I’m normally not a reader of magazines for teen and tween girls, seeing as my daughter is four, but this week I had to examine several of them. I was surprised and impressed that GL Magazine (also known as Girls’ Life) devoted a section to Teen Read Week! Granted, it was labeled “Promotion”, but considering that many of the “articles” focus on clothes and beauty products, how much they cost, and where you can buy them, I’m not sure how much difference it makes. What’s cool is that it’s there at all, especially considering some of the other magazines I looked at this week.

And it doesn’t appear to be just a bunch of advertisements from publishers, although the section doesn’t hide the fact that publishers paid for the advertisements. GL called the section “Teen Read Week Book Club” and YALSA’s Teen Read Week logo is on almost every page.

I visited the website for GL to see if they had extended their promotion there, and there’s a poll right on the front page for the October-November issue. It’s not splashed across the page (and I wouldn’t expect that) but it’s there. GL also gave their Teen Read Week Book Club its own page, but I sure as heck never would have found it if I didn’t have the actual magazine in hand to search for the direct URL to get there (maybe that’s the point). If you can get there, you can win a giveaway not just some very nice YA titles, but an iPad 2 for your ebook reading pleasure. GL also has a regular Book Club feature, with some substance to it, and I think it’s really cool. Unfortunately, with a front cover story like “15 weird boob questions you’re too embarrassed to ask” on the print edition, a lot of girls might never find something like the Teen Read Week center section, or the book club feature, which seems to be only online.

Major kudos to GL Magazine for recognizing that girls’ substance matters, instead of just their surface, and for promoting not just Teen Read Week, but reading for all the teen girls in their audience, every month.