In a lot of the book series that I've read - whether it's the Sweet Valley series are smaller series, like the Ramona series by Beverly Cleary and the Fudge series by Judy Blume - the authors tend to write the stories as if they were taking place in the year they were written. Beverly Cleary was a little more subtle about it, as she made it a point to avoid making direct pop cultural references - whule Judy Blume wasn't as prudent about it.

One argument for that seems to be that children would be more interested in reading stories in the present, so they don't even bother to keep the setting of the newer books to the era that the first book in the series was written.

I have a few problems with this technique. First of all, it screws up the whole continuity of the book series - and I guess I find continuity to be very important to me. Second of all, you'd be amazed by how many children would be interested in reading stories that take place in other eras. I mean, the Little House on the Prairie series are still very popular - and I don't see them being updated anytime soon. I mean, if they did, it would completely change the story arc of the whole series.

That's why I think that, even if you wrote a book in 2002 - and you decided to write a sequel to the book this year - you should have the sequel take place in 2002, as well. Or else, if the characters are two years older in the sequel, then it should take place in 2004. It should only take place in 2007, if you make all the characters five years older.

Anyway, what are your thoughts on this?

To be fair, though, the Little House books were intended to be historical from book one. It was already well into the 20th century, when the first book was written - so they never were written to take place "in the present" (the year that the book was written).

There are lots of series that are written with the intention of being set "in the past". However, if the first book was written to take place "in the present" - then I guess all latter books would, too - even the second book was written ten years later with the characters only being one year older.

I think most authors want their stories to be contemporary. You know, wanting the readers to think it could take place in any era, of course there is a cut-off of the earliest a book can take place. I see what you mean though. Beverly Cleary has been writing Ramona books since the '50s, but I think she wrote her last one in the mid-80s, but I could be wrong. Didn't CBC air a Ramona TV show?

I loved the Fudge series. My favorite has got to be Superfudge.

Whenever the latest book for a series is written, I just pretend that the others before take place after they're written.

The National Lampoon Vacation movies don't exactly stay true to continuity.