With over six hundred titles to her credit in a half-dozen different series, Francine Pascal is one of the most successful publishing phenomena ever in juvenile and young adult literature. She made publishing history in 1985 when Perfect Summer, the first "Sweet Valley High" super edition, became the first young adult novel to make the New York Times bestseller list. Since that time the "Harry Potter" books have eclipsed such a feat, yet with over one hundred twenty million books in print in over twenty languages, Pascal and the mythical middle-class suburb of Sweet Valley, California, are still something to make a publishers mouth water, for her books draw a huge and loyal readership from middle grade readers on through high school.

Although many critics maintain that the various "Sweet Valley" series are simplistic, unbelievable, and sexist, their popularity with young adults is undeniable. The various series revolve around...