD and express themselves through
writing, reading, drawing, singing, dancing, acting,
playing, and speaking.
However, the most amazing experiences I’ve had
with my blog are the wonderful comments I receive
from readers saying that I inspired them to start
their own blogs. I get so happy when I hear that I
gave someone the strength to speak out.
Girls will change the world, I promise.
Coloring Sheroes
Enjoy these coloring pages of amazing women (and good ideas)! Download the full pages to color at
NewMoon.com/herstory-inspiring-girls-women. You’ll also learn there how to make your own coloring
pages of other sheroes (like Jules) or friends or any one you want. We’d love to see what you make.
Many thanks to the awesome women who created these cool coloring books­—check them out!
Legendary Indian Mumtaz
Mahal by Lisa Graves from
Colorful Women: Visit
tinyurl.com/hvutk8e and see
The Witches, too.
Mexican artist Frida
Kahlo by Casey Landau
from Coloring Outside
the Kitchen: Visit
coloringoutside.etsy.com
No one wants to fight
patriarchy alone.
Make friends.
YES to this! From the Girls
Are Not Chicks Coloring
Book by Jacinta Bunnell
and Julie Novak (PM
Press); visit etsy.com/shop/
JacintaBunnell
Why not girls like Jules (and
you) in the coloring books
of the near future? Learn
to make your own the way
NMG editor Helen did to
make this Jules page.
13
How to Be
A“Best” Friend
Could you do what Anna did to be
the best kind of friend?
By Katie Roulet
Katie (left) and Anna
When I think about my friend Anna, I think about
all of the times that we put on silly skits for my
mom with stuffed animals, had pizza parties, and
played imagination games. But I also think about
something she did for me that I never could have
done.
now. But I couldn’t help it. I sat down in the grass,
hugged my knees, and tears rolled down my cheeks.
Anna and I were in a group of five or six girls who
would always hang out together at recess. One of
the girls (I will call her Bobbi) used to be one of my
best friends until the day she started being pretty
mean to me. So I just stopped being friends with
her, and I only saw her when the group would get
together and hang out at recess.
One day, I couldn’t find the group at recess. I
looked for a while until I finally found them about
five minutes later. I ran up to the group and asked
what they were doing. Anna said to me, “Hi! We
are pretending to be Warrior Cats!”
I asked if I could join them and Anna said I could,
but added that she’d just let the group know I
was here. Anna ran off and talked to them for a
while. I saw Bobbi whisper something to Anna.
Anna turned and talked to the rest of the group
for a minute, and then walked back up to me. She
glanced back at Bobbi and then looked at me. Then
she said, “Um . . . Katie? Bobbi says you can’t hang
out with us. The rest of the group just agreed with
her . . . and . . . I can’t do anything about it. I’m
really sorry, but I can’t change her mind.”
I knew it wasn’t Anna’s fault, so I said, “Okay,
well, have fun.” Anna walked back to the group.
I watched all my friends run around and have fun
like they didn’t even care that I wasn’t there. My
eyes started to sting. Don’t cry, don’t cry, I told
myself. You’ve never cried at school. Don’t start
14
new moon girls
• www.newmoon. com • March/April 2016
The next day at recess, I saw the group running
around like they didn’t care that I was gone, just
like the day before. I sat down on a small bench
and stared at all of the people running around and
giggling with all of their friends. Suddenly, I heard,
“Katie?” I turned around to see Anna there. She sat
down next to me and said, “I just wanted to say
that Bobbi said you can’t hang out with us today
again, so I decided to leave the group and join you
instead.”
“Really?” I said, standing up. “Yeah,” she said.
Then she stood up, and we walked together for the
rest of recess. After a few days, the whole group
(except Bobbi) wanted both of us to play with them
again. And thanks to Anna, I had a great time with
them.
I spent the next year at a different school, but when
I returned, I rejoined the friend group. I’m having
so much fun! I learned that Bobbi had excluded me
because she was jealous that Anna and I are such
good friends. Not long ago, Bobbi told Anna that
she had to pick me or the friend group. Again, Anna
stood up for me and told Bobbi that I was part of
the friend group and that I could be a part of it just
like everybody else.
I am still friends with everybody else in the group
because of Anna. So I thank Anna from the bottom
of my heart for standing up for me and for being
my friend no matter what happens.
Katie, 14, Minnesota, enjoys singing, acting,
reading, writing, and narwhals.
Caroline, 14,
Maine, (right)
with bestie
Wilson, 14
Friendly Advice
What do you love about friendships? What
have you learned about friendship? Enjoy these
thoughts girls shared, along with a few of the many
fun friends photos girls post in our online
community.
I love my friends. I cannot
imagine going through my life
without them. Even though
many of them have problems, I
always love being around them
and being there for them.
I have learned to never
underestimate or overestimate
my friends. They are human, just like
you. No matter how they pretend,
they have insecurities. I’ve learned that
sometimes the best thing you can do in a
friendship is to be honest.
Hannah, 13
California
Making a new friend starts with a burst of courage,
the kind that makes you go up to someone you
barely know and say, “Hi! I’m Maya! What’s your
name?” I met one of my closest friends
Boo to Stereotypes!
What’s your pet friendship
peeve? Girls chimed in on
keeping friendships limit-free.
•If a girl is talking to a boy, it must
mean they are dating. Ridiculous!
I have four amazing friends who are guys. Also,
that only the “populars” can hang out with the
populars. Just because you are a jock doesn’t
mean you have to hang out with just the jocks.
Labeling groups is so unfair anyway.
Mistletoe, 13
Ohio
• When people think you’re
gay if you’re close with your
when she asked me a simple
question, “Are you a tomboy
or a girly-girl?” This led to us
talking for hours, revealing some of
our darkest secrets. Now, we’re just as close as ever,
and we live an hour away. If a new person starts the
friendship first step, be sure to respond and add to
the conversation. Soon, it’ll become a conversation
neither of you will want to end!
Maya, 11
Massachusetts
The majority of my friends are online
friends, and I’m fine with that. I
found a lot of them on NMG. I feel
like I have a “group” that I actually
fit into now, with girls who are
creative and interested in academics.
Because conversations are
typed, I don’t stutter or go
silent or twist my fingers or play
with my hair. Instead, I feel
completely comfortable.
Laye, 11
California
friend. Being gay IS NOT a bad thing. And
what’s wrong with hugging a good friend?
Christy Wells, 13
Wisconsin
• Big kids can’t be friends with little kids. Not
true! I have four friends under the age of eight.
Katniss, 13
Wisconsin
• Apparently, guys who are friends
with mostly girls are not boys at
all, but secretly girls—makes
NO sense.
Clara, 13
Rhode Island
15
Test Your Friend Inside Info
Here’s a fun way to see what you know about
each other, and then start sharing even more!
Think you know everything about your friend?
Think again! Take this quiz and see how much you
and your friend really know about each other.
