THE GRAPHIC NOVEL
CHOOSING SIDES
Also by Francine Pascal
Sweet Valley Twins®
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Also by Claudia Aguirre
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CHOOSING SIDES
Created and story by Francine Pascal
Adaptation wri en by Nicole Andelfinger
Illustrated by Claudia Aguirre
Colors by Lyle Lynde
Le ers by Warren Montgomery
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First published in the USA by RH Graphic, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York 2024
First published in Great Britain by Puf n Books 2025
This work is adapted from Sweet Valley Twins #4: Choosing Sides, created by Francine Pascal and written by Jamie Suzanne, copyright © Francine Pascal, 1986. Published in paperback in the United States by Bantam Skylark, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, New York, in 1986.
001
Text copyright © Francine Pascal, 2024
Cover art and interior illustrations copyright © Claudia Aguirre, 2024
The moral right of the author and illustrator has been asserted
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ISBN: 978–0–241–68976–9
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To Ari Benjamin Adler, the bravest boy of all.
—F.P.
Dedicated to my sisters, April and Christine, between whom I could never truly choose sides.
—N.A.
Nothing | do looks right, Amy. At this rate, this is going to be the worst school paper in the history of papers!
Elizabeth, please. You MADE the school paper a thing, and every single one of them has been perfect! So tell me...
Well, for one thing, this whole Booster Club thing —
What makes this issue different?
| know! Can you believe we’re actually getting a cheerleading club? | thought |’d have to wait until high school to try out!
Ugh...
Look, |...| know you’re not really into it— ... But?
|’m sorry, |’m sorry. | know you’ve been working hard on your routine. | really do think you’re amazing.
The Unicorns are the ones running the club. You know what that means.
| mean... the Boosters could use the talent.
The Unicorns are only going to choose the most popular kids to be in the Boosters.
That’s what they do for their club, and | don’t see why this will be any different.
|sn’t Jessica a Unicorn?
Don’t remind me.
She wouldn’t really exclude someone with MY amazing skills, would she?
And |’m AMAZING. You said so yourself. So stop worrying about it, okay? |’m sure those Unicorns won’t be able to say no once they see me go!
| really hope so.
Sorry, honey, did you get your outline done?
Yeah, thanks for letting me borrow your laptop, Mom.
Besides, if | make it, maybe my mom will finally let me quit ballet!
That would be the day!
Listen, | gotta go. It’s time for dinner.
Tell your mom | said hi!
Wonderful. Now, would you be a dear and make sure your sister is still alive enough for dinner?
Trust me, Mom, |’m sure she’s fine.
Jess? Jess!
One day until the tryouts and we are not going to go in there with less than the best!
This one’s for you, Johnny!
The game’s tied, we’ve got five seconds left on the board, so what do we say?
We want a basket! Yes, we do!
We want a basket!
How about y—
| swear, | was totally born to be a Booster!
That’s a new one, right? Yup. Made it up last night!
Two, four, six, eight, don’t you know that cheer is great?!
Please, enough! No more!
You’ve got nothing but cheerleading on the brain these days!
You know, cheer keeps me up at night lately. Specifically your cheers. And the soundtrack that goes with them.
Even Booster cheers?
Everything except that!
When he opens his mouth, | swear it’s like nothing else exists!
You’re starting to sound like Mom. Besides, you love my music.
| definitely do not. How many times can you honestly listen to a Johnny Buck CD?
Trust me, once everyone hears my cheers? No one else is going to be forgetting the Boosters either!
Whoa, watch out there, Jess!
You’ve been talking about Boosters all week. Finally getting up to date on your ugly shots?
You know, | was going to do that, but they said they gave them all to some gross teenager.
Honestly, it’s almost perfect, except for the whole open auditions thing she’s making us do.
Ah, yes, how dare everyone get a chance.
C’mon now, no sniping at each other. Especially not at dinner.
The Boosters, that’s your new club at school, right?
Yeah! We’re going to do cheers and stuff at the basketball games and get to wear our own uniforms and have pom-poms! |t’s the first club like it, and Ms. Langberg is letting us set up everything!
|t’s the Unicorns’ thing. It’s only fair we get to be in it. Besides, can you even imagine what the club would be like if people like Lois or Amy joined?
What?
Everyone deserves a fair chance at making the Boosters. Whether they’re part of your club or not.
|t’s not just a club, it’s the Unicorns. |t’s the most popular—
Jessica!
Jessica. |’m shocked at this attitude of yours.
Everyone is going to get a fair chance. Trust me. Ms. Langberg won’t allow anything else.
Anyone can try out, okay? |’m sure Amy will do great.
You’ll see.
Thanks for the assist. Of course. Elizabeth, it’s your turn on dishes, yes?
You know, preeetty sure you did the dishes for me last time it was my turn. So why don’t | get this one?
Yes, Mom, |’ve got it.
Really?
Why?
Like | said, you got it last time!
Annnnnnd |’m sorry for what | said at dinner.
Since you’re so sorry about it...
Awesome. So happy to do this. Only fair, right?
Hands are full. Mind getting that for me?
Hello?
|t’s —
Jessica!
Okay, so |’ve been thinking a lot about tomorrow. Are you ready for this?
Totally unfair we have to do tryouts? | know. But trust me, that old hag Langberg is absolutely not going to ruin this for us. And we are definitely not letting any of those gross girls in.
Like, can you believe Amy Sutton wants to try out? Didn’t you say she was a robot in a tutu?
Appalled she’s even trying out? Agreed. Anyway, | have ideas on how—
Lila.
This is Elizabeth, Lila. Jess asked me to answer her phone. Hold on.
Hey! | was doing the dishes.
Seriously, why did your sister answer the phone?
Gross. So anyway, the tryouts.