Francine Pascal, author of beloved ‘Sweet Valley High’ books, dead at 92

NEW YORK (AP) — Francine Pascal, a onetime soap opera writer whose “Sweet Valley High” novels and the ongoing adventures of twins Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield and other teens captivated millions of young readers, died Sunday at age 92.

Pascal’s death was confirmed Tuesday by her publisher, Penguin Random House, which did not immediately have additional information.

Starting in 1983, Francine Pascal oversaw the completion of more than 150 “Sweet Valley High” stories — many written with the help of others. They were set in an imaginary Los Angeles suburb, one of “gently rolling hills” and a “fantastic white sand beach” nearby. In best sellers such as “Double Love,” “Power Play” and “All Night Long,” the Wakefield girls and their schoolmates navigate dating, family conflicts, sibling rivalries and more troubling themes such as race, divorce and mortality.

Her books sold more than 200 million copies, and included “Sweet Valley” spinoffs and sequels.