GUIDE TO 80’S TEEN BOOK SERIES PART 1 A-D

A GUIDE TO 80’S TEEN SERIES PART 1 – A TO D

Abracadabra
Bantam put out this fantasy driven series in 1989 and like most powers-without- responsibilities themes many of the plots centered around 13 year old protagonist Dawn suffering the repercussions of her capricious spell casting. Although it can come in handy to summon Albert Einstein for a math lesson and cause a teacher’s pet to speak only in pig Latin most of her spells ( like most teen witches ) backfire. To focus her spells she uses cutesy rhymes and lifts an eyebrow an old twist on Bewitched. There’s even a love potion involving chocolate kisses?! But after the charm of watching the old be-careful-what-you-wish-for plots play out the characters themselves have a hard time holding the readers attention or interest which is probably why the few witch-series that sprung up , quickly died off. See also Teen Witch.
1. Thirteen Means Magic – 1989
2. The Love Potion – 1989
3. The Magic Mix-Up – 1989
4. The Sneezing Spell – 1990
5. Instant Popularity – 1990
6. Too Much Magic – 1990

Alex books
Put out by Wise Owl in 1987 and later by Chariot , this series written by Nancy S. Levene was a funny preteen series aimed at younger kids with a Christian theme. The stories focused on main character Alex a spunky , sporty little girl and rather like Ramona ( as in the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary ) she found herself in one gentle disaster after another. Each story had a yummy food twist title accenting the lesson Alex usually learned over the course of the plot but without some of the moral saccharin some authors felt inclined to include. Don’t let yourself be put off by the aspect of a Christian theme , the heroine isn’t perfect and the books are well written, lively, and deal with God in a warm, witty way. Great fun! The first book starts off with an idea that nobody could assume would start such a snowball for disaster – Alex loses her shoelaces – and in an effort to get them back before anyone can notice , she lets the lies and deception mount up to a staggering heap of trouble. No matter the dilemma – snobby cliques , a bad player dragging her team down , even bullies – each book featured her loving , patient parents , little brother, dubbed Goblin and pristine older sister dubbed Miss Mushy to help her get through it.
1. Shoelaces and Brussel Sprouts – 1987
2. French Fry Forgiveness – 1987
3. Hot Chocolate Friendship – 1987
4. Peanut Butter and Jelly Secrets – 1987
5. Mint Cookie Miracles – 1988
6. Cherry Cola Champions – 1988
7. The Salty Scarecrow Solution – 1989
8. Peach Pit Popularity – 1989
9. T-Bone Trouble – 1990
10. Grapefruit Basket Upset – 1991
11. Apple Turnover Treasure – 1992
12. Crocodile Meatloaf – 1993                                                                                                                           13. Chocolate Chips and Trumpet tricks – 1993                                                                                                14. Alex’s Triple Treat – 1996

All that Glitters
Put out by Bantam in 1987, whose stellar list included Sweet Valley High, All That Glitters had a promising package with dazzling covers and a salable premise but rather ho-um writing from Kristi Andrews who may or may not have been a pseudonym for a collection of writers , given the continuity flaws. The series gimmick hinged on teenagers who were actors – soap stars – a great idea considering all the teens that had invaded actual soaps but unfortunately the theme itself has the ability to create confusion in the reader. Imagine constantly switching from soap scenes to real life with each character called two different names and having two different identities it could be a bit much to take in and realizing this the writers avoided it. For all it was worth the reader saw only tail ends of soap scenes and the glamorized lifestyle of being a teenage star was watered down. The characters were interchangeable – Shana Bradbury who with the exception of having an absent sheik father and washed up actress mother was just like Katie Nolan who went home to suburban life after every shoot. Both were likeable , easygoing , fashionable. The only original character was fourteen year old Jewel Nolan, Katie’s spunky tag-along sister. Though the characters were famous , hung out in new-wave clubs flashing with laser lights , dated guys with their own apartments , the lack of having to deal with any issues that this sped up lifestyle would fling at them was woefully absent. All in all , wooden writing and ultimately unbelievable.
1. Magic Time – 1987
2. Take Two – 1987
3. Flashback – 1987
4. Love Lights -1987
5. Typecast – 1987
6. Set up – 1988
7. Upstaged – 1988
8. Award Night – 1988

Animal Inn
– An off-an-on series that premiered in 1986 but soon after became sporadic and unpredictable.
Readers were used to new books appearing with some regularity. But for only 12 books the series spanned six years averaging only two or three books a year with a complete blank spot through 1988 & 1989. Written by Virginia Vail and put out by Apple the series theme was animals and lots of them. The protagonist was Valentine ‘Val’ Taylor an animal lover like her veterinarian father who owned the Animal Inn, his clinic, where Val helped him out. Most of the plots hinged on a problem concerning an animal that Val would help solve. The series was unusual in the fact that school work , friends, and anything not revolving around animals or Val’s family is rarely mentioned. You had to be a real animal lover to enjoy this series.
1. Pets are for Keeps – 1986
2. A Kid’s Best Friend – 1986
3. Monkey Business – 1987
4. Scaredy Cat – 1987
5. Adopt-a-Pet – 1987
6. All the Way Home – 1987
7. The Pet Makeover – 1990
8. Petnapped – 1990
9. One Dog Too Many – 1990
10. Parrot Fever – 1990
11. Oh Deer! – 1990
12. Gift Horse- 1991

