Dylan's Secret #4: 7

Nickelodeon, the cable channel for youngsters, branches into publishing via this new Fifteen series. Based on the episodic drama of the same name about high-school students from a middle-class suburb, the novels focus mainly on the problems instigated by the conniving Brooke, who uses even blackmail to win back Matt, a star athlete with a drinking problem. But he's seriously involved with Ashley, the pretty overachiever fighting a ``Miss Perfection'' image. Her best friend is Courtney, a writer admired by Jake, Matt's affable buddy--only he's not exciting like Dylan, the good-natured rebel Courtney finds irresistible. The books, while not high-minded literature, will undoubtedly sell--the recognition factor of Nickelodeon itself is a draw--and they do have entertainment value, especially when Brooke's outlandish schemes backfire. She and her more realistically portrayed contemporaries should garner high ratings, particularly among the show's viewers. Ages 9-14. (June)