Holiday Mischief

Sweet Valley Twins Super Editions #2

by Francine Pascal

The Sweet Valley Middle School choral group is off to Washington, D.C., for a singing competition, but members Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield also become involved in a plot to reunite their friend Anna with her long-lost sister

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

133 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

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

[Pastel Paperback · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don’t really consider this a Christmas book because even though it exists during the season, there’s just passing mentions of a Christmas tree and the choral group sings some carols.

Like a weird ass episode of Glee. So much singing; and threats of sing-offs, and then the entire Anna (who?)/embassy/missing family plot is hilarious (and kinda fun.) Spies! Intrigue! Sneaking around!

I mostly questioned why the twins would go to such great lengths to help this random girl, but I guess the book needed a new catalyst for the trip.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first time reading this one!

With a name like "Holiday Mischief" I expected this to be Christmas related, but it's not at all. The twins see a Christmas tree at the White House and go caroling, but that's about it. Still, this was a fairly cute book, even though it was even more far-fetched than usual.

Also, Jess and Liz are amazing singers in this somehow, even though they are well known for being absolutely tone-deaf by the time they reach high school. Well, we all know that continuity has never been Sweet Valley's strong suit!

Oh, and CLEARLY Anna's long-lost sister is really Enid. I mean, come on, look at her on the cover!

[kylajaclyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dull in D.C.:

The twins can sing now, /
Do not ask me why the fuck. /
Leslie is a guy

[Mez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second special edition in the series, and it made me believe it would be christmas related cos of the title, but nope!
The twins randomly join the choir (cos apparently other choirs were larger, so they needed more people to join SV's?) to go to Washington for the national competition.
We are then randomly introduced to Anna Barrett (will we ever hear from her again?) who pretends she can sing, so she can also go to Washington to meet her long lost sister, as she finds a letter in her adoptive parents possession about her. Turns out Leslie is, in fact, a he, not a she, and is residing at the Australian embassy as his adoptive father is an ambassador (as an Aussie, I enjoyed this haha). Anna and Jess escape their hotel to attend a gala and miraculously thwart a spy from stealing documents and get lots of praise (and of course not in trouble in the end)

Happy family reunion, Jess and Liz are of course amazing singers and win solo awards, and SV wins the competition overall. There was also a random bully (Sherry? I forgot already) who picked on Anna and Jess for unknown reasons.

Also... why the fuck was Bruce in the choir? it makes no sense lol.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes yes yessss! FINALLY! A diamond in the rough, this is probably my most read sweet valley book when I was a kid, and it just hit all the feels. And the storyline, while straight out of an Mary Kate and Ashley movie (yes I’m aware sweet valley came first), for once doesn’t glamorize bullying.

Adventure! A new city! Glamorous clothes! And a reunion to melt even the coldest of hearts.

This is my last owned copy of this series, and I don’t think I’ll pursue it any longer. They brought me down memory lane, and put a few past behaviors into perspective for me.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My daughter and I are reading the Sweet Valley books together- this one was fair. Some of the others are better for sure.

[Marian · Rating 3 out of 5]

The absolute best thing about the book, aside from the cover that always makes me think "Enid, what are you doing in a SVT book; you didn't move to the Valley til High School?" is the complete and utter lack of continuity.

In about 90% of the various Sweet Valley books, Liz and Jessica aren't known for their singing voices. Depending on the author, their voices range anywhere from "passable" to "street fighting cats." Yet for this book not only are they good, they're so good that they win national awards for their voices.

Which I could accept if not for Lila being left out, because she actually *is* supposed to have a lovely singing voice.

Oh. And there's a foiled spy plot at the Australian embassy.

[Massie Block · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a great book! One of my faves next to the Sweet Valley Twin's "Class Trip". See my review from http://www.claytonpl.org/teens/books/... below:

Clear your voices and get ready for Sweet Valley Twin's "Holiday Mischef"! The story forms when Elizabeth and Jessica join the school chorus. The chorus gets to travel to Washington D.C. When Elizabeth and Jessica's adopted friend finds out her long lost sister is in D.C, they have to sing and travel at full force to help their friend meet her sister. They capture crooks, go sled riding, defeat a bully, and sing their hearts out in "Holiday Mischef" The journey starts in the book!

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holiday Mischief by Francine Pascal was a Super Edition which apparently just meant the girls went on a trip. Y'all, this one was just a little too outlandish - even understanding the audience. The girls' friend Anna wants to go on the choir trip, so she can go to DC and meet her long last sibling. Um, what? A foreign embassy is involved, the girls sneak out of the hotel (y'all, they're 12), and it was just a little much. Well-intentioned, but it was just too many "Wait, what?" moments for this me.

[Tara Calaby]

The Wakefield twins are so amazing that they can even star in national singing competitions now! The thing that bugs me the most about this book is not that it's completely unrealistic (it really is - there's a bona fide spy to catch) but rather that the ghost writer chose to put Ellen into the choir instead of Lila, when Lila is the one who's the choir's star soprano in Sweet Valley High. The little things bug me a lot.

[Mandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I loved these books growing up, and was very excited when my daughters chose this for a family read. As an adult, I see the book is filled with mistakes (characters change names etc.), not to mention the inaccurate description of our nation's capital (i.e. the Smithsonian is one building). The plot and characters are weak. I guess it might encourage children to read. Fortunately,my daughters already enjoy reading. I'll try to steer them to better literature.

[Jodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holiday mischief, in a super edition of wonderful. What more could a middle school kid want!!

[Katrina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this when I was in my elementary years. Loved it from the start until the end. 'Til now, I never get tired of reading it over and over again.

[Melenia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved these books as a child

[Sheila Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember the cover but just not the story