The Baby-Sitters Club
The grand Pooh-bah of all 80’s series right up their sharing the crown with Sweet Valley High.
Only lasting five years less than Sweet Valley though they folded the same year. For it’s thirteen year reign it was the apple of Apple paperbacks eye , spawning spin offs and series evolutions like a tadpole sprouting it’s ever handy limbs ( good for grabbing more readers , more fans ) . And though by the time the series ended the characters should have been searching for babysitters for their own children , only a year had passed them from seventh grade to eighth grade , from twelve years old to thirteen. The formula was genius – Four girls seeing a demand for childcare in their neighborhood start their own babysitting business , they call themselves the Babysitters club and even have the wisdom to elect officers to keep track of their money , schedule and clients. Now the characters were of the standard variety though every fan will have her favorite – Kristy Thomas is the anal , bossy president of the Babysitters club who clings to her tomboy ways , Claudia Kishi is the American-Japanese ,stylish artist who struggles with school and loves junk food , Mary Anne Spier is the shy , kind , club secretary who loves animals and is the first in the group to land a steady boyfriend while Stacey McGill is a trendy, ex-New Yorker who battles diabetes. Ann M. Martin wrote some of the books before giving the series over to ghost writers in 1990 but she left them with a distinct pattern to follow , stories peppered with onomatopoeic words , and plots that centered on problems in the girls life usually echoing a solution that could be discovered with their babysitting charges. The series took a bit of a dive after Ann M. Martin left however , and the usual bag-of-tricks were drug out , character shuffling being the number one offender. As the club expanded to include laid back, California sunshine girl Dawn Schaffer , ex-charge young , bookish Mallory Pike and best friend , African-American ballerina – Jessi Ramsey the antics began. First Stacey left in a divorce plot , was brought back , Dawn contemplated moving to California , became Mary Anne’s step sister in a rather old-hat plot devise ( though in all fairness it was set up back in book five ) and then actually did move to California. By then they replaced her with a rather boring character called Abby Stevenson who was a bit of every character rolled into one – Most notably Kristy – she loved soccer ( sports nut like Kristy ) , lived in Long Island ( pretty close to Stacey’s N.Y. ) , was Jewish ( cultural aspects like Claudia ) , played the violin ( aesthetic as Jessi ). You get the idea. The series was best when it developed naturally but worsened when due to the constraints of being thirteen forever it exhausted all possible plots not even having the charming dayglo descriptions of Claudia’s circa 80’s fashions for distraction.
1. Kristy’s Great Idea – 1986
2. Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls – 1986
3. The Truth About Stacey – 1986
4. Mary Anne Saves the Day – 1987
5. Dawn and the Impossible Three – 1987
6. Kristy’s Big Day – 1987
7. Claudia and Mean Janine – 1987
8. Boy-Crazy Stacey – 1987
9. The Ghost at Dawn’s House – 1988
10. Logan Likes Mary Anne – 1988
11. Kristy and the Snobs – 1988
12. Claudia and the New Girl – 1988
13. Good-bye Stacey, Good-bye – 1988
14. Hello, Mallory – 1988
15. Little Miss Stoneybrook…and Dawn – 1988
16. Jessi’s Secret Language – 1988
17. Mary Anne’s Bad-Luck Mystery – 1988
18. Stacey’s Mistake – 1988
19. Claudia and the Bad Joke – 1988
20. Kristy and the Walking Disaster – 1989
21. Mallory and the Trouble With Twins – 1989
22. Jessi Ramsey, Pet-sitter – 1989
23. Dawn on the Coast – 1989
24. Kristy and the Mother’s Day Surprise – 1989
25. *Mary Anne and the Search for Tigger – 1989
26. *Claudia and the Sad Good-bye – 1989
27. Jessi and the Superbrat – 1989
28. Welcome Back, Stacey! – 1989
29. Mallory and the Mystery Diary – 1989
30. Mary Anne and the Great Romance – 1990
31. Dawn’s Wicked Stepsister – 1990
32. Kristy and the Secret of Susan – 1990
33. Claudia and the Great Search – 1990
34. Mary Anne and Too Many Boys – 1990
35. Stacy and the Mystery of Stoneybrook – 1990
36. Jessi’s Babysitter – 1990
37. Dawn and the Older Boy – 1990
38. Kristy’s Mystery Admirer – 1990
39. Poor Mallory! – 1990
40. Claudia and the Middle School Mystery – 1991
41. Mary Anne vs. Logan – 1991
42. Jessi and the Dance School Phantom – 1991
43. Stacy’s Emergency – 1991
44. Dawn and the Big Sleepover – 1991
45. Kristy and the Baby Parade – 1991
46. Mary Anne Misses Logan – 1991
47. Mallory on Strike – 1991
48. Jessi’s Wish – 1991
49. Claudia and the Genius of Elm Street – 1991
50. Dawn’s Big Date – 1992
51. Stacey’s Ex-Best Friend -1992
52. Mary Anne and 2 Many Babies – 1992
53. Kristy For President – 1992
54. Mallory and the Dream House – 1992
55. Jessi’s Gold Medal – 1992
56. Keep Out , Claudia! – 1992
57. Dawn Saves the Planet – 1992
58. Stacey’s Choice – 1992
59. Mallory Hates Boys (and Gym ) – 1992
60. Mary Anne’s Makeover – 1993
61. Jessi and the Awful Secret – 1993
62. Kristy and the Worst Kid ever – 1993
63. Claudia’s Friend – 1993
64. Dawn’s Family Feud – 1993
65. Stacey’s Big Crush – 1993
66. Maid Mary Anne – 1993
67. Dawn’s Big Move- 1993
68. Jessi and the Bad Baby-sitter – 1993
69. Get Well Soon Mallory! – 1993
70. Stacey and the Cheerleaders – 1993
71. Claudia and the Perfect Boy – 1994
72. Dawn and the We Love Kids Club – 1994
73. Mary Anne and Miss Priss -1994
74. Kristy and the Copycat – 1994
75. Jessi’s Horrible Prank – 1994
76. Stacey’s Lie – 1994
77. Dawn and Whitney , Friends Forever – 1994
78. Claudia and Crazy Peaches – 1994
79. Mary Anne Breaks the Rules – 1994
80. Mallory Pike #1 Fan – 1994
81. Kristy and Mr. Mom – 1995
82. Jessi and the Troublemaker – 1995
83. Stacey vs. the BSC – 1995
84. Dawn and the School Spirit War – 1995
85. Claudia Kishi , Live from WSTO! – 1995
86. Mary Anne and Camp BSC – 1995
87. Stacey and the Bad Girls – 1995
88. Farewell , Dawn – 1995
89. Kristy and the Dirty Diapers – 1995
90. Welcome to the BSC , Abby – 1995
91. Claudia and the First Thanksgiving – 1995
92. Mallory’s Christmas Wish – 1995
93. Mary Anne and the Memory Garden – 1996
94. Stacey McGill , Super Sitter – 1996
95. Kristy + Bart =? – 1996
96. Abby’s Lucky Thirteen – 1996
97. Claudia and the Worlds Cutest Baby – 1996
98. Dawn and Two Many Sitters – 1996
99. Stacey’s Broken Heart – 1996
100. Kristy’s Worst Idea – 1996
102: Mary Anne And The Little Princess – 1996
103. Happy Holidays, Jessi – 1996
104. Abby’s Twin – 1997
105. Stacey The Math Whiz – 1997
106. Claudia, Queen of The Seventh Grade – 1997
107. Mind Your Own Business, Kristy! – 1997
108. Don’t Give Up, Mallory – 1997
109. Mary Anne To The Rescue – 1997
110. Abby the Bad Sport – 1997
111. Stacey’s Secret Friend – 1997
112. Kristy and the Sister War – 1997
113. Claudia Makes Up Her Mind – 1997
114. The Secret Life of Mary Anne Spier – 1997
115. Jessi’s Big Break – 1998
116. Abby and the Best Kid Ever – 1998
117. Claudia and the Terrible Truth – 1998
118. Kristy Thomas, Dog Trainer – 1998
119. Stacey’s Ex-Boyfriend -1998
120. Mary Anne and the Playground Fight – 1998
121. Abby in Wonderland – 1998
122. Kristy in Charge – 1998
123. Claudia’s Big Party – 1998
124. Stacey McGill…Matchmaker? – 1998
125. Mary Anne in the Middle – 1998
126. The All-New Mallory Pike – 1999
127. Abby’s Un-Valentine – 1999
128. Claudia and the Little Liar – 1999
129. Kristy at Bat – 1999
130. Stacey’s Movie – 1999
131. The Fire at Mary Anne’s House – 1999
Super Specials
1. Baby-sitters on Board
2. Baby-sitters’ Summer Vacation
3. Baby-sitters’ Winter Vacation
4. Baby-sitters’ Island Adventure
5. California Girls
6. New York, New York
7. Snowbound
8. Baby-sitters at Shadow Lake
9. Starring the Baby-sitters Club
10. Sea City, Here We Come
11. The Baby-sitters Remember
12. Here Come the Bridesmaids
13. Aloha , Baby-sitters
14. BSC in the U.S.A
15. The Baby-sitters European Vacation
The Mysteries
1. Stacey and the Missing Ring
2. Beware, Dawn
3. Mallory and the Ghost Cat
4. Kristy and the Missing Child
5. Mary Anne and the Secret in the Attic
6. The Mystery at Claudia’s House
7. Dawn and the Disappearing Dogs
8. Jessi and the Jewel Thieves
9. Kristy and the Haunted Mansion
10. Stacey and the Mystery Money
11. Claudia and the Mystery at the Museum
12. Dawn and the Surfer Ghost
13. Mary Anne and the Library Mystery
14. Stacey and the Mystery at the Mall
15. Kristy and the Vampires
16. Claudia and the Clue in the Photograph
17. Dawn and the Halloween Mystery
18. Stacey and the Mystery at the Empty House
19. Kristy and the Missing Fortune
20. Mary Anne and the Zoo Mystery
21. Claudia and the Recipe for Danger
22. Stacey and the Haunted Masquerade
23. Abby and the Secret Society
24. Mary Anne and the Silent Witness
25. Kristy and the Middle School Vandal
26. Dawn Schafer, Undercover Baby-sitter
27. Claudia and the Lighthouse Ghost
28. Abby and the Mystery Baby
29. Stacey and the Fashion Victim
30. Kristy and the Mystery Train
31. Mary Anne and the Music Box Secret
32. Claudia and the Mystery in the Painting
33. Stacey and the Stolen Hearts
34. Mary Anne and the Haunted Bookstore
35. Abby and the Notorious Neighbor
36. Kristy and the Cat Burglar
Super Mysteries
1. Baby-sitter’s Haunted House
2. Baby-sitters’ Beware
3. Baby-sitters’ Fright Night
4. Baby-sitters’ Christmas Chiller

