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new moon girls • www.newmoon.com •July/August 2012

GIRLS EDITORIAL BOARD

New Moon GirlsTM July/August 2012

Volume XIX Issue 6 What’s Fair?

NewMoon.com

Order at www.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. Visa/MC 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.

New Moon Girls™ is the original girl-centered media. Girl editors, writers, filmmakers, and artists from around the world are in charge of all 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. New Moon Girls is for every girl who wants her voice heard and her dreams taken seriously in the world.

Founder & CEO Nancy Gruver

Assistant Publisher Meg Brissenden

Executive Editor Helen Cordes

Online Editor Megan Fischer-Prins

Contributing Editor Lacey Louwagie

Copy Editor Andrew Krueger

Design & Type Celanie Polanick

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Contributing Artists Carly DennisCelanie PolanickLisa Ferneyhough

Interns Donica O’MalleyHelen McCulloughJessica HansenWhitney Newbauer

Sister to Sister MentorsAlexa SalvatoGuinevere WightmanHallie DavisMolly RonanSequoia Young

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Single issues and back issues of New Moon Girls available at www.facebook.com/newmoongirls; click on Shop Now.

Printed in Long Prairie, Minnesota, USA, by RR Donnelley, with soy ink on recycled paper.

Many Thanks, Volunteers – We Can’t Do It Without You!

Parents of the Girls Editorial Board and the Canadian Association for Girls in Science (CAGIS).

Volunteer Moderators: Emma Behrens, Britta Duggan, Jen Fowles, Leora Fromm, Jane Gadsby, Becky Gillespie, Judy Glass, Julia Green, Ann Hanson, Wendi Heuermann, Debra Hughes, Meg Hunter, Joe Kelly, Krissy Krebs, Annelisa Leinbach, Nancy Lukomski, Tracy MacDonald, Daisy Martinez-DiCarlo, Celanie Polanick, Elisabeth Rider, Steven Rider, Stacey Rosebrock, Lisa Sonuga, Robert Vokes, Sara Walters, Anne Watts, and Raquel Wightman.

Volunteer Photographer: Allison Donnelly

Volunteer E-Book Producer: Ben Donnelly

Volunteer Counseling Consultation: Daisy Martinez-DiCarlo, MA, LPC and Jill Zimmerman Rutledge, MSW, LCSW

We welcome help from adults. Tell us about the skills you can offer by clicking on “I Want to Volunteer” in the “Get Involved” box at the bottom right of NewMoon.com.

Thanks and acknowledgment is given to the following publishers and copyright owners for permission to reprint selections from their publications and work: The Library of Congress, Shutterstock, and WikiMedia. 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: [email protected]. Internet: www.newmoon.com. New Moon Girls is a trademark of New Moon Girl Media, Inc.

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© 2012 New Moon Girl Media, Inc., all right reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part, in any form. Email manuscripts and other editorial material to [email protected]. 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.

Beth GillespieCelia DonnellyGuinevere WightmanHanna JacobsenJennifer GlassKati DiCarlo

Molly CulhaneMiya Matsuishi-ElhardtPhoebe HughesPosie LewisRebecca WaltersVeda Hughes

SuperGEB

Autumn Lukomski-La PoliceChloe Gadsby-JonesValentina Rider

Fair?

contents

by giRls

2 Girl Talk

3 Inside the Moon

4 Letters to Luna

6 Ask a Girl

10 Voice Box Animal Testing: OK or Not?

12 What’s Fair? Helping Girls Worldwide

16 Survey What’s Unfair?

17 Girls Rock! Learn to Play in a Week

19 Yummy Movie Snacks Share Your Fave!

20 Women’s Work Girls Make Films

22 Science Side Effects Girl Scientists: All’s Fair?

24 Fiction Lavender’s Battle

26 Luna’s Art Gallery

27 Poetry

28 Check It Out Extra Credit

30 How Aggravating!

31 Howling at the Moon

32 Calendar

The Last Word Mother Jones

Body Language Discover Your Period Pattern

Experiment!Hot Ice Tower3

23page

Girls Are Girl ExpertsAre We Unfair to Boys?11

8

What’s

18

28

Girls’ Choice Movie AwardsFilmmaking Inspiration, Too!

14 Go Girl!Rising with Ribbons

Check It OutBest Boy-Girl Friendship Books

Girls Speaking Out

Come to NewMoon.com to see lots more articles, art, poetry, videos, and much more—all created by girls like you! 1

This issue’s Luna Tics are created by: Ella, 8, Florida; Mizu, 14, Louisiana; MacKenzie, 11, Hawaii; Emma, 11, Norway; Shelby, 13, South Carolina; Paloma, 10, California; Lila, 12, Massachusetts; Jordan, 12, Maryland; Emma, 12, Minnesota; Emily, 10, British Columbia

Find the 10 Luna Tics hidden in every issue!

Submit YOUR

Luna Tics atNewMoon.com.

Autumn and Hanna

Talkgirl

Hi Girls!

Welcome to our “What’s Fair?” issue! Lots of readers tell us about unfair behavior that keeps different groups—females, minority members, and others—from doing all they want to do. So check out articles such as Ellie’s (p. 12) and Sarah’s (p. 16). When girls learn more about inequality, “we’re more likely to try to make a difference,” says Autumn. She’s inspired by girls like Mary Grace, who created a hair ribbon business that helps girls in other countries go to school.

Girls also asked for more info about periods, so find out (p. 8) how you can enjoy all the different phases of your cycle. “We tend to dwell on the bad things that might happen,” Hanna says. Hanna also recommends Voice Box (p. 10) opinions on animal testing, which “made me think about products I buy that may be tested on animals” and whether there should ever be animal testing.

And don’t miss the winners in the first ever Girls’ Choice Movie Awards on p. 18! Get tips to make your own movies (and movie snacks!) as well, and learn how actor Geena Davis is fighting the unfair focus on male characters in movies made for little kids on up. Bet you’ll agree with Autumn, who believes that “it’s important for girls—and boys—to see strong female role models in movies they watch.”

Happy Reading!

Girls Connect Online!

If you’ve ever thought about making a movie, Brielle, 14, from New Jersey, has two words for you: Do it. AND she wants you to share your work with other NMG members. Brielle has made almost 70 amazing movies that she’s posted in her Stuff at NewMoon.com over the past three years. And she’s also created a wide net of friends through her contests and encouraging words for other member filmmakers.

Want inspiration? She has plenty of topics and techniques—from a stop-action secret dance fest in her library to a fake ad for alarm clocks to drawing lessons with friends. See her and sister Sam sampling sour stuff or a day in the life of her little white dog, Lulu. She also offers expertise, such as how to use iMovie. At school, Brielle uses her filmmaking talents to show kids how to help the environment!

Brielle

2 new moon girls • www.newmoon.com • July/August 2012

Dear Member:You’re the first to hear that New Moon Girls is

making exciting changes. You know how we value and listen to every individual girl and adult. Our members support and help each other. More than anything, you’re part of our special place that is much more than the magazine we started in 1992. Because of you, we’re a community that gives girls confidence to be themselves and go for their dreams.

We’re adding new opportunities, growing our community, and helping more girls join. Plus we’re making NMG more sustainable environmentally and financially. I want you know about the changes and why we’re making them.

Along with the changes, we’re asking you to support NMG more than ever and do your part to keep our unique community alive! Since the recession, we haven’t gotten the number of members we need to keep our community financially healthy. We’re very thrifty, but it still takes a lot of money and resources to make the magazine & social network and get them to you.

Our first change is adding an E-magazine to your membership choices. You can read it, click on the links and get connected even more easily than with the paper magazine. It works on all kinds of computers + iPads and other tablets.

Our July-August issue is exclusively the e-magazine to experiment with how it saves paper, ink & fossil fuels for mailing & delivery. We think you’ll like it and hope you’ll switch to getting the e-magazine instead of paper to help our environment and NMG. To thank you for trying it, we’re adding 2 more months on to your current membership. Email [email protected] to switch to the e-magazine for all future issues.

Even non-members can try it out until August 31. If you haven’t seen our magazine lately, this is your chance to see how we’ve been staying in touch with girls and their changing lives. And you can share it with your friends so they can enjoy it, too.

Click here: http://dmagz.newmoon.com/publication/?i=106980

Enter in the “ Coupon/Token” field : 13389-1195-89942

Leave the “LogIn” & “Password” fields empty.

Now to Your Part: We need only 30 new or renewed members a day to cover all the costs and

sustain NMG financially. A full membership costs less than 15 cents per day! Is it worth that to you?

Here are some simple ways you can sustain NMG now and for the future. You might think it would take a lot of time or money, or things you don’t have. But it’s easy for you to help, and every bit you do counts!

1. Each One Reach One: With our current members and friends, we can easily get the members we need. You just need to get ONE friend to join or give ONE gift of membership during the month of July or August.

2. Sponsor Memberships: for your school, library, a club or organization you belong to. It’s quick & really easy— plus you feel great helping girls who don’t get NMG on their own.

3. Start the Conversation: Sometimes it can be hard to know how to tell a friend about buying something you really believe in, like NMG.

4. Use this Email Example: Email is great to share and spread the word—especially to adults, family and community members you know! Get ideas from this email or use it as it is to let friends and family know about us and how they can support NMG.

5. Give Out & Put Up Posters: Do you want more people to know about NMG? It’s fun to spread the word with these girl-created posters. You can even make your own.

Click here for more ideas, and to share your own!

We appreciate your love and support, and we want to keep NMG alive and there for you and girls all over the world for as long as we can. Thank you for your help!

You can also share your ideas to support NMG by replying to this message or going to http://newmoon.com/contactus.

For our future,

Nancy Gruver NMG [email protected]

inside the moon

3

letters to

luna

Letters to Luna I’m Luna, the spirit of New Moon. Do you

have something to say to me and all New Moon Girls? I love to hear from you. E-mail

me at [email protected], or write me at NewMoon.com.

Dear Luna,

I understand that this magazine is dedicated to girls and I love that, but I think that there are some men in the world who ought to be featured because they are amazing and have inspired girls, too.

Inspired, 12

Ontario

Dear Inspired,

We focus on girls and women because while we know there are many wonder-ful men, we’d like to honor inspirational girls and women whose contributions have been (and still are) too often overlooked. We do include men at times, though—in this issue, we give a shout-out (p. 15) to Nicholas Kristof, who with Sheryl WuDunn has fought for the rights of girls all over the world.

Dear Luna,

I really enjoyed the article about Wales in the March/April 2012 issue. It was really cool learning about a foreign country. I just recently subscribed and I already love NMG!

Montana, 14

Florida

Dear Luna,

Thank you so much for the website. I have a suggestion: Could you put more quizzes in the magazine?

Inez, 8

California

Dear Inez,

We love quizzes in the magazine, too— we hope you took the amazing “What Animal Am I?” quiz in the March/April 2012 issue! You can find lots of great girl quizzes by typing “quiz” in the search bar at NewMoon.com. Tell us about your top picks for possible use in the magazine by emailing the quiz URLs to [email protected].

Dear Luna,

I have noticed when I am looking at Ask a Girl letters on NewMoon.com that a lot of girls are asking for advice about being bullied. Many of them don’t know how to stop it, deal with it, or even determine if they are being bullied or not. I think we need to do an anti-bullying awareness project to teach girls to recognize when someone is being bullied and know how to stop it. I would love to help!

Chloe, 14

Colorado

Dear Chloe,

It’s awesome that you want to help! A lot of girls want to hear advice from other girls, and that’s why we have Ask a Girl and the Sister to Sister Mentors. You can help by giving your advice on Ask a Girl, and you can apply to be a Sister to Sister Mentor when you’re 15. You also can write your advice in an article and send it to [email protected] to be considered for the magazine or website. If you ever see an Ask a Girl comment that you are concerned about, or if you think an adult needs to get involved, please email [email protected] so a staff member can help.

Dear Luna,

I love the magazine and I wish it would come more often, like once a month. Is there anything that I can do to help make that happen?

Caitlin, 12

Washington

We need an

anti-bullying awareness

project.


Dear Caitlin,

Because of the high costs of producing and mailing magazines and the small size of our staff, we can put out an issue only once every two months. You could consider reading older issues of NMG published before you joined! You and a parent can contact [email protected] to order past issues, or together you can look at our Facebook store to get digital copies of older issues.

Dear Luna,

I want to say thank you. New Moon Girls really has helped me see things in a better light. I had been sad, thinking nobody would listen. Now I get all sorts of responses on my letters and posts at NewMoon.com. You really changed my life for the better.

Kelsey, 11

California

Dear Luna,

I recently got my period, and my stepmom said that maybe the magazine was called New Moon because we are new to periods. I think you should include more articles about puberty and periods. I understand that you can’t do a lot of things at once because other girls are asking for other stuff, but this is a very important part of a girl’s life.

Hanna, 10

Virginia

Dear Hanna,

Congratulations on getting your first pe-riod! The first Girls Editorial Board (GEB) picked the name New Moon because the moon is a symbol of womanhood and girls will soon be “new” to wom-anhood. I agree with you that getting your period is a really important part of a girl’s life. You can find lots of articles on puberty by typing words such as “period” or “puberty” in the search box at NewMoon.com. Turn to the “Body Language” article on page 8 of this is-sue to read more on periods.

Dear Luna,

I just discovered your magazine and I really love it. It’s such a nice change from all the sexist women’s fashion magazines.

I noticed in your recent issue about animals [March/April 2012] that you talk about saving animals, which is great—but there’s a focus on “cute” animals such as cats, dogs and horses.

I co-founded an organization to save endangered animals that aren’t considered cute. Everyone wants to save animals such as penguins, because they’re adorable. But bats and sharks also are endangered, but they hardly get any attention because people are scared of them. My organization, Save Unpopular Animals, has raised more than $500 to save bats and has done letter-writing campaigns to ban shark “finning” (removing shark fins and throwing the sharks back into the water to die). I think it’s important that we discuss these issues as well!

Sophie, 14

California

ShiNiNg Star Shout-out!

Many thanks to the many girls who help New Moon Girls stay strong! And many thanks to the moms and dads and teachers and girl group leaders who also help spread the word about New Moon Girls.

Looking for a gift that a girl can enjoy every day of the year, with six “presents” coming in the mail throughout the year? Katie put that gift in birthday goodie bags for 20 friends—a membership to NMG! She gave an NMG magazine issue to a dozen girls in her class, too. “All my friends really liked NMG and found the articles helpful,” says Katie, 11, from Connecticut. “Some of my classmates have gotten a membership, too.”

Miss Chevious, 12, from California (pictured), also thought that her friends would really enjoy an online community for girls available 24/7—with magazines to boot. “I love New Moon Girls in every way, and I wanted my friends to love it, too,” she says. “I felt like they needed New Moon Girls. I got my friend Shelby a membership, and then got memberships for my friends Ava, Sydnie, and Rachel. They all love NMG and I was glad to share the love!”

Thanks so much, Katie and Miss Chevious! And thanks to all who order 10 or more copies—we offer discounts for bulk orders.

Find lots of tips for NMG outreach and tell us about your Shining Star actions by searching “Shining Stars” at NewMoon.com.

Miss Chevious

I had been

sad, thinking nobody would

listen.

5

Dear ask a girl:

ask a girL

ask a

Ask a Girl is an advice column for girls, by girls. Ask your questions and share advice with other girls at NewMoon.com.

Want to ask a girl? Visit NewMoon.com

girl

Dear ask a girl:

I am having a hard time not crying when I get off my bus from school. I love school, but I just dread every single moment on the bus. People throw all kinds of racial slurs at me because I am Chinese and small—or “puny,” as people call me. What can I do to stop them?

Maeve, 8Manitoba

Dear Maeve,

I know how you feel. On my bus, I ride with high-schoolers and many of them make me feel insecure. Remember, the bus driver, parents, and teachers can help you get out of these situations. If you don’t want adults involved, I advise you to hold your head high and remember these people don’t matter. Also, talk to your friends—they’ll be supportive and sympathetic.

Rachel, 12New York

Dear Maeve,

My neighbor is your age, and she is Chinese, too. She also is made fun of a lot at school. Maybe you could ask a parent to drive you to school, if they can. People may use you as a target if they know you won’t do anything about it. Believe me, I know. If you can sometimes stand up for yourself, maybe some people will stop.

Sometimes it’s helpful to keep asking questions until they don’t know what to say. Try something like this: “Why does it matter to you how tall I am?” Or, if the person who says this is close to your height, you could say, “You’re about my height, so do you really have the right to call me short?” I hope this helps you!

Lizzy, 12Colorado

Dear Maeve,

Try your best to ignore them, but if you can’t, say something such as, “I can’t help it if I’m small, so quit teasing me!” You go, girl!

Alena, 13Idaho

While we were watching “The Nutcracker” in my music class, everybody was saying it was weird and that boys should not do ballet. My friend and I told them to stop, but they kept on laughing. I don’t know much about ballet, but I think it’s good—and not just a bunch of girls in tutus. What should I do or say?

Offended, 9Virginia

Dear Offended,

That’s so ridiculous—ballet is awesome! I’ve watched “The Nutcracker” every year since I was 5—it’s beautiful. Male ballet dancers are probably really cool people; they’re just not seen performing as often as women.

Bronwyn, 12Oregon

I love school, but I just dread

every single moment on the

bus.


Want to ask a girl? Visit NewMoon.com

Dear ask a girl:Dear Offended,

I know how you feel. I am in ballet and some people say that only girls should do ballet. I try to make them understand that ballet is for everyone, telling them that there are two boys in my ballet class (which is true) and that many football players take ballet lessons. After all, if ballet was easy, they would call it football!

Syrah, 11British Columbia

Dear Offended,

The first time someone says something, you could respond: “Some people like ballet, and it’s not nice to make fun of a hobby some people may have.” The second time, say: “You’re acting very mean by saying that.” The third time, say: “If you keep making fun of ballet, I’m going to tell.” And if it happens a fourth time, tell a trusted adult. Good luck!

Christmas, 10California

Dear Offended,

I used to go to a ballet company that performs “The Nutcracker,” and my teacher told us that originally only boys were allowed to do ballet. So you could tell kids in your class that ballet originally was done by boys—and the boys in your class might have taken it if they lived back when it started.

Ava, 9California

I am Jewish and I get teased a lot. One girl said she can’t talk to me because I am Jewish. What can I do when people say that? HELP!

Sasha, 10Florida

Dear Sasha,

Some people are racist and it doesn’t make sense, just like the Holocaust didn’t make sense. And it’s just plain cruel. When someone says something to you like that, just respond: “I am a proud Jew and I don’t need you at all.” Good luck! I’m also Jewish.

Ateret, 12Maryland

Dear Sasha,

I am Guatemalan and I get mean comments a lot—and I’m sorry you do as well. Tell an adult or your parents. Although there are many people in this world who are racist, here’s what I always keep in mind: “The dear Lord gave me this life, this body, and this mind; I should be thankful and stand up for my people.” The next time someone says a mean comment, tell them to back off. I hate it when it happens to me, but the world is kind of like that, and we have to be strong

and make it stop.

Rossibel, 14Rhode Island

Dear Sasha,

I’m Jewish, too! Anybody who says something like that is

someone you shouldn’t have to care about. Good

luck!

Abigail, 11California

Dear Sasha,

I’m also Jewish, and I’m proud of it! It makes me so sad knowing that there are people in this world that are so prejudiced, racist, and ignorant. Whenever you get teased, tell an adult immediately. It is not OK and it needs to stop.

Tami, 12Massachusetts

Dear Sasha,

Racists think that just because you’re black or Jewish, it makes you different than them. We’re all the same. I’m friends with a boy who is Jewish (I’m Christian), and that doesn’t make a difference. Tell a teacher about it.

Kate, 11Florida

Dear Sasha,

Some people can be very hurtful and racist just because you follow a different religion. That doesn’t mean you should be teased about it. You should try to stand up to them, and if that doesn’t work, tell an adult.

Eliza, 11Massachusetts

Whenever you get teased, tell an adult immediately.

You could respond: “Some people like

ballet, and it’s not nice to make fun of a hobby

some people may have.”

7

body Language

I grew up in a suburb outside of Sydney, Australia, in the 1950s. Our streets weren’t paved, we had only three stores, and we had no cars or streetlights. At night, I depended on the moon to light my way when I went to the outside toilet. I became used to knowing what phase the moon was in because of how dark or light it was at night.

These days, most towns have lots of streetlights. The problem with this artificial light is that it keeps us from automatically knowing the phases of the moon and being in touch with the earth around us. But what’s the big deal with that? Well, if we are surrounded by artificial lighting, we don’t notice how our bodies can be connected to the moon’s cycle through menstruation.

First, a few facts about the menstrual cycle itself. When you first start your period, many chemical (hormonal) changes happen inside your body without you knowing it. These chemical changes can result in acne, food cravings, mild or heavy stomach cramping, and general mood changes. The amount and type of hormones change throughout your menstrual cycle (which is generally 28 days long but may be longer or shorter), and these changes cause different physical and emotional reactions during the month.

During the first half of the cycle, you may feel a sense of excitement, a sense of wanting to be out in the world more with friends, a desire to organize, or a desire to do chores or homework. These first 12 to 14 days or so are when a girl might feel more creative, talkative, motivated, and social. Women and girls begin to bleed at the beginning of the cycle, and that part of the cycle lasts for about a week.

In the middle of the cycle, around day 14, creativity is even greater, and many girls

notice that they feel bursts of energy and imagination. This is the time of your menstrual cycle called ovulation. That’s when an egg is released from your ovary and begins to travel through your fallopian tube to your

uterus.

After ovulation, you enter the second half of the cycle. Girls may notice that they feel more quiet,

more withdrawn, less outgoing, or less active than in the first half of their cycle. This is also a time when they may feel more “emotional.” All of these feelings are quite normal. They just mean your period is on its way!

So where does the moon fit into all of this? During the new moon, when the moon is just beginning to get bigger again, many women and girls also begin their 28-day cycle and start their periods. (If you don’t begin then, that’s perfectly normal, too! Not all women do.)

In the middle of the cycle, many

girls notice a burst of energy.

Have you ever noticed that you feel differently at various times of your period cycle? If so, put your moods—quiet or outgoing—to their best use!

By Jill Zimmerman Rutledge, MSW, LCSW

Map Your Mooncycle

Discover Your Period PatternBy Marcelle PickIllustration by Carly Dennis


When I was 11, I got my first period. The following year, my mom heard about a menstrual health class, and she really wanted me to take it. I kind of wanted to do it, but it seemed weird to take a class about my period. When we arrived, my teacher, Tamara Slayton, smiled at me and I started to feel better about being there.

