Fearless Elizabeth

Sweet Valley Kids #15

by Francine Pascal (Creator)

Elizabeth Wakefield can't wait to try out for the Sweet Valley Soccer League. She and her friend Eva practice every afternoon, and Elizabeth's brother, Steven, gives them tips. But there's only one thing that's bothering Elizabeth. Once when she was playing goalie, she was hit with the ball. Now she's afraid the same thing will happen again. How will Elizabeth overcome her fear before the big tryouts?

Genres: Childrens, Fiction

73 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1991

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

[Tiffany Spencer]

Fearless Elizabeth
Jessica asks Elizabeth if she wants to play jump rope (her favorite game), but Liz wants to play soccer with Todd and Jim. Only Todd and Jim tell her they are practing for real to join the soccor team. Liz tells them she’s going to join too. Eva says so is she. She learned to play in Jamaicca. The boys think this is a joke, but Liz and Eva plan to show them.

Lila and Ellen (in modern dance class) ask Jessia if Elizabeth is really going out for the soccor team and Jessia defends her and says she’s good at it (when they call her a tom boy). Their teacher (Mrs. Grubber) annonces Madama Andre’s advanced class is going to have their yearly recital. But it’s on the same day as soccer tryouts. Both the twins want to go to the recital but Liz says she’s still going to try out for the league even though Jessica tells her they do everything together. Liz tells her she should try out too, but Jessica says she’d rather go to the recital and she doesn’t like soccor. Lila tells Elizabeth she doesn’t see why she likes soccor, but Liz says she doesn’t care what Jessica or Todd say. She’s doing it!

Over the weekend, Eva and Elizabeth practice and Steve coaches them. He gives them tips on how to pass the ball, run, and pass the ball, and catch the ball (in case they get picked for goalie). Liz is a little scared to catch the ball because one time it hit her in the nose. Eva is able to hit the ball with her stomach. When it’s her turn, Liz makes up an excuse that she needs to tie her shoe. But she decides if she’s gonna try out she needs to know how to catch the ball. When she tries she misses, but tries again.

Jessica wants Elizabeth to come in the house and watch a tape of a ballet of Swan Lake, but Liz says she has to practice. She tries to get Jessica to come put, put on her play clothes, and play with her but Jessica tells her she’s just not interested. She can’t talk Liz into coming inside and watching the tape either. It’s the first time the twins want to do separate things. Jessica decides she’ll just have to watch the tape without Elizabeth.

At school some of the boys start to tease Liz and Eva and say they won’t take it easy on them. Liz says they won’t have too because they are just as good. Eva says better. Jessica gets sick of the boys and hops in (in) her sister’s defense and so do the rest of the girls. This causes the argument to catch the attention of the teachers. Mr. Bell says girls can be some of the best soccer players as long as they aren’t teased. Mrs. Otis says she doesn’t want to hear anymore about the boys vs girls argument. Jessica happily points out the teachers are on their side (MR. BUTLER). Charlie isn’t impressed. Liz knows now she has to make the team (even if it’s goalie).

On Wednesday, Jessica notices Liz is quiet and she says she’s mad Todd keeps making fun of her. Jessica says he’s just scared she’ll be better than he is. Then she admits she’s scared she’ll get hit in the face with the ball. Jessica asks if she’s still going to the tryouts. Liz says she guesses so but what if the boys are right and she’s just a cry baby. Jessica says she has to do it and she’ll even help her practice. On Friday she goes over to Eva’s house. Her father use to be a soccor coach. Her mother gets them a snack (milk and cookies). Eva shows her pictures of her playing on the team back home. Eva said she was a goalie back home. Them Mr. Simpson playfully gets them out on the field and Liz vows to learn how to catch the ball that day.

On the big day, Mrs. Wakefield and Steven go with Liz and Mr. Wakefield goes with Jessica to the recital. The Coach (Wilson) makes them warm up by running around the track two times. Then the Coach makes them kick the ball from the left side of the field. The next will kick it to the right side of the field. Liz is excited because she’s confident she’ll kick the ball far. Charlie tries to tease her but she’s no longer worried. Todd kicks the ball way up into the air. Then it’s Liz’s turn. It shots up like a bullet. Eva yells “Way to go!” Jessica and her dad leave the ballet to support Liz. They make it in order to see a practice game and Liz score. They switch positions and the Coach chooses Liz to be the goalie. Mr. Wakefield shouts she can do it, but Jessica knows how she feels when she sees the look on Liz’s face.

Todd teases her and Elizabeth’s feelings are hurt, but she wants to prove she’s not afraid. She tells herself to keep her eyes on the ball, but no one kicks it toward her. Liz is able to catch the ball to save the goal. Eva, Wakefield, and Todd make the starting line up. The first game is in three weeks and pratice is on Mondays and Wednesdays. Todd has to admit she did good. Liz teases Jessica doesn’t she wish she were on the team. She says not really but she’s going to be at every game. They go have Bingo Burgers to celebrate. Jessica rushes out to get the ballet program. Mr and Mrs. Devito are outside and greet “Eliabeth” in the parking lot. Jessica lets them believe this. She’ll tell them inside.

Rating: 5 I just didn’t have any thoughts on this one. Other than it was one of those girl power books where the girl makes it unto a sports team despite the boy whose being a jerk. How in the world did Liz ever end up with this guy?

[Lara El-Alfy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the book it is exciting and detailed there is a lout of information and it is fun too read you should definitely read it no joke. 😁

[Ruvi Perera · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay book

[Teresa Granado-Law · Rating 3 out of 5]

This might be the first time Sandra Bacon was mentioned in the SV Kids series.

[Kylie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liz and Eva want to try out for soccer and literally no one supports it. The girls think they’re tomboys, the boys are serious a-holes about it (boys are better than girls blah blah blah), and Jess doesn’t want to play, she wants to do ballet and the twins never do separate things. Liz has her mind made up, and practices hard. Even Steven helps coach her. But she’s scared of being goalie because a ball hit her in the face last time. The guys are serious tools one lunch, and although the male gym teacher tells them ‘at this age’ girls are often better than boys, they won’t stop. Jess decides to support it and help Liz, even if she gets dirty. At the try outs, Liz and Eva kick butt, make the team and Todd has to apologise. None of the other boys do 🙄
My rating - 3/10 - the boys and their sexist attitudes so young really annoyed me.

[Tara Calaby]

Another SVK book with sexism as an underlying theme. In this one, Elizabeth and Eva want to try out for the school soccer team, but all of the boys in their class tell them that girls can't play soccer because they're cry-babies, despite the fact that they all play soccer together in the park on weekends. Todd emerges as the worst of the lot, which I found a bit confusing, as they can't seem to decide in the Kids series whether he's a good guy or not. He doesn't even apologise when he's proven wrong. At least in this one the adults come out in support of girls being able to play sport just as well as boys, even if I'd have preferred the boys got punished in some way for their sexist behaviour.

I think my favourite part of this one is how it depicted Jess and Liz's relationship—that Jess struggled with the twins wanting to do different things, but supported Elizabeth anyway.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the better ones. And by 'better' I mean 'less awful' ;)

[Sheila Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember the cover but just not the story

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

You go, girl!