Lila's Secret

Sweet Valley Kids #6

by Francine Pascal

Identical twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield are having a sleepover in their backyard! Camping out in a tent sounds a little bit scary, but it's going to be a lot of fun. All the girls the twins invite are very excited about sleeping outdoors--except for Lila Fowler. Lila seems worried and embarrassed about something she won't tell anyone. Will Jessica and Elizabeth find out what their friend is trying to hide?

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade

71 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Francine Paula Pascal was an American author best known for her Sweet Valley series of young adult novels. Sweet Valley High, the backbone of the collection, was made into a television series, which led to several spin-offs, including The Unicorn Club and Sweet Valley University. Although most of these books were published in the 1980s and 1990s, they remained so popular that several titles were re-released decades later.

Reviews

[Tiffany Spencer]

Lila’s Secret
Amy, Liz, and jessica beuild a fort in the backyard out of cardboard boxes. Jessica isn’t as excited about it as her twin and Amy. Liz and Amy come up with the idea to have a camp out (sleepover) and invite Lila, Eva, and Ellen.

The twins tell all their friends the next day but when Jessica asks Lila she says she’ll have to do something with her grandmother Saturday. The twins say the camp out and cook out is Friday. Lila is hesitant. She says she’ll have to ask her parents. When theyplead with her to come she says maybe. Then the boys overhear they’ve having a camp out which could mean trouble.

At dance class, Lila says she has an indea. They can have the sleepover at her house. She says she has a real pool and a tv and a vcr. Liz and Jessica say they have a real pool and your not supposed to watch tv at a camp out. Ellen seems to go back and forth. Lila gets upset and runs out of class. Liz wonder what’s wrth her and thinks maybe because she’ll be home sick. Jessica says no. Se just have to have everything her way.
At lunch the boys (Todd, Ken, and Winston) tease the girls about knowing what they’re up to. The girls tell them they aren’t up to anything. They say well whoever is having a camp out is going to get raided but if they aren’t doing anything they have nothing to worry about. Lila says then she’s not oming. Then they start to tease her. They ask her if shes scaref or the dark or if she wets herself. Lila turns red and looks like she might cry. Liz tells them to stop being mean and leave her alone, but they say they’re going to find out her secret. Liz wonders again what’s wrong with Lila. So does Jessica whose never seen Lila this upset. But secretly she wants to see if the boys will play any trics on them.

Everyone starts to arrive at the party. The tent is set up. Eva arrives with her new sleeping bag and stuffed horse Arabella that she sleeps with every night. Lila arrives and has a ton of stuff and a paper bag that she’s not telling anyone whats in it. She has her sleeping bag, clothes for the next day, a flash light and a rian coat and a suitcase. After that they all have hotdogs and hamburgers, chips and watermelon. Everyone has juice but Lila (who doesn’t want anything to drink). Then they make a game of spitting watermelon seeds at each other and play some more games like “Freeze Tag” and “Red Light Green Light”. Then it gets dark and the camp out starts.

The girls all change into their pajamas and turn off the lights. Each of them except Lila have a favorite stuffed animal. Lila says she’s too old for it. Ellen has a rabbit. The twins have kola bears. Amy has an old teddy bear with one eye. They all turn off their flashlights. Jess asks Liz is she scared. Liz says no. jess says her either. Then they hear a noise (crickets). Ellen says she wishes she were in her own bed. Lila wonders if the boys will come. Liz says Tdd wouldn’t play tricks on them. Eva says there might be wild animals. Amy says no wild animals. But there might be ghosts. Amy’s about to tell a story but there hear a loud crack. But then they find Todd and Steven spraying water on the tent. Lila gets upset and says she wants to go home. She starts screaming and crying. Mr. And Mrs. Wakefield come out and asks what’s going on. They tell them Amy got stuck in her bag and Ellen and Lila got upset. Mr. Wakefield says he’ll walk Todd home. Liz tells him she’s not mad at him. Mrs. Wakefild tells Steven to go inside and they’ll talk in the morning.

Ellen is still crying about going home so Mrs. Wakefield says they can call her mom. She got wet and the tent got ruined. But everyone else goes back in the tent regardless. Ellen comes back out and says she talked to her mom. They all agree their glad they brought her stuff animals. They turn off the flash lights and here a cumpling noise. It turns out it’s Lila opening her bag. She has on old blankie she sleeps with. She says it’s just for when she’s away from home. All the other girls fall asleep. Lila stays awake.

