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Sweet Valley Kids #71
Jessica's Secret Friend
In the words of 7-year-old Jessica Wakefield...
Lila Fowler is NOT my best friend. We had a BIG fight and now we're not friends anymore. I was really sad...until I found a bottle floating in the ocean. It had a message inside! The message was from a girl who really needs a friend. Just like me! Now I have a secret friend. But will I ever get to meet her?
Lila Fowler is NOT my best friend. We had a BIG fight and now we're not friends anymore. I was really sad...until I found a bottle floating in the ocean. It had a message inside! The message was from a girl who really needs a friend. Just like me! Now I have a secret friend. But will I ever get to meet her?
- GenresChildrensMiddle Grade
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
About the author
Francine Pascal
1,155 books1,870 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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July 2, 2026Jessica’s Secret Friend
Jessica and Lila are playing dress up (and arguing about what to wear) when Steven comes in with a note from Charlie Cashman to Lila. Jessica recognizes it immediately as the note Lila gave her with a big secret that hr mother won’t be able to take her to Fantasy Forest. Lila accuses her of telling Charlie. Jessica says she didn’t tell Charlie. She probably dropped the note, or he stole it.
Jessica says it was an accident and apologizes. Lila says she doesn’t care. Jessica is the worst best friend she’s ever had. She tells her she doesn’t want to be friends with her anymore. Now Personally, I think Lila should be mad at HERSELF! She was the one -as usual-bragging and probably throwing the trip in everyone’s face. And then, in the book where the twins go to Fantasy Forest, it said that Lila had already gone to Fantasy Forrest and couldn’t get on the roller coaster Steven and Joe wanted to get on because she was too short. OR did she lie about that too?
Lila storms out and says she’s going home. She says she’s never speaking to Jessica again. Liz comes in and notices the mess Lila made. Jessica says she’ll clean it up. Liz says she’d better and to never touch her things again. Jessica feels like crying. She’s lost both her best friends in one day. The next day, Mr. Crane brings fish in an aquarium since they’re taking a field trip to the beach.
The fish are tropical fish, and Mr. Crane lets them name them. One is an angel fish. The other is a butterfly-wing fish. Jessica wants to name one Cream-Puff. Lila picks the name “Goldie” for the butterfly fish. Mr. Crane likes the name. Lila starts bragging again about how she spends a lot of time at the beach because her daddy has a big boat. Next time, she’ll take them all for a ride. Well, almost everybody. That’s why your mother isn’t taking you to Fantasy Forest. I just don’t feel bad for Lila.
Lila’s even crossed out Jessica’s name on her notebook. On the bus, Liz sits with Amy and Eva. Lila sits with Ellen and Julie. So, Jessica has to sit by herself on the bus. When they get to the beach, Mr. Crane gives them colorful buckets and says they’ll collect shells and animal life. They split into groups. Liz, Eva, Amy, and Todd are in a group. Lila, Julie, Ellen, and Sandy are in a group. Jessica feels invisible.
Jessica ends up with Lois Waller, Caroline, Winston, and Charlie. Jessica isn’t happy with her group. On the beach, Jessica finds some shells. Winston finds a grapevine and a crab. Mr. Crane then gives them some free time. Liz, Amy, and some of the boys run off to play beach ball. Jessica wants to make up with Lila and hopes that she feels as lonely as she does. But she’s with Eva and Julie making a sand castle. So, Jessica takes a float and goes to play in the water with Mr. Crane and some of the other kids. While she’s in the water, she sees a bottle with a paper inside it.
Before Jessica can read the message, Winston, Jerry, and Charlie start to harass her. Jerry drops the crab on her float, causing Jessica to shriek. Winston tries to get it off, but ends up turning Jessica’s float over. Luckily, she’s able to hang on to the bottle and keep it out of sight. She sees Lila on the edge of the water laughing. When the boys are gone, Jessica looks at the message. It says Wanted: A Best Friend.