Bad News Ballet
A delightful but short lived series put out by Apple in 1989 and written by Jahanna N. Malcolm. A clever pseudonym for two writers – Jahanna Beechem & Malcolm Hillgartner. Hinging on a theme nearly twenty years old , ( the Bad News Bears ) and given a fresh twist ( ballet not baseball ) this series featured five spunky twelve year old girls with tongue tickling names – McGee , Gwen , Rocky , Zan and Mary Bubnik who are forced into ballet to socialize and or find grace and become the outcasts of their ballet class. Forming a fast friendship they square off against the more serious students dubbed the bunheads who want their klutzy kind out. The characters were – sporty , tomboy Kathryn McGee who demanded everyone call her just McGee. Pudgy and brash Gwendolyn ‘Gwen’ Hays. Rochelle ‘Rocky’ Garcia who like her nickname implies was always geared for a fight. Shy Suzannah a.k.a Zan Reed. And flightly southern belle Mary Bubnik. The stories were jam-packed with humor as the girls always found themselves in one pickle after another but when things got rough they always headed to their hangout Hi-Lo’s Pizza and Chinese food to go – a run down little diner owned and operated by a dear old Chinese man who is known for his peculiar specials. Reissued in the 90’s under the series title of Scrambled Legs with photo covers and some altered titles most notably book #1 – We hate Ballet!
1. The Terrible Tryouts – 1989
2. Battle of the Bunheads – 1989
3. Stupid Cupids – 1989
4. Who Framed Mary Bubnick? – 1989
5. Blubberina – 1989
6. Save D.A.D.! – 1990
7. The King and Us – 1990
8. Camp Clodhopper – 1990
9. Boo Hoo – 1990
10. A Dog Named Toe Shoe – 1991

Best Friends
Minstrel started this series in 1988 and it had all the trappings for success , bright , bold , colorful covers , a simple theme clearly stated in the series title and stories that tied Sleepover Friends for quickest reads ever! None of the books were much longer than 80 pages almost too thin for the quickly burgeoning cast of characters. However crisp writing by Susan Smith kept everyone in line. The theme was exactly as stated – a group of 12 year old girls that were best friends – sophisticated Sonya Plummer , sporty Terri Rivera , shy and tiny Dawn Selby and plump but outgoing Angela King. The girls often battled their classmates snotty Celia Forrester and her two sidekicks in plots that ranged from weight issues, Halloween dances , tempers , school plays , crushes and rumors. Other girls joined the group Monique Whitney , Jennifer Soo and Linda Carmichael. Did reasonably well lasting 16 books and perhaps only folded when juvenile horrors came out. Quirky and refreshing. How can anyone not like a series that put one of it’s characters on the Family Feud?!
1. Sonya Begonia and the Eleventh Birthday Blues – 1988
2. Angela and the King-Size Crusade – 1988
3. Dawn Selby, Super Sleuth – 1988
4. Terri the Great – 1989
5. Sonya and the Chain Letter Gang – 1989
6. Angela and the Greatest Guy in the World – 1989
7. One Hundred Thousand Dollar Dawn – 1990
8. The Terrible Terri Rumors – 1990
9. Linda and the Little White Lies – 1990
10. Sonya and the Haunting of Room 16A – 1990
11. Angela and the Great Book Battle – 1990
12. Dynamite Dawn vs. Terrific Terri – 1991
13. Who’s Out to Get Linda? – 1991
14. Terri and the Shopping Mall Disaster – 1991
15. The Sonya and Howard Wars – 1991
16. Angela and the Accidental On-Purpose Romance – 1991

BLUE RIBBON
Horses were on every girls brain in the 80’s , from molded plastic Breyer horses
set atop a gleaming dresser to horse posters and paperback manuals it wasn’t
surprising that a few horse crazy characters seeped into series. Even less
surprising that a few series themes hinged on horses. This is a rare one.
Released by Fawcett Girls only and written by Chris St. John it features
main character 16 yr old Kate Wiley who longs to one day ride in the
Olympics but for now she and her friends make the competition
circuit , training like mad on horses that have become in the
story characters themselves. A nice little series chock full of
riding competitions obviously written by someone who loves
and understands horses.

1. Riding High – 1989
2. A Horse of her Own – 1989
3. Kate’s Challenge – 1989
4. Golden Girl – 1989
5. Time-out For Jesse – 1989
6. The Main Event – 1989

Caitlin Series
Put out by, who else, but, Bantam in 1985 with a big build up of pre-advertising in Sweet Valley High because both series were created by Francine Pascal. The books were , rather than a numbered series , three sets of trilogies covering the glamorous life of Caitlin Ryan , an outrageously rich , well bred sixteen year old girl born and raised in Virginia. Starting out when Caitlin is lonely and residing in an exclusive boarding school and leaving off with her in the delivery room. Most of the stories revolve around her on-going romance with handsome , sensitive Jed Michaels. The plots are packed with horseback riding , fund raising and the kind of day-soap cliff hangers as secrets – who is the real person responsible for a hit and run accident? , what are the real motives of Caitlin’s college boyfriend? Dangerous life threatening operations , and a saboteur in Caitlin’s newly inherited mining company – Alexis Colby eat your heart out – all are sandwiched with clean , clear writing featuring romantic picnics where brie is served. Not much more than Sweet Valley High , though pretends to be Dynasty.
Caitlin Ryan – the Love Trilogy
1. Loving – 1985
2. Love Lost -1985
3. True Love – 1985
Caitlin Ryan – the Promise Trilogy
1. Tender Promises – 1986
2. Promises Broken – 1986
3. A New Promise – 1986
Caitlin Ryan – the Forever Trilogy
1. Dreams of Forever – 1987
2. Forever and Always – 1987
3. Together Forever – 1988

Camp Sunnyside Friends
One of those sure-fire hit series put out by Camelot in 1989 and written by Marilyn Kaye (who also wrote the Sisters series ( not the Jennifer Cole series ) and Three of a Kind ) Camp Sunnyside featured the never fail theme of sleepaway camp ( a theme which kept the other series afloat in Super editions ) focusing on the antics of the five girls from Cabin six who have been going to camp for years. This year however as the girls are turning 12 they learn their camp with have more involvement with the boys camp across the lake , a decision that throws the girls for a loop. There is bossy and often selfish Katie Dillion , organized and kind Trina Sandberg , daydreaming Megan Lindsay who manages to pull her heads out of the clouds for tennis , plump book-lover Sarah Fine , rich , snobby and fashionable Erin Chapman. The plots featured the usual camp activities color war , horseback riding , scheming to get out of swimming lessons , populated with , disagreeable campers , snobby older girls and loyal counselors. There was usually a lesson to be learned hidden behind the happenings but nothing overpowering. A well written, bouncy series.
1. No Boys Allowed! – 1989
2. Cabin Six Plays Cupid – 1989
3. Color War! – 1989
4. New Girl in Cabin Six – 1989
5. Looking for Trouble – 1990
6. Katie Steals the Show – 1990
7. A Witch in Cabin Six – 1990
8. Too Many Counselors – 1990
9. The New and Improved Sarah – 1990
10. Erin and the Movie Star – 1991
11. The Problem with Parents – 1991
12. The Tennis Trap – 1991
13. Big Sister Blues – 1992
14. Megan’s Ghost – 1992
15. Christmas Break – 1992
16. Happily Ever After – 1992
17. Camp Spaghetti -1992
18. Balancing Act – 1992
1. Special – Christmas Reunion – 1990
2. My Camp Memory Book : A Camp Sunnyside Friends Special

Campus Fever
A relatively successful series released by Signet Vista whose others series were equally short lived- Hearts and Diamonds , Diana Winthrop , Magic Moments , Turning Points. Written by Joanna Wharton and aimed for older teens , Campus Fever was about a group of Boston College roommates discovering life on their own is far from easy. The characters were believable and had the typical ‘adult’ college dilemmas – sex , drugs , suicide attempts , like Roommates they reached for mildly taboo subjects but managed to resolve their pulpy plots with some satifactory solutions. Each story focused on a girl at the college before eventually branching off from the four main girls – Cathy Thomas – sporty and friendly she comes out of her shell and manages to attract sexy John Wickland. Amy Trevlyn is a smart mouth punk with a soft center and finds herself absurdly attracted to a conservative! Leslie Schaeffer – described as a mouseburger , shy and introverted she attempts suicide and decides to get her act together. Paula Heil is a sophisticated and computer savvy brain whose not apposed to using her hacking abilities for dangerous reasons. Well written but as usual offers a very skewed view of college life.
1. Making the Grade – 1985
2. All-Nighter – 1985
3. Crash Course – 1985
4. Illegal Notion – 1985
5. Time Out – 1985
6. Fast Lane – 1986
7. Class Act – 1986
8. Wild Moves – 1986

Caprice – Thematic Romances

Caprice came out in 1982 published by Ace Tempo ( changed to Tempo Ya Fiction ) and the packaging was a dreary mess. Drab photos that look like they should be stuck in scuffed photo cubes with a little white ribbon in the corner declaring it to be ( oh ho-hum) a Caprice novel. Fortunately they soon juiced up the covers with a top colored ribbon wrapping from the front cover to the back with a centered gold Caprice logo that looked like a belt buckle or a choker bauble on a thin velvet ribbon. The photos offered pretty girls in gumball bright backdrops , wearing contrasting outfits , offering cover art that now represented the airy feel of the stories. Themes such as glee club tryouts , ice skate dancing competitions , getting tutored by a sexy hunk , finding the perfect dress , joining the track team , singing in a rock band , becoming a camp counselor , even family ski trips all were boiled frosting to the cake of a heroine finding her dream boy. Scintillating series with many dazzling authors in the bunch.
1. Jenny – Natalie Johnson – 1982
2. Small Town Summer – Carol Ellis – 1982
3. Dance with a Stranger – Elizabeth Van Steenwyck – 1982
4. Terri’s Dream – Margaret Garland- 1982
5. Before Love – Gloria D. Miklowitz- 1982
6. Pink and White Striped Summer – Hazel Krantz- 1982
7. Sunrise – G. C. Wisler- 1982
8. Three’s a Crowd – Nola Carson – 1982
9. A Special Love – Harriette S. Abels – 1982
10. Someone for Sarah – Judith Enderle- 1982
11. Cheer Me On! – Judith Enderle- 1982
12. A Love Song for Becky – Francess Lin Lantz – 1983
13. Don’t Forget to Write – Patsey Gray- 1983
14. S.W.A.K. Sealed with a Kiss – Judith Enderle – 1983
15. Color It Love – Amy Lawrence- 1983
16. Carrie Loves Superman – Gloria D. Miklowitz- 1983
17. Programmed for Love – Judith Enderle- 1983
18. A New Love for Lisa – Harriette S. Abels- 1983
19. Wish for Tomorrow – Pam Ketter- 1983
20. The Boy Next Door – Wendy Storm- 1983
21. A Hat Full of Love – Barbara Steiner- 1983
22. Two Loves for Tina – Maurine Miller- 1983
23. Love in Focus – Margaret Meacham- 1983
24. Do You Really Love Me? – Jeanne R. Lenz- 1983
25. A Bicycle Built for Two – Susan Shaw – 1983
26. A New Face in the Mirror – Nola Carson – 1983
27. Too Young To Know – Margaret Scariano- 1983
28. Super Girl – Francess Lin Lantz – 1983
29. Love Byte – Harriet Zeiger- 1983
30. When Wishes Come True – Judith Enderle- 1983
31. Heartbreaker – Terry Hunter – 1983
32. Love Notes – Dionne Leah- 1984
33. Never Say Never – Ann Boyle – 1984
34. The Hidden Heart – Barbara Ball – 1984
35. Tommy Loves Tina – Janet Quin-Harkin- 1984
36. Heartwaves – Deborah Kent- 1984
37. Stardust Summer – Pam Ketter- 1984
38. Last Kiss in April – N. R. Selden – 1984
39. Sing a Song of Love – Judith Enderle – 1984
40. Rock ‘N’ Roll Romance – Francess Lin Lantz- 1984
41. Spring Dreams – Nola Carson – 1984
42. Change of Heart – Charlotte White- 1984
43. Prescription for Love – Judie Rae- 1984
44. Cupid Confusion – Harriette S. Abels- 1984
45. Will I See You Next Summer – Judith Enderle – 1984
46. Senior Blues – Francess Lin Lantz- 1984
47. New Kid in Town – Jean Thesman- 1984
48. A Hard Act to Follow – Charlotte White- 1984
49. Wanted: A Little Love – Stephanie Gordon Tessler- 1984
50. First Impression – Harriette S. Abels- 1984
51. T.L.C. Tender Loving Care – Judith Enderle- 1984
52. Not Your Type – Carol Beach York- 1984
53. Winner Take All – Janet Quin-Harkin – 1984
54. Ski Bum – Harriet Zeiger- 1984
55. Third Time Lucky – Judie Rae – 1984
56. Winter Break – Margaret Garland – 1985
57. I Double Love You – Stephanie Gordon Tessler- 1985
58. To Take Your Heart Away – Jody Sorenson- 1985
59. Two of a Kind – Susan Shaw- 1985
60. Straight from the Heart – Karen Crawford- 1985
61. A Dream Come True – Charlotte White- 1985
62. A Good Sport – Harriette S. Abels- 1985
63. Sixteenth Summer – Nola Carson- 1985
64. Ready, Set, Love – Judith Enderle- 1985
65. Vacation Blues – Margaret Meacham- 1985
66. Just Like a Dream – Eileen Stacy- 1985
67. Summer Romance – Linda Wirkner-1985
68. First Comes Love – Rosemary Vernon – 1985
69. Two Letters for Jenny – Jean Thesman – 1985
70. Heart To Heart – Rose Blue – 1985
71. Learning to Love – Jan Boise – 1985
72. The Right Kind of Guy – Sheary Suitor – 1985
73. Madly in Love – Amy Lawrence – 1985
74. Lucky in Love – Hariette S. Abels – 1985
75. That Special Someone – Gail Jarrow – 1985
76. Long Distance Romance – Alice Moon – 1985
77. A Secret Love – Jean Thesman – 1985
78. A Dream for Julie – Hope Goodwin – 1985 79.
80. Head over Heels – Charlotte White -1985 81.
82. 1-800-Love – Terri Fields – 1985
83. Boycrazy – Sheary Suitor – 1985

Caroline B. Cooney’s Dance books
Put out by Point fiction in 1986 – the dance book series was one of those non numbered series in the 80’s that deserves some recognition. Written by the un-imitate-able Caroline B. Cooney , the series featured four girls attending four special school dances. The characters were Katherine ‘Kip’ Elliot an organized , bossy but somewhat lovable headstrong girl , Anne Stevens an ‘it’ girl , golden girl admired , envied and about to be thrown an incredible decision to make when she discovers she’s pregnant , Beth Rose Chapman , shy , insecure , but kind and braver than she thinks , Emily Edmundson smitten with her lovable boyfriend Matt O’Conner who provides a safe haven from her troublesome family. Crisp writing offers up the most gorgeous dress descriptions , episodic vignettes from each character over the course of one night / one dance with lots of inner dialogue , eviscerating the most troublesome characters – such as Anne’s often flaky but beautiful boyfriend – ‘Con’ Conrad Winters and resident bad girl – Molly whose dresses are downright perverse!
1. Saturday Night – 1986
2. Last Dance – 1987
3. New Years Eve – 1988
4. Summer Nights – 1988

Cedar River Daydreams
Put out by Bethany House publishing in 1988 – by Judy Baer ( who wrote several books in other thematic romances ) This was an amazingly good series and don’t let yourself be put off by the Christian theme , the lack of ( even the mention of ) church in any of the popular fiction makes this series a welcome event. The stories centered on Alexis ‘Lexi’ Leighton who is sixteen and her family has just moved to Cedar River over the summer , hampered by loneliness and wanting to fit in she’s offered a spot in the snobby , exclusive Hi-Five clique but will she compromise her faith to fit in and keep silent about her sweet little brother who has down syndrome? Absolutely not! Lexi is an independent , non conformist who even manages to get new friend Jennifer to drop out of the club thereby making one powerful member of Hi-Five ,the cruel Minda Hannaford, a permanent enemy. Series tackled tough issues none of the other series would so much as whisper about and did not shy away from things that needed to be said instead of the usual sensationalistic action – abortion , suicide , drugs , aids are just a few.
1. New Girl in Town – 1988
2. Trouble with a Capital T – 1988
3. Jennifer’s Secret – 1989
4. Journey to Nowhere – 1989
5. Broken Promises – 1989
6. The Intruder – 1989
7. Silent Tears No More – 1989
8. Fill My Empty Heart – 1990
9. Yesterday’s Dream – 1990
10. Tomorrow’s Promise – 1990
11. Something Old, Something New – 1991
12. Vanishing Star – 1991
13. No Turning Back – 1991
14. Second Chance – 1991
15. Lost and Found – 1992
16. Unheard Voices – 1992
17. Lonely Girl – 1992
18. More Than Friends – 1992
19. Never Too Late – 1993
20. The Discovery – 1993
21. A Special kind of Love – 1993
22. Three’s a Crowd – 1994
23. Silent Thief – 1994
24. The Suspect – 1996
25. Heartless Hero – 1997
26. Worlds Apart – 1997
27. Never Look Back – 1997
28. Forever Friends – 1999

Center Stage
Put out by Fawcett Girls Only in 1990 and written by Ellen Ashley this was a bright but short lived series about several attractive teens – Barri Gillette – the ambitious but likeable main girl , her best friend Melanie Todd who drives a silver Mustang and resembles Meryl Streep , Joel Amberson who thinks he’s the next Neil Simon – who all have their hearts set on careers in the stage , theater or movie business. The plots revolved around acting gigs , and the drama that sparked when things went wrong – like Melanie stumbling around with one contact lens rather than putting on her horrid glasses.
1. Star Struck – 1990
2. Barri, Take Two – 1991
3. Understudy – 1991
4. Lights, Camera, Action – 1991
5. Encore – 1991
6. Summer Stock – 1991

CHANGES
To be perfectly honest I don’t know anything about this series , I came across the
cover and decided to add it on. I’ve been waiting to bump into a copy but so
far it’s eluded me. The stories were written by Barbara A. Steiner , no
slouch to young adult fiction. From the looks of this hard to find series
it appears to be mainly about a group of preteen girls on the cusp of puberty.
1. Kirsten’s Song – 1988
2. Sneaking Around – 1988
3. Sunny Side up – 1988

Charisma Inc.
Put out by a slightly obscure publishing company – Pageant books in 1988 the series was created by Ruth Glick & Eileen Buckholtz who have an extensive list of young adult books under their belts and featured a theme more seen on t.v. then in print. Amber Carson a southern debutante who is fed up with her controlling parents decides at the age of 18 to join an undercover detective agency – ala Charlie’s Angels and makes friends with her co-workers Samantha St. James and Kelly Ryan. The girls are sent on often glamorous assignments , flirting , snooping and evading danger. The prose fluctuated between flat and interesting depending on the author making some books out shine others in the series. All in all an interesting series – good to see that the boys didn’t have all the action.
1. Saber Dance – Ruth Glick and Eileen Buckholtz- 1988
2. Breathless – Kathryn Jensen – 1988
3. Smoke Screen – Barbara Cummings- 1988
4. Desperado – Chassie L. West- 1988
5. The Golden Hawk – Jean M. Favors- 1988
6. On Edge – Louise Titchener- 1988
7. Risky Venture – Alice Leonhardt and Kathryn Jensen- 1989
8. Roller Coaster – Ruth Glick and Eileen Buckholtz- 1989
9. The Big Score – Ruth Glick and Kathryn Jensen- 1989
10. Nightstalker – Ruth Glick and Kathryn Jensen- 1989

Cheerleaders
This series put out by Scholastic in 1985 was a hit , it continued on for 3 years with a succession of various authors and readers all hungry for more antics about the co-ed Cheerleading squad. Mary Ellen was the top golden girl harboring the fact that she comes from the wrong side of the tracks and fudging that she buys earrings at Woolworth’s , Nancy Goldstein a sexy Jewish girl , Angie Poletti fiesty and little, bad girl Vanessa Barlow who taunts Mary Ellen for being attracted to muscular Patrick Henley who works with his father picking up garbage while nice guy Walt Manners talks rich and bored Preston Tilford into joining the squad. Filled with competitions , romance and even exciting action like kidnappings at gunpoint , avalaches , cruises not to mention even breaking the series taboo of dragging on a school year forever – at midpoint book 20 – Starting over says it all and while some students graduate and new characters move in , there was always a few favorites coming back into the scene as weekend visitors. Three cheers for the Cheerleaders!
1. Trying Out – Caroline B. Cooney – 1985
2. Getting Even – Christopher Pike – 1985
3. Rumors – Caroline B. Cooney- 1985
4. Feuding – Lisa Norby- 1985
5. All the Way – Caroline B. Cooney- 1985
6. Splitting – Jennifer Sarasin- 1985
7. Flirting – Diane Hoh- 1985
8. Forgetting – Lisa Norby – 1985
9. Playing Games – Jody Sorenson – 1985
10. Betrayed – Diane Hoh – 1985
11. Cheating – Jennifer Sarasin – 1985
12. Staying Together – Diane Hoh – 1985
13. Hurting – Lisa Norby – 1986
14. Living It Up – Jennifer Sarasin – 1986
15. Waiting – Jody Sorenson – 1986
16. In Love – Carol Stanley – 1986
17. Taking Risks – Anne Reynolds- 1986
18. Looking Good – Carol Ellis – 1986
19. Making It – Susan Blake – 1986
20. Starting Over – Patricia Aks and Lisa Norby – 1986
21. Pulling Together – Diane Hoh -1986
22. Rivals – Anne Steinke – 1986
23. Proving It – Diane Hoh- 1986
24. Going Strong – Carol Ellis – 1986
25. Stealing Secrets – Anne Steinke -1987
26. Taking Over – Judith Sachs – 1987
27. Spring Fever – Diane Hoh – 1987
28. Scheming – Lisa Norby -1987
29. Falling in Love – Anne Steinke- 1987
30. Saying Yes – Caroline B. Cooney- 1987
31. Showing Off – Carol Ellis- 1987
32. Together Again – Jennifer Sarasin- 1987
33. Saying No – Anne Steinke- 1987
34. Coming Back – Lisa Norby- 1987
35. Moving Up – Leslie Davis- 1987
36. Changing Loves – Judith Weber- 1987
37. Acting Up – Judith Sachs- 1987
38. Talking Back – Lisa Norby – 1988
39. All or Nothing – Leslie Davis – 1988
40. Getting Serious – Jennifer Sarasin – 1988
41. Having It All – Anne Steinke -1988
42. Fighting Back – Carol Ellis- 1988
43. Telling Lies – Lisa Norby- 1988
44. Pretending – Leslie Davis- 1988
45. Here To Stay – Jennifer Sarasin- 1988
46. Overboard! – Vivian Schurfranz – 1988
47. Dating – Judith Weber- 1988

Chrystal Falls
Scholastic’s hidden jewel , this series was published in 1985 and lasted only seven books. Though packed enough pulpy plotlines for much more. It featured a handful of writers and a theme reminiscent of the night soaps of the era. It was set in a seamy mill town , split in two by the children of the blue collar workers and the Chrystal’s , owners of the mill ( not to mention other important socialites ) and into this hotbed of class distinction comes Dawn Newhouse pretty and confident , with an older handsome and athletic brother who fall somewhere in between of having well-to-do relatives but not being rich themselves. Caught in the middle with harmlessly capricious Chelsea Chrystal and sullen wrong-side-of-the-tracks-bad-boy Peter Carter , Dawn often finds herself torn between loyalties. The plots were full of danger , mystery , shootings , car accidents , even teen pregnancy. Well done soap-like-series.
1. The Wrong Side of Love – Meredith Hill – 1985
2. Breaking the Rules – Candice F. Ransom – 1985
3. The Bad and the Beautiful – Caroline B. Cooney – 1985
4. The Morning After – Caroline B. Cooney – 1985
5. A Loss of Innocence – Meredith Hill – 1986
6. Forbidden Love – Meredith Hill- 1986
7. A Night to Forget – Diane Hoh – 1986

