MOWMT March 23: Jennifer Buchet Mines Magazines

Mining the Kidlit  Magazines

By Jennifer Buchet

An often-overlooked mentor text is eagerly waiting for you to flip through its pages. It’s colorful, full of information and advice. It’s guaranteed to provide you with a good read, too. This fantastic source isn’t on the bookshelf, but in the racks. The magazine rack, to be exact!  

Before we mine the magazines, I know what you’re thinking. Magazines? As a mentor read? Are there even magazines written just for kids? 

Yes. Yes. Absolutely!

But Jennifer, you say, magazine articles are soooo different than picture books stories! Why bother?

Why not, I say. Because yes, they are different. And they’re alike!

Think of them as “kidlit cousins.” Penning a kidlit article is different than typing a story manuscript, yet at their core, they’re more alike than not. I should know; I’m a picture book author and a long-time magazine feature contributor. So let’s grab your miner helmets and headlamps and explore why magazines are important mentors.

First of all, magazines are multifaceted by nature, just like a diamond. They’re typically composed of multiple articles written by varied authors. All in one spot! One writer may approach a piece with pinpoint accuracy on facts and figures, while another has constructed an article that reads more like a great conversation with your bestie. All the writers want to keep their kidlit audience engaged and interested. So while a pink diamond may appeal to you, it’s the violet one that catches my eye and attention. 

Sparkly!

Secondly, many magazines revolve around a singular theme or topic. Take for instance the social studies magazine, Faces.

One month they may feature a country, while the next issue is all about bears animal. Now if you circle back to point one, you have an entire magazine studded with different tones and ideas about a singular topic, all set in one stunning location like a tennis bracelet. 

Bonanza!

Thirdly, there are so many types of kidlit magazines in the rack. There are plenty of literary and activity magazines, such as LadyBug, Jack n Jill, Spider, Highlights, and more.

Then there are news-centered ‘zines like The Week Junior and the NYTimes Upfront, or magazines that highlight sports (Sports Illustrated Kids) or solely the arts (Art by Scholastic). Some focus strictly on science such as Muse and Ask, and others that are a striking combo of both art and science. There are even “rare gems” that specialize in history, such as Cobblestone, or family cooking reads like Chop Chop. Of course, there’s a plethora of animal-centric and fun-fact reads, like the ever-popular National Geographic Kids. 

Boomtown!

Lastly, magazines are written and printed far quicker than your typical book. How is this good? Because they now become a resource goldmine. Need to know the latest teen tech? Pick up a magazine. How does a sixth grader view environmental changes? Pick up a magazine. Curious how kids celebrate the New Year? You guessed it….pick up a magazine. 

Eureka!

Whether you’re researching a slice-of-life scene for your picture book, digging up facts for your non-fiction manuscript, or are simply curious how other authors ignite a child’s imagination and wonder, magazines are a treasure-trove just waiting to be explored.

Happy spelunking, errr, reading!

GIVEAWAY ALERT!

Jennifer is kindly offering a free magazine article critique (up 700w), literary or non-fiction. To be eligible to win, comment below with how you’ll use magazines as a mentor read. Then share this blog on social media, tagging both Jennifer & our fantastic blog hostess, Lynn Marie.

Jennifer Buchet is the author of Little Medusa’s Hair Do-Lemma (CFP, 2021) and a long-time feature contributor to Faces magazines. She’s written over 90+ articles, covering everything from international cuisines and culture to fascinating interviews with animal experts, crafted yummy culinary quizzes and penned historical informational fiction, and more! One of these days, she hopes she’ll actually get to research on location (looking at you Great Barrier Reef).

Her latest article,“Bear or Not a Bear, That is the Question” (Faces) just hit newsstands in February. Make sure to check the racks or ask your local librarian!

You can swap tales, recipes oddball facts with Jennifer here:

• X (Twitter): @Yangmommy

• Blue Sky:@buchetbooks.bsky.social

• Email: Buchetbooks@gmail.com

Website: buchetbooks.wixsite.com/mysite

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