What do you think?
Rate this book
Sweet Valley Twins #26
Taking Charge
Making changes...
Even though Jessica and Elizabeth don't always see eye to eye, they know their problems aren't half as bad as those of their classmate, Patrick Morris. At least the twins have one big, happy family.
Patrick's parents seem to be the meanest people in the world. They don't let him have more than one friend visit at a time, they refuse to let him go to the big rock concert with the gang and, worst of all, they forbid him to join the Sweet Valley band!
That's when Patrick decides to take matters into his own hands. And, if his parents don't listen this time, they'll really be sorry!
Even though Jessica and Elizabeth don't always see eye to eye, they know their problems aren't half as bad as those of their classmate, Patrick Morris. At least the twins have one big, happy family.
Patrick's parents seem to be the meanest people in the world. They don't let him have more than one friend visit at a time, they refuse to let him go to the big rock concert with the gang and, worst of all, they forbid him to join the Sweet Valley band!
That's when Patrick decides to take matters into his own hands. And, if his parents don't listen this time, they'll really be sorry!
106 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1989
2 people are currently reading
244 people want to read
About the author
Francine Pascal
1,139 books1,850 followersFrancine 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Read
November 7, 2023Taking Charge
Patrick (a friend of Liz and Jess) is at their house after school. The twins start to make roast beef sandwiches (well Liz does) and ask him to say. He says no at first but then realizes his mom is taking his little brothers shopping so he says he can stay a minute. Then he starts to vent about how strict his mother has been. She won’t let him have but one friend over at a time. she won’t let him have snacks, she’s cut his allowance in half, she won’t let him talk on the phone and she makes him do homework for three hours. If they don’t have three hours’ worth she makes him do extra reading. Patrick’s mom comes home early and makes him come home. When Jessica leaves her to unpack the groceries, Liz thinks she wishes there was something she could do to help Patrick, but she doesn’t have any ideas.
The next day, Jessica and Lila talk about their upcoming science project at school. Lila doesn’t have any ideas for it yet. Science class is first period. Lila tells her she’ll think of something in homeroom. Jessica sees Bruce talking to Ken and decides to ask him about the concert at Secca Lake. “The Wild Ones” will be performing. Jessica decides it would be special to go with Bruce. Bruce seems bored with the mention of it. In homeroom, Liz says Patrick isn’t there and they should drop his homework off. In homeroom, Lila says they can do a chart on rainbows. But their teacher says they’ll have to pick partners out of a hat because he sees the same people working together. Jessica picks Winston. Lila gets Ellen. Mr. Segel then gives them time to talk to their partners. Winston wants to grow mold by taking bread and leaving it in different places. Then record how fast the mold grows. Then they can do a report on molds and penicillin. He says if they do a good job they might can make it to the science fair. She makes him agree to leave the bread at his house. Liz tells her it won’t be so bad. Maybe they can grow purple mold.
After school, Patrick lets them in even tho he isn’t supposed to have but one friend over at a time. Liz gives him his assignments and tells him his partner is Julie. His mother shows up and Jessica runs out the back door but she’s grabbed by his little brother Joey. She runs into Mrs. Moore who asks her to help with the groceries. Liz tries to sneak out the door. Patrick distracts his mom's attention by telling her she doesn’t feel good. So, Liz and Jessica are able to make it out of Moore’s.
The twins have a long weekend because of a teacher’s conference. Jessica prepares for a visit from Winston by putting on some of Liz’s worst clothes. Liz will be inviting some friends over to go swimming. Liz invites Winston to stick around. Winston gives Jessica the bad news. They’ll have to grow the mold at her house. His mom is redecorating and the bread might get thrown out. Jessica wants to know if he’s sure they’ll win first prize but he says he can’t make any guarantees. So, they get started.
Aftrr a while, they join the party. Patrick and Julie say they’ll be doing sound waves. Julie says it’ll be good because they’re both interested in music. Patrick admits he’s been thinking of trying out for the band. This leads into talking about the concert. Patrick says he doesn’t think he can go. Lila and Bruce show up at ask can they swim there, but Jessica makes up and excuse because she doesn’t want them to know Winston is there. So, they all go to the mall. Jessica says she’ll meet them.