We learned about foods that are good to eat in relation to our cycles. We talked about our cycles and how they relate to the moon’s cycle. We learned how to keep track of our cycles. We also made dolls, which I really liked. I made a doll with red hair and extravagant clothes.

Now I am more aware of where I am in my cycle. I can use my cycle to understand

that I am going through a change and be patient with myself. I see that when I eat certain foods, my cycle is uncomfortable. I also understand that stress affects my cycle.

When I am talking about menstruation to my friends, I feel

like I have a positive attitude. When my friend got her period, I tried to

welcome her into this change. I bought her some cloth menstrual pads. I wear cloth pads now. I think they are a little more work, but it is worth it. They don’t feel so icky and uncomfortable, and they are pretty.

As I learned in the class, I keep a chart about my changes. I keep my dreams in another journal and note what day of the cycle I am on when I have a very strong dream. I can really tell the difference in how I feel when I am fertile and when I am bleeding. When I am having my period, I pull in. I am deep; I want to be heard and insist on being heard. I love myself and want to be alone. When I am fertile, I am social and bubbly and I love the world.

My cycle is an important part of my life. I feel that menarche—a girl’s first menstruation—is a physical change and a spiritual change. Each and every girl’s menarche is beautiful and significant and important, no matter the restrictions different cultures put on menstruating women or how “weird” people can get about menstruation. If I ever have a daughter, I hope that she could have even more support and welcoming when she has her first period.

rachel Sarto wrote this article for NMg when she was 13. She is now an advocate for disabled people as a social worker. the teacher of the class rachel took, tamara Slayton, died in 2003. We are grateful for the important work tamara and many other women have done and continue to do for girls around the world who deserve to have healthy, proud periods.

Be a Period ProAs the moon becomes full—toward the middle of the cycle—many girls and women around the world ovulate. This fullness of the moon is like the creative fullness many of us feel at the time of ovulation. The second half of the moon’s cycle, when the moon is getting smaller and more withdrawn, is like the second half of our cycle. That’s when girls and women may want to be alone and feel more reflective.

So that’s what the moon’s got to do with it! Now you know how the ebb and flow of your period can connect you to our mysterious moon. And that connection is part of what makes girls so special.

Some girls get PMS or “premenstrual syndrome” symptoms three to 10 days before their period. These symptoms may include extra worrying, crankiness, fatigue, sadness, trouble concentrating, getting mad easily, or feeling like crying. Physically, symptoms might include feeling bloated, having more zits and food cravings, changes in sleep patterns, and feeling more thirst than usual. Fun, huh?

What can you do about PMS? Cut down on red meat and high-fat foods, which make you feel bloated. Reduce salt to cut down swelling. Reduce sugar to calm your moods. Eat more whole grains (like whole wheat breads and cereal), fruits, and vegetables and don’t use caffeine. Exercise helps a lot. Good sleep is important, too. Avoid stress by identifying and handling your feelings. If these tips don’t help, talk with a parent, doctor, school nurse, or guidance counselor.

Patsy Sadler, MD, has practiced internal medicine and adolescent medicine for 25 years.

PMS? What to Do

Want to make a cloth menstrual pad? It’s a great “first period” present for a friend, and you can make them to donate to girls in other parts of the world who don’t have access to throw-away pads. Search “period” at NewMoon.com to find this, along with lots of great advice from girls about periods.

We learned how to keep track of

our cycles.

Marcelle Pick is a nurse practitioner who co-founded Women to Women, a health-care facility in Maine that helps women make choices in their lives to prevent disease.

9

Animal Testing: OK

or Not?

Welcome to Voice Box, where you speak out on hot topics. We’re

debating whether animal testing should ever be done—even when it’s

to test medicines that might save human or animal lives. Check out

our upcoming Voice Box topic below and share your opinion.

My grandfather is a scientist and tests anesthetics (painkillers) on fruit flies. Yes, it kills them. Lots of them. But they are very ethical about it. They put the flies to sleep and then kill them. You may think this is wrong, but do you know anyone who has had surgery? Maybe a parent, aunt, uncle, grandparent, or even you? Do you take any medications?

Without animal testing first, how would anyone know whether it is safe for someone to take a new drug or use an improved anesthetic? Researchers may start with simple animals such as fruit flies, then move up to mice or rabbits and then up to animals much like ourselves, such as chimps. With a new drug, they might then have human volunteers try it, and see the side effects. If it hasn’t killed any animals yet, it most likely won’t kill a human.

I am a big supporter of animal rights. I donate much of my babysitting money to our local no-kill shelter. I can’t be a vegetarian because it would be unhealthy for me (not everyone; just me), but I eat types of fish that are not in danger from overfishing and always eat animals from farms that treat them well. Animal testing is OK for medical experiments, but not for things like hair products.

Nora, 13Illinois

We shouldn’t test any medicines or other products on animals, even if they could save lives, because if a product is bad it will harm them. Even though we want humans to be healthy, animals have a right to live, too!

Laila, 10Vermont

Medicine should be tested on animals. We need to know if it’s safe before we let humans use it. We all use medicine, and some medicines are so amazing that they save lives. In some cases, people would have died without animal testing.

Kira, 12Ohio

Medicines should not be tested on animals. If pharmaceutical companies need accurate results on human medicine, they should test it on a human! The companies don’t release the animals out in the wild when they’re done testing; they may harm or kill them. It’s unfair—animals are a very important part of this world.

Thea, 10California

Testing cosmetics on an animal is unnecessary and cruel, but many scientific and medical advancements would not have happened without animal testing. I think animal testing should be done in a safe and clean environment with government officials overseeing it. Remember, clinical trials of medicines are done on humans, too. DON’T test on animals when it’s unnecessary!

Sara, 13New York

The only way I would ever support animal testing is if it helped create a big medical breakthrough. I hate it when people use animals to test “beauty” products. If we used all natural skin products, there would be no point to testing on animals! Some “beauty” products even have cancerous chemicals.

Loris, 12Illinois

When the victor in this year’s U.S. presidential race takes office, what is the most important issue he or she should work on? Why? Remember, even if you can’t vote, you still can advocate for change in your country, state, province or city by writing to everyone from the president on down!

Email your opinion with a subject line of “Most Important Issue” to [email protected]. Include your first name, age, and state, province, or country. Thanks!

Sound Off!

voice box

Animals have a right to live,

too!


girLs are girL experts

Girls, of course, have lots of expertise about issues affecting girls! NMG girls offer helpful advice in surveys, discussionboards, and other areas in NMG’s online community. Stay tuned for more great girl advice on friendship, sports, popularity, and more in future issues of the magazine. Here are some views on an issue that surfaces often at NMG: Can girls be just as sexist and unfair as boys? Do boys also face stereotypes about what they “should” be or do?

The women’s rights movement was awesome and I’m glad we made it through, but do we need to dwell on it? At school, we had a huge discussion about sexist stereotypes about girls, and the boys in class were like, “I can’t participate in the discussion. I didn’t do this.” Boys deal with stereotypes, too, like “sporty” and “cool.” Let’s try to treat boys better!

Mary, 11Wisconsin

We do need to keep dwelling on women’s history. We need to recognize all that women have done that has gotten us this far. What about the right to vote? How about the right to drive? The right to your own body? We can’t take these rights for granted. There are still women in this world who don’t have those rights. Males and females still are not equal here, either. Not long ago, Walmart won a lawsuit brought over charges that they paid their female employees less than male employees. I’m glad to have a magazine like NMG that focuses on GIRLS’ strengths and rights and issues.

Veda, 12New York

Many boys (not all boys) think that they are better than us girls. Some boys in my class even said, “Want to hear a joke? Women’s rights!” That is a sexist comment, and I didn’t talk to those boys until they apologized. However, just because some boys are sexist doesn’t mean that we have to be! Be the better person, and don’t respond to a sexist comment with a “girls are better” comment. Just let them know that it’s not right to make fun of anyone for any reason, especially their gender!

Hallie, 13South Carolina

NMG members talk so much about how girls should be allowed to do the same things as boys. But in real life if a girl likes “boy stuff” she gets called strong, while if a boy even talks about liking a “girl” thing, the best thing that will happen is that people will think he’s joking—and the worst thing that will happen is that he will get bullied and made fun of horribly. This is so wrong.

Wren, 13Michigan

It bothers me a lot when guys who act “effeminate” (behavior thought to be like a girl) get harassed for “being gay.” If they are gay, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, and people should accept it. If they’re straight, why can’t people just accept that behavior?

Viola, 13Netherlands

Are We Unfair to Boys?

Player, jock, slacker, winner, superhero, goofball: These are some of the stereotypes that can pressure boys into hiding their true interests and unique personalities. When these “types” are all boys see in media and advertising, it affects their behavior, say Sharon Lamb, Lyn Mikel Brown, and Mark Tappan, professors who’ve written Packaging Boyhood: Saving Our Sons from Superheroes, Slackers, and Other Media Stereotypes. Boys may turn to more-violent games, speak more disrespectfully to appear more powerful, and develop a “slacker” attitude of not caring and being “cool.”

Lamb and Mikel Brown wrote Packaging Girlhood about stereotypes such as shopaholics and mean girls that affect girls (see our interview with them in the May/June 2010 issue). But they, along with Tappan, say they believe that boys suffer just as much from

expectations to fit a stereotype. What to do? Simply start asking boys about the messages they get from media and advertising, and talk about the pressures on both boys and girls. Together, we can help each other be ourselves.

Stereotyping Boys

11

For millions of girls around the world, life is not fair. Here and abroad, sexism, racism, and other “isms” still keep other people from receiving fair treatment. How can we change that? Read on, and get inspired!

Girls around the world have some huge issues to face today. Millions of girls live in poverty and don’t have the opportunity to go to school. Girl babies are killed in favor of boys in many places. And each year, millions of girls are married off, their childhood thrown away. These problems are caused by a belief that has persisted for centuries—that boys are simply better than girls.

Dedicated people all over the world have worked to address the issue, but much work remains to be done. It’s up to us to help these girls, even though we might live on opposite sides of the planet.

Girls living in poverty have the biggest disadvantages of all. Let’s imagine that you are a 12-year-old girl living in Kashmir, India. You live with your mother, your father and his two other wives, and your brothers, sisters, and half-siblings. You don’t go to school because your family’s meager earnings go to educate the sons.

You stay home, clean, and take care of your younger siblings, but you want to go to school and be a doctor.

You are married to a middle-aged man from the village, but you don’t live with

him yet. However, your gauna, the ceremony that marks your transfer from your childhood family to your husband’s family, will take place soon.

There are millions of girls who live like this. Picture what

often happens at mealtime. Many girls who live in developing countries are malnourished, or underfed, because more and better food is often saved for men and boys.

Amira Mortenson saw this food unfairness when, at age 10, she traveled to Pakistan with her father, Greg, who raised funds to build several schools there. When she and her dad were invited to dinners, Amira noticed that the village’s most important men were served ample food, while the women sat in another room with less food. Girls got the least food. “About 10 girls shared a small plate of rice with the tiniest bit of meat sauce,” she writes in Three Cups of Tea. “And even the poorest girls offered me food; they wanted to share. It’s heartbreaking when they treat women and girls so lowly, and it’s hard to eat when you are with starving kids.”

Girls also are denied education much more often than boys. Of the world’s 130 million out-of-school youth, 70 percent are girls. Sometimes, villages are too poor to afford a school, or they have a boys’ school but no girls’ school. In countries where child marriage is practiced, girls usually are forced to leave school once they are married. When religious extremists are in power, often only boys and men can go to school.

