Some people want nothing more in life than the perfect wedding, traveling Europe, or aiding in the fight against hunger. Me? I want to collect the entire Sweet Valley series.
Hey, a girl’s gotta dream, right?
We all know where we were the first time we picked up that little piece of Southern California. The first time we read that ubiquitous description of Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield with their sun-streaked blonde hair, blue-green eyes the color of the Pacific Ocean, their five-six perfect size six bodies, their matching lavaliere necklaces from their sixteenth birthday, and Elizabeth’s mole that was the only thing that distinguished them physically.
Or maybe you remember the look your fifth grade teacher gave you when the book orders came in and you had persuaded your mother to let you purchase Love and Death in London. Or, when you were in the sixth grade, and Jessica finally lost her virginity, and your mother happened to pick up the book because you left it on the coffee table. (True story for both.) Maybe you also recall the first time you reread one of the books as an adult and realized Jessica’s a complete sociopath and that Elizabeth needs to mind her own damn business.
I guess they weren’t perfect after all.
These books have mostly come from the trash pile at my former place of employment. Happiness is a used bookstore that can’t sell these even for a quarter. And a friend who still works there who can give me the hook-up.
Got a place that’s filled with Sweet Valley books? Let me know, and I’ll scope it out because scoping is eight thousand times better than buying them online.
(Italics means I’ve got it. Running total: 285/608)
(Covers from The Closet.)
