tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65573114047196887112024-03-05T19:15:25.999-05:00Revertigo BooksFollow me as I work my way through my childhood: The Baby-Sitters Club, Sweet Valley High and Sweet Valley Twins. Plus other random shenanigans hahaCassiopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859199140639142481noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557311404719688711.post-17738390402114701142018-09-16T09:04:00.000-04:002018-09-16T09:04:11.761-04:00BSC #59: Mallory Hates Boys (and Gym)<br />
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<b><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1219222092l/2056185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1219222092l/2056185.jpg" width="220" /></a></b></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Tagline</b>: Boys and gym. What a disgusting combination!<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Mallory
has never been a sports person. in fact, you could say gym is her least
favourite subject. But now Mal's worst subject has turned into an
absolute nightmare. Gym class has gone co-ed!<br />
<br />
Mal feels
totally gross in her ugly, oversized gym suit. And once they boys find
out she can't play volleyball, they decide to make her life miserable.<br />
<br />
Mal's always hated gym. But she's beginning to hate boys even more!</blockquote>
<br />
Right away, we're thrown into the busy pandemonium that is the Pike household. Mrs Pike tries to kick everyone outside, which is good because Mallory invited Ben Hobart over for a study session, but the quiet ends up being short-lived when the boys all come back in the house to bother Mallory and tease her about her ~*~boyfriend~*~. This leads to Mallory and Ben relocating to the Hobart residence, where Mallory was treated to a nice quiet household, younger brothers who do their own thing away from her and Ben, and homemade chocolate cake. Ben assures Mallory that it's not always like this, but Mallory sees the Hobart residence as heaven.<br />
<b><br /></b>
Things kick off though when Mallory goes back to school, and it's time to start a new unit in gym class. To Mallory's horror, not only is it volley-ball, but it's being done co-ed with the boys' gym class. At first, Mallory tries to stay home from school, but the rest of her siblings want to jump on the bandwagon, so that ends things quickly. Next, Mallory decides she's going to pretend to faint in the changeroom, just before class, so she won't even have to change. But then she gets nervous, waits too long, and "faints" with no witnesses. The phys. ed. teacher just tells her to haul her butt out into the gym.<br />
<br />
<b></b>
The good news is that the teams are picked at random, so Mallory doesn't have to worry about one of her classmates deliberately picking her last. Unfortunately, once the game gets started, things go very very bad. The athletic boys on the opposing team purposefully target the ball right at her, and she keeps ducking or running away. A boy on her team tries to get the ball in her stead, but ends up plowing into Mallory when she doesn't get out of the way fast enough. Her gym teacher keeps yelling out advice to Mallory, but Mallory just feels even more singled out and targeted. All in all, it's an absolutely miserable experience for her.<br />
<br />
Mallory's day doesn't get any better when she shows up at the Newtons for a baby-sitting job. Mrs Newton warns Mallory that Jamie's been acting up lately, but Mallory assures her that everything is going to be okay. Unfortunately, it isn't, and Jamie spends the whole time being a brat. He breaks all his crayons and throws them at Lucy's bedroom door while she's napping, claiming he's making "rockets". Then he screams that he wants to call and hang out with his friend, which wakes up Lucy. Then while Lucy's getting changed, Jamie runs off and hides, frightening Mallory. Eventually Mallory finds him, and they get into a juvenile insult match, before Jamie starts running around the house again. He eventually knocks over a vase, and then cuts himself on one of the glass shards. As Mallory tries to clean him up, Jamie fights and screams, acting more like Mallory's trying to amputate his finger than put a band-aid on it.!<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Jessi has her own baby-sitting woes with her siblings, in particular Squirt, who's being a handful. This leads Mallory to the come to the conclusion that all boys are awful! This is further reinforced during her next gym class, where things aren't any better. She gets clobbered in the face by the ball, and while the boy who served it apologizes, Mallory's had enough. She snaps at him, she snaps at her gym teacher, and gets sent off the court for the rest of class. Mallory goes home where her mom leaves her in charge of her siblings, because she has to pick up Margo from school. The boys annoy Mallory, and she runs to her room to wallow in despair.<br />
<br />
Mallory eventually comes to the conclusion that if she benches herself, she won't have to play volley-ball. At first, she has an internal conflict, warring over her need to be good and have an unblemished school record, but eventually she decides to go through with it. It leads to her getting detention. Mallory muses that this might be the start of her descent into a life of mischief and crime, but ultimately decides that detention isn't so bad when she realizes that she can do her homework in peace and quiet, completely undisturbed. No volley-ball <i>and</i> time to do homework? This seems like a win to Mallory, until she's told that her parents will receive a written notification about her detention. This leads Mallory deciding that she'll just have to commit mail fraud and intercept the mail every day for the next few weeks, until the volley-ball unit and all her detentions are over.<br />
<br />
At the next Club meeting, Mallory declares in front of everyone (including Logan, who was attending the meeting) that boys are pains and that they are no good. She mentions that Logan and Ben may be the exceptions (Ben waited after school for Mallory, even though her detention), but that overall, boys sucked. Later, Jessi tries talking to Mallory, saying that she's just equating boys with her hatred for volley-ball. Mallory insists that they're one and the same: boys <i>love</i> volley-ball, so volley-ball is horrible just like boys. When Jessi tries to tell Mallory that she likes volley-ball, Mallory stubbornly ignores her.<br />
<br />
Eventually, Mallory sits for the Hobart boys, and realizes that they're perfectly fine. She then comes to the conclusion that it's because they're foreign, and that there must be something about the way Stoneybrook raises children that's adversely affecting the boys. Mallory eventually decides it's because of phys. ed., and how much importance is placed on boys and sports and winning. Mallory keeps contemplating all this while the Hobart boys calmly watch a martial arts film. Eventually Ben returns home, and is surprised at how good his brothers are being. Mallory cannot believe him, and keeps telling him how she'd trade brothers with him any day.<br />
<b></b><br />
It comes to Mallory's attention that by constantly sitting out phys. ed., she runs the risk of failing, so she decides to try volley-ball again. Her teammates don't greet her warmly, and eventually Mallory gives up again. Instead of barking out encouragement, her teacher tries to actually talk to Mallory about what's going on. However, she ends up just further creating resentment in Mallory by equating quitting volley-ball in gym class to being a failure in life, and Mallory just doubles down on her detentions. Since clearly detention isn't a deterrent for Mallory, she instead gets assigned to wash all the pinnies from the phys. ed. classes using the washing machines in the home ec. room. This humiliates Mallory, as she has to keep the classroom door open, and everyone in her class stops by to tease her.<br />
<br />
So things continue, with the Club members having trouble with the boys they sit for, and Mallory having trouble with phys. ed. class and the boys in her class. Then Mallory forgets to get the mail, and her parents finally find out about the detention. Her mom sits down and talks to Mallory, and Mallory breaks down crying, explaining everything. Her mom talks her through things, and Mallory realizes how good it feels to cry and get it all out and to stop trying to act so tough. She promises her mother to talk to her teacher and actually try volley-ball.<br />
<br />
So Mallory talks to her teacher, and although her teacher isn't willing to make someone sit out and give Mallory pointers, she does offer to talk to the boys' gym teacher and have them lay off Mallory a bit. She points out that in terms of game strategy, they're playing exactly right, but that she can see how it's getting on Mallory's nerves and making her life miserable. Mallory survives the last 4 sessions of volley-ball, but is ultimately happy when it's over. Unfortunately for her, she now has to worry about getting impaled by arrows, as they're doing archery next and it's still with the boys. However, unlike volley-ball, there's a sense of order and precision to archery. Because of the high risk factor, everything has to be done on command: everyone shoots together, everyone retrieves together. Also: everyone was on even ground, because it was everyone's first time doing archery. Because of how few people could shoot at a time, Mallory gets lots of time to watch people and absorb the instructions and think about it. When she goes to shoot, she finds she can't even draw back the string, but her teacher then gives her a smaller bow. With a lighter bow, Mallory is actually able to shoot, and is actually pretty good at it! By the end of class, Mallory has a bull's-eye, and her teacher asks her to try out for the school's archery team!<br />
<br />
Mallory then spends time agonizing over whether she should even bother trying out. Eventually, she does and predictably makes the team. When she gets home, she finds that her brothers had baked a cake for her and written "Congratulations Mallory" on it (well, as best they could haha). This proves to Mallory that maybe boys and gym aren't <i>all</i> bad <i>all </i>the time.<br />
<br />
The "subplot" in this one is all of Mallory's wanting to switch brothers with Ben coming to fruition. They switch brothers for one night. Mallory's expecting a night of peace, but what she gets is terror. First, the boys are really excited about bunk beds and sharing one room for all of them. They've always wanted bunk beds, and sharing one room made it seem even more like a sleepover party. Then Mallory introduces them to the rec room, which they interpret as the "wreck" room, and get excited about a place they're allowed to make a mess in (they have a living room and a den at their place). The girls get really excited about their guests, and teach the boys all about jumping up and down on furniture, which is something they apparently don't do at their home. The Pike household also had all sorts of games and things that the Hobarts weren't used to, and they weren't used to sitting at such an unusual dining space for dinner. (The Hobarts have a dining table that seats 6: their parents at either end, with two boys on each side on their own chair; the Pikes have a long table with bench-like seating, almost like a giant indoor picnic table.) Then with so many "siblings" to distract them, the boys couldn't settle for bed, and the girls were excited for new guests, and they tried telling scary stories and having one giant slumber party in the boys' room. Mallory cannot believe it, and can't wait to swap back with Ben. The night-time doesn't get any better, as the boys can't sleep all in the same room and bunk beds prove to be too distracting for them. Eventually Ben calls Mallory and asks if she wants to swap back. Mallory is expecting Ben to tell her how terrible her brothers were, but he says they were perfect guests and tells her about all the special things they did together. It makes Mallory realize that boys are boys, and to appreciate her own siblings a bit more.<br />
<br />
<b>Random Thoughts</b>:<br />
<ul>
<li>I don't remember liking this one. At all. I also get this one and <a href="https://revertigobooks.blogspot.com/2016/12/bsc-47-mallory-on-strike.html" target="_blank">Mallory on Strike</a> mixed up. </li>
<li>I like how right on the first page, Mallory goes into her rec room, declares that it's pandemonium, and proceeds to repeat herself because "no one had paid any attention to me the first time". It's such a childish thing to do!</li>
<li>I always like when the ghost writers take time to single Byron out as being quieter, more sensitive, not as athletic as the other two triplets.</li>
<li>This book always makes me glad I only had one sibling, and that we were far enough apart in age that I never saw him! It also makes me very very very glad I live alone now!</li>
<li>Also: thanks to Mallory gushing over Mrs Hobart's homemade chocolate cake, now <i>I</i> want chocolate cake! The problem is: I'm not generally a fan of chocolate cake, so there's no point in my buying or baking an entire cake just for myself! haha</li>
<li>In my middle school, we were allowed to wear our own clothes for phys. ed. class. In high school, we were given school t-shirts that we were expected to wear (the t-shirts came in 4 colours, and were evenly distributed, so it was a quick and easy way to always establish teams) but we could wear whatever we wanted on the bottom. I can't imagine having a standardized gym uniform. I felt ugly and awkward enough doing phys. ed., and I got to wear whatever I wanted!</li>
<ul>
<li>That being said, unlike Mallory, I always loved volley-ball. It was the sport I was best at (which really isn't saying much haha)! In middle school, our phys. ed. classes were segregated, but volleyball was one of the units we did together due to the limited amount of nets you could set up in the half-gym (in the half-gym, you only got 2 nets [one in each half, so each gym class would only have one court to play on]... in the full gym, you could get 3!)</li>
</ul>
<li>As annoying as Mallory's whining and moaning is, I have to admit, it's probably fairly realistic. I was fairly over-dramatic as a preteen/teen (I <i>still</i> am!) and I definitely was not the biggest fan of phys. ed.</li>
<ul>
<li>Her pretending to faint reminds me of how she pretended (and then actually did!) sprain her ankle to get out of the <a href="https://revertigobooks.blogspot.com/2017/05/bsc-55-jessis-gold-medal.html" target="_blank">Sports Festival</a> thing.</li>
</ul>
<li>Mallory notices that Jamie is acting up, deduces that he's probably feeling jealousy or resentment towards Lucy... <i>but she still then goes on to gush about Lucy and talk about Lucy and be like, "OMG JAMIE, LUCY HAS CHANGED SO MUCH SINCE I LAST SAW HER, THIS IS GREAT!"</i> Like, wow, baby-sitter of the year here haha</li>
<ul>
<li>Again, this just served to remind me how much I'm glad I don't have children and that I live alone! haha</li>
</ul>
<li>As juvenile and stubborn as Mallory is being, she actually does somewhat have a point about the way boys are taught in phys. ed. and how girls are taught in phys. ed. It's part of this toxic masculinity that makes boys feel like they have to be the strongest and the winningest at everything.</li>
<li>I hate however how when Jessi says she doesn't mind volley-ball, Mallory is a jerk to her and just insists that Jessi is being crazy and has taken one too many balls to the head. </li>
<li>I think part of what makes the Hobarts act up at the Pike household and the Pikes behave in the Hobart household is how the households are. It's hard to see yourself as a guest when it's a house full of children and the Pikes are clearly lackadaisical about child-rearing, whereas the in the Hobart household, everything is quiet and calm, so the Pike boys are able to better see themselves as guests and behave accordingly. Furthermore, Mrs Hobart made them a special dinner and they ate in a dining room, further reinforcing their status as guests. This is even lampshaded by Matthew telling Ben, "We had a great time. They have bunk beds and you can do whatever you want here."</li>
<li>I have always wanted to do archery. I think I might do it this year! I'm sure I'll be terrible haha</li>
<li>I can sympathize with Mallory not wanting to try out for the archery team. I spent my childhood and adolescence believing that I was terrible at sports (and while I generally wasn't <i>great</i>, I wasn't <i>terrible</i> either; I mostly lacked confidence. There were a few sports I enjoyed that if I had had more self-confidence and put more effort into, I probably would've been pretty good at!), and so that meant I could never do <i>anything</i> even remotely athletic. At all. It's taken a few years, but I now actually enjoy physical activity! I'm still not great at it, and I would definitely never call myself an athlete, but it's something I can do and feel proud of myself for.</li>
<li>We of course, never hear about Mallory doing archery ever again. Never. </li>
<ul>
</ul>
</ul>
Cassiopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859199140639142481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557311404719688711.post-80443560085303697272018-09-02T09:04:00.000-04:002018-09-02T09:04:02.740-04:00BSC #58: Stacey's Choice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1219222042l/3201517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1219222042l/3201517.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Tagline: </b>This is one choice Stacey's going to have to make by herself.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Since Staacey's parents got divorced it hasn't been easy. Stacey hates being put in the middle of them. And even though she gets to see her dad often, Stacey misses him. Sometimes she wishes she were just a regular kid with a regular family.<br />
<br />
But now both of her parents are depending on Stacey. They each need her - badly. And she can't be in Stoneybrook and New York at the same time.<br />
<br />
How will Stacey ever choose between her mom and her dad... again?</blockquote>
<br />
Things start off with Stacey walking home from school with Mallory, musing about how nice the seasons are in Stoneybrook. We then get a whole lot of introduction from Stacey about her life, living in New York, and subsequently how things are in Stoneybrook. Stacey goes home briefly to drop things off and check in with her mom before heading back to Mallory's to baby-sit. Mrs McGill has been looking for a job, since her father's money has to go to both an apartment in New York, their house in Stoneybrook, alimony and child support, and there just isn't enough to go around. Stacey notes that her mother looks exhausted, and assumes that it's because she's had so many interviews and things to prepare. Mrs McGill says she's fine, and just before Stacey leaves for her sitting job, she gets a phone call from her father: he's just been promoted to vice president of his company. There's going to be a big dinner party to honour him, and he wants Stacey to be his date. Stacey is thrilled, and can't wait to spend the weekend with her father.<br />
<br />
<b></b>
The girls help Stacey find an outfit for Stacey. They go downtown, and stop at all the hot spots: Bellairs, Zingy's, Merry Go Round. Eventually Stacey finds an outfit in the least likely of places: Zingy's. Coming home, Stacey is very thrilled and can't wait to show her mom. She finds her mom resting on the couch however. Her mom brushes it off, saying that she's just tired, and encourages Stacey's outfit. Mrs McGill then mentions that she has an interview at Bellairs, which pleases Stacey to no end. Stacey is happy for both of her parents, and can't wait for the following weekend to go to dinner with her dad.<br />
<br />
It's Monday, and Stacey is in the middle of an algebra test when she gets called down to the office. There, she finds out that her mother collapsed during a job interview, that her mother is in the hospital, and that Mrs Pike will be there shortly to pick her up. Stacey is all anxious, and when she gets to the hospital, she finds her mom lying on a gurney, waiting for medical treatment. They don't know what's wrong; Stacey assumes it's the flu, but Mrs McGill is pretty sure it's something more. Sure enough, they soon find out that Mrs. McGill has pneumonia. The good news is that she can recover at home, but the bad news is that she'll be pretty tired and out of it for awhile.<br />
<br />
Stacey, wracked with worry and guilt, takes it upon herself to take care of her mother. She stays home from school on Tuesday to play nurse. Despite her mother's reassurances though, Stacey is worried about going to New York that weekend to be with her dad. Her father tells her that everything will be okay, that he can even arrange for a visiting nurse if Stacey wants. He then unintentionally guilt trips her, by telling her how much her going to New York and being his guest at the dinner in his honour means to him. This leaves Stacey torn, as she wants to be a good daughter, and be there for both parents. It's just added stress on top of what Stacey's already feeling regarding her mother's illness.<br />
<br />
To make herself feel better, Stacey starts organizing a schedule of friends and neighbours, so that her mom will never be alone, and Stacey can still attend school. It works pretty well, and Stacey feels some sense of relief. However, she still can't decide what to do about her dad and his dinner. Eventually, she decides that she can't go. She calls him to let her know, and he's incredibly sad and disappointed. Stacey, stressed and guilt-ridden, snaps at him and says that he'd have other date options than her if he wasn't such a workaholic. They end the phone call on a pretty bad note.<br />
<br />
The next day, Stacey decides that she can do a compromise: she can go to dinner Friday night with her dad, but then go back to be with her mom immediately Saturday morning, instead of being away for the whole weekend. She calls her dad with the news, and they're in the process of making arrangements for Friday night (he wants to hire a nurse, she wants to schedule more friends), when they're interrupted by a call from Mrs. McGill's doctor with the bloodwork. The good news is that Mrs McGill really does just simply have pneumonia. Stacey is in a rush, trying to pack, plan her mom's sitters, and take care of the house, when Mrs Pike comes over and helps out.<br />
<br />
Friday, Stacey goes to New York to be with her dad. Of course, the train's delayed and there's traffic, so Stacey's already stressed mind is further compounded. The dinner is very extravagant, even more so than Stacey expected. There are a million courses, and speeches, and Stacey's introduced to all sorts of important people from her dad's company. By the time all the formal things are over, it's 10:30. Throughout the evening, Stacey keeps calling home to check in on her mom, and finally, Stacey can't take it anymore, and just wants to go to sleep so she can catch her train in the morning. Mr McGill is disappointed, as now that the formal things are over, the dancing and fun were to begin. However, Stacey is adamant about leaving, since she's catching such an early train in the morning.<br />
<br />
In the morning, Mr McGill is less than thrilled about how everything went, and chastizes Stacey for being a terrible dinner date and being the first to leave a party in his honour. Stacey gets home, and finds Mrs Pike in a bad mood, as well as numerous neighbours and a visiting nurse. Turns out there was some scheduling issues. For the rest of Saturday, Stacey is stuck fielding people left and right. Finally, everything gets sorted out, everyone gets sent home, and Stacey has a chat with her mom, where she learns that she can't do everything herself and do be everything for everyone.<br />
<br />
The subplot in this one is that the Pikes (and subsequently all their friends) discover the joys of mail-in rebates and other forms of mail orders. So they start buying all this really random stuff from the back of magazines and newspapers and other publications. Stuff like, a bust developer and a miracle needle-threader. Basically, they're just enamoured by the idea that they can get stuff for under 2$, so they get it all. When the stuff starts slowly arriving, the kids are even more excited to have their own mail, which spurs them to buy even more stuff. Eventually, the stuff starts arriving on masse. The kids soon discover that they each ordered "moondust", supposedly only 20 samples exist. The older kids realize that it's a scam, and slowly, they all realize that they've ordered a bunch of useless stuff that no one can use. They decide to put together a travelling show and sell everything to their neighbours.<br />
<b></b><br />
<br />
<b>Random Thoughts</b>:<br />
<ul>
<li>This one is one of my favourites. I've actually already re-read it recently (well, last year)!</li>
<li>I feel like Mrs McGill has been looking for a job for ever now. Didn't she look for a job before?</li>
<ul>
<li>Okay, after much searching, yes, she's been looking for <a href="https://revertigobooks.blogspot.com/2016/09/bsc-35-stacey-and-mystery-of-stoneybrook.html" target="_blank">a job since at least #35 </a></li>
</ul>
<li>Stacey's outfit does not sound appropriate. Not particularly for a 13 year old, but especially not for a business dinner party: knee-length hot pink (fake) silk jacket, black leggings, pink and black socks, black bodysuit, black flats, and then some accessories.</li>
<li>This is the first time we hear about the Rosebud Cafe, the hot spot for all dates from this point forward. It didn't even occur to me that we hadn't heard it mentioned at all until now. It's just so ubiquitous to me! But apparently it just opened.</li>
<li>I never did any mail-in things as a kid. Either they just weren't as mainstream in the mid-90s, or my family just didn't get enough magazines. But if I had known about them, you better believe I would have signed up for so many stupid dumb offers like the Pikes and their friends do!</li>
<ul>
<li>Getting mail is REALLY exciting! I mean, when it's not bills or junk, which is what 99% of my mail is. It's one of the reasons why I love online shopping and monthly subscriptions and what not! </li>
</ul>
<li>I love that Buddy wants to be like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Schwarzenegger" target="_blank">Arnold Schwarzenegger</a>. I love these '90s references!</li>
<li>I find it weird that the office would call for Stacey over the classroom PA system, but I guess that makes sense. I'm pretty sure that's how they did it when I was in elementary school. I think by the time I got to high school though, they had switched to the in-house phone system, so they'd call the classroom, and there'd be some sense of privacy. It's definitely how they do it now.</li>
<li>Like Stacey, I love algebra and solving for X. It really is like a mystery!! I love logic puzzles and that kind of thing.</li>
<li>Man, poor Stacey. It's pretty scary when your parent gets sick, let alone when it's your only parent (in the immediate area) and you're an only child.</li>
<li>Ed is pretty good guy with regards to his ex-wife's health. However, he does lose some cool points for not being more understanding that his only teenage daughter might be more concerned and fearful about her only parent she's with 95% of the time.</li>
<li>There's a mistake in this one that says "Mary Anne's mother". They probably meant to write Dawn, or refer to Sharon her MA's stepmom.</li>
<li>There's some stuff that happens at the end of the book that really has no direct bearing on the plot:</li>
<ul>
<li>Stacey had been worried about Sam losing interest in her when she was busy with her mom, but they end up planning a date in the end.</li>
<li>Stacey's mom gets the job at Bellairs.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
Cassiopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859199140639142481noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557311404719688711.post-72427944589599193832018-08-19T09:03:00.000-04:002018-08-19T09:03:21.629-04:00BSC #57: Dawn Saves the Planet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1301227065l/2029439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1301227065l/2029439.jpg" width="219" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Tagline</b>: She baby-sits, she recycles - she's Super Dawn!<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Dawn thinks studying ecology is so cool. For a science project, she and Stacey are even teaching an ecology class to some of their baby-sitting charges. It's fun to get kids excited about cleaning up the earth.<br />
