Sweet Teens

I was reading an interesting article a few weeks ago. It was all about the importance of literature to teens. The writer reminisced on the books of her teens, which, she claims, shaped her person. The books provided not just an entertaining past time, but also formed part of her instruction in the teenage vices - boys, school and ‘girly things’.

I admit to being greatly enamoured by the “Sweet Valley High” series. Not least because it happened to feature two rather beautiful twins. The writer of the aforementioned article pronounced Judy Blume to be her favourite teenage writer. Each to their own.

It doesn’t take an astro-physicist specialist with a PhD in particle metabolism (a scientist) to figure that there aren’t too many lesbian teen books about. Those that are out there seem to be geared much more towards the older crowd, reminiscing about the days before Big Brother and the comparative freedom we ‘young ones don’t appreciate’. Not that there is anything wrong with the many soppy coming of age tales of school day love. However, none of these will ever be able to fall into mainstream teen reading.

At this stage it feels appropriate to give the nod to the second series of “Sugar Rush” which begins on June 15th on C4. “Sugar Rush”, despite not exactly being Shakespeare, seems to be breaking into the mainstream. At last! A lesbian geared novel exploring normal, modern lesbian teen life! Well, normal as far as hot-wiring a car, stealing your best friends knickers and having a brother that paints everything blue can be.

As I speed towards my 18th Birthday (Saturday), it occurs to me that all through my school career, 14 years of English teaching, not one book we studied even hinted at same sex relationships (unless I basically twisted it to meet me own ends.) As a young person looking for literature that accurately depicts my growing up experience, even loosely, I have to look on far from the teen section of bookshops and libraries. I happen to be an avid reader, actively pursuing books.

But what about those who don’t?