I had every intention of doing a full recap of this book. But then I realized time is sort of the essence as I want to recap a few more books before getting to my December YA novel Xmas bonanza, and I don’t really have much time this week for blogging so in that regard I am just really going to summarize this book and give my impressions.

Elizabeth is over at Amy’s house one night working on a big science  project. Amy asks Liz to sleep over so they can put some finishing touches on the project but Mrs. Wakefield says no because the family hasn’t had dinner together in a long time and Mrs. Wakefield wants the Wakefield clan to go to the Valley Inn for dinner. The next morning at school, Caroline Pearce keeps talking about how there was a big fire at Amy’s house but Elizabeth keeps telling Caroline she knows nothing about any fire at Amy’s house. When Elizabeth gets home, she finds out that Amy is there- and will be staying for awhile- because there was a big fire at Amy’s house and the whole house burned down. Amy also broke her arm because when Amy was running out of the house to escape from the fire, Amy tripped over her shoelace. Amy is really embarassed about the fact that she broke her arm by tripping over her shoelace, so when the Unicorn Club comes over asking Amy how she broke her arm, Amy tells this huge lie and claims she broke her arm jumping out of a window and landing on a net wrong. Amy also claims she was surrounded by tons of smoke and had a very narrow escape, but none of that is true.  Amy loves the attention that the Unicorns are now giving Amy because Amy is the talk of the school due to the fire, so Amy goes on and on about her narrow escape from the fire, and Amy chooses to always hang out with the Unicorns rather than with Elizabeth. As Amy is basking in the glow of Unicorn attention and makeovers ( Lila and Jessica decide to lend Amy tons of purple clothes as Amy lost a lot of clothes in the fire, and braid her hair and put some makeup on her) Amy either completely ignores Liz or always orders her around. In one scene, Elizabeth is having lunch with Julie, Sophia and Nora and Amy makes Liz stop having lunch to get a book out of Amy’s locker as Amy can’t do some things for herself due to having her arm broken. But even as Amy’s arm is healing and she can do more things for herself, she still wants Elizabeth to always do it for her. Amy also refuses to help Elizabeth on the science project ( that burned in the fire) and Elizabeth gets so frustrated she decides to just do the project alone.  Amy keeps slacking off on schoolwork to hang out with the Unicorns and her teachers are getting frustrated.

We get a lot of Amy’s introspection in this novel- we will hear about Amy bitchery, followed by her innermost thoughts. Amy, you see, is convinced that she started the fire ( oh Amy you didn’t start the fire it was always burning as the world’s been turning- OK sorry) because Amy had started a fire in the fireplace before the fire, and dumped the ashes in a bag and didn’t dispose of them properly. Amy is constantly terrified that her parents will find out that Amy caused the fire. Amy also feels a little uncomfy about ditching Liz and her other friends for the Unicorns,but she does love the attention she is getting. Amy also cries a lot at night but tries to choke back her tears, and is really upset over losing her house. I would guess that based on Amy having a lot of flashbacks over the fire, crying at night, and turning against Elizabeth to be with the Unicorns, Amy may have some post traumatic stress disorder but of course Amy never gets therapy for this. It doesn’t sound like her parents do either even though it seems Amy’s parents are very distraught too. And I  have to love that the Sutton parents stay with other relatives and just dump Amy off on the Wakefields. They barely even seem to see Amy while they are living in different houses.

One day Amy really freaks out when Mrs. Sutton says that the i nsurance company is coming back with the report of how the fire happened- Amy is convinced her parents will know the truth and will never forgive her for the loss of their house. Amy is also not really digging hanging out with the Unicorns anymore, because the Unicorns start to ignore Amy in favor of Brooke Dennis- Brooke’s dad is a major Hollywood screenwriter and is having this big party where he’s inviting the cast of  the movie Car Capers. Mr. Dennis is celebrating the great job Alice Wakefield did designing his home, basically, and wants to show off his Spanish tile.  The Unicorns all really want to be invited so they totally all over Brooke and kissing her ass. Lila, Ellen and Jessica go shopping at the mall with Amy to get Amy new clothes and Jessica is a little peeved because instead of wanting to help Amy ( Jess feels that Amy staying at Jessica’s house makes her more popular in front of the Unicorns) Lila and Ellen want to help Brooke buy decorations and food for Mr. Dennis’ party. Amy also gets annoyed because Lila and Ellen keep suggesting that Amy buy dressy clothes and shop at designer stores.  After Amy realizes that Elizabeth was right and the Unicorns were only paying attention to Amy because she was the big story at school,  Amy decides to make up with Elizabeth and tells Liz her fears about the fire. Amy is soon relieved because Mrs. Sutton calls and says the fire was caused by really old, faulty wiring not anything that Amy did.  The book ends with Jessica telling Amy and Elizabeth that Ellen is entering a horse riding competition and is determined to win. And I thought Lila was the one with the horse?

So as usual in Sweet Valley world, a character has something traumatic happen to her, and no one ever thinks that she should get some therapy or even talk to a school social worker. I bet Sweet Valley kids are so awesome that they don’t even need a school social worker, despite all of the murders and kidnappings among the Sweet Valley teen population.

As a kid, I sort of liked this book but I wasn’t really even an Amy Sutton fan back then ( though I preferred Sweet Valley Twins Amy to SVH Amy for sure) so I didn’t read this book that much. I do love the cover and how Amy’s cast is covered with purple drawings of Unicorns, and Amy has total bitch face. It’s almost a preview to bitchy SVH Amy.

Well, only a few more books until my December Christmas spectacular- Sleepover Friends #26 the New Kate, SVH #3 Playing with Fire, and SVH #13  Kidnapped ( aka another example of an SVH character who never gets therapy despite being fuckin kidnapped- it’’s barely even ever mentioned again!!)

And congrats to the Chick Manifesto for picking me as one of the winners of the Flowers in the Attic/Petals in the Wind book! I am so excited to receive it!!

Happy Thanksgiving one and all as I doubt I will be posting anything before then. I will try to get to ” The New Kate” by Sunday or Monday of next week.

Mrs.Mead has announced that there will be a fifth grade talent show. Karla Stamos, the boring girl who wears all brown, wants to do a ballet dance.  Mark Freedman says he will play drums. Lauren is reading a magazine article about her favorite TV actor, Kevin DeSpain, and then she realizes that Stephanie has said that she, Stephanie, Patti and Kate will be in the talent show!  Lauren tells Stephanie after class that she can’t believe that Stephanie would tell Mrs. Mead that the four girls will be in the talent show!  Lauren bets that Stephanie wants to be in the talent show to impress Steven Gitten, the boy she likes.  Lauren says that the Sleepover Friends have no talent,  and Stephanie suggests the four of them can dance and lip synch to a record and they can even call themselves the Four Aces.  It’s Friday so there will be a sleepover at Kate’s and they will be having Mexican food. Stephanie will bring over some tapes so that they can pick a song to lip sync to. Or synch? I dunno.

Stephanie is late to Kate’s sleepover party because Stephanie said her parents are whispering and acting weird and she wanted to have dinner with them to see what was going on.  When Stephanie arrives, she says that her parents refused to tell her what is going on and she’s worried.  They have been whispering a lot in the past week or so, and clam up when Stephanie walks into  a room.  Lauren asks if the girls remember a movie they saw 2 weeks ago about a man who had lost his job.  Stephanie decides that her father may have lost his job and that’s the big secret. He had a big meeting at work last week, and that is around the time her parents started whispering all the time.  Stephanie then tells Patti, Lauren and Kate that they are going to find out for sure that Stephanie’s dad lost her job. In the movie, the father would pretend to go to work and really stay at the library all day so his family wouldn’t know he lost his job. So Stephanie says on Monday, the girls are going to follow her father when he leaves the house to see where he is REALLY going!  During the sleepover, a song is picked for the talent show- ” Wanna Be Your Girl” by the Polka Dots. Then the girls listen to the request hour and find out that Jenny Carlin, the Sleepover Friends’ answer to Laura McCall of the Fabulous Five or Becky Dyson from the Gymnasts, dedicated  a song to Steven Gitten! The girls then decide that to find out for sure, they are going to prank call Jenny and pretend to be Steven’s third grade sister Marcy and ” Marcy” will be asking Jenny if she, in fact, dedicated a song to Steven.  Lauren decides to play Marcy, but Jenny knows it’s the Sleepover Friends calling and not Marcy Gitten, and then Jenny says ” I don’t get mad- I get EVEN!!”

The Sleepover Friends leave the house Monday at 8 am, all telling their parents they had to get to school early. Stephanie’s father usually leaves for work at 8:15 so that is when they are going to start trying to follow him.  Lauren hopes that following Mr. Green won’t make them late for school, or else they all have to eat lunch in the principal’s office. Long story short- the girls follow Stephanie’s dad to a bank, where he is taking out a big loan! Stephanie is convinced that Mr. Green taking out a big loan means that he needs money because he lost his job.  The girls decide to try to find ways to help Stephanie raise money to give to her dad. They decide to enter tons of contests where they could win things or money – I guess so if they won stuff they could sell it and give the profits to the Greens??? They also decide that Stephanie could hold a yard sale.  The girls end up being late to school and having to eat in the principal’s office after Jenny Carlin apparently told Mrs. Mead that she saw the Sleepover Friends bike right past school. I guess that is how Jenny gets even. 

The yard sale will be at Kate’s house on Saturday. On Tuesday, Patti and Lauren look through magazines and enter bunches of contests.  Meanwhile, Kate and Stephanie are at Stephanie’s looking through things Stephanie can sell. Stephanie ends up wanting to sell some of the new clothes she got in ” the city” and her black, red and white leather jacket! Lauren loves that jacket,  and Stephanie ends up selling it to her for 20 bucks. We learn that it fits Lauren because even though Lauren is tall- Stephanie is ummm wide?? and that is how the jacket fits Lauren. No wonder Stephanie always worries about weight with Lauren calling her wide and what not!  Patti and Kate buy 2 more clothing items from Steph.  Lauren, Kate and Patti are going to sell things for the yard sale too in order to help the Greens.  By the end of the week, some boys in Lauren’s class like Mark Freedman and Larry Jackson are going to sell things at a table at the yard sale, and so is Donald Foster, as well as Kate’s sister Melissa and a friend of Melissa’s.

