Meg is a seventeen year old girl living in Philadelphia in the 1960s. She and her best friends, Roxanne Bojarski, dance on the popular television show American Bandstand. Not only that, but in Fair Play, Meg must choose between Drew and Danny, all while trying to save the local St. Catherine's Fair from closing while there is a Bob Dylan concert in town the very same week.
The book is targeted towards the young adult crowd, so much of the book is spent examining the relationships of Meg Pryor. She must choose between her college boyfriend who wants to date other girls, or her brother's best friend, lost because is brother is MIA in Vietnam, a place where Meg's brother JJ will soon be headed. The book also covers a lot of fashion and family relationships as well.
While this particular story did not take place in the actual series run of the show, this book still explores all the best elements of the show. There are multiple references to all the stars of the time including the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, and of course there is an appearance by Bob Dylan, who is well connected with Roxanne's father's new girlfriend. And while there are very few appearances by the rest of the Pryor family, Meg does get herself into a few spots where only family can help.
At just under 200 pages, this is a very quick read, but is a book that is highly recommended to all youngsters who loved American Dreams or who just love to read about other teens from a different era. Pick it up for a beach read and you'll probably finish it in a couple of hours.