Liz says she wants to drop by Patrick’s before the concert. Mrs. Sutton dropped off Amy’s ticket. She’s sick and can’t go.Mrs. Moore tho says he can’t go even when they tell her the ticket is just three dollars, and it’s a fundraiser for library books. The twins notice her eyes are red.
Jessica sees Bruce with his friends and sits her blanket behind his. He asks her why she isn’t sitting with her friends and she pretends she doesn’t know where they are hoping he’ll ask her to sit with him. Only, he points out where Lila and Ellen are. There went that idea. At school, Patrick asks about the concert. Liz tells him it was good. Then it’s awark. She tells him she’s sorry he couldn’t go and he explains that his parents didn’t want to extend his curfew. Still, he hopes they’ll be cool with him going out for band. Liz can’t imagine why they wouldn’t be. He goes over there early. Julie is there. She tells him if he doesn’t have an instrument they’ll give him one. (He wants to play the sax). She gives them something to practice. The tryouts are next Mondy and then they’ll play at a SVMS game. Patrick isn’t sure if he should bring his saxophone home. He decides to talk to his mom first. They say no. He needs to concentrate on his grades (and a barrage of other excuses). He decides to try out anyway.
The next morning, he goes to the twins house and tells them. He asks them if he can hide his sax at their house. He’ll come over and practice when he can. Liz doesn’t think it sounds right (the lying). But he convinces her It’s not long tho before the noise and the bread everywhere start to get on Steven’s nerves and asks why Patrick can’t just practice at his own house. Liz wants to tell him but Jessica says the less people know about Patrick’s problem the better. Winston comes by and puts his foot down. Since, he’s been doing all the work, he tells Jessica she has to make a display and write the report or he’ll tell everyone she didn’t do anything.
Jessica and Winston gets compliments on their project and feel good about their chances of making the science fair. Patrick does great on his audition and the teacher says he’s made the cut. Even tho, Patrick tells his parents he got in and has been able to keep his grades up they still are angry that he disobeyed them and won’t let him be in the bad. This turns into a fight and he vows one day they’ll be sorry they didn’t allow him to join the band. Jessica and Winston get an A, but Peter is the one selected for the science fair. Their teacher tho wants their project to be displayed in the library on Saturday. Jessica realizes there’s a football game but she’s pressured into it by her teacher. Jessica suggests Winston go by himself. Jessica says she’ll just go to half the game. Winston agrees to this. She tells her parents but they say they have tickets to a movie (WOW). Liz promises she’ll be there.
Liz, Ken, and Julie try to convince Patrick to go to the game, but they just end up upsetting him when they try to get him to see that maybe his parents are acting the way they are for a reason. Then the Unicorns tell Jessica there will be a party at Bruce’s, all the Unicorns are invited, and the Wild Ones will be playing. Even though she promised Winston she’ll be at the library Jessica just decides to leave him hanging. It’ll be good for him to get over his shyness. So, she tells Liz she’s leaving with the Unicorns. But at Bruce’s after seeing the Wild Ones were just a rumor and there no food Jessica realizes she rather be at the library getting praised. So she starts to leave but Jerry knocks into her ruining her outfit so she goes home. When she gets there Liz tells her Patrick is missing.
Their parents and the twins make some calls. Winston comes by to chew Jessica out but she interrupts him and tells him Patrick is missing. So, he helps them make calls. Later she tries to give him the bs excuse she was helping him, but he says she probably had something better to do. He says he handled it tho. Still, he’s not happy with her. An officer comes by later with the Morrises and the twins tell them Patrick felt like he was being treated unreasonably. Her parents say they’ll help search for him the next day. Liz tells Jess she’s worried later and can’t sleep. Jess reassures her that Patrick is probably okay, though she admits he had a lot of reasons to run away. She says that Steven and his friends will also go look for Patrick in the morning. Liz worries that Patrick might be somewhere sleeping on a park bench.
Liz wants to search with Steve the next day. Her parents think it’ll be better if she and Jessica search the neighborhood. Liz finds a note on the door that *they* have Patrick and to stop searching or it would be bad for them. So, she wakes up Jessica and They show it to their mom and they call the police. The police say they’ll check it out but they think its fake. Winston The twins go to look for Patrick, but Winston tells them he’s at his house in the basement. Then he says Patrick wrote the note and he delivered it. Jessica says he did the right thing by letting Patrick stay with him. They go over to Winston’s and for a minute they think he left because they don’t see him, but he’s just taking a shower. Patrick says he just wanted to get away from them. Liz says it worked he got their attention. Patrick says he’s not going back, but he only has twenty dollars they reason. Winston says he can’t stay his parents willl be home. Jessica says he can stay in their shed. Liz says he has to go home but he says he’s not and makes Liz promise not to tell.
