Introducing StarLight Magazine for Kids

Are you looking for quality online content for your kids that’s written with a Christian worldview? And, it’s free? Allow me to introduce to you my friend and guest blogger today, Jean Hall. She’s the editor of StarLight Magazine. I first met Jean when I attended a Write2Ignite Conference back in 2012. It’s been a blessing to watch and learn from her ever since then. I’ll let Jean tell you her story.

Twenty Years of Training

In January of 2022 God gave me the assignment to create an online Christian magazine for children ages 5 to 10 years. I was taken aback. I never had any idea of doing this. But God confirmed His message to me, and I am attempting to create just such a magazine. StarLight Magazine: Shining God’s Truth through Children’s Literature. We are currently publishing online quarterly.

Our website is https://www.starlightmagazine.com

For more than 20 years writing picture books consumed me. I studied, practiced, critiqued, submitted, revised, and prayed over picture books. But, it finally became clear to me that God’s plans for me never included “success” in the picture book market. I felt like I had wasted 20 years of my life. Finally, in 2021, I faced this fact and sought God’s future for my writing.

Now I see that those 20 years of learning about the children’s publishing industry were not wasted at all. They were my 40 days in the wilderness. They were God’s preparation for this task.

I spent January and February of 2022 researching, thinking of features, and choosing a name and a mission statement. The next few months I searched for software to make this magazine as professional looking and fun as I can. All the while I was soaking each decision in prayer. I was also learning that I have a lot to learn.

StarLight Magazine: Purpose and Content

Our StarLight purpose is to shine God’s truth in fun, interesting, interactive, and encouraging ways through the medium of children’s literature. We publish quarterly issues online. We offer fun, faith, fiction and facts in every issue. Parents can subscribe on our website https://www.starlightmagazine.com.

Each StarLight Issue Includes

• Fiction for ages 5-7
• Fiction for ages 8-10
• A Devotion including Scripture verse and prayer
• Retelling of one of Jesus’ smiracles (in 2024)
• A coloring page for the Retelling of the parable
• Short poems
• A biography of a notable Christian. This feature is currently written by Annette Marie Griffin.
• A simple craft
• Short Bible verse puzzles
• Short Bible quizzes on specific events, people or stories
• Bible Trivia
• Creature Feature – interesting facts about an animal
• Star Stuff – interesting facts about heavenly bodies
• Stella’s (our sparkling mascot) special bonus of fun activity pages. PLUS – the first week of each month between quarterly publications Stella will send access to more activity pages.

You Can Help StarLight

• Write for us. Our Guidelines, Themes, and Style Guide are at www.starlightmagazine.com
• Pray for us. We need God’s guidance and the help of people He sends to us
• Pray that StarLight will bless children and parents.
• Share our website information with parents, grandparents, teachers, Christian schools, children’s pastors, after school care programs—anyone you can think of.
• Friend us and talk about StarLight on Face Book. We are StarLight Magazine on FB.
• If you are part of a homeschool community, please share with them about StarLight.
• We are searching for someone to volunteer to manage our Newsletter and subscriptions.

Jean, thank you so much for sharing with us about StarLight Magazine. I hope all of my writing friends take note of your call for submissions! May the Lord continue to bless the work of your heart and hands.

Jean Hall, the director of the nonprofit organization, Write2Ignite lives in LaGrange, Kentucky. Her first picture book God’s Blessings of Fall was released by Little Lamb Books in September 2019.