The tag sale Saturday is a huge success for all and the clothes are selling quickly, especially Stephanie’s. Suddenly, Mrs. Beekman, Kate’s mom, and Lauren’s mom Mrs. Hunter ( Mrs. Beekman’s first name is Barbara and Mrs. Hunter’s is Ann so you kn0w) notice that the clothes Stephanie is selling look very new, and they get very suspicious. Mrs. Hunter asks Lauren if Mrs. Green knows that Stephanie is selling new clothes and Lauren says yes but the parents aren’t buying it. Mrs. Green comes over when Mrs. Beekman  calls her, and Mrs. Green notices that Stephanie’s closet are half empty!!! Mrs. Green demands to know why and says if Steph needed money she could ask her parents and Stephanie says she was trying to help because Mr. Green lost his job! Mrs. Green says no way, and says she was going to tell Stephanie the secret that night but she may as well say it now- Mr. and Mrs. Green are expecting a BABY!  Mr. Green took out a loan because they are building an addition to the house so that the baby can have his or her own room. The girls decide that their profits can go the Children’s Hospital.

It’s the night of the talent show.  Jenny Carlin FLOPS- her clarinet squeaks and squeaks, and when she blows really hard out flies a silk scarf that Henry Larkin stuck up her clarinet- Henry and Larry Jackson had it for  a magic act. The magic act is great, by the way, and Karla Stamos is actually a good ballet dancer. The Sleepover Friends lip sync and dance is a huge hit as well even though Jenny tried to sabotage it by putting in the wrong music.  The girls dance anyway to the wrong music and the audience loves it.

At the end of this book, guess what- Lauren got a winning prize in a contest- a FUCKING DONKEY! Yep a real fucking donkey! And you know Stephanie will get to keep it. And they are naming the donkey Sleepover. Oh, boy. And I thought Elvira the goat in the BSC was a silly plotline.

I loved this book as a kid, as an adult I realize that this book was pretty darn boring. And I feel the Sleepover Friends ” jumped the shark” once Stephanie’s twin brother and sister were born ( yep Stephanie’s mom ends up having twins- Emma and Jeremy- great names BTW). In terms of ” jumping the shark”- so kids when do you feel other YA novels jumped the shark? For me, I am not sure if SVH jumped the shark once Todd moved back from Vermont back to Sweet Valley, or with the Jungle Prom. I’d love everyone’s thoughts!

Coming up next week- Sweet Valley Twins 44 Amy Moves In.

Other books coming up ( not necessarily in that order) are SVH Super Special- Special Christmas, Sleepover Friends #26 The New Kate, BSC Little Sister Super Special Karen’s Wish, Sweet Valley Kids Super Snooper the Case of the Secret Santa, Sweet Valley High #13  Kidnapped and Sweet Valley High #3 Playing with Fire.

I know, I know- every single YA blogger out there has recapped this book.  And I am sure some of them did a much better job than I will tonight. But I just HAD to recap this book regardless of everyone else having done it. I know the spirit of this blog is to try to focus on YA novels that other bloggers really don’t cover- like Sleepover Friends, Freshman Dorm, ( and big UPS to I want your sass who praised my FD recaps:), Girlfriends, Fab Five, what have you. But hey we all know that I do plenty of SVH and Baby Sitters Club too because I did love these series, as did my sister, cousin and best friend at the time.

I first heard about this book via a TAPE- yes an audio tape- as in the tapes that would sometimes unravel then you had to stick your fingers in the circles to try to get tape back in tapes. Actually, my mom still buys cassette tapes of Portuguese music. But yep in about 4th grade or so my dad bought me the Kristy’s Great Idea cassette tape after I begged him after seeing it in the Scholastic News book club flyer! My sister and I listened to this damn tape God about 500 times in a year!!!  I didn’t actually read the book until about seventh grade and by then I was addicted to all things BSC. ( I would still love a Mary Anne doll

Well, on to the recap. I think most of you know how the BSC began- one night ( after a day at school where Kristy gets in trouble for yelling ” Hurray” when school is done for the day, and Kristy has to write an essay on decorum) Kristy’s mother announces that Kathy, a fifteen year old girl who babysits for David Michael two days a week. The other days, Kristy, Sam or Charlie ( Kristy’s older brothers who are 16 and 14 at the time of Kristy’s Great Idea) each watch David Michael one day a week the other 3 days.  Charlie and Sam are both busy, as is Kristy. So Kristy’s mother has to make phone call after phone call trying to find a sitter as her pizza gets cold. Kristy starts to think that this is just a huge hassle, and it would be so much easier if Kristy’s mom could make one phone call and reach at least three sitters. So Kristy recruits Mary Anne, who at this time has to wear her hair in braids and wears Little House in the Prairie like dresses, and is very shy and cries a lot, and Claudia, who at this time has started to wear lots of makeup and a bra, loves art, and is beginning to like boys. Kristy and Mary Anne don’t like boys yet.  At the first organizational meeting, so to speak, Claud suggests that they invite her new friend, Stacey McGill, to join the club. Stacey just moved to Stoneybrook from New York, is a very ” fresh” kind of dresser, and seems to be hiding a secret…

Now- a brief recap of each girl’s first BSC job ever!

Kristy- Kristy gets a job to sit for three year old ” twins” Pinky and Buffy. Stacey laughs hysterically upon hearing those names. When Kristy gets to the house, she notices that there are breakables everywhere, which seems odd in a house of two three year olds. After some Three’s Company like conversation between Kristy and the ” twins” ummm mom’s  niece, ( e.g. Kristy is shocked that Pinky and Buffy are locked in the laundry room) , the niece opens the laundry room door- and TWO HUGE DOGS COME RUNNING OUT!!! The dogs are friendly but very rambunctious and Kristy has to run down the street to catch them at one point. Kristy vows that the club will never pet sit again ( at least until Jessi Ramsey joins the club as shown in ” Jessi Ramsey, Pet Sitter”)

Claudia- Her first job is babysitting for Jamie Newton, who is the sweetest three year old, and ( without Claudia knowing) Jamie’s annoying cousins Rob, Brenda and Rosie Feldman.  Rosie is 3, Brenda is 5 and Rob is eight, and hates all girls including his sisters and mom. Rosie, Brenda and Rob begin running around the house and being little terrors to annoy the shit out of Claudia, but Claudia remembers a trick her parents used to used when Claud was little- she totally ignores them and reads  Where the Wild Things Are to Jamie ( incidentally has anyone seen that movie? I sort of want to, but I am not sure it’s worth it) and then Rob, Brenda and Rosie calm down upon realizing they are being ignored. So Claud has tamed those nasty Feldman kids. And Lucy Newton is still in Mrs. Newton’s tummy in this book.

Stacey- Gets to sit for David Michael Thomas! Stacey discovers Sam, who has come home early. Apparently after their meeting Sam thinks Stacey is a foxy chick, and Stace says Sam is a gorgeous hunk.  On that day, Stacey is wearing a matching gray shirt and skirt made out of ” sweatpant” material, barettes in her hair like rainbows, and whistles in her ears for earrings. Kristy thinks the outfit sounds cool, but not exactly adult. But Sam is still enchanted, apparently.

Mary Anne’s first sitting job for the BSC is sitting for Andrew and Karen Brewer! Now in this book Mrs. Thomas and Watson have been dating for about four months. Kristy has refused to meet Karen and Andrew so although Watson sort of hoped Kristy would sit that day, Mary Anne takes the job instead. During this job, we first hear about how Karen thinks Morbidda Destiny cast a spell on Boo Boo.  Andrew is very shy and quiet, and Mary Anne thinks both Karen and Andrew are adorable and tells that to Kristy. Still, Kristy doesn’t want to meet them. Kristy is also really mean to Watson whenever he comes over to pick up Mrs. Thomas ( or  ” Edie” in this book) for a date. Kristy tells us readers that it sort of hurts her that Watson is such a great dad to his kids despite being divorced from their mom and her dad can’t even remember her 12th birthday.

Kristy is finally forced to meet Andrew and Karen because Watson has to go to the hospital to sign insurance paperwork for his ex wife when she breaks her ankle.  Seth is apparently on vacation and he and Karen and Andrew’s mom aren’t married yet. Karen asks Kristy a bunch of questions about ” oh would you be my sister?” if Mrs. Thomas and Watson got married, and they swap stories about being ” divorced kids” and have ice cream. Kristy begins to really like Andrew and Karen.  Kristy also decides to like Watson when she sees his big mansion- seriously, seeing Watson’s mansion is what warms Kristy up to Watson. Kristy decides that being Karen and Andrew’s stepsister wouldn’t be so bad, and it is good she thinks that way because toward the end of this book, Elizabeth Thomas ( or sorry EDIE) and Watson get engaged.

Soooo seems our Stacey has a big secret. She always turns down sweets, and is super thin. One weekend Kristy wants a plan a pizza party to celebrate each of the members having a successful week of sitting.  Well that plan falls flat when Claudia’s parents ground her for a bad progress report, Mary Anne’s dad says her money from sitting all has to go toward college, and Kristy calls Stacey and her mom claims she stayed in New York with friends for the weekend. But then Mary Anne calls Kristy and says that she saw Stacey and her mother in the car together so Kristy and Stacey could still have pizza. Kristy is completely confused.

Kristy’s confusion, and subsequent grilling of Stacey’s whereabouts at the next BSC meeting ( yep Kristy confronted Stace about what Mary Anne saw) the BSC has their first big fight.  Claudia calls Kristy’s snowman sweater babyish and Kristy says ” well you’ve got sheep barrettes in your hair you call that adult” and Claudia says witheringly ” Sheep are in!” Well that puts Claudia and Stace against Mary Anne and Kristy.  The club starts to make up when Mary Anne says that she had a talk with her dad and he said a little money toward a pizza party was fine after all, and Claudia has a talk with her parents saying she will try harder and she is not Janine, aka her genius sister, and Claud’s parents go for that and Claudia is also allowed to party. As everyone talks about the pizza party Stacey looks kinda uncomfy.  Kristy tells Stacey they can get salads at the pizza place if Stacey doesn’t want pizza and Stacey looks so grateful. Kristy telling Stacey the party will be at her house where Sam will be gets Stacey all hot and bothered as well.

At the pizza party, Stacey confesses her big secret- the DIABEETUS ( or diabetes for those of you who aren’t Wilfred Brimley and Bret Michaels). Stacey says she was afraid to tell the girls about her diabetes because at her old school, other girls including her best friend rejected her because of it. Kristy says that’s silly and the BSC would never do that, and besides Kristy’s cousin Robin has diabetes.   Stacey is extremely relieved to hear that the BSC all accept her diabetes and all.

At the end, Kristy says the BSC has been great for everyone- it brought Kristy closer to Watson and helped her meet two great kids, it got Mary Anne to stand up for her rights and speak up against her dad sometimes,  it got Claud to see that she can be good at something and gave her some good self confidence, and she’s not Janine and that is OK, and it helped Stacey to make new friends.  Kristy hopes the BSC will be together for a long, long time.