Answer all of the questions from your friend’s point
of view, while she takes it for herself. Then reverse
roles: She fills out the quiz the way she thinks you
would answer, and you fill it out for yourself.
Kamila, 12, Montana (second from
right) celebrating with friends
7. If you were a flower, which would you be?
8. What religion are you?
9. Do you speak another language besides English?
When you’re finished, compare answers to see how
much you actually know about each other. It’s okay
if you don’t answer all of the questions correctly.
It just means you have more time ahead to get to
know your friend even better.
10. Would you rather go to a baseball game or a
musical?
1. Who is your favorite author?
12. What is your favorite vacation spot?
2. When is your birthday?
13. What is your strongest personality asset?
3. What does your mother do?
14. What would you like to change about
yourself?
4. What’s your favorite kind of animal?
5. What do you like to do more than anything with
your friends?
6. What’s your best subject in school?
Surprise, Surprise!
Everyone loves surprises! Here are some ways to
unexpectedly surprise a friend.
Invite her for breakfast—especially
unexpected on a weekday
morning. Bake muffins and
create a private breakfast
nook by hanging a sheet
from the ceiling.
Send an anonymous
note to a friend or leave
11. If you could live in any other period
of time, which one would you choose?
15. Who are you closest to
among all your relatives?
Find this friendship quiz and
lots more advice and ideas
in the NMG Friendship
ebook: NMGirlstore.com.
her tiny presents in her
locker.
For a birthday surprise, get
to school early and cover a
friend’s locker with balloons.
Draw pictures for friends, write them notes, or cut
out pictures they’d like from a magazine.
Make a fave song CD and decorate the cover.
Maya, 11, New York, drew a
splendid name for Li, 12, Texas.
16
new moon girls
• www.newmoon. com • March/April 2016
Make a sign for your friend’s bedroom door.
Get doodling and make her name pop with
colors; add in some of her favorite things.
NMG Friends 4 Life
We received the following letter from former
NMG member Karen Lanthier about a friend she
met through NMG. We LOVE it—thanks, Karen!
I wanted to let you know about how much New
Moon Girls has meant to me since I was first
given a subscription to it 15 years ago. It was a
magazine I looked forward to getting as a preteen
in rural Iowa—especially given the cultural climate
of my small town. Although my family held the
same values as NMG, many of my classmates and
teachers did not.
Perhaps the most special part of having New Moon
in my life, however, was meeting
my best friend, Claire Watkins. I
saw Claire’s info in your pen pal
section soon after my first issue.
I decided she would be fun to
know because we were both 11
and shared a love of nature and
gardening; plus it’d be fun having
a friend from Canada.
Here’s Karen (left) and Claire when they met up as
10th graders, and Claire with bride Karen!
When I got NMG’s email newsletter about the
power of writing, I decided it was important to
share our story. Thank you, NMG, for all the joy
and friendship that you helped me find in Claire,
and thank you for the support and self-assurance
you pass along to so many
girls now and over the
years.
The pen pals gave us a
life update. Karen works
in a Minnesota program
to bring healthier food to
all communities, and loves
growing food. As a girl,
Our pen pal pairing was an
she wanted to be a writer,
immediate hit—at our middleso she’s writing more now.
Bride Claire (left) and Karen
school writing peak, we wrote
Claire is doing what she
15-page letters to each other!
always wanted to do, teaching in
elementary school. They both still love being in
The beautiful thing about having a pen pal like
nature, and both love cooking. Claire and husband
Claire was that she was someone you could
adore their two cats, and Karen and husband
tell about all of your ups and downs, and feel
are getting a puppy. They’re meeting up this
completely safe. She had an outside perspective on
summer—only the fifth time ever for the pair!
all my troubles, as did I for her. We counseled each
other on first crushes, first serious relationships, and
deaths of loved ones or loved pets. Claire was there
for me when my parents divorced. Even into college
It’s great to hear from a friend any
and post-college life, we kept sharing, in spite (or
which way, but isn’t it awesome to
perhaps because?) of our physical distance.
get a real live letter in the mail?
Your handwritten words (and unique
After being friends for all these years, one of the
drawings if you want) are a gift that’s
biggest highlights of our friendship was when I was
easy and fun to give. Get super
able to be a maid of honor at her wedding
ideas in Karen Benke’s book, Write Back Soon!
in 2014, and she was able to be my maid
of honor at my wedding last year. I can’t
Girls on NMG’s online community get to pen pal,
imagine the wedding without
too—there’s even a pen pal club! And they share
her there, and I know she
their lives and grow friendships in many ways, such
feels the same way, too.
as messaging each other and commenting 24-7
Karen (left) and Claire at 11
on all the creative posts of opinion, fiction, art,
when they started writing
poetry, photos, and more.
Pen Pal It!
17
Meet My Family!
Just like being with any group of friends, living
with your unique family is always an adventure.
Hi, my name is Dearbhail (pronounced “Derval”).
I’m 11, and I live in Ireland with my two moms and
my twin brother. I have a big sister too, but she’s an
adult and lives on her own. I also have a cat, Leo.
Having two moms to me just seems normal. Most
of my friends find it normal, too, but sometimes
when new people find out they double-take a bit. I
don’t really get any negative reactions. It was a bit
weird for me when Ireland had a referendum about
same-sex marriage, and there were lots of anti-gay
posters. The “yes” side won by a lot, though!
I like having two moms because there are certain
things I like to do with each of them. One mom
is good at cooking and we play sports and run
together, and one mom is good at painting nails and
I like to go shopping with her.
I’m also a non-identical twin. My brother and I
aren’t look-alike and act-alike kind of twins—in
truth we’re almost completely different. We do
share a few interests, like we both like comics and
drawing, and we both like videogames. We go to
the same school, but we’re not in the same class.
My brother also has autism. Autism just means that
your brain works a bit differently, and people with
autism often find it difficult to understand another
person’s perspective or opinion. They may find it
difficult to understand expressions or to socialize.
People experience autism in very different ways,
and some people have a more serious form of it.
My brother’s autism means
that he often has very strong
feelings about something,
and sometimes will refuse
to compromise with the
other person. His emotions
can change very quickly.
He HATES being around
Dearbhail (left) and twin bro Senan
18
new moon girls
• www.newmoon. com • March/April 2016
Family from left: Mom Ciara, sister Min, Dearbhail
holding cat Leo, mom Loukia, and twin brother Senan
cheese, so I sometimes have to eat my meal at a
different time or room. He’s terrified of balloons, so
we always have to be careful he doesn’t see any. His
autism sometimes changes things for me, like when
we’re not being able to be somewhere because it’s
too busy or noisy for him.
As for me, I like to read, draw, and play Sims. I
love the Harry Potter books and the Secret series
by Pseudonymous Bosch. My favorite comics
are Big Nate, Calvin and Hobbes, and Smile,
Sisters, and Drama by Raina Telgemier. I can’t get
enough Mexican food (mmm to burritos), and I’m
vegetarian. I like art, swimming, after-school yoga
class, and bodyboarding in the summer.
I hope you enjoyed “meeting” our family!
We’re All Different
What’s different about you or
your family? Zoe, 11, Texas,
(right) is deaf, and so are her
parents, who adopted Zoe after
she’d been in several foster
homes. You can read more in
Finding Zoe, an awesome book by
her mom, Brandi Rarus.
We want people to accept us as we are. So the
Golden Rule works well with all kinds of kids. Just
as Zoe’s friends know to make sure she can read
their lips, you can easily work with other kids’
differences and treat them as you’d like to be
treated. That can mean chatting with them and
growing a friendship just like any others you have.
Many NMG members have family members
and friends who have a form of autism. Search
“autism” at NMGmembers.com to see girls’
stories and advice.
How’s Your Family Life?
Girls share honest thoughts and advice about
families at NMGmembers.com. And it’s cool to see
all the wonderful pix of family fun!
My most joyful moments with my family are baking
with them. Those are the memories I look back on
with the most joy. Some of my most difficult times
are when I argue with my mom.
Sometimes I feel like my relationship with my
parents are a little strained. I argue with them
more often than I like, and sometimes I daydream
of being an adult in my own home, making my
own decisions and being completely responsible
for my life. But other times I feel
Sofia, 10, South
like I’ll always want to live with
Dakota, with bro
them.
Erik
My younger brother can be
extremely annoying and
nosy, but most of the time
he’s a very kind and an
awesome brother. When
he is annoying, though, he’s
REALLY hard to control and
keep calm. It’s really hard to
keep myself from exploding, and
sometimes I do. It’s hard when my parents fight. I
live in a small house, and sometimes I just have to
sit in my room, listening to music, drowning out
the sound. It’s really nice when my family and I are
all one happy group. We have fun playing games,
baking, and watching movies.
What Kid Has It Best?
Do you think it’s easiest to be oldest, youngest,
middle, or only? Tell us on p. 5! Here’s how Aurelia
advised a “Littlest” in Ask a Girl.
Eliana, 13, South Dakota (second from left) and
sisters (from left) Briella, Viena, and Amara
My mom was really young when she had me, and
she and my dad split up when I was five. A few
years later, my mom and my brother and I moved
to a different state. My dad comes to visit each
year for a few months. Though the split-up was a
rough patch, my mom and dad are good friends.
My mom met this guy who had two boys who we
liked (though they were kind of trouble-makers).
But we didn’t like the boyfriend, and when they all
moved in, it felt like I was alone and my mom was
gone. He made some bad decisions, and my mom
broke up with him.
Just when family life seemed normal, my mom
started dating someone new! It took me a long
time to be okay with this, but I learned that It’s
okay to let your family grow when you feel totally
comfortable and safe with the new people/person.
They’re now married and happy, and so am I.
It was so much fun to go skiing with my family
over winter break! We went down the mountains
together as a family and helped each other. My
dad helped me when I got stuck on a steep part.
Big sis Alahna (right), 12,
Kansas, and sis Aubrey
Dear Littlest,
I am a little sister of a 16-year-old, and I get teased
a lot. Whenever I tell my sib and friends to stop,
they smile and sarcastically say “okay” and then
never stop. Being the youngest is hard because
everyone thinks that they are in charge of you.
Parents set higher expectations
for older kids. Youngest kids
have the advantage that parents
are more used to seeing different
behaviors from the older kids. Tell
your older sis how you feel. You might be
surprised to hear what being the oldest is like!
—Littlest, 13, Pennsylvania
—Aurelia, 12, Texas
19
Make It!
Design Adventure
A design class sparked an amazing adventure in
Italy for four girls creating a clothing company!
By Julia Lucas
I have a passion, and I know exactly what I want
to do. I want to be a fashion designer.
This idea began on New Year’s Eve of 2011,
when my sister Molly and our friends Isabel and
Caroline decided to create a fashion business
called Ch!que. Each of us had a unique sense
of style, and we wanted to express ourselves
through our original designs. That way, we didn’t
have to stick to whatever cookie-cutter styles
that large companies market to young girls.
From left: Isabel, 15, Caroline, 13, Julia, 13, Molly, 11, at the
Missoni factory­—see their dress designs below each girl.
current trends and how stores decide which
clothes and accessories they’ll stock.
We created inspiration boards about
At first, we simply started drawing
our fashion ideas using magazine
our ideal clothing items, but we knew
pictures and drawings. Isabel and I
that we’d also need to learn all about
created boards with just our original
the fashion industry, too. We started
drawings,
which prompted the buyers
meeting regularly and writing down our
to
ask
to
display
our boards at a special
plans. Then something happened that led
Nordstrom gala celebrating the arrival
to a very important event.
Ottavio offers advice of the Missoni summer collection.
to the girls.
And Ottavio Missoni, Jr., grandson of
Isabel and I took a class at the
founders Rosita and “Tia” Missoni, was
Minneapolis Institute of Arts inspired
coming.
by their exhibit on Italian fashion. We studied the
exhibit, and then two clothes buyers from our
We were so excited! At the gala, we were warmly
local Nordstrom department store taught us about
Sketch to Dress
I love lots of things: dogs, drawing,
sculpting, making pottery, playing
tennis, and dancing ballet—I’ve
been a mouse and a toy soldier in
The Nutcracker. One thing I REALLY
love is using the creative process to
make my clothing ideas come to life.
I love to design clothing, sew things
on the sewing machine, and knit. I
like playing around with fabric, and
I recycle old fabric into things like
handbags and hair bows.
I’ve always loved fashion—not because I like
20
new moon girls
• www.newmoon. com • March/April 2016
shopping or clothes, but because I’m really
interested in design. When I was younger, I’d wish
that I could sketch an outfit and it would appear
in thin air. I even thought about inventing such
a thing. What I’m doing instead
is being part of our girl-created
fashion company, Ch!que.
If you want to turn your sketches
into clothes, just jump in! I
sketched my dress idea (left), and
with the help of Emily, a fashion
designer who taught us how
to create patterns and sew, we
brought my idea (right) to life!
—Molly Lucas
welcomed by Ottavio, and he spent a long time
giving us advice about our designs and our Ch!que
plans. Then he said that if we were ever in Italy,
he’d show us around the Missoni factory!
We talked with our families, and we decided to
pursue this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Our trip
happened to fall on the Milan Fashion Week in
March. When Ottavio learned of this, he invited us
to the Missoni runway show. We were thrilled! We
decided to each create our original dresses from our
designs to wear in Italy, and sewed them up with
the help of a local designer, Emily.
I found Italy to be the most
beautiful place I’ve ever been. We
wandered the cobblestone streets,
seeing the ancient mixed with
the modern, the couture clothing
lining the window displays, and
people in casually fashionable attire
we’d never see at home.
