Tune In Next Week for Tween-Lit Tuesday

My Mom always encouraged my sister and me to read and instilled a deep love of fiction in us from an early age. And thanks to a pretty excellent local library (Pontotoc County Library represent!), I had access to an excellent array of books for young people that made the transition from children's stories to the more daunting adult side of the library seamless as well as introducing me to characters that inspire and influence me to this day (and easing some of the trauma of reading adult horror books when Mom wasn't looking. Silly move on my part.).

Those aren't the books that I will be reading and breaking down on Tween-Lit Tuesday.

I'm going to be focusing more on the books that were specifically written for young 'uns who are either just about to or only recently hit the double digits in age to check out/read five and ten at a time. The literary equivalent of Skittles. The stock, cardboard cut out characters that we grew up with and got to know and took fashion cues from. Think Babysitters Club. Think Sunset Island. Pen Pals, Palm Beach Prep. Characters with all the depth of Real World cast members that were made for young people to identify with (I like drawing and have bad grades. I must be a Claudia!).

Part of why I'm doing this is because I think it will be fun. Another reason is that my local used book stores are a treasure trove of these books for super cheap and I can read them in an afternoon.

So swing by next Tuesday. I will be starting with Sweet Valley High #1 "Double Love".

When I was in around the fifth grade or so, I remember starting to read SVH because it was obviously more grown up and gritty than other book series in that section and would better prepare me for high school (much like "Pet Semetary" would better prepare me for pet ownership in my young brain. Just because you're in the gifted class doesn't mean you're smart!). It mainly focuses on two impossibly beautiful sisters and their beautiful friends in their beautiful California town and their stylish, split level Spanish-style house (that phrase really sticks in my head). On the outside they are identical (and have a serious case of 80s-face) and on the inside they are very different

                                                    "Guess which one of us is the Madonna
                                                      and which one is the Whore!"

I guess this one is going to be about them liking the same guy, cost 1.75 and... Wait a second.

                                                                       GD it.

So keep reading the blog in general, but definitely check it out next Tuesday where we'll discuss Jessica, Elizabeth and mark-ups in twice-donated books.