The rest of the note says: Hi! I’m seven years old, and I need a friend. It’s lonely in my big house, and I don’t have anyone to play with me. Not even my mom. I like to play dress up and wear pretty barrettes. And I hate boys. They have cooties. If you want to be my friend, write me back, Put it in the bottle and leave it in the old hollow tree by the pond. Jessica is so excited she feels like jumping up and down. This girl sounds just like her. Except its her sister that won’t play with her.
Mr. Crane announces that it’s time to go. Winston and Charlie tease Jessica about being scared of the crab. Jessica sees Lila and Julie laughing. She confronts Lila and accuses her of telling Jerry to scare hr with the crab and have Winston dunk her in the water. She tells her to believe whatever she likes. They aren’t friends anymore anyway. As Lila walks away, Jessica says she doesn’t need her. She has a new friend now. Lila doesn’t hear her.
The twins tell their parents all about what they did at the beach. Liz says Mr. Crane asked her and Amy to do a special project for the class. This makes Jessica frown because now she’ll be so busy they won’t have time to make up. But then she thinks it doesn’t matter. She has a new friend anyway. Liz says their class is going to camp out at the beach in a couple of days and sleep in tents. Mrs. Wakefield says she heard about it and she bets Jessica and Liz will stay up all night talking. Jessica keeps quiet.
After dinner, Liz goes to the basement to work on her project. She won’t even tell Alice what it is. Jessica puts up extra sheets and turns her bed into a tent for privacy. Jessica wonders what Liz’s project is, but decides not to ask. She sees her carrying a big box. Jessica writes her secret friend back.
Dear Secret friend:
I was really sad until I found your note in the bottle. I’m seven too, and I need a friend as bad as you do. I can keep secrets better than anybody. I want a friend who won’t be mad at me all the time. I like to play dress up and collect shells. Please write back soon. P.S. I don’t like boys either. The teacher should give them cootie shots before they let them come in the room.
Jessica makes her friend a seashell barrette and starts to take it to the park, but her mother makes Liz go with her. When they get there, Liz says she’s meeting Amy and Eva, and warns Jessica not to spy on her. Jessica tells her she doesn’t care about her dumb project. She’s got stuff to do herself. Jessica slips the note in the tree, and hopes her secret friend writes back.
The next day in class, Mr. Crane says they are going to paint ocean murals. They use paint for the ocean and sky. Lila goes overboard painting clouds. Ricky paints an orange sun. Winston cuts out fish and adds them. They add shells and sand. Lila takes the pink, plastic fish Jessica is going to add to the mural. She tells Lila she just did it to be mean. Lila says who cares. They aren’t friends anymore. Jessica says she’s glad bcause she has a new feind. Lila says she has one too that doesn’t tell secrets.
Jessica says at least her friend isn’t snotty and believes her when she tells the truth. Mr. Crane breaks up the argument. Jessica looks at the mural, and it makes her think of how she met her new friend. She wishes she could meet her in real life. She gets an idea. She could meet her if she lived close by. Then she could invite her to go to Sweet Valley Elementary School. Jessica’s secret friend leaves her a note and a gift 9a doll with long hair, a purple bikini, and a float). The note says
Dear Secret Friend:
I’m really happy you wrote me back. Thanks for the beautiful shell barette. I’m saving it to wear with my best dress. I brought you this doll. I have one just like it. She’s a beach baby. She floats in water. Write back soon. Your New Best Friend.
Jessica quickly responds. Dear New Best Friend: Thanks for the beach baby. I love her! I’m going to play with her all the time. I really like having you for a friend. I would like you no matter what happened, even if you goofed up. That’s what best friends are for. Maybe you could come over to my house and play. Write back soon and tell me if you want to meet me. Your New Best Friend Too.
Liz asks where she got the doll. Jessica just says, “from a friend”. When she gets home, Jessica decides to make her new bestie a matching necklace. She writes her another note.
Dear Secret Friend: It’s so much fun writing you. I collected these shells at the ocean to make you a necklace. Your part of the necklace says Always. My part says, Friends. If you want to meet me, I’ll be by this tree tomorrow before dark. Wear your necklace so I’ll know who you are. I’ll wear mine. Your Secret Best Friend. Jessica tries to go to the park, but her mom says she has to with someone. Liz says she’s busy and has to finish her project. Jessica gets Steven to go with her after promising to do his chores for a week. She tells him she left something. Her secret friend has left another letter. It says.
Dear Secret Best Friend:
I’m glad you liked the beach, baby. Mine has long blond hair. I think blond hair is so pretty. Please write me back and tell me where we can meet. I have lots of secrets to tell you. Your Secret Best Friend
Jessica starts to daydream about all the things they’ll do together. The next night, they have their campout.. Jessica is able to sneak away to the tree and finds out her secret friend is… Lila. Lila asks how Jessica could be alone when she has Liz. She says Liz isn’t Lila. Now she understands that Lila was upset because missing her mother was the keep of secret you only shared with your best friend. Jessica says she didn’t give the note to Charlie and apologizes that Lila doesn’t think she's a good friend. Lila says she knew Jessica didn’t. She was just embarrassed and that she shouldn’t have got so mad.
Jessica reads the last message. It says
Dear Best Friend:
I used to have a best friend, but I got mad at her, and now I miss her a lot. I promise not to get mad at you. You’re the best friend ever. I want us to always be friends. Let’s play together every day. Your Best friend.
They both tell each other they miss each other and later promise to be best friends as long as there are stars in the sky. When they get back, Liz shows that her project was glow wands. She even gives Jessica a pink one. At the end of the book Lila says Mr. Crane is taking them on another field trip but she can’t say where. It’s a secret.
My Thoughts:
Even tho this one was admittedly kind of cute (ish), not even thinking with a second-grade mind did I understand why Lila got mad about Charlie finding out her mom couldn’t take her to Fantasy Forest. My mind said she probably knew all along and just lied about it and then got embarrassed when she got found out. Or maybe it's because she’s Lila and her parents don’t tell her no. Parents, though, tell you no all the time. That’s what they do. It shouldn’t even be this big of a deal. My mother told me she can’t take me to Fantasy Forest. Ok. Moving on. And then missing your mother isn’t that much of a deep-dark-secret either if your parents get divorced. So it all felt just a little extreme. But I liked the beach trip and the beach themed projects. I liked remembering glow sticks from way back when and getting them for the circus or sometimes Halloween. Mr. Crane seems like a cool teacher so far.
Rating: 6
Jessica and Lila are playing dress up (and arguing about what to wear) when Steven comes in with a note from Charlie Cashman to Lila. Jessica recognizes it immediately as the note Lila gave her with a big secret that hr mother won’t be able to take her to Fantasy Forest. Lila accuses her of telling Charlie. Jessica says she didn’t tell Charlie. She probably dropped the note, or he stole it.
Jessica says it was an accident and apologizes. Lila says she doesn’t care. Jessica is the worst best friend she’s ever had. She tells her she doesn’t want to be friends with her anymore. Now Personally, I think Lila should be mad at HERSELF! She was the one -as usual-bragging and probably throwing the trip in everyone’s face. And then, in the book where the twins go to Fantasy Forest, it said that Lila had already gone to Fantasy Forrest and couldn’t get on the roller coaster Steven and Joe wanted to get on because she was too short. OR did she lie about that too?
Lila storms out and says she’s going home. She says she’s never speaking to Jessica again. Liz comes in and notices the mess Lila made. Jessica says she’ll clean it up. Liz says she’d better and to never touch her things again. Jessica feels like crying. She’s lost both her best friends in one day. The next day, Mr. Crane brings fish in an aquarium since they’re taking a field trip to the beach.
