CarlyTown: Books, Movies, Lists & More
The Library
The Drive-In
The Malt Shop
The Graveyard
The Office

CarlyTown>The Malt Shop>All About

All About Fifties Teen Romances
How can you tell if you've found a fifties teen romance on the shelves of your local used bookstore?
  • Is it published by Scholastic Book Service in the distinctive pocket-size paperback of the 1950s and 60s?
  • Is there a girl on the cover in fifties garb--either in a formal dress or casual everyday wear--looking either pensive or laughing (or both, as in the case of Rosamond du Jardin's Double Date)?
  • Does the title include someone's name or some combination of the following words: "date, summer, dream, seventeen, sixteen, fifteen, nurse, boy, year, senior"?
If so, congratulations—you've found one! Enjoy!

The book you've found is probably going to fall into one of three categories: 1) teenage girl learns about love, or 2) teenage girl learns about herself, or 3) most frequently, a combination of the two. Sometimes narrated by the girl, sometimes written in third person, this book will be the story of this girl and the not-so-tough troubles that she goes through until she reaches the happy ending. These girls seem to share certain characteristics--check out Our Heroines for more about them. Check out Dream Dates for more information about the boys who send our heroines into such dizzy turmoil.

Although these books are sadly out of print, one publishing company is reprinting these books in attractive trade paperback versions. Check out Image Cascade Publishing for more information.

- Back to Top -

Updated 11/21/06

All About

Our Heroines

Dream Dates

The Authors

- Helen Dore Boylston
- Betty Cavanna
- Rosamond Du Jardin
- Janet Lambert
- More Authors

Back to CarlyTown