At the Missoni show, Ottavio was just as kind
and welcoming as before. He introduced us to
his family: his brothers and his aunt, uncle, mom,
and cousins. That was unreal—we got to meet the
people who run one of the most influential fashion
companies in the world. Some audience members
chatted with us, and a few reporters asked us
questions and took pictures!
The show was everything I’d expected and more.
The music fit the summer collection’s brightly
colored striped and zigzagged swimsuits, dresses,
From left: Molly, Julia, Ottavio, Caroline, Isabel
tops, and shawls worn by the models. Cameras
flashed and we looked on with wonder.
The Missoni factory is in a beautiful forest about
an hour from Milan. We got a complete tour with
Ottavio and watched people operate the machines
that make the fabrics and make sure it’s perfect
before sending it to be sewn into a garment. There
is color EVERYWHERE. Fabrics are in huge rolling
containers and bits of yarn are scattered about
the building. The walls were covered in posters
of Missoni ads and garments created since the
company began in 1953.
We watched employees making garments for large
patrons like Nordstrom and for clients who wanted
clothes from the Milan show. We even got to meet
and chat with cofounder Rosita Missoni. The
menswear collection designers gave us advice about
creating a company, primarily that we need to work
very hard and know how to sew well in addition to
our design skills. And Ottavio gave us a behind-thescenes look at not-yet-released collections.
We’re so grateful for Ottavio’s support, and we’re
inspired to take our company to new levels. We are
passionate about fashion, about self-expression, and
about doing something amazing with our ideas.
Make It: Skirts!
I love sewing, especially skirts. I got a sewing machine for my
birthday, and my mom taught me how to sew. This white skirt made
from tulle took me just a few hours to make. For my high-low skirt,
I drew a pattern by tracing the outline of another skirt I liked. It
has elastic around the waist, which is easy to do. The satin tulip
skirt (below) is my favorite, and I used buttons at the waist. I really
recommend that you try sewing, by machine or by hand. I love
how you can just imagine something, get some fabric, and make it
yourself! It costs much less than clothes you buy, and it’s fun to say
that you make your own clothes. —Mayya, 11, British Columbia
Search “skirts” at NMGmembers.com to learn how to make your own skirts. Search
“sewing” to hear about the awesome creations of the girls in the NMG sewing club.
Send us photos of what you make so we can feature it online—just go to NewMoon.
com/how-to-get-published-New-Moon-Girls.
21
F or the
C urious
Find Her!
Secret Sheroes
We need your help to be a history sleuth! It’s easy:
Find a historic woman in your area, celebrate her,
and share her awesomeness with the world.
Does it seem like most of the statues and plaques
you see are about men? In fact, women have
done awesome things everywhere. We found a
great women’s history detective in Penny Colman,
who shares her love of historic women in many
wonderful books. Penny also tracks down historic
women wherever she goes. Thanks, Penny!
“famous women.” Be sure to search “women’s
history trails” to find dozens of U.S. women’s
history trails, including the amazing Boston
Women’s Heritage Trail (bwht.org).
NMG: How can I find historic women who lived or
did great things in my area?
The Rosie the Riveter memorial in Richmond,
California, honors women workers who helped
win World War II by taking over when men left to
fight. I loved writing about these awesome women
in Rosie the Riveter: Women Working on the Home
Front in World War II. The monument is as long as
a WWII Liberty Ship, and
loaded with info and photos
about these amazing women.
Start by asking the reference librarians at your local
library. They can be great resources for books or
articles about local history, information about local
historical societies and collections, or tips about
local people who are women’s history buffs. Also,
get a copy of the indispensable book by Lynn Sherr
and Jurate Kazickas, Susan B. Anthony Slept Here:
A Guide to American Women’s Landmarks.
Do a computer search, typing in your city or county
or state name, and adding “women’s history” or
YOU Put Women on the Map
22
Penny and sheroes Elizabeth, Amelia, and Susan.
What are a few of your favorite historic women’s
landmarks?
Real Rosies
The activist, fifty-year long
friendship that I wrote about
in Elizabeth Cady Stanton
and Susan B. Anthony: A
What does it say to children that so few women
are recognized in statues, on
money bills, or named in schools
and streets and buildings? It says
that women aren’t as important as
men. And that’s wrong and untrue.
You can contribute, too! When you learn of a
historic (not living) woman you admire, write
150-300 words about her, and include a link with
a photo of her or what she did, as well as a street
address of where she lived or did something cool.
Email to girl@NewMoon.com, and we’ll get it to
SPARK, and you’ll put another woman on the map!
The girl activists with the
Maine feminist group SPARK
(SparkSummit.com) know that
women made history everywhere, so they’re
making these women visible by highlighting
awesome women on the app, Put Women on the
Map, a project of the Field Trip app. Now anyone
anywhere can use the app­—your phone buzzes
when you’re near a woman listed on the app—to
bring women back into history.
Just a few of the women SPARK girls brought
to life: The spot in Ohio where Sojourner Truth
gave her “Ain’t I a Woman” speech . . . the
center in Chile where the “arpilleristas” women
made protest needle art during the
dictatorship . . . . the Massachusetts
birthplace of Deborah Sampson (left),
who fought disguised as a man in the
Revolutionary War . . . the Paris hall
where Josephine Baker (right) danced.
new moon girls
• www.newmoon. com • March/April 2016
Women’s
Work
Friendship That Changed the World
began in May 1851 when their mutual
friend Amelia Bloomer introduced them on a street
corner in Seneca Falls, New York. That’s me at left
with these women that I grew to know and admire
so much. Amelia (middle) is wearing the bloomers
she invented, as is Elizabeth (left).
Mary McLeod Bethune is someone I knew I’d
include in Adventurous Women: Eight True
Stories About Women Who Made a Difference,
and I couldn’t wait to visit her statue (below)
in Washington,
DC. An educator,
activist, and
adviser to five U.S.
Presidents, she’s one
of America’s most
influential AfricanAmerican women.
See the statue and zip
over to the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House
not far away—it’s a beautiful Victorian home that’s
a treasure trove of black women’s history.
Penny has written over 20
books, most of them kids’
books about women and
others who fought for fairness.
Learn more about Penny and
her books at PennyColman.
com. We especially love her
marvelous history of girls!
Rosie Gets a Bridge
Sixteen bridges cross the River Liffey in Dublin,
Ireland, but none were named for women. So
three young women, Jeni Garland (below right),
Angelina Cox (left), and Lisa Connell lobbied the
city council, worked with local politicians, and
used social media to get a bridge named for Rosie
Hackett. Rosie was a lifelong fighter for worker
rights­, starting at 18 when
she rallied 3,000 women
to win better conditions
at their biscuit factory. She
was jailed for her work for
Irish independence, and
started the Irish Women
Workers Union when freed.
She died in 1976 at age 84.
No More Invisible Females
It’s easy to help give women and
girls their rightful place in history.