Class of ‘88 & ‘89
Put out by Scholastic this was a non numbered series – but was in a sense self numbered by the titles. Their were two sets of Class of books featuring the same high school but each with a separate set of students carrying them through until graduation. The stories have a slight feeling of Caroline B. Cooney’s dance books as each set features the hopes and dreams and antics of five friends for class of ‘88 and four girls for class of ‘89. Well written series by the team of Linda Alper & Kevin Cooney – writing as Linda A Cooney , the stories offer tiny but fruitful 80’s gems – like people who do the fad of wearing double Swatches – called pastel striped watchbands in the book and boys who practice guitar riffs and say things like – ‘let’s go scarf some pizza.’Characters in class of ‘88 – wild Allie who wears Gumby barrettes in her hair and other oddities, beautiful Celia who longs for popularity , intelligent but as some might peg geeky Sean , Nick the golden athlete , Meg loyal and fiercely nice. Characters of class of 89′ – outrageously dressed go-getter Micki , gorgeous Page forced onto a pedestal , shy but artistic Laurel , comfortable Betsy a.k.a. Bets. More 80’s gems like – rattails , ‘jacuzzi feelings’ , purple tennis shoes called purple tennies. Lively writing invigorates
familar high school settings.
1. Freshman – 19882. Sophomore – 1988
3. Junior – 1988
4. Senior – 1988
1. Freshman – 1989
2. Sophomore – 1989
3. Junior – 1989
4. Senior – 1989

The Collette Books
Put out by Apple from 1988 – 1991 – this non-numbered series the Collette books featured a likeable, sturdy heroine who came from a large loving family. Her good friend is a hot-tempered wealthy girl named Marsha Cessano who often battled the class clown Roger Friday , and overshadowed Collette’s calm best friend Sara. Their were seven books in all but I’ll only feature 3 preteen stories where Collette is in her Sacred Heart school – Fourth Grade Jinx , Fifth Grade Here Comes Trouble & The Truth about Sixth Grade. In each story Collette Murphy is a levelheaded girl who cheerfully makes the best of some interesting situations – from her mother becoming her substitute teacher , Marsha’s first boy girl party , and a crush on her sixth grade teacher. Wonderfully written series by Colleen O’Shaughnessy McKenna.
1. Too Many Murphys – 1988
2. Fourth Grade Is a Jinx – 1989
3. Fifth Grade: Here Comes Trouble – 1989
4. Eenie, Meanie, Murphy, No! – 1990
5. Murphy’s Island – 1990
6. Mother Murphy – 1991
7. The Truth about Sixth Grade – 1991

Couples
Scholastic gave Sweet Valley High some good competition with this series. Set in the fictional Kennedy High in Rose Hill California Couples centered around an ever expanding group of friends. Unlike SVH which focused on a lot of breaking up and switcheroos – Couples had a girl falling in love with a new boy and pulling him into the group. Gone were the cliche characters and token hamburger joints. Instead there is a lively freshness to the typical high school dilemmas & atmosphere – a boy who would rather design clothes than go in for sports , jute-boxes that played the Talking Heads , girls that work at the Garfield half-way house for troubled teens and girls who actually ponder the issue of sex. The writing team of Linda A. Cooney is credited with books 1-3 and M.E. Cooper with the rest including the specials. A very underrated series.
1. Change of Hearts – 1985
2. Fire and Ice – 1985
3. Alone, Together – 1985
4. Made for Each Other – 1985
5. Moving Too Fast – 1985
6. Crazy Love – 1985
7. Sworn Enemies – 1985
8. Making Promises – 1986
9. Broken Hearts – 1986
10. Secrets – 1986
11. More Than Friends – 1986
12. Bad Love – 1986
13. Changing Partners – 1986
14. Picture Perfect – 1986
15. Coming on Strong – 1986
16. Sweethearts – 1986
17. Dance with Me – 1986
18. Kiss and Run – 1986
19. Show Some Emotion – 1987
20. No Contest – 1987
21. Teacher’s Pet – 1987
22. Slow Dancing – 1987
23. Bye Bye Love – 1987
24. Something New – 1987
25. Love Exchange – 1987
26. Head Over Heels – 1987
27. Sweet and Sour – 1987
28. Lovestruck – 1987
29. Take Me Back – 1988
30. Falling For You – 1988
31. Prom Date – 1988
32. Playing Dirty – 1988
33. Mean To Me – 1988
34. Don’t Get Close – 1988
35. Break Away – 1988
36. Hold Me Tight – 1988
Specials
1. Summer Heat! – 1986
2. Be Mine! – 1986
3. Beach Party! – 1987
4. Sealed with a Kiss – 1988

Cranberry Cousins
– Put out by Troll in 1988 , this wacky series was laugh out-loud funny , part Kate & Allie & part the Odd Couple. The theme was two sisters deciding to take an inherited inn – the Cranberry Inn , fix it up and work and live there dragging their children with them. The cousins were Deena Scott – from Bostom , prim , with a penchant for romantic notions , classical music and polishing the teachers apple and Kathy Manelli – from San Francisco , factitious , hooked on Heavy Metal , dresses wildly and has a friend who talks to her skull ring. The formula usually had Deena making a fool out of herself , often, gleefully nudged along by wry Kathy as they battled their way through six books which covered the girls one year of high school. Unfortunately the series ends abruptly a failure which could be connected to the rather drab packaging and faulty artwork which at times made the girls look as young as eight. On the other hand it could have been happily put aside by author who had taken it as far as she wanted. On an interesting note Christie Wells, the writer, thanks Suzanne Weyn for helping her out with the concept. Suzanne Weyn no slouch to serial fiction had her own series- Pen Pals.
1. Rival Roommates – 1988
2. Secret Crush – 1988
3. A Class Act – 1988
4. No More Promises – 1988
5. Love Letters – 1988
6. Babysitter Blues – 1988

Crosswinds
First Love From Silhouette was showing it’s age in 1987 and was reconfigured branching off into two separate series – There was Keepsake under the division of Crosswinds and just plain old Crosswinds. Gone was the lacy archway lettering – Crosswinds had a snappy logo , trendy photo art , coupled with colorful graphics mimicking the 80’s school folder art and offered some truly Teen Beat worthy beefcake covers. The stories also stretched from the confines of romance to include drama and mysteries but the format was kept the same – some themes included a girl recovering from her friends suicide , a merry mushroom side story ( not magic mushrooms just the love of mushrooms , wild ones , fungi ala romance ) and even murder! Folded after 32 books but featured a talented crew of writers and some sharply done stories. One was created after a highly successful character featured in Seventeen magazine – Sylvia Smith-Smith – a slightly weird Nancy Drew, not to mention , but I will a fatal attraction type book by R.L. Stine.
1. Does your Nose Get in the Way too – Arlene Erlbach – 1987
2. Lou Dunlop , Private Eye – Glen Ebisch – 1987
3. Toughing it Out – Joan Oppenheimer – 1987
4. Lou Dunlop : Cliffhanger – Glen Ebisch – 1987
5. Guys , Dating and other Disasters – Arlene Erlbach – 1987
6. All Our Yesterdays – Stuart Buchan – 1987
7. Sylvia Smith-Smith – Peter Nelson – 1987
8. The Gifting – Ann Gabhart – 1987
9. Bigger is Better – Sheila G. Schwartz – 1987
10. Eye of the Storm – Susan Dodson – 1987
11. Shock Effect – Glen Ebisch – 1987
12. Kaleidoscope – Candice Ransom – 1987
13. A Kindred Spirit – Ann Gabhart – 1987
14. The Right Moves – M.K. Kauffman – 1987
15. Lighten Up Jennifer – Kathlyn Lampi – 1988
16. Red Rover , Red Rover – Joan Hess – 1988
17. Even Pretty Girls Cry at Night – Joan Merril Gerber – 1988
18. Angel in the Snow – Glen Ebisch – 1988
19. The Haunting Possibility – Susan Fletcher – 1988
20. Dropout Blues – Arlene Erlbach – 1988
21. Broken Date – R.L. Stine – 1988
22. Love and Lucy Bloom – Stuart Buchan – 1988
23. Butterflies of Freedom – W. Richard West – 1988
24. Smart Guys – Jamie Lewis – 1988
25. Cat and Mouse – Beverly Sommers – 1988
26. My Beautiful Fat Friend – Josephine Carr – 1988
27. The Black Orchid – Susan Rubin – 1988
28. Stu’s Song – Janice Harrell – 1988
29. The House with the Iron Door – Mary Margaret Jensen – 1988
30. Frog Eyes Loves Pig – James Deem – 1988
31. Bummer Summer – Phyllis Green – 1988
32. New Boy in School – Harriet Trueblood- 1988

DAWN OF LOVE
I guess Sunfire was doing so well that this thematic series popped up for
competition – it featured the same gimmick of teens experiencing
romances during different era’s amid high adventure but was packaged
more like the heaving bosom covers of their inspiration the 80’s
adult historical romances with painted over pictures and big scrawling
titles. Not too shabby series with longer stories than most but
anything over 200 pages seemed grandiose. Interesting
handful of writers but rare and often hard to find.

1. Reckless Heart – Dee Austin – 1986
2. Wild Prairie Sky – Cheri Michaels – 1986
3. Savage Spirit – Dee Austin – 1986
4. Fearless Love – Stephanie Andrews – 1986
5. Defiant Dreams – Cheri Michaels – 1986
6. Promise Forever – Dee Austin -1986

Dear Diary
Apple pb a division of scholastic didn’t seem to worry too much over wether or not a series was successful they already had their grand pooh bah – The Babysitters club and spin off Little Sister leading the way – Dear Diary seems to bare this , in the fact that unpushed in debuted in 1989 , folded in 1991 but featured only one release in 1990?! A short but interesting series which had the feel more of a continuing story ( rather like the Linda or Collette books ) it featured Lizzie Miletti a young girl entering sixth grade who lives in a large family of five. Her father tests bizarre products for his frozen food company and her room is situated under the stairs in a small converted nook. Though she is often longing to grow up and be part of the cool kids at school run by the snobby Samantha Howard and her best friends Candace Quinn & Jessica Alderidge – Lizzie must endure life saddled with her loyal best friend Nancy who often appears as if she will never grow up. The stories are told in the first person and move along at a lively pace. A good little series written by Carrie Randall.
1. The Party – 1989
2. The Secret – 1989
3. The Dance – 1990
4. The Mystery – 1991
5. The Roommate – 1991
6. The Lie – 1991

DEGRASSI BOOKS
Movie tie in books have been around for practically forever – even tv-tie-in’s have become
collectable – from the Mod Sqaud to Joanie loves Chachi to yes even the Degrassi Books.
Collectable or not reading wise – they are a disappointment. Honed from scripts and
not original stories they are a mere rehash of what fans of the show have already
seen – For instance Stephanie’s book follows her battle with Voula over her new
look and her campaign for Class president. Only slight new insights to scenes are
offered such as when Stephanie hands Voula a bracelet in the book Stephanie
reveals it was a present that she didn’t like ( she thought the bracelet was ugly
really ugly and gives it to Voula , shrugging off – not everyone has the same taste )
Other than that they are little more than slightly fleshed out scripts ( with
the exception of Exit Stage Left ) capitalizing
on the fame the brand name generates. In the 90’s the idea of creating characters
from t.v. shows will be slightly kinder with original stories for 90210 , Full House ,
Stephanie , and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Some of the books offer a tad
more style than the others but these are definitely more for fans than
anything.
1. Exit Stage Left – William Pasnak – 1987
2. Stephanie Kaye – Ken Roberts – 1987
3. Spike – Loretta Castellarin & Ken Roberts – 1987
4. Shane – Susin Nielsen – 1988
5. Joey Jeremiah – Kathryn Ellis – 1989
6. Lucy Nazneen Sadiq – 1989
7. Melanie – Susin Nielsen – 1989
8. Wheels – Susin Nielsen – 1990
9. Caitlin – Catherine Dunphy – 1990
10. Snake – Susin Nielsen – 1991
11. BLT – Cathy Dunphy
12. Maya – Kathryn Ellis

Diana Winthrop
Published by Signet in 1983 Diana Winthrop Mysteries were very much like a rehash of Nancy Drew. Written under the pseudonym of Kate Chambers who gives our nosy heroine the picturesque background of living in a Brownstone nestled in artsy Greenwich Village rendering Diana Winthrop with a touch of 80’s savvy, charm. More tightly and succintly written than Nancy Drew the series however came to a halt after only six books which had been panned out over a period of three years.
1. Secret of the Singing Strings 1983
2. Danger in the Old Fort 1983
3. The Case of the Dog Lover’s Legacy 1983
4. The Secrets on Beacon Hill 1984
5. The Legacy of Lucian Van Zandt 1984
6. The Threat of the Pirate Ship 1985