I hate to disagree with so many but I would definitely not buy a machine from Walmart. They are not of the same quality as those you get from a dealer. Most major brands have lower end machines that are just as good as the more expensive ones just with less features. My 3 young grandchildren have Janome sew minis which are very sturdy and do a straight stitch and zigzag and are great starter machines for young ones. I know that Janome has some great lower end starter machines as well. No matter what brand, I would buy through a dealer. A machine that doesn't work well and is not fun to use will not encourage anyone to sew, in fact, they will probably sew as little as possible. I had a machine that I didn't like for a very long time. - Never again. I love my Janome machines.