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Sweet Valley Kids #38
Good-Bye, Eva?
Identical twins Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield have become good friends with Eva Simpson since she moved to Sweet Valley. But now it looks as if Eva might have to leave! Eva's father misses his old home, Jamaica, and wants to move back there. Can Eva, Jessica, and Elizabeth cook up a plan to make him want to stay?
70 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1993
3 people are currently reading
109 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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February 5, 2026Goodbye Eva?
All the Wakefields are at the beach. Eva and Amy arrive at Liz and Jessica run over to meet them. They decide to play together. Eva suggests a game called “Hand flip”. Amy asks what the game is and Eva explains that they first have to find some shells without sharp edges.
The game is putting shells on the backside of your hand and then catching them in your plam and then reversing this and putting the shells on the backs of your hands and then catching them in your palm. Liz says its harder than it looks. Amy starts dropping hers on purpose. Liz balances a shell on her nose. Eva keeps playing the game and doesn’t laugh at their antics.
They notice she looks sad all of a sudden. Amy tells her she shouldn’t. The game is fun it just has a weird name. To their surprise she starts to cray and Amy quickly takes it back. Eva tells them she might have to move away soon. Eva says her father says they might have to move back to Jamaica, but she doesn’t want to leave her friends, teacher, or Sweet Valley Elementary.
The twins say in confusion that they thought her father had a good job. Eva says that’s the problem. He’s tired of being a business man. They ask what’s so great about Jamaica and Eva says it’s like one huge beach with palm trees everywhere. Liz points out they have beaches, but Jessica corrects her that it’s different. She describes it as a “fairy-tale island with coconuts and coral reefs and colorful birds”. This makes Liz wish Jessica would just keep her mouth shut. They’re trying to get her to stay not remind her of why she’d want to go back.
Eva’s mother (Mrs. Simpson) is happy with her job there playing for the Sweet Valley Symphany Orchestra. Liz says that all they have to do is convince Eva’s father to stay and they’ll think of something. Liz tells all her classmates about the situation and tells them she made a list of things to do to convince Mr. Simpson to change his mind. She’s not sure they’ll work but…
The first thing is maybe Mr. Simpson could get another job. Lila says this won’t work if he’s got his heart on moving back to Jamaica. Todd says they’ll just have to find a way to make him not want to move back. They come up with telling him there are killer bees and an alien invasion. Eva says she doesn’t think those will get it.
They have another thought of telling him a hurricane is going to make the island sink. Mrs. Otis comes up behind them and says Eva wouldn’t like that because she heard she’ll be seeing Jamaica very soon but she’ll say no more (not wanting to ruin the surprise). This makes Eva tear up.
The twins walk to Eva’s house after school. Eva says it might be the last time they come over, but they tell her not to say that. They won’t let her move. When they get inside, Mrs Simpson is playing a beautiful song on her flute. The twins find out Mrs. Simpson has a friend who wrote the song for her. She’s been writing her letters and has started an opera in Jamaica. She says she’d like to hear it. Eva is now looking uneasy. She asks her mom if she’d like to play with them and her mom says it might be fun.
The twins jump in and say that but she plays for the Sweet Valley Orchestra and everyone knows that tops all the other orchestras in the world because it’s Sweet Valley. She looks thoughtful and says she hasn’t thought about it. Eva brings up what Mrs. Otis said, but she doesn’t seem to know anything about it and says maybe it was Eva’s father. The twins get the feeling that Eva really might be leaving. Mr. Simpson comes home. He’s just come back from a business trip and the twins ask how it was. He says awful and that he’s starting to feel like a wind-up toy. He says maybe he needs a change in his life. Then produces three tickets for a vacation to Jamaica.
