BIG for Christmas

Sweet Valley Twins Magna Editions #3

by Francine Pascal (Creator), Jamie Suzanne

The twins wish they were grownups when they are invited to the biggest Christmas party ever and their parents won't let them go, but a shocking transformation has occurred when they wake up the next morning.

Genres: Christmas, Young Adult, Childrens, Fantasy, Fiction, Middle Grade, Family

249 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1994

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

[LC · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to read this every Christmas growing up! Nice to revisit 20 years later.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, don't we love that this is called BIG for Christmas? I mean, that's very technically it's name--BIG.

Okay, so I read this during my Christmas 2011 break, right after reading The Magic Christmas. Nothing can really top The Magic Christmas, so I already knew this wouldn't be as good, and that's fine. We still have some magic, though...

Okay, so the girls and their brother are invited to a party for both the middle schoolers and the high schoolers. The girls can't wait to wear cool clothes (OMG, Mrs. Wakefield wants Elizabeth to wear a PINAFORE. I die.) and dance with a fun, sweet boy they've just met through their brother Steven. Steven, worried that his sisters will act like immature jerks and embarrass him, pulls a total dick move and tells his parents how rowdy the party will be with all of the high school boys. The Wakefield parents decide at the last minute that the girls can't go, yaddayadda, there's a magical circus in town, you're reminded of the movie Big, poof! They turn into twenty-something adults! They have to immediately leave their house when Mrs. Wakefield sees Jessica rummaging through her closet, leaving the Wakefield parents worried that their daughters have been kidnapped by a crazy lady dressed in Mrs. Wakefield's clothes. They never seem worried enough, which is the weirdest part (and amazingly, the most unbelievable part of the entire book). Even when it's obvious that Steven knows something is up, they don't press him, but trust that he knows the twins are safe. Hello? Parenting priorities, Ned and Alice? You won't let them go to a party, but fine if they've run away or been kidnapped? Can we be freaking out some more, please?

Okay, okay, moving on. Because the twins are soooo greeeaaat, they manage to not only secure temp jobs right away (like that day right away), Jessica becomes lead designer of a clothing company (they love her doodles for a tween line, which of course she knows all about because she's so fashion forward as a Unicorn) and Elizabeth pitches tons of great stories for a new series of books (they're all about the twins' madcap adventures, of course!). Hahaha, omg, this is how their lives ALWAYS are.

So that's pretty much everything (I mean, whatever, they become kids again, all is well). Except that I need to tell you to read Sweet Valley Confidential. And tell me how sad it is that these sweet, happy girls become jaded (Elizabeth, though she has her happy ending too) and married to a total drip (Jessica). Also, I'm sorry, I have to say this, and **SPOILER**, Steven is not gay. He just isn't. Okay, that's it.

[Qt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun Sweet Valley Twins book, and it was fun to revisit their world.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a tween, having never watched BIG, I didn't get the reference to the film, but I guess here it is, no?
In terms of the three Magna editions I think this was the weakest, but still a fun little romp to learn the lesson, yet again, that even in the dark times the life you have is the one worth living. The magic of these holiday editions is fun and in this particular installment when Elizabeth talks about the Christmas Spirit arriving (page 54) I *feel* that. It is quite possible I got that very idea from this book when I was young, because each year I note the arrival of that Christmas spirit just as Elizabeth does in this book.
I am glad I took this wholesome walk down memory lane, it was a pleasant way to end my holiday season. And just maybe I'll make this a yearly tradition once again.
Perfectly acceptable book for the reader. Some mystical/magical elements.

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this when I was younger, and felt the parents weren't understanding for forbidding the twins from going to the big Christmas party for middle schoolers and high schoolers. They go to a holiday carnival instead, wish to be grown up, and wake up as women in their 20's. Jessica gets a job as a fashion designer, and Elizabeth suggests a book series. Steven is the only one who knows it's them, and helps them get back to their real ages. It's a different read from the usual books cause of the magical element to it.

[Tabitha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wish made at a Christmas carnival comes true for Jessica and Elizabeth.

I was definitely in the mood to indulge my nostalgia, and I sought out this Sweet Valley book I had a vague recollection of reading in my childhood. I thoroughly enjoyed my little nostalgic trip, and it prompted me to seek out a few other books in the series as well. I have my Sweet Valley Christmas read picked out for next season already!

[Anabella Shay Xo(RomanceBookWormXoXo) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The twins are tired of being treated like little kids. They want to be more sophisticated and grown up. They get invited to a party where Highschool kids will be in attendance. Only their parents forbid them from attending. Now something wild is about to happen. I loved this book! It was soooo good! Perfect for this season.

[Stasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yeah, yeah, still catching up from my Christmas stack... 😐

I was honestly expecting a different ending to this? I would have ended it pre-party where Steven isn't a jerk and they all go and have a good time, like a back in time thing. But it was a pretty serious story over all, definitely more so than I've previously read in the SVT series.

[April Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a fun peek back at a book I loved as a kid. The moral is still good, and the characters are rally spot on in this. Kind of generic, but exactly what you would expect if you ever been a Sweet Valley Fan.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book at a Goodwill a few years ago and I remember being obsessed with it and this series as a kid. God I had terrible taste

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet Valley does Big. I think this is my favorite of the Sweet Valley Twins Christmas books.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book as a tween. This was a fun trip down memory lane.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

How I Came To Read This Book: For a few years there, my parents gave me the Sweet Valley Twins Christmas books. I read them pretty religiously every Christmas...in fact maybe I will again this year.

The Plot: Jessica and Elizabeth are thrilled when they're invited to a party held by Unicorn president Janet, and even moreso when they discover it'll be a joint party with Janet's older high school age brother Joe. Steven, the twins sister, is miserable at the thought of his dweeby sisters embarrassing him, and sells his parents against letting the twins go. Miserable, the twins attend a cheesy Christmas carnival with their parents where they make a simultaneous wish at a wishing well to be grown up. The next morning they wake up - and suddenly, they ARE grown up! Hilarity ensues as the twins deal with their new twenty-something bodies and selves, and discover where their adult ambitions may take them, and whether they want to be grown up after all.

The Good & The Bad: Of the three 'Magna' books, this is right in the middle for me. The plot is entertaining - and very much borrowed from the plot of Big, the movie - and getting a glimpse into the adult twins is a fun experience, especially when you consider where the series ended (with a few half-hearted SVU tales). The only irritating thing, much like how this story would take place if it were indeed a movie, is the very short timeline. The twins manage to make quite a big splash in their respective careers in the span of literally only a day, maybe two. Also this is probably the least Christmas-y of the books - other than the Winter Carnival, Santa / Mrs. Claus references, and the holiday party, there isn't much festiveness going on at all here.

The Bottom Line: A delightful glimpse into the future that never was for Jessica & Elizabeth.

Anything Memorable: Not really, just that I've read this book about 10 times.

50-Book Challenge?: N/A

[Gretchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Sweet Valley Twins Christmas book that my friend lent to me. In this book, Jessica and Elizabeth are fed up with being treated like babies. When their parents won't let them go to a Christmas party because they don't feel the girls are mature enough, Jessica and Elizabeth both make a wish to be grown up while attending a Christmas carnival. Little do they know that the Christmas carnival is somewhat enchanted, and when they wake up the next morning, they find themselves in the bodies of adult women. Then they find out what being an adult is really like.

I thought this was a cute book. Of course, it is a little hokey, but what book written for tweens isn't? It has a good message -- being grown up isn't all it's cracked up to be, and you should enjoy childhood as long as you can. Believe me, there have been many, many times that I've wished I could go back to being a kid. Unfortunately, there's no Christmas carnival or magic wishing well anywhere near me.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always loved this book as a kid, so I was really glad to find it at Half Price Books recently. This is basically the movie Big taking place in Sweet Valley, which might be why I loved it so much. (I loved that movie)

I had a smile on my face the entire time I was reading this! My only complaint is this doesn't feel like a Christmas book. It could have easily taken place at any time, the Christmas parts were in the background and almost out of place.

Either way though, this was a fun re-read.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favourite was always the It's a Wonderful Life rip-off, but this Sweet Valley take on Big is also many shades of cheesey awesome.

[Katey Lovell · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Fun Sweet Valley book based around the film 'Big'. Jessica and Elizabeth wish to be adults, but when their wish comes true they soon find out they miss being 12.

Not one of my favourites in the series, but an enjoyable enough festive-fantasy read for a fix.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The twins wish themselves into being adults and OF COURSE automatically get amazing jobs. Love it.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Basically the Sweet Valley version of the movie Big. All things considered, it was an entertaining book.

[Sonja · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is my childhood. i especially love the part when they get jobs because it's just like in don't tell mom the babysitter is dead. which i also love.

[Cindy Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading this book thinking it was the coolest thing ever. I don't remember too much of it, but when I read it I just devoured the entire thing and I've thought of it for years afterwards.

[Sheila Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read so many of these books I can't remember all of them.

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was so good

[MissNYix · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the part where Jessica realises that..."...maybe there was no such thing as an unbossable position."

[MissNYix · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the part where Jessica realises that..."...maybe there was no such thing as an unbossable position."

[Katherine Nguyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

-a favorite Christmas read
-Jessica & Elizabeth Wakefield are among some of my favorite female protagonists

[kylajaclyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Like the Tom Hanks Movie" :

A wish to be grown /
The twins rock at their new jobs /
But oh! Youth! Come back...

[Meg Hew · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this book as a kid