The Wakefields Strike It Rich

Sweet Valley Twins #56

by Francine Pascal

You can't be too rich ... or can you?

When Jessica, Elizabeth, and Steven Wakefield's great-aunt Helen arrives in Sweet Valley, she brings a big surprise: one hundred dollars in cash for each of them! Now the Wakefield kids are faced with a problem—how will they spend all of this cash?

Jessica shows off by showering her friends with gifts. When the money runs out, how will she explain that she's broke? Elizabeth buys an autographed copy of the latest Amanda Howard mystery, and her money madness leads her to believe that there's a mystery right under her nose! Steven takes beautiful Jill Hale on a dream date to an expensive restaurant. But when the dinner bill arrives, Steven realizes that he's not so rich after all.

Can money buy the Wakefields friendship, mystery, and romance?

Genres: Childrens, Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade

135 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

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

[Alex]

If this was written today, I assume it would be more like a thousand dollars considering the kid's reaction to the money!

[Elise]

I remember enjoying this book in middle school, when $100 seemed like a lot of money that each of the Wakefield kids were gifted. Elizabeth buys a camera and a book, Jessica is spending money on her friends and runs out, but Elizabeth gives her a sweater to make up for it, and Steven was trying to impress a girl he liked, but couldn't pay for their dinner cause he spent the money on earrings for her. Elizabeth did well, but Jessica and Steven had lessons to learn, that money shouldn’t buy relationships

[Sally]

Okay, so what the hell kind of restaurant did Steven take Jill to, that $100 was not enough?! I mean it's not like they'd be drinking wine or anything. I love how $100 sounds like such a fortune when you're 12 or so.

[Sheila Read]

I remember the cover just not the story.