0 0

This Wish List is empty.

Add items to your wish list by clicking the next to any title, or entering the ISBNs/UPCs using the button below.

 

The Wakefield twins return in this graphic novel, adapted for audio, of the New York Times best-selling Sweet Valley Twins series! It's Elizabeth's turn in the spotlight... but does Jessica deserve it more?

Jessica knows she’s the better dancer – but their teacher only seems to have eyes for her sister Elizabeth! No matter how hard or perfectly she dances she’s not getting recognized – which becomes a huge problem when it becomes clear that her sister is going to get the main role of Swanilda instead of her. Even worse, Elizabeth refuses to believe that their teacher is favoring her! With Jessica’s attitude rapidly souring and Elizabeth slowly realizing that Jessica might actually be right, will they be able to find a way to get Jessica her leading role?
Fun Facts About Francine!
Favorite colors:
beige and blue
Favorite food: Maryland crabcakes
Favorite clothes: casual – jeans
Favorite animal: dog – my German shepherd, Sophie
Education: New York University
Hobbies: walking, movies, theatre (plays)
Birthday: May 13

Interview with Francine Pascal

Where did you grow up?
New York City.
Where do you live today?
New York City and the South of France.
Did you always like reading?
What was your favorite book growing up?
I always loved reading. Growing up, my favorite book was A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Did you always want to be a writer?
Yes, since I was a small child, I was always writing either poems or plays. . . plays in which I had the starring part.
Have you written any books besides the Sweet Valley series?
I've written Hangin' Out with Cici (which became an ABC AfterSchool Special called "My Mother Was Never a Kid"), The Hand-Me-Down Kid (also made into an ABC AfterSchool Special), My First Love and Other Disasters, and Love and Betrayal & Hold the Mayo. I've also worked on a musical and several adult books.
How did Sweet Valley begin?
I originally planned to sell the idea for a daytime drama featuring teenage characters to television networks, until a friend suggested that a book series, rather than a television series, might be the best way to fully develop the fictitious Southern California town of Sweet Valley. The rest is publishing history – and now a TV show, too!
Where do you get your ideas?
I get some of my ideas from watching my three daughters, but most of them come from my own memories of growing up. I can remember how romantic I was, not just about love, but romance in the classic sense – the romantic ideals: of honor and truth, of loyalty, sacrifice and fairness. Those were the elements that made a story satisfying to me. And that what I try to put in all my books. Plus action. Everybody likes action.
How did you come up with Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield?
I always had a fascination with twins. The trick is to think of Elizabeth and Jessica as the good and bad sides of one person.
Which is your favorite Sweet Valley book?
Sweet Valley High #12, When Love Dies.
What is it like to have the characters you created come to life in the TV show, Sweet Valley High?
It's marvelous! Just the way I had pictured it. The characters have grown and the acting is good and I am very pleased. View titles by Francine Pascal
"Guaranteed to appeal to fans, who will soon be asking when the next one will be out." —Kirkus Reviews

About

The Wakefield twins return in this graphic novel, adapted for audio, of the New York Times best-selling Sweet Valley Twins series! It's Elizabeth's turn in the spotlight... but does Jessica deserve it more?

Jessica knows she’s the better dancer – but their teacher only seems to have eyes for her sister Elizabeth! No matter how hard or perfectly she dances she’s not getting recognized – which becomes a huge problem when it becomes clear that her sister is going to get the main role of Swanilda instead of her. Even worse, Elizabeth refuses to believe that their teacher is favoring her! With Jessica’s attitude rapidly souring and Elizabeth slowly realizing that Jessica might actually be right, will they be able to find a way to get Jessica her leading role?

Author

Fun Facts About Francine!
Favorite colors:
beige and blue
Favorite food: Maryland crabcakes
Favorite clothes: casual – jeans
Favorite animal: dog – my German shepherd, Sophie
Education: New York University
Hobbies: walking, movies, theatre (plays)
Birthday: May 13

Interview with Francine Pascal

Where did you grow up?
New York City.
Where do you live today?
New York City and the South of France.
Did you always like reading?
What was your favorite book growing up?
I always loved reading. Growing up, my favorite book was A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Did you always want to be a writer?
Yes, since I was a small child, I was always writing either poems or plays. . . plays in which I had the starring part.
Have you written any books besides the Sweet Valley series?
I've written Hangin' Out with Cici (which became an ABC AfterSchool Special called "My Mother Was Never a Kid"), The Hand-Me-Down Kid (also made into an ABC AfterSchool Special), My First Love and Other Disasters, and Love and Betrayal & Hold the Mayo. I've also worked on a musical and several adult books.
How did Sweet Valley begin?
I originally planned to sell the idea for a daytime drama featuring teenage characters to television networks, until a friend suggested that a book series, rather than a television series, might be the best way to fully develop the fictitious Southern California town of Sweet Valley. The rest is publishing history – and now a TV show, too!
Where do you get your ideas?
I get some of my ideas from watching my three daughters, but most of them come from my own memories of growing up. I can remember how romantic I was, not just about love, but romance in the classic sense – the romantic ideals: of honor and truth, of loyalty, sacrifice and fairness. Those were the elements that made a story satisfying to me. And that what I try to put in all my books. Plus action. Everybody likes action.
How did you come up with Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield?
I always had a fascination with twins. The trick is to think of Elizabeth and Jessica as the good and bad sides of one person.
Which is your favorite Sweet Valley book?
Sweet Valley High #12, When Love Dies.
What is it like to have the characters you created come to life in the TV show, Sweet Valley High?
It's marvelous! Just the way I had pictured it. The characters have grown and the acting is good and I am very pleased. View titles by Francine Pascal

Praise

"Guaranteed to appeal to fans, who will soon be asking when the next one will be out." —Kirkus Reviews

Books for LGBTQIA+ Pride Month

In June we celebrate Pride Month, which honors the 1969 Stonewall riots in Manhattan and highlights the accomplishments of those in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual + (LGBTQIA+) community, while recognizing the ongoing struggles faced by many across the world who wish to live as their most authentic selves. Browse our

Read more

Reading with Purpose Summit Event

On Monday, June 10th, Penguin Random House Education and DK Learning co-hosted a Reading with Purpose Summit Event in collaboration with Molly Ness, PhD. The event took place at Penguin Random House’s NYC headquarters and included sessions featuring leading education experts and a lunchtime author panel. The in-person professional learning event was built to show

Read more

2024 Elementary School Collection

The Penguin Random House Education Elementary School Collection features outstanding fiction, nonfiction, and picture books from Penguin Young Reader’s, Random House Children’s, DK, and Grupo Editorial, as well as children’s publishers distributed by Penguin Random House. Explore online or download this valuable resource to discover great books in specific topic areas such as: Leveled Readers,

Read more

DK Learning Phonic Books Sampler Request

Thank you for your interest in DK Learning | Phonic Books. To download the DK Learning | Phonic Books sampler with four complete readers, please click here and complete the form. Once your information is successfully submitted, a link to download the sampler will be provided on the confirmation screen.   Click here to learn

Read more

PRH Education Translanguaging Collections

Translanguaging is a communicative practice of bilinguals and multilinguals, that is, it is a practice whereby bilinguals and multilinguals use their entire linguistic repertoire to communicate and make meaning (García, 2009; García, Ibarra Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017)   It is through that lens that we have partnered with teacher educators and bilingual education experts, Drs.

Read more