Full House books
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[edit] Overview of the book series
Books based on the American television series Full House are geared toward children primarily ages 8-14. However, many are considered enjoyable by fans of the sitcom, especially of the characters Stephanie Tanner and Michelle Tanner, who are the main focuses. Warner Brothers, the owners of "Full House," would not permit others to use their characters, and selected who could write books based on the TV series. Such strict control by the owners of "Full House" means they may be considered more than fan fiction, and in fact represent a parallel universe known to many fans as the Book Universe. Differences in the universes are noted below.
[edit] Different Full House book series
The series include the following:
Full House Stephanie: These 33 books were written from the point of view of the Tanners' middle daughter, Stephanie Tanner. They take place with Stephanie in a different middle school, likely because of a slightly different redistricting plan compared to the one mentioned in season 7's Fast Friends. She has different best friends Allie Taylor and Darcy Powell, as well.
Though these are book creations, she has known Allie since Kindergarten, and there are several places in the first five seasons of "Full House" where fans think an unnamed extra could be Allie. The first ten of these books overlap with seasons 7 and 8 of the TV series, though the school is not the only difference; there are a number of differences in the Tanners from the series, as noted below.
This series begins with Stephanie being pressured to join a clique called the Flamingoes, by completing a series of dares. She almost does the last one, though she's not sure if she wants to, before D.J. catches her trying to steal Danny's phone card. Stephanie explains tearfully what was happening, and D.J. helps her to understand what the Flamingoes were really up to: they wanted the phone card to use to call boyfriends. Stephanie and the Flamingoes become fierce rivals, though not all books surround this rivalry or even show the Flamingoes.
Two stories were translated and published in Japan in February 2007.
Full House Michelle: These 41 stories are told from Michelle's point of view. The first 27 feature more of her - and the other Tanners' - home life than others, though some focus on events at school, whereas the last 14, the "Michelle and Friends" series, focuses mostly on Michelle and her classmates. Unlike Stephanie, Michelle goes to the same elementary school, but is in a different class. The first four books in the Michelle series overlap with season 8 of "Full House," though these, too, take place in this Book Universe. Two stories were translated and published in Japan in February 2007.
Full House Sisters: These 14 books focus on Michelle and Stephanie's friendship and comical situations that occur between them. The sisters often alternate points of view in the story.
Full House: Club Stephanie: This is a series of 15 books in 5 trilogies focusing on Stephanie and her friends and their battles with the Flamingoes. Some have argued that this part of the Book Universe is similar to the Sweet Valley High books, though books not dealing with the Flamingoes are clearly "Full House" stories.
Full House: Dear Michelle: These 4 books were published several years after the others stopped being produced. They take place with Michelle third grade, where she writes an advice column for her class paper. It is a different third grade class from either the first four books or the TV universe, though the class contains several of the same friends as in the other books.
[edit] Differences Between Book and TV Characters
Michelle is in a different class in third grade. This is quite plausible, because there are three fourth grade classes in the episode Spellbound and in the book "If I Were President." So, it is not implausible that there would be three different classes for each grade level in her school. Stephanie is in a different school.
Each of the younger girls is more mature, and not as rebellious in general in the books as on TV. Some books have the girls closer to the TV Universe characters, however, leading some to speculate that 1-2 Michelle books could arguably be better suited for the TV and not the Book Universe. For instance, in "The Wish I Wish I Never Wished," Michelle is reading Stephanie's diary and has a big argument with her, and Stephanie moves out of the room they share for a few days. This type of snooping is more akin to the TV Universe sisters, as they are never seen to be reading each others diaries in the books. Also, in earlier seasons Stephanie read D.J's diary. Their reconciling seems like the end of one of the TV episodes as Stephanie moves back in.
As for individual character traits, Michelle is more compassionate and sensitive, and slightly more emotional, or at least more willing to show her emotions. One scene in the book "Here Comes the Brand New Me" shows Stephanie reading a school newspaper article about school lunches, written from the meatloaf's point of view, concerning the abuse students heap on it, and Michelle cries thinking of how the meatloaf must feel, a sign not only of her increased sensitivity but also of Stephanie's writing skills in describing this unique point of view, skills not explored on TV.
Stephanie not only is on the school paper, she babysits quite often at times, unlike on the TV series. She has her own babysitting business with her friends in numerous books, and in fact is mature enough that she can use Danny's credit card for very limited purchases at the age of 12, in the book "Here Comes the Brand New Me." Her actions revolve around trying to accomplish things and getting in over her head much more in books, a sign of her overexcitability from the TV series. For instance, she tries to run a catering business all by herself in "Sugar and Spice Advice."
Other characters: The girls' dad, Danny Tanner, has a home office/study/den, with Joey Gladstone living in the basement apartment yet, whereas he lives on the second floor in later years on TV, replacing the girls' Uncle Jesse Katsopolis. It is implied that this office has always been in the Tanners' fourth bedroom, with Jesse possibly always in the attic.
This may have occurred because the writers felt it more likely that only actual family members would normally room on the floor with the dad and the girls. However, many fans also feel that this room placement logically explains the different personalities. The girls' uncle is the mother figure to Michelle in the TV series, and has quite a bit of influence on Stephanie, as well, after the girls' mother dies. With an office in the fourth bedroom, it is presumed that the girls' oldest sister D.J. filled that role early in their lives, and was able to mold them into being more mature than the sometimes rebellious Jesse.
Though she is willing to take a motherly role on screen when needed, such as when she stops Stephanie from joyriding in the episode "Stephanie's Wild Ride," D.J. could easily have been much more proactive in the books. Michelle seems more worried about how D.J. will react when some friends take D.J.'s tennis racket to pan for gold in the Tanners' backyard ("There's Gold In My backyard") than she would be if D.J. were just her sister; she worries as she might if D.J. were her mother figure. While that could also simply be an example of her increased compassion, there are other examples. For instance, when Stephanie teases Michelle in "I've Got Bunny Business," in which a classmate had their finger chomped off by an animal, it's D.J. who quickly assures Michelle that Stephanie was just teasing. Michelle goes to D.J. in one of the earliest books ("Hip Hop Till You Drop") to ask a question such as "do birds yawn?" at 2 AM once. Each shows that Michelle likely bonded with her a bit more than one would a mere older sister. And, in a couple others, D.J. actively scolds as a mother would: when Michelle tries to forge a note to get out of school to get a celebrity autograph ("My Secret Secret Admirer") and when Stephanie sneaks into D.J.'s college campus to see a boy. ("The Story on Older Boys"). Both times, the younger girls listen as though they have respect for what she says.
This change in family history is an example of what some call a retcon. Other evidence includes the fact that Jesse never uses his pet names for Michelle in the books, such as "munchkin," "rugrat," or "shorty."
Still, as noted above, some books could be considered TV canon, as things which happened after the series finale, and some of the later ones may be too out of character to be considered either by many fans. A Chronology was produced over the Internet by a series of fans to explain this, and to put the TV and Book series into a timeline.
[edit] Time Frame
The books, which began to be published in 1993 and finished in 2001, except for the 2004 "Dear Michelle" series, span from Stephanie's sixth grade year (season 7 on TV) to her ninth grade year. No book has been written as of now to show her in high school, nor Michelle starting Middle School. Since the Flamingoes are featured less and less in Stephanie books, it's assumed that their rivalry with Stephanie dies out after a few years. Indeed, the last "Club Stephanie" trilogy, also the final book till the "Dear Michelle" series, shows Stephanie and her friends becoming friends with the Flamingoes by the end.
The books are careful not to seem too far away from what would be 1995-6 if they were episodes on TV, though a few small problems occur because of the lack of development in the Internet till a few years after the TV series ended.
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