Sweet Valley Twins: Best Friends: (A Graphic Novel)

by Francine Pascal, Claudia Aguirre (Illustrator), Nicole Andelfinger (Adapted by)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

This return to the beloved Sweet Valley universe follows twins Jessica and Elizabeth as they embark on their greatest adventure yet – middle school. Full of life lessons and plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, Sweet Valley Twins: Best Friends is perfect for fans of The Baby-Sitter’s Club and Twins.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Jessica and Elizabeth are ready to take on middle school . . . but are they ready to take on each other? The New York Times bestselling world of Sweet Valley returns in these all-new graphic novel adaptations!

Jessica and Elizabeth have always been inseparable twins, but starting middle school means a chance for new beginnings! Elizabeth is excited to organize a school newspaper, but Jessica is more interested in joining the exclusive Unicorn Club. What will happen when the twins realize they might not be as alike as they thought?

Middle school is hard enough, but with these twins each dealing with becoming their own person—will they be able to stay friends at the same time?

Francine Pascal’s beloved Sweet Valley Twins comes to life in a brand-new graphic novel that will have old and new fans delighted as they meet Jessica and Elizabeth in graphic novel form. With the lively artwork of Claudia Aguirre, Sweet Valley Twins: Best Friends is a contemporary middle-grade graphic novel filled with heart, laughter, and lots of twins.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593376461
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	11/01/2022
Series:	Sweet Valley Twins , #1
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	33,650
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.80(d)
Lexile:	GN390L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Francine Pascal is the creator of the Sweet Valley universe, which includes Sweet Valley Twins, Sweet Valley High, and Sweet Valley Unicorn Club. Over their lifetime, Sweet Valley books have sold millions of copies, been adapted into a TV series (in the eighties), and inspired board games, puzzles, and dolls. It is one of the most popular kids' book series of all time. Francine lives in New York and the South of France.

Claudia Aguirre is a Mexican lesbian comic-book artist and writer. She is a cofounder of Boudika Comics, where she self-publishes comics, and is a GLAAD Media Award nominee and Eisner Award nominee. Her comic works include Lost on Planet Earth with ComiXology Originals, Hotel Dare with Boom! Studios, Firebrand with Legendary Comics, Morning in America with Oni Press, and Kim & Kim with Black Mask Studios.

Editorial Reviews

For fans of the “Sweet Valley” series, as well as any readers looking for girl-centric stories about friendship, fighting, and forgiveness.” –School Library Journal

“Easy and light as cotton candy.” –Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

11/01/2022

Gr 3 Up—Jessica and Elizabeth are identical twins who used to do everything together. But after 12 years of sharing the same room, wearing the same clothes, and doing the same activities, middle school is going to change everything. Now Jessica is interested in joining the Unicorns, an exclusive club for popular girls. Meanwhile, Elizabeth is more interested in starting a school newspaper and inviting her friends to work on it with her. The twins no longer feel the same way about boys, or ballet, or how important it is to be popular. While much of this story is light and fluffy, it also explores issues like peer pressure, sibling rivalry, and the limits of friendship. The graphic novel format will introduce this classic series to a new generation, and the colorful artwork will attract even the most reluctant readers. VERDICT For fans of the "Sweet Valley" series, as well as any readers looking for girl-centric stories about friendship, fighting, and forgiveness.—Andrea Lipinski

School Library Journal

2022-08-31
Sixth grade pulls twins in separate directions.

Pascal’s original 1980s spinoff for younger readers of her Sweet Valley High series gets a graphic-novel makeover with some updates. The girls share a cellphone, carried by the more responsible Elizabeth. The blond, blue-eyed twins are White, but scenes at school and ballet class include racial diversity. Elizabeth is more reluctant to let go of the girls’ habit of dressing identically, while Jessica longs to be a star and to branch out socially. Broad, exaggerated expressions create a light, comedic vibe, and events move along briskly. Jessica, impulsive and extroverted, aspires to be one of the queen bees in the socially exclusive Unicorn Club (where the main activities are gossip and talking about boys). Elizabeth, kinder and more of a scholar, wants to start a newspaper, and her friendships seem healthier. The twins’ mother enrolls them both in ballet, and though it’s Jessica’s passion, Elizabeth seems to shine. Jessica attempts to get Elizabeth accepted into the Unicorns, but when she refuses to play a cruel practical joke on a classmate, Jessica assumes her identity, with a predictably unpleasant outcome. The sisters find that while they remain best friends, there are challenges in navigating their differences. The perennial appeal of twins—the ready-made best friend relationship and the possibilities for fooling others—is a big draw here. Bright, expressive colors and emotive facial expressions enhance the text.

Easy and light as cotton candy. (Graphic fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews