J-14

J-14 Magazine

July 2011.

Plot Summary

J-14 is a monthly teenage magazine marketed at girls in their early teens and younger. It is published by Bauer Publishing, the United States division of the German firm Bauer Verlagsgruppe. The contents of these magazines include features like teen gossip, quizzes, fashion, posters, and information on celebrities that pertain to the readers. The first issue was released in January 2001. The name of the publication is a sound-alike abbreviation of its tagline "Just For Teens". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J-14_(magazine)

Critical Evaluation

Personally, not my favorite. However, I believe it has a place in a YA collection. There are many teens who love to follow the celebrities and this is the magazine to do just that. I thought the magazine was very busy and a bit confusing. I think the cover indicates that as well. The cover is very busy and bright and the inside of the magazine looks just the same. I feel that these magazines often sexualize girls way to young. Also some of the advice I don't think is realistic or healthy advice.

Reader’s Annotation

N/A

Information about the editor

Rachel Chang is currently the editor-in-chief at J-14 Magazine, the top-selling teen magazine on newsstands published by Bauer Publishing. Prior to this, she was the entertainment editor at CosmoGirl Magazine, entertainment editor at J-14, and associate editor at Popstar! Magazine. She’s also written for Alternative Press, Glamour, Audrey, USOpen.org, and Clear Channel Online Music & Radio, as well as interned at In Style, YM, and the Daily Record. Rachel began her career in entertainment while she was an undergraduate at UCLA, interning at Nickelodeon, the Dawson’s Creek writers’ office, Buena Vista Pictures, Comcast, and The WB Television Network — and worked at The WB in photo publicity during its pop culture reign before heading to the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, where she earned her masters in Magazine, Newspaper, and Online Journalism.

http://www.bauerpublishing.com/teen-group/j-14/editor-bio/

Genre

magazine

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

N/A

Reading Level

age 12 and up

Challenge Issues

There is quite a bit that a parent could object to.

It is best to be prepared for a book challenge before it is challenged. It is important to read the book all the way through and to have read both positive and negative reviews of the book from professionals and teens as well. Be aware of the library’s collection policy. Also check for any awards the book may have won. It would be beneficial to see how other library’s may have handled challenges for this particular book in the past.

*Above information applies to magazines as well.

I think it would be/will be more difficult to defend materials that I personally do not like or care for. However, it is still important to keep it on the shelf.

Why Included?

This magazine circulates well and the copies always look very well loved. I thought it would be a good addition to the YA collection.

Seventeen

Seventeen Magazine

July 2011

Plot Summary

Seventeen is an American magazine for teenagers. It was first published in September 1944 by Walter Annenberg's Triangle Publications.News Corporation bought Triangle in 1988, and sold Seventeen to K-III Communications (later Primedia) in 1991. Primedia sold the magazine to Hearst in 2003. It is still in the forefront of newsstand popularity among growing competition. This magazine is mostly for young girls and women from the ages of 12–19.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seventeen_(magazine)

Critical Evaluation

Again, not a big fan of this magazine. In fact, most magazines like this I just do not care for. The girls are sexualized way to early. There is very little substance in the magazine. And much of the advice given is not really realistic or healthy. In my pursuing of YA magazines I found a great one. It is entitled New Moon. (nothing to do with Stephanie Meyer's new moon). It looks absolutely wonderful but I believe the market is for younger girls not older teens.

Reader’s Annotation

N/A

Information about the editor

Ann Shoket has been Editor-in-Chief of Seventeen Magazine since January 2007. Prior to that, Ms. Shoket served as Executive Editor of the award-winning CosmoGIRL! Magazine since October 2003. She had been with CosmoGIRL! since its launch in 1999, joining as senior editor. In less than two years, she helped lead CosmoGIRL! to become the number one teen magazine on newsstands. While there, she developed some of the most popular sections of the magazine devoted to the topics closest to teen girls' hearts: friends, love and celebrities. In 2004, in response to an epidemic of teen obesity, which flourished in counterpoint to a surge in anorexia, she re-imagined and expanded the magazine's health coverage to include a nutrition and exercise campaign to help all readers live healthier lives. Ms. Shoket has also made her mark as a champion of young women's leadership. She created a "CosmoGIRL! Born to Lead" patch program with The Girl Scouts and she developed a national leadership survey with The White House Project. As the editor in charge of CosmoGIRL!'s leadership campaign, Project 2024, she secured high-profile interviews with leaders such as former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, ABC News' Barbara Walters, and designer Vera Wang. Before CosmoGIRL!, Ms.Shoket served as Senior Editor with the Parade family of publications, where she launched the style section for Parade's teen news magazine, React. At the beginning of the dot-com boom, she created the independent Web magazine Tag, which gave voice to an online community of artists and writers. She began her career as a reporter with renowned journalist Steve Brill at The American Lawyer. Ms. Shoket has B.A., cum laude, from New York University and a certificate in Media Management from The New School.

http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=42084900&privcapId=4424815&previousCapId=4424815&previousTitle=Seventeen%20Magazine

Genre

N/A. format - magazine

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

N/A

Reading Level

girls age 12 to 19.

Challenge Issues

Always room for challenges with girl fashion magazines.

It is best to be prepared for a book challenge before it is challenged. It is important to read the book all the way through and to have read both positive and negative reviews of the book from professionals and teens as well. Be aware of the library’s collection policy. Also check for any awards the book may have won. It would be beneficial to see how other library’s may have handled challenges for this particular book in the past.

*Above information also works with magazines.

Why Included?

As much as I do not care for it, Seventeen has been a very popular magazine for many years now. It is a staple part of a YA magazine collection.