<br />
But Dawn isn't through yet. She wants to start a recycling center at SMS. The Baby-sitters and most of the students are all for it, but Dawn needs a <i>lot</i> of help. And lately she's been so busy lecturing people about being environmentally responsible that no one can stand being around her!<br />
<br />
Poor Dawn. She's trying to do a good thing - but she's driving everyone <i>crazy</i>!</blockquote>
<br />
So we're in Dawn's science class, and her teacher, Mrs Gonzalez, asks if the students think they can save the planet. Dawn, of course, thinks that yes, they can.Their teacher agrees, and assigns them to do an independent study project, where they tackle some sort of global/environmental issue, and try to figure out ways to solve it. Dawn can't wait. She's got all sorts of ideas, and can't get settled on one topic/issue. Stacey, who's in a different science class with Mrs Gonzalez, unfortunately can't think of any. Dawn isn't too worried, saying that they have plenty of time to think of something.<br />
<br />
<b></b>
The next day though, Dawn gets some inspiration while sitting for the Barretts. She had checked out some books about ecology and marine life from the library, and starts telling them about how they can save dolphins and other sea creatures. Seeing their enthusiasm, Dawn decides that maybe she could start an after-school ecology club/class for their sitting charges, and use that for her project. Dawn, realizing how big this might be, recruits Stacey, and they get permission from Mrs. Gonzalez to do their project together.<br />
<br />
Things get off to a great start. Dawn and Stacey get together and start organizing and planning their curriculum. It's decided that they'll do 6 weeks of classes, and call a number of clients to get them involved. They even agree on a final task, which will be a Green Fair, where their clients will present their own ideas for saving the planet. All in all, Dawn and Stacey are pretty stoked.<br />
<br />
Their first class is a success. They do a general overview of recycling and how the Earth isn't as shiny and as clean as it may seem. They teach the children that if they don't take care of the Earth, the Earth might not be around for much longer. They then conclude with an experiment, where they bury an apple core, a piece of lettuce, some Styrofoam and plastic packaging in Stacey's backyard. The girls tell the kids that they'll dig it all up in a few weeks to see what's "good garbage" and what's "bad garbage". They then take the kids home and consider everything to be a success.<br />
<br />
Dawn really gets into things, and does all sorts of extra reading. With her mind full of ideas and facts and figures, she ends up going to the next Club meeting with only one thing on her mind: recycling. Turns out that Stoneybrook only has one giant central recycling bin, and it's next to the courthouse. She wants to make the middle school another drop-off location. Everywhere Dawn looks, she sees how wasteful things are and how many more things can be recycled. The Club members laugh it off and mock her a bit for being so dramatic. Dawn gets frustrated, and doubles down on her efforts to raise awareness.<br />
<br />
We're then treated to a chapter of Jessi and Mallory baby-sitting for the Pikes. Despite only Vanessa and Nicky being enrolled in Dawn and Stacey's class, the rest of household (including the triplets!) really take the words to heart, and start a "Green Patrol", trying to enforce all sorts of good and ecologically friendly habits. Unfortunately, Jessi and Mallory don't learn fast enough, and are forced to go to "Green School", where they have to recite the rules for saving the planet over and over. This definitely sours them on Dawn and all things ecological.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Dawn has come up with a complete and comprehensive plan on how to turn SMS into a neighbourhood recycling hub, that will then bring things down to the courthouse for everyone. She runs it by Mrs. Gonzalez, who is 100% supportive of Dawn. Dawn then has to run it by Mr. Kingbridge, the vice-principal. He's definitely interested in what Dawn has to say, and is very impressed by all her planning and foresight, but he's not ready to run with something until she has more support. He gives her a week and a half to get the support of the student body, before he'll agree to move forward with her project.<br />
<br />
Dawn gets Mary Anne to help her make a sign and recruit students the next day. Things seem like they're going well. Dawn starts by talking to Erica Blumberg, who's a good student and heavily involved in extra-curriculars. Erica is open to the idea... until Dawn shouts at her for not recyling her soda can. The problem is, there's no place to recycle it! Dawn soon starts lecturing everyone over everything, and as MA points out, alienates people and turns them off from her cause. MA finally gets fed up, and leaves Dawn, citing homework to do. Dawn's all confused though. She doesn't understand how being passionate about something that's so important is a bad thing.<br />
<br />
Dawn starts getting progressively more and more bossy. At one of the later eco-classes, Claudia attends with Charlotte, and Claudia sees first-hand how over-the-top Dawn is. Dawn barely lets Stacey get a word in, and kills the children's enthusiasm by chastising them for not spreading the word about recycling. Stacey and Dawn had originally planned on getting the kids to make the flyers, but since she's there, Dawn asks if Claudia can do it, citing that it's more important for the posters to look good. Later on, Stacey calls Claudia to complain. Claudia doesn't think it can be <i>that</i> bad; afterall, Dawn is passionate about such a good cause! However Stacey tells Claudia that if it weren't for the kids, she'd have quit the project a long time ago and have done something on her own. She worries that this project is killing her friendship with Dawn.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Dawn continues her efforts to get the SMS recyling program going. She spends her week and a half grilling the entire student body, and finally it comes down to them filling out an anonymous survey about their interest. Not only will the survey greenlight the project, but it also asks them to name a person to run it all, with Dawn and Mrs Gonzalez listed (and then an "other" open for suggestions). At the end of the day, all the votes are tallied, and it turns out that yes, the students are definitely interested in recycling! However, to Dawn's dismay, they also voted Mrs Gonzalez, not her, to be head of it all. At first Dawn rationalizes that it's because they'd rather have an adult in charge, but eventually she overhears some of the students talking about how obnoxious she's been lately and how they can't stand her. This really hurts Dawn's feelings, and she breaks down in the bathroom and cries.<br />
<br />
Dawn then completely retreats from the SMS recycling program. The day for the grand opening comes, and she hasn't helped at all, nor was she interviewed for the paper or given much credit. All in all, Dawn feels pretty crummy about everything. However, she doesn't fully learn her lesson, as she still bosses Stacey around about their ecology class and is completely overbearing with the Club, trying to get them involved in the Green Fair. Finally, the girls have had enough, and tell Dawn exactly what's going on. Dawn gets sad again, but the girls point out that she had good intentions and that they love that she's passionate: she just needs to tone it down a bit and stop making everyone feel like a criminal. Dawn agrees, and they all make up.<br />
<br />
The final event of the story is the Green Fair. After a few hiccups (which really, when you involve that many kids, something's bound to go wrong; overall nothing disastrous), things start really picking up. All the parents are impressed by how enthusiastic the kids are, and how much they've learned. Mrs Gonzalez shows up to support Dawn and Stacey. The kids raise a lot of money and a lot of awareness. Dawn and Stacey decide to donate all the money raised to the new SMS recycling program.<br />
<br />
Lastly, Dawn and Stacey turn in their final reports for their projects. To show their own individual work, they each wrote separate personal essays for their own reports, detailing what they learned from the project. Stacey writes about becoming more aware, and wanting to continue studying ecology in the future. Dawn writes about how while recycling is important, she learned even more about herself and how to deal with her passions and others. Mrs. Gonzalez is impressed, and tells Dawn that she knows that Dawn is disappointed by how the SMS recycling program all went down. She offers to let Dawn be co-leader, provided that the students agree with a vote. Dawn doesn't think they will, but Mrs Gonzalez says that Dawn's learned a lot over the past two months, and that she has no doubt that Dawn will be a better leader for it. Dawn walks away from the whole experience with an A, and a new outlook on life.<br />
<b></b><br />
<br />
<b>Random Thoughts</b>:<br />
<ul>
<li>I have never read this one before! But I know that it generally involves Dawn starting with a good idea/intentions, but making a giant nuisance of herself haha</li>
<ul>
<li>Dawn looks sooooo snooty on the cover! Her nose is literally in the air!</li>
<li>Huh. On the re-print editions (the ones with their faces going down the left-hand side of the book, the way all the later ones were published by default), they kept everything the same, EXCEPT Dawn. They put in a completely different Dawn. She's in front of the exact same kids, pointing to the exact same chart (looks like they kept her hands!) but they changed her. Now she's looking at the kids, and she's smiling, and she's in an outfit that I more associate with Dawn (still jeans, but now a sleeveless button-up tank in blue).</li>
<li>Also: I never read the book synopsis on the back before I start reading these. I'm very glad I didn't this time! It really gives everything away!</li>
</ul>
<li>This one has TWO ghost writers!</li>
<li>I love how even in the early '90s, climate change and how much we're fucking up the Earth was already a thing. It's been nearly 3 decades later, and we're still having these discussions and debates and assigning these projects to our kids. WHY HAVEN'T WE LEARNED FROM DAWN AND THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB???</li>
<li>They write Dawn to be sooooooooooo smug even right from the get-go. I'm already not looking forward to reading this one.</li>
<li>Whoa. Dawn describes Kristy as having chin-length hair in this one. Most of the books just mention the hair colour and that it's always in a ponytail. I was always under the impression that it was at least shoulder-length. Chin length seems super short!</li>
<li>Dawn also describes Stacey as very thin, citing her diabetes as the reason for her thinness. Now, I'm not an expert, and I realize that there have been great medical advances in the past 20 years... but every teen I know who has diabetes (and who is treating it properly with diet and injections and/or whatever else their doctor prescribes) is pretty average. Some of them are heavier than others, some are thin, but they're generally no different than the other kids, other than that they seem unusually pale at times or tired. No one is ever "Omg you're sooooo skinny! Diabetes man!"</li>
<li>Definitely a sign of the times: I'm not surprised that Stoneybrook only has one recycling facility, but I am surprised that people need to bring their recyclables there themselves. I was part of an ecology club in my elementary school when I was in grade 1, and I think that's when there was a big push for public recycling, which was 1995. I don't think I'd recycle, nor my parents would, if our recycling wasn't just automatically picked up by the city with the garbage. I'm all for sorting my own shit and separating the garbage from the green bin from the black bin from the blue bin. But if I had to drive to dispose of all of it? Yeahhhhh... that wouldn't be happening. </li>
<li>I feel a <i>bit<b> </b></i>bad for Dawn, in that she's really passionate about this thing, and no one seems to care. Furthermore, it's not like she's being passionate over a boy band or a fad: taking care of the planet is important! For everyone! But at the same time, she goes about it the wrong way. However, she's 13, so this is fairly realistic.</li>
<li>I can't believe the Pikes regularly and normally use paper cups and plates! Wtf!</li>
<li>I have to admit, I'm really impressed with Dawn's plan. I don't think I could come up with something like that to implement in my school NOW, and I'm a TEACHER.</li>
<li>Whoa. They just mentioned Amelia Freeman! I haven't read the book yet, but I know she's the student who dies in #93 from being hit by a drunk driver. I didn't realize she pops up this early! Damn!</li>
<ul>
<li>I just checked, and it's the same two ghostwriters. I wonder if they based Amelia on someone they knew? Or if they just thought, "Hey, for continuity, we should try to mention these 5 random students in the background at least once in our books!" and then when it came time to kill someone, they were like, "Ooooh! It can be one of the characters we mentioned, so it's not a complete rand-o!"?</li>
</ul>
<li>I think it's realistic, but completely crazy, that Dawn would think that the students would vote for her to be in charge of the SMS recyling initiative, instead of Mrs Gonzalez. 1) Mrs Gonzalez is a teacher, and therefore more likely to be able to keep up with doing stuff and the responsibilities and have some pull and sway with admin, and 2) Mrs Gonzalez hasn't been shouting at and lecturing students day and night about it!</li>
<li>Wtf would Dawn and Stacey have to do to get an A+??? They taught a class, spread awareness, organized an educational fair with little kids, raised money, and then donated it to a good cause! That is going above and beyond. Furthermore, Mrs Gonzalez should have taken into account Dawn's extra planning and side project of the SMS recycling program, and at the very least boosted her mark to an A+ because of that. Like, omg!</li>
</ul>
Cassiopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859199140639142481noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557311404719688711.post-40722259342145843632018-08-05T09:02:00.000-04:002018-08-05T09:02:01.332-04:00BSC Mystery #5: Mary Anne and the Secret in the Attic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/babysittersclub/images/5/5d/BSC_Mystery_5_Mary_Anne_and_the_Secret_in_the_Attic_cover_stock_image.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20171022041104" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="516" height="320" src="https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/babysittersclub/images/5/5d/BSC_Mystery_5_Mary_Anne_and_the_Secret_in_the_Attic_cover_stock_image.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20171022041104" width="220" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Tagline</b>: She can't turn back now.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Mary Anne's mother died when Mary Anne was just a baby. And since it makes Mr. Spier too sad to talk about her, Mary Anne hardly knows a thing about her mother. Mary Anne respects her father's feelings. But lately, she wants to know more. She has to find out about her mother.<br />
<br />
So Mary Anne does something she knows is wrong. She goes up into the creepy, ghostly attic in her and Dawn's house to look for evidence.<br />
<br />
And there Mary Anne finds something she wishes she never had...</blockquote>
<br />
The book starts off with Mary Anne waking up from an incredibly vivid dream. In it, there's a very very young girl, holding a kitten, crying out for her mother, while two older people stand nearby. Mary Anne kinda flip-flops on whether or not she thinks the girl is her, but she definitely doesn't recognize the old people nor her surroundings. She says she's been having the dream a couple of times now recently, and goes to tell Dawn while they get ready for school.<br />
<br />
Mary Anne spends all day dwelling on her dream, and is even distracted through the Club meeting that evening. Mallory introduces the impetus for the main plot: Heritage Day. The elementary school is making a big deal of it, encouraging all the students (and thus, many of the clients of the Club) to create some sort of research project on their families, Stoneybrook, or how their families arrived in Stoneybrook. There will be a big celebration, where the students are going to present their findings and other community groups will have booths and everyone will celebrate! However, Mary Anne just cannot stop thinking about her dream...<br />
<br />
Later, Mary Anne is baby-sitting for Charlotte, who is working on her family history for Heritage Day. Charlotte has all sorts of great things from her great-grandma, including old letters, photographs and a diary. It makes Mary Anne slightly envious, since as far as she knows, her family doesn't have any keepsakes like that. However, Charlotte's enthusiasm is warming, and Mary Anne listens as Charlotte prattles on about all the things she's learned. When Charlotte mentions her mother taking her to the Heritage Day picnic, Mary Anne again remembers how she's never done anything with her mother, and it makes her sad. Mary Anne realizes how little she knows about her mother and family history. She decides to go looking around her attic to see if maybe they do have pictures of her and her mother as a child. There, she discovers an old album. At first, there are pictures that she recognizes: wedding pictures of her mom and dad, pictures of her as a baby. But then she sees a series of photographs she doesn't know: her and an older couple, her on a farm. MA realizes that they're awfully similar to the ones from her dream, and that given how many wardrobe changes she has, she must have stayed with the couple for quite some time. Richard comes home, and instead of confronting him, MA hides in her room, confused as ever.<br />
<br />
MA later decides to check out the Stoneybrook Cemetery, inspired by Stacey's baby-sitting adventures (more on that later), hoping to find her mother's gravestone and some of her mother's ancestor's. It takes her a week to work up the courage, but she finally goes. As MA wanders down the endless aisles, she sees many graves, but not her mother's. Frustrated, MA is about to give up when she finds <a href="https://revertigobooks.blogspot.com/2016/07/bsc-26-claudia-and-sad-good-bye.html" target="_blank">Mimi's grave</a>.<br />
<br />
Overwrought with emotion, MA decides to go home and try searching the attic again. Upon searching, she finds a bundle of letters sent to her father from a Bill and Verna. Reading a bunch of them, MA discovers that they're her maternal grandparents. She had apparently stayed with them on their farm as a baby. MA is angered to realize that Richard had never mentioned them or this time to her, that these people who were so very important to her life were now complete strangers to her. Just before leaving the attic, she reads one last letter, in which her grandparents thank Richard for giving MA up to them. MA leaves the attic in a state of shock, thinking that her father never wanted her, and that her childhood was a lie.<br />
<br />
That evening, MA is all full of emotion and turmoil. She can't figure out what to say to her family, so she suffers in silence. After waking up at 2am from her dream/childhood memory, she finally decides to go to the attic and read some more. There, she discovers that Richard did eventually want her back, but that her grandparents were reluctant to give her up. This gets MA thinking that maybe her grandparents did and still have some legal control over her. She gets worried about what might happen to her in the future. She's also upset, because if she was gone for so long (her dad missed her first birthday!), then the people she grew up with must have known. Feeling betrayed, MA ends up spending the night in the attic.<br />
<br />
MA spends the whole day stewing and dodging questions from her friends. Just as she decides to finally open up to Logan about everything, her father gets a phone call. Coincidentally, it's Verna Baker, MA's grandmother, calling to tell Richard that Bill has died. MA continues to eavesdrop on the phone conversation, where she hears that Verna wants MA to go stay with her in Iowa. MA, upset, gets off the phone, and finally confesses to Dawn what's been going on. Dawn is shocked, but is adamant that no one will be sending MA anywhere.<br />
<br />
Dawn eventually suggests that MA ask her father what's going on, but MA stubbornly refuses to talk to him about it. Eventually Dawn convinces MA to talk to <i>someone</i>, which leads to her asking Claudia and Kristy if they'd ever heard of anything, but they hadn't, so MA is back to square one.<br />
<br />
MA continues to be paranoid and miserable. When the Club comes over to work on their own Heritage Day project (more on that later), things get out of control and lead to a paint fight and Logan takes his shirt off, and the girls decide to bake cookies, and it's just pandemonium. Of course, at that moment, MA gets a visitor. This lady with a clipboard asks if she's at the right residence (she is) and wants to ask some questions. MA assumes she's a social worker, checking in on her and her father. MA panics and breaks down, telling the whole Club what's going on. They all urge her to talk to her father.<br />
<br />
Finally MA gets the courage to speak to her father. She explains what she's overheard and the conclusions that she's come to. At first, Richard is angry that she'd been snooping and eavesdropping, but when he realizes just how worked up she's gotten, he quickly forgives her and explains everything: when her mother died, Richard was just completely distraught and in no shape to take care of a newborn daughter. So he sent MA to live with her grandparents. They really enjoyed having her, but ultimately Richard wanted MA back and was ready to be a father. There were some words exchanged, but eventually Richard got MA back, and it was decided that it'd be best for everyone involved if the Bakers never saw MA again. However, now that Bill is dead, Verna regrets that they never reconnected with MA and wants MA back for a <i>visit</i>. MA isn't too sure how she feels about it, but agrees to consider it.<br />
<br />
Eventually the actual Heritage Day happens, and MA and Richard talk again. Richard gives MA a letter that her mother that was intended for her 16th birthday. MA reads it and gets all choked up, and desires to be closer to her mom. She decides that she will visit her grandmother after all.<br />
<br />
The last chapter is a series of letters written back and forth while MA is visiting her grandma. Everything is going well, and MA learns that she's essentially exactly like her mother. She also baby-sits for the neighbour's kids and goes out on a date with the grandson of her grandmother's friend, a boy named Bob. Bob apparently is super boring, so Logan doesn't have anything to worry about! Anyways, MA has a great time, and Richard eventually reaches out and apologizes for everything all these years. He invites Verna to join them at Christmas, and it looks like everything has worked out in the end!<br />
<br />
The whole subplot in this one is just the Heritage Day fair. In addition to seeing Charlotte prepare for it, we're treated to all the Pikes preparing for it too. Stacey takes the Pike triplets to the library so they can do some research for their newspaper project. There, they find out that <a href="https://revertigobooks.blogspot.com/2016/04/bsc-17-mary-annes-bad-luck-mystery.html" target="_blank">Old Hickory</a> was actually a man called James Hickman, who is haunting his grave because his nephew commissioned it against his wishes. This spurs the triplets to go visit the grave with Stacey. Dawn ends up taking the Rodowskys to town hall so that Shea can look up things for his own project (because it's Jackie, it ends up a total disaster).<br />
<br />
Eventually, it comes up that the Heritage Day fair is to help raise money for the Historical Society, and the Club decides that they want to help. After throwing some ideas around, they decide to do a photo booth with "famous" historical cut-outs that people can pose with. MA ends up escorting Charlotte to the fair, because an emergency has come up with Dr Johanssen, and Mr Johanssen was never able to take Charlotte. Both Charlotte and MA are a bit sad at not being able to do a mother-daughter thing, but in the end they have a good time.<br />
<br />
At this point, I realized that the Heritage Day fair at the elementary school that the kids are all preparing for, and the actual Heritage Day thing that the Club was preparing for was separate things! Oops! Anyways, their booth is a hit, and everything goes well. So well in fact that the Club ended up making the most money of all the booths! (Of course haha)<br />
<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b> </b><br />
<br />
<b>Random Thoughts:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>I have always loved the way Mary Anne looked on this cover. This is my favourite Mary Anne cover. When I picture Mary Anne, this is how she looks to me. The only other cover I can think of off the top of my head that looks like the same model is <a href="https://revertigobooks.blogspot.com/2017/02/bsc-52-mary-anne-2-many-babies.html" target="_blank">Mary Anne + 2 Many Babies</a></li>
<li>Mallory is once again mentioned as having red hair. She's officially a ginger! </li>
<li>When Mary Anne reflects on how little she knows about her family, she thinks about her own personal history, and references many things from the series: a ticket stub from the <a href="https://revertigobooks.blogspot.com/2016/02/bsc-10-logan-likes-mary-anne.html" target="_blank">Remember September dance</a>, a <a href="https://revertigobooks.blogspot.com/2016/09/bsc-34-mary-anne-and-too-many-boys.html" target="_blank">sand dollar from a trip to the shore</a>, <a href="https://revertigobooks.blogspot.com/2016/03/bsc-super-special-1-baby-sitters-on.html" target="_blank">Mickey Mouse ears from Disneyland</a>, and <a href="https://revertigobooks.blogspot.com/2016/11/bsc-super-special-6-new-york-new-york.html" target="_blank">photos from New York</a>.</li>
<li>I love how one of the reasons why Mary Anne decides not to ask her father about things is because she doesn't want to jeopardize his happiness by bringing up the past. That's such a 13 year old thing to think!</li>
<li>I find it weird/convenient that both Richard and Alma were both only children, giving MA very very little family in the world.</li>
<li>Good ol' <a href="https://revertigobooks.blogspot.com/2016/04/bsc-17-mary-annes-bad-luck-mystery.html" target="_blank">Old Hickory</a>!</li>
<li>Again, I'm reminded of how awesome Mimi was and how much I miss her!</li>
<li>I can't believe Mallory's historical foods bake sale idea got shut down! I mean, I can, because it's Mallory, but yeah! That would definitely be the thing I'd want to do. Jessi says it'd be too much research, and I know they didn't have the internet back then (or at least, not a big enough and common enough internet), but I don't think it would be THAT much work. I doubt anyone would check if their recipes were 100% accurate haha</li>
<li>I fucking hate Jackie Rodowsky. I know he's supposed to be cute and endearing but my god. You cannot take that kid anywhere.</li>
<li>I love the idea of Kristy cat-calling Logan when he takes his shirt off. This is a Kristy I can get behind!</li>
<li>We see the <a href="https://revertigobooks.blogspot.com/2017/01/bsc-mystery-3-mallory-and-ghost-cat.html" target="_blank">Crane girls with their Aunt Bud</a> at the fair!</li>
<li>This book feels like it should end after chapter 12, when MA finally talks to her dad about everything. But then we have a chapter with Kristy and Shannon where they talk about big blended families and knowing your roots, a chapter with the Club at the Heritage Day thing and MA receiving a letter from her mother, and then a chapter where everyone is writing letters back and forth while MA travels, visits, and then comes back from the farm.</li>
