LINDA BERMAN
– A believable and lively non-numbered series which spawned from the first book, a hit about a trio of preteen girls who decide to create a club called We Hate Everything But Boys or Whebb for short. Their goal was simple – to try everything in their powers to gain the attention of the boys they liked and undermine their competition. When not engrossed in their goal they discovered some important truths about their friendships and suffered the pangs and pleasures of coming of age. Being that it was not a typical series it broke free from formula trappings in book 2 Linda changes schools, is basically abandoned by her friends and though desperate to find some way back into her old gang doesn’t realize till the end of the story that she has the makings of a new, perhaps better gang of friends. Written by Linda Lewis who takes accurate stabs at teen girls who during a slumber party cut loose by dry shaving their legs! And lure boys with Turkish taffy. Put out by Archway.
1. We Hate Everything But Boys – 1985
2. Is There Life After Boys? – 1987
3. We Love Only Older Boys – 1990
4. My Heart Belongs to that Boy – 1989
5. All for the Love of that Boy – 1989
6. Dedicated to that Boy that I Love – 1990
7. Loving Two is Hard to Do – 1990
Pre-quels that followed the adventures of Linda and her friends when she was younger.
1. 2 Young 2 Go 4 Boys – 1988
2. Want to Trade Two Brothers for a Cat – 1989
3. Tomboy Terror in Bunk 109 – 1991
MAGIC MOMENTS
Put out by Signet Vista this is one of those thematic series that fizzled out after 12 books. You can’t really say the series was lousy because the stories were the typical romances with familiar writers from other thematic series , it was probably that Magic Moments was a little fish in a big sea and the other whales like Sweet Dreams and First love gobbled it up. Terrific to read if only for gathering more 80’s jewels like – girls who wear plum colored corduroy jeans with lilac eyeshadow. Girls with names like Ariel and Corie who covet Poutable Peach lipstick and bake a boy brownies as they attempt to land him with a tip that is titled – Come bearing gifts. Interesting photo covers but popularity might have wavered because of their series logo being smaller and less noticeable than the story titles.
1. The Love Vote – Jo Stewart – 1984
2. Someone New – Barbara Bartholomew 1984
3. Lynn’s Challenge – Sandy Miller- 1984
4. Indian Summer – Patricia Baehr – 1984
5. A Love Like This – Barbara Bartholomew – 1984
6. Sixteen Sure Ways to Succeed with Sean – Judith Enderle – 1984
7. Jeff’s New Girl – Anne Reynolds – 1984
8. The Love Contest – Jo Stewart -1985
9. A Song for Mandy – Dawn Aldridge – 1985
10. Test of Love – Janice Stevens- 1985
11. A Tale of Two Turkeys – Sandy Miller – 1985
12. Lucky at Love – Barbara Bartholemew – 1985
MAKE ME A STAR
A little like the t.v. show Fame this series focused on teen stars trying to balance their personal lives with acting on a night soap called Hard Time High. Plots included the soap storylines actually interfering with the characters off-screen love lives , jealousy causing disruptions on set , stage mom’s and teens responsible for supporting their parents. An interesting well written series. The characters offered a nice range – black nice guy Bill , beautiful Alison , ambitious Miranda , jealous Molly , sexy Rafe and T.J. a child star hungry for a comeback. Written by Susan Beth Pfeffer and put out by Berkley.
1. Prime Time – 1985
2. Take Two and . . . Rolling! – 1985
3. Wanting It All – 1985
4. On the Move – 1985
5. Love Scenes – 1986
6. Hard Times High – 1986
MAKEOVER CLUB
– this is a sparkling trio set off by a popular novel the Makeover Club urging more adventures for the three characters who after creating a Makeover club to alleviate their fear of entering high school have not only changed their outward appearances but also boosted their confidence – Clarissa ‘Rissa’ has won a modeling contract after shedding her nondescript image. Marsha has abandoned her bowl haircut and shed not only her extra weight but also her nerdy image. While Sara has begun singing in a rock band and dyed her hair bright orange. Nicely written books with the typical clash of the girls vs the villainous rich & beautiful Doris , class queen. Photo covers are bright and colorful , love the descriptions of clothes and makeup and it’s a hoot that it’s put out by what else – Avon! Written by Suzanne Weyn who also did a series in 1990 called the No Way Ballet which had six books and were written for younger girls.
1. The Makeover Club – 1986
2. The Makeover Summer – 1988
3. The Makeover Campaign – 1988
MEGAN
Started off as just one book but due to it’s success the character Megan the Klutz was brought back for more adventures – Hilarious photo covers – 1. Has pizza toppings sliding messily off Megan’s slice as she attempts to take a bite resulting in huge blobs of oily pizza plopping onto her white short set. 2. Megan with her foot in a toilet – yes a toilet probably from an attempt to stand on it in a stall. The third has Megan in once again pizza trouble this time stepping on one! The stories are lightweight like a slender Sweet Dreams novel with the center action being Megan’s ability to foul things up when she’s trying her hardest to make an impression. Written by Alida Young who can make that awkward moment of a young girl taking too big a bite of pizza, when meeting a handsome new boy both cringe-worthy and hilarious! Put out by Willowisp press which were responsible for slender little interesting stories with vivid photo covers echoing Wildfire and Sweet Dreams, though their stories ranged from romance to preteen drama.
1. Megan The Klutz – 1986
2. The Klutz Strikes Again – 1988
3. The Klutz is Back – 1990
MERIVALE MALL
Hardly high art but loads of fun , Merivale Mall is a happy jaunt through the lives of two groups of teens centered around the Merivale Mall – the workers – sweet Lori Randall who loves her job at Tio Tacos , and her small circle of friends plump friendly Patsy Donovan who has the misfortune of working at the ever- tempting Cookie Connection and sporty Ann Larson who works instructing aerobics at the Body Shoppe. The shoppers include the super rich kids from Atwood Academy one ironically is Lori’s cousin , the often sly, social climber Danielle Sharp whose antics are not as bad as most teen series sirens , instead she is caught up with her other more devious friends – the witchy Heather Barron and the goes-along-with-it Teresa Woods. Most of the books centered on Lori’s work ethic , her boyfriend Nick Hobart – of his father’s shop Hobart Electronics ( also located in the mall ) her dream of becoming a fashion designer and the fact that she has impressed her uncle Mike ( Danielle’s father ) to the point where Danielle writhes with jealousy. Danielle in the meantime goes shopping , always on the lookout for a pricey new suede outfit or suppressing her desire to date bad boy Don James whom her friends would think she was slumming. Put out by Troll with packaging hampered by slightly chalky artwork it was written by Jana Ellis – who manages to put the materialistic perspective in the right cheery light – Danielle’s horror of her credit card being chopped in half to a friend faking boredom over a ski-trip to Switzerland. Hilarous but never mean spirited.
1. Two for One – 1988
2. The Best of Everything – 1988
3. Playing Games – 1988
4. Never Stop Smiling – 1988
5. Better Than the Truth – 1988
6. Junior Weekend – 1988
7. Hometown Hero – 1989
8. Slave for a Day – 1989
9. Never Say Goodbye – 1989
10. Sweet Success – 1989
11. Perfect Strangers – 1989
12. Lost and Found – 1990
MIRRORS
Put out by Berkley Pacer fiction and written by Danielle Barlette this series followed the adventures of young spunky Amanda Colby who is following in her Aunt Roz’s footsteps. Or rather hoping to. Aunt Roz is an ambitious , hardworking fashion designer who own Mirrors an internationally, widespread set of boutiques. Each story has 15 yr old Amanda helping her aunt smooth some fashion snafu amid the exotic locals of Manhattan , London – etc. With each new adventure is love and sometimes , mystery. Unfortunately the name dropping of pointing out where Dan Ackroyd lives in New York and meeting the obvious typecasts – punk rocker for London , actor in Hollywood , photographers son in N.Y. etc leaves one feeling as though they’re not really reading anything new and even though the series was about fashion I thought Caroline
B. Cooney described better outfits in her dance books. Not bad though.
1. I’ll Take Manhattan – 1985
2. To London With Love – 1985
3. Hurray for Hollywood – 1985
4. Perfect for Paris – 1985
5. Australian Holiday – 1986
6. Lovebound – 1986
MOONSTONE MYSTERY ROMANCE
Hampered more by uninspired packaging – while even Nancy Drew got a neon face-lift!
Moonstone seemed to be dragging it’s feet and was probably snubbed for it. Dated drawings ,
early 80’s colonial couch shades and lackluster logo offered paperbacks that looked as if they could’ve been
released a decade earlier. Story wise however they offered some good crackling mystery/ romances by a
handful of talented writers. Put out by Archway in 1985 and folded the same year.
1. Deadly Design – Linda A. Cooney – 1985
2. Shadowed Path – Barbara Corcoran – 1985
3. Dangerous Beat – Charlotte Flynn – 1985
4. Fatal Secrets – Linda A. Cooney – 1985
5. Something Is Out There – Leslie Davis – 1985
6. When Darkness Falls – Barbara Corcoran – 1985
My Crazy Cousin Courtney Put out by Minstrel in 1993 this is a non-numbered series that spawned many sequels, due ,possibly, to the popularity of the title character who is a lovable brat. The series is a bubbly froth of the adventures for the ‘odd couple’ pair- the Courtney of the title who is first sent to her down to earth cousin Cathy’s for the summer while her parents sort out their divorce. The girls are the usual study in opposites – theatrical Courtney – bewildered Cathy most noted in their habitats – Cathy lives in no-nonsense New York with her mother who’s a theatrical animal agent while Courtney lives in the posh Beverly Hills and is used to being waited on hand and foot. Despite Courtney’s high expectations – ( she has a panic attack when she learns there is no local pool nearby ) -but becomes a lot of fun for her rather earnest cousin Cathy, as her over active imagination pulls them from one misadventure to another – like spotting what they believe is a china pattern thief in Tiffanys or discovering a ‘murderer’ or falling for a cute guy. Besides how could you not love a character who wears day-glo colors and gets a gift wrapped going away present of a box of assorted bubblegum – with flavors like watermelon and checkermint! The girls other adventures include in- typical fish out of water switcheroo – Cathy’s turn – a trip to Beverly Hills and Courtney’s dual return trips to New York with more misadventures as Courtney is now elevated to movie star status – literally! Keeps you laughing! 1. My Crazy Cousin Courtney 2. My Crazy Cousin Courtney Comes Back 3. My Crazy Cousin Courtney Returns again 4. My Crazy Cousin Courtney Gets Crazier
ON OUR OWN
– After the success of characters Toni Redmond & Jill Gardner in two Sweet Dreams books it only made sense to start a spin off series sharing their antics. That didn’t quit happen because oddly enough rather than pair the twosome together the series takes a strange twist – On Our Own starts the girls off at 18 and ready to go to college , only disaster strikes Toni’s family. Her father is ill and she needs to stay close by as money for college is now out of the question , meanwhile Jill is now free to go off to the first college of her choice ( it seems Toni was holding her back) . The pair continue to write , call and visit but most of their adventures are done separately. Quiet , kind Jill battles a manipulative roommate before finding a warm friend , while Toni moves out into her own apartment , gets a job as a waitress and starts acting classes at a near by college. Though aimed at a slightly older crowd ( Jill must deal with the pressures of sex ) , the tone is still light , humorous and tasteful. Ends abruptly after only six books. Written by Janet Quin-Harkin and put out by Bantam of course.
1. The Graduates – 1986
2. The Trouble with Toni – 1986
3. Out of Love – 1986
4. Old Friends, New Friends – 1986
5. Growing Pains – 1986
6. Best Friends Forever – 1986
OVERNIGHT SENSATION
Could be dubbed the shortest series in 80’s history! Overnight Sensation is a rare
curio put out by Dell. Only two books long though it’s packaged as though it
was expecting a longer run. All the signs are there. Big numbers on the spine ,
series title logo, vibrant photo cover. And yet , only two books! The theme was
likeable and interesting – four teenage girls , Robin, C.C., Gail and Annette team
up to form a rock band – the title band Overnight Sensation. The books were
also jampacked with some vivid 80’s descriptions of multicolored razor-cut
hairstyles , juteboxes that play the Eurythmics, punk rock outfits featuring
leather jumpsuits and red fingerless gloves and lots of bright now bits like
saying a boys kinda looks like Kevin Bacon. The stories were more for older
teens as the girls dealt with sex , drinking and seedy managers as the girls
battled their way to becoming famous. At one event the crowd hisses –
Go-Go clones! The characters were an interesting set trying to balance
band-life with the fact that most of their parents disapproved of the band
– for either highbrow reasons, or you’re better than that reasons – Gail being
a classical trained pianist. Interesting and well written by Fran Lantz
otherwise known by other thematic series stories as Francess Lin Lantz.
1. Can’t Stop us Now
2. Making It on Our Own
PALM BEACH PREP
Odd series ( mainly for it’s publishing history). It put out first by Lynx pb in 1989 with three books , then Tor put out 6 more books dubbed the second series but overlapped the numbers 1-3 ( so that now the series has two sets of books 1-3 ). Both series were virtually the same with the same set of characters and though they were numbered a certain way and released a certain way after reading the books you discovered they had mixed up the order. Despite this clumsy , disorganized snafu the books had a rare charm. The series centered around a group of twelve year old girls who attend a ritzy prep school in Florida. Esme Farrell , the bubble brained , likable beauty who is a professional model and often gets herself in over her head for looking so mature. Quinn McNair intelligent , at times tough , stubborn. Nicole is sporty and kind , while Alicia Antona is a fiery Puerto Rican. Hinging on the cusp of the final gasps of the 80’s into the neon 90’s the girls deal with boys , parties , bad boy step brothers , movie offers and dealing with the local brat Cara Knowles-it-all. Fun series offers up subjects no other ( in this age group ) would touch with a ten foot pole – Esme sneaking around with a 16 yr old boy and nearly going all the way , and then getting near molested by a slimy Hollywood agent while Nicole skips out of town for a few days to go meet up with her dad ( during such a schedule nobody but her friends notice ).
