The Beacon Street Girls Aren't Just Kidding When it Comes to Cyber-bullying ...

The Beacon Street Girls Aren't Just Kidding When it Comes to Cyber-bullying

-- New Book for Preteen Girls Focuses on Providing Guidance for Kids on the 'Net --

LEXINGTON, MA (March 12, 2007) – The rumors are flying and Isabel is in the thick of it. A series of mean emails and not-so-funny jokes pit classmate against classmate. In Just Kidding, the Beacon Street Girls learn about gossip, no-jokes zones and how the Internet can spread rumors, spoil friendships and contribute to hurt feelings.

Just Kidding is the tenth "Classic" Beacon Street Girls book featuring five tween friends, the Beacon Street Girls. (B*tween Productions, the independent publisher of the books, also produces a line of Beacon Street Girls Adventures.) In the book, Principal Fields’ announcement about Spirit Week creates a flurry of excitement at Abigail Adams Junior High, but soon Ms. Rodriguez' class is at odds. A rumor begins circulating about Isabel Martinez and Kevin Connors, a popular athlete who also loves art.

"The Internet, with all its wonders, adds another dimension to already challenging interpersonal relationships," said Addie Swartz, Founder and CEO of B*tween Productions. "Kids are still learning how to best interact with others, and subtracting body language and visual clues further complicates that interaction."

"Tweens are facing a period of tremendous change and while some parenting issues carry over from generation to generation, today's parents are facing questions our parents never dreamed of. 'Do I get my kid a cell phone?' 'Should I allow my child to have a personal page on the Internet?' 'My child already has a personal page – what now?'

"Meanwhile," Swartz continued, "A recent survey from Duke University has gained national attention documenting how adult Americans have fewer and fewer friends, a trend perhaps brought on by the practice of 'friending' on the Internet."

In a recent survey of the Beacon Street Girls’ tween advisory board, one-third of the more than 500 respondents between the ages of 9 and 13 claimed to have personal pages on MySpace, Xanga and the like. Two-thirds have and use instant messenger, 46 percent have cell phones and 61 percent have an iPod or other digital music player.

Experts Contribute to Every Beacon Street Girls Book

The Beacon Street Girls' fun and friendship-oriented book series and website model appropriate behaviors without ‘turning-off’ the primary audience of girls ages 9 to 13. The Beacon Street Girls books are written after extensive research and consultation with experts in girls, adolescence, children's issues and development (see related announcement.) Just Kidding experts include:

• Rachel Simmons, the author of the New York Times bestseller Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls, the first book to explore the phenomenon of bullying between girls.
• Rob Nickel, president, Kid Innovation Canada, a 14-year veteran of the Ontario Provincial Police and a former Detective Sergeant with the OPP's Child Pornography Section.
• The combined resources of the Internet Keep Safe Coalition, (www.ikeepsafe.org) a non-profit organization dedicated to giving parents, educators, and caregivers the information and tools that empower them to teach children the safe and healthy use of technology and the Internet.
• Katelyn M. LeClerc, the Internet Safety Program Coordinator, Office of the Attorney General of Massachusetts.