<li>I still find it weird that Richard never mentioned this and that Verna never tried to write to MA or call, and that she just had zero idea that she still had grandparents who were alive. Had she never had to do a family tree assignment before?? Did Richard just lie and say everyone was dead??</li>
<li>When I read MA's mother's letter, it read as super sappy and unrealistic. Then I was reminded of the letter that Meredith wrote Peter Quill in the first <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guardians_of_the_Galaxy_(film)" target="_blank">Guardians of the Galaxy</a> film. Then I was reminded of how weird and melodramatic and strange in my diction I can be in my own journal, and I'm not even dying, so yeah haha</li>
<li>It's also super weird that apparently Richard never took MA to visit her mother's grave before!</li>
<li>When does this book take place?? It sounds like it's Spring, but it also seems like MA goes on her trip to her grandmother's right away. I guess it could be for spring break, but she's gone long enough to write several letters back and forth to Dawn, leading me to believe that she's gone for almost a month instead of only 2 weeks. So I'm guessing the Heritage Day thing was late late May or early June, and then the epilogue chapter with MA's visit took place in July</li>
</ul>
Cassiopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859199140639142481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557311404719688711.post-16690550962811707082018-07-22T09:01:00.000-04:002018-07-22T09:01:00.166-04:00BSC #56: Keep Out, Claudia!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51HMcOapD-L._SX340_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="342" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51HMcOapD-L._SX340_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="219" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Tagline:</b> Who wouldn't want Claudia for a baby-sitter?<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The Baby-sitters love getting new clients. So when the Lowells contact the club everyone is thrilled. For Mary Anne, sitting for the Lowells turns out to be a snap. The kids are adorable and obedient. But when Claudia meets the family, Mrs. Lowell will barely look her in the eye. And the kids are downright rude!<br />
<br />
The next time Mrs. Lowell calls the BSC, she requests another sitter - <i>anyone</i> but Claudia. Claudia has no idea what she did wrong. But the BSC won't rest until they find out!</blockquote>
<br />
The book starts off with Claudia sitting for the Rodowskys. Shea is practicing for a piano recital, and Jackie and Archie both express a desire to perform too. This gets Claudia thinking about how maybe the Club should put together some sort of recital or show for their charges to be in.<b> </b>She brings it up at their meeting that evening, and the girls all agree that it's a great idea. Since none of them are particularly musically inclined, they figure they can just organize the children, and then let the children learn for themselves (since many of their charges DO know music). So there's our subplot right there!<br />
<br />
<b></b>
Shortly after introducing this idea to the Club, the main plot starts: the girls receive a phone call from a new client, Mrs Lowell, who has seen their flyers and would like to hire a baby-sitter for her 3 children. Mary Anne ends up with the job.<br />
<br />
<b></b>
Right away, we follow her to the job, where she meets Caitlin (8), Mackie (6) and Celeste (3). Mrs Lowell briefly gives Mary Anne a once-over, which unsettles her, before smiling and welcoming her into her home. Upon leaving, MA is inundated with questions from the children. They want to know all about her and her family. MA has to explain what step-siblings are, and how Dawn is another baby-sitter. This leads the kids to ask about the other sitters, and make awkward talk about religion (speculating that Mallory must be Catholic because of her family size, and wanting to know what religion MA is). She eventually gets them to play outside, and then finally settled in front of the TV. The kids can't find a show they like, but eventually come across something with two Asian kids. Caitlin and Mackie laugh about their eyes, but MA just remains oblivious and innocent. Soon after, Mrs Lowell returns, and MA goes to their Club meeting, forgetting all weirdness.<br />
<br />
<b></b>
Next, we see Claudia baby-sitting for the Newtons. Jamie is bored, so Claudia calls up Dawn, who's sitting for the Perkins girls. The next thing Claudia knows, Stacey and Charlotte, and Mary Anne and the Hobarts have come over too. This gets Claudia to thinking, and the girls introduce their band idea to the group. The kids get excited, and soon invite more people over. Claudia is thrilled that her idea is taking off, as Mary Anne writes down the details and helps everyone get organized. Claudia decides that since she's sitting for the Lowells next, she'll invite them to the group too.<br />
<br />
So it's finally Claudia's turn to baby-sit for the Lowells. Thanks to the cover synopsis, we know that it doesn't exactly go well. Mrs Lowell is all vague and curt with Claudia, while the kids keep trying to eat more food and won't obey her. Claudia thinks maybe it has to do with her wild outfit, since the kids and Mary Anne were dressed so neatly. Speaking of MA, she saves the day by calling Claudia up and inviting them all to the Hobarts for band practice. Things go well, until it's time to leave. Back at their place, the kids give Claudia a hard time and sneak food again. All in all, Claudia does not have a good time.<br />
<br />
However, Claudia doesn't think much of it until their next Club meeting. Mrs Lowell calls, and asks to speak directly to Kristy. It's then that Kristy learns that Mrs Lowell wants any baby-sitter <i>except</i> for Claudia! Kristy then demands to know exactly what happened from Claudia. Claudia admits that it wasn't her best job, but that it wasn't a disaster. Everyone's confused, but eventually decide that maybe it was just a combination of small things, such as Claudia's outfit, her arriving too early (3:19 instead of 3:30), her having taken the kids out without permission. Jessi, who ends up with the job, decides to be on her best and most model behaviour, with the hopes of finding out more.<br />
<br />
In preparation for her job, Jessi decides to update her Kid-Kit. She thinks specifically of what age and gender each of the Lowell children are, and adds things that she thinks will appeal to them: more books for Celeste, art supplies and matchbox cars for Mackie, and an office kit for Caitlin. Jessi then makes sure to show up exactly 5 minutes early. Upon opening the door, Mrs Lowell is immediately shocked. After staring at Jessi for several seconds, she finally says that she doesn't need a baby-sitter and that she forgot to say something and closes the door right on Jessi's face! No apology! Jessi goes to Mallory's house all upset, and later to the Club meeting. The girls can't figure out what went wrong. Mary Anne has another sitting job with the Lowells coming up, so she resolves to get to the bottom of things.<br />
<br />
But before that, we're treated to a chapter with Claudia baby-sitting for the Rodowskys. Jackie decides that they need a name for their band. After some brainstorming, they come up with "All the Children", which would be short for "All the Children of the World", since everyone came from such multicultural background. This serves as really really awkward foreshadowing for what we eventually find out is Mrs Lowell's problem, but in the meantime, it's just silly. They rehearse songs from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_(musical)" target="_blank">Annie</a>, before going to rehearsal. They tell the other kids their great band name idea, and of course everyone loves it!<br />
<br />
Finally, we get back to the Lowell plot, only instead of Mary Anne sitting, it's Kristy. Kristy decides to switch because as President, she thinks it's her responsibility to find out what's wrong. Mrs Lowell agrees to the switch, although Kristy can sense that there's something more. However, when Kristy shows up (exactly 5 minutes early, wearing a skirt and blouse), Mrs Lowell is warm and welcoming. This gives Kristy the confidence to ask Mrs Lowell how she's finding the Club's service. Mrs Lowell says she's happy, and before Kristy can grill her further, the children arrive home. Upon Mrs Lowell's absence, Kristy takes it upon herself to question the kids about their sitters. They love Mary Anne, but refer to Claudia as the "funny looking one". Thinking that they mean Claudia's eclectic fashion sense, Kristy moves on, referencing how they never even got to see Jessi. Caitlin insists that Kristy describe her, and when Kristy mentions Jessi's skin colour, she's convinced that she hears Caitlin snort, "I guess that's why mommy didn't like her."<br />
<br />
Kristy, bothered by this, goes home and eventually talks to her mom, Nannie and Watson. She tells them her suspicions, that she thinks that the Lowells are racist, and hopes that they'll tell her that she's being over-dramatic. Sadly, they tell her that it could be true, that racism is still a prevalent problem. It makes Kristy sad, and she decides to go to the Club with her thoughts.<br />
<br />
Immediately, Claudia is hurt and angry. She doesn't understand why Jessi isn't more upset (at least Claudia got to go inside the house!), but Jessi just explains that she's used to it. But Claudia's never experienced racism before, and feels all sorts of thoughts and emotions she's never felt before. She feels ashamed, and defensive, and worries that her friends feel sorry for her. Jessi and Mary Anne explain that prejudice isn't logical, and that it's the Lowells that Claudia should be angry at. Claudia knows this, but still can't help but lash out at her friends, since they're the ones present. Dawn points out that the Lowells probably don't like a whole lot of people for various reasons, which doesn't exactly make Claudia feel better, and they get into a discussion about how there is still lots of racism and hate groups around like the KKK. In the midst of this history lesson, Mrs Lowell calls, wanting to request the "blonde haired, blue-eyed sitter". After some deliberation, the girls decide that none of them want to sit for the Lowells anymore. Kristy eventually comes to the conclusion that none of them would fit Mrs Lowell's narrow-minded bigoted standards because of their divorced families and non-traditional ways. The girls end their meeting on a good note, but Claudia still feels unsettled by everything.<br />
<br />
At the next band rehearsal, Jackie manages to convince everyone to change their entire repertoire to <u>Fiddler on the Roof</u>. Apparently there was a production in Stamford, so most of the kids had already seen it. Everyone's excited and get right down to rehearsal. That's when Mrs Lowell shows up with her kids. At first, she simply remarks on how "assorted" the rest of the children are, but upon hearing the choice of program, she grabs her kids and whisks them away. The girls momentarily panic, but realize that this is on Mrs Lowell, and that none of the other parents will object to their musical choices.<br />
<br />
Claudia's still bummed about Mrs Lowell though! Eventually, the girls come to the conclusion that there's nothing to be done with Mrs Lowell. It's not their place and they're just kids themselves. Mrs Lowell will keep on hating, and all they can really do is set a good example for the kids they sit for.<br />
<br />
The rest of the novel is dedicated to the band subplot, which also helps Claudia to escape her funk. The children decide that their band needs matching t-shirts, so they decide to set up donation baskets the day of their concert. As the concert grows nearer, Claudia starts panicking and worrying, but the day goes off without a hitch. At the end of the concert, Claudia and the girls notice Caitlin and Mackie Lowell seemed to have snuck out to watch them. It strikes Claudia that perhaps they were just repeating things they'd learned, and that maybe one day, they'd outgrow their racism. The rest of the girls hope so too.<br />
<b></b><br />
<br />
<b>Random Thoughts:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>This was definitely one of my favourite ones as a child. Like I've said before, I always greatly enjoyed the books where the girls had to deal with more serious issues in a realistic manner. I've read this one a million times, but not recently.</li>
<li>I know I definitely have not read this in the past 15 years at least, because right away on the first page, Jackie Rodowsky makes a mistake that I never understood until now. Shea is practicing piano, and Claudia asks Jackie what he's playing, and Jackie replies, "A doggie-o". Now, after 15 years of studying music, I know that Jackie most likely meant "Adagio"!</li>
<li>It just occurred to me that none of the girls take music lessons! Out of 7 girls, not a single one of them did piano?? Even for a couple of years? That seems crazy to me. More of my friends took piano as children than who didn't.</li>
<li>I like the idea of this book being Claudia's book, since she apparently hasn't faced much racism or discrimination, but we barely hear from her! There's a lot of chapters dedicated to other sitters' encounters with the Lowells, and then the stupid subplot of the band.</li>
<li>I find it weird that American-born Asians don't seem to be discriminated against nearly as often as American-born Africans or East Indians. I mean, maybe that's not true, but based on personal experiences and anecdotal evidence from my friends, that seems to be the case. None of us have accents, but most of us are second-generation immigrants, with our parents all having heavy accents. But the darker the skin, the more discrimination and racism my friends have felt. The worst the Asians have gotten is being stereotyped as geniuses. Oddly enough, one of my best friends <i>is</i> a first-generation immigrant (she only became an official citizen a couple of years ago!), but despite her prominent accent, she's never faced any hardships or racism or discrimination. Then again: she's white, blonde, blue-eyed and Australian. The worse she gets is being asked if she's related to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thor_(film)" target="_blank">Thor</a>.</li>
<li>Even as a child, I remember thinking that "All the Children" was the worst name for a band ever. It sounded to me like a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_My_Children" target="_blank">soap opera </a>or a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Are_the_World" target="_blank">charity cash-grab</a>.</li>
<li>I really liked the conversations Kristy and Claudia have with their families. I wished we got more of those in the series!</li>
<ul>
<li>I especially loved Janine's little bit about the American Japanese concentration camps. I can't believe I don't remember this being mentioned here! I remember learning about them in history, but it wasn't until I was in university, and super into <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Takei" target="_blank">George Takei</a> that they really made an impact on me and were permanently etched into my brain.</li>
</ul>
<li>I've always wondered about Mr. Lowell, since we never see him in this book. Is he just as bad as Mrs Lowell? Worse??</li>
<li>I can't believe that the kids know and like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiddler_on_the_Roof" target="_blank">Fiddler on the Roof</a>! I first heard of it by reading this book as a child, and to this day, I still haven't seen a production of it. The only songs I know off the top of my head are "<a href="https://youtu.be/RBHZFYpQ6nc" target="_blank">If I Were a Rich Man</a>" and "<a href="https://youtu.be/-j661y6KwYA" target="_blank">Sunrise, Sunset</a>". I still hear the kids singing "Tradition" the same way as I imagined it as a child!</li>
<li>At one point, Claudia is sitting for Kristy's family, and among the activities the older crew are doing, it's mentioned that Sam was at a dress rehearsal for the drama club's latest play, which he helped to write. Uh, what?? What the fuck? Where's my story about this?? Why don't we know more about Sam??</li>
<ul>
<li>I feel like they've always depicted Charlie as the responsible, academic one, and Sam, while still doing well in school, as more of the goofball and extrovert. I know they mention that Sam is particularly good in math, to better pair him with Stacey, but other than that, I never pictured him as particularly academic. A solid A-/B+ kid. Good grades, but nothing spectacular. But now we find out that he writes and does drama club???</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
Cassiopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859199140639142481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557311404719688711.post-75247783548787862302018-07-08T10:35:00.000-04:002018-07-08T10:35:10.848-04:00BSC Super Special #8: Baby-Sitters at Shadow Lake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/babysittersclub/images/a/a4/Super_Special_8_Baby-Sitters_at_Shadow_Lake_cover_stock_image.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20171021041627" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="551" height="320" src="https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/babysittersclub/images/a/a4/Super_Special_8_Baby-Sitters_at_Shadow_Lake_cover_stock_image.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20171021041627" width="220" /></a></div>
<b>Tagline</b>: Campfires, ghost stories - summer vacations are the best!<br />
<br />
<i>Wish you were here!</i><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Kristy's rich stepfather has invited all the Baby-sitters to his family's cabin on beautiful Shadow Lake.<br />
<i> </i><br />
What a way to start off the summer! At the lake there's water skiing, cute guys, plenty of kids to baby-sit for - and even a mystery.<br />
<br />
The Baby-sitters don't know where to begin. The just hope the fun never ends!</blockquote>
<br />
<b>Super Special Gimmick: </b>Kristy wants to make sure that Watson decides to keep the cabin, so she keeps a diary (and of course, makes her friends join in) to show him how awesome the place is and all the great times they can have as a family.<br />
<br />
Watson gets a letter from his aunt, saying that she and her husband are re-configuring their wills. Despite not having seen Watson in a bajillion years, they remember that he used to always have fun at their cabin on Shadow Lake every summer as a child, and want to know if he wants the cabin when they die. They invite Watson to come up to the cabin this summer with his family, so he can check out the property and make a better informed decision, and so they can have a chance to reconnect with him and meet his new extended family. Watson takes them up on their offer, and even extends the invitation to the friends of his kids. Sam and Charlie decide they're too old to invite friends over (they probably just didn't want to subject their friends to Kristy and all the little kids for 2 whole weeks!), and will instead "scope out the chicks at the lake" and make friends there, Andrew's and Emily Michelle's friends are all too young to be away from parents for 2 whole weeks, leaving Kristy to invite the whole Club, Karen to invite her two best friends, (Nancy Dawes and Hannie Papadakis) and David Michael to invite two of his friends (Linny Papadakis and Nicky Pike).<br />
<br />
<u>Kristy</u> discovers a small motor boat under their dock and learns how to operate it. She gets really excited and decides to invite all her friends to come with her on an overnight trip to the tiny island on the other shore. Thanks to Dawn (more below), the girls are sufficiently freaked out, but ultimately decide to go. On the island, the girls girls make s'mores and tell stories and gossip and have a great time, however, in the middle of the night, they all get freaked out and try to convince Kristy to take them home. Kristy tells them how silly they're being, and they all stay until morning.<br />
<br />
<u>Dawn</u> being obsessed with mysteries and ghost stories, of course decides that she must figure out the secret behind Shadow Lake's name. She soon finds out that not only is its name a mystery, but there's also a monster à la Loch Ness Monster. Dawn starts interviewing and questioning people at Shadow Lake, and she discovers that on the small island just off the shore, there used to be a family that lived there. They were very isolated, and never left the island, sending all their servants out instead. On the night when one of the townsfolk was going to marry the eldest daughter, the whole family disappeared without a trace! A year later, family home burned down! No one knows what really happened to them. On the island, the girls find the old burned down foundation of the house, where Dawn finds a locket with the daughter's initials in it. She takes the locket and returns it to the girl's fiancé. Dawn feels better, knowing that she helped put the girl's spirit at rest, but still wants to return to solve the mystery of Shadow Lake.<br />
<br />
<u>Claudia</u> finds out about this boat show that's taking place on the shore. She then decides that she wants to submit Kristy's boat as an entry. After thinking about it all week, Claudia finally comes up with the idea of decorating the boat and turning it into the Lake Monster. Because she's working with limited time and resources, the results aren't great, but Claudia is fairly proud. The day of the boat show arrives though, and Claudia realizes that their little motor boat is up against all these yachts and houseboats and essentially REAL boats. She wants to back out, but goes through with it anyways. Of course, she wins a prize. They give out 1st place to 3rd place, and then Claudia wins a ribbon for "Most Spirit".<br /><u></u><br />
<br />
<u>Jessi</u> meets a cute African-American boy (because of course) and feels guilty because of her "relationship"with <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.com/2016/11/bsc-super-special-6-new-york-new-york.html" target="_blank">Quint</a> <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.com/2017/01/bsc-super-special-7-snowbound.html" target="_blank">Walker</a>. She spends the first half of the book ogling him from a distance, before he finally notices her. Turns out his name is Daniel, and this is his family's first time up at the Lake. He sees her practicing ballet at the lodge's studio barre, and asks for lessons. It's here that Jessi discovers that as cute as he is, as nice as flirting with him is, they have <i>nothing</i> in common. Daniel loves sports and hates reading. While Jessi doesn't <i>hate</i> sports, she definitely doesn't have too much experience with them, and of course, she loves reading. However, she does enjoy the flirting and companionship, so she agrees to go with him to the dance at the end of their vacation. Jessi is then worried about how she's going to let Daniel down at the end of the two weeks, and is really awkward and nervous at the dance. Daniel surprises her, saying that he just wants to be friends and that he has a girlfriend back home! So Jessi feels better and immediately writes to Quint upon returning home.<br />
<br />
<u>Stacey</u> spends the whole time being teased and pestered by Sam Thomas. He keeps complimenting her in an exaggerated British accent (calling her "dahhhhling!!") and poking at her perm. At first, she totally doesn't get it and is just annoyed with him, but eventually he tells her how he feels. Stacey's all confused, because while she did have a huge crush on him in grade 7, she hasn't really thought much about him lately, plus he's just been super annoying. Sam accepts that, and leaves her alone. At the big dance though, he asks her to dance, and she says yes. She realizes that she really does like him, and they end the vacation off together, holding hands and being really cute.<br />
<br />
<u>Sam</u> gets a single chapter, where we see his side of things. He's all insecure about being 15 with no facial hair, looking up to Charlie and what not. He doesn't understand why Stacey is so annoyed with him, despite him paying so much attention to her. Charlie finally tells him to cut the crap and just TELL STACEY EXACTLY HOW HE FEELS. Which he does. Sam's disappointed to see that Stacey once liked him, but currently isn't on the same page. Of course, we see that eventually everything works out.<br />
<br />
<u>Mallory</u> is devoured by mosquitoes and other bugs, and is just generally miserable the whole time. She starts covering up TO THE EXTREME, wearing all sorts of long-sleeved loose clothing, draping towels around her, big jungle hats, mosquito netting, and practically bathing in bug spray. It really annoys the other girls, while she's all hurt that they don't understand and that no one wants to hang around her like that. She doesn't have much of a plot other than just being miserable outside.<br />
<br />
<u>Mary Anne</u> spends most of the time worrying and freaking people out about stuff (or just annoying them), much like she did in <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.com/2016/11/bsc-super-special-6-new-york-new-york.html" target="_blank">New York</a>. She doesn't really get much of a plot in this book. She mostly baby-sits and just kinda hangs out in other people's plots.<br />
<br />
<u>Karen</u> and her friends find a small shack behind their cabin and a garden. They decide they're going to clean it up themselves and make it their secret hiding place. The problem is, in keeping secret, they don't tell anyone where they're going (not even like, "Hey, we're gonna explore the woods behind the cabin!") so people keep panicking over losing them (well, mostly Mary Anne; everyone else is just annoyed but figures they couldn't have gone far). Mary Anne eventually finds them, and convinces them to just keep the place a secret from David Michael and his friends, but to tell all the adults about it. Eventually the boys do discover it, but the girls claim it as their own, and challenge the boys to make a fort that's better than theirs. Loser has to do all the chores. The girls obviously win, but decide to be nice and make the boys only shine their shoes for the big dance.<br />
<br />
<u>David Michael</u> is frustrated because Nicky and Linny aren't getting along, and he doesn't understand why not. Obviously it's because they don't know each other and are competing for his affections, but he can't see that. Anyways, they eventually discover the girls' playhouse and decide to build their own fort. It goes disastrously, since the boys can't work together and agree on anything, plus they have zero architectural skills. What eventually brings them together is when Shannon (the dog, because yes, the family brought the dog AND the cat with them) disappears, and they all have to rally to find her. She's missing for all of like, 30 seconds, before they call out enough and find her again, but the experience bring Nicky and Linny together.<br />
<br />
<b>Random Thoughts:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>I am so super excited to read this one! I actually have never read it!! And I've managed to avoid reading most of the recaps and reviews of it over the years, so I really have no idea what it's about. All I know is that Sam and Stacey's romance really ramps up here. I'm excited to read this one because:</li>
<ol>
<li>I'm obsessed with Sam and Stacey</li>
<li>My all-time favourite BSC book, Super Mystery #2 <u>Baby-sitters Beware!</u>, takes place here</li>
<li>I think a few others take place here? I seem to remember a lot about it, despite not having read this particular one?</li>
</ol>
<li>Yes! This one has the illustrations in it!! I guess starting from <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.com/2017/01/bsc-super-special-7-snowbound.html" target="_blank">SS #7</a>, they start having the illustrations that I always thought was super synonymous with the Super Specials. I always read #7, #10 and #11 the most, and have very strong memories of #9, so that's probably why I associate the illustrations so much with the books. </li>
<li>I like how Watson's aunt and uncle apparently have not seen him in a long, long time, almost 20 years, and the last summer he spent at the cabin was at age 12, but they are like, "OMG LET'S GIVE WATSON THE CABIN."</li>
<ul>