When they get home the Morisses are there. Liz blurts out that Patrick is at the Egnerts. Their parents scold them for not telling them right away. When they get there Patrick has run away again. He’s at an abanded church. Knowing that the church is condemned they race there. When they get there Patrick refuses to come out. The police and the fire department arrive on the scene. The firemen go in and come out. Patrick isn’t with The Captain say he’s fallen threw some rotted woods and is trapped. Patrick’s father goes in and tosses him a lasso. He ties it around his waist and the firemen are able to lower him so he can go down the hole. The fireman get him. Mr. Morris now has to get out. He makes it to the stairs and and is able to get out of the church.
Later Mr. Morris tells Patrick the reason they made all those new rules was because Mr. Morris lost his job. Patrick says the school provides everything but the mouthpiece and the reeds. He says he’ll help he’ll get a paper route, but his father says he got a job on another construction site and he can be in the band. There’s another discussion at the Wakefields. Her parents let her off the hook for missing the science fair but don’t quite go for her explanation she was trying to help Winston get over his shyness. They tell her she needs to apologize. They also let the twins off the hook for not telling them where Patrick was right away.
My Thoughts
WOW! I wasn’t expecting this to go where it went (a fake kidnapping). I thought this dumb girl here was the only one who could dream up something this ridiculous. Patrick got off EASY! This year there was this lady named Carrie Russell. If you hadn’t heard this story it goes. (And it was all over the news). She called the police and reported she saw a baby with nothing on but a diaper that was by itself that she had followed for three miles. She told this to the Hoover police (Hoover is a white area). This was a black lady. So when they went to look for the child (and I wanna say the call got cut) they found her car. So a nationwide search was called for her. Then she turns up. She was spotted just WALKING HOME. She tells this story about how she was kidnapped by a man with orange hair and a lady. They kidnapped her and took her to (was it a trailer). She said something about how she remembered the lady kept feeling her hair.
The police did searches and found she’d bought bus tickets and had Goggle searched taken. Not long ago she admitted she made it up (As if anyone was stupid enough to believe this bizarre story) and she got sentenced to a year in jail. Which I think personally should have been longer. To this day no one even knows what was the reason. That’s why II say Patrick and Winston got off easy. I guess Patrick tho is a minor and Liz told before a really big search effort went out. Still, you can’t play with the police’s time and money like that. As we all learned by Carrie Russell who probably weren’t as concerned about her as the (white) toddler she said she saw. The crazy thing is I heard they were trying to get the case tried somewhere else. I guess for leniency. WHY? This was Carrie Russell’s INSANE half-ass idea. She had to know there’d be consequences. To be honest she probably didn’t think people *would* look for her. Then when she heard about what a stir it had caused she thought Oh ISH. I better come back. Did she do it to punish her parents like Patrick did?
Patrick (a friend of Liz and Jess) is at their house after school. The twins start to make roast beef sandwiches (well Liz does) and ask him to say. He says no at first but then realizes his mom is taking his little brothers shopping so he says he can stay a minute. Then he starts to vent about how strict his mother has been. She won’t let him have but one friend over at a time. she won’t let him have snacks, she’s cut his allowance in half, she won’t let him talk on the phone and she makes him do homework for three hours. If they don’t have three hours’ worth she makes him do extra reading. Patrick’s mom comes home early and makes him come home. When Jessica leaves her to unpack the groceries, Liz thinks she wishes there was something she could do to help Patrick, but she doesn’t have any ideas.
