They call them "tweens." That's the recording industry's term for record buyers from about ages 8 to 14, and these days it's a term of endearment. Preteen girls -- average age, 12 -- are a huge market. They spend their allowances and baby-sitting money freely on the music stars they love, buying not just singles and CDs but dolls, backpacks, posters, stickers, candy, gum, T-shirts and just about anything a pop act can stick its picture or logo on.

They call them "tweens." That's the recording industry's term for record buyers from about ages 8 to 14, and these days it's a term of endearment. Preteen girls -- average age, 12 -- are a huge market. They spend their allowances and baby-sitting money freely on the music stars they love, buying not just singles and CDs but dolls, backpacks, posters, stickers, candy, gum, T-shirts and just about anything a pop act can stick its picture or logo on.