November 1, 2022
Gr 3 Up-Jessica and Elizabeth are identical twins who used to do everything together. But after 12 years of sharing the same room, wearing the same clothes, and doing the same activities, middle school is going to change everything. Now Jessica is interested in joining the Unicorns, an exclusive club for popular girls. Meanwhile, Elizabeth is more interested in starting a school newspaper and inviting her friends to work on it with her. The twins no longer feel the same way about boys, or ballet, or how important it is to be popular. While much of this story is light and fluffy, it also explores issues like peer pressure, sibling rivalry, and the limits of friendship. The graphic novel format will introduce this classic series to a new generation, and the colorful artwork will attract even the most reluctant readers. VERDICT For fans of the "Sweet Valley" series, as well as any readers looking for girl-centric stories about friendship, fighting, and forgiveness.-Andrea Lipinski
Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
November 1, 2022
Grades 3-6 Identical twins Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield are sixth graders at Sweet Valley Middle School. Elizabeth is excited to finally be allowed to start a class newspaper and Jessica is on fire to join The Unicorns, a select group of friends who hang out, gossip, and bully other kids (not that they'd call it bullying--more like playing pranks and offering ""constructive criticism""). This is the first time the two haven't participated in the same activities and Elizabeth is worried Jessica is leaving her behind. But when Jessica takes one of The Unicorn's pranks too far and hurts one of Elizabeth's friends, Elizabeth realizes that being her own person is probably for the best. Based on the original Sweet Valley Twins novel from the 1980s, the story is nicely adapted to this new format. Though the twins are drawn identically, blonde and blue-eyed, there are enough visual clues to tell the two girls apart, and the rest of the cast appears more racially diverse. This series should be as popular with readers as The Baby-Sitters Club graphic novels.
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