The next day, Jessica and Lila talk about their upcoming science project at school. Lila doesn’t have any ideas for it yet. Science class is first period. Lila tells her she’ll think of something in homeroom. Jessica sees Bruce talking to Ken and decides to ask him about the concert at Secca Lake. “The Wild Ones” will be performing. Jessica decides it would be special to go with Bruce. Bruce seems bored with the mention of it. In homeroom, Liz says Patrick isn’t there and they should drop his homework off. In homeroom, Lila says they can do a chart on rainbows. But their teacher says they’ll have to pick partners out of a hat because he sees the same people working together. Jessica picks Winston. Lila gets Ellen. Mr. Segel then gives them time to talk to their partners. Winston wants to grow mold by taking bread and leaving it in different places. Then record how fast the mold grows. Then they can do a report on molds and penicillin. He says if they do a good job they might can make it to the science fair. She makes him agree to leave the bread at his house. Liz tells her it won’t be so bad. Maybe they can grow purple mold.
After school, Patrick lets them in even tho he isn’t supposed to have but one friend over at a time. Liz gives him his assignments and tells him his partner is Julie. His mother shows up and Jessica runs out the back door but she’s grabbed by his little brother Joey. She runs into Mrs. Moore who asks her to help with the groceries. Liz tries to sneak out the door. Patrick distracts his mom's attention by telling her she doesn’t feel good. So, Liz and Jessica are able to make it out of Moore’s.
The twins have a long weekend because of a teacher’s conference. Jessica prepares for a visit from Winston by putting on some of Liz’s worst clothes. Liz will be inviting some friends over to go swimming. Liz invites Winston to stick around. Winston gives Jessica the bad news. They’ll have to grow the mold at her house. His mom is redecorating and the bread might get thrown out. Jessica wants to know if he’s sure they’ll win first prize but he says he can’t make any guarantees. So, they get started.
Aftrr a while, they join the party. Patrick and Julie say they’ll be doing sound waves. Julie says it’ll be good because they’re both interested in music. Patrick admits he’s been thinking of trying out for the band. This leads into talking about the concert. Patrick says he doesn’t think he can go. Lila and Bruce show up at ask can they swim there, but Jessica makes up and excuse because she doesn’t want them to know Winston is there. So, they all go to the mall. Jessica says she’ll meet them.
Liz says she wants to drop by Patrick’s before the concert. Mrs. Sutton dropped off Amy’s ticket. She’s sick and can’t go.Mrs. Moore tho says he can’t go even when they tell her the ticket is just three dollars, and it’s a fundraiser for library books. The twins notice her eyes are red.
Jessica sees Bruce with his friends and sits her blanket behind his. He asks her why she isn’t sitting with her friends and she pretends she doesn’t know where they are hoping he’ll ask her to sit with him. Only, he points out where Lila and Ellen are. There went that idea. At school, Patrick asks about the concert. Liz tells him it was good. Then it’s awark. She tells him she’s sorry he couldn’t go and he explains that his parents didn’t want to extend his curfew. Still, he hopes they’ll be cool with him going out for band. Liz can’t imagine why they wouldn’t be. He goes over there early. Julie is there. She tells him if he doesn’t have an instrument they’ll give him one. (He wants to play the sax). She gives them something to practice. The tryouts are next Mondy and then they’ll play at a SVMS game. Patrick isn’t sure if he should bring his saxophone home. He decides to talk to his mom first. They say no. He needs to concentrate on his grades (and a barrage of other excuses). He decides to try out anyway.
The next morning, he goes to the twins house and tells them. He asks them if he can hide his sax at their house. He’ll come over and practice when he can. Liz doesn’t think it sounds right (the lying). But he convinces her It’s not long tho before the noise and the bread everywhere start to get on Steven’s nerves and asks why Patrick can’t just practice at his own house. Liz wants to tell him but Jessica says the less people know about Patrick’s problem the better. Winston comes by and puts his foot down. Since, he’s been doing all the work, he tells Jessica she has to make a display and write the report or he’ll tell everyone she didn’t do anything.
Jessica and Winston gets compliments on their project and feel good about their chances of making the science fair. Patrick does great on his audition and the teacher says he’s made the cut. Even tho, Patrick tells his parents he got in and has been able to keep his grades up they still are angry that he disobeyed them and won’t let him be in the bad. This turns into a fight and he vows one day they’ll be sorry they didn’t allow him to join the band. Jessica and Winston get an A, but Peter is the one selected for the science fair. Their teacher tho wants their project to be displayed in the library on Saturday. Jessica realizes there’s a football game but she’s pressured into it by her teacher. Jessica suggests Winston go by himself. Jessica says she’ll just go to half the game. Winston agrees to this. She tells her parents but they say they have tickets to a movie (WOW). Liz promises she’ll be there.
Liz, Ken, and Julie try to convince Patrick to go to the game, but they just end up upsetting him when they try to get him to see that maybe his parents are acting the way they are for a reason. Then the Unicorns tell Jessica there will be a party at Bruce’s, all the Unicorns are invited, and the Wild Ones will be playing. Even though she promised Winston she’ll be at the library Jessica just decides to leave him hanging. It’ll be good for him to get over his shyness. So, she tells Liz she’s leaving with the Unicorns. But at Bruce’s after seeing the Wild Ones were just a rumor and there no food Jessica realizes she rather be at the library getting praised. So she starts to leave but Jerry knocks into her ruining her outfit so she goes home. When she gets there Liz tells her Patrick is missing.
Their parents and the twins make some calls. Winston comes by to chew Jessica out but she interrupts him and tells him Patrick is missing. So, he helps them make calls. Later she tries to give him the bs excuse she was helping him, but he says she probably had something better to do. He says he handled it tho. Still, he’s not happy with her. An officer comes by later with the Morrises and the twins tell them Patrick felt like he was being treated unreasonably. Her parents say they’ll help search for him the next day. Liz tells Jess she’s worried later and can’t sleep. Jess reassures her that Patrick is probably okay, though she admits he had a lot of reasons to run away. She says that Steven and his friends will also go look for Patrick in the morning. Liz worries that Patrick might be somewhere sleeping on a park bench.
Liz wants to search with Steve the next day. Her parents think it’ll be better if she and Jessica search the neighborhood. Liz finds a note on the door that *they* have Patrick and to stop searching or it would be bad for them. So, she wakes up Jessica and They show it to their mom and they call the police. The police say they’ll check it out but they think its fake. Winston The twins go to look for Patrick, but Winston tells them he’s at his house in the basement. Then he says Patrick wrote the note and he delivered it. Jessica says he did the right thing by letting Patrick stay with him. They go over to Winston’s and for a minute they think he left because they don’t see him, but he’s just taking a shower. Patrick says he just wanted to get away from them. Liz says it worked he got their attention. Patrick says he’s not going back, but he only has twenty dollars they reason. Winston says he can’t stay his parents willl be home. Jessica says he can stay in their shed. Liz says he has to go home but he says he’s not and makes Liz promise not to tell.
When they get home the Morisses are there. Liz blurts out that Patrick is at the Egnerts. Their parents scold them for not telling them right away. When they get there Patrick has run away again. He’s at an abanded church. Knowing that the church is condemned they race there. When they get there Patrick refuses to come out. The police and the fire department arrive on the scene. The firemen go in and come out. Patrick isn’t with The Captain say he’s fallen threw some rotted woods and is trapped. Patrick’s father goes in and tosses him a lasso. He ties it around his waist and the firemen are able to lower him so he can go down the hole. The fireman get him. Mr. Morris now has to get out. He makes it to the stairs and and is able to get out of the church.
Later Mr. Morris tells Patrick the reason they made all those new rules was because Mr. Morris lost his job. Patrick says the school provides everything but the mouthpiece and the reeds. He says he’ll help he’ll get a paper route, but his father says he got a job on another construction site and he can be in the band. There’s another discussion at the Wakefields. Her parents let her off the hook for missing the science fair but don’t quite go for her explanation she was trying to help Winston get over his shyness. They tell her she needs to apologize. They also let the twins off the hook for not telling them where Patrick was right away.
My Thoughts
WOW! I wasn’t expecting this to go where it went (a fake kidnapping). I thought this dumb girl here was the only one who could dream up something this ridiculous. Patrick got off EASY! This year there was this lady named Carrie Russell. If you hadn’t heard this story it goes. (And it was all over the news). She called the police and reported she saw a baby with nothing on but a diaper that was by itself that she had followed for three miles. She told this to the Hoover police (Hoover is a white area). This was a black lady. So when they went to look for the child (and I wanna say the call got cut) they found her car. So a nationwide search was called for her. Then she turns up. She was spotted just WALKING HOME. She tells this story about how she was kidnapped by a man with orange hair and a lady. They kidnapped her and took her to (was it a trailer). She said something about how she remembered the lady kept feeling her hair.
The police did searches and found she’d bought bus tickets and had Goggle searched taken. Not long ago she admitted she made it up (As if anyone was stupid enough to believe this bizarre story) and she got sentenced to a year in jail. Which I think personally should have been longer. To this day no one even knows what was the reason. That’s why II say Patrick and Winston got off easy. I guess Patrick tho is a minor and Liz told before a really big search effort went out. Still, you can’t play with the police’s time and money like that. As we all learned by Carrie Russell who probably weren’t as concerned about her as the (white) toddler she said she saw. The crazy thing is I heard they were trying to get the case tried somewhere else. I guess for leniency. WHY? This was Carrie Russell’s INSANE half-ass idea. She had to know there’d be consequences. To be honest she probably didn’t think people *would* look for her. Then when she heard about what a stir it had caused she thought Oh ISH. I better come back. Did she do it to punish her parents like Patrick did?
January 18, 2021
In this one, Patrick's parents are very strict. So strict that they won't let him join the school band! Even when he secretly practices and kills his tryout, while additionally acing his two last exams, they're like "no." How insubordinate... and CHURLISH
Even when it is revealed as to why his parents are behaving in this way, it makes NO DAMN SENSE! Why won't you just let your child be a herb???? DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Parents Just Don't Understand.mp3
Even when it is revealed as to why his parents are behaving in this way, it makes NO DAMN SENSE! Why won't you just let your child be a herb???? DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Parents Just Don't Understand.mp3
December 26, 2014
Synopsis: Patrick's plot is actually not as big as the Wakefield subplot. At least, not until the end. Basically, Patrick Morris's parents are dictators. You think I'm kidding? Well, he can't talk on the phone after 6. He doesn't get snacks, only three meals a day. No more than one friend over at the house at a time - a problem when you are friends with twins. The worst part? He can't join the school band! At first, Patrick is reasonable. He's like, okay, if I show them I can handle schoolwork and the band, they will let me join. Makes sense. I should mention his parents haven't given him reasons for anything, only leading him to believe that it's because of his grades. So Patrick practices his sax at the Wakefields' house, where the twins endure many snide remarks from Steven about Patrick's playing. Then he auditions and is accepted, so he runs home to tell his parents. His dad explodes, saying he was very clear about Patrick not being in band. Patrick tells him that he proved he can keep up with schoolwork - he finished his science project with Julie early, and he got an 80 on his math quiz. His parents remain hard asses. Patrick storms off to his room, vowing to make them sorry that they won't listen to him or let him play in the band. Ruh roh. Next thing we know, Patrick is missing. They can't call out a search party until it's been 24 hours, but Steven and Mr. Wakefield say they will search the town in the morning. The twins will search locally. Before they can do that, however, they get a "ransom" note stuck in their door. It basically says to quit looking for Patrick or something bad will happen. The police say kidnappers always ask for ransom (since when?), so this isn't a real note to be worried about. The twins leave to go search and immediately run into Winston. He confesses that Patrick made him write the note, and Patrick is staying in his basement. Instead of telling their parents, they take up a few more pages by going over to confront Patrick on their own. Naturally, Pat makes Liz promise that she won't tell anyone (while secretly knowing that she will). The twins go back home and Liz holds out for a second before spilling the beans. Jessica thinks Patrick's parents are horrible and has no issue with him being gone. They all go back over to Winston's house only to find that Patrick has run away, again, to an abandoned church. Now let's pause for a moment. We know from SVH that there are no rundown buildings in Sweet Valley. Or, rather, there is like one strip of bad place where the psychopaths live, but I am baffled because Pat doesn't get murdered while in the church. Sadly. Instead, the fire department has to come out and rescue him when he falls through the rotting wood. Patrick's dad decides he cares all of a sudden and goes after him, refusing to wait for help. He gets Patrick down safely, and Pat thanks Liz for being a snitch and a saint. Or something like that. Then his parents state what was obvious all along: his dad lost his job, and they thought the band would be too expensive. But instead of telling him, they let it get to the point where their son ran away. I think we know who gets the Parents of the Year award in Sweet Valley! (Also, what is with these problem children of Sweet Valley running away? First Mary and now Patrick. Geez.)
