Fresh Approaches: New Editions and Reissues
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Joy Fleishhacker -- School Library Journal, 5/12/2008 12:40:00 PM
California Dreaming: Return to Sweet Valley High
In 1983, Francine Pascal introduced the first title in the “Sweet Valley High” series (Bantam), quick-reading, lightly melodramatic fare featuring twin sisters Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield. Though these quintessential valley girls look almost identical (“shoulder-length blond hair, blue-green eyes, and perfect California tans”), they have wildly different personalities. Elizabeth is level-headed, intelligent, and kind while her more impulsive sister, Jessica, thinks about boys more than books and will stop at nothing to get her way. SVH quickly became a hot seller, generating more than 150 titles published through the years, spawning several spin-off print series, inspiring a television show in the 1990s, and garnering a cadre of loyal fans.
Now, 25 years after SVH’s debut, Random House Children’s Books is publishing re-tuned and revved-up editions of the first 12 titles under its Laurel Leaf imprint. The initial volumes, Double Love and Secrets, were released in April with more installments to follow in August.
Why bring back the series now? According to editor Wendy Loggia, both Random House and Pascal agreed that the moment was right: “…enough time has passed since the original publication to give the books nostalgic appeal, and we’ve given them a fresh update to make them relevant for today’s girls, all while staying true to the core values of friendship and family. Let’s face it—school dramas, sister issues, and California beaches never go out of style.”
The texts have been revised to reflect current trends and technologies. Loggia states: “Original fans will realize that the basic characters and stories are the same—for example, Elizabeth still has a motorcycle accident and ends up in a coma (Dangerous Love, #6), Jessica falls hard and fast for Bruce Patman (Playing with Fire, #3), and Winston is still a geek, but with references (good-bye, Jessica Lange and Sylvester Stallone and satin jumpsuits!) and dialogue updated; we also made sure to include aspects of everyday teen life—computers, cell phones, IMs, iPods—and thus had to do some rewriting to make sure everything held together in a satisfying and cohesive way. Giving Jessica Wakefield a cell phone can really throw a curve ball into the plotline!”
In addition to tweaking the content, RH has given the series a trendy, eye-catching look. Each book cover features a different combination of cotton-candy hues, with circular photos throwing a spotlight on the beautiful blond twins, other characters, and snapshots of the California setting. Pascal’s name and the series title are prominently displayed.
Forging another timely connection with 21st-century readers, RH has created a dedicated Web site to serve as a home base for SVH enthusiasts. According to Loggia, “The Web site will be an immersive jaunt through the halls of Sweet Valley High, offer links to join fan clubs on their favorite community sites and will offer content for fans to take away, such as blog graphics, wallpaper, and IM icons. The site will also offer free excerpts from the books, news about the series, and updates about online events with creator Francine Pascal. Teens would also be immersed in our very first teen book community at RandomBuzzers.com. Members can engage in activities surrounding the series, connect with other fans, and earn points for free books.”
Loggia believes that SVH still holds plenty of appeal, both for first-time readers and fans of the original series (“We know they’re out there!”): “Girls never get tired of reading about friendship, family, and high school life—and a little good girl/bad girl drama never hurt….” Musing about SVH’s potential for success in today’s market, she states that when the series was first published, “…there really was nothing like it in the marketplace—and sales reached 60 million copies. Today, of course, thanks to Sweet Valley, we know that series fiction thrives with tween and teen readers—and that there’s a lot more competing both on the bookshelf and in our readers’ lives for their attention. We’re confident that a whole new generation of readers is going to connect with these stories. Does lightning strike twice? Maybe it does in Sweet Valley!”
Librarians may want to prepare for the storm by getting copies of these sure-to-be-requested books on the shelves. Use them to tempt an array of readers including Disney Channel devotees, reluctant readers, and the offspring of nostalgic parents.
Pub Info
PASCAL, Francine. Sweet Valley High #1: Double Love. ISBN 978-0-440-42262-4.
_____. Sweet Valley High #2: Secrets. ISBN 978-0-440-42263-1.
ea vol: Random House/Laurel Leaf. 2008. pap. $5.99.
