I’ve always thought magazines are a great way to encourage children to read. They are fun and colourful and match children’s interests and they are far less intimidating than a book for young readers just getting their confidence up.
Animals and You
This is a magazine we haven’t tried before. It is perfect for girls who love animals. Their motto is ‘Fun, Facts and Furry Friends’. The target age is 7-11. I loved the fact that although there are some celebrities and popular cartoon characters the magazine is really about the animals. It is also great for a reluctant reader because there is a lot to read but it is put in bite-sized chunks. There are lots of fun facts so you can learn about animals.
Throughout the magazine, there are puzzles and competitions as well as a cute poster or two to go on the wall. There are also several cute crafts to do.
Of course, the main thing the children are interested in in the free gift on the front. Usually with magazines, this is soon discarded. I was really impressed with the freebies in this magazine. There was a lovely autumn animal themed stationary set complete with a notebook, ruler, sharpener, rubber and pen and pencil. There was also a packet of Twozies. These are the twins current favourite collectible toy so they were thrilled. The magazine costs £4.39 and is out every 3 weeks.
The Official Jacqueline Wilson Magazine
I would have loved the Jacqueline Wilson magazine when I was young. Her books are so brilliant, colourful relatable characters. This magazine encourages a love of reading, writing and drawing. Jacqueline Wilson writes the letter from the editor in her warm friendly writing style. There are crafts and stories, funny jokes and posters to colour. There are sections where you can learn to draw likeNick Sharratt the illustrator.
The magazine has cute free gifts. we have bought this magazine many times before and always love the tote bags which you can colour in featuring illustrations from the book. This issue came with a Jackson the dog notebook and a Jacob the cat necklace as well as a pack of cute stickers.
These magazines are perfect for girls aged 7-12. They have lots of content and provide good value for money. They would be brilliant on holiday or as a gift subscription or just as a treat. What a fun way to get children reading together.
Disclaimer: We were given the magazines for the purposes of this review.