Many brave girls and women find creative ways to go to school. Here’s how Anita, a girl from India, did it. Her parents didn’t want to send her to school, so she went on a hunger strike to convince her parents that school was important to her. After she finished

What’s Fair?Helping Girls Worldwide

By Ellie Phillips


school, she became a beekeeper to make money for college. She was nervous about studying with men twice her age, but she went to college and started her own business. Her example inspired other girls to follow her path. You can see and share fun videos about Anita the beekeeper and other brave schoolgirls at www.goingtoschool.com/girl-star.html.

It’s clear that educated girls make a real difference, but what if these girls didn’t even have a chance to live? In China and India, “gendercide” has become more common because of more affordable ultrasounds. In some cultures, if an ultrasound shows that the child is a girl, the mother will often chose to abort rather than have a daughter.

Researchers believe the one-child policy of China may contribute to the gender imbalance there, because many couples want to insure that their only child is a boy. In India, some women choose to abort female children because they would have to come up with dowry money for them when they get married. In short, some parents don’t want to have daughters because they will get married into another family, and won’t bring in any money.

If this continues, some countries will have a big gender imbalance—such as China, where there’ll be about 35 million more young men than young women by the year 2020. With so many unmarried young men, problems such

as “human trafficking” (selling a person to be used for prostitution) and rape are expected to increase.

When a girl doesn’t have a good education, she is more likely to be married young and have many children. She’s unlikely to be able to support her family, and will have less access to health care and food. Poverty and lack of good nutrition puts her and her family at higher risk for illness and disease. Many studies show that if a poor girl gets a good education, she will reinvest almost all of it in her family, and the whole family will live a better life. Better yet, she’ll be an inspiration for others.

How can people like us who have more resources help poor girls become leaders? First, we can educate ourselves and others about the problem, and then support organizations

that help girls (see our list on p. 15). Read a book about gender inequality with your

class or book club. You could also do a fundraiser! If we all try to make

a difference, we can change the world.

After Natascha Yogachandra saw photos of poor children overseas, she decided to share her love of books with children who couldn’t afford them. At age 7, Natascha started Project Book Angels, gathering donated books in her small town in New York and giving speeches to civic groups to raise money for postage.

But she didn’t stop there. At age 11, she saw TV coverage of the tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people in south Asia, and began raising money for survivors. She and her family went to India and Sri Lanka to help, and that’s when Natascha started Hope Is Life, a foundation whose work she still carries on at age 18 while studying at New York University. During her teen years, she and her family lived in India and Cambodia, and traveled to Haiti after the major earthquake there. Each time, they met with local people to see what help was needed, and started a project.

In addition to the 20 libraries created with donated books, Natascha’s foundation is funding scholarships for girls in Africa and Asia; sponsoring runaway teen girls in a shelter in India so they can get an education; and giving grants to women who are orphan guardians in Africa to start their own business. Natascha says that each time she asked her parents if they could go help, they said, “Why not?” She says, “Now I’m asking ‘Why not?’ to the rest of the world.”

Changemaking All the Way

Natascha with students in Thailand

Ellie, 13, from Oregon, loves to play viola, dance, and write.

13

Mary Grace with Irene (left)

When I was 12, my mom took my grandmother and me to a craft class to make headbands. We made a few headbands, but it was the wall of colorful ribbons that left the biggest impression on me. When I later noticed some reversible headbands in a store, I created a plan: I would learn how to sew and make reversible headbands with ribbons. I’d sell them to make a life-changing difference for girls. That’s why I called my nonprofit Reverse the Course—I hoped my headband sales would reverse the course of the lives of girls in need of education.

I began selling my headbands at my school bookstore, and then to a few other schools. I sold them at sidewalk sales, through stores in several states, and at holiday boutiques. When I was 13, I spent my summer making our website and creating other hair accessories.

I started sending money to a project I’d learned about through a school community service project—Jump Rope for Uganda, which raises money to help Ugandan girls go

to school. One day I got a phone call from Barbara Shaw, who started Maasai Girls Education Fund, an organization to help girls in Kenya. She told me about girls like Peninah (photo, right). I realized more than ever that my actions weren’t just about

By Mary Grace Henry

Go, Girl!Rising With Ribbons

Peninah (below left), a girl who was raised in extreme poverty with her large family, was brought to the offices of the Maasai Girls Education Fund (MGEF) after her father tried to force her to marry an older man when she was 13. Peninah was the first of five Maasai girls sent to school through Reversing the Course. MGEF has sent 110 girls to school, and their 17 graduates work in education, health care, and other fields. Visit maasaigirlseducation.org to see the many other services MGEF provides and how to help.

Peninah, left, and Lydia, right


• The Girl Effect (girleffect.org): Several NMG members have raised funds for this organization that gets girls educated—learn more and join them!

• Girls Learn International (girlslearn.net): Get your class or school to adopt a sister school elsewhere in the world.

• Girls Not Brides (girlsnotbrides.org): Help stop the forced marriages of an estimated 10 million girls each year to older men, and help reduce domestic violence and teen pregnancy.

• Half the Sky (halftheskymovement.org): Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn co-authored the book Half the Sky, a great overview of injustices against girls and women. Check their website for more news and info for action.

• I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali with Delphine Minoui: This is the memoir of a girl from Yemen who escaped her abusive marriage.

• Pennies for Peace (penniesforpeace.org): Learn how to raise money for girls’ schools by collecting pennies, and read the young person’s version of Three Cups of Tea.

• Girls Helping Girls (empoweragirl.org): Raise money for girls’ education and become a sister school with this organization started by Sejal Hathi when she was 15.

• Equality Now (equalitynow.org): Learn how they’ve been fighting violence against girls and women world-wide for 20 years.

• CARE (care.org): Thousands of girls and women get access to education and jobs through programs such as microfinance (very small loans for women to start their own business).

Take Action

sending a girl to school—it would put her on a new path that would change her family and community life for the better.

Today, the sales from my business, along with donations and grants, have paid for 37 years of schooling for 18 girls. Our donations cover tuition, boarding, uniforms, and textbooks.I visited the schools in Uganda and saw how much harder the school day is for those girls than for us. The girls wake up every morning at 4 a.m. and are doing classroom work by 5. They work until 5 p.m., and come back to their classrooms at 7:30 p.m. Despite their long days, they are thrilled to be at school. They are full of possibility, and I know they are going to change their country.

I also spent time with Irene, a student in Kampala whose mother and father died of HIV/AIDS—one of her father’s other wives took her in so she could plant the crops. Still, Irene was starving to death because the stepmother fed the sons and the cattle before she fed Irene. I’ve paid for Irene’s entire secondary school education. I also taught sewing workshops at the schools, and encouraged the students to consider starting their own co-op business.

Reverse The Course’s funding is making a measurable difference. According to the United Nations, for every year a girl stays in school, her income increases 15 percent to 20 percent. Girls return more than 94 percent of their income back to their families and their communities.

If you’d like to help other girls, too, you’ve already taken the first step because you are aware of and concerned for others. Just decide what you’d like to do to help, and then keep

walking in that direction!

Visit reversethecourse.org to see all of Mary Grace’s hair accessories and learn more about the girls she helps. If you’d like to host a Girls Helping Girls Night or a Mother-Daughter Trunk Show with her hair accessories, email her at [email protected]. Girls have hosted trunk shows at school events, Girl Scout events and craft fairs, and for service projects. You may be able to send another girl to school!

Host a Show!

15

In the past 50 years, life has gotten much fairer for many people who’ve experienced discrimination. Millions of Americans spoke out, joining in marches, boycotts, petitions, and other actions that brought better laws and changed attitudes. Consider just a few examples: If you were an African-American, Hispanic, Native American, or Asian girl in the 1950s, your family may have been restricted from white neighborhoods, schools, and restaurants. Anyone you knew who was gay or lesbian was considered mentally ill. Back then, many mentally and physically disabled people were not allowed to have jobs, marry, or have children.

We’re grateful for everyone who helped make changes to end much of that discrimination! But life still isn’t fair for everyone. What kinds of unfairness do you see? What can we do to help stop it? Tell us what you think in the “What’s Fair?” survey at NewMoon.com (look for the blue “Get Involved” box). We’ll share your thoughts in the magazine and at NewMoon.com—thanks!

Tell Us: What’s Fair?

One of the ways we can make this world a safer, better, and less violent place is to teach people. Uninformed people are uncomfortable around certain races, religions, and/or sexualities, and form stereotypes about them. Believing in stereotypes can lead to hatred and bullying—even war.

When I was younger, I was exposed only to the “wrong” things about what it meant to have a different sexuality. I was uneducated and I didn’t stand up for others when people used “gay” or similar terms as insults.

I’m different now. Why? I was educated, through websites, books, people, and inspirations. That’s why, instead of feeling incredibly mad about homophobic, racist, or sexist opinions I hear from people, I often feel sad. More times than not, these people haven’t been exposed to people who are different.

For example, I’m completely open to all religions and races because almost all of my friends have different backgrounds. I have Indian, Japanese, Taiwanese, Chinese, African-

American, Swedish, Christian, Jewish, and agnostic (me!) friends. I’ve been educated about the horrors and racism of our world.

Sometimes it seems to me that there are just a few people who hold real power in our world. And unfortunately, I am not one of them. However, I believe that we can create change. If everyone puts a post like this on their blog, or writes an article about this topic in the school newspaper, or simply has an epiphany while reading this, things can change—a lot, for the better.

Sara, 13, from New York, likes writing, reading, photography, the violin, and history.

By Sara Shapiro

Forty years ago, the U.S. Congress passed Title IX, a federal law that requires equal treatment for girls and boys. You may have heard about Title IX in connection with equal funding for sports, but Title IX changed much more than that. Let’s celebrate!

• Until the 1970s, many colleges and universities refused to admit women. Women now earn undergraduate and graduate degrees at higher rates than men, which helps them get better jobs. Title IX also helped make scholarship opportunities fairer for women.

• Before Title IX, women sometimes left schools and workplaces because of sexual harassment—sexual remarks and actions—which typically was dismissed as “boys will be boys” behavior. Now sexual harassment is against the law.

• In the past, girls and women often weren’t allowed to take classes and programs in “inappropriate” areas such as science, math, and carpentry. Title IX opened up classes and job training for all, including men who wanted to be homemakers or nurses.

You can learn more about Title IX at titleix.info.

Happy Birthday Title IX

Speak Out on Human Rights!

Audrey Faye Hendricks got arrested at age 9 for protesting racism—learn more about young civil rights activists at cynthialevinson.com.


Girls

In 2000, the music video network VH1 listed the “100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock”—and hardly any women made their rankings. That kind of sexism in the rock world rankled Misty McElroy, a college student in Portland, Oregon, who began brainstorming how girls could both make music and gain self-esteem. She and other volunteers from the Portland State University Women’s Studies Department came up with the idea of a girls rock camp, to show girls how to create their own music while at the same time teaching them life skills such making their own publications, and helping them feel stronger with self-defense skills.

After girls flocked to the first girls rock camp in 2001 in Portland, women in other cities got busy creating more rock camps. Now girls can go to 33 girls rock camps in the U.S. and Canada and five more in Europe, with more camps in development. Visit girlsrockcampalliance.org to learn more about the camps.

Most carry on Misty’s vision, with girls learning how to play an

instrument and work with their band along with

a fun mix of women’s music history, ‘zine making, self-esteem and self-defense strengthening, and

lots of fun performing at week’s end before an adoring crowd. Some camps continue with after-school music-making classes, and girls performing in local venues.

If there’s not a girls rock camp near you, learn how to do it yourself—check out the book Rock’n’Roll Camp for Girls: How to Start a Band, Write Songs, Record an Album and Rock Out!! Grab some friends and organize your own camp!

Girls

ROCK!Girls across the U.S. and around the world are learning how to perform in a band after just one week in girls rock camps. Join in the DIY music movement!

Ixe and Dea, both 8, rock out at their performance for the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls in New York, which has hosted more than 1,300 campers since 2005. This camp is named after Willie Mae “Big Mama” Thornton, an early blues and rock performer and songwriter who was one of the first women to play the music that came to be known as “rock n’ roll.”

Isabelle, 12 (left), says, “I loved camp

because I met girls my own age with the same

interests as me.” Here’s what other girls at the She Rock

She Rock camp in Minneapolis, Minnesota, say about camp. Evelyn, 12, says she now wants to play more instruments and that the teachers “inspire me because they’re amazing—I want to be like them.” And Ann, 11, says that “rock camp is so fun—it’s so cool to be able to get up on stage and perform with your band!”

Do you play an instrument? Do you want to be in an orchestra? Then thank the many activists who’ve worked to end bias against women classical musicians! Orchestras were long dominated by white males—women were banned because it was thought that they didn’t have the strength to play the instruments, particularly horns and percussion, and that they could be distracting to male musicians. But when “blind auditions” became widespread in the 1970s, with orchestra leaders unable to see whether the musician behind a screen was male or female, the numbers of female orchestra musicians mushroomed. All is not equal in orchestras—organizations such as Women’s Philharmonic Advocacy note that women conductors still are scarce, orchestras still are composed mostly of men, and orchestras still play the work of mostly male composers. Let the fight for fairness play on!

Classical Battles

17

And The

WinnersWe asked you to recommend your favorite movies that show girls as the amazing and adventurous people they are. Here’s what girls told us! Tell us about your favorites by searching “Movie Awards” at NewMoon.com. Turn the page for tips on making your own movies.

1.) The Hunger Games (PG-13)

In this movie and book series set in the future, Katniss hunts to feed her sister and mother and must fight for her life in “Hunger Games” staged by her oppressive government. “I like this movie because the main character is a girl and she hunts and knows how to use weapons, which are things many people believe girls don’t do,” says Elizabeth, 12, from Illinois. “To tell you the truth, girls can do anything.”

2.) The Harry Potter movies (PG or PG-13)

Harry and pals Hermione, Ron, and others face dangers from evil Voldemort and the Death Eaters, and more. “I love the action and amazing female characters, especially Hermione,” says Olivia, 11, from California.

3.) Movies directed by Hayao Miyazaki

Readers liked how girls are portrayed in these animated Japanese films including “Ponyo” (G; a girl fish and her quest to be human), “My Neighbor Totoro” (G; two sisters have fun with wood spirits), “Spirited Away” (PG; Chihiro, 10, is trapped in an alternate universe), “Howl’s Moving Castle” (PG; a curse turns Sophie into an old woman), “Kiki’s Delivery Service” (G; Kiki, with her cat Jiji, is a plucky witch-in-training), and “The Secret World of Arrietty” (G; tiny creature Arrietty befriends Sho as

they fight to survive). “I like how Arrietty is brave and confident,” says Madeline, 12, from North

Carolina. She also likes how Chihiro “was afraid, but had courage” in “Spirited Away.”

4.) Summer Eleven (PG)

Four girls savor their last summer together before middle school. “This movie shows that four girls who each have different problems can come together to be friends and support each other,” says Annie, 12.

5.) Ramona and Beezus (G)

Little sister Ramona meets misadventures with big sis Beezus in

a movie based on the beloved Ramona books by Beverly Cleary. “Maybe the movie and books are intended for people a bit younger than me, but I still love how strong Ramona and Beezus’ friendship is even though they seem to hate each other in the beginning,” says Lara, 12, from Illinois.

Are....

Girls’ Choice Movie Awards

Which Movie When?What movies are you allowed to watch? Each movie gets a rating, including g (general audiences—all ages admitted); Pg (parental guidance suggested); Pg-13 (parents strongly cautioned; some material inappropriate for children under 13); r (kids younger than 17 must be accompanied by adult); and NC-17 (no one 17 or younger admitted). girls and their parents may have different guidelines and opinions about which movies are oK to watch.

For example, Lunar ruby Bluestar, 10, from Belgium, said she and her family believe that “the hunger games” books and movie are too violent for girls (and boys) to read and see. others disagree—Claire, 11, from oregon says that the violence in “the hunger games” makes the point that war and killing is bad. Whether or not you’re allowed to see a certain movie, you can always have a great conversation with your family

about the movie’s topic. Your parents may change their minds, or you may understand their opinions better.

Top 10 Winners


6.) An American Girl movies (G)The sheroes of movies based on historical fiction books connected with American Girl dolls got girls’ thumbs-up. “Kit is a strong female lead, and she is very brave and loyal to her friends,” says August, 11, from Florida, about “Kit Kittredge: An American Girl,” in which Kit helps run her mom’s boarding house during the Great Depression. Regarding “An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong,” MaKayla, 13, from Vermont, likes “Chrissa’s attitude and how the movie teaches a valuable lesson on bullying, how easily it can affect someone, and how to fix it.”

7.) Bridge to Terabithia (PG)Leslie and Jesse, both outsiders, create a fantasy world in the forest. The movie, based on a book by Katherine Paterson, “shows how Leslie is different, encouraging other girls to be themselves,” says Annie, 12.

8.) Coraline (PG)

An adventurous girl finds a scary world with a parallel family. “It’s very beautiful, and the main character is also a strong girl, which is a plus,” says Mary, 14.

9.) Mirror, Mirror (PG)

An exiled princess triumphs in a redo of “Snow White.” Hannah, 12, from Massachusetts, believes “Mirror, Mirror” “has great girl power with the girl saving the boy.”

10.) Soul Surfer (PG)

Bethany loses her arm in a shark attack while surfing at age 13 in this true story that covers her recovery and continued surfing career. “Bethany is amazing because she is really brave and has to relearn everything after the attack,” says Hannah, 12, from California.

Kati, 14, from Connecticut, suggests tossing shredded wheat cereal, popped popcorn, mini-pretzels, and peanuts with melted butter, a big dash of Worcestershire sauce, and a sprinkle of seasoned salt. What’s your favorite movie-watching snack? Share it by searching “Movie awards” at NewMoon.com. here are a few ways to make popcorn more peppy.

Cheesy Sprinkle Parmesan on popcorn. You also can use shredded cheddar, jack, or any cheese you like. . . Sweet Melt butter and stir in sugar, cinnamon, maple syrup, honey, or other sweet stuff to taste before pouring on popcorn—mix well. . . Salty Melt butter and stir in something savory or spicy to drizzle on popcorn such as chili powder and lime and salt; curry powder and shredded coconut and salt; or soy sauce and ginger powder. . . Sticky Melt equal parts butter and peanut butter and stir in marshmallows until gooey and sticky, then mix into popcorn. . . Chippy Don’t stop at chocolate chips—fling in butterscotch, mint, peanut butter, white, or any other kind of baking chips to melt on hot popcorn. Be sure to get an adult to help!

“Ella Enchanted” (Pg) Ella must escape the curse of obedience. . . “Despicable Me”

(Pg) three orphan girls reform a supervillain. . . “Penelope” (Pg) is love blind for a girl with a nose-y

curse?. . . “Charlotte’s Web” (g) a wise spider and girl amid farmyard drama. . . “Nancy Drew” (Pg) teen detective

breaks the case. . . “anne of green gables” (g) the fiery anne finds new adventures in this series. . . “Matilda” (Pg) Bookloving Matilda outsmarts mean teachers and parents. . . “Monte Carlo”

(Pg) three teens pretend to be heiresses abroad. . . “true grit” (Pg-13) Feisty Mattie holds her own in the Wild West. . . “Enchanted”

(Pg) Cinderella gets transported to modern-day New York. . . “Fishtales” (Pg) Serena discovers a book on mermaid mythology that leads to big changes. . . “hotel for Dogs” (g) andi and her

brother open a secret shelter. . . “Legally Blonde” (Pg-13) Elle takes on harvard Law School her way. . . “Dolphin

tale” (Pg) hazel and Sawyer set out to save an injured dolphin. . . “Labyrinth” (Pg) Sarah

must rescue her brother from a strange land.

More Movies Girls Like

See more movies and movie characters girls love, as well as recommendations from adult girl advocates, by searching “Movie Awards” at NewMoon.com. And see lots of wonderful girl-made movies by searching “Video” at NewMoon.com and clicking on “Video-Audio.”

Movie Recs & Extras

Bridge to Terabithia

Yummy Movie Snacks

19

Women’s WorkGirls Make Films

What inspired you to start TVbyGIRLS?

I was working as a documentary producer/director for Twin Cities Public Television and I was the birth coach for my dear friend, Laura. When that baby girl looked up at me, I was suddenly struck with how hard it is to grow up female in our world. I realized that a big part of that can stem from the work of my own industry—media—with its many demeaning images and stories that limit girls from growing up to be leaders and changemakers. So I promised that little girl that I would do something about it. I researched how to create a place where girls could use the tools of media to change what media did, and I talked with NMG founder Nancy Gruver. Together with other strong women, we founded TVbyGIRLS. By the way, that baby girl is now 16 and a member of the TVbyGIRLS mentoring group.

Tell us about a few favorite film projects you’ve done.

All the TVbyGIRLS films are my favorites! One of them is “Undercover,” an exploration by girls of their different religious beliefs and the stereotypes they experience. One of our Muslim girls, Saida, said she wanted to make a movie about how people looked at her because she wore a hijab. So a group of three Muslim girls, three Jewish girls and one girl with undecided religious beliefs (raised Christian) started exploring and asking good questions. They experienced something beautiful at the heart of the values of each religion. All the girls wore hijabs out in the street and felt the responses that Saida gets every day. They did an Orthodox Jewish Shabbat service, they went to baptisms and talked to Christian clergy, and they hung out with the atheist community in the Twin Cities. We hope to have the film finished by the fall.

One of my favorite personal works is “Ida’s Story,” a documentary about a 92-year-old woman and her memories of fleeing the Cossacks with her seven siblings to get to America. Her stories of survival and resiliency are amazing and make us think about the hatred that can create bullying, persecution, and even genocide.

How did you get to be a filmmaker?

I have always loved making stories and I have always been a visual thinker—I see pictures in my head all the time. My first career was in the theater, directing at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and other great places. But I wanted to work with real people’s stories, so I shifted to film and television. I started with a public television internship and became a senior producer and experienced lots of amazing adventures before starting TVbyGIRLS. I love being a filmmaker and finding ways to understand how amazing human beings are by telling stories.

What advice do you have for girls who want to make films?

With cameras and editing programs more easy to get and use, I encourage every girl to make movies and feel the power of sharing your view of the world with others. First, think about what you really care about or are curious about, and then talk to people about it. If you care about animals being treated well, go to your local animal shelter and talk to people about it. Don’t be afraid to ask questions of people about ANYTHING!

Then use your camera to make pictures for your story. Get a tripod (or put your camera on something steady) when you film and get a good microphone for interviews. Decide what you want to say, and work with a basic film editing system to write your story with pictures. Make it as long or short as you want. Add some music you make in a program like Garage Band or by recording musical friends or downloading from free music websites.