I have to say that I wonder why in the first four books Kristy wore skirts and jumpers and what not, but as soon as she hits eighth grade, wiht no explanation at all, she only wears jeans, sweaters and turtlenecks. Claudia barely looks Asian on this cover. Mary Anne has on an outfit I’d wear NOW- a skirt that seems kinda short considering Mr. Spier is so conservative, a sweater vest and a white blouse. Stacey’s hair is perm city and I hate her striped leggings. NOT a flattering look.

A couple of notes- both blog and non blog related- I am on Twitter and I am Janniecel77- so if you want to follow me request to be a follower and I will oblige you!  And come December, I cannot wait to do Christmas themed recaps of our favorite YA novels- Special Christmas from Sweet Valley High and Karen’s Wish from BSC Little Sister will be among the Christmas treats I will bring!  And for those of you who don’t celebrate Xmas I hope you enjoy the entries anyway. I am sorry the Sweet Valley Twins never celebrate Kwanzaa with Maria Slater, and there’s no Freshman Dorm Hannukah and I swear Winnie is Jewish. Sigh!!! 

Sometime this week or early next week get ready for some Sleepover Friends! Also scheduled for next week- Amy Moves In, which is from SVT and possibly another Sleepover Friends book.

I seriously cannot wait for Thanksgiving-what about you all? I may have a Sweet Valley Kids Thanksgiving book somewhere but I have to search. If I do I will read and recap it for you all!

I didn’t read Freshman Dorm books beyond about Book #22  ( in my first semester of college- yep I read a YA novel in college!) so I am glad I never knew until know how crappy the series became. I have read a few of the later books to recap on here at some point and much like other YA novels as they continue to write more, the books continue to get more and more shitty. It makes me wish the YA writers would quit while they were ahead and just end the series ( as it seemed Betsy Haynes did with the Fabulous Five) before it got to be super shitty and melodramatic- but noooooooo

Well, a lot has happened since I last reviewed a Freshman Dorm book. As everyone who has read other later Freshman Dorm books or read the recap I did on Freshman Dorm #19, in Freshman Dorm #18 Josh and Winnie got married. Josh and Winnie share a house with Clifford Bronton, the short guy who briefly dated the dancer Kimberly, Rich Greenfield, a speech pathology major who does ventriloquist acts with his puppet Greenwood and briefly dated Liza Ruff,  and well in this book we are introduced to a new roommate.  Winnie and Josh are having major financial difficulties- both are full time college students, and Winnie is now preggers with their first child. For some weird fucking reason neither one can even work part time due to their demanding schoolwork ( and ok granted I didn’t work in college other than in summers but a lot of my friends did- I had friends who practically worked full time and attended college full time not unheard of especially if you are married and pregnant!) and they are getting tired of constantly having to ask both sets of parents for cash.  Meanwhile, Josh also bought a motorcycle recently and Winnie keeps begging Josh to sell the motorcycle a buy a station wagon, especially sinc e the gyno told Winnie it’s dangerous to be on a motorcycle while pregnant.

Well, to solve part of their financial woes, Winnie figures they can find another housemate.  Then Fredericka Barstow, aka Freddie, walks into Winnie’s life- well she walks into the crisis hotline building where Winnie volunteers. Freddie says she desperately needs a place to live so about 5 minutes later, Winnie tells Freddie she is more than welcome to move in. Freddie is a chemical engineering major and LOVES computers and motorcycles- you see where this will go don’t you?

Well, as anyone could have predicted, Freddie starts completely moving in on Josh- she wears sexy nighties around him and is always available to hang out with Josh.  And Josh and Winnie are having marital troubles as it is- Winnie is so obsessed with the pregnancy it is all she talks about. And because Winnie is pregnant,Winnie refuses to go to any parties or have sex with Josh. Winnie also keeps scheduling doctor appointments while Josh has classes even though Josh keeps telling her he wants to be there. As Winnie and Josh get into more and more arguments, and Winnie keeps turning Josh down for sex, one night after Josh is dissed, he and Freddie share a passionate kiss. Josh feels terrible about that and decides he does have to do his best to stick things out with Winnie especially as they are having a child together. Winnie finally sees that she is completely losing Josh ( after Freddie pretty much tells Winnie that she and Josh are spending tons of time together and Josh will soon be hers) and she decides she will attend Liza Ruff’s party. Liza is having a huge dorm party to celebrate her debut on some sitcom produced by Rich Greenfield’s dad. Everyone is to come to the party dressed as a TV character. Faith goes as a character from Little House on the Prairie.  ( yeah big stretch for Faith). Melissa is to go as Bugs Bunny and her boyfriend Danny as Ironside because Danny is in a wheelchair. Liza is Lucille Ball of course. Josh goes as a Star Trek character, and Freddie is Kelly Taylor from 90210. Winnie decides to go as a sexy alien girl from Star Trek to get Josh back. It does work, and Winnie agrees to be spontaneous with Josh after the party and go on his motorcycle despite Josh saying they can just walk back to the dorm and he wants to be rid of the motorcycle tomorrow so he can save their marriage. Winnie says one time on the cycle won’t hurt- and well guess what- as again anyone could have predicted especially as the book pretty much gives it away on the back cover- Winnie and Josh do get into a motorcycle accident and neither one gets THAT hurt but Winnie loses the baby!!!! And the book ends with Winnie’s miscarriage.

Well of course no Freshman Dorm book is complete without about 100 subplots.  Melissa McDormand is now dating Danny, Mr. Wheelchair man that she hooked up with in Freshman Obsession, when Melissa was on ‘roids. Melissa and Danny are having issues because Danny keeps thinking Melissa will leave him for an able bodied man- specifically, Danny’s own brother Ted who is a major athlete and very flirty. Ted actually does try to flirt with Melissa hardcore to see if Melissa will go for it so Ted can see if Melissa actually loves Danny. But Melissa just tells Ted that she really loves Danny and she wishes Danny would ” let her in” and trust her more. Ted reveals to Melissa that in Danny’s senior year of high school he got into a major car accident that cost him the ability to walk, and Danny’s girlfriend at the time ( they were going to go to Northwestern together) dumped him upon learning of his injuries which does suck ass, so Danny has had a hard time trusting women since. Melissa goes to Danny about this, and they make up and are as a tight a couple as ever.

Brooks is participating in the game Assasin, a popular game in college dorms that I never played, whereby you follow someone around ( whose name you pick) tag them with a sticker or whatever, and ” kill” them. Ted suggests to Brooks that Assasins is a great way to meet women and Brooks is really wanting a new girlfriend.  The girl Brooks is searching for is named Angela Beth Whitman and she’s pledging a sorority full of blonde Midwestern girls who wear lots of pink and green. As Brooks tries to find Angela Beth, he keeps running into a sorority sister of her, Carmen Fuentes, who has long, dark, curly hair and teases Brooks a lot. Well finally- we learn that Carmen Fuentes and Angela Beth are the same woman! When Brooks first met Angela Beth she said her name was Carmen Fuentes which is her mom’s name because Brooks was with Ted and Angela Beth didn’t want Ted the womanizer knowing her real name. Angela Beth’s dad’s family is straight off the Mayflower, and her mom is Latina hence the name and her looks. Angela Beth and Brooks become a couple.

Dash Ramirez was apparently almost thrown out of school because he was framed for starting a fire at the Tri Beta house- turns out Lauren investigated and found out it was a bunch of skinheads who started it, and the skinheads were out to get Dash. Despite Lauren clearing Dash’s name, people at school still avoid him and Dash is ready to just leave U of S and transfer to another school and never tells Lauren. And Lauren and Dash broke up AGAIN because Dash was convinced Lauren was doing some reporter but Lauren was not doing that reporter. Lauren finally convinces Dash of this the night of Liza’s costume party, and Lauren and Dash get back together and Dash decides that with Lauren’s support, he can stay at U of S. I used to love Lauren and Dash together but their constant make up and break up shit now drives me bananas!

In this coming week, I do hope to recap ” Kristy’s Great Idea” for you! In the next few weeks, I have a couple of Sweet Valley High books coming up ( specifically ” Kidnapped” and ” Playing with Fire” ) a Sweet Valley Twins book named ” Amy Moves In” and 2 Sleepover Friends books- ” Stephanie’s Family Secret” and ” the New Kate.”

First of all, Karen Brewer and Ricky Torres are the two fugliest ( or most fug??) children I have ever seen!!!! EWWWWWWWWWW!

Karen is invited to Pamela Harding’s birthday party, and Karen can’t stand her. Karen calls Nancy to see if she was invited to Pamela’s party. She was. Karen and Nancy decide to get Pamela presents that she will hate.  Nancy thinks maybe she will give Pamel the prize at the bottom of a Cracker Jack box, which I find sort of funny.  The next day at school, Ricky Torres tells Karen he was also invited to Pamela’s birthday party,which he finds weird.  Bobby Gianelli says he doesn’t know why Pamela invited boys to her girly party. Natalie Springer says that since Pamela doesn’t like her, Nancy, Hannie or Karen she doesn’t know why Pamela would invite them. Pamela comes in with her cronies, Jannie and Leslie, in tow and says that her parents made her invite the whole class to her birthday party.  As Pamela, Jannie and Leslie walk off, Ricky and Karen say that maybe they can jinx Pamela’s party and play tricks on her and buy her awful gifts.  Ricky says he would love to bring Pamela a snake for her birthday! He wonders where he can find a real snake.  Ms. Colman then announces that the class with have a Valentine’s Day party. Karen thinks to herself that she has to get Ricky a super gigundo good Valentine’s Day present as Karen and Ricky are engaged, after all. Groan.

It’s the day of Pamela’s party, and we find out that Karen got Pamela plastic bracelets in different colors and Karen knows Pamela will hate them.  Karen’s mom questions if that is a good gift for Pamela but Karen tells her mom it’s perfectly adequate.  Karen doesn’t even bother to dress up for the party she just wears a baggy red sweater and jeans. Did kids actually get dressed up for birthday parties back in the early 90’s? I know I never did.  Pamela is having a circus party and has a clown and juggler.  Karen keeps waiting for Ricky to do mean things to Pamela as he said he would, but he never does. He tells Pamela he likes the cake at the party, and that her dress looks pretty. Karen is gigundo mad!  Karen can’t wait for Pamela to open Ricky’s present, since Ricky said he is getting her a snake! When Pamela does open Ricky’s gift, though, it’s a pair of purple suspenders- very Claudia Kishi. Pamela loves them and says she can wear them with  her blue pants, and Karen whispers to Ricky that she thought Ricky was getting Karen a snake, but Ricky says his mom wouldn’t let him. Karen is not happy that Ricky was nice to Pamela and got her a cool present at the birthday party.