Sweet Valley Kids
01. Surprise! Surprise!
02. Runaway Hamster
03. The Twin’s Mystery Teacher
04. Elizabeth’s Valentine
05. Jessica’s Cat Trick
06. Lila’s Secret
07. Jessica’s Big Mistake
08. Jessica’s Zoo Adventure
09. Elizabeth’s Super-Selling Lemonade
10. The Twins and the Wild West
11. Cry-Baby Lois
12. Sweet Valley Trick or Treat
13. Starring Winston Egbert
14. Jessica the Baby-Sitter
15. Fearless Elizabeth
16. Jessica the TV Star
17. Caroline’s Mystery Dolls
18. Bossy Steven
19. Jessica and the Jumbo Fish
20. The Twins Go To The Hospital
21. Jessica and the Spelling-Bee Surprise
22. Sweet Valley Slumber Party
23. Lila’s Haunted House Party
24. Cousin Kelly’s Family Secret
25. Left-Out Elizabeth
26. Jessica’s Snobby Club
27. The Sweet Valley Cleanup Team
28. Elizabeth Meets Her Hero
29. Andy and the Alien
30. Jessica’s Unburied Treasure
31. Elizabeth and Jessica Run Away
32. Left Back!
33. Caroline’s Halloween Spell
34. The Best Thanksgiving Ever
35. Elizabeth’s Broken Arm
36. Elizabeth’s Video Fever
37. The Big Race
38. Good-Bye, Eva?
39. Ellen Is Home Alone
40. Robin in the Middle
41. The Missing Tea Set
42. Jessica’s Monster Nightmare
43. Jessica Gets Spooked
44. The Twins’ Big Pow-Wow
45. Elizabeth’s Piano Lessons
46. Get the Teacher!
47. Elizabeth, the Tattletale
48. Lila’s April Fool
49. Jessica’s Mermaid
50. Steven’s Twin
51. Lois and the Sleepover
52. Julie the Karate Kid
53. The Magic Puppets
54. Star of the Parade
55. The Jessica and Elizabeth Show
56. Jessica Plays Cupid
57. No Girls Allowed
58. Lila’s Birthday Bash
59. Jessica + Jessica = Trouble
60. The Amazing Jessica
61. Scaredy-Cat Elizabeth
62. The Halloween War
63. Lila’s Christmas Angel
64. Elizabeth’s Horseback Adventure
65. Steven’s Big Crush
66. And The Winner Is . . . Jessica Wakefield!
67. The Secret of Fantasy Forest
68. A Roller Coaster for the Twins
69. Class Picture Day!
70. Good-bye, Mrs. Otis
71. Jessica’s Secret Friend
72. The Macaroni Mess
73. The Witch in the Pumpkin Patch
74. Sweet Valley Blizzard!
75. Little Drummer Girls
76. Danger: Twins at Work
Super Snooper
01. The Case of the Secret Santa
02. The Case of the Magic Christmas Bell
03. The Case of the Haunted Camp
04. The Case of the Christmas Thief
05. The Case of the Hidden Treasure
06. The Case of the Million-Dollar Diamonds
07. The Case of the Alien Princess
Super Special
01. Trapped in Toyland
02. The Easter Bunny Battle
03. A Curse on Elizabeth (Hair Raiser)
04. Save the Turkey!
05. Elizabeth Hatches An Egg
Sweet Valley Twins
01. Best Friends
02. Teacher’s Pet
03. The Haunted House
04. Choosing Sides
05. Sneaking Out
06. The New Girl
07. Three’s a Crowd
08. First Place
09. Against the Rules
10. One of the Gang
11. Buried Treasure
12. Keeping Secrets
13. Stretching the Truth
14. Tug Of War
15. The Older Boy
16. Second Best
17. Boys Against Girls
18. Center of Attention
19. The Bully
20. Playing Hooky
21. Left Behind
22. Out of Place
23. Claim to Fame
24. Jumping to Conclusions
25. Standing Out
26. Taking Charge
27. Teamwork
28. April Fool!
29. Jessica and the Brat Attack
30. Princess Elizabeth
31. Jessica’s Bad Idea
32. Jessica on Stage
33. Elizabeth’s New Hero
34. Jessica, The Rock Star
35. Amy’s Pen Pal
36. Mary Is Missing
37. The War between the Twins
38. Lois Strikes Back
39. Jessica and the Money Mix-up
40. Danny Means Trouble
41. The Twins Get Caught
42. Jessica’s Secret
43. Elizabeth’s First Kiss
44. Amy Moves In
45. Lucy Takes the Reins
46. Mademoiselle Jessica
47. Jessica’s New Look
48. Mandy Miller Fights Back
49. The Twins’ Little Sister
50. Jessica and the Secret Star
51. Elizabeth the Impossible
52. Booster Boycott
53. The Slime that Ate Sweet Valley
54. The Big Party Weekend
55. Brooke and Her Rock-Star Mom
56. The Wakefields Strike it Rich
57. Big Brother in Love
58. Elizabeth and the Orphans
59. Barnyard Battle
60. Ciao, Sweet Valley!
61. Jessica the Nerd
62. Sarah’s Dad and Sophia’s Mom
63. Poor Lila!
64. The Charm School Mystery
65. Patty’s Last Dance
66. The Great Boyfriend Switch
67. Jessica the Thief
68. The Middle School Gets Married
69. Won’t Someone Help Anna?
70. Psychic Sisters
71. Jessica Saves the Trees
72. The Love Potion
73. Lila’s Music Video
74. Elizabeth the Hero
75. Jessica and the Earthquake
76. Yours for a Day
77. Todd Runs Away
78. Steven the Zombie
79. Jessica’s Blind Date
80. The Gossip War
81. Robbery at the Mall
82. Steven’s Enemy
83. Amy’s Secret Sister
84. Romeo and 2 Juliets
85. Elizabeth the Seventh-Grader
86. It Can’t Happen Here
87. The Mother-Daughter Switch
88. Steven Gets Even
89. Jessica’s Cookie Disaster
90. The Cousin War
91. Deadly Voyage
92. Escape from Terror Island
93. The Incredible Madame Jessica
94. Don’t Talk to Brian
95. The Battle of the Cheerleaders
96. Elizabeth the Spy
97. Too Scared to Sleep
98. The Beast is Watching You
99. The Beast Must Die
100. If I Die Before I Wake (Magna Edition)
101. Twins in Love
102. The Mysterious Dr. Q
103. Elizabeth Solves It All
104. Big Brother in Love Again
105. Jessica’s Lucky Millions
106. Breakfast of Enemies
107. The Twins Hit Hollywood
108. Cammi’s Crush
109. Don’t Go in the Basement
110. Pumpkin Fever
111. Sisters at War
112. If Looks Could Kill
113. The Boyfriend Game
114. The Boyfriend Mess
115. Happy Mother’s Day, Lila
116. Jessica Takes Charge
117. Down with Queen Janet
118. No Escape!
Super Editions
01. The Class Trip
02. Holiday Mischief
03. The Big Camp Secret
04. The Unicorns Go Hawaiian
05. Lila’s Secret Valentine
06. The Twins Take Paris
07. Jessica’s Animal Instincts
08. Jessica’s First Kiss
09. The Twins Go to College
10. The Year without Christmas
11. Jessica’s No Angel
12. Good-Bye, Middle School: Countdown to Junior High
13. Jessica: Next Stop Jr. High
14. Elizabeth: Next Stop Jr. High
Super Chillers
01. The Christmas Ghost
02. The Ghost in the Graveyard
03. The Carnival Ghost
04. The Ghost in the Bell Tower
05. The Curse of the Ruby Necklace
06. The Curse of the Golden Heart
07. The Haunted Burial Ground
08. The Secret of the Magic Pen
09. Evil Elizabeth
Magna Editions
01. A Magic Christmas
02. A Christmas without Elizabeth
03. BIG for Christmas
04. If I Die Before I Wake
The Unicorn Club
01. Save the Unicorns!
02. Maria’s Movie Comeback
03. The Best Friend Game
04. Lila’s Little Sister
05. Unicorns in Love
06. The Unicorns at War
07. Too Close for Comfort
08. Kimberly Rides Again
09. Ellen’s Family Secret
10. Mandy in the Middle
11. Angels Keep Out
12. Five Girls and a Baby
13. Who Will Be Miss Unicorn?
14. Lila on the Loose
15. Too Cool for the Unicorns
16. Bon Voyage, Unicorns!
17. Boyfriends for Everyone
18. Rachel’s In, Lila’s Out
19. The Most Beautiful Girl in the World
20. In Love with Mandy
21. Snow Bunnies
22. Jessica’s Dream Date
23. Trapped in the Mall
Team Sweet Valley
01. Jessica Goes for Gold
02. Win One for Sandra
Sweet Valley Jr High
01. Get Real
02. One 2 Many
03. Soulmates
04. The Cool Crowd
05. Boy. Friend
06. Lacey’s Crush
07. How to Ruin a Friendship
08. Cheating On Anna
09. Too Popular
10. Twin Switch
11. Got a Problem?
12. Third Wheel
13. Three Nights, Two Days
14. My Perfect Guy
15. Hands Off!!
16. Keepin’ It Real
17. Whatever
18. True Blue
19. She Loves Me…Not
20. Wild Child
21. I’m So Outta Here
22. What You Don’t Know
23. Invisible Me
24. Clueless
25. Drama Queen
26. No More Mr. Nice Guy
27. She’s Back
28. Dance Fever
29. He’s The One
30. Too Many Good-byes
Sweet Valley High
01. Double Love
02. Secrets
03. Playing with Fire
04. Power Play
05. All Night Long
06. Dangerous Love
07. Dear Sister
08. Heart Breaker
09. Racing Hearts
10. Wrong Kind of Girl
11. Too Good To Be True
12. When Love Dies
13. Kidnapped!
14. Deceptions
15. Promises
16. Rags to Riches
17. Love Letters
18. Head Over Heels
19. Showdown
20. Crash Landing!
21. Runaway
22. Too Much in Love
23. Say Goodbye
24. Memories
25. No Where to Run
26. Hostage
27. Lovestruck
28. Alone in the Crowd
29. Bitter Rivals
30. Jealous Lies
31. Taking Sides
32. The New Jessica
33. Starting Over
34. Forbidden Love
35. Out of Control
36. Last Chance
37. Rumors
38. Leaving Home
39. Secret Admirer
40. On the Edge
41. Outcast
42. Caught in the Middle
43. Hard Choices
44. Pretenses
45. Family Secret
46. Decisions
47. Troublemaker
48. Slam Book Fever
49. Playing for Keeps
50. Out of Reach
51. Against the Odds
52. White Lies
53. Second Chance
54. Two-Boy Weekend
55. Perfect Shot
56. Lost at Sea
57. Teacher Crush
58. Brokenhearted
59. In Love Again
60. That Fatal Night
61. Boy Trouble
62. Who’s Who?
63. The New Elizabeth
64. The Ghost of Tricia Martin
65. Trouble at Home
66. Who’s to Blame?
67. The Parent Plot
68. The Love Bet
69. Friend Against Friend
70. Ms. Quarterback
71. Starring Jessica!
72. Rock Star’s Girl
73. Regina’s Legacy
74. The Perfect Girl
75. Amy’s True Love
76. Miss Teen Sweet Valley
77. Cheating To Win
78. The Dating Game
79. The Long-lost Brother
80. The Girl They Both Loved
81. Rosa’s Lie
82. Kidnapped by the Cult
83. Steven’s Bride
84. The Stolen Diary
85. Soap Star
86. Jessica Against Bruce
87. My Best Friend’s Boyfriend
88. Love Letters for Sale
89. Elizabeth Betrayed
90. Don’t Go Home with John
91. In Love with a Prince
92. She’s Not What She Seems
93. Stepsisters
94. Are We In Love?
95. The Morning After
96. The Arrest
97. The Verdict
98. The Wedding
99. Beware the Babysitter
100. The Evil Twin
101. The Boyfriend War
102. Almost Married
103. Operation Love Match
104. Love and Death in London
105. A Date with a Werewolf
106. Beware the Wolfman (Super Thriller)
107. Jessica’s Secret Love
108. Left at the Altar
109. Double Crossed
110. Death Threat
111. A Deadly Christmas (Super Thriller)
112. Jessica Quits the Squad
113. The Pom-Pom Wars
114. “V” for Victory
115. The Treasure of Death Valley
116. Nightmare in Death Valley
117. Jessica the Genius
118. College Weekend
119. Jessica’s Older Guy
120. In Love with the Enemy
121. The High School War
122. A Kiss Before Dying
123. Elizabeth’s Rival
124. Meet Me at Midnight
125. Camp Killer
126. Tall, Dark and Deadly
127. Dance of Death
128. Kiss of a Killer
129. Cover Girls
130. Model Flirt
131. Fashion Victim
132. Once Upon A Time
133. To Catch a Thief
134. Happily Ever After
135. Lila’s New Flame
136. Too Hot to Handle
137. Fight Fire with Fire
138. What Jessica Wants . . .
139. Elizabeth is Mine
140. Please Forgive Me
141. A Picture-Perfect Prom?
142. The Big Night
143. Party Weekend
Magna Edition
01. The Wakefields of Sweet Valley
02. The Wakefield Legacy: The Untold Story
03. A Night to Remember
04. The Evil Twin
05. Elizabeth’s Secret Diary
06. Jessica’s Secret Diary
07. Return of the Evil Twin
08. Elizabeth’s Secret Diary Volume II
09. Jessica’s Secret Diary Volume II
10. Elizabeth’s Secret Diary Volume III
11. Jessica’s Secret Diary Volume III
12. The Fowlers of Sweet Valley
13. The Patmans of Sweet Valley
Super Edition
01. Perfect Summer
02. Special Christmas
03. Spring Break
04. Malibu Summer
05. Winter Carnival
06. Spring Fever
07. Falling For Lucas
08. Jessica Takes Manhattan
09. Mystery Date
10. Last Wish
11. Earthquake
12. Aftershock
Thriller Edition
01. Double Jeopardy
02. On the Run
03. No Place To Hide
04. Deadly Summer
05. Murder on the Line
06. Beware the Wolfman
07. A Deadly Christmas
08. Murder in Paradise
09. A Stranger in the House
10. A Killer on Board
11. “R” for Revenge
Super Stars
01. Lila’s Story
02. Enid’s Story
03. Bruce’s Story
04. Oliva’s Story
05. Todd’s Story
Sweet Valley High: Senior Year
01. Can’t Stay Away
02. Say It to My Face
03. So Cool
04. I’ve Got a Secret
05. If You Only Knew
06. Your Basic Nightmare
07. Boy Meets Girl
08. Maria Who?
09. The One that Got Away
10. Broken Angel
11. Take Me On
12. Bad Girl
13. All about Love
14. Split Decision
15. On My Own
16. Three Girls and a Guy
17. Backstabber
18. As If I Care
19. It’s My Life
20. Nothing Is Forever
21. The It Guy
22. So Not Me
23. Falling Apart
24. Never Let Go
25. Straight Up
26. Too Late
27. Playing Dirty
28. Meant to Be
29. Where We Belong
30. Close to You
31. Stay or Go
32. Road Trip
33. Me, Me, Me
34. Troublemaker
35. Control Freak
36. Tearing Me Apart
37. Be Mine
38. Get a Clue
39. Best of Enemies
40. Never Give Up
41. He’s Back
42. Touch and Go
43. It Takes Two
44. Cruise Control
45. Tia in the Middle
46. Prom Night
47. Senior Cut Day
48. Sweet 18
Sweet Valley University
01. College Girls
02. Love, Lies, and Jessica Wakefield
03. What Your Parents Don’t Know. . .
04. Anything for Love
05. A Married Woman
06. The Love of Her Life
07. Good-bye to Love
08. Home for Christmas
09. Sorority Scandal
10. No Means No
11. Take Back the Night
12. College Cruise
13. SS Heartbreak
14. Shipboard Wedding
15. Behind Closed Doors
16. The Other Women
17. Deadly Attraction
18. Billie’s Secret
19. Broken Promises, Shattered Dreams
20. Here Come the Bride
21. For the Love of Ryan
22. Elizabeth’s Summer Love
23. Sweet Kiss of Summer
24. His Secret Past
25. Busted!
26. The Trial of Jessica Wakefield
27. Elizabeth and Todd Forever
28. Elizabeth’s Heartbreak
29. Last Kiss
30. Beauty and the Beach
31. The Truth about Ryan
32. The Boys of Summer
33. Out of the Picture
34. Spy Girl
35. Undercover Angels
36. Have You Heard About Elizabeth?
37. Breaking Away
38. Good-bye Elizabeth
39. Elizabeth Loves New York
40. Private Jessica
41. Escape to New York
42. Sneaking In
43. The Price of Love
44. Love Me Always
45. Don’t Let Go
46. I’ll Never Love Again
47. You’re Not My Sister
48. No Rules
49. Stranded
50. Summer of Love
51. Living Together
52. Fooling Around
53. Truth or Dare
54. Rush Week
55. The First Time
56. Dropping Out
57. Who Knew?
58. The Dreaded Ex
59. Elizabeth In Love
60. Secret Love Diaries: Elizabeth
61. Secret Love Diaries: Jessica
62. Secret Love Diaries: Sam
63. Secret Love Diaries: Chloe
Thriller Editions
01. Wanted for Murder
02. He’s Watching You
03. Kiss of the Vampire
04. The House of Death
05. Running for Her Life
06. The Roommate
07. What Winston Saw
08. Dead Before Dawn
09. Killer at Sea
10. Channel X
11. Love and Murder
12. Don’t Answer the Phone
13. Cyberstalker: The Return of William White, Part I
14. Deadly Terror: The Return of William White, Part II
15. Loving the Enemy
16. Killer Party
17. Very Bad Things
18. Face It
Elizabeth
01. University, Interrupted
02. London Calling
03. A Royal Pain
04. Upstairs, Downstairs
05. Max’s Choice
06. I Need You
