Seventeen Magazine

Bibliographic Information: December 2015 issue, released November 24, 2015

Editor-in-Chief: Michelle Tan

Publisher: Hearst Magazines

ASIN: B001THPA30

Genre: teen, fashion, beauty

Reading Level/Interest Age: 13+

Plot Summary: Seventeen Magazine is geared toward older teen girls and young adult women. It brings together various aspects of their lives, including fashion, careers, families, friendships and relationships. Seventeen aims to connect readers through the issues and events that affect the majority of their readers, from holidays to prom to breakups. They recognize that their readers are smart, fashion-conscious, forward-thinking and, most important of all, diverse. The publisher and editors don’t shy away from featuring women of all nationalities, religions and sexual orientation.

Critical Evaluation: Seventeen Magazine has a festive, exciting layout that uses color and texture to pull the reader in. White space is ample, though, and serves to highlight the photos, graphics and text on the page. It also prevents a cluttered feeling--something that is all too common in magazines today. The ads, while still featuring the stereotypical “perfect” version of a woman, are selling not just beauty products and perfume, but also books. This is an important step in expanding readership to young women who are more enamored with reading than they are with fashion trends. Articles throughout the magazine are written with a conversational tone, using abbreviations like “inspo” (meaning “inspired”) (103) and iCAL (meaning “digital calendar”)(17). The December 2015 issues features LGBTQ individuals and a 22 year-old Muslim woman wearing a hijab as part of her trendy outfit, as well as women of several different races. Incorporating minorities into articles, photos and ads helps the readership see these differences with the respect they deserve and I applaud Seventeen for this. The collection of articles spans a wide variety of topics that their target demographic is currently interested in: health, beauty, fashion, careers, etc. The overall focus of the magazine is to inspire and encourage young women to reach for their dreams through good health, education, relationships and diversity.

Reader’s Annotation: This is not your mother’s Seventeen magazine. Get ready to see adventures in fashion, trends in beauty, hear advice on relationships and best of all, discover the best ways to build confidence in yourself and your future!

Curriculum ties: n/a

Booktalks: fashion; if an article were to be written about you, what would it say?

Challenge issues: sexuality; lack of body type diversity in ads 

Challenge Issue Resources (for usage in a challenge situation):

• Library Selection Policy
• Rationale explaining why the item was chosen for the collection
• Active listening skills
• Awards
• Reconsideration form (as a last resort)
• Illinois Library Association (Banned Books Listings)
• National Council of Teachers of English “Right to Read”
• Positive and negative reviews: expert, parent, student
• ALA Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials
• ALA Bill of Rights on Intellectual Freedom

• Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
• Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

Reasoning: Seventeen Magazine has been a staple for young adult women for generations. Mothers and grandmothers remember just how much they depended on it for advice and information and thus are very likely to pick it up and pass it on to their young women in their families. Seventeen has developed awareness of our culture’s diversity and promotes the significance of all young women, regardless of race, religion or sexual identity. This magazine is an important periodical to include in all library serial collections.

References: Seventeen. (2015, November 24). Retrieved November 30, 2015, from http://www.amazon.com/Seventeen/dp/B001THPA30