At school on Monday, Ricky tries to talk to Karen but Karen ignores her. Karen decides that she will not talk to Ricky because she has decided Ricky has a crush on Pamela, and likes her more than he likes Karen. So Karen starts talking to Nancy and Ricky asks Karen why she isn’t speaking to him.  Karen doesn’t reply.  Karen later tells Ricky she’s mad because Ricky is a traitor- he didn’t do one mean thing to Pamela at her party, and didn’t get her a snake for her birthday. Ricky is all ” so what?”  Ricky asks Karen to play dodgeball at recess and Karen refuses. After recess, Ms. Colman says kids need to choose partners to write a poem together. Ricky shocks Karen by asking Pamela if she wants to be partners!  Karen knew it- Ricky DOES have a crush on Pamela! So Karen does her schoolwork, and then writes another poem for Ricky that’s all ” icky Ricky and Pamela sittin’ in a tree” and you know the rest I can imagine.  Ricky sees the poem and sticks his tongue out at Karen. Karen sticks her tongue out at Ricky. Then Ricky wads up the note, spits in it, and throws a spitball at Karen that Ms. Colman doesn’t see. Karen has a feeling she and Ricky aren’t getting married after all. God, I hate Ricky and Karen’s pretend marriage.

Karen and Andrew make Valentine’s Day cards for all of the kids at the big house and discuss how they will have Valentine’s Day parties at each house.  At school, Ricky and Karen are doing mean things to each other- Ricky squirts a picture Karen is drawing with ink, and then Karen sticks a huge wad of gum in Ricky’s desk.  Then Ricky retaliates by putting a mashed banana in Karen’s desk. When Nancy and Hannie see that, they join in on this fight and call Ricky ” sticky Ricky” because of the gum on his desk, and eventually most of the girls start calling Ricky ” icky, sticky Ricky.” Ricky calls Karen ” Rotten Karen” and the boys are all against Karen, Hannie, and Nancy and most of the other girls in class. But Pamela, Jannie and Leslie are on Ricky’s side and when Ricky calls Karen ” four eyes” Karen says ” you are four eyes too Ricky” and Pamela says ” well I am not four eyes- Karen is a four eyes, Karen is a four eyes.” Karen is glad when the school week is over.

Karen decides she wants to make up with Ricky and the perfect day to do is Valentine’s Day. She tells Hannie she will make Ricky a really gigundo cool, romantic Valentine’ s Day card. Hannie is going to make one for Scott Hsu, who is Hannie’s pretend friggin husband. Damn- all these 7 year olds are married, and me and most of my 30 and 31 year old friends aren’t? Life isn’t fair   Karen and Andrew go to buy Valentine’s Day cards for their friends in class with their mom. Andrew gets a Valentine’s Day card special for this girl Mandy in his preschool class, and Karen teases Andrew that Mandy is his girlfriend and Andrew doesn’t even protest.  Karen gets two special cards for Hannie and Nancy, but then decides to make a special card for Ricky Torres at home that’s full of glitter and says ” Love Karen” on it.

Mommy and Seth make a special Valentine’s Day breakfast on Valentine’s Day. They make strawberry pancakes with strawberry flavored milk. Karen wears all red- a red dress, red tights and red shoes, with a red bracelet. Karen got barrettes from Mommy and Seth and Andrew got a red Matchbox car. Then Seth gives Karen’s mom a carnation and they kiss in front of Andrew and Karen and Karen is all ewwwwww about it. Hey Karen part of marriage is kissing so get used to it!  Karen is nervous that Ricky will not give her a Valentine.

In school, Karen notices that Pamela only has Valentine’s Day cards for Leslie, Jannie and RICKY!! Karen waits all day for a Valentine from Ricky- and never sees one. Karen is gigundo bummed of course.  The class party is great times other than Karen having to hear Pamela tell Ricky ” happy Valentine’s Day” and Ricky blushing and saying thank you.  But then as Karen opens her Valentines, Ricky pulls out a huge envelope from his desk and passes it to Karen!  It’s a huge Valentine’s card that says 2 good 2 be 4 gotten and Ricky writes that he is sorry and still wants to marry Karen.  Ricky and Karen make up and declare that they will get married Monday on the playground, and anyone who wants to come is invited! Karen also feels bad that Natalie Springer got the least amount of Valentine’s ( she sounds like me in 2nd grade) and Karen decides she has to do something nice for Natalie.

 At the big house, everyone loves the Valentine’s cards Karen and Andrew made, and Karen gets tons of cards from the big house family. Then Karen and the big house family go to McDonald’s and have a great time.  After McDonald’s, Karen invites Hannie over to ” plan the wedding. ” Hannie suggests that Karen wear her good pink dress and nice winter coat. Hannie and Karen also make a paper flower bouquet ( because Ricky gave Karen a paper flower when he proposed) and a paper corsage for Ricky.  Karen also picks Hannie and Nancy to be her bridesmaids, and tells Ricky to wear a suit to the wedding, and Ricky reluctantly agrees. And Karen decides “being nice to Natalie” is asking Natalie to play the violin at Karen’s wedding. Natalie can only play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and Karen says that is fine. Yeah how is being nice to Natalie having her play the violin for YOUR wedding, Karen? Well Natalie seems happy to be part of the wedding.  The day of the wedding, Nancy and Hannie wear matching dressses, and Ricky has picked Hank Reubens and Bobby Gianelli to be his ushers. Most of the kids are very dressed up for Karen’s stupid wedding.

So Karen and Ricky get married by some girl named Audrey in the class during recess.  Karen and Ricky exchange plastic spider rings. Oh God I don’t care about Ricky and Karen’s stupid wedding. I liked Stephanie and Henry’s wedding on Full House a lot more.  And Ricky actually kisses Karen’s cheek when Audrey says it’s time to kiss the bride as the kids are all ewwww.

In class after recess, Ricky gives Karen an official ” wedding ring” a big plastic blue ring with a stone in it. Karen is all ” I am a wife and Ricky is my husband and we are in love and starry eyed.” Stupid Karen then debates over whether or not to change her name to Karen Torres or Karen Brewer- Torres now that she is married. Karen then decides she is, and always will be, Karen Brewer. Wow this book was gigundo BORING!!!

As a fifth and sixth graders, I loved the Taffy Sinclair books. I thought Jana Morgan and her ” self improvement club” the Fabulous Five, was the shit, and  I hated Taffy Sinclair, that blonde bitch, with a passion. I was completely on Jana’s side and would get so upset when Taffy would do things like brag about her part on a soap opera, or try to steal Randy Kirwan of the 1,000 watt smile from Jana.  One of the Dairi Burger gals wrote once that she felt Jana Morgan was a total bitch, and before reading this book I was like ” oh no not my Jana I LOVE her”. Then I read this craptacular book. I had never read this as a kid, actually, ( I pretty much read all of the books about the Fab Five in 5th grade, read maybe one when they were in 6th, then graduated to the Fabulous Five series when they are all in junior high pretty quickly. I also was reading a lot more Sweet Valley Twins and Freshman Dorm books by late 6th grade and into seventh).

The basic premise of this book is that Taffy Sinclair decides to take Melanie under her wing. In fifth grade, Jana keeps saying that Melanie was wicked fat due to her mom constantly making baked goods, but then Melanie lost a whole pile of weight a la Robin Wilson in sixth grade, and she’s looking hot now. Jana and her friends are worried that Melanie is talking to Taffy, and so they completely snub Melanie and give her ” poison dart looks” and turn their noses at her whenever Melanie even goes near there, which of course forces Melanie to hang out with Taffy even more, since Taffy is more than willing to pal around with Melanie to piss off Jana and her friends.

Taffy convinces Melanie she should enroll in a modeling class with and tells Melanie she and Taffy will have bright futures in modeling. Jana and her friends all decide to enroll in the modeling classes too, because the woman running them is this famous model, and modeling classes will be great for self improvement. By the way, Jana will always point out her friends’ flaws- like Beth is a drama queen, Melanie is a formerly fat bubble-head, Christie is an egghead know it all and Katie is a ” feminist”- oh horror- but we never hear Jana saying what exactly is what with her- annoying!

After modeling classes start, Jana sees that Melanie and Taffy always have tons of fatty foods like mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and pudding on their lunch trays at school, yet Melanie is not gaining weight. Melanie tells the other girls in the Fab Five that Taffy is teaching Melanie ” tricks” that will help her to eat whatever she wants without gaining an ounce! One day, Jana hears Melanie getting sick in the girls’ room, then thinks that Melanie must just be coming down with a flu or something. Taffy is in the bathroom with Melanie when this happens.

Well, long story short, one day Melanie faints at the modeling school. We learn that Taffy was teaching Melanie how to be a bulimic, basically. Taffy told Melanie to throw up after each meal so she could eat whatever she wanted and not gain weight. Yeah I still hate Taffy because that is fuckin bitchy and dangerous. Melanie’s eating disorder is instantly cured by Melanie’s mom making her eat a bunch of Mrs. Edwards’ ” gorgeous” brownies as Fat Melanie used to call them. Too bad Mrs. Edwards wasn’t aware when Robin Wilson was anorexic for that one book!

In an awful subplot, Jana decides that since the Fabulous Five will no longer hang out with Melanie because she is all worshipping Taffy, the are going to take a girl named Mona Vaughn under their wing. Mona is Taffy’s little pet, and Taffy’s only friend because Mona worships her. Taffy totally ignores Mona to teach Melanie bulimia and piss Jana off, so Mona is really lonely. But Jana just focuses on how Mona has stringy hair and a shitty wardrobe and ” tries too hard to make friends.” So Jana and her friends teach Mona better ways to fix her hair and make changes to her wardrobe and they are sooo proud that they made Mona Vaughn a fetching hottie now. Jana also starts to realize that she actually likes Mona, and she wants Mona to be in the Fabulous Five since Melanie is pretty much out. Well, even after Melanie becomes friends with Jana again, Mona says that for now she’d rather not be part of the club, but she definitely would love to be good friends with Jana, Katie, Christie, Beth and well Melanie. And then we never hear about the Fabulous Five hanging out with Mona again. Seriously, it’s sooo shitty that Jana makes fun of Mona for having stringy hair and ugly clothes, and kissing Taffy’s butt because she wants a friend sooo badly, and she only decides to befriend Mona to get Taffy mad, but is upset that Taffy is just playing Jana at her own game. Yes, Taffy went way too far by getting Melanie to have an eating disorder, of course,but yeah Dairi Burger girl u are right- Jana is a total fuckin bitch. She’s a lot less bitchy at Wakeman Jr High, it seems, but Jana is Jessica Wakefield/ Laura McCall/ Alison Quinn from SVU psycho in elementary school! And of course Betsy Haynes- way to pretty much make light of eating disorders. You know you are a pathetic YA novelist when even Sweet Valley High teaches children more about eating disorders and their effects than your crappy series does.  I will say the Girlfriends books did a great job writing about Cassandra’s eating disorder, but I don’t have those books around- though if I find them on Ebay I may recap a few more.

