Sweet Valley Diaries

In which two professional filmmakers/screenwriting professors attempt to break story on a film adaptation of Sweet Valley High Book 60: THAT FATAL NIGHT.

It's the (main episode) Season 6 finale and all the stars are out: Terry Adams! Zack Johnson! Skip Harmon! You know, all your favorites. Oh, and the Wakefields and such are there too. But let's quit beating around the bush: this is the book where Ken Matthews becomes (temporarily???) blind in a car accident. Director (and former guest reader!) William J. Stribling is along for the ride...but, you know, figuratively. Safer that way.

Blind on the Move: Do Blind People Count Their Steps?

Florence Nightingale Effect

Sweet Valley High may not be historical fiction, but it IS fiction from history. Novelist Libbie Hawker is back to talk rich historical details like in-car CD players and VHS recording. Plus:

• What's up with Dominique Roy?
• The metaphorical resonance of the Dairi Burger,
• Rich kids being out-riched by richer kids

and SO! much! more!

So, Liz and Todd are IN LOVE AGAIN, and all is right with the world...except for the fact that Todd goes to a fancy school an hour away, they're both too infatuated with one another to keep up with their commitments, and it's about to be Snobs vs Slobs (yes, somehow Sweet Valley is the slobs) in the big Battle of the Schools! Not to mention, Courtney Kane is back, and she's pissed! Author (and OG Gladiator!) Libbie Hawker helps walk us through this morass.

Gotta Grow Up Sometime podcast

More on Swans Crossing

HawkerBooks.com

Shey Zanotti is back, and memories of (the very much still alive) Jeffrey French abound. Remember the time he scared away those thugs who wanted to steal Ronnie's car? Remember the time Elizabeth thought he was falling in love with Enid? Or perhaps the time she thought he had fallen in love with Olivia. So many memories! This, and some fresh new ideas for The Creek, in today's Extra Drama!

Media referenced in today's episode:

• Beverly Hills, 90210
• Clueless
• Gilmore Girls
• Dawson's Creek
• New Girl
• Cheers
  
  
  

#1 Jeffrey French fan Shey Lyn Zanotti is back, and she's not the only one! Remember Todd Wilkins, Elizabeth's first love, who moved away to Vermont...at some point earlier in junior year? Can you believe that was 35 books ago? Now the Wilkinses are returning, and richer than ever. So what does that mean for Liz and her new longtime beau (yes, it's still junior year, but don't get hung up on that) Jeffrey? Well, the title of the book may give us a clue...

Young Paul Newman thirst trap

Eric Stolz

Flowers in the Attic

Baby-Sitters Club Club/Sweet Sweet Valley Guys #10

Shey's previous appearance, FAMILY SECRETS

SPECIAL CHRISTMAS with Dad

Chris and Paris from Terrible Book Club return! Jessica slums it in electronics class and Lila scams her pedagogically lazy dressmaking instructor in the TEACHER CRUSH b-plot. Plus, super-spoilers for Olivia's future! Extra drama indeed! 

Listen to Terrible Book Club
More about The Zorn Palette

Terrible Book Club’s Paris and Chris dare to join Marissa to tackle this downright nerve-wracking tale of Olivia Davidson and her lust for painting teacher Stuart “Call me Stuart” Bachman. A book that is truly challenging to read in public.

* * *

Listen to the Terrible Book Club Podcast!

Haley Tubbs returns to talk about the science field trip that wasn't, and whether Jessica is right about guys with "too much of a sense of humor." What fun! All in the the name of LOST AT SEA, of course.

Part island fantasy, part survival guide, part extra credit assignment, LOST AT SEA is the first Sweet Valley High novel to feature a character getting lost at sea, assumed dead. Professional science enthusiast Haley Tubbs joins Marissa to dig into this book and what it has to say about the true nature of Winston Egbert. Fun!

Watch Haley on the Tappity Kids' Science App!

What is a predicate adjective? (strap in, kids)

What is a Gilligan's Island?

What is a bandeau?

Subscribe to Marissa's newsletter, Metaforia.