The fish are tropical fish, and Mr. Crane lets them name them. One is an angel fish. The other is a butterfly-wing fish. Jessica wants to name one Cream-Puff. Lila picks the name “Goldie” for the butterfly fish. Mr. Crane likes the name. Lila starts bragging again about how she spends a lot of time at the beach because her daddy has a big boat. Next time, she’ll take them all for a ride. Well, almost everybody. That’s why your mother isn’t taking you to Fantasy Forest. I just don’t feel bad for Lila.
Lila’s even crossed out Jessica’s name on her notebook. On the bus, Liz sits with Amy and Eva. Lila sits with Ellen and Julie. So, Jessica has to sit by herself on the bus. When they get to the beach, Mr. Crane gives them colorful buckets and says they’ll collect shells and animal life. They split into groups. Liz, Eva, Amy, and Todd are in a group. Lila, Julie, Ellen, and Sandy are in a group. Jessica feels invisible.
Jessica ends up with Lois Waller, Caroline, Winston, and Charlie. Jessica isn’t happy with her group. On the beach, Jessica finds some shells. Winston finds a grapevine and a crab. Mr. Crane then gives them some free time. Liz, Amy, and some of the boys run off to play beach ball. Jessica wants to make up with Lila and hopes that she feels as lonely as she does. But she’s with Eva and Julie making a sand castle. So, Jessica takes a float and goes to play in the water with Mr. Crane and some of the other kids. While she’s in the water, she sees a bottle with a paper inside it.
Before Jessica can read the message, Winston, Jerry, and Charlie start to harass her. Jerry drops the crab on her float, causing Jessica to shriek. Winston tries to get it off, but ends up turning Jessica’s float over. Luckily, she’s able to hang on to the bottle and keep it out of sight. She sees Lila on the edge of the water laughing. When the boys are gone, Jessica looks at the message. It says Wanted: A Best Friend.
The rest of the note says: Hi! I’m seven years old, and I need a friend. It’s lonely in my big house, and I don’t have anyone to play with me. Not even my mom. I like to play dress up and wear pretty barrettes. And I hate boys. They have cooties. If you want to be my friend, write me back, Put it in the bottle and leave it in the old hollow tree by the pond. Jessica is so excited she feels like jumping up and down. This girl sounds just like her. Except its her sister that won’t play with her.
Mr. Crane announces that it’s time to go. Winston and Charlie tease Jessica about being scared of the crab. Jessica sees Lila and Julie laughing. She confronts Lila and accuses her of telling Jerry to scare hr with the crab and have Winston dunk her in the water. She tells her to believe whatever she likes. They aren’t friends anymore anyway. As Lila walks away, Jessica says she doesn’t need her. She has a new friend now. Lila doesn’t hear her.
The twins tell their parents all about what they did at the beach. Liz says Mr. Crane asked her and Amy to do a special project for the class. This makes Jessica frown because now she’ll be so busy they won’t have time to make up. But then she thinks it doesn’t matter. She has a new friend anyway. Liz says their class is going to camp out at the beach in a couple of days and sleep in tents. Mrs. Wakefield says she heard about it and she bets Jessica and Liz will stay up all night talking. Jessica keeps quiet.
After dinner, Liz goes to the basement to work on her project. She won’t even tell Alice what it is. Jessica puts up extra sheets and turns her bed into a tent for privacy. Jessica wonders what Liz’s project is, but decides not to ask. She sees her carrying a big box. Jessica writes her secret friend back.
Dear Secret friend:
I was really sad until I found your note in the bottle. I’m seven too, and I need a friend as bad as you do. I can keep secrets better than anybody. I want a friend who won’t be mad at me all the time. I like to play dress up and collect shells. Please write back soon. P.S. I don’t like boys either. The teacher should give them cootie shots before they let them come in the room.
Jessica makes her friend a seashell barrette and starts to take it to the park, but her mother makes Liz go with her. When they get there, Liz says she’s meeting Amy and Eva, and warns Jessica not to spy on her. Jessica tells her she doesn’t care about her dumb project. She’s got stuff to do herself. Jessica slips the note in the tree, and hopes her secret friend writes back.
The next day in class, Mr. Crane says they are going to paint ocean murals. They use paint for the ocean and sky. Lila goes overboard painting clouds. Ricky paints an orange sun. Winston cuts out fish and adds them. They add shells and sand. Lila takes the pink, plastic fish Jessica is going to add to the mural. She tells Lila she just did it to be mean. Lila says who cares. They aren’t friends anymore. Jessica says she’s glad bcause she has a new feind. Lila says she has one too that doesn’t tell secrets.
Jessica says at least her friend isn’t snotty and believes her when she tells the truth. Mr. Crane breaks up the argument. Jessica looks at the mural, and it makes her think of how she met her new friend. She wishes she could meet her in real life. She gets an idea. She could meet her if she lived close by. Then she could invite her to go to Sweet Valley Elementary School. Jessica’s secret friend leaves her a note and a gift 9a doll with long hair, a purple bikini, and a float). The note says
Dear Secret Friend:
I’m really happy you wrote me back. Thanks for the beautiful shell barette. I’m saving it to wear with my best dress. I brought you this doll. I have one just like it. She’s a beach baby. She floats in water. Write back soon. Your New Best Friend.
Jessica quickly responds. Dear New Best Friend: Thanks for the beach baby. I love her! I’m going to play with her all the time. I really like having you for a friend. I would like you no matter what happened, even if you goofed up. That’s what best friends are for. Maybe you could come over to my house and play. Write back soon and tell me if you want to meet me. Your New Best Friend Too.
Liz asks where she got the doll. Jessica just says, “from a friend”. When she gets home, Jessica decides to make her new bestie a matching necklace. She writes her another note.
Dear Secret Friend: It’s so much fun writing you. I collected these shells at the ocean to make you a necklace. Your part of the necklace says Always. My part says, Friends. If you want to meet me, I’ll be by this tree tomorrow before dark. Wear your necklace so I’ll know who you are. I’ll wear mine. Your Secret Best Friend. Jessica tries to go to the park, but her mom says she has to with someone. Liz says she’s busy and has to finish her project. Jessica gets Steven to go with her after promising to do his chores for a week. She tells him she left something. Her secret friend has left another letter. It says.
Dear Secret Best Friend:
I’m glad you liked the beach, baby. Mine has long blond hair. I think blond hair is so pretty. Please write me back and tell me where we can meet. I have lots of secrets to tell you. Your Secret Best Friend
Jessica starts to daydream about all the things they’ll do together. The next night, they have their campout.. Jessica is able to sneak away to the tree and finds out her secret friend is… Lila. Lila asks how Jessica could be alone when she has Liz. She says Liz isn’t Lila. Now she understands that Lila was upset because missing her mother was the keep of secret you only shared with your best friend. Jessica says she didn’t give the note to Charlie and apologizes that Lila doesn’t think she's a good friend. Lila says she knew Jessica didn’t. She was just embarrassed and that she shouldn’t have got so mad.
Jessica reads the last message. It says
Dear Best Friend:
I used to have a best friend, but I got mad at her, and now I miss her a lot. I promise not to get mad at you. You’re the best friend ever. I want us to always be friends. Let’s play together every day. Your Best friend.
They both tell each other they miss each other and later promise to be best friends as long as there are stars in the sky. When they get back, Liz shows that her project was glow wands. She even gives Jessica a pink one. At the end of the book Lila says Mr. Crane is taking them on another field trip but she can’t say where. It’s a secret.
