Zines are a popular hands-on program often aimed at teens, but tweens (ages 9-12) would also enjoy a workshop on making zines.
Zines are self-published magazine-style books or booklets where the writer/maker can include stories, poems, drawings, photos, or other content on the subject of the zine. I first saw a zine at a “Star Trek” convention in the 1970’s, and they were called fanzines. Zines are a great way for older children and teens to be creative in a positive environment without the pressures of grades. Zines often focus on a hobby, music, or other pop culture topic.
If you want to make zines as part of a book discussion group for grades 4 to 8, Magnolia Wu’s novel The Moon Without Stars (Philomel, 2026) would make a great match! In this contemporary story, Luna Moon and her best friend Scott make zines for their fellow middle schoolers.
Unlike other Do It Yourself programs, a zine workshop involves one main activity, with several steps. A great book detailing how to make zines is Lauren Berke’s Zine Making and Bookbinding: A Beginner’s Guide to 25 Projects (Chronicle, 2026.
Another great resource is Read Brightly, which many children’s librarians already use for readers’s advisory suggestions: Brightly | Helping Parents Grow Lifelong Readers. They offer a special area on How to Make a Zine: How to Make a Zine: A Kid-Friendly DIY Guide | Brightly, written by Celia C Perez, author of the tween novel The First Rule of Punk (Kokila, 2017). This website offers simple step-by-step instructions for making a blank 8-page zine out of paper, glue, and tape. There are also ideas for what type of content to include, from drawings to written content. You don’t need any special equipment – mainly scissors and a stapler.
Another helpful website is from Art Is Basic: What is a Zine? A Beginner’s Guide to Making Zines with Kids (+ a Free Printable Zine) –. They offer simple instructions, a how-to video, and a wealth of ideas of what you can include to make your zine distinctive, such as the use of collage art. They also include templates to help you get started.
Explore some of these sites and then jump into zine-making. The whole idea is that this activity should be about fun, not perfection or making things to be sold. You can have the children pick a favorite theme to focus on, or make it a zine just about stories and artwork. You can have all the tweens contribute to one zine and make copies for everyone, or have each person make their own. The ideas are limitless!
Penny Peck, San Jose State University iSchool
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