What's it like to be 13?

New Moon turns 13 in September! As TIME magazine reported in "Being 13" last week, "teens are growing up in a culture that sexualizes children and immerses them in adult images." New Moon magazine, edited by and for girls ages 8-14, is different. Instead of publishing adult-created content, New Moon brings girls' experiences, knowledge and understanding forward.

In honor of New Moon's 13th birthday, I asked some of our 13-year-old friends what it's like to be 13 and why they read New Moon. Here's what Siri, a New Moon reader and Girls Advisory Board member, had to say:

"Being 13 is pretty much like being any other age, except that I think 13 is the age where you grow the most as a person. Being 13 also means having more responsibility and being trusted more than someone who's younger.

"Other magazines that girls my age read have fashion and boy advice, and tips about how to make your body look good, and what foods are best to eat. New Moon, on the other hand, tells girls that they are beautiful for being themselves. Girls should feel comfortable in their own skin even if they don't know the difference between Dior and Manolo Blahtnik. New Moon gives girls an opportunity to say what they think, and I think that is very important. If girls are continually given the opportunity to speak their minds, they'll develop their own character and will know how to be their own person. If girls are continually told what to think, like they do in other magazines, then girls will end up acting all the same, and they might have trouble thinking for themselves in the future."