I am HOPING to recap ” Karen’s in Love” a BSC Little Sis book by the end of this week or early next week.  Hopefully I can also get through Freshman Dorm ” Freshman Passion” next week- and whoa lots has changed since my last Frosh Dorm recap let me tell ya!

And coming up-

BSC #1 Kristy’s Great Idea!

Sleepover Friends #11 Stephanie’s Family Secret

Sweet Valley Twins #44 Amy Moves In

Sleepover Friends #26- The New Kate

Tony Calcaterra, Katie’s man, and Katie are at Tony’s house while the baseball game is on. Katie is trying to talk to Tony about Wakeman Jr High gossip, but Tony is completely ignoring her to watch the baseball game.  Katie is fed up with baseball- last week, Tony was late picking Katie up for their date because of a baseball game, and as a result they missed the movie. Katie stopped by Tony’s to spend time with him as she’s barely seen him all week, but Tony is too obsessed with the game.  Katie gets so fed up with Tony ignoring her, that she leaves in a huff.  Katie decides to go talk to one of her friends about Tony’s insensitivity.  Katie bikes to Melanie’s house, and Mrs. Edwards announces that Melanie is watching TV.  Melanie is too wrapped up in the episode of Star Trek she is watching to really listen to Katie’s woes, so Katie gets fed up and leaves Melanie’s house.  When Katie gets home,her mom is working ( she’s a freelance reporter who works from home) so Katie decides to call Christy. Christy’s mom says Christie is watching a nature program on TV for school. Katie can’t believe it- passed over for TV- AGAIN!  Katie is now having a strong urge to talk to someone, so she decides to go into the spare room that serves as Willie’s office ( Willie being Katie’s mom) t0 talk about what is frustrating her.  Willie asks Katie if her home ec teacher has mentioned the harmful effects of TV- like how it can affect basic human relationships and is a substitute for family interaction- during their unit on television? And Katie replies no- all the teacher says is what TV programs to watch and which to avoid. Willie is shocked that the class isn’t participating in a TV turnoff project. Katie asks what that is. Willie remarks that it’s when a group of kids agrees not to watch any TV at all for a week, and sometimes whole schools get involved.  Willie then says that Branford Junior High had a TV turnoff last month, and it was very successful.  Katie had not. Branford Jr High is Wakeman’s biggest rival. Willie is going to write an article for the local paper suggesting that Wakeman Junior High do the same thing that Branford did.  Katie tries to convince her mom not to because if the kids at Wakeman can’t watch TV for a week or more, they are all going to be pretty mad at Katie.  But Willie is too busy scribbing notes down to listen.

 Katie has forgotten about her mom’s plans until she sees the article written by her mom the next Saturday. In it, Willie talks to experts who talk about the harmful effects of TV on children, and some people from Branford Jr High say it was the best thing that ever happened to them at their school. Willie then pleads for Mr. Bell the principal to institute a similar project at Wakeman.  At the mall later, Beth tells Katie that if Wakeman kids can’t watch TV, no one will be able to see the videos the Media Club is working on and she hopes Katie’s mom won’t actually convince Mr. Bell to institute a TV turnoff.  Katie says it’s only for a week and Melanie FREAKS- Melanie says there’s no way she can miss her favorite soap,   Interns and Lovers,  for a whole week!  Jana and Christie say that neither of them really watches much TV and Christie says it may even be a good idea. Then the Fantastic Foursome- Laura McCall, Melissa McCormick, Tammy Lucero, and Funny Hawthorne- saunter over.  Laura and her friends start loudly mocking Katie’s mom’s article.  Katie is about to confront them when Tony and some friends head over to the movie theatre at the mall when the Fab Five is.  Tony waves at Katie, but doesn’t come over. Jana says maybe Tony will sit with Katie at the movies. Katie keeps looking around for Tony but he’s nowhere to be seen.  After the movie, Katie sees that Tony and his friends are watching a baseball game at a store at the mall!

 At school on Monday, Beth  and Dakeisha Adams rush over to the rest of the Fab Five and announce that Mr. Bell is having a big meeting with all of the teachers in the Media Center.  Dakeisha tells Katie she bets it’s about the article Katie’s mom wrote.  Katie is about to protest when the bell rings.  At the cafeteria, Tony asks Katie if he can come over tonight. Katie says yes and Tony says great because his TV isn’t working, and the Yankees are playing the White Sox tonight and he can’t miss it.  Katie starts yelling no way and she’s sick and tired of baseball and television, and Tony is turning into a TV addict!  Laura then goes over to the table and says that Katie only wants a TV turnoff because she doesn’t want to lose Tony to television. 

During Katie’s last class, there is an annoucement over the school loudspeaker- Mr. Bell annouces that there will be a TV turnoff at Wakeman Jr High- and he knows everyone wants to beat Branford as they have beat Wakeman at sports twice this year- so to top Branford’s TV turnoff of one week he wants the Wakeman kids to not watch TV for TWO whole weeks!  Some kids are cheering that they can beat Branford in a flash, other kids are upset that they can’t watch TV for two weeks.  A lot of kids feel it’s Katie’s fault that there’s a TV turnoff. Katie goes to talk to Willie about it,  and Willie says Mr. Bell and most of the teachers pledge their full support, and it may teach the kids that there’s much more to life than TV.  Willie tells Katie that everything will work out in the end, but Katie is NOT believing it.

 Jana calls Katie that night to say that Randy, Jana’s BF, told her that Tony is really mad at Katie and that Katie only got Willie to plan a TV turnoff because Katie is mad at Tony for watching baseball.  Katie is more upset than ever.  At Bumpers the next day,  Beth announces that the Media Club gets to interview Jack Albright, star of a big TV show called Taking Chances!  Beth is upset though, that the interview may air during the TV turnoff  and no one will be able to watch her interview Jack Albright.  Laura starts spreading a rumor at Bumpers that Willie doesn’t like television so she doesn’t want anyone else to watch TV. Katie yells out that it’s not true at all, and Katie is going to help promote the turnoff- uh oh!

 There’s going to be an assembly to promote the TV turnoff, and Dakeisha says the turnoff can’t be all bad if they get to miss a period of class for an assembly!  Kids who want to perform skits about the TV turnoff can sign up to perform.  Katie then hears the two McNatt brothers- one is in eighth grade, one in ninth, saying the turnoff is dumb and they refuse to participate. Katie hopes that kids will actually agree to be part of the TV turnoff.  The next day, the TV turnoff contract goes around. Kids can’t play video games, watch movies or watch videos ( what we call DVD’s today LOL) during the whole turnoff.  Beth is none too happy about possibly missing out on watching herself interview Jack Albright, but she agrees to sign the contract. Melanie says that if Beth can miss out on watching her interview, Melanie can not watch  Interns and Lovers  for two weeks.  Melanie then says that for two weeks she won’t know what happened to Sylvia. Sylvia is this beautiful character on the soap who is so in love with a doctor named Cal she is buying a wedding dress in case he decides he’s in love with her- WHAT THE FRIG?? and Sylvia is in a coma after being hit by a car.  Melanie decides that every day after school she will write a diary describing what she thinks is going on with  Interns and Lovers  and then when the turnoff is done and she can watch the recorded episodes, she will compare her diary to what actually happened on the show.  Shane Arrington, Jon Smith and Keith Masterson ( Jon is Christie’s boyfriend and Keith is Beth’s) are upset that they can’t play video games for 2 weeks, but they decided to launch rockets one morning instead.  The boys have all agreed to participate in the TV turnoff.

It’s the day of the assembly. Dakeisha Adams ( she’s black just so you know) dresses as Bill Cosby and makes these jokes about how Branford is really great and Wakeman will never beat them. Everyone loves her act.  Curtis Trowbridge dresses as Abe Lincoln saying that all kids should be emancipated from TV watching.  The seventh grade cheerleaders do cheers about not watching TV, and the ninth grade cheerleading captain Kaci Davis twirls her baton.  After all that, a boy and girl from each girl are on stage weraing all black. Katie brings out a TV and Mr. Bell pulls the plug and puts a TV in a coffin. Incidentally on the cover of this book none of the kids are wearing all black in this scene.  The six kids take the coffin offstage with the expectation that kids will put their signed contracts into the coffin if they are participating.  Dakeisha Adams warns Katie after the assembly that Laura McCall and her friends are trying to talk kids out of breaking the contract.  Katie says no kids will listen to her, but Dakeisha points out that Mr. Bell says the the TV turnoff is voluntary.

At a Fabulous Five meeting that Sunday, Katie says that she and her mom played Monopoly over the weekend. Jana went bowling with her mom and stepdad and had a lot of fun. Beth says her older siblings Brittany and Brian and her sister Alicia are whining over not being able to watch TV.  Katie then says that the Fab Five need to find spies- girls they are friends with- to watch who Laura and her friends are talking to about breaking the contract, so that the Fab Five can convince those kids not to. Jana bets that Dakeisha, and their other friends Mandy, Alexis and Melinda will agree to be spies for the Fabulous Five.

Two girls named Elizabeth and Lisa come up to Katie whining over not being able to watch TV all weekend. Lisa says her friggin parents are all pissy because they want to watch the news and other programs, so they are still watching TV and not supporting Lisa.  Katie tells Lisa and Elizabeth to try to get their parents to agree to have the TV off, and don’t Lisa and Elizabeth want to beat Branford?  Lisa is not convinced.  Jana then tells Katie that Randy and the other guys had a great time launching rockets, and Tony joined them. He signed the TV turnoff contract! But he’s still not talking to Katie.

Mrs. Clark asks the kids in homeroom what they did besides watch TV. Kids mentioned reading books, the rocket launching, and counting money they have saved. Mrs. Clark praises the kids participating in the turnoff.   At Bumpers, Dakeisha says she heard that Laura and her friends are saying they will watch TV shows for kids for fifty cents an hour and will tell kids what is going on with their favorite TV shows. God, Laura is almost more devious than your average Unicorn Club member!  Katie says that’s cheating and Dakeisha says she bets Laura will let Mr. Bell know who is cheating so that Wakeman fails.  Laura tries to get Melanie to pay her to watch  Interns and Lovers but luckily Melanie refuses.

Katie tells her mom after school that there are parents refusing to participate with the kids in the TV turnoff and Willie is steamed- time f or another article!   The next day at school, Melinda tells the Fab Five that shse made a really yummy fudge cake, and Heather Clark is writing a book.  Instead of homework that night, Katie writes a list of fun things kids can do instead of watching TV, like making beaded jewelry and taking pictures of friends and putting them in a collage.  Then Jana calls Katie and says that Laura is going to have a TV watching party on Saturday and a lot of kids are planning to attend!  Katie comes up with an idea to get the kids away from Laura’s TV party- she says they can get a group of kids together to bike to the amusement park, Adventureland ( like the movie!) and then they can all eat pizza at Mama Mia’s afterward!  Jana is going to see if Randy can ask Tony if he would go to the TV party or Adventureland. Katie hopes this plan works!

Katie gets Lisa to go by saying the boy she likes, Bill Soliday, will be going. Katie and her friends do get some kids to agree to their plans. Beth then says that Willie really cut down parents who aren’t helping their kids stick to the contract. Beth had her interview with Jack and it went great, by the way.  Melanie has Sylvia convalescing on  Interns and Lovers,  and Cal is helping her, according to Melanie’s diary of what is going on with the show. Katie is at the office running an errand for a teacher and Miss Simone the principal’s secretary says Mr. Bell is fielding tons of irate calls from parents mad about Willie’s article.  Parents thought the school talked Willie into writing the article. But Mr. Bell knows this is all for a good cause.

TONS of kids showed up at the Wacko Jr High parking lot ( what the kids call Wakeman) to go to Adventureland and Mama Mia’s! Katie is very impressed, and Jana said it’s one of the rare times, other than sporting events, where she’s seen so many Wakeman kids together! At Adventureland, Jana, Melanie  and Beth went on rides with their boyfriends, and Katie goes with Christie. I thought earlier that Christie was dating Jon Smith, but I guess not. I know she had been! Well, tons of the kids tell Katie this was a great idea, and they are having tons of fun. Then a bunch of boys with Branford Jr High letter jackets show up at the park- wait, kids can letter in sports in junior high?  The Branford boys start taunting the Wakeman kids but then Melanie and Beth spot some friendly Branford High cheerleaders to try to stop the potential violence.  Beth and Melanie plan to do cheers for their schools for the TV turnoff to distract the other kids and it’s a huge success! 

Mama Mia’s is very crowded and Jana reported passing by Taco Plenty and Bumper’s and seeing tons of kids at those restaurants, too.  Randy tells Katie that Jon and Scott didn’t go to Laura’s party because Tony really laid into them about not breaking their contract. Katie is SHOCKED!  Tony goes up to Katie and says he’s been reading a lot about baseball and he’s so glad to have learned a lot more about the sport now. He and Katie make up in case you haven’t guessed.

On Monday, we hear that NO kids but the Fantastic Foursome came to Laura’s party! GREAT SUCCESS!  Lisa then says that her parents were upset by the article written by Willie at first, but they got to thinking and figured if other people can give up TV so can they, and now both parents are reading great books.  Miss Simone even says a lot of parents called back to apologize about being upset before and bunches of kids tell Katie they feel closer to their families.

The turnoff is over, and there’s a big dance to celebrate. Melanie watched one week of her soap- and Sylvia is STILL i n a coma! Melanie can’t believe that nothing happened in a week, and her stories were a lot more interesting.  Mr. Bell then announces the results of the TV turnoff, and how the kids fared vs Branford.  At the end of Branford’s one week turnoff, 64 percent of kids didn’t watch TV. As for Wakeman- SEVENTY EIGHT PERCENT OF KIDS watched NO TV in TWO weeks! WAKEMAN WINS!  Everyone says that the TV turnoff wouldn’t have worked if it wasn’t for Katie’s hard work. Katie feels all warm and fuzzy inside. 

The end of the book is the usual chapter introducing the next book- Christie is upset that kids make fun of her for being smart.

At the Chick Manifesto website, ( link on right) there is a contest to win 2 VC Andrews books! Sign up to win!

I never remember hearing about this series, the Unicorn Club, as a kid.  This book came out in 1994 and I know I still read Sweet Valley Twins sometimes, but I never remember that they had this series and I remember when SVU came out. Ah, well.  Having now read this book, I am very glad I never read these as a kid because the Unicorn Club book series sucks total ass. In this edition of Fitzie’s I am mostly going to provide some background and an intro to the Unicorn Club book series, and a short recap of what happens in this book.

Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield are now in seventh grade.  At the beginning of the year, the Unicorns had to pick a club president since Janet Howell is now in high school. Jessica and Lila both thought they should be president, apparently, and they participated in a ” dare war.” This  dare war pissed off Mr. Clark so bad that he said he would totally disband the Unicorns unless they did community service. Along those lines, Jessica and Lila decide the Unicorns need some new and nerdy blood.  The Unicorns have Elizabeth, Maria Slater, and Evie Kim join the club. Maria Slater, in case you do not remember, is the Sweet Valley Twins version of both Jessi Ramsey and Derek Masters. Maria is Jessi because she is black,  and Derek Masters because she’s a former child star. In sixth grade, Maria’s parents decide that Maria should lead a non kid actor, normal childhood life and they move to Sweet Valley.  Evie Kim is a 6th grader and I believe she is of Korean descent. Evie lives with her grandmother, and Grandma owns a vintage clothing shop that Mandy Miller loves to shop at. Evie’s parents are both dead I think- this book doesn’t explain where they are. The other members of this year’s Unicorn club are Jessica and Lila of course, Ellen Riteman, Mandy Miller ( Mandy the vintage clothing store gal who had a touch of the cancer in a Sweet Valley Twins book- I never read that book tho), and Mary Wallace ( Mary Wallace, formerly known as bitchy Mary Giaccio, then sweet Mary Robinson once her bio mom finds her after Mary has been in foster homes for years, and Mary Wallace once Mary’s mom marries this guy Tim who from what I recall is really hunky and likes tugboats.)  Ellen Riteman, by the way, is described as being totally ditzy, but also extremely sweet and loyal. Ummm Ellen was a HUGE bitch in 6th grade what happened? I have no idea what happened to Tamara Chase or Betsy Gordon as they’d be in eighth grade at this time ( guess they are just too boring?) and Kimberly Haver moved.  So that’s the Unicorn Club. They have a new image of being really sweet, caring and frankly I can’t believe I am saying this but they are BORING. They all had to volunteer at a daycare for low income kids, and even when that requirement of community service ended, the girls continue to do it because they have all bonded to the children. We know that Jessica is very tight with a black boy named Oliver, Elizabeth is close to the twins Sandy and Allison, and Lila is very close to a little girl named Ellie. 

Elizabeth Wakefield is the narrator of this book, and ugh I HATE the first person narration in these books- Elizabeth tries to sound wicked damn upbeat about everything ( or else is way melodramatic) and she goes on and on about how she and the other Unicorns are so different, yet they are all really close  and are best friends, and the Unicorn Club is not at all snotty and cliquey anymore. yeah we get it. By the way, the Unicorn Club all wear the same purple jackets with the club name on the back- VERY Pink Ladies.

OK time for the plot of this lame ass book.  A new game show is on TV called Best Friends. Basically two groups of best friends go on the show to find out which group of friends knows each other better, and whatever group knows each other inside and out wins a prize. The Unicorn Club is determined to be on the show, because they know for sure that all of them are best friends and they know each other REALLY well they know it! The Unicorn Club does make it onto the show, but so does a rival clique at Sweet Valley Middle School- the Eight Times Eight Club- a group of 8 girls who are what the old Unicorn Club used to be but also hella lame. The group leader is Amanda, and she always puts down the Unicorn Club. The Eight times eights all dress alike in plaid shirts and jeans all the time and all of them have blown dry straight hair and are quite conformist. Still, the Unicorn Club knows they are true friends and they will win the show. Before the show, the Unicorns all quiz each other about each other’s likes, dislikes and hopes and they feel very well rehearsed when the day of the show arrives. The girls all wear their purple jackets to the show. Originally, the Unicorns thought that on that day they’d be against some boys from another school, but due to last minute changes they are actually against the Eight Plus Eights!!!

The game show is a disaster- the Unicorns can’t even get one damn question right!!!!  The Eight Plus Eights CREAM them because they know every single thing about one another. Because the Unicorn Club lost at the game show and were humiliated on national TV, they all get into a big fight and don’t talk for awhile. But the girls are forced together when they all have to take the little ones to a high school football game ( yep the Unicorn Club is totally like all BSC now and it so doesn’t work) and they all decide that the reason they don’t know everything about one another is because all of them are so unique and they are all very different from one another. The Eight Plus Eights are all major clones of each other and of course they know everything about each other- because they are all wicked alike! The Unicorns are special because each member is so different.  Wow, this series is seeming soooo BSC now- Evie Kim- Claudia Kishi. Mandy Miller- I guess Kristy Thomas because she’s the president of the Unicorns. Maria Slater- Jessi Ramsey of course.  Jessica Wakefield- I’d say Stacey and I guess since Elizabeth is also blonde she could be Dawn.  Mary is apparently very sensitive, so I guess she’d be most like Mary Anne Spier.  Ellen and Lila are nothing like Mal Pike but it still fits I say! And Amanda is Cokie Mason!

I have a couple more of these books so I may or may not read and recap them for this blog, I may not. Really it’s up to you readers- more Unicorn Club or not?  In the meantime, I’ll be back by early next week I believe. I can’t believe I read all of those Sweet Valley themed books in a row. UGH  Well as you know I do have some more Sweet Valley Twins and Kids on the hopper,  and also coming up I will be soon recapping ” Kristy’s Great Idea” and a Little Sister book! As usual- STAY TUNED MY FRIENDS!

Jessica, Ellen, Lila and Janet decided to start a cheerleading squad called the Boosters. In book 3 Mary Giaccio ( who was a total bitch until book #7 for no good reason) was to be one of the four original Boosters, but I guess Janet Howell used her authority to be one of the founding members instead. Auditions have to be open to other girls besides Unicorns. As we left Book 3, remember, Amy Sutton told Liz that she was going to try out for the Boosters, and Elizabeth was none too happy.

Jessica is practicing cheers before dinner, and then Mrs. Wakefield has Elizabeth call Jessica down to dinner. At dinner, Jessica complains about how Ms. Langberg, the gym teacher, said that the auditions have to be open to any girl at Sweet Valley Middle School who wants to try out and this is truly distressing to Jessica. Jessica says ” so many gross girls have tried out, it’s pathetic.” Among these gross girls is Lois Waller who is so fat she could be two people according to Jess, Leslie Forsythe who is scrawny ( so I guess a Boosters cheerleader can’t be too fat or too thin) and always has a runny model ( and who I think became Shandi on America’s Next Top Model), and that icky tomboy Amy Sutton.  Mrs. Wakefield admonishes Jessica for calling Amy icky in front of Liz, and Jessica says she hopes Amy doesn’t think that she can be a Unicorn by getting into the Boosters. Elizabeth says Amy just wants to be a cheerleader and Jessica says Amy was such a klutz in gym class and cheerleaders are supposed to be graceful and beautiful, and Amy is just not cut out to be a Booster at all.