Liz wakes up and hears Lila crying and this wakes up Jessica. Lila says she didn’t mean to and then takes her sleeping bag outside. Liz figures out that she wet her sleeping bag, Lila asks will they tell. Liz says she won’t and makes her special promise sign that the twins made up. Jessica cays she won’t tell either. Lila says she only does it when she’s away from home. The twins tell her Steven use to do it but grew out of it when he got to the seventh grade. Liz admits she wet her bed once after a scary movie. They all go back to bed. Lila put her blankie over the wet spot.

The next morning, Jessica wakes up Liz. Then everyone else starts to wake up. Jessica asks Ellen is she still home sick. She says she guesses not. Jessica makes the promise sign to Lila. They all run in the house to have breakfast. Eva and liz talk about a book Liz likes. Lila told them she saw a letter from their teacher to the author Angela Daily asking if she’d come visit their school.

My Thoughts
Wow! I felt bad for Lila. I don’t remember having this particular problem, but I can relate I do have an issue that would make me a little anxious about sleeping over with anyone. I don’t think tho there’s anything wrong with having a stuffed thing or a blanket. I’m an adult and I have a room full of stuffed things that I’ve grown attached to. When I was Jessica and Liz’s age I had a ratty teddy bear named Jason. People tell me all the time, I carried that little thing everywhere. After a while it was just a head and a piece of (smelly) cloth (I guess the cloth was clothes). If I left it somewhere I’d make them go back and get it. So, I think it’s just a natural thing for a kid to have a favorite toy or object to sleep with. The camp out sounded fun tho. I’ve never been on one of those. I can see how tho it might be a little hard to fall asleep outside with all those distracting noises going on.

Rating: 5

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hadn't actually read this one as a child so it was nice to read from a fresh perspective. Pascal handles Lola's "secret" with care and empathy and the twins reaction is heartwarming. This book should be an encouragement to any little girl or boy who also carries this "secret*"

*it is nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about!

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just adorable.

However, I know continuity isn’t Sweet Valley’s strong suit, but there are a few references to Lila’s “parents” here, which is just crazy. The one thing that never changes in any of these series is that Lila is raised solo by George Fowler!

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why in the world would Lila go back inside her sleeping bag for the night without changing clothes after she wet it?

[Reading with Cats · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nope, you’re never going to get me to believe that Lila is a bed wetter. Nice try, ghostwriters.

[Stephanie Duerr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty wholesome. Them as kids are a lot more tolerable than them as teens

[Ruvi Perera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twins are organizing a camping night in their backyard and Lila is hesitant to participate.

[Kylie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The twins and Amy are playing forts and decide it would be cool to have a camp out sleepover in their backyard. Even Jess who usually hates that stuff. So they invite Ellen, Eva and Lila. Lila totally hates the idea, and I’m thinking she must be afraid of the dark or insects or kidnappers. Or is that just why I hate it? Anyway, she eventually agrees, and the party gets started, Lila bringing a mystery bag in tow. Todd and Steven get busted for playing a prank (turning a hose on the tent so the girls think it’s raining - good one boys!), and then it’s time for bed. Every girl has a stuffed toy she sleeps with - except Lila who is too cool. Until Liz catches her pulling a blankie out of the mystery bag! Secrets out. Or is it? Liz wakes up in the middle of the night to Lila crying because... she wet the sleeping bag. Lila ‘too cool’ Fowler. I don’t buy it 🤷🏼‍♀️ A couple of inconsistencies - Lila talks about her parents, but we all know her Mums off in Paris; and she mentions that the Wakefield pool is above ground. I don’t see that. Anyway, my rating - 4/10!

[Tara Calaby]

I thought that this one dealt with the Issue Of The Book surprisingly well. It turns out that Lila wets the bed when she sleeps away from home and when the twins find out they're super supportive... yes, even Jessica! I like that they chose Lila to be the one with the secret, instead of one of the more unpopular kids, because it lets tiny readers know that even the cool kids can struggle with this kind of thing.

[Holly Letson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lila acts like a big shot and pretty much refuses to attend the Wakefield Twins' camp-out. She does because she doesn't want her secret to get out; her secret being that she still sleeps with a security blanket and wets the bed. She ends up doing both at the camp-out, but the Wakefield Twins tell no-one.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the one where the Wakefield Twins have a campout-style sleepover in their backyard. It was the sleepover party I'd always wanted to have! Lila is nervous about coming, but won't say why. Not to spoil anything, but let's just say this was before "Goodnights" we're developed.

[Cws]

JAR4-Pas

[Michaela Branum · Rating 1 out of 5]

I LOATHE LILA

[Sheila Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

the twins friends always have secrets they keep from each other