<li>They haven't even met Karen and Andrew! Nor Elizabeth and the Thomas clan. Were they not invited to the wedding? Couldn't come? Didn't care??</li>
</ul>
<li>Damn. I do not remember any particular descriptions of the cabin. I knew it was huge, because they always take Watson's entire family, plus the Club, but apparently it can house 25 people?? And two of the rooms are dorm-style, with wall-to-wall bunk beds!</li>
<ul>
<li>Actually, now I'm just imagining the place having only 4 bedrooms: a master bedroom (2 people), a boys' dorm room (5 sets of bunk beds/10 boys), a girls' dorm room (5 sets of bunk beds/10 girls) and then two extra rooms that hold either 1 or 2 people. You could have a mini-camp there!</li>
<ul>
<li>Oooooh. Jessi included a floor plan. I was right! Only 4 bedrooms! </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>Ooooooh. I think this is the first time they actually describe Mallory as having reddish hair!! </li>
<li>This time around, it makes sense as to why they would give Karen and David Michael chapters: they're part of the family, and of course Kristy would want them to bolster her argument for keeping Shadow Lake. Charlie and Sam are too old to do a diary project (if they like the cabin, they're just going to beg and plead with Watson in person) and Andrew and Emily Michelle are too young. I may not like it when chapters are given to random people (especially Karen), but at least they didn't give chapters to like, Nicky or Nancy or something <i>really</i> random! haha</li>
<li>Yep. AMM definitely hates Mallory haha</li>
<li>There's some continuity, mentioning that Claudia sometimes <a href="https://revertigobooks.blogspot.com/2016/09/bsc-33-claudia-and-great-search.html" target="_blank">tutors Emily Michelle</a>! Yay!! </li>
<li>I can't believe that Watson and Elizabeth would let Kristy take the boat out on her own. I love how their rule is that only people 12 and older can drive the boat, when there's no one there who is 12. Anyways, I'm not opposed to Kristy taking lessons to learn how to drive the boat. I'm just shocked that they'd immediately agree to let her take it out on her own and pretty much have free reign. You'd think it'd be like, "Sam and Charlie can have free reign, you can only drive if you stay by our dock for practicing purposes, or if you have someone older with you. Next time we come, we can see about you having free reign."</li>
<ul>
<li>Then again, considering the parents in these books, maybe I'm <i>not</i> that surprised haha</li>
</ul>
<li>Kristy spends an entire paragraph digressing about bikinis, saying that she'll never wear one, and that no one over thirty should wear one, but her mom looks <i>pretty good</i> all things considered, and how Kristy doesn't see the point in wearing a bikini when you don't have a chest to go with it, so at her rate, she probably won't wear one until she's 28 haha It's all very random and "out-of-character", except that AMM wrote this one, so it's perfectly in her character.</li>
<ul>
<li>Also: Kristy is convinced by the girls to get dressed up for dinner, so she borrows a dress from Mary Anne. I love AMM!Kristy.</li>
</ul>
<li>I can't believe that Watson and Elizabeth would allow Kristy and the girls to spend the night alone on the island. They don't know for sure it's uninhabited!! Or what if some other neighbour saw/heard them go over, and decided to go kill them??</li>
<li>I think it's really sweet that at the end of the novel, when Watson is writing back to his aunt about keeping the cabin, he refers to Kristy as his daughter. I also really like that Kristy notices this and is thrilled. I wish we got to see more of Kristy and her relationship with Watson.</li>
<li>I totally don't remember anything about Shadow Lake being haunted. Does this ever come up again? I know Dawn's not with them in SM #2. Do they return to Shadow Lake any other time??</li>
<ul>
</ul>
</ul>
Cassiopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859199140639142481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557311404719688711.post-86695144942732480392018-06-24T10:35:00.000-04:002018-06-24T10:35:07.955-04:00BSC Reader's Request: Logan's Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1387174260l/558303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1387174260l/558303.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
<b>Tagline</b>: Nobody's going to call Logan a girl and get away with it!<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>It isn't easy being a boy baby-sitter.</i></div>
<br />
Like lots of guys, Logan enjoys baby-sitting. And being an associate memeber of the BSC means he can sit when he wants to, and still have time for Mary Anne and sports.<br />
<i> </i><br />
But now the Baby-sitters really need Logan. Logan wouldn't mind taking on the extra baby-sitting jobs, but he's busy trying out for the track team. And the jocks are giving Logan a hard time about hanging out with girls and babies.<br />
<br />
Logan doesn't want to let the Baby-sitters down. But he's tired of being picked on!</blockquote>
<br />
So we have our first Readers Request! This one is narrated by Logan, where we learn it's not easy to be a boy baby-sitter.<br />
<br />
Logan's at football practice. The guys are being dude-broey, but it's not too bad. Logan reflects that he's not like other guys, in that while he enjoys sports, he also enjoys baby-sitting. He likes kids, and he's used to taking care of his younger brother and sister. He mentions that he's an associate member of the Baby-Sitters Club, which means that he gets to have jobs that work around his sports schedule and doesn't interfere with his life. The guys like to rib him gently about it, but for the most part it's not too big of an issue<br />
<br />
All that changes though when Logan gets home from practice. He's about to help his parents prepare BBQ for dinner when he's summoned by Kristy to an emergency meeting of the BSC. Rushing over to Claudia's, he discovers everyone looking very tense and Mary Anne in tears. Turns out that Dawn just received bad news: her brother has a ruptured appendix and will have to have emergency surgery, followed by an extended stay in the hospital. She and her mother are rushing to California right away to be with him. The reason why the Club looks so tense is because business has been better than usual, and with Dawn gone, they'll be even more strapped and short-staffed than usual. The Club then decides to invite Logan to take Dawn's spot<br />
<br />
Further complicating matters, Logan's got track tryouts soon. Not only is he on the football team with all their practices, but Logan has track to contend with. Between it all, Logan's pretty spread thin. But Logan's determined not to let anyone down!<br />
<br />
Immediately though, he ends up with a job baby-sitting for the Hobarts, which results in him missing his first football practice ever. He's pretty salty about it, but Logan ends up bonding with the Hobart boys, who enjoy having a male baby-sitter. They're playing in the Hobarts' yard when a bunch of boys from school (Clarence King, Pete Black, and then two rand-o's we've never heard of: Irv Hirsch and Jim Poirier) see him. They tease him and make him feel really stupid, which of course upsets Logan. He tries to brush it off though, and continues playing with the Hobarts.<br />
<br />
He ends up taking on more jobs with the Hobarts, and ends up having to miss his second football practice in a row. This also cuts into his time practicing for track tryouts. At a Club meeting, they call Dawn, who tells them that she'll be in California longer than expected. This means that Logan will have to continue doing more jobs. More than that, he'll have to go to the Health Fair (more on that later) with the Hobarts and help represent the Club. Logan worries about how public the event will be, and thinks of all the people from school he might run into.<br />
<br />
On the weekend, Logan decides to go to school and get some track practice in. Mary Anne is baby-sitting for Jenny and Andrea Prezzioso, and decides to go visit him to cheer him on. Logan's practicing with a bunch of guys (different ones from the footballers, but still rand-o's), and they immediately spot MA and the girls and start teasing him about it. Logan, already feeling kind of embarrassed and flustered due to his lack of exercise recently, smiles at them, but quickly tries to get back into focus. The guys decide to practice mile paces, and Jenny decides she wants to join. While the guys are running, she cuts across the track, and they manage to avoid her, but are all thoroughly annoyed. Logan feels bad, because he knows it wasn't MA's fault, but at the same time, he can't wait to get rid of the girls, so they all leave. The boys continue to tease Logan though.<br />
<br />
Later that week, while baby-sitting for the Hobarts again, Logan tells them about trying out for track, and the boys immediately want to try it too. Knowing that the track should be empty (no football practice that day, so no one to avoid!), Logan takes them to SMS to play. The boys love it, and Logan admits that he's having fun, however it all comes to a crashing halt when some guys show up to practice on the track. They take their teasing up a notch, and start calling Logan "Lois". Logan takes the Hobarts home, and they all commiserate over how stupid people are and how teasing people is bad.<br />
<br />
Logan finally gets his ass to a football practice, but it's pretty brutal. The guys all tease him (except for Austin Bentley, who unlike Pete Black, is maintaining his good guy persona this time around) and it's evident that Logan is very out of practice. The coach tells Logan that it'll be okay, just show up to Saturday's practice. Unfortunately, Saturday is when the Health Fair is. Logan doesn't tell his coach this though, and suffers through the rest of practice. Mary Anne shows up to walk Logan home, and he just stews and broods. His family is worried, but all Logan can think is how his double-life isn't working.<br />
<br />
Things eventually come to a head at the Health Fair. Logan brings the Hobarts there, and quickly runs into the guys who've been teasing them. They see him with the Hobarts and at the Club booth and give him a hard time. Logan is fed-up and frustrated, but tries not to let it get to him and not to let it ruin the Hobarts' fun. Eventually Johnny asks to go to the bathroom, and King and the guys overhear, telling Logan he better take him to the potty. This upsets Johnny, and Logan, not wanting to get in the way of Johnny's independence, agrees to let Matthew and Johnny go to the bathroom without him. Matthew ends up getting distracted by the candy vending machine though, and Johnny ends up going through a different exit and getting all turned around. Logan and the Club frantically search for Johnny, before finding him back at the Club booth. King found him wandering, recognized him, and in a moment of decency, returned him to the Club.<br />
<br />
Despite the girls all reassuring Logan that everything was fine, Logan realizes that he can't keep doing all these responsibilities. He quits the Club and re-dedicates himself to football and track. After a week or so, things start to settle with him and the guys, with only Irv and King continually razzing him. However, as happy as Logan is with sports, he's sad that things ended so badly with the Club. He misses baby-sitting and being able to sit with the girls every now and then.<br />
<br />
Finally, the day of the track try-outs come. Irv and King are still harassing Logan, but he decides to just kill them with kindness. This catches them off-guard. As Logan prepares for his first event, he finds out that the Club, the Hobarts, and his siblings have come to cheer him on. At first, he gets given a hard time, but Logan doesn't even care. Bolstered by their support, Logan has a great try-out and makes the track team. Afterwards, some of the guys congratulate Logan, and even ask him about the girls, eying them and checking them out.<br />
<br />
As things start to settle, Logan realizes how much he really misses the Club. He realizes that he needs balance in his life, and that includes baby-sitting. He goes to a meeting to apologize to the girls, asking if he could be an associate member again. They're happy to have him back, and as they leave, he and Mary Anne run into the Hobarts. Logan goes over to play with them, and of course King and the football guys show up. However, this time they don't tease him. Everything is back the way it should be in Logan's life.<br />
<br />
There isn't really much of a subplot in this one. I think if this had been any other book, the subplot probably would have been the Health Fair and trying to get the charges involved and excited and all sorts of shenanigans haha as it is, it's just kind of mentioned in passing, and then it's where Logan takes the Hobarts and has his big showdown with Clarence King. The girls decide to have a booth at the Health Fair, and Logan suggests that it be about safe baby-sitting tips and tricks.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Random Thoughts</b>:<br />
<ul>
<li>Sorry I've been gone for so long! I started a new full-time job last year, and then got completely swamped! I'm hoping I can get back to updating this blog on a regular basis (although it might not be super frequent). I actually started this recap last year, but then never got around to finishing it until now. I had to re-read the book!</li>
<li>I have never read this one either! In fact, I have never even seen this one in person, until I acquired it! SO MUCH EXCITEMENT!</li>
<ul>
<li>Okay, this wasn't nearly as exciting as I thought it'd be. In fact, I think I almost would have enjoyed this book more if it had been from a different sitter's perspective. Particularly Dawn haha</li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<li>I definitely would have liked to know more about Dawn's story in this one!</li>
<li>Logan describes Claudia as sexy, which is weird. I don't think we've ever seen the word "sexy" in these books???</li>
<li>I don't see why the dudes heckle Logan so much. I mean, sure, baby-sitting is traditionally mostly girls, but if I were Logan, I'd have been like, "Whatevs, I have a steady girlfriend and I have money to take her out!"</li>
<li>I feel like it was incredibly out of character for Pete Black to be teasing Logan. Pete's pretty friendly with the girls! </li>
</ul>
Cassiopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859199140639142481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557311404719688711.post-32996215564317049512017-05-21T10:34:00.000-04:002017-05-21T21:39:23.798-04:00BSC #55: Jessi's Gold Medal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Tagline:</b> Go for it, Jessi!<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Jessi is honored - and surprised - when she's asked to participate in a synchronized swimming competition. Sure Jessi knows ballet. But <i>water</i>ballet is a different story. All that swimming is hard work!<br />
<br />
Jessi and her partner practice their routines over and over again. Everyone - especially the Baby-sitters - is expecting them to win the gold. But Jessi's not so sure...<br />
<br />
Can she do it?</blockquote>
<br />
Although it's only spring, it's super hot already, and Jessi can't wait to get out of ballet class. She loves ballet, but it's just too hot, and Jessi gets the brilliant idea of suggesting to her parents to get a swimming pool for the summer. Her parents are receptive to the idea, and have confessed to having discussed it, but alas they don't have enough money for it. However, they do point out that the community centre nearby doesn't have just one, but rather <i>three </i>pools, and suggests that maybe the family can get a membership. Jessi realizes that she'll be able to take lessons and is all pumped up for a summer of swimming.<br />
<br />
Also happening are the Summer Olympics, and so sports fever is in the air. At SMS, they're celebrating by having a Sports Festival. Claudia's creating a logo for it, and considers entering in an event. Stacey decides she's going to swim, while Dawn wants to do something really different like shot put or pole vaulting. Kristy's signed up for several track events. With swimming on her mind, Jessi considers signing up for a swimming event as well. Everyone's pretty excited, except for Mary Anne and Mallory, both of whom hate gym. Kristy deflects the conversation, by announcing that Alan Gray has challenged her to a race, getting the girls all excited about what Kristy will make him do when she beats him.<br />
<br />
Coincidentally, the grade 6 gym class has just switched over the swimming for their next unit. Mallory is incredibly pessimistic about the whole thing, citing that the only good thing will be that there will be less time for actual gym class, as they have to walk to community centre. Jessi points out that since Mallory already knows how to swim, she might get put in an advanced class, but Mallory doesn't want to have anything to do with it - or the Sports Festival.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately for Mallory, gym class gets worse: they're forced to share pool time with the boys' class, and Mallory has a very very old and childish bathing suit. She tries to hide behind Jessi, but that just calls more attention to her. Eventually, they get in the pool and do a basic swim test to check their levels and abilities. Mallory does pretty well on the swim test, but we never get to hear about her and swimming again, because Jessi does even better: in fact, Jessi's been tapped to join the school's synchronized swim team, which means switching her gym class with her lunch so that she can practice with them!<br />
<br />
Jessi excitedly goes to her first practice, where she meets the rest of the team. The team is all excited because up until this point, they've been an odd number, which has made routines difficult. One girl, Elise, has just been partnering with everyone, so she'll now be Jessi's permanent partner. Ms Cox, the synchro coach, has Elise work with Jessi to get her up to snuff. Elise explains that she swims competitively, so she's all strength, but no style, while Jessi, with her ballet training, is all style and no strength. They hope that this will mean that they will be able to complement each other and raise each other up. Jessi has fun, but is also incredibly exhausted by the end of her first hour.<br />
<br />
The fun doesn't end there though: Ms Cox explains that the whole team will do a routine for the Sports Festival, and then that each pair will be competing against each other. Each pair will have to choreograph and perform a routine for ranking. Jessi starts to feel over her head, but Elise is convinced that Jessi will be great in no time!<br />
<br />
Jessi continues to go to practice, and with each practice, she feels worse and worse. She's exhausted and her and Elise can't seem to get the choreography right for their routine. They both excel in their other athletic pursuits, and are just discouraged by their lack of synchro ability. Jessi really enjoys spending time with Elise, so together they resolve to practice and never give up, encouraging each other to do their best.<br />
<br />
Making things worse is all the pressure Jessi feels she has. She puts a lot of pressure on herself, since she never had problems like this with ballet. But she also feels pressure from all the encouragement and support her friends and family give her. They're all convinced that she must be great, and Jessi doesn't want to let them down. Jessi decides to keep her troubles to herself.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, the rest of the girls are very excited about the Sports Festival. Dawn has decided to do the javelin throw, and Kristy is competing against Alan in an obstacle course. It's the talk of the school! It's an event especially for the two of them with the loser owing the winner a week of personal service. Mary Anne still doesn't want to do an event, but clearly wants to be involved somehow. Mallory on the other hand...<br />
<br />
While helping their sitting charges practice for the Club's Mini-Olympics (more on that later), Mallory sprains her ankle. It's super suspicious, and even Claudia (who was baby-sitting with her at the time) doesn't quite understand it. Mallory ends up on crutches with her ankle wrapped, told to keep off her feet for several days, until the pain goes away. Coincidentally, this ends up overlapping with the Sports Festival, giving her an excuse to back out. Mallory later confesses that she was just going to <i>pretend</i> that she hurt herself, but in all her gusto, she actually ended up hurting herself, and then carried on with the crutches a little longer than necessary.<br />
<br />
It's finally the day of the Sports Festival, and Jessi is super nervous. So nervous in fact, that she doesn't want to get out of bed, which is very unusual for her. Her mother, all concerned, asks what's wrong, and Jessi confesses that she's not good at synchronized swimming, not like she is at ballet, and she worries that watching won't be enjoyable for her family and that she'll let them down. Jessi cries and talks it out with her mom, and eventually leaves for the festival feeling better.<br />
<br />
The swimming events are last (since they'll involve everyone having to move to the community centre), so Jessi spends the whole day watching the other events. Kristy comes in second in the hundred-yard dash (and first out of the girls). Claudia participates in a backwards race. Dawn does the javelin throw and doesn't win, but does throw a really nice throw. Jessi runs into Mary Anne running the concessions stand: MA says that she realized that while she didn't want to participate in an event, she did still want to participate, and realized that there were plenty of non-event roles to fill.<br />
The last event before the swimming is the big obstacle course. It's almost an entire chapter to itself, with Kristy and Alan taking turns in the lead. The end result is Kristy, just by a hair.<br />
<br />
Finally it's the swimming events. We don't get to hear how Stacey does, because Jessi is too nervous and focused on the two synchro events. The first one is the group event, which Jessi says goes well, with the audience ooohing and ahhing at the appropriate intervals. Jessi and Elise are second to go in the pairs competition. It all goes in a blur, and when it's over, Jessi just sorta feels numb. She can't wait to get home and forget all about it. But first, there's the awards. To no one's surprise, except maybe her own, Jessi and Elise get the gold medal! Elise and Jessi celebrate, but ultimately decide that synchro is not for them: it felt<i> too</i> much like work, and not enough like fun, and it was starting to detract from their preferred activities. Instead, they just go get ice cream and decide to remain friends.<br />
<br />
The subplot in this one is super closely related to the main plot. The charges are all super-excited about the Summer Olympics and the SMS Sports Festival, so Jessi gets the great idea to have the Club put on their own Mini-Olympics. Everyone thinks it's a great idea and soon get on board with planning all sorts of events. They have a few traditional events, such as races and obstacle courses, but they also do all sorts of silly events so that they can get the less athletically-inclined charges participating, such as three-legged races and silly face races (whatever the fuck that is? they never explain it haha). <br />
<br />
But of course, like with every contest/competition, they run into problems. Some of the kids get super competitive, but the main issues are two charges in particular: Andrew Brewer and Charlotte Johanson.<br />
<br />
Andrew really wants to participate and win. But he's only 4 years old. So a lot of the other competitors and the events are too old for him. He gets really frustrated at the practices and is really sad. However, on the day of the event, Andrew shows up more determined than ever. He enters every single event. The last event, a cross-country running type event (they have to do two laps around the entire Schafer/Spier property), things start out promising for Andrew. He quickly gets into the lead and stays there for most of the race. However, he doesn't pace himself properly, and sure enough, by the last lap, he's in last place. He runs into his father's arms, devastated. However, the girls have made sure that there are ribbons for everyone, and Andrew wins "Most Determined". This makes him feel better.<br />
<br />
Charlotte's issue is that like MA and Mallory, she's not athletic and is also really shy. She doesn't want to participate at all. Stacey tries to talk her into it, but Charlotte sets her straight. However, Charlotte still wants to be a part of the festivities somehow, so she comes up with the idea to create signs for the event. Charlotte proves that she doesn't have to be athletic to participate and have fun.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Random Thoughts:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>I have actually never read this one at all! I'm kinda super excited to read it now!<b> </b></li>
<li>This one takes leading up to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Summer_Olympics" target="_blank">Summer Olympics 1992</a>. It's actually really confusing, because they reference a real event, and apparently the Olympics are definitely happening during the course of the novel, as Becca repeatedly watches events and gets excited, but the novel definitely takes place during the school year. In fact, it takes place in the spring. The Summer Olympics didn't take place until July that year!</li>
<li>I think it's kinda weak that Jessi and Elise get first place. I think it would have been more poignant if they had come in second: they weren't nearly as bad as they thought they were, but they also weren't suddenly super amazing out of nowhere. It's very cliche to have them win the gold.</li>
<li>I like that Jessi is more assertive in this one. It almost makes me hate that she gets lumped with Mallory so much. Jessi has a great idea and brings it to the Club. She also hears about this opportunity to do a new sport and dives right in (lolz pun). She doesn't let anything stop her or hold her back, despite her own insecurities and the new territory she's treading.</li>
<li>A lot of Andrew Brewer's problems could have been alleviated by having age categories for the events. I mean, he comes in last place in a race that was mostly other little kids, so obviously it's not a guarantee that he would have won. But they could have avoided a lot of the drama by not having him initially go up against much larger kids. At least that would have saved him from prolonged stress.</li>
<li>Mallory is super pathetic in this one. I feel bad for hating on Mallory, but after reading the <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2017/05/bsc-54-mallorys-dream-horse.html" target="_blank">last one</a>, and now this one, it's really hard to sympathise with her. I mean, I suppose I'm supposed to sympathise with her and identify with her as an insecure preteen who is a klutz, as opposed to all the other girls who are written as extremely excellent in everything they do, but she's just so whiny! She should have just been like, "I don't want to participate, and that's fine!" I mean, Mary Anne doesn't participate in the Sports Festival as an athlete, but she still gets involved and has a great time!</li>
<ul>
<li>Although, I totes sympathize with Mallory and bathing suit dramas. I never had a really juvenile suit like hers (with the ruffles and what not), but buying a bathing suit is pretty much the worse thing ever. And then having to be around the boys? Yep, that is definitely the worst. I still hate bathing suit shopping, but I do now own a bathing suit that I don't mind wearing.</li>
</ul>
<li>I'm guessing we never hear from Elise again? It makes me sad that there aren't more Jessi books. I feel like Jessi without the Club would be super cool.</li>
<li>I love when the non-athletic members of the Club get in on athletic fun. Like how Stacey gets Kristy to give her some pointers on how to swim and Dawn decides to just do something completely random, figuring no one will know wtf it is, and thus she can't embarrass herself in front of her peers</li>
<ul>
<li>This is actually one of the few concrete examples of Dawn "being an individual" as the books tout so much.</li>
</ul>