Wakefield subplot: Jessica wants to team up with Lila for science class to draw pretty rainbows (don't ask). Instead, the teacher makes them draw names out of a hat. Jessica draws a name she feels is lucky, but it ends up being Winston Egbert. Winston wants to do mold on bread. Jessica is too lazy to come up with something better, so she agrees, as long as the mold isn't at her house. But Winston's is being worked on or something, so in the end they put the bread around the Wakefield house. Jessica follows Winston around never doing anything, until Winston insists that Jessica type up their report on penicillin and find a way to display the mold. Score one for Winston! Jessica grumbles but does what she's told. She wants to get in the Science Fair and have something to brag about. Well, they don't make it, but they are able to display their work in the library. Jessica agrees to split the day with Winston, but it falls on a Saturday, and we all know there is not one Saturday Jessica Wakefield has ever wasted. So she doesn't show, instead going to the football game and then to a "party" at Bruce's. Winston is angry, of course, but it is all overshadowed by Patrick's disappearance. Nevertheless, Jess's parents find out when Winston's picture is in the paper without Jessica. She uses her patented excuse of trying to "help Winston overcome his shyness." They still make her apologize, and Winston stands up for Jessica when Bruce comes over and makes fun of her.
Alternate Title: "The Selfish Kids of America"
Tagline: "How far should the twins go to help a friend?" (Kind of misleading - all they do is let Patrick play sax at their house, and Liz keeps the promise of his whereabouts for about one second.)
On a Scale of 1-10, How Annoying is Elizabeth? 5. She tells Patrick she won't confess that he's hiding out at Winston's.
On a Scale of 1-10, How Sociopathic is Jessica? 7. She blows Winston off to stay at the library and only apologizes to him when her parents make her do it. Not to mention she doesn't think Patrick should come home to his parents without "concessions."
The Big Deal: Science Fair, Band Auditions, Secca Lake party
Lingering Questions: What does the cover have to do with anything?
Cover: Good or Bad? Eh. Liz (though she's wearing purple) is looking straight through Patrick. And the twins never saw him outside of the church. He actually looks like he's about to go vandalize it. Once again, that would have made a much more interesting story.
Quotes from the Book: "With a shock she realized she was talking to Winston as if he was her friend. It made her feel strange." (I.e., as in a normal human being.)
Moral of the Story: Mold will not get you into the Science Fair.
Final Rating: Two stars, mostly because I like Winston.
Wakefield subplot: Jessica wants to team up with Lila for science class to draw pretty rainbows (don't ask). Instead, the teacher makes them draw names out of a hat. Jessica draws a name she feels is lucky, but it ends up being Winston Egbert. Winston wants to do mold on bread. Jessica is too lazy to come up with something better, so she agrees, as long as the mold isn't at her house. But Winston's is being worked on or something, so in the end they put the bread around the Wakefield house. Jessica follows Winston around never doing anything, until Winston insists that Jessica type up their report on penicillin and find a way to display the mold. Score one for Winston! Jessica grumbles but does what she's told. She wants to get in the Science Fair and have something to brag about. Well, they don't make it, but they are able to display their work in the library. Jessica agrees to split the day with Winston, but it falls on a Saturday, and we all know there is not one Saturday Jessica Wakefield has ever wasted. So she doesn't show, instead going to the football game and then to a "party" at Bruce's. Winston is angry, of course, but it is all overshadowed by Patrick's disappearance. Nevertheless, Jess's parents find out when Winston's picture is in the paper without Jessica. She uses her patented excuse of trying to "help Winston overcome his shyness." They still make her apologize, and Winston stands up for Jessica when Bruce comes over and makes fun of her.
Alternate Title: "The Selfish Kids of America"
Tagline: "How far should the twins go to help a friend?" (Kind of misleading - all they do is let Patrick play sax at their house, and Liz keeps the promise of his whereabouts for about one second.)
On a Scale of 1-10, How Annoying is Elizabeth? 5. She tells Patrick she won't confess that he's hiding out at Winston's.
On a Scale of 1-10, How Sociopathic is Jessica? 7. She blows Winston off to stay at the library and only apologizes to him when her parents make her do it. Not to mention she doesn't think Patrick should come home to his parents without "concessions."
The Big Deal: Science Fair, Band Auditions, Secca Lake party
Lingering Questions: What does the cover have to do with anything?
