Welcome to the home of the Fifties Chix Flog {Fictional Blog}!
In 1955, five rival teen girls are assigned a class project to predict life fifty years into the future. When tomboy Beverly, moody Maxine, high-spirited Judy, studious Mary and artistic Ann mysteriously wake up the next morning in 2005, they team up to find their way home to 1955 and in the process, form deep bonds with each other and learn about their past, present and future.
Here you can read the chapter book series section by section as we post it. For a limited time, you can subscribe for free by filling out the box on this page to your left. Once you have signed up, every time we add to the story, we’ll send you an email with a link.
Check out the Chix’ diary entries, some historical tidbits, a glossary of 1950s terms, and get in on the fun. If you have questions, comments, or any other feed back (or if you’re someone who remembers the 1950s!), we would love to hear from you!
Your Friend Always,
Beverly Jean Jenkins
Soft-spoken tomboy Beverly is very athletic and along with that, competitive. Everything is a game, nothing is too serious–except winning. She has four older brothers, Larry, Jerry Jr., Gary, and Bob who taught her everything she knows about sports. Her dad, Jerry Sr., owns the local hardware store and the boys work during summertime, and during school vacations or after school when they’re not playing sports. Beverly’s dream is to go to college on a softball scholarship and restart the girls baseball league.
Mary Jane O’Donovan
Studious hard-working Mary is always organized–and always right. As the oldest in her family of four kids, she has dreamed of being a wife and a mother. She has a little brother Danny, and twin sisters, Patty & Maggie and a pet sheep dog named Father O’Malley. Mary’s mom, Mrs. O’Donovan, is a hard-working single parent who is helped by her mother, Mary’s grandma, Nana. Mary is reliable, smart and traditional. She’s not a big risk-taker and likes things to stay the same (that way she has a better chance of being in control and not looking foolish!). She is very conservative on the outside, but inside there’s a secret adventurer; she loves Nancy Drew books and can quote from any one of them. Mary develops a close friendship with Judy.
Maxine Estelle Marshall
Intelligent out-spoken Maxine is the daughter of Gloria and John Marshall. She has an older sister, Melba, who is the first in her family to go to college and one of the first African-American women to go to her college. Maxine is intellectually sophisticated and funny, but also brooding; she is concerned about world issues and politics, particularly racism. She is an avid reader and writer. She loves the Beatniks and the antiestablishment, feminism and breaking the rules, much to her conservative parents’ chagrin. A close friendship emerges with Ann because they are both idealistic, and have a broader view of the world due to their backgrounds.
Judy Elizabeth White
Judy is the life of the party; she is bubbly, friendly and talkative. She is obsessed with the movies, TV and Hollywood. Though she is a loyal and sweet friend, she’s not the one you go to to keep a secret–sometimes she talks before she thinks. She is an aspiring cheerleader. It often shows that she is a year younger than her friends. She has an unrequited crush on Beverly’s brother, Bob. Judy’s mom, Elizabeth, is a war widow. Judy and her mother are very close, even though her mother works long hours. They have two cats named Dragnet and Desi.
Anna Branislav
Ann, as she is known to her friends, is always reminded by her Slavic parents that she was named after a saint. She is a painter and artist, a frequent day dreamer. She’s concerned that she’s bound to disappoint her parents the more she is submerged in western culture. Though her parents came to America when they were her age and have had time to acclimate, they are still old-fashioned while Ann is intrigued by everything contemporary and American. Because of her heritage, people sometimes accuse her or her parents of being non-patriotic which frustrates Ann. Mrs. Branislav helps out with Beverly’s family with cooking and cleaning and Ivan Branislav, Ann’s dad, works for Mr. Jenkins at his hardware store. Ann is a soft-spoken dreamer who tries to be loyal to her heritage and still be progressive. She has a younger brother named Alex and a small white dog named Blossom.