<li>I like how Jessi invited Elise to help out with the Mini-Olympics. You never heard of rand-os helping out with Club events, unless they're <i>very special guests</i>, like Abby's twin Anna, and even then, it's only because the Club is in a pinch, or because the guest is dying or has some sort of serious problem/ailment haha</li>
<ul>
</ul>
</ul>
Cassiopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859199140639142481noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557311404719688711.post-27553865321256423932017-05-14T10:33:00.000-04:002017-05-14T20:28:06.570-04:00BSC Mystery #4: Kristy and the Missing Child<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Tagline:</b> Everyone in Stoneybrook is shocked. Jake is gone - for <i>real</i><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Kristy can hardly believe it when little Jake Kuhn is reported missing. Jake is one of the kids on her softball team. And Kristy was the last person to see Jake before he disappeared.<br />
<br />
Even though the Baby-sitters and all Jake's friends are helping look for him, Kristy still feels horrible. And when the police can't find Jake after almost two days, things look really serious.<br />
<br />
Kristy knows she's just a kid, but she's determined to find Jake. Wherever he is...</blockquote>
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The book starts off with Kristy baby-sitting for the Kuhns. Even though they're all members of her softball team, the Krushers, she's never actually baby-sat for them. They're going through a rough time because Mr Kuhn has recently left and finalized his divorce to Mrs Kuhn. The kids all miss him very much, but Patsy in particular is convinced that she's seen her father around, despite Laurel insisting that he's in Texas. Jake is particularly upset because his birthday is coming up, and it looks like Mr Kuhn won't be able to make the party. Furthermore, Mr Kuhn invited Jake to join him on a two-week business trip to Europe, but Mrs Kuhn said no, saying that Jake would miss too much school. Kristy soon cheers him up with talk of the party and distracts him with some softball practice. She even tells him that he might be good enough to become a relief pitcher!<br />
<br />
Later that week, the Krushers have a game against the Bashers. They lose, but it's okay because everyone played particularly well. Jake doesn't get to pitch, but Kristy promises him that his time will come soon. They're getting ready to head home, when Kristy notices that no one has arrived to pick up Jake. Jake tells her that Mrs Kuhn has gone to the dentist with the girls, and that he has permission to head home alone. Bart and Kristy tell him to hurry, because it looks like it's going to rain. Sure enough, Bart, Kristy and David Michael are caught in a deluge on their way home, having been distracted by work going on at a construction site.<br />
<br />
Shortly after arriving home, Kristy gets a phone call from Mrs Kuhn. She wants to know if Kristy has seen Jake. Kristy lets her know that she let Jake walk home alone, worried that she had made a mistake, but Mrs Kuhn quickly confirms that she did give permission for Jake to walk alone. Mrs Kuhn isn't too worried, figuring that Jake probably got stuck somewhere because of the rain. Kristy doesn't think much more about it.<br />
<br />
However later that evening, Mrs Kuhn calls again. She still hasn't seen Jake. However, instead of being worried, Mrs Kuhn is more angry: she's convinced that Mr Kuhn must have kidnapped Jake out of spite for her having said no to the Europe trip. At this point, Mrs Kuhn is not too too worried, but she is starting to get really emotional and worked up. Patsy and Laurel spend the night with Stacey, to keep them out of her hair.<br />
<br />
Kristy, on the other hand, isn't so convinced that Mr Kuhn took Jake, and is convinced that something horrible must have happened to him. She calls an emergency Club meeting, trying to figure out if there's anything she or the girls can do. They don't come up with any solutions, and before they know it, it's time to leave. Kristy is briefly interviewed by cops, and then her mom picks her and Shannon up. Along the way, they stop by the Kuhns to see if they can offer any help. Kristy is feeling pretty guilty, and doesn't really want to see Mrs Kuhn, but Mrs Kuhn quickly reassures Kristy that she doesn't blame her in any way, and that she's even more convinced that her ex-husband must have taken Jake. Patsy keeps insisting that she's seen his car.<br />
<br />
The next day, Kristy gets the bright idea of rounding up everyone she can think of to do a neighbourhood search/canvas. She gets to school and makes an announcement, recruiting some of the older kids to help lead the search. They decide to meet up at the elementary school with Jake's friends and classmates, and then divide up and search. They search everywhere, with Matt Braddock taking the lead in Kristy's group, checking all of Jake's favourite places. They don't find him though. Kristy goes home feeling sick to her stomach about it all, but puts up a brave face since Laurel and Patsy are with her family that night.<br />
<br />
Later that evening, Bart's keeping Kristy company, and she tells him about how guilty she feels about everything. They then see a news report about Jake's absence, and it really gets Kristy emotional. Mrs Kuhn keeps calling all night to update Kristy's mom on the situation (they're friends from aerobics class btw). With each lack of concrete news, Kristy doubles down on her resolve to find Jake.<br />
<br />
It's now Saturday morning, and Jake has been missing for about 40 hours. Kristy's younger siblings are all worried about being kidnapped, and even Kristy herself wonders if her father would ever do such a thing to her or David Michael. The adults are all still convinced that Mr Kuhn has something to do with Jake's disappearance, especially since they can't find him. Bart comes over, and he and Kristy get organized to search again.<br />
<br />
They spend the day searching, stopping by a convenience store that Jake goes to a lot. The man working hasn't seen Jake, but remembers him and wishes the kids luck. Matt Braddock wants to go searching the construction site, but Kristy points out that it's in the opposite direction from his house. Matt insists, telling Kristy about how they were going to find scraps to build a tree house this weekend. Kristy, remembering how enamored Bart and David Michael had been the other day, agrees. At first, it seems like a bust, but eventually Kristy hears a faint voice. Searching, they discover that Jake had fallen through a hole in the floor, and was trapped in an unfinished basement of a house. Bart runs back to the convenience store to get help, while Kristy stays and keeps Jake company. They rescue Jake, he's reunited with Mrs Kuhn, and everything works out in the end.<br />
<br />
Turns out Mr Kuhn was on a business trip in Mexico, and hadn't been to Stoneybrook at all. Patsy was just young and confused and missing her dad.<br />
<br />
The subplot in this one is that Mary Anne is failing Home Economics. Apparently she's not great at sewing or setting a table, but it all comes to a head when it comes to cooking, specifically Jell-O. Pete Black and other people in their class all tease her about it, particularly her rock hard Jell-O. She spends the whole book bemoaning the fact that she's failing Home Ec and doesn't know how to pass. Then while she's baby-sitting for the Barretts, they want to make Jell-O. As MA finds the Jell-O mix, she accidentally knocks over a bunch of cookie cutters. That gives her the idea to make Jell-O in a shallow pan, make it more solid than usual, and then cut it out with cookie cutters into fun shapes. It works! So MA decides to write down what she did and submit it to Home Ec. It does the trick, and gets her a passing grade. MA later finds out that there's a recipe on every box with instructions on how to do that anyways haha<br />
<br />
Oh, and the middle school does some awards ceremony thing at the end, and Mary Anne wins Most Improved in Home Ec and Kristy gets a special award for her perseverance and subsequent rescue of Jake.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Random Thoughts:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>I really liked this one and was looking forward to reading it!</li>
<ul>
<li>I really like this one because it involves a very real fear (the disappearance of a child) and is realistic: Kristy and the Club didn't tackle a kidnapper or bust Jake out of a locked basement. They just simply found him.</li>
</ul>
<li>Looking at the cover, again Matt Braddock looks hispanic! But then Haley looks Californian blonde like Dawn and her brother! It's always confused me as to how those two are drawn haha</li>
<ul>
</ul>
<li>For some reason, I always think that the "Mary Anne fails home ec" subplot happens in Mystery #5 <i>Mary Anne and the Secret in the Attic</i>, even though logically, I know that that makes no sense. A Mary Anne book wouldn't have a Mary Anne subplot haha</li>
<ul>
<li>It also makes no sense that Mary Anne is failing home ec. I mean, I'm glad they didn't go with the stereotype of "Kristy is a tomboy and therefore can't do Home Ec!", but it really doesn't make sense for Mary Anne to be failing either. I think it would have been more realistic if she was good at it, but was so shy and her teacher so strict and overbearing, that Mary Anne kept getting flustered and being klutzy, thus messing up recipes and knocking things over when trying to set the table or something.</li>
</ul>
<li>To be fair: when I was her age, I fucked up Jell-O too. But that's because I didn't realize you weren't supposed to make it in a metal bowl. Metal bowls were the only bowls we had big enough for a single batch of Jell-O. When you make it in a metal bowl, it develops a hard crust along the curve of the bowl, and then the rest doesn't set well. This went on for a couple of years before I realized my mistake. To this day, I'm still surprised when my Jell-O actually turns out well, despite the fact that I know that that was my mistake, and obviously don't do it anymore.</li>
<li>I like how Kristy says that<i> now</i> Mrs Kuhn has to get a job, because she's divorced and on her own. I guess Mrs Kuhn wasn't allowed to just simply have a job before now?? haha</li>
<li>I like how they didn't repeat the whole "ex-husband takes kid to teach a lesson" story from <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/01/bsc-5-dawn-and-impossible-three.html" target="_blank">BSC #5</a></li>
<ul>
<li>Although it's funny, because Buddy is the reason why the girls know Jake and the Kuhns haha</li>
</ul>
<li>This is the one where Stacey mentions popcorn picnics that she has with her mother, when entertaining the Kuhn girls. This actually stuck with me as a child, and now I occasionally like to experiment with seasonings when I eat popcorn. It also really makes me want to have popcorn haha</li>
<li>I like how in this one, Kristy acts like a 13 year old, and is treated like a 13 year old. I mean, albeit a mature/responsible 13 year old (no one hides anything from her), but still a child. The cops and parents have quite a few conversations without Kristy. In the later ones, they have Sgt Johnson, who takes the girls super seriously and even treats them almost as equals. It always makes me think that he's a young cop, like 22 years old (despite the fact that his rank is Sergeant, so duh, he <i>can't</i> be that young!) and that the girls are like, 18.</li>
<ul>
<li>Like, to the point where sometimes I forget, and I kinda ship him and Abby together. Especially since one of Abby's reasons for not having a boyfriend in #127 is that she just doesn't find any of the boys at SMS mature/attractive and she just doesn't see a point in her dating any of them. So yeahhhhh... I always forget that he's probably like, 35 at least, and Abby is definitely not 18 haha</li>
<ul>
<li>I may also be projecting my feelings for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veronica_Mars" target="_blank">Veronica Mars</a> (17/18) and Deputy Leo (who's like, 22??) onto them haha</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>I'm surprised the police were allowed to interview Kristy without a guardian present. Now obviously she's not a suspect: they just wanted to know when she last saw Jake, since she's apparently the last one to have seen him. But still. I was always lead to believe that the cops weren't allowed to talk to minors <i>at all</i> without a guardian present. Or is that just on TV?</li>
<li>This book has a pretty tight timeframe: everything happens in about a week, with some wrap up stuff happening about a week later.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<ul>
</ul>
</ul>
Cassiopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859199140639142481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557311404719688711.post-22968403465118779312017-05-07T12:50:00.000-04:002017-05-07T19:56:37.931-04:00BSC #54: Mallory's Dream Horse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/510HGEMA14L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/510HGEMA14L.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Tagline:</b> Mallory's gone horse crazy!<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br />
Mallory loves horses. She loves reading about them. She loves writing about them. And most of all, she loves daydreaming about them.<br />
<br />
Then Mallory's parents agree to let her take professional riding lessons. It's a dream come true! Mallory is so excited she can hardly concentrate the the BSC meetings anymore. But then the lessons begin and Mallory discovers that <i>dreaming</i> about horses can be a lot more fun than actually <i>riding </i>them.</blockquote>
<br />
The book starts off with Jessi and Mallory hanging out at Mallory's house after school. They're reading horse books and talking about how much they love horses. Claire comes into the room, using a mop as a pretend-horse. The girls then decide to go downstairs and watch <i>The Black Stallion</i>, while continuing their conversation about horses. They talk about their dreams, and Mallory says she wishes she could ride a horse all the time.<br />
<br />
A few days later, Mallory gets a chance. She's checking the mail, and apparently there's a stable just outside of Stoneybrook giving 8-week courses. Mallory takes the brochure to the Club meeting, and her and Jessi decide that they want to sign up for lessons together. Everything is perfect and Mallory can't wait. She rushes home and puts together a strategy to approach her parents. At first her parents are hesitant, but Mallory wears them down, promising them that it was just a temporary expense and that she'd pay for half. Finally, they agree, and Mallory excitedly goes to tell Jessi the good news.<br />
<br />
Sadly, Jessi's parents decide that with all of Jessi's ballet lessons, she doesn't really have the time or money to also do horseback riding. Mallory feels bad for Jessi, but mostly she's disappointed because it means that she has to do the lessons alone. Jessi's definitely jealous and sad, but Mallory's too busy dreaming of riding to really notice.<br />
<br />
Mallory's first class is not quite what she expected. Her instructor is very cool, has a British accent and looks like she's stepped off the cover of one of Mallory's horse novels. However, the rest of the class is less than welcoming. Mallory instantly feels left out, as everyone else has proper riding gear, and Mallory's wearing a hodgepodge of things. Everyone seems vaguely standoff-ish, and Mallory is very self-conscious. She does alright in the class, but still feels as though everyone is judging her. However, she survives and things are made better by the fact that she spots her dream horse. Turns out that all the horses in the class belong to the stable, which means Mallory will get to ride him if she wants. Mallory quickly forgets about all the bad stuff, and rushes home to gush to Jessi about her dream horse. She tells Jessi about how wonderful the class is, which of course makes Jessi feel terrible. Mallory can't figure it out though.<br />
<br />
At Mallory's second lesson, she makes it a point to go up to as many people as she can and introduce herself. It's apparent to the reader that the other students are only being polite, but Mallory seems to think she's made friends and invites them all to phone her and/or hangout. She also gets to ride her dream horse, which makes things even better. She calls Jessi to tell her all about it, and again, completely alienates her. Mallory goes on and on about how this riding class is just the most important thing in her life right now, and about all the friends she made and how they'll be calling her soon. Jessi, understandably upset, makes excuses to get off the phone. Mallory can tell that something's wrong, but has no idea what it is. She tells herself that it doesn't matter, because she has all these fabulous new riding friends, only then she realizes that she has no way of contacting them. A week passes, and Mallory realizes that not only do she and Jessi not talk, but that none of her supposed new riding friends call her.<br />
<br />
Mallory's third lesson is a disaster. Not only do none of the kids really acknowledge her, but she ends up with a nightmare of a horse, and gets bucked right off. Mallory's alright, but badly winded and shaken, so her mom picks her up and takes her to the ER, just in case. Of course, Mallory's crying because of the shock to her system, and the rest of the class is giggling at her. Poor Mallory!<br />
<br />
Mallory's mom wants her to give up the lessons, but Mallory's dad says that it should be Mallory's choice. Mallory is feeling pretty embarrassed by the whole situation and doesn't want to compound things further by quitting, so she insists on seeing this through. Her parents agree, so long as she doesn't ride that same horse again. The horse gets replaced, but it doesn't matter: Mallory's confidence is shaken and she's now terrified of riding <i>any</i> horse. She's completely miserable and dreads lessons. Worse, she has to suffer alone, because she doesn't want to admit to her parents that after all the begging she did and the all the money she spent, she hates the lessons. Of course, Jessi still isn't talking to her, because last she heard, riding was the most amazing thing ever. Poor, poor Mallory!<br />
<br />
Mallory continues to struggle in class, and the kids are pretty mean about it. However, Mallory thinks she's gotten her big break when one of the girls invites the whole class to her birthday party. Mallory is excited, and spends several days agonizing over what to wear. It becomes apparent that she was trying to dress to impress when she shows up all dressed up, and everyone else is wearing bright and funky teen clothes. Being a rich girl, the party is way out of Mallory's league: about 50 kids, a pool, large sound system with giant TV screens playing MTV. Mallory tries to introduce herself, but obviously no one wants to hang out with the shy awkward kid, so they all quickly make excuses to be elsewhere. Mallory spends the party awkwardly hanging out by the foods table, counting down the minutes til her mom gets her. Upon getting home, Mallory immediately calls Jessi, wanting to fix their friendship and tell her everything. Mallory flubs her words though, and it sounds like she's calling Jessi to humble-brag about the "awful cool kids party with all the music and pizza and stuff". Again, Jessi is all distant, and Mallory realizes that she wants to tell Jessi the truth about how awful riding has been, but that she can't seem to find the words. Instead, Mallory awkwardly ends the phone call, and goes to bed feeling worse than ever.<br />
<br />
Eventually, Mallory is down to her last lesson. She should be relieved, but the last lesson signifies a riding showcase. Mallory had hoped to skip the riding showcase, but her parents find out about it and are all excited. The Club finds out too, and they're happy for Mallory, asking her if she's ready for it. Mallory then breaks down and admits how miserable she's been. On the way home, Jessi confronts her about everything, and admits that she was jealous about how great Mallory made everything sound. Mallory realizes how ridiculous she had been and unfair to Jessi. They reconcile and everything is right again.<br />
<br />
Finally it's the day of the showcase. Mallory gets to ride her dream horse, which is the only consolation for her. Her instructor lends her a proper riding habit, so Mallory doesn't stand out in the class. Jessi calls to wish her luck, and everything goes well. Mallory is extremely nervous at the show, but with her family and the Club to cheer her on, she gets through it. She even comes in 6th place in her class, exactly in the middle! Her parents are super proud of her, and even offer to pay for the next 8 weeks of lessons. Mallory then confesses to her parents that she hadn't really enjoyed herself much, and that she'd rather not continue. Her parents are surprised, and ask if she's sure. Mallory is: she'd much rather look at horses than ride them!<br />
<br />
There's two subplots in this one. Cuz y'know, Mallory can't have a whole book to herself! haha<br />
<br />
The main subplot is that Nina Marshall has just started preschool and is having a hard time. She's having separation anxiety and refuses to leave her blanket, Blankie, behind. The other kids notice, and it's really getting her down. The girls try to find ways to convince Nina that she doesn't need him, but Nina remains firm. Then one day, Dawn arrives to baby-sit, only to be told that Blankie is in the dryer. When the dryer is done, Dawn goes to take Blankie out. However, Blankie is so old and worn through that he starts tearing and disintegrating. Nina is, of course, completely devastated. With some quick thinking, Dawn is able to convince Nina that this is for the best: Blankie is now in small little travel-sized pieces. Dawn shows Nina how to hide Blankie so that he'll always be with her, but now he'll be her little secret. It all ends well!<br />
<br />
The second subplot is that the younger Pikes decide to put on a talent show with the kids from the neighbourhood. It's super lame. Buddy gets Pow to do tricks, Sean Addison apparently can play the tuba, Nicky learns to walk on stilts, and a few other things.<br />
<br />
<b>Random Thoughts:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>I have always hated this book and was not looking forward to reading it. At all.</li>
<ul>
<li>And now that I have, I was right. I really did not like this book.</li>
</ul>
<li>It's funny, because what frustrates me so much is that Mallory is an oblivious little brat in this: but technically she's acting exactly like an 11 year old! A realistic 11 year old! I guess I got so used to these girls being mightier and holier than thou.</li>
<ul>
<li>But yeah. How could Mallory not realize that Jessi was upset at being left out of riding? It's super obvious to the readers, but yeah. I guess that's kinda realistic haha</li>
</ul>
<li>I really really really liked Mallory's outfit for the party: gold and brown kilt, matching gold cotton sweater, penny loafers. It's totes the exact kind of outfit I'd wear now as a teacher, when I'm trying to pretend to be a grown-up haha But yeahhhhh... definitely a faux pas for a cool kids party at age 11</li>
<li>I love how Blankie is such a big deal, but we never ever heard of him before haha</li>
<li>Why the fuck would Jessi and Mallory ever want to hang out at Mallory's house if they're not baby-sitting? Okay, maybe once or twice, but seriously? If I was Mallory, I'd be looking for every excuse I could find to get out of the house!</li>
<li>I love how Mallory's parents are all like, "Ehhhh... we can't really a one-time 8-week course on horseback riding lessons..." when they've apparently been paying for Jordan to have piano lessons for quite some time!</li>
<ul>
<li>Now that I think of it: what the hell is up with that?? How come Jordan is the only kid who gets to take lessons? I mean, I imagine the rest aren't too keen on piano in particular, but are you saying none of the other kids have ever wanted to do lessons or a sport? I mean, I guess the triplets do Little League (wow! Jordan gets to do TWO things??), but the rest of the kids either do nothing, or do the Krushers, which is free. Mallory asks to do horseback riding lessons, and her parents are suddenly all quibbling. Granted, Mallory did mention that the full price is quite a bit, but that with her covering half, they would be less than Jordan's piano lessons, but still! Poor Mallory has to pay for 8 lousy lessons, and Jordan gets to do all the piano lessons he wants, not to mention him and the twins doing Little League! haha</li>
</ul>
<li>Man, in the past year or two, reading BSC blogs and other BSC fandom things, I read that apparently fans generally conclude that AMM must have hated Mallory, because she's either a total loser or just has the worse luck. I remember her not exactly being the coolest of the girls, but yeahhhhhh... Now that I'm re-reading the series, Mallory really does get the short end of the stick. She's written as a total dweeb in this one, socially awkward, trying to impress cool kids, and then gets thrown off her horse and is terrified of riding for the rest of the book! </li>
<ul>
</ul>
</ul>
Cassiopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859199140639142481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557311404719688711.post-88339595327607683232017-04-30T14:37:00.000-04:002017-04-30T14:37:28.072-04:00BSC #53: Kristy for President<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsYQFY_86pk2yutW4MOLJJWdY5481bynBkpHgkJiMncWBZO8qwAxMwOWeo1TqzcfZJcI-biiGv4hZJ9kWx1a1c0u1ek6cckoLSRHeafDpZvr7n0UYwrY2crZuayEgAlw0vN54nUbz6iTKo/s1600/president.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsYQFY_86pk2yutW4MOLJJWdY5481bynBkpHgkJiMncWBZO8qwAxMwOWeo1TqzcfZJcI-biiGv4hZJ9kWx1a1c0u1ek6cckoLSRHeafDpZvr7n0UYwrY2crZuayEgAlw0vN54nUbz6iTKo/s1600/president.jpg" width="219" /></a></div>
<b>Tagline:</b> She can run the BSC, but can Kristy handle the whole eighth grade?<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Kristy's not too happy with some things at Stoneybrook Middle School. The hot lunches, for example, look like dog food. And Kristy's class has to perform <i>Mary Poppins</i> for their annual play. how babyish can you get?<br />
<br />
What the eight grade really needs is a new class president. Someone who is organized and has great ideas. Someone like - Kristy!<br />
<br />
But can Kristy coach a softball team, get straight A's, baby-sit, run the BSC, <i>and </i>be president? The Baby-sitters are about to find out!</blockquote>
It's Friday, and Kristy can't wait for the weekend. But first, there's an entire school day to get through, including an assembly. Things quickly fall apart when Alan Gray and his friends get everyone to think that there's a fire drill and Kristy's all distracted and not paying attention. While critiquing their disgusting hot lunch, the girls tell Kristy that she should run for class president. Kristy's not too sure about it, and wants to spend the weekend thinking. However, she doesn't get much of a chance to, on account of having to watch her siblings in the morning, then baby-sit in the afternoon. She can't even hang out with Bart when he calls! Still, the girls keep hounding Kristy to run, and eventually she decides that with their support, she'll do it!<br />
<br />
Kristy gets Claudia to be her campaign manager, and Claudia helps Kristy to design all sorts of posters and things, as well as chooses her wardrobe for her speeches. The rest of the girls help pitch in to get everything organized, and they run over the other candidates in the running: Alan Gray (who nobody takes seriously), Grace Blume (who everyone hates on account of Cokie Mason and who they think is snobby), and Pete Black (who they... reluctantly admit to being okay haha). Kristy figures with all the talent of the Club behind her, there's no way she can't win!<br />
<br />
Things get complicated though when their principal announces that in addition to the Campaign Day before the election (as well as all the postering and general campaigning that Kristy and everyone was doing before/after class), they were also going to have to do two speeches and a debate. Then later that week, there's another meeting called, but Kristy already has a conference lined up with her English teacher! Her teacher is giving her a chance to do better on an assignment. Kristy makes it to the meeting 10 minutes late, and then later is running late for her sitting job at the Kormans. She figures she can do her homework there, but finds the kids are more maintenance than usual. Kristy then decides to put off her homework til the morning.<br />