Hold a screening with friends and family when you’re done! Keep making movies, because each one will help you get better. Every girl has something to say — and as we say in TVbyGIRLS, every girl has the potential to help shape a better world by sharing her awesome ideas with everyone through her movies.

Filmmaker FrancestVbygirLS filmmaker Frances, 14, from Minnesota, talks about making her favorite movie: “i’m really enjoying ‘Love,’ a movie about first love, fear, dating, and commitment. We girls spent a lot of time talking about the concepts we wanted to include, and then we filmed a lot of interviews with all kinds of people, from kindergartners to parents. We have some spoken-word pieces and dance in it, too. it’s almost finished now!” Frances especially loves talking to people for tVbygirLS films, and exploring new film forms such as documentaries. “i always enjoy viewing the final project, but it is the process that’s my favorite,” she says.

Barbara Wiener

Barbara Wiener started the group TVbyGIRLS so girls could learn how to tell their own stories by making movies. Check out all their marvelous movies at www.tvbygirls.tv.


Geena Davis, Media Equalizer

When little girls and boys watch movies and TV, what ideas do they develop about girls and women? Actor Geena Davis didn’t like what she saw, so she took action. She started the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media (seejane.org), which works to improve the images of girls and women in children’s media. As an actor, Geena is known for playing strong female roles—check out the movie “A League of Their Own” (she’s in an all-women baseball league), or the 2005-06 TV series “Commander In Chief,” in which she plays the first female U.S. president. Geena shared her activist inspiration with Daughters, a NMG sister publication that’s now a website (daughters.com) with great advice for parents of girls and girl advocates.

My eyes were really opened when I started watching preschool television with my daughter when she was about 2 years old. I noticed that there weren’t nearly as many female characters as male characters. It seemed that on the majority of young children’s programming, even on public television, my daughter and the other children watching didn’t see a world like the real one, in which girls and women make up half of the population. And the female characters that did appear were too often covered with bows and jewelry and cared a great deal about their appearance.

I kept watching, and got more and more frustrated. I saw that the majority of TV shows, videos, and movies designed specifically for children—whether the shows were animated, live-action, or puppets—are dominated by male characters and male stories. Studies have shown that in large part we learn our self-worth by seeing ourselves reflected in the culture. What message are we sending to girls and boys? It’s just as important to me for my two boys to see girls playing vital roles in the stories they watch. My sons will most likely be husbands and fathers, and I want them to value women as much as I want my daughter to feel valued.

Read these facts from the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media and do your own research as you watch family movies and TV. Don’t forget to check animated animals: How many are girls? How many are boys? Ask questions about the roles girls play.

• Males outnumber females 3 to 1 in family films, even though females make up a little more than half of the population in the United States. This male-female ratio is the same as it was in 1946!

• Females are almost four times as likely as males to be shown in sexy attire and nearly twice as likely as males to be shown with a tiny waistline.

• Females also are underrepresented behind the camera. In a study of more than 1,500 content creators, only 7 percent of directors, 13 percent of writers, and 20 percent of producers were female.

Movie Makers: Listen Up!girls watch lots of movies, including ones that don’t feature girls as main characters, or show girls who aren’t very inspirational. and it’s fine to like whatever you like. Did you know, though, that many moviemakers still fear that having a girl or woman as a main character will scare off male viewers and lessen profits? here’s what girls said they wanted to see in future movies.

i want FEWEr boyfriends, and MorE awesome girl characters! Zelda, 9, Illinois . . . Fewer “girly” princesses who only care about how they look. Ada, 11, Vermont . . . Put in more imaginary things like different worlds and creatures. Miasol, 9, North Carolina . . . Make more comedies that are age-appropriate for me. Dria, 10, New York . . . More dragons, unicorns, and other animals and take out the kissing scenes. Sage, 6, Missouri . . . girls in the movies shouldn’t have to be picture perfect! Fewer damsels in distress. Sarah, 11, California . . . More characters who aren’t stereotypes. Madeline, 12, North Carolina . . . More girl superheroes—there aren’t very many that are popular. Why doesn’t that happen more? Movies should inspire people. Holly, 13, Virginia

Geena Davis says, “If girls can see it, they can be it!”

Ana, 14, from Washington, made a film with other girls who left their countries to work in farm fields. See reelgrrls.org to see it and more girl-made movies.

21

science side effects

Q: Are things fair and equal for girls/women in STEM?

Larissa: Historically, the sciences were for men only. Many universities were closed to women until the last century. Women weren’t allowed in most scientific academies, too—the Royal Society of London didn’t admit women until 1945, while the Académie des Sciences in Paris waited until 1979! Both were founded in the 1660s.

Today, women study and work in all areas of STEM, but some areas still see fewer women than men. For example, only 17 to 18 percent of the students in Canadian undergraduate engineering programs are female. According to the 2006 Canadian Census, the percentage of women working in science-related fields including physical sciences, computers and information technology, and technical occupations, ranged from 12.2 to 36.7 percent, with the fewest women in engineering and the most in life sciences.

Q: You remember that when you were 9 years old, the boys in your science class would do the experimenting, while the girls became secretaries and wrote down the results. Why is this a problem?

Larissa: It’s problematic because the stereotypes that girls, boys, and society often have about what girls and boys can or cannot do can hurt school performance and reduce their career options. The stereotype of girls not being good at science can become a self-fulfilling prophecy—meaning that even if you have the ability, if you think you can’t do it, you won’t even try. This kind of stereotypical thinking can also lead to bullying, because girls who like STEM are seen as different and therefore become targets for bullies.

Q: What “unfairnesses” have you seen in school?

Larissa: My grade 4 teacher once asked for a volunteer to quickly set up a science kit experiment. I raised my hand; I had the science kit at home and could easily prepare it. My teacher said no—she wanted a boy to do it! That upset me, and was one of the factors that made me want to start CAGIS.

Q: How do organizations like CAGIS help make things more equal?

Larissa: Canadian and U.S. research has shown that girls begin science at a disadvantage—not because they’re not interested in science, but because they don’t see enough of it! Organizations like CAGIS expose girls to different areas of STEM so that they know what’s out there for their futures. Our events are fun and full of hands-on activities, which is great for building confidence and understanding. Most of our presenters and volunteers are women in STEM fields; they’re wonderful role models who show the girls what creative, interesting, and rewarding work they do.

Q: Do you think that CAGIS has made a difference for girls in science?

Larissa: Definitely. Past surveys of CAGIS members tell us that our girls feel that they are good at science, and that CAGIS has helped them in school. Our members have also expressed very positive and gender-neutral views when asked to describe scientists and engineers—they don’t stereotype these careers. Girls and their parents regularly tell us how much they enjoy CAGIS. They remember material from CAGIS events years later, and are sticking with science classes into high school and university. And we regularly receive emails and run into CAGIS grads who are now engineers, doctors, electricians, neuroscientists, welders, molecular biologists, and more! Some also volunteer as CAGIS chapter coordinators in other cities themselves.

Q: Did CAGIS make a difference in your own life?

Larissa: Yes, CAGIS exposed me to so much that I may not have encountered otherwise. I visited interesting labs

By Jaime Yee

these days, women and men are supposed to be equal in every way. But in spite of improvements over the years, girls and women still are not equally represented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (StEM). Larissa Vingilis-Jaremko founded the Canadian association for girls in Science (CagiS), a science club for girls that’s now in many Canadian cities, when she was 9 years old. ten years later,she’s still CagiS’ president and is a PhD student studying psychology at McMaster university in ontario. Jaime asked Larissa for her thoughts on girls, women, and science.

Girl Scientists: All’s Fair?

Larissa Vingilis-Jaremko


and learned a ton of cool STEM stuff along with other girls at CAGIS events! I’ve built and tested model bridges in wind tunnels, operated on a rubber knee, seen bacteria from swamp water I collected, built and flown model planes, and more. As a coordinator of a CAGIS chapter myself, I’ve learned other things including organizational skills, working and collaborating with other people, communicating with the media, and planning and running small and large events. CAGIS has had a big impact on my life!

Q: What will you do when you finish your PhD?

Larissa: More science!

Q: How long will you continue working with CAGIS?

Larissa: As long as we still need to keep girls interested and exposed to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

CAGIS is a science club for girls ages 7-16 with chapters across Canada and members around the world! Chapters look behind the scenes

at science in action with adult scientists, and try it out for themselves with fun, hands-on activities. Learn more at www.cagis.ca.

Jaime Yee, 14, lives in British Columbia, Canada, with her mom, dad and puppy, Toffee. In her free time, she enjoys playing ice hockey and piano, and loves to

read, write, draw, and bake. She has not yet decided

what to do with her life when she gets older.

Find STEM fun!

Girl advocates have created hundreds of classes and groups to encourage girls to enjoy STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) activities. There may be one near you. Visit the National Girls Collaborative Project (www.ngcproject.org) and click on “Program Directory” to enter your location. You can also find an inspiring role model and mentor at www.fabfem.org. Thanks to all the ongoing work by STEM fairness fighters!

Experiment! Building Towers with Hot Ice

Materials: Cold sodium acetate solution (see below), and a dish

Procedure:

1.Pour a tiny bit of solution into the dish. CAUTION: Pour SLOWLY, a tiny bit at a time. It should crystallize within seconds. Keep pouring very slowly, moving the solution up and around to build a tower.

2. Touch the tower. How does it feel?

What’s happening?

Cold sodium acetate is an example of a supercooled liquid. That means that the sodium

acetate is liquid even when the temperature is lower than its freezing point. Your tower-building

is an exothermic process—in other words, it releases heat! That’s why the tower of ice

feels warm. Sodium acetate is used in many types of hot packs that are used

to warm body parts for health or comfort reasons.

You can buy sodium acetate at a chemistry supply store or make your own. Heat one liter of white

vinegar in a saucepan, and slowly add 4 tablespoons of baking soda.

Boil the solution to remove water until a thin layer of crystal forms on the surface.

Remove from heat, cover immediately, and chill in the refrigerator.

23

Lavender Corkskey sat fuming in a hollow concrete square, a massive cubicle buried eight miles under her school. The square smelled like a swamp and she’d been enduring it for hours, just waiting for something to happen.

Lavender lived in the city of Tesserman, which had been in lockdown ever since she and her classmates had been hustled to the emergency elevators. Her class had been listening to a boring history lesson when a high-pitched squawking noise filled the room. Flashing red lights signaled that all classes should be herded down to their own cement shelter.

It was Lavender’s guess that the lockdown business had something to do with the usual Pixie problems. Her thoughts were confirmed when a call came through to her cell phone and the grouchy, rough voice of her boss, Lock, barked at her when she answered. “Lav, I need you up here with me. I’ll give you the details later.” And the line went dead.

Lavender belonged to a society called the M.C.P., standing for Magical Creature Protection. She had been in the society for about five years and had dealt with some minor problems, like the time some Trolls broke into a drugstore and she had to clear them out. But this sounded big, so she headed straight for the door. “And where do you think you’re going?” asked the guard who was blocking Lavender’s way.

“Please move away, sir. I have important business that needs to be dealt with,” she answered.

“And what is this so-called business?” he inquired.

Lavender sighed and thought, “I don’t have time for this. Does he think I’m a regular eighth grader?” She pulled out her M.C.P. badge and held it in front of his face.

The leather casing felt good against her palm. The guard stepped aside and let her pass.

