Beacon Street Girls

The Beacon Street Girls is a young adult book series by Annie Bryant. The series was initially published by B*tween Productions and was licensed by Simon & Schuster.[1]

Author

Annie Bryant is a pseudonym for a group of writers who wrote the Beacon Street Girls books. The book series was edited by Roberta MacPhee. .

Background

The Beacon Street Girls brand started in 2003. It comprised a book series, branded gifts and a website, all aimed at creating healthier role models and more positive messages for pre-teen girls. The series is designed for girls ages 9–14 and was produced following consultations with experts in different areas of adolescent research. The books offer an alternative to the perceived preponderance of provocative and objectionable messages aimed at youth culture, particularly the so-called "tweens".[2] Books were initially bundled with bags, backpacks and accessories, and sold as a package. The series was self-published by B*tween Productions as part of a bigger initiative to create a multi-media brand that was healthy and positive. The books were subsequently licensed to Simon & Schuster in 2007. Initial runs of the series were limited to 5,000 to 10,000 printings but sold out quickly.[3][4]

Reception

Community and critical reception to the series has been very positive, with educators praising the series for its focus on tackling issues such as cyber-bullying, under-age drinking, childhood obesity, and responsible weight loss. A longitudinal study conducted by Duke Medical Center on the influence of reading on weight loss showed that "girls who read the book entitled "Charlotte in Paris" ... saw a dip in their BMI scores, but not as much as those who read the Beacon Street Girls book "Lake Rescue.""[5][6] The School Library Journal praised the series, writing that Katani's Jamaican Holiday was "a lively introduction to Jamaica's rich history, culture, and lifestyle."[7] However, recently, a number of new test subjects have been exposed to these books, and found them very unrealistic. While the first book seemed captivating to the group of girls 11, 12, 13, and 14, there was a reading to them from the book Lake Rescue performed out loud that resulted in uncontrollable laughter, as they believed it was a joke.(no source for this)

Characters

References

External links

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