<br />
Kristy manages to get her homework completed, but the next thing she knows, it's Campaign Day, and she has to get to school early to set up. Kristy feels like she's the only candidate taking things seriously, even though Pete is as well. Alan and Grace clearly aren't. Alan comes to school dressed as a bunch of grapes (the grapes being balloons that students can pop) and Grace has borrowed a video camera from her parents and has it hooked up to a TV so students can film themselves and see themselves on TV. All in all, it's a disaster, as the students are far more enamored with Grace and Alan's silly shenanigans than Kristy's genuine effort. To make matters worse, Kristy remembers that she has an incredibly important science test the next day, as well as her usual obligations of dinner, homework and Krushers practice. Realizing she can't do it all, it's with a heavy heart that Kristy cancels the Krushers practice.<br />
<br />
It's a few days later, and Kristy's running herself ragged. She's disappointed in herself because she's failed the science test, and she's not usually the kind of person to fail things. Her teacher however, gives her a chance to re-do it the next day, so Kristy heads home with the intention of spending the whole afternoon and evening studying. However, David Michael reminds Kristy that she had rescheduled the Krushers practice to then, so Kristy has to spend the afternoon doing that. Claudia then phones her that evening to remind her of the speech she has to do the next day for the campaign.<br />
<br />
Kristy ends up staying up half the night, unable to sleep, worrying about everything and trying to cram everything in. The next thing she knows, it's morning and she has to give her speech. Grace goes before her, and her speech is awful: one sentence per cue card (with a ton of pausing between cards) and all sorts of popular promises that she can't keep. Kristy goes next, and when she stands in front of the audience, she realizes that her friends are all sitting apart from each other, so that wherever Kristy looks, she'll see one of them. Her speech goes fairly well, although Kristy feels it could have gone better with more practice and sleep. Alan's speech is just to yell at everyone to get up, then yell at everyone to sit down, and then to cite that that proves he can be a leader. Pete's speech is also fairly serious.<br />
<br />
After the speeches, Kristy runs off to retake her science test. To her dismay, not only does she fail it again, but she does even worse this time around. Kristy realizes that she's doing too much and that she needs to get organized. She makes a list of everything she has to do, and sets out to do it, however it soon falls apart. She's late to a Club meeting because she went from school, to baby-sitting, to doing homework, and lost track of time. Her science teacher has called home to let her mom and Watson know about her grades. Kristy decides she needs to cut back on baby-sitting, while the girls remind her that she has another speech to prepare for the next day. Upon arriving home, Kristy is soon buried by a series of phone calls, reminding her of how she's neglecting her friends and everything in life.<br />
<br />
Finally, Kristy decides to drop out of the race. Her speech is all about that. At first, her friends are shocked, but ultimately they're supportive. Kristy gets her life back together, and in the end, Pete wins the election.<br />
<br />
The subplot in this one involves Jamie Newton. He sees all the bigger kids riding their bikes past his house, and decides it's time for him to get one too. So he gets a brand new bike with training wheels. However, even with the training wheels, he's too scared. He insists on practicing all the time, having someone holding on the whole time (despite the fact that with training wheels, there's no way he can fall over). But even so, he's still terrified, needing every single twig, leaf, speck of dirt, taken out of his path, and he can't turn his bike around without getting off of it, and he's barely peddling. Still, he perseveres. Eventually, he gets fed up, and decides to get the training wheels taken off, since the big kids don't use them. Of course, that just makes everything worse. Finally one day, some of the kids from the neighbourhood stop to talk to Jamie. They admire his bike, but tell him he's moving too fast. He needs to learn to ride it with training wheels, then take one wheel off at a time. This parallels Kristy's journey of realizing that she's also trying to do too much all at once.<br />
<br />
<b>Random Thoughts:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>It's funny, because I don't particular remember liking this one as a child, and I wasn't super excited to read it again. I never hated it, but it never stuck out to me either. Re-reading it now, I like it a lot. I relate to Kristy wanting to do everything, getting overwhelmed, and eventually having to realize that enough is enough. This especially spoke to my experience in high school. So yeah, I really liked this one. I like the books where Kristy's a little vulnerable, realizes that she's not infallible and that she can't do everything, when she gets to show a bit of emotion.</li>
<li>It took me awhile as a child to ride a bike without training wheels. I think I was 7 years old before I tried. My dad was never home, and my mom was no help, so it was up to me, hence me taking so long. Finally my neighbour helped to teach me and got me going in one day. Anyways, there was a time before I got my training wheels taken off where I wanted to be like the big kids. We'd all race around on our bikes, riding to the park, and the big kids would dump their bikes on the ground and run to the swings. So of course, I'd dump my bike to the ground too. Except, with training wheels, my bike would stay standing, so I would PURPOSELY LAY IT DOWN ON ITS SIDE. I was a crazy child haha</li>
<li>I really like Pete Black. I wished we could have seen more of him over the course of the series. He seems cool. Poor guy was a mess when <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2017/01/bsc-51-staceys-ex-best-friend.html" target="_blank">Laine was around</a>; it was the only time he'd ever been written as lame. I like that he ran for class president and won. I also like how Mary Anne keeps pointing out that Pete's a legit candidate and would do a good job. It again makes me ship them together haha</li>
<li>It's strange how in this one, apparently <i>Mary Poppins</i> is lame, but isn't that Stacey's favourite movie? And I know later on they decide to do a production of <i>Peter Pan</i>. So <i>Mary Poppins</i> is babyish, but not <i>Peter Pan</i>? That makes no sense!</li>
<ul>
<li>Also: the plays they propose instead are like... so not middle school appropriate. I don't even know a lot of high schools that do them: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Raisin_in_the_Sun" target="_blank">A Raisin in the Sun</a> (I though Jessi was like, only the second black student to be at their school; how would they pull off this play??), <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Town" target="_blank">Our Town</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Glass_Menagerie" target="_blank">The Glass Menagerie</a></li>
</ul>
<li>Again, I don't understand why the girls buy their lunches (or buys the hot lunch) if it's apparently so gross? Dawn always brings her lunch from home (and the girls tease her cuz it's all healthy foods, but hey! It's food that she likes!) and I'm pretty sure Stacey never eats the hot lunch, but instead gets like, salad and an apple or brings her own. Why would you waste money on gross food you don't like?? When I was in high school (no cafeterias in our middle schools here), I would either bring lunch from home, buy one or two choice items from the cafeteria (actually our food was pretty good, although the sandwiches/burgers were always on the small/pathetic side), or just not eat at all!</li>
<ul>
<li>I like how it's always meatloaf. I'm pretty sure it's been meatloaf in the past, and I feel like on TV and in movies, it's always meatloaf. I don't think I've ever seen meatloaf served in a cafeteria here. Also: I really really really really hate meatloaf. Like, really.</li>
</ul>
<li> The girls decide to campaign outside of their school, putting posters in the windows of shops and things. There's a little strip mall right down the street from my high school: so all the students go there during lunch and what not. I could see MAYBE putting posters there... but honestly? This just seems like a dumb idea to me.</li>
<ul>
</ul>
</ul>
Cassiopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859199140639142481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557311404719688711.post-61682383139339916442017-02-05T08:55:00.000-05:002017-02-05T16:02:07.821-05:00BSC #52: Mary Anne + 2 Many Babies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1yL3j8ZrMfiuFHdH1AXqAB1G6-_7viyz-VwtgRSYnQSKuBvjknPiqbVijLi078qWQytLGYyAImfnb7Ber_zBZT25w5jq6r1BkV309zJ9ht8rIhh3NtC335PmJDy1qcKgcoihlSAXjtnj/s1600/BSC+52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1yL3j8ZrMfiuFHdH1AXqAB1G6-_7viyz-VwtgRSYnQSKuBvjknPiqbVijLi078qWQytLGYyAImfnb7Ber_zBZT25w5jq6r1BkV309zJ9ht8rIhh3NtC335PmJDy1qcKgcoihlSAXjtnj/s320/BSC+52.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>
<b>Tagline:</b> How much trouble can a bunch of babies be?<br />
<br />
Mary Anne can't stop thinking about babies. First she starts baby-sitting for a pair of adorable baby twins. Then she and Dawn decide it would be great to have a little baby brother or sister of their own.<br />
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But Mary Anne learns that taking care of a baby is a <i>big </i>responsibility when she and Logan have to play pretend parents to an egg "baby" for a special class at school. "Sammie", their egg, has to be watched <i>all the time</i>, and Mary Anne and Logan barely have time to breathe. Taking care of a "baby" isn't all it's cracked up to be!<br />
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Mary Anne's chilling at home with Dawn, and she's contemplating families. Dawn mentions that she saw the Shillaber twins' new baby brother the other day, and she and MA start dreaming about having a baby sibling of their own. Dawn points out that her mom isn't too old to get pregnant, while MA says that they could always adopt the way Kristy's family did. Eventually the conversation turns to the new Short Takes class they were taking: Modern Living. It would be a class to show the kids how to be financially responsible and how to take care of a family. Dawn and MA think it's pretty dumb, but MA is at least glad that Logan is in her class.<br />
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And boy is she ever glad once the class starts, because immediately, the students are to pair up and get married. Obviously, MA marries Logan, and is quite happy. Things start crashing down as Logan and MA realize that they aren't financially stable nor independent, and eventually make the decision that they'd have to live at MA's place if they were married for real.<br />
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The next thing they know, the class is given the egg-baby assignment: each pair of students is to look after an egg and pretend like it's a real baby. Mostly, they have to keep an eye on it at all times. Everyone is quickly horrified, trying to figure out how to balance watching an egg with sports practices and lessons and just life. MA and Logan briefly argue over how to keep their baby, until they're able to get together and create a little container for it.<br />
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Most of the rest of the book is dedicated to the egg-baby project. We learn that Kristy is paired with Alan Gray, and their baby is named Izzy. Alan takes the project super seriously, and together, they create an entire shoebox environment for their kid. Anyways, Kristy takes Izzy to the Papadakises while she baby-sits. Alan calls her there, worried about their egg-baby. While Kristy fields the phone call and tries to reassure Alan that everything is fine, the egg-baby goes missing. So Kristy in a panic gets Linny and Hannie to search, and eventually they discover that Sari is taking care of Izzy with her dolls. Kristy decides not to tell Alan about this.<br />
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Stacey is paired with Austin Bentley, and their baby is named Bobby. This creates issues when Stacey has to bring him with her to a baby-sitting job, since she's baby-sitting for Bobby and Alicia Giannelli. Anyways, the whole idea of having to care for an egg freaks Alicia out, especially since the egg has the same name as her brother. Bobby (the person) eventually goes to play with some friends, but Alicia is too young and needs to stay with Stacey, only she won't until the egg is gone. Stacey calls up Austin and gets him to pick up their egg. This leads Stacey to contemplate how hard life must be as a single parent.<br />
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Dawn sits with Mallory at the Pikes, and brings her egg Skip with her. Dawn's paired up with a boy named Aaron Albright, and she doesn't like him very much. They haven't made any attempts at creating an "environment" for their egg, instead just shoving it into a tissue box with some paper towels. Anyways, the Pike kids decide that Dawn's project seems super cool, and they all pair up and have egg-babies themselves. Vanessa breaks hers while trying to "clothe" it (colour it with crayon) and is inconsolable. Eventually the kids decide to pretend that they're taking their egg-babies out to the restaurant, where Nicky describes a menu full of egg-items. Hilarious!<br />
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Anyways, things aren't going too great with Logan and MA. They constantly bicker about how to properly care for their egg, and who is going to get stuck with her. Eventually, Logan tries to get MA to go out on a date, and that they should have an evening alone with the baby. Unfortunately, MA can't get a sitter, and ends up having to take their egg with them. They have problems at the movie theatre, because the place is packed and they can't take a third seat for their egg basket. So MA tries putting the basket on the floor, but that just pisses off Logan. They keep making noise, trying to keep track of their egg-baby in the dark theatre, pissing off everyone around them. At some point, MA briefly misplaces the egg, and they have to call an usher to help them find her. They decide to leave the theatre, and on the way home get into an argument over who would take their, Logan not trusting MA, and then being resentful at always having to take the egg.<br />
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MA and Logan aren't the only ones in their class having problems. <a href="https://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/10/bsc-40-claudia-and-middle-school-mystery.html" target="_blank">Shawna Riverson</a> decides that she wants a divorce from her husband, since he's never offering to take care of their egg. Turns out the poor guy has never taken care of a baby, or even younger siblings before, and has no idea what to do! Anyways, they're both just frustrated with everything. Another couple have misplaced their egg, and although they're concerned with how they'll finish the project, they're also legit upset about losing their "child". Another student is completely overwhelmed with the project, since his life is full of extracurriculars and his parents are in the process of getting a divorce, causing his mother to lean on him more than usual. At the end of class, Logan and MA talk, reflecting that maybe they aren't doing too bad after all. However, their moment is ruined when Logan yet again tries to keep the egg, despite it being MA's turn. MA runs away crying.<br />
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After another hectic day, Logan and MA talk some more, and decide that they've been fighting because they're so stressed. They reflect that they are in no way ready for marriage or children, not until they finish college at least. Later, Dawn and MA discuss how difficult babies are, and decide to give up on trying to convince their parents to have one. The Modern Living class soon ends, and everyone is happy to be free of their eggs. Dawn and MA decide they never want to think about babies ever again, when their parents surprise them with an announcement... they've decided that if Dawn and MA want another pet, they can have one. Dawn and MA decide that even another pet would be too much responsibility for them at this age!<br />
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There's really no subplot in this book. Most of it is taken up by the egg-baby project, with a few asides about baby-sitting for real babies. MA sits for the <a href="https://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/11/bsc-45-kristy-and-baby-parade.html" target="_blank">Salem twins</a>, and the twins are so adorable and angelic, which gives MA even more baby fever. Later in the book, she sits for them again, and they're nightmares (and twice the trouble), which quickly quells MA's baby fever.<br />
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<b>Random Thoughts:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>This review is going to be super shitty and short, because 1) I've never particularly liked this book and 2) I just started a new job haha</li>
<ul>
<li>I've always hated whenever books or TV shows do the fake-baby episodes. I am so glad I never had to do this at school. I already knew from a young age that I never ever wanted children. I also knew from a young age that I was in no way able to support myself financially (let alone myself and a child!). So yeah, I never had delusions of becoming a teen parent or growing up too fast, so I never needed to be scared straight or into responsibility. We had a parenting/family studies class in my high school, where they made babies out of sacks of sugar, and had to carry them around for like, 2 weeks. Of course, I never took the class cuz I was too busy being an arts student, with my music and drama haha</li>
</ul>
<li>I find it weird that 13 year olds would want a sibling so bad, that they'd talk about how their parents aren't too old for it yet. It's one thing when a little kid wants a sibling, they generally don't really know how siblings are made, but a 13 year old definitely does. Who wants to think about their parents actively having sex and trying for kids when they're around??</li>
<li>I'm trying to imagine all sorts of drama that would have happened in this book if Logan and Mary Anne had been in different classes, and thus had to partner up with different people. I'd like to have seen Mary Anne paired up with <a href="https://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/12/bsc-46-mary-anne-misses-logan.html" target="_blank">Pete Black again</a>, and to have discovered through working closely with him that he's super awesome and that she can have him instead of Logan haha</li>
<li>There are more boys than girls in the class, so two of the pairings are all-male. It's interesting, because they make a big deal over "who's going to be the wife", and obviously none of the boys want to be "wives". I wonder if nowadays it'd just be like, "And we've got two same-sex pairings. Moving on!" without any of this "but who's gonna be the wife!" crap.</li>
<li>I find it weird how Alan Gray shifts from general pest whose affections somewhat flatter Kristy, to all-out jerk who is a monster and no one should ever date. I find he's more tolerable in the books written by AMM herself, such as this one. He takes the egg-baby project super seriously and almost drives Kristy crazy with his over-parenting.</li>
<li>The Pikes aren't loaded. We know that. But time and time again, they do stuff that really makes me question their parenting. Mallory lets her siblings commandeer nearly a full dozen eggs to play with. Now, Mrs Pike needs to buy more eggs. Not only is that nearly a dozen wasted, but what if Mrs Pike was planning on baking with them or wanted eggs for breakfast?? </li>
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<br />Cassiopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859199140639142481noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557311404719688711.post-45940405052504310842017-01-25T08:54:00.000-05:002017-01-25T08:54:00.157-05:00BSC Mystery #3: Mallory and the Ghost Cat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Tagline: </b>It looks and sounds like a cat- but is it real?<br />
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One night when Mallory is baby-sitting for the Craines, she hears a cat crying somewhere in the house. But the Craines don't own a pet. So Mallory and the girls go exploring - and discover a mysterious white cat hiding in the attic. They name him Ghost Cat, and the mystery is solved. They think.<br />
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Until Mallory and the girls continue to hear eerie cries coming from the attic. If Ghost Cat is sitting right there with them, who - or what - is upstairs in the attic?</blockquote>
Mallory is excited. She has just gotten herself a regular gig sitting for new clients: the Craines (Margaret 6, Sophie 4, Katie 2). They're normally watched by their Aunt Bud (real name Ellen), but she recently broke her leg and has to be off her feet for a month or so. Mallory meets the girls and has a great time with them. However, on their first day when they're napping, Mallory hears the sound of a cat. Curious, since Mr Craine hadn't mentioned anything about owning a cat, Mallory searches high and low for it, to no avail. When the girls wake up, Mallory asks them about it, only to be told that they don't own a cat.<br />
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The next time she's there, Mallory double-checks with Mrs Craine to make sure they really don't own a cat. She's told again that no cat exists, however when the girls are baking cookies, they hear the sound of a cat. They go exploring and search all over the house. Eventually they enter the attic, where they find a white cat, all frail and scared and shivering. He runs out and they trap him in the laundry room. They decide to name him Ghost Cat, since he's so pale and frail. They get him some food, and the Craines decide to get him checked out and to put an ad up in the paper. If no one claims him, they'll keep him.<br />
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Ghost Cat starts eating and getting more healthy, but he's still easily spooked, so they keep him locked up in the laundry room. When showing him off to Mallory, he escapes, and they have to go hunting for him again. They end up back in the attic where they had found the cat originally, but instead of finding him again, they find a bunch of letters tied up in a bundle. Mallory brings them downstairs, and together the girls learn about an old man who once lived in the house a long long time ago. His name was Kennedy Graham, and he was sad and lonely, until one day he discovered a kitten hiding in the house. He adopted the kitten, and they became the best of friends. Until one day, the cat died. Kennedy Graham grew older and sadder, and was convinced that he could hear the ghost of his beloved cat (Tinker) still haunting the house. The girls are subdued after this, and return to the laundry room, only to discover that Ghost Cat was there the whole time!<br />
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This causes Mallory to think that maybe Ghost Cat really was a <i>ghost cat</i>. She enlists in Dawn to help her determine whether or not this is true. While she's sitting for the Craines, Mallory invites Dawn over, and they perform all sorts of tests on Ghost Cat. Dawn has a thermometer to check the temperature of the attic and around Ghost Cat (ghosts produce a distinct chill) and an ectoplasm meter that she mail-ordered from the back of a book (Mallory thinks it just looks like really sturdy cardboard, and Dawn admits she doesn't know if it actually works or not). Dawn also checks to see if Ghost Cat can be photographed, if he leaves footprints and if he can walk through things. He fails all of the tests, resulting in Dawn announcing that he is a real cat, not a ghost cat at all. Before Mallory leaves, they get a phone call from a man claiming to be the cat's owner, saying that the cat's name is Rasputin. He'll be by in a few days to pick him up.<br />
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On Rasputin's last day with them, to distract the girls, Mallory sets up a series of cat IQ tests, to see how smart he is. The girls have fun testing his cleverness and his name recognition, before preparing him a final meal of milk and tuna. While they're with Rasputin, Mallory continues to hear a cat crying from the attic. Before Mallory can think too much of it though, Mr Craine shows up and just in time too: Rasputin's owner arrives. He looks <i>exactly</i> like Kennedy Graham! The cat and the man walk away, happy as can be.<br />
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To wrap the story up, Mallory sits for the Craines one last time. The Craines have decided to get a new cat, a female named Tinkerbell. Margaret tells Mallory that ever since Rasputin went home with the old man, and Tinkerbell came to stay, they haven't heard any mysterious cat noises from the attic anymore. Mallory doesn't know what to make of it, but she's happy that there's no more mysterious noises, and that Rasputin and his owner are reunited, hoping that somewhere out there, Kennedy Graham and Tinker are happy as well.<br />
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The subplot in this one (which to be honest, is more of the main plot; it takes up a really big chunk of the book) is Mallory's Uncle Joe. He's actually her Great-Uncle Joe, as he's Mr Pike's uncle. Mr Pike has all those great memories of the guy, and it turns out he just recently transferred to the Stoneybrook Manor, so Mr Pike wants to invite him to meet the family and stay with them for an extended visit. The kids are all excited, having heard all these stories of this lively man who would perform little magic tricks and take Mr Pike fishing. Now, Mr and Mrs Pike warn the kids that he's older now, so they'll have to be a little more quiet and change their routines a bit, including eating less savoury foods so as to not upset Uncle Joe's digestion. However, when the day arrives for Uncle Joe to visit, the kids are all shocked: he's a very stand-offish old man who doesn't seem to make the least bit of effort to get to know the kids. No stories, no tricks, nothing. As the month goes on, the kids get more and more discouraged and disappointed. It's hard for them to continue being quiet and calm, to continue eating bland and tasteless foods. Uncle Joe still hasn't learned any of their names and is starting to do odd things, like forget where he is, what time of the day it is, what he's saying mid-sentence. Finally Mr and Mrs Pike call another family meeting, and decide that it's time for Uncle Joe to go back to the nursing home. They admit that he's coming down with the early stages of Alzheimer's and that he needs more care than they can give him. The kids are sad, mostly because they can see how hard this is on Mr Pike, but they do their best to get Uncle Joe ready. On his last day, while the kids are all drawing pictures for him, Mallory discovers that Nicky has disappeared. After searching the house, she discovers that Nicky is in Uncle Joe's room. Nicky is sitting on his lap, and Uncle Joe is showing him a trick. He even remembers Nicky's name! The family discovers that Uncle Joe is better off seeing the kids only a couple at a time, and so they spend the rest of the afternoon visiting with him in pairs. A few weekends later, they go to visit Uncle Joe at the Manor. He seems a lot happier and more adjusted, playing Scrabble with his roommate. They stay for dinner, and Uncle Joe surprises Mallory with a bottle of hot sauce: he says he can't stand eating bland foods!<br />