Cover: Good or Bad? Eh. Liz (though she's wearing purple) is looking straight through Patrick. And the twins never saw him outside of the church. He actually looks like he's about to go vandalize it. Once again, that would have made a much more interesting story.
Quotes from the Book: "With a shock she realized she was talking to Winston as if he was her friend. It made her feel strange." (I.e., as in a normal human being.)
Moral of the Story: Mold will not get you into the Science Fair.
Final Rating: Two stars, mostly because I like Winston.
November 6, 2025
Still the same formula of the Wakefields helping a random character no one had heard of (Patrick who?) that we will probably only hear from in passing (if ever)
Patrick's parents are strict. they wont let him do anything (not attend a concert, or join the school band when he is a really talented saxophone player). he ends up running away with a thrilling climax happening at a condemned church, with the fire department turning up. but it is his father that ends up saving him. it was revealed his dad lost his job hence why all the strict rules? that made zero sense. But as always, things turn out happily and Pat can stay in the band.
the other storyline was Jess was working on a science project with Winston (i hope he appears more often!) about mouldy bread lol. she abandons him at the library to attend a lame party Bruce held but kinda apologises at the end?
as usual, she gets away with everything. the wakefield parents don't know what punishment is lol. its hilarious at the end of the book with Jess and Liz saying their parents treat them like babies. umm.. they let them do whatever they want!! haha
Patrick's parents are strict. they wont let him do anything (not attend a concert, or join the school band when he is a really talented saxophone player). he ends up running away with a thrilling climax happening at a condemned church, with the fire department turning up. but it is his father that ends up saving him. it was revealed his dad lost his job hence why all the strict rules? that made zero sense. But as always, things turn out happily and Pat can stay in the band.
the other storyline was Jess was working on a science project with Winston (i hope he appears more often!) about mouldy bread lol. she abandons him at the library to attend a lame party Bruce held but kinda apologises at the end?
as usual, she gets away with everything. the wakefield parents don't know what punishment is lol. its hilarious at the end of the book with Jess and Liz saying their parents treat them like babies. umm.. they let them do whatever they want!! haha
July 28, 2022
Patrick is a friend of the twins. It seems he has very, very strict parents. He can only have one friend over at a time, has to spend three hours a night on homework and has other parent-set restrictions on his behavior.
The other theme in the book is the school science fair. Jessica ends up teamed with Winston and she is ultra unhappy about that. As is usual she would rather spend time doing whatever she wants rather than doing what she should be doing and this causes problems for Winston.
Patrick wants to be in the school band. This causes more problems for him. He deals with that in a rather immature and very poorly thought out matter.
So somehow Patrick and his parents have to work out an explanation for the strict rules and a way to grant him at some more freedom in what he does.
It's a story showing that parents and kids need to discuss matters before things get out of hand and try to come up with some kind of reasonable compromise.
The other theme in the book is the school science fair. Jessica ends up teamed with Winston and she is ultra unhappy about that. As is usual she would rather spend time doing whatever she wants rather than doing what she should be doing and this causes problems for Winston.
Patrick wants to be in the school band. This causes more problems for him. He deals with that in a rather immature and very poorly thought out matter.
So somehow Patrick and his parents have to work out an explanation for the strict rules and a way to grant him at some more freedom in what he does.
It's a story showing that parents and kids need to discuss matters before things get out of hand and try to come up with some kind of reasonable compromise.
Read
July 23, 2020Otherwise known as the source of many memes :D
Read
January 15, 2009JAR4 Par
February 3, 2011
I loved the lessons and the drama and the Wakefields.
May 6, 2021
Loved these books as a child
June 22, 2013
I remember the cover just not the story.
Currently reading
January 11, 2016It was good.
Read
June 21, 2018Read: 17th of January, 2013
This was definitely not the most riveting of books but its humorous , life-like characters make up for its rather obvious ending and lack of imaginative descriptions. However, the overuse of dialogue was rather irritating. Overall, this book is suited to younger readers who don't crave the extra hidden storyline and creative edge of better works.
This was definitely not the most riveting of books but its humorous , life-like characters make up for its rather obvious ending and lack of imaginative descriptions. However, the overuse of dialogue was rather irritating. Overall, this book is suited to younger readers who don't crave the extra hidden storyline and creative edge of better works.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews