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

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, has died.

Publisher Penguin Random House says Pascal died Sunday at age 92. 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.”

In best sellers such as “Double Love,” “Power Play” and “All Night Long,” the Wakefield girls and their schoolmates navigate dating, family conflicts and sibling rivalries.