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<b>Random Thoughts:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>This was a cute mystery. Nothing actually really happens and it's all left up to the reader: was it mundane or was it supernatural??? Reminds me of the old episodes of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_X-Files" target="_blank">The X-Files</a>. I really liked that first season, where we still weren't too sure if the supernatural and paranormal and extraterrestrial really existed or not.</li>
<li>Apparently this is the only Mystery narrated by Mallory. It never occurred to me that she never narrates another one, so when someone pointed it out, I had to go back and check my collection. I can't believe her and Jessi only get one Mystery each! I guess they thought us readers couldn't suspend our disbelief <i>so much</i> that we'd buy 11 year olds as detectives haha </li>
<li>Why the fuck would the Pikes think it would be a good idea to have Uncle Joe stay with them for a month?? I'm 28, and even <i>I</i> wouldn't want to spend a month in a house with 9 people I have never met before, even if they were family! Especially if their house wasn't even big enough for them! Not unless it was absolutely necessary (like I was on an extended trip job searching or interning or something else that wasn't paid for). And that's me, as a totally healthy young adult! Even if they didn't realize how far gone Uncle Joe was, that's still a lot to ask of an old man whom the nurses had warned the Pikes about early on-set Alzheimer's. Especially since he has never met the kids before! Why didn't they arrange for the kids to visit him at the Manor first? Or arrange for a short weekend visit at their place. Jfc this subplot pissed me off. I never particularly liked it as a child, but as an adult, it seems downright stupid and irresponsible.</li>
<ul>
<li>Ugh! I keep thinking about it, and it pisses me off! Like, Mrs Pike is on the verge of losing her job, because her boss is upset from all the time she takes off to spend at home looking after Uncle Joe. Isn't that a sign that he shouldn't be there for an extended visit??</li>
<li>And why would they make everyone eat the same bland foods? I mean, I get not wanting to make a million meals, but it seems like the Pikes are already well-versed in picky eaters and variations. Why not make the bland chicken, cauliflower and mashed potatoes... but then have gravy on the side that the kids could add? Salt and pepper on the table? Ketchup and hot sauce? Cheese sauce for the veggies??</li>
<ul>
<li>I also wonder if Mallory ever ended up telling her parents about Uncle Joe and the hot sauce haha</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>Mallory reads <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Wrinkle_in_Time" target="_blank">A Wrinkle in Time</a>. This is not the first time that book has come up in this series, but Mallory talks about it a lot in this one, so it particularly stands out to me. People always cite it as a beloved children's classic, and I hear references to it fairly regularly, and it's being made into a movie next year. Well, I finally read it for the first time last year. I dunno. I just didn't get it. </li>
<ul><ul>
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<br />Cassiopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859199140639142481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557311404719688711.post-68151993181204621582017-01-20T08:53:00.000-05:002017-01-20T08:53:16.126-05:00BSC #51: Stacey's Ex-Best Friend<br />
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<b>Tagline: </b>Is Stacey's friend Laine super mature or just a super snob?<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Stacey can't wait! Her best friend from New York, Laine Cummings, is coming to Stoneybrook for a whole week. Laine can spend a day at SMS, attend club meetings, and maybe even go to the Valentine's Dance.<br />
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But the minute Laine arrives, things don't go as planned. Laine thinks Stacey's sleepover with her friends is so childish. And she can't believe Stacey's still into baby-sitting. Laine's used to hanging out at high school parties. She even has a fifteen-year-old boyfriend!<br />
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Stacey doesn't want to lose her childhood friend. But Laine's growing up way too fast for Stacey. Is this the end of their friendship?</blockquote>
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The book starts off with Stacey having a cozy winter day indoors. She reflects that since moving to the country, she likes snow and the quiet. As she's doing homework, Laine calls and tells Stacey that she has a week-long break coming up from school. Stacey gets super excited, and invites Laine to stay with her in Stoneybrook. Laine isn't too sure though, but eventually agrees to it. Stacey is super excited and tells all her friends. She plans a sleepover for Laine's first evening. Before Laine comes over, Stacey tidies up her bedroom, hiding anything that she thinks Laine will think is lame. Apparently lately Laine has been saying comments and calling Stacey by her full name, trying to sound more grown-up. Stacey doesn't think too much of it though, and leaves for the train station super excited.<br />
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Stacey spots Laine right away wearing a very chic outfit. Stacey is thrilled, but Laine is less than impressed. She wants to know where the town is! Stacey explains that they'll drive through it on the way home to the party Stacey's throwing, which causes Laine to perk up. However, after they drive through Stoneybrook, Laine is still confused, wondering how she could have missed the entire town. Stacey points out the library and the pizza parlour, but Laine wants to know what everyone does for <i>entertainment</i>. Stacey deadpans that they go to New York haha<br />
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Laine and Stacey briefly catch-up before the party. Laine tells Stacey all about her new boyfriend King, who is 15 years old and in high school. His hair is long and black, with purple tips, that he wears all spiked up and bushy. When Laine questions why Stacey doesn't have a boyfriend, Stacey says she's waiting for the right guy, which sets Laine off. They quickly put aside their differences though as the girls arrive.<br />
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It's clear that when Stacey said "party", Laine figured she meant something loud with boys and girls. The sleepover is definitely not impressing her. The girls are all having fun goofing with make-up and hair stuff, gossiping about boys. Laine keeps putting everyone and everything down, saying that all 13 year old boys are lame, she's on a diet (so no binging on junk foods), and making fun of their slang (Dawn says "dude"). Stacey then gets the bright idea to find Laine a date for the dance next Friday. Laine isn't sure she wants to go: after all, 13 year old boys are dumb and she wants to make sure King is okay with it. But when Stacey points out that Laine has nothing else to do on Friday, Laine is quick to remind them that they are lame. Luckily before things can spiral out of control, they find a movie to watch that even Laine likes.<br />
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Laine spends Monday being bored out of her mind while Stacey's in school, so Stacey gets permission for Laine to shadow her for the day. After Stacey explains that she misses having Laine be a regular part of her life, Laine goes for it. However, the day is less than successful. First, Laine makes fun of Stacey and Mallory for how they coordinate walking to school (white towel means Mal wants to walk with them, red means she's looking after her siblings), making Stacey feel embarrassed. Once at school, Laine questions all the school rules, such as them not being able to leave the building during school hours and only one student allowed to the bathroom at a time. Stacey's relieved once it's lunch time, because there are no rules (except for not being able to leave the building), so she figures there's nothing for Laine to critique. Stacey has even arranged it so that a bunch of her non-BSC friends sit with them, giving Laine variety. Among them are Pete Black, Rick Chow and Austin Bentley, which Stacey thinks Laine will like, since they're boys. However, it's clear that Laine thinks they're immature (they spend lunchtime building molecules out of pretzel sticks and prunes), while Pete spends the whole time crushing on Laine.<br />
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That night, Stacey and Laine talk about their day, more specifically Pete. Stacey thinks it would be awesome if Pete and Laine went to the dance together, but Laine is all embarrassed, saying that Pete is immature and what would people think? Stacey points out that the only people who would see them would be everyone who already likes Pete and actually thinks he's cool, and that besides, it'd just be for fun. Laine decides to call King first, and shoos Stacey out of the room. Stacey's a bit hurt, but figures whatever. However, when Pete calls to ask Laine out, Laine asks Stacey to stay, before kicking her out again to call King back. While in her bedroom, Stacey overhears snippets of Laine's conversation. Laine makes fun of Pete, and goes on about how "childish" something is. Stacey assumes that Laine is talking about their baby-sitting clients, but it's pretty clear to us readers that Laine is talking about Stacey and her friends. Even so, Stacey starts to feel like something weird is going on between her and Laine, and she doesn't know what to do.<br />
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Stacey decides to double-down on making Laine a part of her life, and brings her to the Club meeting on Wednesday. There, the girls all discuss the Valentine's Day Masquerade they're organizing for their clients. They speculate who has a crush on who, and think it's all very cute. Except for Laine. She thinks it's lame. She also wonders if any of the girls plan on getting <i>real jobs</i> for the summer. You see, Laine has a summer job lined up at an accessories store, so she'll be receiving a <i>real </i>paycheque. Stacey now realizes that her and Laine are living in completely different worlds.<br />
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Finally it's Friday, the day of the dance and Laine's last full day. Stacey isn't <i>excited</i> about Laine going home soon, but she's somewhat relieved. Still, she's going to give their friendship one last solid try and make the most of their time together. She rushes home to find Laine reading a large book, about an 18 year old who travels and falls in love; when asked what she's currently reading, Stacey is embarrassed to admit that she's reading <u>Black Beauty</u>. Stacey wants Laine's help in getting ready for the dance, but Laine doesn't seem interested. She's too busy thinking about her book and King; besides, it's just a stupid Valentine's Day dance and doesn't really count. Once Stacey picks her outfit (with no help from Laine, other than "it's lame to wear red specifically because it's Valentine's Day"), she tries to engage Laine in some popcorn and gossip, like the good ol' days, but Laine's on a diet and has just finished doing her nails (after making fun of where Stacey got the nail polish). Finally Stacey gives up, and they get to go to the dance.<br />
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Laine puts on a great outfit, and Stacey's mom tells them that they look like they're 15; Laine adds that usually she gets mistaken for 18. Despite the fact that Laine is wearing earrings that Stacey gave her (which warms Stacey's heart), Laine quickly takes back any goodwill by appearing horrified that they were meeting the guys at the school; didn't Stacey know that the boys were supposed to <i>pick them up in their own cars</i>? Stacey points out that the boys can't drive... and neither can King for that matter! When they get to the school, Laine is mortified that Kristy greets them with a "yo guys!" That quickly gets overshadowed by Pete's arrival though. Even though Pete's wearing a suit, he's still wearing his trademark converse sneakers, which of course Laine notices and judges him for. Then the poor guy is so nervous, he can't get the corsage he bought on Laine's wrist, and ends up dropping it, only for it to be trampled in the crowd! Laine doesn't care though, and acts dismissive of everything. She makes fun of the décor (to be fair, so did Logan, as it was quite pink, but Laine was definitely much more mean-spirited) and the fact that there isn't a live band playing (there will be, but while they set up, it's just a tape playing). The night doesn't get any better, as Laine insults all sixth-graders (one spilled a drink <i>near</i> her, not on her), insults the band, and then insults the food (heart-shaped cookies and punch are for kindergarten). The final straw comes when Pete asks Laine to slow-dance: she turns him down saying she was tired, only to immediately accept an invitation from some other guy (to Kristy and Claud's delight, a seventh grader!). Stacey has had enough.<br />
<br />
She pulls Laine aside to tell Laine how rude she's been. Laine pretends that she doesn't know what Stacey is talking about, so Stacey starts laying everything out on the table. Laine interrupts, saying that she wants to go home. To New York. Immediately. So Stacey calls her mom, which prompts more fighting and arguing from Laine. On the way home, Stacey's mom tries to get the girls to talk, but this just causes more fighting. Finally, Laine reiterates the fact that she wants to go home to New York, so Mrs McGill calls Laine's mom. They get into a brief tiff over their daughters, but arrange for Laine to go home that night.<br />
<br />
Stacey spends the rest of the weekend calling all her friends and apologizing for Laine. She also worries that because her friendship with Laine is over, things are over between Mrs McGill and Mrs Cummings; Mrs McGill reassures Stacey that everything is fine. Stacey still feels unresolved though. She spends a lot of time reflecting on her week with Laine, and their 8 years of frienship. Finally, with the help of Claudia, Stacey sees who her real best friend is, and writes Laine a letter, saying goodbye.<br />
<br />
The subplot in this one is the Valentine's Day Masquerade that the Club decides to organize for their clients. The girls get excited planning decorations and activities for the kids, while the kids get excited to make Valentines for everyone. Nicky Pike has a crush on a girl in a younger grade. James and Matthew Hobart want to get all dressed up and bring carnations, and James even has a girl he wants to invite. Marilyn and Carolyn are also very excited: Marilyn likes a boy, and Carolyn says she likes a boy in an older grade. Eventually, the sitters deduce that Nicky and Carolyn like each other, and are super excited to see this go down at the Masquerade. However, they soon discover that Nicky likes <i>Marilyn</i>... he just keeps calling her Carolyn. Luckily for him, Marilyn likes him too. Carolyn and James on the other hand, are a perfect match haha<br />
<br />
<b>Random Thoughts:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>I think I've only read this one once or twice. I definitely have read it. I remember liking it a lot. But I also remember that it wasn't one of the ones I owned.</li>
<li><b> </b>I never understood why Stacey would think it was a good idea for Laine to come up for the whole week, when Stacey was still in school. Visiting someone else's school is definitely cool and fun and novel, especially compared to your own school... but it's still not as fun as vacation! Laine totally should have arrived Wednesday afternoon, attended school with Stacey Thursday during the day, and then Stacey could have taken Friday off and she and Laine could have had a long visit Friday and Saturday, and then Laine could have gone back home Sunday afternoon. I mean, I get that Stacey and Laine have been drifting apart and that they would have eventually had a falling out regardless, but it just seems like a waste of a vacation and a terrible idea to spend an entire week at school/alone at someone else's house.</li>
<li>The girls are way too excited to watch <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Kill_a_Mockingbird_(film)" target="_blank"><i>To Kill a Mockingbird</i></a>. The only 13 year olds who are excited to watch that movie are the ones who skipped a grade and find themselves in grade 9 studying it, and they're only excited because watching movies is better than reading books haha I like that movie and genuinely get excited when it comes time to show it in class, but even I wouldn't be revved up for it on a Friday night haha</li>
<li>It's weird that we've had two books in a row where characters have had winter breaks and come up to visit the girls!</li>
<li>We learn in this one that Mrs McGill and Mrs Cummings have been friends since college. That's crazy! I had always thought they met because of Laine and Stacey. Now I want to know more about them haha</li>
<li>If I were Marilyn Arnold, I would be super pissed that Nicky didn't know me from my twin and had my name wrong. Especially now that they dress completely differently and have completely unique and individual styles. Nicky clearly knew them apart in terms of appearance and personality! It'd be no different than someone calling me "Callie" or "Casey" or "Kelsey" or something that was <i>not my name</i>. I mean, it'd be whatever if it was someone who didn't know me very well, but from someone confessing that they liked me? No way! Not even at age 8! haha</li>
<li>James and Matthew Hobart's reaction to the Valentine's Masquerade just reinforces my idea that Australian boys are best haha even though I know that there are plenty out there who are rude and crude!</li>
<li>Stacey and Mallory's towel code makes sense in a time where texting doesn't exist. Even though a quick phone call wouldn't take that long, there's always the fact that you have to wait for someone to answer, and what if someone was busy or in the shower, and didn't answer in time? Then you'd have to leave a message, or call back later, etc etc. The towel code is quick and easy: Mallory can throw correct colour up whenever she knows what the plan is for the morning, and Stacey can just look out the window whenever and see it. She can do this while making breakfast, brushing her teeth, packing her bag... all sorts of things that would be difficult to do while on the phone (especially since it doesn't sound like cordless phones were all that prevalent just yet). Of course, nowadays the girls would just send each other a quick text.</li>
<li>Who the fuck would ever hire Laine for a real job? Except for <i>maybe</i> a paper route?? She's only 13! Is this a '80s thing, or is this a BSC-thing? Because yeah, the girls are always getting real jobs, and it's super weird. Here, most places need you to be 16 before hiring, and your options even then are fairly limited. </li>
<li>Laine's book sounds like a <a href="http://daniellesteel.com/library/" target="_blank">Danielle Steel novel</a> haha I remember in grade 7, one of the grade 8s on my bus reading those novels, and thinking 1) damn, she's so grown up and 2) that book sounds really boring and not my style haha</li>
<li>Do we ever hear about Laine again? </li>
</ul>
Cassiopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859199140639142481noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557311404719688711.post-71326280546871334712017-01-15T08:19:00.000-05:002017-01-15T08:19:02.974-05:00BSC #50: Dawn's Big Date<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Tagline: </b>Is Dawn's date a total disaster?<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Mary Anne and Dawn are so excited. Logan's cousin Lewis is finally coming to town, and Mary Anne is busy planning the perfect double date. But now Dawn is starting to get worried. She's written letters to Lewis, but she's never had a boyfriend before. What if Lewis doesn't like her?<br />
<br />
That's when Dawn decides she needs a new image. New clothes, new hairstyle, and <i>lots</i> more makeup. Maybe she could even learn how to flirt a little. But will Lewis and the rest of the Baby-sitters like the new Dawn?</blockquote>
<br />
I have actually never read this one!<br />
<br />
Dawn and Mary Anne are getting ready for their New Year's Eve party together. MA is going to make all sorts of junk, while Dawn will make all sorts of healthy foods. As they're planning, MA tells Dawn some exciting news: Logan's cousin Lewis is finally coming for a visit! Dawn's excited, but also super nervous. She's never had a boyfriend before. None of the Stoneybrook guys seem to really be into her. Dawn knows that she and Lewis have been <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/09/bsc-37-dawn-and-older-boy.html" target="_blank">writing each other for awhile</a>, and that he seems to like her and the picture she's sent to him, but she worries that things will be different once he actually meets her. At the New Year's Eve party, all the girls call a boy they're interested in at midnight, except for Dawn, Mallory and Jessi. Dawn feels sad and pathetic because she was the only 13 year old in the group without a boyfriend. Talk of New Year's resolutions prompts Dawn to decide to change her look and attitude, specifically so she can get a boyfriend.<br />
<br />
Dawn starts by perusing Stacey's fashion magazines. MA catches her, and Dawn admits that she's just curious about changing her look. Excited, MA helps Dawn do her hair and make-up, while Dawn cuts one of her t-shirts into an off-the-shoulder top. They take Dawn's picture and send it to Lewis. Dawn, pleased with the new look, decides that she needs a new attitude too. She decides that the New Dawn is cool, and that to be cool means you're not a goody-goody who cares about school. So when Dawn is called on in class, instead of giving the right answer, she gives a bunch of joke answers. This gets the class laughing, and one of the cool kids (who was never mentioned before and never mentioned again) passes her a note of approval.<br />
<br />
Soon, Dawn is changing all her clothes and her attitude, even going so far as to chew gum! The girls take notice, and they are not pleased. When Dawn points out that they didn't harp on MA for <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/01/bsc-4-mary-anne-saves-day.html" target="_blank">changing her hair and clothes</a>, the girls point out that that was different because MA didn't change her attitude, plus she had been expressing for a long time a desire to be able to do something different. Dawn is all angry at everyone for not accepting her new look, except for MA. MA's acceptance actually confuses Dawn, because it makes her feel like something must have been wrong with her in the first place.<br />
<br />
Eventually this all culminates in Lewis Bruno's visit. He's in Stoneybrook for a week. Dawn buys a hot new outfit to wear, and while she loves it, she doesn't feel quite right. MA casts doubt, and of course Sharon wants Dawn to dress more warmly, but ultimately everyone lets it go. Dawn feels like she'd look great in a magazine, but the reality is she <i>doesn't</i> live in a magazine, and feels perhaps a bit overdressed. She quickly quashes those thoughts and feelings though, putting on a confident attitude to meet Lewis.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, all that confidence goes out the window when Dawn meets him. She gets ridiculously nervous and tongue-tied, and ends up saying only one-word answers and responses. MA tries her best to bridge the gap between them, but it doesn't help. When they get back home, MA explodes at Dawn, telling her that she needs to show some personality. She then gives Dawn more teen magazines, with all sorts of dating and relationship advice. When Dawn questions MA, MA points out that she's just trying to help Dawn snag a boyfriend. Dawn accepts defeat and starts reading the magazines.<br />
<br />
That Saturday, they go out on a double-date with Logan and Lewis. Dawn wants to wear one of her new outfits, but MA convinces her to just wear a jeans skirt and black turtleneck. Dawn decides to make the skirt shorter and dress up with heavy make-up and jewelry. MA chides her, but it's too late to do anything about it. They go to see <i>Gone with the Wind</i>, and MA keeps pinching Dawn to prompt her to be more interesting. She tries to get Dawn to share a bucket of popcorn with Lewis so that they can "accidentally brush hands" and then subsequently hold hands. Dawn keeps getting nervous and messing up and being clumsy, eventually dumping the whole bucket of popcorn. This culminates in Dawn's heavy make-up running because the movie is so sad. When the movie is over, Dawn is so upset by everything that she just wants to go home. When they get there, she and MA have a huge fight.<br />
<br />
This results in Dawn and MA not talking for awhile. Eventually the Club tricks them into talking to each other by getting them on the same phone call to discuss their sitting clients (more on this later). Through their discussion and helping their clients, both Dawn and MA realize separately that if everyone (but mostly MA) left Dawn alone and up to her own devices, she'd figure out a way to impress Lewis herself. Dawn waits for MA to be on a sitting job, then invites Lewis out herself. The two of them go out together, and Dawn's still really nervous, trying to remember all the tips she'd read about in the magazines. Eventually Dawn realizes that this isn't working either, and comes clean to Lewis. She tells him that she's been trying to impress him with new clothes and attitude, but that she can see that it's not working. Lewis is confused, telling her that he liked her the way she was before, in her letters. Dawn then decides to tell Lewis to meet her back at her place in an hour. She then runs home, changes out of her clothes, showers and puts herself together like normal. She also prepares some healthy foods for Lewis. When he arrives, Dawn takes him on a tour of the barn, before feeding him foods. They have a great visit, and decide to see each other again soon.<br />
<br />
Dawn and MA then talk about everything that happened in the book, with Dawn explaining that MA's over-supportiveness made Dawn feel like she <i>had</i> to change, and that nothing was right about her. MA tearfully admits that she didn't really know what she was doing, that she was just trying to help, and that she's sorry she made Dawn feel that way. The girls make up and decide to plan their next date with the boys. <br />
<br />
Sadly, Lewis is heading home soon, so they only have time for one more date. They go bowling with Logan and MA, and everything is perfect. MA orchestrates it for them to have a moment alone, and Dawn and Lewis kiss! Lewis soon goes home, and he and Dawn continue writing to each other. Lewis thinks Dawn's pretty special, and Dawn feels pretty special too.<br />
<br />
The subplot in this one involves new clients: the Hills, who are Norman (age 7) and Sarah (age 9). Norman is overweight and is constantly eating junk food. He keeps it hidden and on him at all times. His parents are always on his case about his weight, putting him on diets and exercise regimes. Sarah, and the other kids in the neighbourhood, also make fun of him, calling him "Enormous Hill". His parents practically encourage this, as they think it'll motivate Norman to lose weight. All it does though is make Norman feel worse, which makes him sad. Being sad makes him want to eat, so then it becomes a vicious cycle. The girls try to help him, but it doesn't really seem to be working. Eventually, they get Norman to stand up for himself against his sister. This stops Sarah from constantly teasing him and walking all over him, and start showing him some respect. They also encourage Norman to talk things out with his parents about how constantly harping on him makes things worse. Norman takes their advice and his parents lay off him. Norman decides he does want to lose weight, but that he's going to do it on his own terms. His parents help by deciding to get rid of all the junk food in the house, instead of simply banning Norman (and only Norman) from eating it. This subplot actually takes up a good chunk of the book, paralleling Dawn's own transformation and subsequent acceptance of her own body.<br />
<br />
