Date: Fri 24-Nov-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Illustration: C

Location: A-7

Quick Words:

Kendall-McChord-Barbie-editor

Full Text:

(Kendall McChord/"Barbie" magazine feature)

Kendall Leaves Her Dolls To Edit "Barbie" Magazine

(with photos)

By Shannon Hicks

Eight-year old Kendall McChord wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up.

Kendall lives in Newtown with her mom and dad, Shelby and Holt, older brother

Austin, younger brother Ian, and 13 pets, ranging from horses and guinea pigs

to a dog and Kendall's own "pony," a 26-year old named Pepper that everyone in

the horse community, it seems, knows.

Until she's old enough to realize the dream of being a veterinarian, however,

Kendall spends much of her time reading and writing. A third grader at Head

O'Meadow School in Newtown, one of Kendall's favorite passions these days is

creating stories on her own, especially horse stories.

When Kendall was home sick from school one day last winter, her mother picked

up a copy of Barbie, The Magazine For Girls for Kendall to read ("It's got a

lot of interesting stuff in it," Kendall says).

While they were looking through it, Kendall and her mom came across a contest

where girls could enter to become a Barbie magazine editor for the day. Essays

needed to be about things girls would like to see in the magazine in the

future.

Shelby used her background as an imaginative author of horse stories and her

education from Head O'Meadow to put together an essay that so impressed the

editors in New York City, she was named a grand prize winner.

According to Barbie editor Elyse Spiewak, the magazine received a few thousand

entries for its Editor For A Day contest.

"I entered it, and a few weeks later, about a month later, they called my mom

and said `Do you know that Kendall won?'" Kendall said last week. The bright

young lady was still in awe of having visited The Big Apple, and very eager to

talk about her trip during the summer. Shelby McChord accompanied her daughter

to New York City on July 23-26.

"I told them they should give Skipper a pony and they should give Barbie some

riding clothes, instead of just blue jeans," Kendall said. As she sat talking

about her essay and its resulting trip, Kendall continued to hold tightly to

her Beach Barbie, which she brought in with her during the interview. Her eyes

sparkled when she talked about horses and writing, and Barbie was temporarily

forgotten when Kendall stopped being nervous and began talking about her

adventure.

"My Mom helped me out a little bit," she said. "I thought it was so cool that

I won, and I was really excited." Her smile, which isn't hard to find and is

worth looking for, lights up her face.

Kendall is a very effervescent young lady, very easy to talk with and fun to

listen to. She has an intelligence that shows in how she speaks and carries

herself, but it does not dominate her personality - she is, simply, a bright

girl.

A voracious reader (Pony Pal is her favorite book series), Kendall has always

displayed a creative imagination.

"She's a scholar, definitely," says Sarah Washiko, who was Kendall's second

grade teacher at Head O'Meadow School in Newtown. "She's always been a great

writer, she's very motivated, and [when she was in my class,] she worked very

hard. She's a good model for other students."

In addition to Kendall, four other girls won the chance to be a Barbie editor:

Desere Moses, 7, of Roanoke, VA; Angela Padilla, 7, Aurora, IL; Jessica

Buckland, 8, Escanaba, MI; and Jennifer Gutierrez, 11, Orlando, FL. A two-page

spread documenting the girls' trip to the Big Apple and their activities

during those four days appears in the November/December 1995 issue of Barbie .

A photographer accompanied the group everywhere, snapping photos at every

move.

While the other four winners were flown in to New York, because the Kendalls

live so close to the city, Marvel Family Publishing, publishers of Barbie

magazine, arranged for Kendall and Shelby to be picked up in Newtown and

driven into the city.

All of the entries had to be hand-written, which disqualified a large number

of the entries. Elyse Spiewak told Shelby McChord any poorly-written entries

were immediately thrown out. Essays were also judged for content, and then

mechanics.

"We had a great group," said Ms Spiewak, who accompanied the girls on each leg

of their trip. "They were very inquisitive, and couldn't wait to get their

hands on the magazine.

"They definitely enjoyed coming to the offices to see how everything is put

together," continued the editor. "I got a big kick out of them telling me what

they like and don't like in the magazine. Kendall particularly voiced her

opinion.

Ms Spiewak emphasized that although the magazine employs a focus group to work

at the magazine, constantly updating target groups, the magazine really

appreciates how special it is to go one-on-one with its readers.

"We really appreciated their honesty," Ms Spiewak said. "And you know kids at

this age... they're going to be honest!"

Winners were given a four day/three night stay in New York City at the Warwick

Hotel. Their first taste of the city came just hours after check-in, when

everyone shared a six-foot sub from New York's famous Katz's Deli.

On Monday, the five winners helped the staff create gift wrapping - the

special craft for the November/December issue, then spent the morning learning

how the magazine, and other Marvel publications, are put together. Guiding

their tour through the Marvel Publishing offices was none other than Marvel

action hero, Spider Man.

"He was big, really big," Kendall says.

That afternoon, the group visited a photographer's studio at Marvel

Publishing, where they had a sneak preview at Holiday Barbie, a party

dress-attired model of the ageless doll that adorns the cover of the same

issue the Editor For A Day spread is in. The girls also saw Teacher Barbie,

who has not yet been put on the market.

In addition to gift certificates to FAO Schwarz and a shopping spree at

Payless Shoe Source, no event like this would be complete without a big

farewell party, and that's just what Marvel Publishing arranged for the girls:

dinner and dancing aboard the World Yacht Cruise for the five young "editors"

their last night in the city.

"Every hour we got another gift - we got cameras, binoculars, a Barbie, a

watch, a pad and pen, and a lot of different stuff," Kendall said. The girls

and their Moms all dressed up for the big outing, and toasted each other - the

editors sipped sparkling cider while Moms had champagne.

Barbie has always been a good friend for young girls - with homes, cars,

friends and all possible accessories to create any adventure a little girl

could dream of. In fact, during conversation, Kendall came up with an idea for

Sick Barbie, Dr Ken and a stethoscope, thermometer, etc - Kendall's pretty

quick on her toes.

Until she is old enough to become a veterinarian, Kendall McChord can continue

to create stories, with and without Barbie as a character, but maybe one day

soon the editors of Barbie magazine and Mattel Toys, the creators of Barbie

toys, can get together and listen to one of their youngest editor's brightest

ideas.