Eva worries about school -since there are no holidays coming up- but her father says he talked to Mrs. Otis and got the green light. Jessica worries that if they go there for a vacation they might decide to not come back. Later at home, the twins decide to make Mr. Simpson see all the ways SV and Jamaica are alike (the palm trees, the beach, Mrs. Simpson’s cooking). They think if they can have a picnic on the beach and serve all Jamaican food this will be enough to convince him to stay. I can think of one thing SV doesn’t have that Jamaica has that might appeal to Mr. Simpson.
Alice points out this won’t work. They can’t have a Jamaican feast on the beach every day, but Liz says it will. Mrs. Simpson thinks it’s a great idea! Everyone gets in on it. Winston brings reggae music and a tape deck. Jessica helps make mango ice cream. Amy and Eva help make jerk chicken. Todd and Liz wash malangas-yams-. Lila and Ellen help make a dish called barefoot rice.
Eva says she knows this will work and Jessica agrees. She says her dad is going to help cook. He loves to do that. Hes excited about the picnic. Mr. Simpson comes in with his work clothes on and says he got called into the office and can’t make the picnic. Eva is upset and he says he’s disappointed too but he’ll make it up to her. They’ll have a picnic every day in Jamaica. The perfect plan is ruined!
Mr. Simpson puts on an apron tho and says screw the meeting. He’ll help with one dish. He cheers up the mood in the room again because he’s got so much charisma. Still Eva is upset. She says they should call it off, but Liz tells her not to give up. But the office calls and says the meeting is starting early and he has to go. This brings the mood down again but everyone still tries to cheer Eva up.
Mrs. Simpson gets a call from a lady named Lolly who is her sister. Eva gets even more upset by this the longer the conversation goes on. Eva can’t take it anymore and tells her mom she knows they’re never coming back, but her mom says she wouldn’t do that to her without talking to her first. Eva says she believes her but Liz can tell she doesn’t.
Liz tries to get her to see that her mom wouldn’t lie. Eva agrees but says she might not know it yet but she knows. All Liz can say to that is maybe your dad will change his mind. They find the perfect spot for the picnic. The food smells great but Eva’s heart clearly isn’t in it. Jessica asks Liz what they should do but she’s distracted looking at what use to be an old restaurant.
Everryone agrees the jerk chicken is very spicy but good. The rest of the food is good too. Liz comments that Mr. Simpson should open his own restaurant. The jerk chicken Eva said was his special recipe. A man comes over to them and asks what smells so good and where they got it. Jessica tells him they cooked it. Mrs, Simpson say its her husband’s recipes and the man says it’s a shame they can’t get anything like that there. It makes him want to go all the way to Jaimaca. Eva wandres off and the man asks what’s wrong. Her mother says she’s just upset. Jessica goes to talk to her and says she’s sorry the picnic didn’t go like she wanted.
Eva says she just wishes her dad was there. Then he shows up. He says that the meeting wasn’t an emergency and he let them handle it and came back to the picnic.
Jess blurts out that now their plan will work. He asks what plan but Liz covers and says there plan to have a great picnic. They all start to eat again. Eva tells her dad she’s happy his meeting wasn’t important and he could join them. He says that they’ll have to figure out what to do without him because when he realizes he’d be missing moments like this, he’s been thinking of resigning. Jessica asks if this means he’ll be moving back to Jamaica and he says its too early to say. Liz pulls Jessica to the side and tells her she thinks she has a plan.
Liz shows Jessica the building and the FOR SALE sign on the front door. The twins show Eva’s father the restaurant and tell him their idea. He thinks it’s a marvelous idea! He says he even has enough money saved. Eva says now this means they won’t have to stay in Jamaica. He says that was never his intention. He’d never make a decession like that without talking to them. So, now Eva is exciting about going. They’ll get some authentic Jamaican souvenirs and she knows she’ll be coming back to SV (for now).
