Beacon Street Girls FAQ

Tell me about the Beacon Street Girls.

In the Beacon Street Girls novels, the girls are close friends who attend seventh grade at the Abigail Adams Junior High School and plot their friendship adventures at sleepovers in their "Secret Tower." The girls face typical preteen girl issues like trying to fit in while staying true to themselves and each other. Other topics include crushes, mean girls, school, and sports challenges, as well as more complex issues such as working through family problems, living with learning disabilities, and finding one's place in the community.

Who is B*tween Productions?

B*tween Productions is located in Lexington, Massachusetts. The company produces the Beacon Street Girls, an innovative fashion, publishing, web, and media brand for preteen girls (ages 9-13), and owns trademarks and copyrights on the characters, content, storylines, web content, product design, and packaging related to the brand.

B*tween Productions, the creators of the Beacon Street Girls, provides positive role models and health-affirming messages specifically for preteen girls. Our website and books (full-length, age-appropriate, contemporary novels available at leading national book store chains or through Amazon.com) have all been designed to offer that special girl in your life, who is between toys and boysTM, an exciting and meaningful alternative to today’s MTV-style programming.

What makes the BSG different?

As parents, we all know that tweens are facing a period of tremendous change. B*tween Productions strongly believes that girls between 9 and 13 deserve their own books and products focused on their real-life experiences. It isn't enough for us to dispense platitudes. We invite tweens into a rich, contemporary world where values and community service matter, and friendships are important. Our characters are based on real girls with diverse backgrounds. They are joyful and well rounded, but they’re not perfect. Our readers follow their adventures as they navigate their way though middle school: making decisions, making mistakes, building confidence and self-esteem at their own pace, and having fun in the process.

At B*tween Productions, we have every confidence in girls. Given the right environment, images and tools, they will make smart choices and create successful, confident futures. Our goal is to make that journey a bit easier and more joyful. The Beacon Street Girls use media in positive ways - to help girls reflect on, understand, and deal with some of the difficult issues of growing up.

Why do the Beacon Street Girls exist?

As a mother of two girls, Addie Swartz was acutely aware that the girls of today are getting older younger. She was particularly frustrated with the lack of appropriate materials for girls between the ages of 9 and 13 who had outgrown dolls and toys, but were nowhere near ready for the mature, often highly sexualized messages and products directed towards older teens.

"I wanted something more compelling for my daughters, something with more substance," said Swartz. "There's a real need for exciting, multi-faceted characters - real girls with real issues - who can serve as more appropriate role models than today's pop princesses." She and her team created Beacon Street Girls to address that need.

Who is Annie Bryant?

Annie Bryant is a pseudomym for a small group of writers who, along with a on-staff editorial team, create storylines of each book and work with a team of experts in childhood development to produce the best possible material for your child.

• Tell your friends who have kids, or nieces, or granddaughters ...
• Tell other parents.
• Write a review; encourage your child to write a review. Submit your reviews to online sites or your local paper.
• Ask your schools and library to get BSG books.
• Start a book club.
• Encourage your local independent merchants to carry the BSG books and products.