Books like Hangin' Out with Cici

I know I'm aging myself by saying this, but when I was a little girl, my favorite ABC After School Special was "My Mother Was Never A Kid." I remember watching it every time it aired and recording it so I could watch it over and over again. I wore that recording out!Recently, I discovered that "My Mother Was Never A Kid" was based on the book Hangin' out with Cici by Francine Pascal (first published in 1977). I knew I had to find this book and read it. And, lucky for me, I have a very sweet friend named Lori who found a copy of the book (renamed & repackaged through the years) and sent it my way. Score!Victoria Martin is almost fourteen years old and believes that entitles her to a few things -- a little more freedom to come and go as she pleases, more parties and good times with her friends, and less nagging from her mom about cleaning her room and getting good grades. Instead, she gets more lectures and punishments. Her mom seems more overbearing than ever. Clearly, her mom doesn't remember what it was like to be a teenager. If she was ever a teenager at all.Needless to say, Victoria is looking forward to getting away from New York and visiting her cousin Liz in Philadelphia for the weekend. She can't wait to have fun without her mom watching her every move. Instead, she gets into a bit of trouble at a party and is sent back to New York on the next train. Her mom is so mad. Victoria knows she's really going to get yelled at good and loud this time.But something strange happens on the train. The lights start to flicker, and when Victoria arrives in New York the train station looks different. In fact, the people look different. It's like the train dropped her off in a different decade.That's where she meets Cici, a boisterous and outgoing girl who helps Victoria navigate through the strange surroundings, takes her on some crazy-cool adventures, and becomes a great friend.But Victoria can't shake the fact that she's met Cici before....This book was so much fun! It brought back so many childhood memories. I still related to Victoria and her struggle to get a little understanding from her mom. That was a universal theme in YA Fiction from the '70s, and it will always be relevant to teenagers regardless of the decade in which they live. I definitely think the story held up well over the years.Now, I need to find a DVD of the After School Special AND read the rest of the Victoria Martin Trilogy.What a surprising find and a great read!