My Thoughts:
This is another one of the one's I couldn't find at first. I’m impressed with how pretty they made Eva for the cover! I was also impressed with Mr. Simpson. Was this not the dad every little girl should have (and woman for a husband)? I mean don’t get me wrong I love my dad, but I don’t think he would have given up his job if it meant he had to miss a simple family event like a picnic. Nor do I think he’d consider what I’d had to say in a decession like moving. I definitely wants included in the decession of us switching houses. But sadly why do I get the feeling that even tho I’m not done with this series that this family *does* move back to Jamaica? Could it be because I don’t (or haven’t yet) heard anything about them in the middle school or high school books. And I definitely get why Mr. Simpon just might want to move back to Jamaica. I wouldn’t mind going to Jamaica. Some of my family has gone and the pictueres I’ve seen were gorgeous! I’m not even quite sure why Eva was *as* upset as she was. I also thought about randomly how sometimes when people have something stuck in thier heads-that's not necessarily true, and you try to show them its not what they think how nothing you say sometimes can convince them other wise.
Rating: 7 This one wasn’t bad. It had a good (happy) ending. I just wondered what business Eva’s father was in and if he hated it so much then what made him go into it in the first place. It’s a shame that we really didn’t get as much background as we should have about this family.
All the Wakefields are at the beach. Eva and Amy arrive at Liz and Jessica run over to meet them. They decide to play together. Eva suggests a game called “Hand flip”. Amy asks what the game is and Eva explains that they first have to find some shells without sharp edges.
The game is putting shells on the backside of your hand and then catching them in your plam and then reversing this and putting the shells on the backs of your hands and then catching them in your palm. Liz says its harder than it looks. Amy starts dropping hers on purpose. Liz balances a shell on her nose. Eva keeps playing the game and doesn’t laugh at their antics.
They notice she looks sad all of a sudden. Amy tells her she shouldn’t. The game is fun it just has a weird name. To their surprise she starts to cray and Amy quickly takes it back. Eva tells them she might have to move away soon. Eva says her father says they might have to move back to Jamaica, but she doesn’t want to leave her friends, teacher, or Sweet Valley Elementary.
The twins say in confusion that they thought her father had a good job. Eva says that’s the problem. He’s tired of being a business man. They ask what’s so great about Jamaica and Eva says it’s like one huge beach with palm trees everywhere. Liz points out they have beaches, but Jessica corrects her that it’s different. She describes it as a “fairy-tale island with coconuts and coral reefs and colorful birds”. This makes Liz wish Jessica would just keep her mouth shut. They’re trying to get her to stay not remind her of why she’d want to go back.
Eva’s mother (Mrs. Simpson) is happy with her job there playing for the Sweet Valley Symphany Orchestra. Liz says that all they have to do is convince Eva’s father to stay and they’ll think of something. Liz tells all her classmates about the situation and tells them she made a list of things to do to convince Mr. Simpson to change his mind. She’s not sure they’ll work but…
The first thing is maybe Mr. Simpson could get another job. Lila says this won’t work if he’s got his heart on moving back to Jamaica. Todd says they’ll just have to find a way to make him not want to move back. They come up with telling him there are killer bees and an alien invasion. Eva says she doesn’t think those will get it.
They have another thought of telling him a hurricane is going to make the island sink. Mrs. Otis comes up behind them and says Eva wouldn’t like that because she heard she’ll be seeing Jamaica very soon but she’ll say no more (not wanting to ruin the surprise). This makes Eva tear up.
The twins walk to Eva’s house after school. Eva says it might be the last time they come over, but they tell her not to say that. They won’t let her move. When they get inside, Mrs Simpson is playing a beautiful song on her flute. The twins find out Mrs. Simpson has a friend who wrote the song for her. She’s been writing her letters and has started an opera in Jamaica. She says she’d like to hear it. Eva is now looking uneasy. She asks her mom if she’d like to play with them and her mom says it might be fun.
The twins jump in and say that but she plays for the Sweet Valley Orchestra and everyone knows that tops all the other orchestras in the world because it’s Sweet Valley. She looks thoughtful and says she hasn’t thought about it. Eva brings up what Mrs. Otis said, but she doesn’t seem to know anything about it and says maybe it was Eva’s father. The twins get the feeling that Eva really might be leaving. Mr. Simpson comes home. He’s just come back from a business trip and the twins ask how it was. He says awful and that he’s starting to feel like a wind-up toy. He says maybe he needs a change in his life. Then produces three tickets for a vacation to Jamaica.
Eva worries about school -since there are no holidays coming up- but her father says he talked to Mrs. Otis and got the green light. Jessica worries that if they go there for a vacation they might decide to not come back. Later at home, the twins decide to make Mr. Simpson see all the ways SV and Jamaica are alike (the palm trees, the beach, Mrs. Simpson’s cooking). They think if they can have a picnic on the beach and serve all Jamaican food this will be enough to convince him to stay. I can think of one thing SV doesn’t have that Jamaica has that might appeal to Mr. Simpson.
Alice points out this won’t work. They can’t have a Jamaican feast on the beach every day, but Liz says it will. Mrs. Simpson thinks it’s a great idea! Everyone gets in on it. Winston brings reggae music and a tape deck. Jessica helps make mango ice cream. Amy and Eva help make jerk chicken. Todd and Liz wash malangas-yams-. Lila and Ellen help make a dish called barefoot rice.
Eva says she knows this will work and Jessica agrees. She says her dad is going to help cook. He loves to do that. Hes excited about the picnic. Mr. Simpson comes in with his work clothes on and says he got called into the office and can’t make the picnic. Eva is upset and he says he’s disappointed too but he’ll make it up to her. They’ll have a picnic every day in Jamaica. The perfect plan is ruined!
Mr. Simpson puts on an apron tho and says screw the meeting. He’ll help with one dish. He cheers up the mood in the room again because he’s got so much charisma. Still Eva is upset. She says they should call it off, but Liz tells her not to give up. But the office calls and says the meeting is starting early and he has to go. This brings the mood down again but everyone still tries to cheer Eva up.
Mrs. Simpson gets a call from a lady named Lolly who is her sister. Eva gets even more upset by this the longer the conversation goes on. Eva can’t take it anymore and tells her mom she knows they’re never coming back, but her mom says she wouldn’t do that to her without talking to her first. Eva says she believes her but Liz can tell she doesn’t.
Liz tries to get her to see that her mom wouldn’t lie. Eva agrees but says she might not know it yet but she knows. All Liz can say to that is maybe your dad will change his mind. They find the perfect spot for the picnic. The food smells great but Eva’s heart clearly isn’t in it. Jessica asks Liz what they should do but she’s distracted looking at what use to be an old restaurant.
Everryone agrees the jerk chicken is very spicy but good. The rest of the food is good too. Liz comments that Mr. Simpson should open his own restaurant. The jerk chicken Eva said was his special recipe. A man comes over to them and asks what smells so good and where they got it. Jessica tells him they cooked it. Mrs, Simpson say its her husband’s recipes and the man says it’s a shame they can’t get anything like that there. It makes him want to go all the way to Jaimaca. Eva wandres off and the man asks what’s wrong. Her mother says she’s just upset. Jessica goes to talk to her and says she’s sorry the picnic didn’t go like she wanted.
Eva says she just wishes her dad was there. Then he shows up. He says that the meeting wasn’t an emergency and he let them handle it and came back to the picnic.
Jess blurts out that now their plan will work. He asks what plan but Liz covers and says there plan to have a great picnic. They all start to eat again. Eva tells her dad she’s happy his meeting wasn’t important and he could join them. He says that they’ll have to figure out what to do without him because when he realizes he’d be missing moments like this, he’s been thinking of resigning. Jessica asks if this means he’ll be moving back to Jamaica and he says its too early to say. Liz pulls Jessica to the side and tells her she thinks she has a plan.
Liz shows Jessica the building and the FOR SALE sign on the front door. The twins show Eva’s father the restaurant and tell him their idea. He thinks it’s a marvelous idea! He says he even has enough money saved. Eva says now this means they won’t have to stay in Jamaica. He says that was never his intention. He’d never make a decession like that without talking to them. So, now Eva is exciting about going. They’ll get some authentic Jamaican souvenirs and she knows she’ll be coming back to SV (for now).
My Thoughts:
This is another one of the one's I couldn't find at first. I’m impressed with how pretty they made Eva for the cover! I was also impressed with Mr. Simpson. Was this not the dad every little girl should have (and woman for a husband)? I mean don’t get me wrong I love my dad, but I don’t think he would have given up his job if it meant he had to miss a simple family event like a picnic. Nor do I think he’d consider what I’d had to say in a decession like moving. I definitely wants included in the decession of us switching houses. But sadly why do I get the feeling that even tho I’m not done with this series that this family *does* move back to Jamaica? Could it be because I don’t (or haven’t yet) heard anything about them in the middle school or high school books. And I definitely get why Mr. Simpon just might want to move back to Jamaica. I wouldn’t mind going to Jamaica. Some of my family has gone and the pictueres I’ve seen were gorgeous! I’m not even quite sure why Eva was *as* upset as she was. I also thought about randomly how sometimes when people have something stuck in thier heads-that's not necessarily true, and you try to show them its not what they think how nothing you say sometimes can convince them other wise.
Rating: 7 This one wasn’t bad. It had a good (happy) ending. I just wondered what business Eva’s father was in and if he hated it so much then what made him go into it in the first place. It’s a shame that we really didn’t get as much background as we should have about this family.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2009
I liked Eva! It was such a theme for kids' books, wasn't it, of the bff moving away? It really is quite devastating though, if I remember primary school correctly! Although we rarely seemed to have as much notice as the kids in the books did.
January 27, 2024
One of twins friends, Eva is worried because she thinks her parents might relocate to Jamaica. Twins are planning to keep the family in California.
December 5, 2021
sweetvalleyrecaps
Sweet Valley Kids 30 - Goodbye Eva?
Eva is super bummed because her Dad is miserable and talking about quitting his job. And he missed Jamaica, so of course that means they’re moving back. It doesn’t help that Mrs Otis tells Eva ‘a little birdie’ told her she’ll see it soon (when the kids were brainstorming ways of making Jamaica less desirable - my fave way was Amy suggesting they tell him it sunk into the ocean). Mrs Simpson tells Eva they are not moving (she also knew nothing about this ‘little birdie’ 🤔), but Eva still thinks they are. The twins have an idea to bring Jamaica to Sweet Valley so Mr S doesn’t miss it as much - a Jamaican picnic on the beach! The Snoopers (just easier to explain who was there, not an offical club meeting 😂) all go to Evas house and cook Jamaican food - but Mr S gets called into a meeting and can’t go 😞 He helps them cook though, and once at the beach Liz spots a closed down empty restaurant... and Jess declares the food is so good and S should open a restaurant... and a stranger walks up because the food smells delicious and he wants to buy some... I think you see where this is going! Mr S shows up, has decided to quit, assures Eva its just a vacation to Jamaica, and the twins tell everyone their brilliant idea... and Mr S is on board! So how come we never hear of Eva after kids? Maybe the restaurant didn’t end up doing so well 😞
My rating - 4/10 - although the twins were pretty nosey and Eva should have believed her mother, the description of the food did it for me 🤤 BRB, off to eat dinner!
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November 29, 2022This is one of those books that work just fine as a kid, but that make you really suspend disbelief as an adult. I do think it does a good job, though, of showing how much kids are at the mercy of their parents when it comes to moving house and the emotional effect that has on them.
June 22, 2013
I remember the cover just not the story.
July 26, 2012
Eva was one of the coolest of their friends, & I'd hate to see her move away.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews