«This is a fascinating examination of the power and influence of preschool programs on their girl audiences. Nancy Jennings brings together a historical examination of the rise of preschool programming and interviews with teens who watched these empowering preschool programs, such as Dora the Explorer. Tween Girls and their Mediated Friends is a wonderful, well written and nuanced analysis of the long term influence of television for young children.» (Ellen Wartella, Professor of Communication Studies and Psychology, Northwestern University)«Tween Girls and their Mediated Friends is a welcome contribution to studies of friendship and reception in children’s media culture. A must-read book for all those interested in understanding the mediated social lives of youth and the influence of parasocial relationships on identity development.» (Mary Celeste Kearney, Author of Girls Make Media; Editor of Mediated Girlhoods)