She hurried to the elevator. She heard other students whispering as she passed: “Lav is an M.C.P. agent?” and

“No fair! I want to be an M.C.P. agent.” She pressed the button that read “SCHOOL” and left all the comments in the air behind her.

Ten minutes later, Lavender was in the M.C.P. headquarters. She watched for a few moments, seeing people scurry about like rodents trying to follow the many orders being shouted at them. Mugs filled with cold coffee were on counters from a long-forgotten break. She pushed her way through the crowds toward her boss’s office.

She found Lock screaming into his cell phone. “You can’t move into the store? Are you some kind of sissy? Yes, I know the store is probably overflowing with Trolls,” he snarled. Then he caught sight of Lavender and shouted, “Whatever. I’ll call you later.”

He swiveled toward Lavender. “Lavender, we have a big problem in town. The Pixies and Trolls are having some kind of ‘taking-over-the-world’ scheme. They’ve recruited all the magical animals they can get. They’ve got the Griffins, Minotaurs, Dwarves, Dragons, and Elves on their side. The Unicorns, Centaurs, and Fairies have caused trouble in the last few years, but they’ve joined up with us and that’s basically all we’ve got, including us humans.”

He paused and Lavender shot out a question. “Why do you need me?”

“All our other good agents have been wiped out, either killed or immobilized. You’re the best we’ve got right now and probably Tesserman’s last hope. Once Tesserman is wiped out, it will be easy for the Pixies to lead their battle and conquer the rest of North America, and then who knows what they’ll do? So, will you do it?”

Lavender thought for a moment. “Yes,” she said firmly. “So what do I need to do?”

By Athena Peters

Illustrated by Celanie PolanickLavender’s Battle

fiction


Lock was quick to answer. “First you need to sneak past all the creatures and get into their headquarters. Find and take the disk that will be on the desk. You got that?”

“Yep,” she answered, quickly putting on the equipment hanging nearby.

“There’s a car outside that will get you most of the way to the headquarters and will drive you back,” Lock said. “Good luck, Agent.”

“You too, boss,” Lavender replied. She headed right to the parking lot and got into the waiting black car. The car drove to the exit and took a left down an alley.

“Where are we going?” asked Lavender.

“The long way, Miss Corkskey,” replied the driver.

After a dizzying sequence of alley mazes, the car pulled over. “Here we are. The headquarters is just around the corner,” said the driver. Lavender slid out of the car like a snake. She turned the corner, looking around quickly, and ducked behind some cargo boxes. A patrol made up of three Trolls and a Goblin walked past. When the patrol turned at the corner, Lavender peered out and spotted it: the flat, squat building housing the Pixies’ headquarters.

“They really need to change the name of their headquarters,” she thought as she walked toward the building’s sign saying “Marty’s Motel.” “And they also need to give it a good paint job.”

“Focus. Focus,” she thought. “You’re on a mission.” She pulled out her gun that was labeled “cocoon.” She saw two security cameras facing the front doors. She fired her gun, and a sticky mesh shot into the air. When it hit the first camera, the mesh wrapped itself around the camera like the arms of an octopus. Lavender did the same to the second camera.

She walked to the doors and found they were locked. She reholstered her gun and pulled out her pouch of lock picks, selected a pick, and opened the lock. She inched open the door, and shot five more cameras, one by one, in the hall. She then went down several halls, taking out security guards and cameras with her cocoon gun, until she got to the door that was labeled “Operations Room.”

She opened the door a fraction and—“SQUEAK!”—the noise of the unoiled hinges filled the whole hall. “Drat!” Lavender thought, invoking the worst curse word she knew. “They must not oil their doors often.” She pulled an oilcan off her belt and oiled the hinges. She opened the door again and was surprised to see that no one was in the room.

Lavender looked behind the door. No one was there. And just as Lock had promised, the disk was on a desk. “I sure hope this is the right disk,” she thought as she stored it in her jacket. She went back outside, found the car and slid inside. “Take me back to the M.C.P. headquarters, Sedric,” she told the driver.

“Right away, Miss Corkskey,” Sedric said with a smile and a nod.

When they arrived back at M.C.P. headquarters, Lavender thanked Sedric and hurried to Lock’s office, where she deposited the disk on his desk.

“Well done, Lavender,” he said as he loaded the CD into his computer. A self-destruct button appeared on the screen.

“Watch out the window, Lav,” he told her. Lavender turned toward the window as Lock clicked the self-destruct button. Instantly, explosions appeared

indicated that all was now chaos in the Pixie army. Every weapon had blown itself up,

and the Pixie army was immobilized.

Ten minutes later, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in,” said Lock.

“The Pixies have surrendered,” an extremely handsome captain informed Lock. “Their supreme leader, Gustov Pixolus, has decided to surrender. He knows there’s no hope for a Pixie triumph.”

“Good job, Lavender. You better get back to your history class,” Lock told her.

“Don’t I get some kind of medal, or at least an A in my class on battle maneuvers?” Lavender thought as she walked out of Lock’s office and back to school.

EpilogueAfter the battle, Lavender was promoted to captain and led many more battles later in her life. Gustov Pixolus and his Pixie army were brought into court and were sentenced the next day to an M.C.P. jail term. For many, many years after that, the city of Tesserman had only a few minor problems with magical creatures.

Athena,10, loves to write stories, sing, play the guitar, and work toward getting her black belt in karate. She goes to a Montessori school in a mountain town in Colorado and has a dog and a cat.

25

1

Submit Your Art to the Moon Glow Gallery at NewMoon.com

Snowy Owl

I love snowy owls. It was difficult to draw and since owls are pale, I added color to the background. It is my dream to draw snowy owls.

Lunar Ruby Bluestar, 10 • Belgium

Moongazer

In this drawing, Yara is staring at the moon, lost in thought.

Haruhi, 12 • Washington

Keep Dreaming

You must always keep dreaming, no matter what! No dream is too big to be achieved.

Irene, 12 • Nevada

luna’sart gallery

26 new moon girls • www.newmoon.com • July/August 201226 new moon girls • www.newmoon.com • July/August 2012

27

27

Brea, 11

Massachusetts

What I am made of, you ask?

I am made of broken dreams and forgotten wishes

Painful words and hurtful actions

I am made of pretending to be brave

With inflictions and agony on the inside

I am made of unfairness and no choices

For that is where I am from

I am made of cold shoulders and angry glares

Unforgiving people and heart-wrenching decisions

Yet in a small, dusty corner of myself

I am made of Hope

What I Am Made Of

I walked down to the pool on the last week of summer.

The clear, still water glistened;

once full with colorful, splashing bodies.

I like it better that way.

The plastic cups rolled every time the wind blew;

once filled with sparkling soda and punch.


The lawn chairs sat empty, too many choices;

once hardly enough to share.


The leaves scuttled everywhere, some in the water, some on me;

once tightly pinned to the thick green trees of summer.


I jump in, sinking into the waters once full of Marco Polo, Categories, Jumping Competitions, and Wipeout;

now full of memories.

I like it better this way.

Sometimes in life we need to think about which is more important;

creating the memories, or remembering them.

I walked home from the pool on the last week of summer.

Emma, 14North Carolina

Rippling Memories

Yes, I know it breaks a rule (or two),But I think it’s pretty cool! (though not to you)

Agent Tiny Kat, 10Texas

Windy Day

Tala, 11District of Columbia

The wind blows through the trees

Swooping up all the leaves

Whistling in my ear

Twirling around the tree top

Dipping in without fear

Bouncing away with a hop

Swimming through the young day

Making tender tree boughs sway

This is the wind announcing it is here

To each living thing far and near

poetRy

Submit your poem (and read hundreds of others)

NewMoon.com

Naughty Kid’s Poem

review by Winslow huth

Extra Credit

Book Review

Does it sometimes seem that in books, girls and boys are shown as enemies, or rarely hanging out together? Yet in real life, lots of us are good friends with both girls and boys.

I love Andrew Clements’ books because they show that boys and girls have a lot in common and can be great friends and help each other out. One of his most recent books, Extra Credit, is a good example. In this book, Abby Carson has not been getting good-enough grades in school. She’ll have to do an extra-credit project and get better grades, or she’ll have to repeat sixth grade.

This is really hard news for Abby because she loves playing outside all day much more than studying. Her extra-credit project is writing to a pen pal, and she gets to pick her pen pal from anywhere in the world. Abby loves climbing, so she picks Afghanistan because of the great mountains there. There is one rule: She must send five letters and receive five letters back—which sounds like a big effort to her.

Abby decides that if she starts her project right away, she’ll be able to finish it quicker and go back to playing outside again. She writes her first letter and asks lots of questions about what Afghanistan looks like and what her pen pal looks like, too. She’s excited when she gets a letter back answering her questions and asking about her and what America is like. What she doesn’t know is that while the letter is from a girl named Amira, the words in

the letter are mostly the work of Amira’s brother, Sadeed, because he’s the

one whose English is much better. But in their culture,

it’s not proper for a boy to correspond with a girl.

After Abby has sent and received three letters, she realizes that she really likes having a pen pal. Sadeed does, too—he starts writing secret letters to Abby because he finds her really interesting and wants to “talk” with her directly. Abby finds she’s becoming great friends with her pen pals and doesn’t want to stop. One day, though, she gets a letter saying that there is a problem, which means that finishing her project may be impossible. Want to know what the problem is? Read the book!

Some of Andrew Clements’ other books that show strong girl and boy friendships are Things That Are and the Benjamin Pratt and the Keepers of the School series.

Besides books by Andrew Clements, I have really enjoyed reading about boy and girl friendships in the Percy Jackson series, The Hunger Games series, and Patricia Reilly Giff’s Willow Run. In these books, boys realize that having a girl as a friend is not a bad thing—it’s a benefit!

Winslow, 10, from Tennessee, loves playing sports and being with friends and family.

check it out

Some publishers say that many boys don’t like to read (or buy) books with girls as leading characters. But they say girls generally will buy books with boys (or girls) as main characters. So that’s why some publishers publish more books starring boys, which they believe will sell more copies. Is that fair? Is this reading pattern true for the girls and boys you know? If you think it’s unfair, let the publishers know! You also can encourage the boys you know to enjoy ALL kinds of books.

by Andrew Clements

Did You Know?


2

Tell us your favorite books for the third annual NMG Girls’ Choice Book Awards—click on the awards survey in the blue “Get Involved” box at NewMoon.com. This year, the awards theme is “Read a Rainbow.” Share your favorite books that show girls

of all shades of the rainbow—girls of every skin hue who may live in a community far different than yours. Books about girls similar to you are delightful, but it’s also fascinating to read about girls different from you. Reading books about all kinds of people can even help kids (and grown-ups) get along better with others!

We’ll announce the books most often recommended by girls in the January/February 2013 issue. Happy reading!

Girl Picks:Favorite Boy Characters

• Will, Horace, and Gilan from the Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan: They fight to protect the kingdom in this fantasy series.

• Ray and Conker from The Nine Pound Hammer by John Claude Bemis: Can tall tales ever be true?

• Anubis from The Kane Chronicles series by Rick Riordan: Egyptian mythology flavors these adventures.

• Patrick from Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Park: Patrick and Julia take on an unusual project.

• Patches and Harlan from Willow Run by Patricia Reilly Giff: Meggie and her friends look for courage during wartime.

• Finn and Philby from The Kingdom Keepers series by Ridley Pearson: The Magic Kingdom comes alive.

• Leo from 11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass: Amy and Leo have a memorable friendship.

• Frankie from Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm: Penny and her cousin find fun—and anti-Italian prejudice.

• Tyke from The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tyler by Gene Kemp: Keep reading for the surprise ending.

• Prosper and Riccio from The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke: Orphans are on the run in Venice.

• Theodore Boone from the Theodore Boone series by John Grisham: A boy detective solves mysteries.

• Char from Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine: Char’s the prince in this redo of the Cinderella story.

• Dom from The King of Mulberry Street by Donna Jo Napoli: Dom, 9, navigates 1900s New York City alone.

• Frank and Joe from The Hardy Boys series by various authors: These brothers are a guy version of girl sleuth Nancy Drew and her friends.

• Razo and Finn from the Books of Bayern series by Shannon Hale: The two team with girl adventurers in medieval intrigues.

• Elijah from Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis: Born into freedom, Elijah returns to the slave world.

• Kaspar from the Kiki Strike series by Kirsten Miller: Six girls in New York City investigate underworld intrigues.

• Ron, Harry, Fred and George from the Harry Potter series: They’re not Hermione, but they’re much fun all the same.

Read aRainbow!

Awards Time!

Love to make bookmarks for yourself or a friend? Then get creative with the bookmark template you’ll find by searching “NMG Bookmarks” at NewMoon.com. Snap a photo of your finished bookmark, upload it to your Stuff, and email it to [email protected], subject line “Bookmarks.” You can also download and print the beautiful NMG bookmark pictured here to use or give to friends. Enjoy—and we can’t wait to see your bookmark beauties!

Bookmark Contest

29

how aggravating!/

howLing at

Voice your opinions about what’s unfair to girls and women—in your life or in the world. Share them on the How Aggravating message board at NewMoon.com.

howaggRavating!

In every single Lysol ad I’ve seen, a mom is doing all the housework and using the product, while the husband is putting on his business suit and going to work. I think gender roles are horrid, and I can’t believe a company would be that sexist in an ad! HOW AGGRAVATING!

Ruthy, 11

Minnesota

At my school, there are A LOT of kids in my class who make fun of gay people. One boy in my class (who always makes fun of me and says I’m ugly) makes rude comments about gay people, and everyone around him laughs and comments back. When I say, “That’s not funny,” he replies, “Oh, I never heard you were gay!” and everyone laughs. My friend sits next to him, and her mom is gay! I just want to scream at him, “I’m not gay and it is not OK to make fun of people who are!”

Daphne, 10

California

I’ve read about a “brat ban” that some restaurants, grocery stores, and other public places have. This is stupid. Grocery stores—really? Grocery stores aren’t full of screaming, whining children. I don’t scream and whine and make a fuss. I’m quiet in public if I’m not with friends. I can understand such a policy at fancy hotels and restaurants. But the term “brat ban” is just stupid. Do the people who create those rules really call kids brats? Some people love little kids! Kids who are indoors all the time don’t get many exercise opportunities, so it’s best to let kids run around and have fun. Let’s all rebel and make sure “brat bans” don’t spread anywhere else. What if libraries start banning kids!?

Glitch, 11

Tennessee

My teacher always calls for “big strong boys” to help carry things. I HATE this! Most boys at my school are very skinny. I’m stronger than most of those boys, but she always asks for boys to help! My friends and I get really mad, because we know we can carry that stuff.

Cecilia, 11

Arizona

My school mascot is a raider, and I just found out that our girls’ basketball team is called the “Lady Raiders.” Why can’t all the teams just be “Raiders”? We’re all on the same team here. This is NOT pink vs. blue!

Anna Kate, 12

Mississippi

how aggravating!

what drives youcRazy?

Artw

ork by Liza Ferneyhough

Show us what you Girl-Caught at Newmoon.com/girl-caught!

This TV ad implies that women can’t like “guy stuff” and aren’t as strong as men. Girls can be and do whatever they like!Emily, 10Minnesota

GIRL-CAUGHT!


Howling

Howl about the good, inspiring things you do and see! Do you or someone else make life better for girls and work for equality? Share your “howl” on NewMoon.com’s “Howl at the Moon” message board.

howLing at the moon

When I was 11, my mom told me about a charity called The Girl Effect and the “Because I am a Girl” campaign from the charity Plan. She said I could raise money for them. I loved this idea, and decided that my relatives could give me donations instead of presents for my 12th birthday. I set up a fundraising site and set my goal for $1,200. My mom posted it on Facebook, and that helped me achieve my goal in less than 48 hours. So I went for a goal of $2,000, and after my birthday party, I had achieved even more: $2,625!

My donations will provide eight scholarships for girls from around the world who are in need of education and a better life; build a bathroom for a girl who doesn’t have one; and teach two women to read. This made me the top fundraiser in Canada for Because I am a Girl!

Oceania, 12

Alberta

At our local Farm & Fleet store, I saw a shirt that showed a girl playing in a sandbox with a toy tractor, and she was thinking of driving a real one. The shirt said, “Anything boys can do I can do better.” There also were shirts for girls and women that said, “I still play with tractors.” It was awesome!

Mary, 11

Wisconsin

I am really proud of my grandmother. Her job is to stock stuff at a Sears store, including very heavy things. She was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago. The chemotherapy treatments were going to make her very weak, and the doctor suggested that my grandma quit her job because of the heavy lifting.

She was allowed to stop doing heavy lifting, but she insisted on going to work. She worked EVERY SINGLE DAY while she was on her treatments, waking up at dawn every morning, putting on her wig, and driving to work. She worked more hours a week than my mom does. YAY for my grandma — I am howling for her! She is so strong! She is still battling cancer, but is back to lifting heavy things.

Olivia, 11

Illinois

I was watching some old Star Trek episodes recently and I realized that in the intro, they used the phrase, “where no man has gone before.” This upset me, but then I started watching a later episode and noticed they changed the phrase to “where no one has gone before.” I was very happy about this change. Star Trek also empowers girls in other ways. I love Star Trek!

Genevieve, 13

Virginia

Art

wor

k by

Liz

a Fe

rney

houg

h

at the moon

What do you see that’s

inspiring?

My friend is Libyan, and there was a civil war there. Her family left, but she left behind other family members and I want to howl for her being so strong.

Noha, 10

New York

Show us what you Girl-Caught at Newmoon.com/girl-caught!

I think this image lets girls know that it’s O.K. to love any sport, even when it’s a sport that boys usually play.Madeline, 10Minnesota

GIRL-CAUGHT!

31

caLendar

5

17

SaturdayTuesday Wednesday

18

13

Sunday

1

26

4

FridayThursday

28

2

27

15

22

Hanukkah begins at sundown

54

Monday

24

12

2

National Make a Difference to Children Month

8 10 119

23

30

3029

1

National Win With Civility Month

August

25

25

30

Canada Day

Happy Birthday, Canada! 7

29

6

19 24

26

6

19

22

3

7 8 109

1312 14 1816

22

Full Moon

Howl!3

U.S. Independence DayHappy Birthday, USA!

1957: Althea Gibson wins at WimbledonTennis first for African-Americans

Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan born 1980

AIDS researcher and treatment advocate Mathilde Krim born 1926

Pope John Paul II apologizes for Catholic Church sexism, 1995

Gail Greenough, first woman and first Canadian to be world show jumping champ, 1986

National Gummy Worm DayDig some sweet worms!

Women demand equality at Seneca Falls Convention, New York, 1848

New Moon

Muslim holy days of Ramadan begin

21

Canadian actress Anna Paquin born 1982Won Oscar at age 11!

National Hot Fudge Sundae DayYUMMMMM!

Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis born, 1929First Lady and arts supporter

Emily Bronte born 1818“Wuthering Heights” author used male pen name

July

Caroline Herschel becomes first woman to discover a comet, 1786

Full Moon

Howl!

Mary Lou Retton wins Olympic gold in gymnastics in 1984 at age 16

Pioneer political reporter Helen Thomas born 1920

Diplomatic suffragist Millicent Garrett Fawcett dies 1929

Comic genius Lucille Ball born 1911

Bird protector Florence Merriam Bailey born 1863How do you help birds?

National Banana Split DayGo for it!

Annie Oakley born 1860Wild West sharpshooter

Super chef Julia Child born 1912

15

New Moon

World Humanitarian DayHelp a human today!

Poet’s dayShare your words…

21

Eat a Peach DayMake a pie, too

Carol Weiss King born 1895Lawyer helped immigrants

American women win vote in 1920Use your right! Full Moon

Howl!31

17

2

20

Olympic medal winning runner Wyomia Tyus born 1945


Learn more: Mother Jones and the March of the Mill Children, by Penny Colman

Have you ever heard of Mother Jones? Mary Harris Jones was barely five feet tall, but she made a huge impact in her world. Called “the most dangerous woman in America,” she became a fearlessly outspoken fighter for the rights of American working people.

Mary Harris was born in Cork, Ireland, in about 1837 (no one actually knows her true birthday). As a girl, her family suffered during Ireland’s Great Famine. They left for Toronto, Ontario, when Mary was a teen. Soon after, she moved to the United States, where she married an ironworker named George Jones in 1861, just as the American Civil War began.

George and Mary lived in Tennessee and had four children together; however, tragedy soon struck. In 1867, Mary lost her husband and all four children in a yellow fever epidemic. She moved to Chicago and set up a dressmaking shop, but lost it in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

Mary decided then that she’d speak out for others who needed help. “Mother Jones,” as she came to be known, traveled around the United States, fighting for the rights of millions of working people as a mother would for her own children. Mother Jones questioned what she saw around her. Why was it that some people had so much money they could commission her to make expensive clothing, while others worked long, exhausting days and still couldn’t earn enough to feed their families?

Mother Jones fought for fair wages, decent hours, and humane working conditions for the United Mine Workers as well as other workers’ unions. After the Ludlow Massacre of 1914, in which miners on strike were attacked and killed, Mother Jones met with oil baron John D. Rockefeller Jr. She convinced him to visit his mines in Ludlow, Colorado, which led to much-needed reforms. She

always included women and children in her protests, to strategically tug at the public’s heartstrings, as well as to strengthen and unite the working-class families.

She also was one of the first to actively protest child labor laws. In 1903, she led her famous “March of the Mill Children,” all the way from Philadelphia to President Theodore Roosevelt’s home on Long Island, New York. She gathered dozens of children who had been working at a Philadelphia textile mill under horribly unhealthy conditions for long hours each day. Some of them were missing fingers and many were malnourished, but they marched, carrying banners that read, “We want to go to school and not the mines!” Although child labor laws were not enacted for several more years, Mother Jones brought the issue to national attention. She didn’t “win” all of her battles, but she inspired social change that continues to make life better for working people.

We can do what Mother Jones did as well by keeping our eyes open for inequality. For example, do you know the kinds of conditions under which workers made your clothes? Clothes imported from other countries sometimes are made in sweatshops with terrible working conditions. Like Mother Jones, we can be the voice for those less fortunate than ourselves.

Anna Aspengren interned for New Moon Girls, enjoys children’s literature, and is majoring in English with a minor in arts in media at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

—Mother Jones

I will tell the truth wherever I please.“”

By Anna Aspengren

the Last word

33

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New Moon Girls: A Safe, Creative, and Positive World for Girls

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New Moon Girls: A Safe, Creative, and Positive World for Girls

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July 1 - Imagine living in

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July 4 - Picnic, parade, beach,

fireworks

July 20 - What planets do you

want to explore?

August 3 - What are you

thinking about school

starting?

August 13 - Eat with your left

hand if you’re ri

ght-handed -

and vice versa

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August 20 - Share your fave

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