•At school, choose females for
projects in any class, from history
to art (Rina, 14, Michigan, drew
epic comic Lucille Ball at right at art
camp). That way, you can casually
share with others whatever you know—even if it’s
just a little—about wonderful women.
•Tell people why it’s important to give women
and girls fair credit along with males. Get a
few facts from EVE: Equal
Visibility Everywhere
(EqualVisibilityEverywhere.
org). Join in with their
work to get more women
on monuments, museums,
money, stamps, and buildings.
Frustrated that big parades
like Macy’s have had only 15
female characters in 89 years, EVE made a giant
Amelia Earhart plane balloon for parade use!
Here’s how French women showed a fairer version
of history. Mad that fewer than 3% of Paris streets
are named for women, one night they covered 60
Paris signs with
names such as
lawyer Jeanne
Chauvin, sailor
Florence Arthaud,
and France’s first
female doctor
Madeleine Brès.
•Carry on
awesome work.
Thousands of women have been brought back into
history by the work of many, many activists and
historians and writers and ordinary women. Let’s
carry on their awesome work! Here are some great
resources that make celebrating amazing women
super-easy:
National Women’s History Project: nwhp.org (they
got March declared Women’s History Month!) . . .
National Women’s History Museum: nwhm.org . . .
Women’s history sites in national parks: nps.gov/
history/womenhistory . . . Girls and women here:
WomenYouShouldKnow.net . . GirlMuseum.org
23
fiction
Two Lessons
Story by Ellie Crews
Illustrated by Heather Sisson
I first met Kayla in second grade. We
were friends right from the start, which
made me so happy because I was new to
the school. I started to notice, though,
that she kept getting teased. She’d usually
shrug it off, or if it was an especially rude
comment, she’d give the person who said it
the stink-eye or something. Since she didn’t
seem to care, I didn’t really care, either.
It was in third grade when friendships opened up
to me. There was Amy, who seemed to be much
more mature and knew so many other things than
everyone else. And Fiona, the smart fashionista
who just moved here. Sarah, the one they called
a teacher’s pet, but who was actually really cool.
Jenna, who made me laugh. Then there was Kayla.
I thought she’d just blend in, but she didn’t.
One day at recess, they all started ignoring Kayla.
I didn’t know what was up. Maybe she’d done
something while I was in the bathroom? Maybe I
just missed out? I went to Amy, because she seemed
to have the answers for this sort of thing. “What’s
going on?” I asked her.
“Kayla’s annoying me. I shouldn’t have to be
friends with someone who annoys me!” Amy said
crossly. Great, I thought at the time, friend drama. I
hoped it would just blow over.
Third grade was a rocky year. There were good
times, and there were bad times. For Kayla, it
must’ve been weird. Some days she was in; some
days she was out. I gradually grew to believe that
we were just being friends with her out of pity. It
was what the other girls thought, and I didn’t want
to be out, so I trained myself to believe it, too.
In some secret part of me, I knew thinking that
was horrible, but I pushed it way to the back of my
brain. Otherwise, I’d be eaten alive by guilt.
Fourth grade started out amazing. I had a great
24
new moon girls
• www.newmoon. com • March/April 2016
teacher and great friends. Sarah was in my class,
and so were Nicole and Susannah, two girls from
my second-grade class. It was an awesome year, and
Kayla and I even got to sit next to each other!
That is, it was an awesome year until early March.
The same thing happened, only worse. Nicole,
Sarah, and I decided that Kayla was annoying
us. Nicole even made an Annoying Things About
Kayla list! “She talks too much!” I remember us
whispering. “She acts like a three-year-old!”
Susannah was the only one who didn’t join in. I
wish I’d been as nice and smart as her. Even though
she wasn’t in the Gifted Program, like Sarah and I
were, she was the smartest of us all.
Throughout fourth grade, Nicole and I got really
close. Sometimes we were nice to Kayla; sometimes
not. Sometimes we were downright ugly. I wish we
hadn’t been.
Then came fifth grade. The top of the school. I
loved it. Kayla and I were in the same class. Nicole,
Sarah, and Susannah were in the other class. I knew
a bunch of the girls from previous years, and it was
so easy to be myself around them. I didn’t feel the
need to suck in my stomach, smile wide, and flip
back my hair like I did last year. Kayla and I fit right
in!
A few weeks into the year, I said hi to Nicole at
lunch. She stared straight ahead and said, “Don’t
text me.”
“Why?” I asked her.
“Because I don’t want to text you,” she said icily.
I got a cold tingly feeling in my stomach, “Are you
mad at me?” I asked, running through my mind
for anything I could have done wrong.
“What do you think?!” she snapped.
Well, I thought, two can play this game! “You are
being so immature, Nicole Agatha James!” I flung
back, using her middle name because I knew she
hated it.
I stomped back to the table I shared with Kayla
and the other girls. “Nicole’s mad at me and I
don’t know why. Can you ask her?” I asked Kayla.
“Okay,” Kayla agreed, and headed toward Nicole’s
table. She came back twisting at the hem of her
purple ruffled skirt. “Well?” I asked, “What did
she say?”
“I couldn’t hear the first part,” Kayla said, still not
looking at me. “But honestly, Robin, I don’t think
you want to hear the last part.”
the exact same thing to Kayla last year. I hated
myself for ever being mean to Kayla. I felt like I
was going to throw up, right there on the smelly
linoleum of the cafeteria.
When I woke up the next morning, I felt like faking
sick. Maybe an extreme case of Ihatefifthgradeitis
would do it.
I didn’t fake sick, though. Instead, I confronted
Nicole at recess.“Nicole, are you still mad at me?” I
asked, my voice wobbly.
“No,” she said, “Just don’t want to be friends.”
“But,” I stammered, “If you could tell me what I
was doing that made you mad, I-I could fix it and
we could be friends again.”
“I’m not mad,” she repeated, “I just don’t want to
be friends.”
I felt like Nicole had punched me in the gut. This
must have been how Kayla felt in fourth grade.
I could tell Kayla had also heard the first part, but
I didn’t ask. “Just tell me,” I pleaded.
Weeks passed, and I didn’t try to save my friendship
with Nicole. I didn’t know why she’d done this.
But if anything good had come out of it, it was that
Nicole had taught me two very important lessons.
“Okay, well…” she said, finally making eye
contact with me. “She said that sometimes she
doesn’t even want to be friends with you.”
Number one is that sometimes you’ve just gotta let
it go. Number two is that it’s so much more fun to
be nice than to be mean.
It wasn’t that statement that pierced my heart with
a sharp ache. It was that I had said almost
I wish I’d learned those two
things before.
Ellie, 12, North Carolina,
likes to write, draw, read,
take photos, and play with
her dog, Poppy. Ellie says:
This really happened to me
when I was “friends” with a girl
who was mean. If any of you are
dealing with a fake friendship, I know it can really
hurt terribly, but you can get through it.
