Sweet Valley Twins #20: Playing Hooky

Jessica and Elizabeth are both on the middle school basketball team, though Jessica is a much better player, and the team has a championship game coming up. Kent Kellerman, star of everyone’s favorite TV show is also coming to town, to film scenes for his show. Elizabeth learns from Brooke Dennis that her dad wrote a few episodes of the show and got to be friends with him.

The problem is that she tells Jessica the news, which sets her off. Jess tells Lila and they decide to be super nice to Brooke. Brooke is supposed to write an article for the school newspaper, but the Booster Club needs a new member. They convince Brooke that she’s perfect for the squad and Lila even offers to help train her, provided she get them tickets to the set that day.

Brooke does get them the tickets, but then they discover that filming is during a school day and finishes early in the afternoon. Luckily Caroline Pierce informs them that the gym teacher is out for the week on jury duty. Jess and Lila sneak away to the set and skip school. Liz discovers that the teacher is there after all and runs after them. When they sneak back, the principal sees Liz and assumes she’s Jess, so Jess and Lila get one week’s detention.

Everyone hates Jessica because she has to miss practice and miss the game. She convinces Liz to switch places with her and do her work after school, so she can go to practice. Liz has to interview a famous ballerina and the time/location changes. The principal tells Jess, thinking she’s Liz. Jess tracks down Brooke, who agrees to do the interview, but then Jess gives her the wrong location. The dancer heads out of town and they miss the interview.

This all leads up to the big basketball game. Jessica plays as Liz and of course helps the team win the championship. Brooke invites Liz to her house for a special surprise, which is actually Kent Kellerman. They get to interview him and have it published in the school paper. Liz feels so bad over cutting class that she confesses to her parents and the principal. He gives her the same punishment (cleaning blackboards) and she makes Jessica switch places and do the work for her.

*Middle school basketball is taken WAY too seriously in this book. Even members of the Unicorns won’t talk to her.

*If Jessica is such a superstar basketball player, then why was it never, ever mentioned in Sweet Valley High?

*What kind of world famous ballerina has time in her schedule to talk to middle school kids? She apparently flew to San Diego for several days, which is why they can’t make up the interview.

*I find the whole Kent Kellerman-Mr. Dennis’s relationship kind of creepy. He has to be at least 30-35 and Kent is supposed to be 16. Why exactly would he just randomly be hanging out at his house?

*BTW, playing hooky and skipping school are two completely different things. No one plays hooky in this book, just sneaks away from the school before class starts.