B*tween Productions

Tania Ralli profies Addie Swartz, founder of B*tween Productions, for the Boston Globe (registration may be required after first reading). B*tween Productions publishes a series of books for girls ages 9-13, the Beacon Street Girls.

Ralli writes that the Beacon Street Girls, "as a whole tries to help girls face their many challenges. They are concerned with fitting in, wearing the right clothes, and coping with school pressures. Sitting alone in the cafeteria is mortifying. And with so many mixed messages about what it means to be a woman, vulnerability sets in, child development specialists say." Simply put, middle school has always been more difficult than junior or high school.

The latest title, Lake Rescue (#6), deals with diabetes, and childhood obesity and its social ramifications. The series is written by Annie Bryant and illustrated by Pamela M. Esty.