My Thoughts:
Even tho this one was admittedly kind of cute (ish), not even thinking with a second-grade mind did I understand why Lila got mad about Charlie finding out her mom couldn’t take her to Fantasy Forest. My mind said she probably knew all along and just lied about it and then got embarrassed when she got found out. Or maybe it's because she’s Lila and her parents don’t tell her no. Parents, though, tell you no all the time. That’s what they do. It shouldn’t even be this big of a deal. My mother told me she can’t take me to Fantasy Forest. Ok. Moving on. And then missing your mother isn’t that much of a deep-dark-secret either if your parents get divorced. So it all felt just a little extreme. But I liked the beach trip and the beach themed projects. I liked remembering glow sticks from way back when and getting them for the circus or sometimes Halloween. Mr. Crane seems like a cool teacher so far.
Rating: 6
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2024
I love this book 📕 it has so many twists and turns it is interesting and unexpected
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February 10, 2026Sweet Valley's favourite frenemies, Jessica and Lila, are fighting again, and Jess feels particularly lonely given that Elizabeth is busy with a secret project. But then she finds a message in a bottle and begins writing to a girl her age—a secret new friend.
As an adult reader, the identity of Jessica's new friend is pretty obvious from the start, but I'm sure it would be less predictable for the target audience. The innocence of the secret friendship is lovely when read nearly thirty years after this book came out. I wonder whether it could be published these days, with a modern awareness of the dangers of kids secretly talking to strangers who may not be who they say they are. In this case, though, it's a happy ending for Jessica. And for Lila, which is the most important thing.
As an adult reader, the identity of Jessica's new friend is pretty obvious from the start, but I'm sure it would be less predictable for the target audience. The innocence of the secret friendship is lovely when read nearly thirty years after this book came out. I wonder whether it could be published these days, with a modern awareness of the dangers of kids secretly talking to strangers who may not be who they say they are. In this case, though, it's a happy ending for Jessica. And for Lila, which is the most important thing.
December 6, 2021
Finally another good one! Jessica and Lila are playing when Steven comes in and says that Charlie said Lila isn’t going to Fantasy Forest with her Mum anymore - and Lila is angry because she wrote that on a note only to Jess! They fight and Lila says their friendship is over! Then Liz gets mad at Jess for messing up their room. Jess is all alone on the field trip the next day, and paddles out to the ocean by herself (sounds safe) where she finds a letter in a bottle (slide for pic). She’s super excited and I see where this is going! As Lila continues to ignore her, and Liz is busy on a secret project with her friends, Jess and her new BFF wrote back and forth, using a tree in the park to share letters and gifts. Finally they decide to meet on another field trip / overnight camping thing, and it’s… Lila! They make up and are best friends forever again. Oh and Liz’s secret was glow in the dark wands for the class. Liz is really not acting like herself in these later books.
My rating - 4/10 - I enjoyed the focus of Jess and Lila way more. Funny to think of the technology we’d use in this plot today instead of a bottle and a tree!
My rating - 4/10 - I enjoyed the focus of Jess and Lila way more. Funny to think of the technology we’d use in this plot today instead of a bottle and a tree!
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October 19, 2016READ WHEN I WAS IN ELEMENTARY BETWEEN AGES 6-10.
REVIEW INTENDED FOR THE FOLLOWING:
1. For parents looking for something to give their elementary grade kids
2. For myself to look back to if I will ever be in need of Sweet Valley recommendations for kids these days who might choose a book over their Ipads or who knows, my future kid might be a reader too
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This is a story of forgiveness and friendship. In the adult world, we call it second chance romance. In the eyes of kids, this is a second chance friendship story.
REVIEW INTENDED FOR THE FOLLOWING:
1. For parents looking for something to give their elementary grade kids
2. For myself to look back to if I will ever be in need of Sweet Valley recommendations for kids these days who might choose a book over their Ipads or who knows, my future kid might be a reader too
----------------------
This is a story of forgiveness and friendship. In the adult world, we call it second chance romance. In the eyes of kids, this is a second chance friendship story.
June 22, 2013
I remember the cover but just not the story.
December 3, 2010
good book
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews