Runaway Hamster

Sweet Valley Kids #2

by Francine Pascal (Creator)

Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield love being the only twins in their second-grade class. They wear matching outfits to school every day and always sit together.

But twins don't always like the same things. Elizabeth is excited about taking the class hamster, Tinkerbell, home for winter vacation. But Jessica thinks Tinkerbell is disgusting.

When it's Jessica's turn to feed the hamster, she forgets to shut the cage door tightly--and Tinkerbell escapes! Will the twins find Tinkerbell? If they don't, what will they tell their friends?

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Middle Grade, School, Juvenile

73 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1989

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

[Tara Calaby]

Every weekend, one of the students in Mrs. Becker’s second grade class is chosen to take home the class pet, a hamster named Tinkerbell. Most of the kids are super excited by the prospect, but Jessica dreads her name being pulled from the box, as she’s more than a little scared of the tiny rodent. In the end, it’s Elizabeth who is chosen to take Tinkerbell but, as she’ll have the hamster for all of the winter break, Jessica is expected to be equally responsible for looking after it.

In a different kind of book series, this might have led to Jessica’s family helping her to work through her fears. This is Sweet Valley, though, so everyone is completely indifferent to her genuine distress. And then, when Tinkerbell escapes from her cage because the door doesn’t shut properly, Jessica is treated as though she is at fault, when really people should be blaming the shoddy cage.

Tinkerbell is nowhere to be found, so the Wakefields return to school with a replacement. The new hamster is named Thumbelina, proving that groups of small children should never be allowed naming rights to anything important. But then, just as everyone has given up on ever seeing Tinkerbell again, Ned Wakefield notices a chewed hole in his box of crackers. In an extremely helpful coincidence, Steven has been working on a mousetrap for the weirdest science class ever—a mousetrap that conveniently manages to recapture Tinkerbell, who Jessica is suddenly not afraid of any more. Which is a good thing, really, because it’s not as though anyone was going to notice her phobia or help her through it.

Two books in and I’m already feeling frustrated due to Jessica-related injustice. These may be aimed at little kids, but they definitely have that in common with the other series.

[Christy Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in like an hour and something less if wasn't doing other stuff too.

I just got this recently, but have had some since I was in elementry-high school. Like BSC and Wishbone never read til now.

Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield have their turn of taking care of the class pet Tinkerbell the Hamster. The only thing is Jessica hates the idea and can't stand Tinkerbell. She is whispering for the teacher not to pick them, but Elizabeth her identical twin gets her wish of taking care of the cute little critter for winter break.

Jessica wants nothing to do with it and if her mom hadn't made her she never would have done her share of the work. Too bad that their older brother Steven told Jessica to come to his room when was her turn to change cage.

Jessica didn't shut the cage door tight enough and Tinkerbell got lose in the house. They did everything to find her, but couldn't. Jessica didn't like her, but never wanted to lose her. She is convinced that everyone will hate her now.

They tell their mom and get a new hamster, but every one knows that its not Tinkerbell. The new hamster gets named Thumbelina but Jessica didn't like it cause sounded like Tinkerbell.

However, when their dad gets home from his trip they find out something has been in the crackers. Then their brother Steven tells them he caught something in his friendly mouse trap that is a shoe box.

The girls find out that Tinkerbell is in the box and they take her back to school. The class now has two hamsters that are identical just like the twins.

I thought it was cute and I have to say I like Elizabeth the most.

[patricia clare]

READ 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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A hamster is missing and in the eyes of a kid, it's a life changing dilemma. This story shows that kids need to own up to their mistakes and learn to find solutions to problems. Just because you are a kid doesn't mean that you are to be babied and solutions will be given to you all the time.

[Ruvi Perera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elizabeth and Jessica had to take the class pet, a hamster home during the winter holidays. Elizabeth loves the hamster but Jessica, not so much. Anyhow, when it was Jessica's turn to take care of the pet she loses her. And they buy a new identical hamster.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

These books are so cute! How did I never read any of these until now!?

[Reading with Cats · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sorry Tinkerbell, but I’m Team Jess when it comes to hamsters.

[Kylie · Rating 3 out of 5]

As copied from my Instagram account - Sweetvalleyrecaps -Really, the title tells it all! Liz and Jess take home the class hamster for Winter Vacation (bummed there was no mention of Christmas!) and it escapes from its cage after Jess doesn’t close it properly. To be fair, she didn’t want to look after it in the first place, because she’s scared of it, but Alice makes her. Jess is scared everyone in the class will hate her for losing Tinkerbell, so Alice takes them to buy a replacement. But she doesn’t even help them search properly 🙄 The class calls the new hamster Thumbelina, but it’s not as cool as Tink. That afternoon the twins discover a hole in a cracker box and Ned (with more sense than his wife) has everyone search properly. But they didn’t need to bother, because Steven caught it in his mouse trap. Now there are twin hamsters, and all is well! Oh and Jess likes hamsters now? My rating - 3/10 - I felt bad for Jess even though her fear was short lived and a bit irrational.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elizabeth and Jessica have to share the responsibility of caring for their class's hamster during break. While Elizabeth is overjoyed, Jessica wants nothing to do with it. What could possibly go wrong?

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Shannon 11-7-90"

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I could definitely relate to the hamster antics!

[Sheila Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember the cover but just not the story