After dinner, Lila calls. Elizabeth answers but Lila doesn’t know it’s Liz, and starts talking to Liz as if it were Jessica. Lila tells Jessica there has to be a way to get rid of all the gross girls who are trying out for the squad, and then Liz tells Lila when she can get a word in that it is Elizabeth Lila is talking to and not Jessica. Elizabeth then calls Jess to the phone. Jessica tells Lila she will agree to whatever Lila decides is the best way to be rid of the gross girls, as long as Ms. Langberg wouldn’t find out. Lila tells Jessica that it will definitely look like a fair tryout, and not to worry.

When Jessica and Elizabeth walk to school with Nora the next day, Nora informs Liz that boys’ basketball tryouts are also today, as well as the cheerleading tryouts.  After school, Elizabeth heads to the gym to cover the tryouts for both the basketball team and the Boosters.  At one end of the gym Elizabeth sees a bunch of nervous looking girls in leotards and gym suits waiting for the Booster auditons.  Elizabeth goes over to Amy to try to convince her not to try out for the Boosters, but Amy isn’t hearing it. Amy tells Liz that she is confident that if the Unicorns see that Amy is good she will be able to join the squad, and nothing is going to stop her. Amy then adds she knows Elizabeth is just trying to be a good friend.  Lila, Ellen, Janet and Jessica all come out of the locker room in matching purple leotards and white tights, and identical regal and bored looking facial expressions.  Lila goes to the front of the crowd, gives a bunch of girls cold  looks and starts making checks on a clipboard. She is so intimidating that some girls immediately leave the line and the gym. Lila announces that she is going to teach the remaining girls one cheer and they have to perfect the cheer for the second round of tryouts next week.  Jessica then shows the girls the cheer - It’s ” Tom, Tom he’s our man if he can’t do it no one can!” Oooh hard. Well some jumps are included in the cheer too,and Elizabeth can see that Jessica has inspired the girls with her graceful movements, gorgeous blonde hair and clear voice. PUH-LEEZ.  Jessica does the cheer again slowly for the girls to try and most of them look really awkward.  Ellen  then has the girls do some baton drills.  Ellen is apparently a great baton twirler, and Amy is one of the girls doing the baton drills with Ellen in the first round. Elizabeth is surprised that Amy is acting as if she’s twirling a baton for the first time,and not showing the Unicorns what she can really do.  Lila whispers to Jessica ” what a bunch of dorks” and Jess then gives Amy a cool glance and Amy gets so embarassed, she drops her baton. Then Jessica thinks that Amy is such a klutz, not even Elizabeth will be upset when they cut Amy from the squad!

Elizabeth is tying together the basketball and cheerleading tryouts for her article.  The boys are dribbling the basketball and making some shots for the basket. Ken Matthews comes out of the locker room and looks very hesitant. Then Bruce Patman screams ” hey midget!” and totally embarasses Ken.  Ken trips over Elizabeth’s backpack as he’s going to leave the gym.  Elizabeth asks Ken why he is choosing to leave tryouts. Ken says that he’s the shortest guy in the whole school and he will never make the team so it’s not even worth trying out.  Elizabeth tells Ken that if he really wants to join the team, nothing should stop him. Yet Elizabeth doesn’t want Amy to try out for cheerleading, even though Amy really wants to do it. Well, of course Elizabeth has inspired Ken to go through with trying out.  Coach Cassels has the boys line up, and Coach Cassells lights up when he sees Ken Matthews has tried out, because Ken’s dad Scott was one of the best players Coach Cassels ever coached. Coach Cassels thinks that Tim Davis, the tallest boy in line, is Ken and claps a hand over one of his shoulders, but then Bruce yells ” no that midget is Ken Matthews!’ Coach Cassels looks shocked, but thinks there’s still hope for Ken as his dad was such a talented ballplayer. But Coach Cassels soon sees that Ken can’t score any goals, can’t dribble, and can’t pass. Coach Cassels tells Ken he will give him a chance because of the respect he has for Ken’s father, but if Ken doesn’t improve he will be cut.

After school, Elizabeth sees Ken.  Ken tells Elizabeth tryouts were horrible and he can’t play basketball. Elizabeth says Ken can come over her house, and maybe Steven who plays JV basketball can give Ken some pointers.  Ken tells Elizabeth he does hope to make the team so that his father will be proud of him because basketball means a lot to his dad. Steven tries to teach Ken about basketball but Ken appears to be hopeless- he can’t shoot, or make any baskets, or pass as we already know. Ken is really dejected after Steven gives up on teaching Ken basketball but Elizabeth gets an idea. When Elizabeth and Jess were little Steven always hogged the basketball so when the girls wanted to play basketball they used a tennis ball. It was a great way to learn how to dribble and pass the ball because it was so small. Sure enough, Ken finds the tennis ball a lot easier to handle and he is doing much better with the tennis ball. As Elizabeth and Ken are practicing, Bruce Patman rides by on his bike and starts laughing at Ken and Liz and calling them the junior basketball league. Ken runs off and almost runs into Jessica.

 Jessica is upset that Ken was over and she doesn’t appreciate Elizabeth inviting geeky guys over especially if say, Bruce Patman rides by. Elizabeth said Bruce did come by and Elizabeth doesn’t really care. Jessica then tells Elizabeth that if she talks to Amy that night to try to convince her to drop the auditions so that Amy isn’t embarassed when she’s cut. After all, Elizabeth sees what a klutz Amy is.

Amy does call, and she tells Elizabeth she wants to be a Booster more than ever. Amy then asks about why Elizabeth was talking to Ken Matthews and Liz wants to keep Ken’s secret so she says Ken just apologized for tripping over Elizabeth’s bookbag.  The next day at school, Ken goes up to Elizabeth and says the tennis ball trick is working great.  Elizabeth tells Ken she’s glad to be of service and as they are shaking hands, Bruce starts teasing Ken and Liz and calling them lovebirds.  By lunchtime, Bruce has told all of Sweet Valley Middle School that Elizabeth and Ken are a couple.  When Jessica hears, she’s upset and pulls Elizabeth aside after dance class and tells Elizabeth to put a stop to the rumors because if kids think Elizabeth and Ken are dating, it will somehow ruin Jessica’s reputation.  Elizabeth thinks that she won’t do any such thing because if kids choose to believe dumb rumors that’s their issue.

After school the next day, Ken, Amy and Liz walk home together. Ken is upset over how the boys are treating him and teasing him and all and Amy tells Ken not to let those dumb boys stop them from something he wants to do, and Amy also talks about how she is trying out for cheerleading even though Lila and Jessica don’t want her to.  Ken is playing basketball with the tennis ball and he is improving a great deal.  Ken decides that if Amy can stand up to the Unicorns and try out for the Boosters, Ken can go for his dream of playing basketball. Amy, meanwhile, is twirling her baton like crazy to practice for Booster auditions.  Amy’s mom calls Amy in saying it’s dark out, and then Lila and Ellen call Amy and tell her to drop out of auditions because plenty of girls are better than Amy is. Amy pretty much tells Ellen and Lila to go to hell.

At lunch the next day, Lila tells Jessica that her favorite singer, Johnny Buck, is going to do a concert in Sweet Valley. Jessica says she HAS to go to the concert this year. Last year, Mr. and Mrs. Wakefield said Elizabeth and Jess were too young to go, but they are in middle school this year so hopefully Ned and Alice will let Jessica attend the show this year- they just HAVE to! Then Janet goes to the lunch table and tells the others that Amy has to be stopped. Jessica decides that the Unicorns will draft a letter to Amy from Ken Matthews. In the letter, Ken writes that Amy should just drop out of the Boosters because most of the other girls trying out are much better and by the way Elizabeth agrees.  Jessica adds the part about Elizabeth because she wants Ken and Amy to stop talking to Liz. Why that’s Jessica’s business I have no clue. Then Jessica suggests one more letter- a letter from Amy to Ken- a LOVE letter.  Later on in the day Amy tells Liz she found a letter that was supposedly from Ken telling Amy not to go through with auditions for the Boosters, but Amy knows Ken would have never written that letter because of the conversation Amy and Ken had the other day.  Amy and Liz see Ken and he blushes and runs away from them. Ken thinks it’s annoying that girls always get mushy and he thought Amy just wanted to be friends.

Lila and Ellen are in the bathroom at school laughing over the letters and saying that if Amy still insists on trying out they will totally embarass her at tryouts. Lila and Ellen don’t realize that Elizabeth was in the stall listening. Elizabeth decides to stop Amy from going to auditions before something awful happens. On the way to auditions, Elizabeth runs into Ken. He won’t talk to Liz at first but then Elizabeth asks Ken if he got a letter from Amy and insists on seeing it. As Lila and Ellen quoted the letter, Liz knows it was their dirty work and tells Ken that the letter is a fake and Amy just wants to be friends.  Elizabeth tells Ken the Unicorns don’t want Amy to be a Booster.  Elizabeth then sees Amy and tells her not to try out because the Unicorns are planning something devious and Amy says they can’t exactly murder her in the gym in front of everyone.  Elizabeth tries telling Amy it could still be horrible and Amy says she doesn’t care and she wants to be a cheerleader more than anything and nothing will stop her, and Amy does call out Liz on her shit- ya know how Elizabeth told Ken to ignore Bruce Patman, but can’t let Amy audition. Elizabeth finally wishes Amy good luck, and Amy says she thinks she will really need it!

Then Elizabeth sees Ken walking out of the gym because he’s too nervous to try out for the team and face Bruce’s taunting. Elizabeth tells Ken what Amy said about not giving up no matter what, and Ken says he will go through with tryouts for Amy because if Amy can be brave against the Unicorns, he can be brave against Bruce.  At Booster tryouts, the 7 remaining girls have to do a cheer- complete with baton twirling- with the Unicorns- each girl will cheer alone with the Unicorns and if they drop the baton once they are OUT!  A pretty blonde named Penny tries out first and poor Penny drops the baton and runs out of the gym crying.  A friend of the Unicorns named Grace is next and she does the routine perfectly. Then it’s Amy’s turn. Remember the cheer is ” a boy’s name he’s our man if he can’t do it no one can!” ya know like ” Frank, Frank he’s our man” for example. Ellen says the name they should use should be KEN!!! Amy thinks it’s pretty low to suggest Ken’s name but at least the Unicorns will cheer with her! Well- NOOOO- As  the cheer starts, Lila, Ellen, Janet and Jess step away from Amy and have Amy cheer Ken, Ken he’s our man ALL BY HERSELF IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE GYM!!!! Amy, of course, is mortified but decides to continue the cheer anyway- and does it perfectly and even does this wicked elaborate baton routine- Amy is better than Ellen at baton! And then Bruce is laughing as Amy is doing this, and Bruce is so distracted that Ken steals the ball from Bruce and makes quite a few baskets! Ken is playing basketball like he’s never played before!  After the  kids in the gym ( yeah tons of kids showed up to watch the final rounds of b- ball and cheerleading tryouts) start cheering wildly for Ken and Amy, the Unicorns realize Amy is great and practically beg Amy to join the Boosters!  And Ken said Coach Cassels said he definitely made the team!  After that excitement ( and after Liz tells Amy she’s sorry for doubting her) Amy tells Elizabeth about Johnny Buck. Elizabeth thinks that she hopes Ned and Alice will let her and Jessica go to the concert this year, especially since Jessica adores Johnny Buck. And of course that leads to the next SVT book (that I read at least 50 times from about 4th-7th grade and loved) Sneaking Out.

Stay tuned this week to a Unicorn Club book recap, and next week it’s the world of Christie Winchell, Jana Morgan, Katie Shannon, Beth Barry and Melanie Edwards-AKA the FAB FIVE!

Jessica, Eva and their friends are playing at the park and talking about what all of them are going to be for Halloween. Eva Simpson is going to be a turtle- cool idea, actually. Elizabeth wanted to be a headless horseman, but Jessica told Elizabeth that was too scary so Elizabeth is now going to be a tiger. Jessica is going as a genie. Halloween is going to be special this year. Lila’s dad rented a big house called Hathaway Manor, and Lila is having a big Halloween party there. If Lila lives in a huge mansion, I am not sure why Mr. Fowler had to rent a big house to have a party. There are rumors that the Hathaway mansion is haunted. Damn, Sweet Valley has lots of rumored haunted houses- the Hathaway mansion, the Mercandy house….  Lila says she is not scared because Lila doesn’t believe in ghosts. Eva says she does believe in ghosts and it would be cool to see the Hathaway mansion ghost, who is rumored to be a woman.

At dinner,  Jessica is saying how fun Lila’s Halloween party will be- she will have  a storyteller, spooky special effects and a haunted dungeon. Ned is wearing a tie with jack o lanterns on it.  Ned then says that Lila’s family is related to the Hathaways. There are no Hathaways left, so the house was turned into a museum and people rent it out to have parties.  Mr. Wakefield then says he thought he saw a ghost in the Hathaway house when he was a little kid. Elizabeth says there are no such things as ghosts.  Steven tries to scare the girls into believing there is a ghost in the house, and Mr. Wakefield tells Steven to stop, and that the only ghosts they will see are special effects. Jessica says that if Lila is related to the Hathaway family, than Lila is related to the ghost too. Elizabeth says that is silly as there is no such thing as ghosts.  Elizabeth kids and tells Jessica that if there is a ghost, she will protect Jess from it! Both girls laugh.

The moment Jessica and Liz walk into the Hathaway mansion, a skeleton drops down on them from the door!  Todd says through his astronaut costume that the skeleton drops down automatically whenever the door opens.  Lila is wearing an old fashioned dress and boots, and has on a really pretty gold locket on the end of a chain. Lila says it’s an antique and her dad said she could wear it.  There are real candles in candelabras on all the tables in the house, and cobwebs hanging from the ceiling.  Lila says the special effects aren’t that scary, when a ” ghostly man” comes out of a trapdoor! Lila screams and drops her parasol.  Ken laughs and says he thought Lila wasn’t scared of anything.  Elizabeth spots a painting on the wall of a young girl with light brown hair and green eyes  in an old fashioned dress that looks a lot like Lila.  Lila blushes and says the girl does not, and then tells the twins they don’t want to be late for the storyteller.

There is an old man sitting in a rocking chair who says the kids have probably heard a lot of rumors about the Hathaway mansion- and they are all true!  Laura Hathaway was an invalid who could barely walk. Her brother Michael took care of her.  Then the Hathaways fell on hard times, and Michael decided to head to Yukon territory to find gold.  Laura became very sick when Michael left and screamed in her sleep, ” Don’t go come back!!”  Michael never came back, and Laura’s spirit wanders around the house looking for Michael.  The old man then says Laura’s portrait is hanging in the house- the same way Elizabeth, Li and Jess saw!  Lila looks really scared when the old man says that.  The old man says that Laura’s room was on the second floor so whatever the kids do- don’t go on the second floor!

Jessica says the story was really scary, and Lila claims not to be scared but her voice is shaky. Then Dracula comes out and has fangs and blood dripping and scares the heck out of Lila and the twins. Well ” Dracula” is only Charlie Cashman, and he laughs about scaring Lila, Jessica and Liz.  Todd then says he saw the painting of Laura Hathaway, and she looks just like Lila. Jessica is all see Lila we told you so but Lila again denies it.  Charlie and Todd tell Lila to stand next to Laura’s painting so they can compare but Lila refuses and Charlie says Lila is too scared. Jessica then looks up the staircase to the second floor.  It is so dark she can barely see the top steps, and she wonders what is up there.  Lila says the party is only on this floor and there is nothing on the second floor.  Jessica agrees, but she is getting very curious about the ghost.

 A creepy looking witch with long fingernails cackles, ” this way to the dungeon.”  She says ” be careful my pretties or you will never come out.”  When Elizabeth touches the bannister in the ” dungeon” her hand gets covered in gooey slime.  Elizabeth then sees a small hole they have to climb through, and she is not sure how they will get through there.  The girls all go through the tunnel.  The tunnel suddenly slants downward and starts to shake! This sounds like a haunted house my boyfriend and I went to in Lake George.  The girls can hear screaming and wailing, and they see three witches stirring a brew and a man in chains asking for water.  Lila, Elizabeth and Jessica get out of there, and then go into a haunted graveyard. Jessica asks Lila if Laura could be buried there and Lila says it’s all fake. Then Elizabeth sees flickering lights on the third floor of the mansion and figures it’s another special effect.  Elizabeth points out the lights to Lila and Lila says there are no effects on the third floor- the party is only in the basement and first floor.  Elizabeth, Jess and Lila look up and don’t see any flickering lights on the third floor.  Lila looks nervous and says there is not supposed to be anything up there. Elizabeth sees Lila looks spooked and says maybe the lights were her imagination.  But Elizabeth KNOWS she saw a light. Elizabeth wonders if Lila is scared of the ghost.

Elizabeth, Li and Jess join the other kids. They are playing pin the tail on the black cat, bobbing for apples and eating candy eyeballs.  Jessica asks where Charlie and Jerry are, and Ken says they were in front of the staircase to the second floor, and Jess gets all spooked. Elizabeth says Jerry and Charlie always go off by themselves. Maybe Jerry and Charlie like playing doctor a lot???  Todd says that Jerry and Charlie did say they may go upstairs, and Lila says she is not going to look for them. Todd says Lila should as it’s her party.  Then Todd and Elizabeth say that all of the kids can go the second floor together so it won’t be as scary. Winston asks Jessica if she is scared, and Jess says no. 

The second hall floorways smell dusty and dirty ( dust smells?) and both doors on the second floor are shut.  The kids try to open the doors but all of them are locked.  Lila wants to give up, but Elizabeth says they have to keep looking for Charlie and Jerry. Then they all hear a loud thump! Winston says it must be another special effect but Lila says there are no special effects on this floor. The kids then hear another LOUD thump and then oooooooohhhhhhh sounds. All of them scream and run downstairs.

Jessica notices that Lila has lost her locket. Lila freaks saying she begged and begged her dad to wear the locket even though he warned it could get loose really easily.  Lila then realizes she lost the locket upstairs, before they all ran down.  Jessica and Elizabeth agree to go back upstairs to help Lila look for her locket and to try to find Charlie and Jerry again.

The girls link their arms together so that it can give them protection and they won’t be as scared.  The girls hear more thumps and bumps. The noises are coming from the attic and Elizabeth speculates that maybe Charlie and Jerry are making those noises.  Elizabeth screams ” are you up there Jerry and Charlie”? ( like they would say it was them!) and they just hear more screams in response. Lila then finds her locket in a bunch of dust, and sees footprints that Li seems to think only a ghost could make.  Lila, Liz and Jess try to find a secret door, as Li says the footprints look like they go into the wall and only ghosts can walk into walls.  Elizabeth said the footprints look like sneakers, so she still thinks it’s Charlie and Jerry but Lila disagrees. Then all of a sudden,  the panel opens into a hidden hinge, and Lila topples backward into the dark!

Lila, Jessica and Liz have found a secret passage!  Elizabeth, Jessica and Lila close the door and head up to stairs that are in the passage. They see a light is on, and all wonder aloud if it was the ghost.  Then Elizabeth hears a noise and says who’s there!! And they see that Charlie and Jerry are hiding behind a box in the attic! Gee, what  a shock!  Jerry explains that they closed the secret door and got stuck in the attic.  Elizabeth deduces that Charlie’s flashlight was the light she saw flickering, and she asks if the boys were up there trying to scare the girls and they pretty much admit it was them.  Elizabeth, Li, Jess, Charlie and Jerry brag about finding the secret passage and Winston makes fun of Charlie and Jerry saying GIRLS had to rescue them and Charlie retorts that Todd and Winston were too chicken to go upstairs with the twins and Lila. Well, the party is done and Mr. and Mrs. Wakefield are there to pick up Jess and Liz. They thank Mr. Fowler for inviting the whole class, and Mr. Fowler says he hopes none of the kids were too scared. Lila says she sure wasn’t scared and Jessica snickers.  As the twins leave, Jessica swears she sees a light flickering in the attic again. Mr. Wakefield says it was probably moonlight but Jessica doesn’t think so- and if it’s not moonlight or Charlie’s flashlight…. 

Two days later, Jessica is still sure she saw a light in the attic, and Elizabeth says it was Charlie’s flashlight.   Ellen Riteman says ” Hi identical twins” to the girls because Jessica and Liz are dressed alike- well in SVT Book 1 claims Jess and Liz dressed alike until 6th grade- but yeah Sweet Valley Kids insist they dress alike  ” sometimes. ” Jessica jokes to Ellen that the twins may have a TRIPLET- their cousin Kelly looks just like them, and she’s visiting soon so Ellen will see the resemblance. And that introduces the next book… ( which I don’t own).

Hope you enjoyed my Halloween treats of the Haunted House and Lila’s Haunted House Party!! Next week I hope to recap both Choosing Sides ( SV Twins #4) and a Unicorn Club book.  After that, look for some Fabulous Five and Taffy Sinclair books, another Sweet Valley Twins book, and BSC Little Sister #15- Karen’s in Love!