Heather (heathersuesisson.com) is a children’s
book illustrator and designer living near the Rhode
Island beach. Her unique style lets her speak her
mind and express her deepest feelings. When not
painting, she enjoys eating amazing gluten-free
junk food with friends or relaxing on the beach.
25
luna ’ s art
gallery
luna’s
Submit your art at NewMoon.com/howto-get-published-New-Moon-Girls.
Click on“Contests
& Games” at
NMGMembers.
com Message
Boards to find
friendly contests
for art and photos
and more!
art gallery
Favorite Things
I shot this for Emily’s “three favorite things”
contest—for me, it’s Harry Potter, fall, and
dance, for sure! I used a filter.
Zoe, 11 • Pennsylvania
Heart
My friend Mazie and I are inseparable, even though
we live on opposite sides of the country.
Bailey, 12 • California
The Earth Girl
I love drawing girls and I love drawing
nature, so I put those two things together.
Gigi, 9 • Wisconsin
26
new moon girls
• www.newmoon. com • March/April 2016
poetry
It’s always sad when a loved one passes
on. Girls share their memories of family,
friends, and pets in many ways. Hannah’s
grandmother lived with her family as she
grew old, and the two were able to spend a
lot of time together. Here’s Hannah with her
grandmother, Minnie, and here’s her song.
Hi (Song for My Grandmother)
I remember when I was just 5 years old
I remember all the stories you told
I remember the laughs we shared
The look you gave me when I brushed my hair
I remember how much you cared
(pre-chorus) Hi
whatcha doing up there?
I really, really miss you
Way far from you from downstairs
But I laugh when I think of what we shared
Cuz you couldn’t have left me more prepared
(chorus) So hi
Please pray for me
I hope you’re having fun swimming in the sea
As for me, I’m doing grand
Cuz I can still hold your hand
If anyone was ever looking for a smile
You’d tell them look in your pocket, it’ll save you the extra miles
You taught us that love knows no bounds
And with it you’d always be around (repeat pre-chorus and
chorus)
And this song makes me emotional but I don’t really know why
Cuz you’re up above where I see everyday. I don’t have to say
goodbye
I love you so have fun, enjoy yourself,
you deserve nothing else
I can talk to you all I want and if you see the bird tell him hi for
me
So hi (repeat chorus)
I remember that you believed in me, you danced with me, you
sang with me
so lalalala why should I be sad
cuz up there I’m sure is not too bad so
Hi
Hannah, 15
Massachusetts
Perfection
To be perfect
Is to wanna be someone else
But to be unique
Is to just be yourself
There is no such thing
As perfection
And want to send you
In the wrong direction
You might not have
Long golden hair
Or be as skinny as a pencil
But I can assure you
You’re just as fair
Just in case we never meet again
Promise me this one thing
That you’ll always be you
Cause that’s the best
That you can do
Annabelle, 11
Vermont
poetry
Karate Haiku
I love karate
kicks, punches, new belts
go from white to black
Lilah, 11
North Carolina
Enjoy lots more awesome
girl poetry at NMG’s online
community! Send us your
poem at NewMoon.com/
how-to-get-publishedNew-Moon-Girls.
27
check it out
Great Reads about Friends and Family
Fascinating books let us into worlds that can be similar or very
different. Enjoy these looks at diverse friendships and families!
By Lenka and Jana van Heeswyk
Have you ever stumbled across a book so thrilling
you had to stay up half the night reading? Whether
you found it through a weekly writing class, like we
did, or a library, bookstore, or friend, we all have
books like that. For us, it’s The Finding Place, Julie
Hartley’s first novel for young readers.
The Finding Place follows a young teen named
Kelly, who was born in a small farming village
in China and left as an orphan in front of a local
school. She soon found a home when a North
American couple adopted her and brought her to
the busy streets of Toronto.
These days she lives there and enjoys the city’s
captivating wonders with her dad, such as the birds
of Leslie Street Spit and tai chi in the park. This
lovely life continues until the day when Kelly’s
beloved father goes to buy milk and never comes
back. Kelly is left with her troubled mother, who
suffers from recurring stress-induced headaches,
and her despised and bossy Auntie Lou.
Angry and confused, Kelly takes off into the streets
one evening, and discovers her father’s current
address, taped to the door of his abandoned actor’s
studio. He is in Vancouver, thousands of miles away
and a place she never thought he even considered
visiting. Even so, when she finds out that her
mom has booked a secret trip to China to see her
birthplace, Kelly is seriously thinking about moving
in with him when they return home from the trip.
Once in China, she changes her mind.
Jump In and Write!
When The Finding Place author Julie
Hartley started her first novel at 15,
she didn’t know of many other girl
writers. But she knew how important
the arts are for kids, so later she and
husband Craig started an arts camp in Toronto.
This playwright, poet, and arts teacher wants to
28
new moon girls
• www.newmoon. com • March/April 2016
While exploring the country’s
many breathtaking beauties,
Kelly discovers the truth about
her father’s disappearance and
fully recognizes her love for
her mother after a frightening
turn of events. She also meets
a woman who has travelled to
China to take in a new member
of the family, just as Kelly’s parents did so many
years before. She realizes what adoption really
means, and how difficult it can be for both baby
and new parents.
The Finding Place is an enchanting coming of age
story that looks at difficult problems through a
teen’s eyes, and explores how challenging it is to
make a family and how simple to tear one apart.
Ultimately, The Finding Place addresses themes of
identity, belonging, and where you really come from
as a person. When you read it, you’ll think about
yourself, family, and background in a way you
never have before. This book is an amazing read—
one that will open your mind and touch your heart.
Lenka (11, on left)
and Jana (12) are
sisters living in
Ontario, Canada.
They enjoy reading,
writing, visual arts,
and piano, and join
other writers in a
weekly writing class
at an arts academy.
see more kids in print. Visit juliehartley.
ca to find advice and inspiration for
writing such as this prompt: A gift is
delivered incorrectly to your home. What
do you (or your characters) do? Is the
gift magical? Sinister? Suggestive of an imminent
crime? Do you open it, or is this a story about what
happens as you seek the rightful owner?
An Adoption Reunion: Twinsters!
When Anaïs Bordier, a design student in Paris, saw
a young woman on a YouTube video who looked
exactly like her, she started digging around. She
discovered that Samantha Futerman, an actor in
Los Angeles, had been born in the same South
Korean city on the same day of her birth. Anaïs
contacted her, and over the course of videochats
and messages, the two learned that they not
only looked alike; they acted alike. Could the
two, adopted by different families on different
continents, be twins?
Fab Friends and Fam Fiction
Pieces of Why by K. L. Going
Tia, 12, loves singing in the
Rainbow Gospel Choir with best
friend, Keisha, and hopes to be
a singer. But when she discovers
her jailed father’s crime, she loses
her will to sing. Sing along with a
playlist: klgoing.com.
