New Moon—MAD Maven Nancy Gruver founded this extraordinary magazine when she couldn't find the type of supportive magazine she wanted for her twin girls. Twelve years later she is still making a difference with New Moon Publishing even though her daughters are no longer part of the target audience.

A person who makes a difference perceives a need for change. Then this MAD person makes change happen. Nancy Gruver made change happen. And the change turned out to be sticky. The business grew and grew. In 2003, they added a store. Currently they staff 15 positions.

New Moon Publishing focuses on young girls ages 8 to 14. Fantastically blending the playfulness and curiosity of the age group, New Moon Publishing honors the courage, energy, and ability of their readers to make a difference in the world.

I am in my thirties now. Clearly, I value community and making a difference. Where did that come from? I did have parents who made a point to give within our community, and I belonged to 4-H for 8 years. I wish I had New Moon magazine as a girl. Experiences fostered by magazines and websites like this can be defining as we develop our values even at a very young age. For all of us whose lives are touches by girls, we know how miraculous, smart, lively, funny, and exuberant this age can be. Here at MAD Mavens we want all young people to understand the explosive impact of each of us doing our own part in making the world a better place for all of us. Please check out this fantastic publishing company and magazine.

New Moon Publishing releases a monthly magazine, New Moon, with an editorial board of girls age eight to fourteen as well as many articles written by girls. Nancy Gruver, founder and publisher says,

The problem with most magazines for girls is that the images in those magazines tell girls what they should be. New Moon is where girls tell the world who they are, without adults or advertisers as interpreters. Other publications for girls portray a ‘perfect girl' for readers to measure themselves against. By contrast, New Moon challenges stereotypes by accepting girls as they are, listening to them, and celebrating their diverse experience and dreams.

New Moon Magazine strives to create adults of tomorrow who will be MAD Mavens. It seeks to change how these young girls think about themselves as well as give them opportunities to make a difference. New Moon Magazine's sister site, For Girls And Their Dreams http://www.forgirlsandtheirdreams.org , offers opportunities for making a difference including suggestions for giving, activism, volunteering, and group contributions. New Moon encourages readers (with parental permission) to give to women's shelters, children's hospital wards, and food banks, as well as meals for the sick or elderly and hair for cancer patients. http://www.forgirlsandtheirdreams.org/difference/giving.htm. Also, readers can adopt-a-library by purchasing a subscription of New Moon magazine for their local library.

New Moon magazine prints encouraging stories about activism and interviews with activists such as Dolores Huerta, who -- over the last fifty years -- struggled for worker rights. For Girls and Their Dreams foster activism with a list of click-giving sites and petition sites at http://www.forgirlsandtheirdreams.org/difference/activism.htm .

For girls who belong to groups, the Group page lists opportunities for making a difference. http://www.forgirlsandtheirdreams.org/difference/group.htm . They begin with a list of ideas:

• Take Food and Clothing to the needy
• Pick up trash in a neighborhood or park
• Collect recyclables at your school to collect money for your school
• Visit animals at a shelter
• Hold a carnival and give earnings to school or homeless shelter
• Give needy children music/art lessons
• Hold a bake sale and give earnings to school
• Read to small kids at the hospital
• Donate books to a library
• Donate toys to needy children

And when girls want to volunteer, New Moon's “For Girls and Their Dreams” branch offers links to opportunities with organization like 4-H, Youth Service America, and Kids Care Clubs. Additionally a Daughters Newsletter provides parents with information and support in raising self-confident daughters.

For teachers and others who want to use New Moon materials for discussions, New Moon provides classroom curricula and learning activities for each issue. Within one of these activities, they pose the question: “ Why are books that portray girls in an unrealistic way harmful to both boys and girls? Why is it important to speak out about a problem, even if you cannot make a change by yourself?”

So, why is it important to speak about a problem, even if you don't think you can make a difference?

Because speaking about can snowball, eventually leading to change.