1. New Girl in Town – 1989 – Carol Q. Sansevere
2. Stolen Kisses – 1989 – Carol Q. Sansevere
3. Head of the Class – 1989 – Carol Q. Sansevere .
SECOND SERIES
1. Lonely Heart – Elle Wolf – 1990
2. The Real Scoop – Elle Wolf – 1990
3. The Girls Against the Boys – Susan Booker – 1990
4. Screen Test – Susan Smith – 1990
5. Troublemaker – Crystal DiMeo- 1990
6. Upstaged – Crystal DiMeo- 1990
THE PARTY LINE
– Put out by Berkley Splash in spring of 1990 – it too , suffered
by the horror invasion and was perhaps too 80’s to live. The
author Carrie Austen – later Cherie Bennet of the Sunset books,
turned on this series with something akin to embarrassment (
as if this weren’t the pre-hokum of later Sunset series – none
of it culminates high art – they are only pure entertainment!)
I can’t understand anyone not appreciating it as simply that.
The series featured a familiar formula a group of girls start a
business ( the Babysitter’s Club ) by accident ( Sleepover Friends )
and re-enforce their friendship and their business skills –
with the fun of their service – Giving parties. ( Forever Friends.)
The foursome was a typical batch of characters – Alison
Gray ‘Allie’ who is shy , stutters but longs to become a
singer. Becky Bartlett a klutzy character with loyal ,albeit
bossy tendencies, is more known for the fact that her
parents own the Moondance café (which supplies them
their cakes), Julie Berger is a fiesty , sporty outgoing girl
who tends to be boycrazy, but shy about her braces,
outshines everyone, while Rosie Torres who is fashionable ,
trendy and arty – naturally her mother owns a chic boutique
that Rosie helps with the window displays gives the
foursome their anchor. The creation of their business
the Party Line borrows a little from several books but
the ongoing series featuring their groups snafu’s with
personal life colliding with their upcoming parties is what
makes the series a guilty pleasure – wether it’s Julie,
accidently booking them to put on a party for an obnoxious
classmate or Allison, accidently giving her boyfriends mother,
the impression that they are putting
on a swinging, teen party for her four year old daughter!
THE PARTY LINE
Austen, Carrie
Berkley (PB)
1. Allie’s Wild Surprise -1990
2. Julie’s Boy Problem -1990
3. Becky’s Super Secret – 1990
4. Rosie’s Popularity Plan -1990
5. Allie’s Big Break -1990
6. Julie’s Dream Date -1990
7. Becky Bartlett, Superstar -1990
8. Rosie’s Mystery on Ice -1990
9. Allie’s Pizza Pool Party -1991
10. Julie’s Outrageous Idea -1991
11. Becky Rides Again -1991
12. Rosie’s Fashion Show -1991
PARIS MCKENZIE
A quirky curio , probably doomed from the start. The Paris Mackenzie books were published by Random in 1987 who really went out on a limb with their 1900 art deco-ish covers , highlighting the series bizarre concept – a girl in Paris ( named Paris ) at the turn of the century finds herself immersed in murder & intrigue like her hero Sherlock Holmes. After only four books it’s easy to see that 80’s girls were more interested in
reading about mall , bickering boyfriends and backstabbing nemesis’s however this only makes this series more enduring a rare oddity , a lost gem. Paris Mackenzie is an irrepressible and feisty girl caught up in the investigation of her uncle’s murder along the way she meets all kinds of celebrities like Houdini and Monet while Elizabeth Howard the author gives us an at times colorful view of life in the 1900’s. Definitely one of those series that should be checked out if only for it’s audacity to be this unique.
1. Mystery of the Metro – 1987
2. Mystery of the Magician – 1987
3. A Scent of Murder – 1987
4. Mystery of the Deadly Diamond – 1987
PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY
Funny , sweet natured , well written series based on the fast friendship cemented between two girls – Polly Butterman – nickname Peanut and Jillian Matthews ‘Jilly’. Peanut Butter and Jelly. Aimed for a definitely younger crowd the books are illustrated and the plots are simple , and other than the first book all are under 100 pgs long. Being that the girls are only 9 or 10 their adventures are fairly lowkey but always funny. Peanut is a wee plump and always interested in food , lively and full of fun while Jilly is quiet and often battling her shyness.
1. New Friends – 1988
2. Peanut and Jilly Forever – 1988
3. The Haunted House – 1988
4. Trouble at Alcott School – 1989
5. Not Starring Jilly! – 1989
6. Peanut in Charge – 1989
7. The Friendship Test – 1990
8. Two Friends Too Many – 1990
9. Alcott Library Is Falling Down – 1991
PEN PALS
Put out by Dell Yearling and written by Sharon Dennis Wyeth, Pen Pals is an exuberant series about
four girls sharing a suite in the Fox Hall Dormitory at Alma Stephens school for girls and getting tired of their all-girl status. To rectify the matter they place an ad in the paper for male Pen Pals and finally get legitimate responses from the four eager guys in Kirby Hall at Ardley the boys school nearby. The characters are – often-arrogant , rich but somehow lovable Palmer , likable every-girl Shanon , punky, fun-loving Amy Ho ( Asian ) , and fashionable strong Lisa. The plots stemmed from the trouble the pen pals created as jealousy stirred , boy stealing started and old pen pals were replaced with new ones. One of the best written series for it actually made characters responsible for their choices , Palmer is given the cold shoulder by her suit-mates for her behavior and must deal with the awkwardness of having treated her pen pal shabbily , and the characters actually age as the series followed a steady time line.
1. Boys Wanted! 1989
2. Too Cute for Words 1989 3. P.S. Forget It! 1989
4. No Creeps Need Apply 1989
5. Sam the Sham 1989
6. Amy’s Song 1990
7. Handle with Care 1990
8. Sealed with a Kiss 1990
9. Stolen Pen Pals 1990
10. Palmer at Your Service 1990
11. Roommate Trouble 1990
12. Lisa’s Secret 1990
13. Lisa We Miss You 1990
14. The Mystery about Maxie 1990
15. The Heartbreak Guy 1991
16. Boy Crazy 1991
17. The Boy Project 1991
18. Double Date 1991
Super Specials
1. Dream Holiday – 1990
2. Summer Sizzle – 1991
PERFECT TEN
Fawcett Girls only put out this well done series in 1989 which was written by Holly Simpson. A rooted sports theme – gymnastic , it revolved around three fourteen year old girls balancing their first year of high school between friendship , romance and competition. The stories ,though, like most in the genre of a sport theme are similar drawing heavily on competition and drive but the spin put on them and the characters are nicely drawn. Casey Benson is funny and lovable and must deal with her dad becoming her coach. Monica Wright black , kind and friendly deals with breaking rules to get ahead. While Jo Mallory is competitive and determined, strives to get a scholarship for college.
1. Casey and the Coach – 1989
2. Breaking the Rules – 1989
3. To Be the Best – 1989
4. Dream Time – 1989
5. One Step Away – 1989
6. Camp Champion – 1989
THE PINK PARROTS Cute series put out by Sports Illustrated for Kids – a joint imprint of Warner paperbacks for kids. The series was created by Lucy Ellis – but written by various authors. It’s a sport themed series – a baseball team for girls – the Pink Parrots of the title. The girls are the usual batch of characters in any gang – the outspoken leader – Amy who is called Breezy – who’s idea it was to start an all girls baseball team when she was tired of her chauvinistic coach benching her for every game. Her loyal ,best friend Kim follows suit and together they try to round up enough girls for an all girl team – amidst the jeering of their former boy teammates and girls lead by the pink-loving popular brat Lindsay. They manage to snare a tall , shy black girl named Crystal to join the team when she catches their teacher openly mocking the idea of an all girls team , even though she doesn’t know a thing about baseball and prefers ballet. Hostile Terry a plump tomboy and Jasmine ( Jazz ) Breezy’s cousin who would rather be painting her nails. But in order to make it official they need a sponsor and a chance encounter with a wild, big haired woman named Rose Anne Dimona ( Ro ) who works at the Pink Parrot beauty salon not only gives them a sponsor but a coach with unorthodox methods. Nicely written but didn’t last long 1990-1991 – the usual for a short lived series. 1. The Girls Strike Back – Kathilyn Solomon Probosz 2. All that Jazz – B.B. Calhoun 3. Mixed Signals – Crystal Di Meo 4. Fielder’s Choice – B.B. Calhoun 5. Change Up – E.J. Valentine 6. No Hitter – Leah Jerome
PRATT TWINS
Ballantine Juniper put out this yummy , non-conventional series in 1985. It was unnumbered , with no set locale , reading more like Nancy Drew but a Nancy Drew for the 80’s, an 80’s that understands too well the mystery & detective – Murder she Wrote , Moonlighting , Hart to Hart- Lightweight romps. Written by Cynthia Blair the series focuses on the Pratt twins Chris outgoing and dramatic , Susan practical and kind. Both girls were likable and popular making instant friends whereever they went. The series started out not as mysteries but as experiments, mostly switching places – The Banana Split affair had them switching places for a whole week to see how the other half lived. In the Hot Fudge Sunday affair they decide to share an honor Christine has won for Centennial week. But it’s not until the Strawberry Summer that it switches into intrigue and eventually takes the path of most mysteries by flying off to new locales – New York , Hawaii , New Orleans , Washington. The girls also age from teenagers to college girls without losing that sweet natured side that makes the books a real joy , never cynical or meanspirited just delightful little escapades. Each caper was named after the duo’s sweet treat of the moment and leaves you hungry for more – I imagined other frothy frolics – The Bubblegum Blackmail , The Cola Iotola , The Licorice whipping – yikes tad kinky , The Cupcake Catastrophe , The Pistachio Prescription – whoops been done! , The Potato Chip Protocal , The Sourball Sting , The Milkshake Fate.
1. The Banana Split Affair – 1985
2. The Hot Fudge Sunday Affair – 1985
3. Strawberry Summer – 1986
4. The Pumpkin Principle – 1986
5. Marshmallow Masquerade – 1987
6. The Candy Cane Caper – 1987
7. The Pink Lemonade Charade – 1988
8. The Double Dip Disguise – 1988
9. The Popcorn Project – 1989
10. The Apple Pie Adventure – 1989
11. The Jelly Bean Scheme – 1990
12. The Lollipop Plot – 1990
13. The Coconut Connection – 1990
PRIVATE EYES
– Put out by Bantam of course , for Julia Winfield had already had a hit with her Sweet Dreams book – Private Eyes – and developed a three book mini series following the futher adventures of Christine Harter a rollicking , mystery loving teen who talks to her cat Phiz , and Andrew ‘Andy’ a boy who loves sleuthing almost as much as her. Lightweight romantic mystery balanced with some laughs that in tone resembled the bickering pairs that flooded t.v. mysteries – Moonlighting , Remington Steele etc.
1. Partners in Crime – 1989
2. Tug of Hearts – 1989
3. On Dangerous Ground – 1989
ROOMMATES
– Ivy books put out this college themed series in 1987. It was packaged nicely with cover art by James Matheuse ( the artist for Svh ) and it did pretty good continuing on for 3 yrs with 20 books. They were written by two authors Susan Blake for the first three and Alison Blair for the rest. The series was geared more for older teens and focused on the more sensationalistic side of college life. Set in Hawthorne college near Atlanta , the stories revolve around the Roommates of Rogers House suite 2-c. Naive , small town Samantha Hill who despite watching her roommates troubles heap up starts trading a good many of her beliefs for their beliefs. Roni Davies a trickster and party girl who goes on a drinking binge. Terry Conklin whose ambitions and studious ways make her seem dull in comparison. Stacy Swanson the rich neglected girl from Boston who battles an eating disorder , smokes and is borderline bi-polar , ( she gives herself a mohawk on a whim ).Guys come and go , but Adam Goldberg is the one for Sam , built up like a knight in shining armor as he speaks of ideals and the peace corp , he certainly loses some luster when during their first date – Sam’s drinks are spiked at a party , not by Adam but he knows she’s drunk and he takes advantage of her. Her virginity is gone before she has even made a decision on wether or not she would dare even lose it. Though later it’s revealed that both date a while before starting anything intimate showing better judgement than their characters deserve. Melrose place for the braces and training bra set.
1. All-Nighter – 1987
2. Crash Course – 1987
3. Major Changes – 1987
4. Extra Credit – 1987
5. Multiple Choice – 1987
6. Final Exams – 1987
7. School’s Out – 1987
8. Teacher’s Pet – 1988
9. Higher Education – 1988
10. Class Act – 1988
11. Making the Grade – 1988
12. No Contest – 1988
13. Model Student – 1988
14. Campus Fever – 1988
15. Study Break – 1988
16. Test of Friendship – 1988
17. Back to School – 1988
18. Social Studies – 1989
19. Love by the Book – 1989
20. Major Attraction – 1989
ROOTS OF LOVE
I haven’t read any of the books in this
series , in fact I haven’t come across any of the books
in any of my usual scrounging grounds ( used book stores ,
thrift shops , and garage sales , ) and even the internet
seems to have forgotten about this one. I rarely come across it
on Ebay or anywhere else. Fortunately I have one ad in the back
of a Seniors series book which makes it sound totally soapy
– ‘Discover the sun-drenched world of wealthy teens,
struggling with their parents past.’
The setting is something akin to Dynasty or
Dallas – California wine country where two
fueding families both stinkin rich fight for
power while the teens do – what all teens do
in 80’s fiction ; fall in love, even forbidden
love , grapple with greed and their inheritances.
Sounds lush , and posh. Can’t wait to get
my hands on a copy! Put out by Dell- Laurel
Leaf and written by Stuart Buchan who was no slouch
to teen fiction, he wrote under the pseudonym
of Becky Stuart for First love from Silhouette’s Kellogg
and Carey series.
1. Tender Beginnings – 1984
2. Restless Nights – 1985
3. Forbidden Longings – 1985
4. Bitter Promises – 1985
5. Flames from the Ashes – 1985
SADDLE CLUB
– A hit for Bantam-Skylark and written by Bonnie Bryant who knew , all too well, girls love horses! The premise was easy -best friends Carol Hanson and Stephanie ‘Stevie’ Lake are in a riding class together at Pine Hallow Stables when in walks Lisa Atwood whom the others mistakenly label a snob for mistakenly being chummy with the aptly named queen-snob -Veronica. As soon as Lisa realises Veronica is shallow , is about the same time the other girls discover that she is truly a kindred spirit. Become fast friends , they bond over their love of horses and create the Saddle Club which has only two rules – to help one another out and to be horse crazy. The series surprisingly out lasted quite a few other flexible series ( series set in schools where trends and interest could be easily altered ) it sucess could easily rival that of Babysitter’s club and Sweet Valley High ( which also spawned t.v. shows ) without ever losing it’s premise. I have to give the writer kudos just for the titles alone!
1. Horse Crazy – 1988
2. Horse Shy – 1988
3. Horse Sense – 1989
4. Horse Power – 1989
5. Trail Mates – 1989
6. Dude Ranch – 1989
7. Horse Play – 1989
8. Horse Show – 1989
9. Hoof Beat – 1990
10. Riding Camp – 1990
11. Horse Wise – 1990
12. Rodeo Rider – 1990
13. Starlight Christmas – 1990
14. Sea Horse – 1990
15. Team Play – 1991
16. Horse Games – 1991
17. Horsenapped – 1991
18. Pack Trip – 1991
19. Star Rider – 1991
20. Snow Ride – 1991
21. Racehorse – 1992
22. Fox Hunt – 1992
23. Horse Trouble – 1992
24. Ghost Rider – 1992
25. Show Horse – 1992
26. Beach Ride – 1992
27. Bridle Path – 1993
28. Stable Manners- 1993
29. Ranch Hands – 1993
30. Autumn Trail – 1993
31. Hayride – 1993
32. Chocolate Horse-1993
33. High Horse – 1994
34. Hay Fever – 1994
35. Horse Tale – 1994
36. Riding Lesson – 1994
37. Stage Coach – 1994
38. Horse Trade – 1994
39. Purebred – 1994
40. Gift Horse – 1994
41. Stable Witch -1995
42. Saddlebags – 1995
43. Photo Finish – 1995
44. Horseshoe -1995
45. Stable Groom – 1995
46. Flying Horse – 1995
47. Horse Magic – 1995
48. Mystery Ride – 1996
49. Stable Farewell – 1996
50. Yankee Swap – 1996
51. Pleasure Horse- 1996
52. Riding Class – 1996
53. Horse-Sitters – 1996
54. Gold Medal Rider – 1996
55. Gold Medal Horse – 1996
56. Cutting Horse – 1996
57. Tight Reign – 1996
58. Wild Horses – 1996
59. Phantom Horse – 1996
60. Hobbyhorse – 1997
61. Broken Horse – 1997
62. Horse Blues – 1997
63. Stable Hearts – 1997
64. Horse Capades – 1997
65. Silver Stirrups – 1997
66. Saddle Sore -1997
67. Summer Horse – 1997
68. Summer Rider – 1997
69. Endurance Ride – 1997
70. Horse Race – 1997
71. Horse Talk – 1997
72. Holiday Horse – 1997
73. Horse Guest – 1998
74. Horse Whispers – 1998
75. Painted Horse – 1998
76. Horse Care – 1998
77. Rocking Horse – 1998
78. Horseflies – 1998
79. English Horse – 1998
80. English Rider – 1998
81. Wagon Trail – 1998
82. Quarter Horse – 1998
83. Horse Thief – 1998
84. Schooling Horse – 1998
85. Horse Fever – 1998
86. Secret Horse- 1999
87. Show Jumper – 1999
88. Side Saddle – 1999
89. Lucky Horse – 1999
90. Driving Team – 2000
91. Starting Gate – 2000
92. Million-Dollar Horse -2000
93. Horse Love – 2000
94. Horse Spy – 2000
95. Show Judge- 2000
96. New Rider – 2001
97. Hard Hat – 2001
98. Horse Feathers – 2001
99. Trail Ride – 2001
100. Stray Horse- 2001
101. Best Friends – 2001
Super Editions
1. A Summer without Horses
2. The Secret of the Stallions
3. Western Star
4. Dream Horse
5. Before they Rode Horses
6. Nightmare
7. Christmas Treasure
Inside Stories
1. Stevie – The inside story
2. Lisa – The inside Story
3. Carole – The Inside Story
SAMANTHA SLADE
– Put out by Archway, this unique ( to say the least ) series really stands out from the pack , it’s part Babysitters club meets The Addams Family. Samantha Slade was an ordinary girl nervous about talking to the boy she likes, joining the Halloween party committee , wearing funky red and purple striped socks with black high tops and looking for a job. After answering the ad for Babysitter Wanted her life is never quite the same. The Browns are an extraordinary bunch , Lupi is a little werewolf , Drake is attempting to become a mad scientist and has knifes hanging from the canopy on his bed , while little Kimmie is a diabolical little three year old. Their pets range from bats to Bubbles – a strange dinosaur like creature. Samantha has her hands full taste testing snacks called Dragon Crisps and ensuring Drake’s experiments don’t cause too much trouble but one thing is for sure the Brown’s are never boring. Love the monster magazine type cover art! Written by Susan Smith who also wrote the Best Friends series.
1. Samantha Slade, Monster Sitter – 1987
2. Confessions of a Teenage Frog – 1987
3. Our Friend, Public Nuisance Number One – 1987
4. The Terrors of Rock and Roll – 1988
SATIN SLIPPERS
Leah Stephenson , beautiful and exuberant, longs to start her dancing career and leaps or does a grand plie at the opportunity to leave the Hannah Greene school of dance & theater arts behind to enrole in the San Francisco ballet academy. Accepted along with fifteen other girls , she boards near the school and the stories revolve around her complicated friendships with fellow dancers , Alexandra Sorokin a Russian girl , Kay Larkin , friendly and cheerful , and the battles caused by a trouble making dancer – the beautiful Pamela Hunter. Her friendships suffers the storms of competition , rigorous schedules and battling for top roles. Leah also discovers first love with haughty James Cunningham a driven fellow dancer. A well written series interesting in a Fame kind of way but it’s hard to keep one interested if you can’t relate to the drive these girls have for their dancing. Slightly successful series lasted for 12 books and written by Elizabeth Bernard.
1. To Be a Dancer – 1987
2. Center Stage – 1987
3. Stars in Her Eyes – 1987
4. Changing Partners – 1988
5. Second Best – 1988
6. Curtain Call – 1988
7. Temptations – 1988
8. Stepping Out – 1988
9. Chance to Love – 1989
10. Rising Star – 1989
11. Starting Over – 1989
12. Summer Dance – 1989
SENIORS
– Put out by Dell this series was written by Eileen Goudge and offered a strangely brilliant but often flawed look at a group of high school seniors in the mid-eighties. Brilliant because it showed a group of girls that are true friends there is not a lot of backbiting , gossip , sabotage or boy stealing instead the girls are supportive , attentive listeners , helpful and caring. The flawed element is that these girls , in fact all female characters in this series appear to possess the new working woman persona – all of the women are ambitious , intelligent , goal driven , go-getters. Though the characters eventually branched off they started with four girls – sexy , bubbly Kit McCoy who is described as a curvy Goldie Hawn , her ambition is dancing , Elaine Gregory a brainy nice girl , lovely Lori Woodhouse who eventually attempts modeling and Alex Enomoto a pretty, strong minded Japanese girl who is a competitive swimmer and has a younger brother Jimmy ‘Noodle’ crippled with Cystic Fibrosis. The plots included pregnancy scares , an edgy
hard-to-like foster sister , make-overs , and romances with often older men – one even had a child.
Worth a look. Brilliant covers – Love the bright backgrounds , photo art and the bold Seniors logo.
1. Too Much Too Soon – 1984
2. Smart Enough To Know – 1984
3. Winner All the Way – 1984
4. Afraid to Love – 1984
5. Before It’s Too Late – 1985
6. Too Hot To Handle – 1985
7. Hands Off, He’s Mine – 1985
8. Forbidden Kisses – 1985
9. A Touch of Ginger – 1985
10. Presenting Superhunk – 1985
11. Bad Girl – 1985
12. Don’t Say Good-Bye – 1985
13. Kiss and Make Up – 1986
14. Looking for Love – 1986
15. Sweet Talk – 1986
16. Heart for Sale – 1986
17. Life of the Party – 1986
18. Night after Night – 1986
19. Treat Me Right – 1986
20. Against the Rules – 1986
SUPER SENIORS
1. Old Enough 1986
2. Hawaiian Christmas 1986
3. Something Borrowed, Something Blue 1988
4. Deep Sea Summer 1988
SILVER SKATES
– Put out by Fawcett Girls Only, this series was written almost entirely by Barbara J. Mumma whose love of figure skating took her behind the scenes allowing her an in-depth look at competitions and skaters schedules. This gives the series an authentic tone that you’re actually reading about girls who are shooting for Olympic aspirations while still struggling with grades and typical teen romances. The setting for Silver Skates was the prestigious Lake Placid Skating school , a boarding school for competition skaters and hockey players run by former gold medalist Greg Mastroni dubbed the Ice-Man for his cold demeanor.
Claire Class is nervous perfectionist not to mention the token kind-hearted nice girl who through a trick of fate manages to win herself a spot in the school leaving behind a G.I. Joe loving brother named D.J. who skulks around with a rubber dagger in his teeth. Her roommates are the very 80’s named – Cyndi – a dramatic girl who battles sweets , Whitney Backman a southern beauty who has trouble trusting her handsome dance partner – Brent Marks , and Katie Arden who , though tomboyish is loyal and friendly. Full of skating & competition terrific if it’s a interest , good writing even if it isn’t. Love the big skating mark whirly whirls above the number on each chapter.
1. Breaking the Ice – 1988
2. Winner’s Waltz – 1988
3. Face the Music – 1988
4. Two to Tango – 1989
5. World Class – 1989 – Susan Gorman
6. Ice Follies – 1989
SISTERS
– Cute spunky series features three very different sisters – the oldest ,Nicole is a romantic who longs to travel to France, she is responsible and down to earth , Cindy the middle sister is a tomboy , athletic not quite into boys and easy going. Mollie the youngest is the scatty , freespirit , she is always up for fun and always into boys! Their adventures range from boys , ski trips , camping out , a party when the parents are away , snooping and the daily battle of trying to get along even though their temperaments aren’t geared for them to even be friends. Put out by Fawcett Girls Only and written by Jennifer Cole this was one of those satisfying 80’s series that was often overlooked but is really a great find ,they always managed some unique little twist in a story – like Cindy on a date with a boy whom she’s been reluctant to cross over onto the dating scene with , discovers her cat has been hit by a car and rushes it to the hospital – does she stay with her beloved pet or go onto the dance? She picks the cat and he’s furious. Love the photo covers! Mollie is usually dressed like a punked out Madonna wannabee in black lace or zebra spandex while Cindy wears that aerobics necessity – the terry cloth headband. Vibrant!
1. Three’s a Crowd – 1986
2. Too Late for Love – 1986
3. The Kiss – 1986
4. Secrets at Seventeen – 1986
5. Always a Pair – 1986
6. On Thin Ice – 1986
7. Star Quality – 1987
8. Making Waves – 1987
9. Too Many Cooks – 1987
10. Out of the Woods – 1987
11. Never a Dull Moment – 1987
12. Mollie in Love – 1987
13. College Bound – 1988
14. And Then There Were Two – 1988
15. The Boy Next Door – 1988
16. Campus Fever – 1989
17. Love Is in the Air – 1989
18. Making Up – 1989
SLEEPOVER FRIENDS
– Terrific series put out by Apple pb and written by Susan Saunder. Sleepover Friends raced along with the big girls of juvi fiction with long , lasting legs before finally losing steam it let Sweet Valley High , Babysitters Club and Saddle Club win the race. The theme was easy – sleepovers. The charm was in the characters. Lauren Miller was the main character and the I in the p.o.v. Her character was hard to peg down – like some I p.o.v characters she took a back seat to observe the action. Her main traits were a passion for junk food , sports , and movies , she could also be very susceptible to wild ideas. Kate Beekman her best friend was just the opposite , head strong , bossy , almost anal she longed to become a movie director. Stephanie Green was a fun-loving ex-city girl who is the single child of wealthy parents , unlike most rich kids in series fiction Stephanie is nice! , thoughtful , always giving , though can be prone to fights when butting up against the equally opinionated Kate. Stephanie’s best remembered trait is that she loves the color combination red , black and white and won’t dress in anything but those colors! Into their grade 5 classroom walks Patti Jenkins a timid , intelligent very kind girl who has just moved from the city and scores points with Kate for preferring the small town of Riverhurst cementing their friendship. Sleepover Friends jumped from a super slender 87 pages to a bulkier 127 pages. Each book centered around sleepovers of course rattling off food orgies , mad libs , truth or dare and Friday Chillers ( but wonder of wonders – not a pillow fight in all 39 books can be found! ) and whatever was going on in fifth grade , the nemesis was screechy Jenny whose hatred stemmed from Lauren’s ability ,for the briefest moment , to catch class hunk Pete Stone’s interest. Other villains appeared creating a kind of dueling Sleepover Friends – lightweight and sprightly with one of the most beloved pets of series fiction ever practically a Sleepover Friend himself – Bullwinkle Lauren’s gi-normous Newfoundland. And I couldn’t end this description without their motto – Sleepover Friends Forever!
1. Patti’s Luck – 1987
2. Starring Stephanie – 1987
3. Kate’s Surprise – 1987
4. Patti’s New Look – 1988
5. Lauren’s Big Mix-Up – 1988
6. Kate’s Camp-Out – 1988
7. Stephanie Strikes Back – 1988
8. Lauren’s Treasure – 1988
9. No More Sleepovers, Patti? – 1988
10. Lauren’s Sleepover Exchange – 1989
11. Stephanie’s Family Secret – 1989
12. Kate’s Sleepover Disaster – 1989
13. Patti’s Secret Wish – 1989
14. Lauren Takes Charge – 1989
15. Stephanie’s Big Story – 1989
16. Kate’s Crush – 1989
17. Pattie Gets Even – 1989
18. Stephanie and the Magician – 1989
19. The Great Kate – 1989
20. Lauren in the Middle – 1990
21. Starstruck Stephanie – 1990
22. The Trouble with Patti – 1990
23. Kate’s Surprise Visitor – 1990
24. Lauren’s New Friend – 1990
25. Stephanie and the Wedding – 1990
26. The New Kate – 1999
27. Where’s Patti – 1990
28. Lauren’s New Address – 1990
29. Kate the Boss – 1990
30. Big Sister Stephanie – 1990
31. Lauren’s Afterschool Job – 1990
32. A Valentine for Patti – 1991
33. Lauren’s Double Disaster – 1991
34. Kate the Winner – 1991
35. The New Stephanie – 1991
36. Presenting Patti – 1991
37. Lauren Saves the Day – 1991
38. Patti’s City Adventure – 1991
Super Beach Mystery – 1991
Super Sleepover Guide – 1989
SORORITY GIRLS
– Put out by Fawcett Girls only in 1986 , Sorority Girls is about a super exclusive sorority at Taft High , called the Pearls and is considered , out of the three sororities – Rose , and Gold Key to be the best. The stories surround the drama and romance of the members of the sorority – Susie Madden , kind , fashionably friendly but considered to be an Ice Queen. Jacquai Hodgkins flamboyant and exotic with a flare for unusual fashion. Liz Moore , tomboyish and sporty , Ellie Winston considerate and supportive , Amy Langston romantic and fun and Paula Parker the wicked witch of the group who often sabotages romances and blackballs out of jealousy. The girls are all obscenely rich and worry about family reputations and their parents expectations , they read Vogue and shop in Neiiman-Marcus and ride horseback at a country club. But their exploits are not much different than Svh for when it’s all said and done they withdraw to the Taft Turf burger shop to gorge on hot fudge sundaes when the going gets tough like any other teen. Written by Ann Hunter Lowell.
1. Getting In – 1986
2. Nowhere To Run – 1986
3. Starting Over – 1986
4. Dangerous Secrets – 1986
5. Settling the Score – 1986
6. Winner Take All – 1986
7. A Change of Heart – 1986
8. Mistaken Identity – 1987
9. Risking It All – 1987
10. Rumors – 1987
11. Tiebreaker – 1987
12. Holding On – 1987
SORORITY SISTERS
– Put out by Laurel-Leaf and written by Marjorie Sharmat, Sorority Sisters is a curious kindof new-wave series. But the theme wasn’t new – two girls Elissa Hanes and Tracy McVane long to join a prestigious sorority called Chi Kappa , but only one of them gets accepted. Eventually, when Tracey publically quits , due to some of the sorority’s typical villainess wiles and prejudice – Elissa was too fat for their standards, sparks fly. In typical teenage fashion ( and fiction ) the two girls start their own sorority called the Pack and the battle between the two cliques is on! With bad girls called Sleazina rather than their rightful moniker -Selena , twins named Tulip & Daisy , a lavender car and a boy friend whose last name is Fox ( for those who never lived in the 80’s might not recall that a really gorgeous boy was a stone-fox ) the stories are interesting to say the least.
1. For Members Only – 1986
2. Snobs, Beware – 1986
3. I Think I’m Falling in Love – 1986
4. Fighting Over Me – 1986
5. Nobody Knows How Scared I Am – 1987
6. Here Comes Mr. Right – 1987
7. Getting Closer – 1987
8. I’m Going To Get Your Boyfriend – 1987
STEPSISTERS
– Put out by Scholastic Ya fiction in 1987 this series had a good strong premise – an updated cynical Brady bunch – two families are joined with a whimsical if subtle touch – William Whitman marries Virginia Mae Guthrie. He is from the north , she is from the south. And as her children arrive the civil war continues between his 16 yr old daughter Paige and her 15 yr old daughter Katie Summer. Those caught in the battle, besides the newly weds, are Megan Whitman , age ten and Mary Emily Guthrie also age ten who have become an ignored role model for sisterly love. While 16 yr old Tucker Guthrie finds himself in the tasking , constant role of peacekeeper. What makes this series such a fabulous twist on the normal girl-battling-girl is there is no real heroine or rather you’re made to feel sorry for both of them and then the rug is constantly pulled out on the reader as they take a typecast – brainy , smart likable girl and turn her upside down – the character of Paige appears on the surface to be like Elizabeth ( from SVH ) she wants to write , she is dedicated and organized at least where her work is concerned – she is also whiny , selfish , conniving and a slob! The character of Katie Summer is a beautiful , vivacious blonde who achieves instant popularity – but she too is turned upside down on the surface she is like Jessica ( from SVH ) , she’s no good at school work , and then – she’s athletic , a swimmer, tidy , longs to dress less classy , is tired of the mind games she gets from Jake Carson , tries time and again to get on Paige’s good side but is dumbstruck by Paige’s constant jealous tricks. Perhaps it was too unusual for it’s own good , it was done in after only seven books , a pity I really would’ve like to have known where the characters would have gone. Written by Tina Oaks whose emphasis is on interior emotions rather than page after page of dialogue.
1. The War Between the Sisters – 1987
2. The Sister Trap – 1987
3. Bad Sister -1987
4. Sisters in Charge – 1988
5. That Cheating Sister – 1988
6. Guilty Sister – 1988
7. Reckless Sister – 1988
SUGAR & SPICE
– Janet Quin-Harkin had two series in the 80’s , On Our Own which was a spin off ,based on characters she’d created in Sweet Dreams – Life long friends Toni & Jill. It however stopped after only six books which I assume was due to the fact that the friends had gone their separate ways and only reconnected occasionally , losing the spark that made the Sweet Dreams books fun in the first place. In this series she seems to have rectified that mistake by creating a similar toned series about Caroline Kirby a slightly uptight , hard working , self conscious teen whose life is turned upside down when her long lost cousin , enthusiastic , chaos making , funloving Chrissy Madden comes ,from a small town in Iowa, to live with Caroline and her parents for what was supposed to be a year but turns into several. Terrific series with Chrissy usually teaching Caroline to lighten up and have fun. One of the wackiest moments has Chrissy in book 1 stealing a bulldozer during a ‘peaceful’ protest to save a scheduled-to-be-demolished park. Put out by Ivy & then Ballantine.
1. Two Girls, One Boy – 1987
2. Trading Places – 1987
3. The Last Dance – 1987
4. Dear Cousin – 1987
5. Nothing in Common – 1987
6. Flip Side – 1987
7. Tug of War – 1987
8. Surf’s Up! – 1987
9. Double Take – 1987
10. Make Me a Star – 1987
11. Big Sister – 1988
12. Out in the Cold – 1988
13. Blind Date – 1988
14. It’s My Turn – 1988
15. Home Sweet Home – 1988
16. Dream Come True – 1988
17. Campus Cousins – 1988
18. Road Trip – 1989
19. One Step Too Far – 1989
20. Having a Ball – 1989
SUNFIRE
– One of the most brilliant thematic series ever – with a gimmick. Instead of free-form teen romances this series was the junior version of the adult trend of historical romances – gone were the typical 80’s settings peppered with talk of ten speed bicycles , rock concerts , make-up according to teen magazines , instead the stories offered a fresh view of teens in a different era , facing the similar angst of first love amid different social circumstances. Sometimes the stories even offered a peep into what life must have looked like to a sixteen year old on the cusp of a historic event like the bombing of Pearl Harbor in Veronica , or becoming a stowaway on the Mayflower in Merrie. Capable , articulate writers offered a fresh twist on a old idea. Really good.
1. Amanda – Candice F. Ransom- 1984
2. Susannah – Candice F. Ransom – 1984
3. Elizabeth – Willo Davis Roberts- 1984
4. Danielle – Vivian Schurfranz- 1984
5. Joanna – Jane Claypool Miner- 1984
6. Jessica – Mary Francis Shura- 1984
7. Caroline – Willo Davis Roberts- 1984
8. Kathleen – Candice F. Ransom- 1985
9. Marilee – Mary Frances Shura- 1985
10. Laura – Vivian Schurfranz – 1985
11. Emily – Candice F. Ransom- 1985
12. Jacquelyn – Jeffie Ross Gordon- 1985
13. Victoria – Willo Davis Roberts- 1985
14. Cassie – Vivian Schurfranz-1985
15. Roxanne – Jane Claypool Miner – 1985
16. Megan – Vivian Schurfranz – 1986
17. Sabrina – Candice F. Ransom- 1986
18. Veronica – Jane Claypool Miner – 1986
19. Nicole – Candice F. Ransom- 1986
20. Julie – Vivian Schurfranz- 1986
21. Rachel – Vivian Schurfranz- 1986
22. Corey – Jane Claypool Miner- 1986
23. Heather – Vivian Schurfranz – 1987
24. Gabrielle – Mary Francis Shura- 1987
25. Merrie – Vivian Schurfranz – 1987
26. Nora – Jeffie Ross Gordon – 1987
27. Margaret – Jane Claypool Miner – 1988
28. Josie – Vivian Schurfranz – 1988
29. Diana – Mary Francis Shura – 1988
30. Renee – Vivian Schurfranz – 1989
SUNSET HIGH
– Rather like 90210 the story begins with a fish out of water – mid-westerner Kristin Sullivan
who has moved from Minnesota to Beverly Hills begins school at Sunset High. Her best friend is Monica Miller ex-child star trying to catch a big break and also get her mother one of the hottest agents in town not to push her so hard. Grady Larkin is the handsome , friendly senior who catches Kristin’s eye. The bad boy of the series is Denis ( I’m not sure I even want to comment about that spelling ) Daniels who successful absent parents , one a director ,the other a star , ignore the fact that he’s gotten into drugs and alcohol mainly in an effort to seek their attention. Nadia Lawrence is the sexy bad girl , rich manipulative , she for a while has eager shy and plump Janet Terry ‘J.T.’Ganter wrapped around her finger , until J.T.’s transformation. The stories revolve around the fast pace of Sunset High , movie deals , casting calls , Sunset High’s media club , parties and of course romance. Other characters move in as time does take place in Sunset High and even Grady moves onto College. Other continuing characters fill the gap such as super rich Glennie Tarryton whom Nadia can never seem to impress , Mad Max a hopelessly arrogant lead singer of a popular band called Junkfood , fiery fitness freak Elena Santiago whose quick to snuff out any form of chauvinism and Will Patton local good guy. Though it was created by the writing team of Linda Alper & Kevin Cooney – writing under Linda A. Cooney they only wrote 6 books , various authors continued until the series folded after 12 books. Put out by Ballantine.
1. Getting Experienced – 1985
2. A Chance to Make It – 1985
3. Temptations – 1986
4. Over the Edge – 1986
5. Swept Away – 1986
6. Working It Out – 1986
7. Just Friends – Susan Sussman – 1986
8. Perfect Strangers – Susan Blake – 1986
9. No Secrets – Leslie Davis – 1986
10. The Night Before – Barbara Steiner – 1986
11. Worlds Apart – Sharon Cadwallader – 1986
SUSAN SAND MYSTERIES
The revamping of Nancy Drew as series and
t.v. show and the gumshoe
detectives crowding 80’s primetime t.v. had
caused a slight boom in series fiction for
sticky-toed teens stumbling upon an ever-ready
mystery. In 1982 Marilyn Ezzell created her
own teen detective the sparkling Susan Sand
who interests lead her into many puzzling
situations. A dazzling detective series ,
packaged with terrific cover art that
reinforced an interesting read. The mysteries
are clever with background bits of information
and descriptions to keep readers intrigued. A Nancy
Drew for the 80’s. Too bad it didn’t last longer!
1. The Mystery at Hollowhearth House – 1982
2. The Secret at Clovercrest Castle – 1982
3. The Clue in Witchwhistle Well – 1982
4. The Riddle of Raggedrock Ridge – 1983
5. The Phantom of Featherford Falls – 1983
6. The Password to Diamonddwarf Dale – 1983
7. The Search for the Snowship Songs – 1984
8. The Mystery of Beggarbay Bluff – 1984
CLIQUEY PIZZA 2: more 80's teen book series & pop culture 