Last in a Long Line of
Rebels, by Lisa Lewis Tyre
Lou, 12, must save her beloved
Civil War-era house that’s about
to be condemned. While proving
it’s a historic landmark, Lou learns
shocking stuff about her ancestors,
who include both slave owners and
abolitionists, and about a hidden
history of the Underground
Railroad in her little town.
Free Verse, by Sarah Dooley
When Sarah ends up in foster care and
her dad dies in a coal mine fire and her
mom runs off, she’s delighted to find
family she didn’t know she had. Then
once again, she must run.
More Great Books and Authors
Find more cool book recs by searching “Lacey
Recommends” at NMGmembers.com. And
NMG online members can hear bonus
podcasts from fave authors such as Gail
Carson Levine, author of Ella Enchanted
and other books; Kirsten Miller,
author of the Kiki Strike mysteries;
and Margaret Peterson Haddix of the
Shadow Children books and more.
They met (Samantha is
on left), traveled to South
Korea, got genetic testing,
and learned the truth. Anaïs
and Samantha are twins, two of
around 200,000 Korean babies adopted
since the Korean War in the 1950s. The two wrote
a book, Separated @ Birth: A True Love Story of
Twin Sisters Reunited, and made a documentary,
Twinsters, about their story. What would you think
if you learned you had a secret twin?
Odessa Again by Dana Reinhardt
Odessa Green-Light, 9, moves into a
hated new house with her annoying
little brother and a dad about to be
remarried. When she discovers she
can travel back in time by jumping
up and down in her attic room, she’s
ready to change life’s course. Odessa,
11, Washington, recommends this for “anyone who
likes magic and suspense—5 stars!”
Formula for Friends, in the Victoria
Torres, Unfortunately Average
series by Julie Bowe
Victoria’s bossy sister talks Victoria
into competing on the math team. Is
all this math drilling worth getting in
with the brainy crowd?
It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel by
Firoozeh Dumas
Moving to California from Iran isn’t
easy, but Zomorod Yousefzadeh takes on
an American name, Cindy, and ditches
her brainy loner persona to fit in amidst
scary 1970s anti-Iran sentiments.
LaMaya’s Favorite Books
Here’s what LaMaya, 11,
Washington, listed as her faves in
her “room” at NMGmembers.com.
Sharing faves are fun ways to start
talking! LaMaya loves the Dork Diaries
series by Rachel Renée Russell (Nikki, 14, meets
life); The Girl With the Silver Eyes, by Willo Davis
Roberts (Katie has special powers); One Crazy
Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia (three sisters
meet the mother who abandoned them); and
the Hunger Games series.
29
how
aggravating !
how
aggravating!
the “sexy girl roll.” Really? In a
sushi place? That’s just wrong!
Georgia, 9
New York
My grandma and I were going
through some of her old video
games, and tried a movie
trivia game called “Scene It:
Squabble.” It was awful! A
team of men are supposed to
play a team of women, and
an intro showed the females
all shaving their legs, doing
their hair, and gossiping about
their friends, while the males
worked out at the gym, drank
beer, and imitated the females
by repeatedly saying “blah,
blah, blah.” The questions for
females were about shopping,
fashion, and makeup, and the
males answered about sports,
drinking, and “getting girls.”
“Scene It” is a horrible game!
Maisie, 15
Massachusetts
I love sushi, and I was
at this really good place
when something caught
my eye on the specials board:
30
new moon girls
We recently played a game in PE
where after you’re tagged and sit
down, someone needs to throw
the ball to you so you can get up.
It seemed to me that the boys on
my team wouldn’t throw the ball
to me because I’m a girl. I was
sitting right next to a guy and he
glanced at me and then
threw it to a boy
across the
For an
room.
Girl-Caught action: You can sign
a petition at Change.org by
searching “Petition American
Girl to create an AfricanAmerican Girl of the Year for
2017.”
This is
GIRL-CAUGHT!
It disrespects
girls & women.
Stop it!
NewMoon.com
GIRL-CAUGHT!
average girl
like me, no
throws.
Maybe
I’m not the
sportiest
person in the
world, but I’m
a pretty good runner, and they
didn’t seem to care. Maybe a few
really athletic girls got thrown to,
but for an average girl like me,
there apparently are no throws.
That’s why I sat for most of the
game.
Tae, 11
Massachusetts
• www.newmoon. com • March/April 2016
Why is the 2016 American Girl
Doll of the Year again white? Lea
is all about adventure, but the
company won’t adventure to
make her a non-white girl.
Ellie, 10
Maryland
Show us what you Girl-Caught:
NewMoon.com/how-to-getpublished-New-Moon-Girls
Artwork by Liza Ferneyhough
What’s unfair to girls and women—in your life or around the world? Members, visit
the “Howl at the Moon” message board at NMGMembers.com. Any girl can
share at NewMoon.com/how-to-get-published-New-Moon-Girls.
howling at
the moon
Artwork by Liza Ferneyhough
Howling
at the
moon
Howl about the inspiring things you do and see that make
life better for girls! Members, visit the “Howl at the Moon”
message board at NMGMembers.com. Any girl can share at
NewMoon.com/how-to-get-published-New-Moon-Girls.
I started getting acne when I was
9, and it didn’t bother me much.
My mom told me it was normal.
Then boys in the class started
saying mean things about my
acne. So I asked my mom for
makeup, and explained why I
wanted it. During 6th grade, I
wore it every day.
Then I got to a new school,
and noticed that a lot of kids
had acne, so I stopped wearing
makeup. I know some kids still
wear makeup for fun or to hide
acne, but I don’t. NMG helped
me realize I’m beautiful no
matter what!
Espérance, 12
Ontario
Have you ever been called mean
names? Fat, spoiled, nerdy,
whatever? It’s not fair, but most
everyone goes through this.
We need to not just
ignore the rude
names; we need
to stand up for
ourselves! Don’t be
rude back or shout—
just politely say,
back off. We shouldn’t let people
remind us of what they see as
flaws, because we really need to
recognize our perfections.
Recently I was called a spoiled
rich girl by a girl, because I go
to a private school and I got a
puppy for my birthday. But she
doesn’t know that I worked my
rear end off for that puppy, or
that my private school makes me
work really hard.
A girl teased for being bigger
than most girls should remember
things like her great grades in
math! Remember the positive and
forget the negative. It’s a secret to
life.
Lauren, 11
Virginia
Maddie and Tae’s “Girl In
A Country Song” shows the
girls’ intolerance towards being
treated unfairly by the boys.
Awesome music video—
Remember you go, girls!
the positive
and forget
the negative.
HorseLover, 13
Maryland
This is
GIRL-CAUGHT!
It RESPECTS
girls & women.
THANK YOU!
NewMoon.com
GIRL-CAUGHT!
The “Ace is the place with the help
ful
hardware man” jingle has been
changed to “Ace is the place with
the helpful hardware folks.” I’m real
ly
happy about it.
