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Sweet Valley Kids #31
Elizabeth and Jessica Run Away
Identical twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield are looking forward to having weekend guests. But when Eric and Wesley Nelson arrive, their practical jokes soon begin to drive the twins crazy. The boys start off by hiding Jessica's favorite stuffed animal—and that's only the beginning. Worst of all, the twins keep getting blamed for everything. They decide there's only one thing to do—run away from home!
- GenresChildrens
75 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1992
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112 people want to read
About the author
Francine Pascal
1,148 books1,853 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.
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September 24, 2024Elizabeth and Jessica Run Away
Ned’s friend is coming and bringing his two sons (Eric and Wesley). Eric is in the second grade and his brother is a year younger. They’re coming from Oregon. Mr. Nelson and Ned went to law school together. Eric and Wesley will be staying with the Wakefield’s for the weekend while Ned and Nelson attend a business meeting in LA. Elizabeth is happy about it and can’t wait to play with Wesley. Jessica isn’t. She doesn’t like boys! Mrs. Wakefield tells her to play with them a little. They might need some advice. Like where in the park to play and warn them about the mean dog down the street. Jessica decides what would they do if they didn’t have her.
Now it’s Friday and Steven is complaining about so many little kids in the house and he doesn’t know how he’ll stand it. When the twins get there the boys aren’t there and there mother tells them to go outside and play. So, they go play in their fort. For a while they play Go Fish. A half hour later, they’re called inside and introduced to Mr. Nelson. The boys don’t seem to be there but then when Elizabeth asks where they are they jump out from behind a chair. Elizabeth warns them they might get them back. Their mother says even though they look like angels-blond, curly, hair- they don’t always act like it.
The Nelson’s leave. The twins show them their room and they say it’s too pink. Jessica notices her Kola is gone. The boys look at each other. The twins look all over but it’s no where to be found. Eric says he knows where the bear is. He says while they were outside, they thought the beare looked bored so they seent it on a trip. It’s in there parents car on the way to LA. They tell their parents and they say just look at it as it had an adventure. It’ll be back Sunday. At dinner, the twins and Steven take some sugar for there lemonade and nearly spit it out. It’s salt. Everyone thinks its funny but the twins.
The boys continue to prank the twins. There’s a beetle on the soap and a spider on jessica’s toothbrush. There’s also a grasshopper on the floor-this one moves-. When they try to get out to tell ther mom the door is locked. A centerpeded moves across the floor. They hear the boys laughing and saying they got them. They try to get the boys to open the door but they say if they want to talk to them they’ll have to come out. Alice hears Liz screaming and comes to open the door. She asks what happened and Eric says he doesn’t know. Alice sees all the bugs and laughs and tells the boys to take them all outside before breakfast. The twins decide to get the boys back.
Elizabeth asks the boys if they want to play soccer. Jessica goes inside and Liz explains she doesn’t like soccor. The boys say they’d rather not play with girls anyway. They’re better at playing with dolls. Elizabeth goes back into the house and she and Jessica fill out balloons with water. Then they crouch down under the window. They call for the boys and then start bombarding them with water balloons.
The boys want to know why the girls did it. They say they deserved it for being the worse guests in the world. The boys retaliate with they’re the worse hosts in the world. Mr. Wakefield scolds the girls that they need to be nice. They try to protest, but he says no excuses. The twins don’t think it’s fair but it’s nothing they can do. After dinner the girls go to play and their dad says they should invite the boys. The find them in the family room reading a sports magazine. They aren’t supposed to “play” in that room, but Liz decides its not playing.
The boys start fooling around doing gymnastics -like in the magazine-. Eric smashes into the book shelf and breaks a vase. Mrs. Wakefield comes into the room, and sees the vase. The boys apologize and Mrs. Wakefield says it’s ok but next time don’t play in the house. She says they didn’t know but she comes down hard on the twins because they *did* know. She tells them to go play in their rooms and they stomp off. The twins say they wish the boys never came -and have never been born-. The boys just smile and say what until they see what they’re going to do next. So, the twins decide to run away and then decide to go to the fort. They pack two PBJ sandwitches, two apples, and six chocolate chip cookies, two matching sweat shirts, Liz’s favorite toy cars, and Jessica’s favorite satin change purse. They also leave a note that the Wakefields have been mean and they’re running far away and might be back some day. They take one last look at the house and then go to the fort.
Once they’re there they have dinner and they both hope their missed. It gets dark and they start hearing noises. In the time they’ve been in the tent they’ve eaten all the food. They’re hungry and miss a home cooked meal. They miss their parents and Steven. Then they hear there parents, Steven, and the boys calling their names, but they don’t come out. Then they stop. They keep hearing noises that sound like an animal. A head pokes into the twent and it’s Eric. He looks at the fort and declares it cool. His brother agrees. Mr. Wakefield says it’s better than any he’s had. They all say they were worried and the boys apologize. Mrs. Wakefield apologizes for not telling the boys about the living room. Steven says he has nothing to apologize for. Mrs. Wakefield says next time just talk to them.
The next day they all play in the tent (Indians and Chiefs). Jessica is the healing woman. Then the Nelson’s come back and the boys leave. But then the car stops and Wesley jumps out and returns Jessica’s teddy bear. Jessica says it’s too bad the boys live so far away. Jessica says she’s changed her mind about being invaded but a new boy will be joining their second grade class. Jessica doesn’t remember his name so they go in the house and look. It’s Kisho Murasak
Rating: 5 All I have to say is I’m glad my father -that I can remember- never had friends with sons like this that he expected to stay the weekend that were HORRID and expected me to be nice to them! Never would have happened!
Ned’s friend is coming and bringing his two sons (Eric and Wesley). Eric is in the second grade and his brother is a year younger. They’re coming from Oregon. Mr. Nelson and Ned went to law school together. Eric and Wesley will be staying with the Wakefield’s for the weekend while Ned and Nelson attend a business meeting in LA. Elizabeth is happy about it and can’t wait to play with Wesley. Jessica isn’t. She doesn’t like boys! Mrs. Wakefield tells her to play with them a little. They might need some advice. Like where in the park to play and warn them about the mean dog down the street. Jessica decides what would they do if they didn’t have her.
Now it’s Friday and Steven is complaining about so many little kids in the house and he doesn’t know how he’ll stand it. When the twins get there the boys aren’t there and there mother tells them to go outside and play. So, they go play in their fort. For a while they play Go Fish. A half hour later, they’re called inside and introduced to Mr. Nelson. The boys don’t seem to be there but then when Elizabeth asks where they are they jump out from behind a chair. Elizabeth warns them they might get them back. Their mother says even though they look like angels-blond, curly, hair- they don’t always act like it.
The Nelson’s leave. The twins show them their room and they say it’s too pink. Jessica notices her Kola is gone. The boys look at each other. The twins look all over but it’s no where to be found. Eric says he knows where the bear is. He says while they were outside, they thought the beare looked bored so they seent it on a trip. It’s in there parents car on the way to LA. They tell their parents and they say just look at it as it had an adventure. It’ll be back Sunday. At dinner, the twins and Steven take some sugar for there lemonade and nearly spit it out. It’s salt. Everyone thinks its funny but the twins.
The boys continue to prank the twins. There’s a beetle on the soap and a spider on jessica’s toothbrush. There’s also a grasshopper on the floor-this one moves-. When they try to get out to tell ther mom the door is locked. A centerpeded moves across the floor. They hear the boys laughing and saying they got them. They try to get the boys to open the door but they say if they want to talk to them they’ll have to come out. Alice hears Liz screaming and comes to open the door. She asks what happened and Eric says he doesn’t know. Alice sees all the bugs and laughs and tells the boys to take them all outside before breakfast. The twins decide to get the boys back.
Elizabeth asks the boys if they want to play soccer. Jessica goes inside and Liz explains she doesn’t like soccor. The boys say they’d rather not play with girls anyway. They’re better at playing with dolls. Elizabeth goes back into the house and she and Jessica fill out balloons with water. Then they crouch down under the window. They call for the boys and then start bombarding them with water balloons.
The boys want to know why the girls did it. They say they deserved it for being the worse guests in the world. The boys retaliate with they’re the worse hosts in the world. Mr. Wakefield scolds the girls that they need to be nice. They try to protest, but he says no excuses. The twins don’t think it’s fair but it’s nothing they can do. After dinner the girls go to play and their dad says they should invite the boys. The find them in the family room reading a sports magazine. They aren’t supposed to “play” in that room, but Liz decides its not playing.
The boys start fooling around doing gymnastics -like in the magazine-. Eric smashes into the book shelf and breaks a vase. Mrs. Wakefield comes into the room, and sees the vase. The boys apologize and Mrs. Wakefield says it’s ok but next time don’t play in the house. She says they didn’t know but she comes down hard on the twins because they *did* know. She tells them to go play in their rooms and they stomp off. The twins say they wish the boys never came -and have never been born-. The boys just smile and say what until they see what they’re going to do next. So, the twins decide to run away and then decide to go to the fort. They pack two PBJ sandwitches, two apples, and six chocolate chip cookies, two matching sweat shirts, Liz’s favorite toy cars, and Jessica’s favorite satin change purse. They also leave a note that the Wakefields have been mean and they’re running far away and might be back some day. They take one last look at the house and then go to the fort.
Once they’re there they have dinner and they both hope their missed. It gets dark and they start hearing noises. In the time they’ve been in the tent they’ve eaten all the food. They’re hungry and miss a home cooked meal. They miss their parents and Steven. Then they hear there parents, Steven, and the boys calling their names, but they don’t come out. Then they stop. They keep hearing noises that sound like an animal. A head pokes into the twent and it’s Eric. He looks at the fort and declares it cool. His brother agrees. Mr. Wakefield says it’s better than any he’s had. They all say they were worried and the boys apologize. Mrs. Wakefield apologizes for not telling the boys about the living room. Steven says he has nothing to apologize for. Mrs. Wakefield says next time just talk to them.
The next day they all play in the tent (Indians and Chiefs). Jessica is the healing woman. Then the Nelson’s come back and the boys leave. But then the car stops and Wesley jumps out and returns Jessica’s teddy bear. Jessica says it’s too bad the boys live so far away. Jessica says she’s changed her mind about being invaded but a new boy will be joining their second grade class. Jessica doesn’t remember his name so they go in the house and look. It’s Kisho Murasak
Rating: 5 All I have to say is I’m glad my father -that I can remember- never had friends with sons like this that he expected to stay the weekend that were HORRID and expected me to be nice to them! Never would have happened!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2024
Elizabeth and Jessica have houseguests! Two mischievous boys who play tricks on them continuously. And everytime they get blamed. So the twins decides to leave the house. Tbh was kinda relatable.
December 5, 2021
Two brothers around the twins age are coming to stay for the weekend. The girls are excited, at least until they find out the boys kidnapped Jessica’s koala and put it in their parents car to go to LA. And then replace the sugar with salt. And then lock the girls in their bathroom with real insects. Ned and Alice find it all very amusing, so not great parenting. The girls get water balloon revenge and Ned isn’t happy. Then the boys break a vase in the living room, and the girls get in trouble for not telling them to stay out. So the twins decide to run away. They have a cool fort in the woods behind their house (anyone able to validate this from other books?) and of course, leave a note that they’re MAD. They hear everyone looking for them, then the boys find them and are very impressed with the fort. They apologise, so do Ned and Alice, and everyone is friends.
My rating - 3/10 - I would have been furious too 🤷🏼♀️ Those boys were rude.
My rating - 3/10 - I would have been furious too 🤷🏼♀️ Those boys were rude.
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November 4, 2022I struggled a bit with this one because there was a strong focus on unjust behaviour on the part of Ned and Alice Wakefield. They invite a friend's two sons to stay with them, and then proceed to let the boys get away with murder while telling Jess and Liz off for retaliating or even for not stopping the boys from behaving badly. I'd have marked it lower, except for the fact that something happens in this book that hardly ever happens in Sweet Valley Kids books: the parents actually apologise for their bad behaviour! (About time, Alice. About time, Ned.)
July 26, 2012
I liked the fort where they hid. And I remember they played w/ the guys pretending they were a tribe, & one of the boys' names was "Big Chief Buffalo Breath". Funny!
June 22, 2013
I remember the cover but just not the story
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews