The Beacon Street Girls (BSG) is a young adult book series by Annie Bryant. Addie Swartz created the series [1], which B*tween Productions initially published and later licensed by Simon & Schuster
"Annie Bryant" is a pseudonym for a group of writers who wrote the Beacon Street Girls books. Roberta MacPhee edited the series. [citation needed]
Background
The Beacon Street Girls brand was founded in 2003 by entrepreneur Addie Swartz. 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 teen research. The books offer an alternative to the perceived prevalence of provocative and objectionable messages aimed at youth culture, particularly "tweens." 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 5,000-10,000 copies but sold out quickly.[2][3]
Reception
Community and critical reception to the series have been very positive, with educators praising it for its focus on tackling issues such as cyberbullying, underage 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."[4][5] 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."[6]
Characters
Avery Madden: Avery is an energetic, outspoken girl passionate about sports, animal rights, and the environment. She's from Korea; her parents (now divorced) adopted her as a baby and brought her to America. She loves Marty, but sadly, she is not allowed to have any furry pets because her mother is allergic to fur. She does have Frogster (a frog) and Walter (a snake). She doesn't like being labeled. Avery is tiny and slightly hyper, which is a part of her natural love for sports, especially soccer. Avery drives all of her friends crazy, but they love her anyway. She laughs at anything and everything, sometimes speaking without thinking. Avery has two older brothers: Tim and Scott. She is likable and loves the Red Sox, particularly Robbie Flores.
Charlotte Ramsey: Charlotte loves school and wants to be a writer one day. She has traveled to many places, including Australia, Tanzania, and Paris. She stargazes and writes in her journal constantly. She hates being onstage or in the spotlight unless she is doing magic. She is very close to her elderly landlady, Miss Pierce, and often visits her for help with schoolwork and to talk about life. Charlotte has lived with her father, a travel writer, since her mother died of pneumonia when she was 4 years old. Charlotte has a crush on Nick Montoya, who also enjoys travel and is one of her good friends. Charlotte wrote the Tower Rules and is the BSG's secretary.
Isabel Martinez: Isabel is a Hispanic American girl who moved to Boston so her mother could pursue treatment for multiple sclerosis while her father stayed in Michigan. Isabel is a fan of art and basketball. She used to dance, but injured her knee while dancing ballet and is unable to continue. She is new to Abigail Adams Jr. High and soon became close friends with Maeve and Charlotte. She then joined the BSG, despite Katani and Avery's initial cold reception. Isabel later becomes good friends with Kevin Connors in Just Kidding. She loves to draw birds and often submits cartoons to the school newspaper, the Sentinel. She is known as a sweet girl and loves birds, especially her pet parrot, Franco. She's a very talented artist.
Katani Summers: She is also known as K-girl, loves fashion, and is loyal to her friends. Her grandmother is the principal of Abigail Adams Jr. High. Katani has a 14-year-old sister, Kelley, who is mildly autistic and doesn't act her age. Katani is a very responsible girl. She sometimes seems cold at first, but is very kind and caring. Charlotte describes her as "a marshmallow disguised as a cactus." Katani gives style advice to all of the BSG, even Avery, who resists it. She doesn't like singing, as she isn't very good at it. She has a tentative relationship with Reggie DeWitt, with whom she went to the Valentine's Day Dance. She is the most organized of the BSG and adores sewing and horseback riding.
Maeve Kaplan-Taylor: Maeve is an outgoing and bubbly girl who wants to be a movie star. Her parents are separated, and she has a younger brother named Sam. Maeve is Irish and Jewish. She is constantly frustrated with schoolwork because she has dyslexia. She tries her best in school, and uses a laptop in class as well as meeting with a math tutor. She is notably "boy crazy." Her many crushes include Nick Montoya, Dillon Johnson, baseball player Robbie Flores, Chad (Chizzam), Billy Trentini, Apollo, Simon Blackwell, a waiter at Montoya's Bakery, her tutor Matt, Kevin Connors, Riley Lee, and Trevor. She loves to command attention and to be center stage, whether she is acting, singing, or dancing. She is consistently disorganized, often recruiting her friends' help for her large endeavors, such as Project Thread, which aimed to deliver handmade blankets to the local homeless shelter. In Letters from the Heart, she receives an award for Project Thread.
Nick Montoya: Nick is a very kind, popular boy who has a crush on Charlotte and is friends with all of the BSG. His family owns a local bakery called Montoya's; the BSG visit frequently. Many girls at Abigail Adams Junior High like him as he is friendly and good looking. He helps to form a travel club with Charlotte and Chelsea. He and Charlotte kiss for the first time on Valentine's Day at night in the falling snow after a dance in Crush Alert.
Chelsea Briggs: Chelsea is a classmate and friend of the BSG at Abigail Adams Junior High who is overweight but is beginning to lose weight. Her most notable appearance is in Lake Rescue, in which she is described as: "It was almost as if she was invisible, which was odd because Chelsea was so large." A later study proved that Chelsea's size inspired test subjects to lose weight. Later in the series, she becomes good friends with Charlotte and Nick Montoya. She has a passion for photography.
Betsy Fitzgerald: Betsy is in the same homeroom as the BSG. She is very intelligent and organized, and she always walks briskly, as if late for an appointment. Her dreams include getting into an Ivy League school, preferably Harvard, which her older brother attends. She constantly tries to build an impressive resume. Despite her stress over college, she is friendly. Still, she can be a little annoying to the BSG. She can head anything and was a historical adviser for the movie Pirates of the Cape.
Marty: Marty is the dog that Charlotte, Avery, Katani, and Maeve find in a trash can while playing soccer in Worst Enemies/Best Friends. Charlotte hides him in the Beacon Street Girls' tower, where he is eventually found by her father and landlord. He is a main component of Crush Alert and Lucky Charm
Happy Lucky Thingy: A pink toy that Avery gave to Marty, which became his favorite chew toy. Though it is a small cloth toy, it never needs to be replaced and has a place in the hearts of all the BSG.
Anna McMasters: One of the school's mean girls; she and her friend Joline are known for their cruelty. She is tall, blond, and wants to be a model. She has a sticker on her locker saying, "It's an inside joke...and you're on the outside!" Anna is good at sports and often plays on the same teams as Avery. Anna is referred to as one of the "Queens of Mean" by the BSG and the rest of the school. Anna doesn't like Kiki very much because Kiki is trying to take away her friendship with Joline.
Joline Kaminsky: Anna's friend and henchwoman, Joline is one of the school's mean girls. She has a fondness for animals. Joline is very similar to Anna, but she doesn't play any sports. Joline is one of the "Queens of Mean".
Kiki Underwood: Kiki is one of the school's mean girls. She is very loving to her parents, and her famous father has been shown to spoil her, as he offered to make a music video based on their talent show act. She is known by the BSG and the rest of the school as the "Empress of Mean," which they do not attempt to hide. Some things she enjoys doing include boating and showing off her riches.
Mrs. Montoya: Nick's mom is in charge of Montoya's Bakery. She is Hispanic and sprinkles Spanish words into her vocabulary like "Hola" and "amigas."
Other minor characters: Sophie Morel, Dillon Johnson, Riley Lee, Henry Yurt, Reggie DeWitt, Elena Maria Martinez, Scott Madden, Kelley Summers, Sam Kaplan-Taylor, Mrs. Fields, Ms. Rodriguez, Miss Sapphire Pierce, Mrs. Weiss, Ms. Razzberry Pink, Yuri, and LaFanny.
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