Serena, 12
Kansas
Show us what you Girl-Caught:
NewMoon.com/how-to-getpublished-New-Moon-Girls
31
calendar
Monday
Sunday
march
Women’s History Month
Thursday
Wednesday
Tuesday
1
2
4
International
Women’s Day
Are you named
for someone
special?
6
9
13
Pi Day
Make a tasty
tribute to this
clever way to
figure out circles
and more! 14
12
International Day
of Awesomeness
Tell a friend
3 ways she’s
awesome.
New Moon
Hats off to fab
females around
the world!
8
9
10
Eveline Burns
born, 1900
Designed US
Social Security
system to help
older people 16
National
Quilting Day
Full Moon
Have a quilting
bee like these
girls are!
22
20
Howl!
23
3
april
National
Garden
Month
7
5
9
17
Tell about your
favorite woman
making history!
We’ll feature
it on our
homepage. 26
April Fools Day
Share your
tricks at girl@
NewMoon.com!
1
7
Chinese
Language Day
Learn some
words­—what’s
the word to the
right?
20
Pretzel Day
EZ to make:
Make or buy
dough, make
a long rope,
twist, bake! 26
Crack
somebody
up!
Sharan Rani
born, 1929
Music scholar
and famous
sarod player
Still fighting for
voting fairness
at 95
14
National
Library
Workers Day
Thank those
who keep us
booked.
18
Maud Hart
Lovelace born,
1892
Wrote BetsyTacy books and
more
25
Dorothy Height
born, 1912
She’s honored
as “godmother
of the civil rights
movement.” 24
Rosanell Eaton
born, 1922
11
Create 3 lovely
lines and share!
Let’s Laugh Day
New Moon
Annie Dodge
Waunetka born,
1910
Navajo led tribe
to better health
and schools
Haiku Poetry
Day
Alice
Greenough
born, 1902
First female
international
rodeo star 17
Muriel Wright
born, 1889
Biracial Choctaw
gathered stories
of women and
aided tribe. 31
Something on a
Stick Day
Food’s more
fun on a stick!
Make cakepops
today??
28
World Party
Day
Need party
inspiration? See
p. 10.
Saturday
National Day of
Unplugging
How will you
enjoy your
screen-free day?
Anita Nall
breaks world
swimming
record in 1992
at age 15.
Namesake Day
Happy Easter!
Friday
9
Microvolunteering
Day
Take a few
minutes to help
someone!
15
Full Moon
Howl!
OR write your
pretzel name
like Isabella, 11,
Minnesota!
Jewish
Passover
began last
night!
22
Día de los
niños
Donate great
books to kids
who have none!
Seen a great idea for a calendar day? Tell us at girl@NewMoon.com!
32
new moon girls
• www.newmoon. com • March/April 2016
30
“
Every
Month
Is Girls
History
Month:
Join In!
Don’t be afraid to
be yourself.
Because the best
thing is you.
—Willow Smith
At NMG, we celebrate Women’s History Month
every day of the year, and we include girls who
make history by fighting for change. Here we
cheer four girls who use their celebrity to speak
out for fairness. Tell us about girls you admire!
Amandla Stenberg
Amandla, 17, isn’t just
awesome in roles such
as Rue in the Hunger
Games. She also educates
about racial justice—
check out a video
gone viral that she and
friend Quinn made for
history class about whether people who imitate
black culture are really helping the black
community. She is making minority
girls more visible in comic books by
creating a character (right) and writing
one herself, Niobe: She Is Life. Plus,
she sings and plays violin in a band!
Jazz Jennings
the last word
For every girl who doesn’t feel “feminine” enough
(and every boy who doesn’t feel “masculine”
enough), Jazz, 15, offers support. Mindful that
transgender kids and those who don’t fit gender
stereotypes are bullied and commit suicide at higher
rates, Jazz and her family went public with Jazz,
born male, living as a girl, and continue sharing in
the “I Am Jazz” TV
show. Since 7, Jazz has
made and sold mermaid
tails to support her
foundation for gender
acceptance, Purple
Rainbow.
Willow Smith
”
At 9, Willow urged girls
(and everyone) to celebrate
themselves in her exuberant
“Whip My Hair”song
and video (above). She
continued her message to defy
expectations with “I Am Me”
at 11. Girls and boys are put
in boxes when they’re born,”
she says. Now 15, Willow tells everyone (in words
and her shirt above) about sheroes such as feminist
poet Audre Lorde, longtime feminist leader Gloria
Steinem, political activist and professor Angela
Davis, and writer and cultural critic bell hooks. All
of which she does while styling all over the map.
“My style is who I am all the time,” she says, “and
who I am always changes.”
Rowan Blanchard
“My eleven-year-old sister has been taught by
the media that her body is an object, will be
compared to other bodies, and that it holds more
significance than her mind or her talent,” Rowan,
14, said in her speech at the United Nations last
year. “My nine-year-old
brother has been called ‘a
girl’ for being in touch with
his emotions.” Rowan, star
of the “Girl Meets World”
show, is passionate about
“intersectional” feminism,
which gives equal importance
to all voices and fights for other
inequalities such as racial and
economic. Her message to kids:
“If you love something,
find a way to do it!”
PERIODICALS
POSTAGE
PO Box 161287
Duluth, MN 55816-1287
PAID
Try NewMoon.com
and see why Hadley says: “I’m
brand new to your website and
I’ve already made so many new
friends!”
Dos
o
T
l
i
r
or
Ap
&
ed socks
r
h
r
c
a
e
r
w
a
o
t
M
out why
rs.com.
I love talking with so many
amazing people who have
similar—and different—views!
—Larkin, 14, Massachusetts
For Parents: Free Resources and
Wisdom from Other Parents!
• Daughters.com
• facebook.com/NewMoonGirls
• twitter.com/NancyNMGirls
• Daughters.com/blog
• pinterest.com/NewMoonGirls
• NewMoonGirls on Instagram
New Moon Girls: Girls Sharing Creativity and Support
34
new moon girls
• www.newmoon. com • March/April 2016
- Find
GMembe
March 2 March 8 at NM
you see !
o
d
n
e
o
l
s
p
t
o
h
e
p
na
tig
w many et today? Tell Lu
o
H
8
March ed on their fe
fool on
o
t
g
r
n
g
i
o
n
g
weari
are you
o
h
W
4
g
March 2 nd how?
n fightin
o
t
a
a
E
1
l
l
l
i
e
r
n
Ap
y is Rosa 5?
h
W
4
tell
April 1 g rights at age 9
ku? We
i
a
h
a
n
i
e
t
t
ri
for vo
how to w today.
w
o
n
K
y
April 17 MGMem• bers.com
etsy-Tac
B
a
N
d
t
a
e
a
r
you
you ever
e
v
a
H
April 24 eck them out!
h
book? C