<b>Random Thoughts:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Like I mentioned above, I have actually never read this one! But I knew the premise, because they've probably referenced it in other books, as well as I've come across it in other Baby-Sitters Club blogs. But I always try to skip the posts about the books I haven't read, so even though I know the premise (and can probably guess the story beats), I don't know all the details.</li>
<ul>
<li>I'm guessing that Dawn gets a makeover, everyone hates her, she hates herself, she doesn't understand why Lewis doesn't like her, decides that it's because she's lame, eventually realizes that it's because she's being fake and that obviously he wanted to meet the girl in her letters, not some weird fake Dawn, she ditches the clothes and make-up (maybe keeping an item or two, but probably giving most to Stacey and/or Claudia) and learns a valuable lesson about being yourself haha</li>
</ul>
<li>This is the <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/09/bsc-37-dawn-and-older-boy.html" target="_blank">second time</a> that Dawn tries to change herself for a boy. I kinda like the consistency?</li>
<li>This one is ghostwritten by Suzanne Weyn. I recognized the name, and then realized that that's the same name as the author of the <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/592089.The_Bar_Code_Tattoo" target="_blank">Bar Code Tattoo</a> books, books that I wanted to read as a teen, but never got around to. I wonder if it's the same author??</li>
<li>It seems super weird that Richard and Sharon would invite only Mr Ramsey to stay to visit on New Year's Eve, and none of the other parents?</li>
<li>Do we ever hear about Norman again? I'm dying to know what happens to him! Is he in the <i>Little Sister</i> series? I feel like he is, but honestly, I have no idea.</li>
<ul>
<li>Speaking of Norman, I feel like this is the first (and maybe only?) time the books describe someone as <i>fat</i> and <i>overweight</i>. They even highlight specifically that he's not "husky" or "pudgy" or "stout" or any of the other cute words people use to describe people who are overweight. This leads me to believe that Norman must be like the size... <a href="http://www.canmag.com/images/front/tv/southparksketch4.jpg" target="_blank">Cartman</a> from <u>South Park</u>.</li>
<li>Also: I know Norman would have been sneaking foods anyways, but the girls all act like they've never dealt with kids wanting snacks when it wasn't snack time. The girls should have been firmer and been like, "No, snack time is over and you're going to ruin your appetite for dinner. Sarah's not eating and I'm not eating. Here, how about a distraction. If you're still hungry in an hour, we'll talk again" and then distracted Norman with games and things.</li>
</ul>
<li>The Hills are terrible parents. Especially that line from his father about "How come a smart kid like you can't lose weight?" And like, I get it, the rest of the family shouldn't be punished because Norman has zero self-control, but jfc, Norman is 7 years old! Would it really kill the family to not have junk food in the house, instead of being like, "No Norman, you're too fat for this!"</li>
<li>I never understood the idea of "it's cool to be dumb". The only time I didn't participate in class was when I didn't know the answers, because I was afraid of looking stupid. I mean, at the same time, you don't want to be a smarmy smug know-it-all, but yeah. If a teacher called on me, I wouldn't purposely give a wrong answer. Being smart is awesome!</li>
<li>Like Dawn, there was a time or two in middle school and high school where I wanted to change my look. I'm pretty basic: jeans, t-shirts and hoodies. But occasionally I'd want to dress more punk or goth. The problem with that is that you have to really commit to that look. Like, every single day. And I didn't want to call attention to the fact that I was now suddenly dressing differently. I just... wanted to dress differently. So it never stuck. But I definitely remember going to second-hand shops and buying some clothes to cut up and destroy. I made a shirt that I liked, but due to my shitty sewing skills, it only lasted one or two washings. However, it sounds like Dawn tried cutting up and sewing almost everything!</li>
<ul>
<li>Dawn's thoughts about feeling like she'd fit in on a magazine, but not here in Stoneybrook really resonated with me. Sure, I could dress differently and change my look; I'd be smoking hot and I'm sure lots of people would compliment me or whatever... but it wouldn't fit in with my life and my friends and the role I've carved out for myself. It's hard to break from that standard. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>I got my hair cut differently one time, again to experiment and go with my new look. It eventually evolved into the hairstyle that I have now. I wish I could have cool swooping bangs (what the original haircut had) but I'm always and forever wanting to tuck my hair behind my ears, no matter what style I get, so it's pointless for me to experiment with my bangs/the front of my hair.</li>
<li>I normally don't talk about the clothes in these books (I feel like if I did, I'd never be able to stop!), but I definitely definitely love Dawn's outfit that she buys to meet Lewis in: "black ballet slippers, black lace capri leggings, a short metallic silver skirt with all this crinoliny stuff underneath that made it poof out, a stretchy, tight, black and white-striped top with long sleeves; 6 rubber bangle bracelets, a pair of feather earrings that go down down to her shoulder in one ear and a pair of black hoops in the other ear."</li>
<ul>
<li>Dawn's asymmetrical earrings is something I do all the time now: I don't usually wear earrings in my first holes (all my other holes have earrings that I sleep in and don't change and keep in forever), but when I do, one side is always a danging earring and the other side is always a stud/hoop haha</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>I remember all those teen magazines. They were always too expensive for my parents to waste money on, so I only owned a few issues, accumulated over the course of many many years. (They were like, 5$ each, which me and my parents would have rather spent on books, even if they were just <i>Baby-Sitters Club</i> books.) But a lot of the girls I went to school with had regularly subscriptions. When I was in high school, and we'd be going on long bus rides for band trip, everyone would pitch in and buy a whole bunch for the bus, so we could pass them around and read the quizzes and the dumb articles and stuff. I never took anything I read seriously, although sometimes they'd have some general good advice. Poor, poor Dawn, taking those magazines seriously.</li>
<li>MA attempts to be supportive to Dawn, but a lot of what she says also comes across as bitchy and snooty: "Logan likes me the way I am!" is her response to Dawn asking if MA had ever tried any of the tips and tricks from the magazines.</li>
<li>What 13 year olds want to see <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gone_with_the_Wind_(film)" target="_blank"><i>Gone With the Wind</i></a>?? I don't even want to see it! (Although, I keep meaning to, since it's one of the classics)</li>
<li>This made me really want tabouhli salad. I make mine with quinoa though. Dawn's other health foods that she makes for Lewis also sound good, but I'm allergic to a lot of them.</li>
<li>I love that Sharon and Richard have a rule that there are no boys allowed in the house when they're not around, but I can't help but wonder why they hadn't considered the barn. I mean yes, the barn would be hella cold on most winter days and ridiculously hot on some summer days... but there are plenty of days when it would be just fine. A nice cool day where there temperature is above freezing... all that hay... a big pile of blankets... two bodies... I'm just saying that if they really wanted to, two teens could get into a lot of trouble up there! haha too bad the series never let the girls go into high school. I'm sure there'd be a book when they're 15 or 16 where their older boyfriend (18 or 17) would want to take a romantic picnic too far. The girls of course would say no, but there'd be some debate and internal struggle haha</li>
<ul><ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>There's a contest in the back of this one to win a Snowbound survival kit. The girl who owned this book filled out the form. It asks "Who would you like to be snowbound with?" to which she answered, "My father". When it asks why, she responded, "He is tall and chubby so he would keep me warm"!</li>
</ul>
Cassiopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859199140639142481noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557311404719688711.post-62638613967362222012017-01-10T08:22:00.000-05:002017-01-10T08:22:00.167-05:00BSC Super Special #7: Snowbound<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1304489945l/361718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1304489945l/361718.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<b>Tagline: </b>All the Baby-sitters wanted was a little snow - not a national disaster!<br />
<br />
<i>Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!</i><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The weather forecasters keep promising snow, but what a joke that is. Not a single flake has fallen on Stoneybrook this winter. How can SMS hold a Winter Wonderland Dance when it's warm enough to go to the beach?</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i> </i><br />
Finally, it does snow - like crazy - and no one's prepared. Jessi gets stranded overnight at her dance school. Mallory and Mary Anne are snowed in with the Pike kids. But Stacey's in real trouble. She and her mom were driving back from the mall when the blizzard hit. And none of the Baby-sittesr have heard from her yet.<br />
<br />
First they couldn't wait for it to snow. Now they can't for it to stop. Where could Stacey <i>be</i>?</blockquote>
<br />
<b>Super Special Gimmick</b>: Kristy thinks that while the newspaper coverage of the snow storm is very informative, it is also super dry, so she gets her friends to write up about their adventures to send to the newspaper as a people interest story.<br />
<br />
The book starts off with everyone super excited about the Winter Wonderland dance. Everyone has a date and the girls are all looking forward to dressing up and having a good time together. For days and days, the weather forecasters have been talking about a massive snowfall, but there hasn't even been a single flake. It becomes a huge joke to everyone. At their Monday meeting that week, they reflect that since they're all going to be busy and scattered on Wednesday evening (Mallory and Mary Anne sitting for the Pikes, Jessi at an extra-long dance rehearsal and picking up her date Quint, Dawn getting Jeff at the airport), they should just cancel their meeting that day. Of course, Wednesday is the day of the giant snowstorm, and the power goes out and the phone lines go down, and everyone is all separated, with no way of getting in touch with each other.<br />
<br />
<u>Kristy</u> has the most mundane story, but it's pretty cute. She's sitting at home Wednesday afternoon, and she's pretty bored. She’s thinking about the winter dance and how excited she is to be bringing Bart. She then decides that now would be a good time to hang out with him. They've never really hung out on the week day before, so Bart's a little confused, but agrees. Kristy rents movies, and her mom invites Bart to stay over for dinner. This is pretty intense, and it makes Kristy all nervous. She likes Bart, but doesn't really know what to think. Is he her boyfriend? Is she ready? Is he ready? Can he handle her family? The kids spend most of the evening pestering them and totally embarrassing Kristy. Dinner isn't much better. It starts snowing at dinner time, and although Watson agreed to drive Bart home, he wants to wait until it stops snowing so hard. So Bart stays for dessert. After awhile, Bart says he really has to get going, and that he doesn't mind walking (he literally lives just down the street). However, when they try to open up the storm door (or screen door, as my folks always called it), they discover that they're snowed in! The snowfall has been super heavy, plus it has blown up against the house. So Bart spends the night. Kristy is super embarrassed and nervous about Bart seeing her in the morning, so she sets her alarm extra early and actually goes into the bathroom and tries to primp. She shaves her legs for the first time, puts on some make-up and even tries to curl her hair! Aside from her hair, Kristy is pretty happy with the results. Of course, her siblings all make fun of her for it, but Bart says she looks beautiful.<br />
<br />
<u>Claudia</u> has the next most mundane story. She spends the afternoon taking calls for the Club, then runs across the street to sit for the Perkins. Just before all the power and phones go out, the Perkins call to say that they can't drive back home, so Claudia will have to stay the night with the girls. As Claudia's putting the girls to sleep, she realizes that she can't find Chewy, the dog, and starts to panic. Claudia's mother comes across the street, and helps Claudia look for a bit, before deciding that nothing more can be done in the weather and in the dark. Mrs Kishi then offers to spend the night on the couch, but Claudia insists that she can look after the girls herself, and that if anything were to happen, Mrs Kishi is just across the street anyways. Claudia soon goes to bed, but is woken by Gabbie, who hears something. They go and investigate, and find that Chewy's been locked in the corner of the basement this whole time! Everything is fine, and the next morning they have breakfast and build a snow family.<br />
<br />
<u>Dawn</u> and her mom are headed to the airport to pick up Jeff. For some reason, even though he's flown a bajillion times before, Jeff's been nervous about this time. Dawn wants to make sure they get to the airport with plenty of time to greet him. However, the snow has already started to fall when they leave, and Sharon isn't the most confident snow driver. She goes slowly, and despite having left early, they only get to the airport just in time. Of course, that doesn't matter because with the snowstorm, Jeff's plane hasn't arrived yet. Dawn is worried about how Jeff is handling things, but Sharon figures everything will be alright. They spend the evening hanging out in the airport, waiting to hear about Jeff's plane. Finally, word gets to them that the snow is so bad, Jeff's plane has been rerouted to Washington DC for the evening. Just as they're about to call Jeff to see how he's doing, the power and phone lines go out. They're advised not to leave the airport to go driving, so Dawn and her mom are stuck there overnight. They mostly walk around, buy a couple of books to read, try to get some sleep. Dawn has a creepy encounter with a wandering toddler ending up in her face, but that's about it. The morning comes, and though feeling grody, Dawn and her mom are extremely happy to see Jeff again.<br />
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<u>Jessi</u> is at a super long dance rehearsal. They're putting on a production of <u>The Nutcracker</u>. Anyways, no one can concentrate cuz the kids all want snow, and Jessi wants Quint and the dance. About an hour before rehearsal is due to end, some parents start calling in, saying that they'll be late picking up the kids. As time goes on, Jessi realizes that there's no one waiting around to pick them up (usually the parents of the younger kids will watch the last 15-30 minutes of rehearsal). Finally, sensing that she's lost their attention, Mme Noelle calls an end to rehearsal. Once everyone finishes changing, Mme Noelle and the other teachers have bad news: the snowstorm is too bad, and the parents can't come to pick them up. Everyone is stuck overnight at the dance school. Luckily the dance school has a cafeteria that had recently been stocked with dried fruit and nuts and instant soup, so they're not going to starve. In fact, it's pretty much like a giant sleepover adventure. Except all the little kids are upset, and in typical Jessi-fashion, she decides to help the adults comfort the children and keep them busy. At some point, Quint shows up! He had arrived at the train station just before the snow got really bad, and after awhile, he realized that Jessi and her father weren't going to be able to drive and pick him up. So he asked for directions and walked to the dance school! He also helps get the little kids settled. Eventually Jessi and Quint are able to retreat to the classroom where the older students are, and they sit around and gossip and have a grand ol' time. The next morning, the storm is over, the roads are plowed, and while waiting for their parents to pick them up, they're treated to a feast from the coffee shop across the street.<br />
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<u>Stacey</u> decides that with the Club meeting cancelled, now would be a perfect opportunity to go get her hair permed, so that it's perfect for the dance. She and her mom leave well before the storm hits (not even a flake in sight!) and get to the mall. However, while there, the storm hits. Stacey's mom hates driving in snow, but thinks that if they hurry, they can somehow beat it and get home before it gets too too bad. Mrs McGill decides to bypass the highway, figuring it'll be congested from everyone attempting to get home. Instead, she takes the back roads. This doesn't work well, as they aren't plowed and have very little traffic to push away the snow as it falls. Eventually, she decides to pull over and try to wait things out a bit. This normally wouldn't be too bad, except that Stacey has diabetes and needs to eat soon. She has her injection kit with her, but very little food. Mrs McGill decides to try driving again, only to find out that they're out of gas. So now Stacey's got her diabetes, and they have to worry about freezing to death. At that point, a man drives up and asks if they need help. He says he lives just down the street, with his wife and baby. Stacey's worried that he might be a killer, trying to lure them in so that he can kill them, but Mrs McGill decides to trust him. Turns out to be a great idea, and Stacey and her mom pass the evening having a great dinner, playing with the baby and making friends. They're even almost sad to leave the next day. They're completely surprised when they come home and realize that everyone is worried about them and had no idea that they were missed!<br />
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<u>Mary Anne</u> and <u>Mallory</u> are sitting for the Pikes. MA's spent Tuesday night there, since the Pikes left for NYC early in the morning. They have enough food for the day, plus some emergency money, but Mrs Pike points out that she'll have to go grocery shopping Thursday morning ASAP. Tuesday night, the kids are bonkers, expecting snow. Of course, there's no snow, and they all go to school fine. Wednesday evening, and it's still business as usual. The kids are still hoping for snow, with the triplets teasing Claire about the Abominable Snowman, and MA and Mallory prepare sloppy joes for dinner. However, the snowstorm hits, and soon the power goes out. The kids are simultaneously excited and creeped out. Of course, the Pikes can't come home like they wanted to, so MA and Mallory are on their own til the next day at least. MA calls her dad to let him know what's going on, but he wants to stay home for Dawn and Sharon. MA points out that they'll be okay anyways. Then the phone lines go down, and Mallory points out that they're running out of food. They decide to eat the ice cream and anything that might go bad without power, but come the next morning, it doesn't leave them with much. They try calling for pizza and other take-out items, but of course, no one is open. MA calls Logan, just wanting to hear his voice. She explains how they're okay, but they're hungry. The next thing they know, Logan shows up on cross-country skis with a backpack full of bread, crackers, peanut butter and a few other things. The day is saved and now the Pikes can enjoy the snow!<br />
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So everyone's survived the massive snowstorm. They later learn that they had a record snowfall of about 2 feet. The dance doesn't get cancelled, and everyone goes and has a great time. Yay!<br />
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<b>Random Thoughts:</b><b> </b><br />
<ul>
<li>This is my favourite Super Special ever. I must have read this one a million times as a child. I think it's because we always have huge snowstorms up here... but snow is just kinda a thing that happens, so it's almost never an actual event. I still fantasize about getting snowed in and losing power for several hours, if not days. Aside from the massive <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeast_blackout_of_2003" target="_blank">Northeastern blackout in 2003</a> (which only affected my area for that first evening; a very short time compared to some people), the power in my area rarely ever goes out, and when it does, it's for like, an hour at most. Boring haha</li>
<li>This one has the illustrations in it! This is probably why I remember those illustrations so vividly and always thought they were in every single Super Special haha</li>
<li>I always loved the cover on this one, but Mallory looks a bajillion years old! Definitely older than Mary Anne. And then the Pike boy has to be one of the triplets, since Nicky is always described as having glasses and curly hair like Mallory's, but that kid is <i>not</i> one year younger than Mallory! haha</li>
<li>Stacey goes into more detail in this one about the Washington Mall, which leads me to think that Stoneybrook isn't a <i>town</i> or <i>city</i> so much as a small municipality/neighbourhood. I grew up in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottawa" target="_blank">Ottawa</a>. <i>Now</i> what is called "Ottawa" is technically the "greater Ottawa area" or the "amalgamated city of Ottawa". When I was younger, I grew up in what is technically called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orleans,_Ontario" target="_blank">Orleans</a>, which is now an area in the east end of Ottawa. Since it is generally assumed that everyone lives in "Ottawa", which is a pretty big city (can take an hour to get from Rockland in the east end to Kanata in the west end), most people will still refer to their individual areas/neighbourhoods. So if you send mail to my parents, you can either address it "Orleans, Ontario" or "Ottawa, Ontario", and it'll still be there on time with no confusion. Unlike if you wrote "Kingston, Ontario" or "Toronto, Ontario", which are very very clearly different cities from Ottawa and not even close haha</li>
<ul>
<li>Anyways, Stacey says it takes about half an hour to get to Washington Mall, and it's in the next town over. This reminds me of how when I was younger, it was a super big deal for my parents to drive me 30 minutes to Kanata, where Bayshore Shopping Centre was, which was a much bigger and more upscale mall than the one that was within walking distance of our house in the east end haha</li>
</ul>
<li>You can tell that AMM wrote this one, because Kristy is totally likeable, easy to relate to, and well-rounded. She's excited for the dance, and while she expresses a general dislike of dresses, she likes the one she's going to wear to the dance and points out that it's only for a couple of hours. She's also excited about seeing Bart, although she's not too sure how much he means to her. Furthermore, she owns a bit of make-up and puts it on for Bart. This is a great call-back to <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/07/bsc-super-special-2-baby-sitters-summer.html" target="_blank">Super Special #2</a>.</li>
<li>You know it's a Super Special because Claudia is dating an Asian guy haha Here, her date for the dance is a guy in her grade named Iri Mitsuhashi. And we never see or hear from him again... at least, I don't think so! haha</li>
<li>Part of me can't believe that the Pikes would leave Mallory and Mary Anne in charge for almost 24 hours... but then another part of me is like, "No... this kinda makes sense..." They leave at 6am, and from there, there's only 2 hours or so until the kids are at school. No sense in making a neighbour spend the night for that. (Although I probably would have had a neighbour stop by at 7:30 or 8am to make sure that everyone was alive and indeed going to school haha) Then they're at school, and come home. It's not unusual for the girls to baby-sit after school or prepare dinner or baby-sit after dinner. It's just weird for them to be doing it all for <i>one job</i>. Again, I might have had a neighbour over for dinner or for a few hours in the evening. I definitely would have arranged for someone to check up on everyone at 9pm. And then the Pikes were supposed to be back at 1am or so. So yeahhhh... Barring the snowstorm, everything would have been okay. But I'm still surprised the Pikes were simply like, "Okay, the neighbours know we're gone, so give them a shout if you need them!" instead of being like, "Okay, the neighbours know we're gone. Mrs Barrett will check in on you in the morning and Mrs McGill will be by in the evening, and you have all the phone numbers, etc etc etc". </li>
<li>Stacey particularly wants to go to the Washington Mall, because otherwise, she might end up at the salon downtown, Gloriana's House of Hair. That salon was first featured <i>Little Sister</i> #8, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/646475.Karen_s_Haircut" target="_blank">Karen's Haircut</a>. I remember reading that one as a child. It traumatized me. I was forced to have a bowl cut for most of my childhood, so when I could finally grow my hair out, the idea of it getting cut too short again and having to wait for it to grow out was my biggest fear. But yeah. I will never forget Gloriana's House of Horror haha</li>
<li>There's an illustration of Bart in this one, and he does not look at all how I picture him (totes not my kind of guy! how he's pictured on the cover of #95 is more my style haha) but he does look like he could have been the older sibling of the kids I went to elementary school with (when this book was published)!</li>
<li>This one also mentions Mallory's <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/09/bsc-34-mary-anne-and-too-many-boys.html" target="_blank">sleeping habits again</a></li>
<li>The Pikes apparently wake up to an oldies radio station. The first song they wake up to is "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fh3LzG3Y2aY" target="_blank">Do Wah Diddy Diddy</a>". I remember hearing this song randomly when my parents were watching <a href="https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjosbD89a3RAhVo3IMKHX9gBV8QFggcMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FBeverly_Hills%2C_90210&usg=AFQjCNFT95Cxni4SvPktgOQhNtlDcnXAzg&sig2=4iy8im_CgaeASKsnKZbBnQ" target="_blank">Beverly Hills, 90210</a> (Brenda and her friends were dancing and singing it in the Peach Pit??). I became obsessed with that song, but of course, this was before the internet, so I had no idea what it was or who sang it or how to listen to it again. So this kinda became a "one that got away" type obsession. Whenever I hear it today, I'm still like, "OMG THIS SONG!!!" haha</li>
<ul>
<li>On a side note: I just found out that that show lasted until the year 2000! THE FREAKING YEAR 2000 WTF!!! I thought this show was long over by 1997. I mean, the high school they used is also the same high school they used in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffy_the_Vampire_Slayer" target="_blank">Buffy the Vampire Slayer, </a>so I didn't think that the two shows overlapped. Man, I know they say that Beverly Hills, 90210 is like, THE quintessential '90s show, but I had no idea that it was literally on for the entire decade. It ran from 1990 to 2000. It did not miss a single year of the '90s!</li>
</ul>
<li>They also mention that a snowfall this big could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, what with global warming and all. It's strange to think that even as far back as 1991, they were referencing global warming in kids' books. And we've still done very little about it =/</li>
<li>I have no idea wtf "snow cream" is that Claudia makes for the Perkins girls (sounds like they're eating the fresh snow with maple syrup?) but if they were to have used fresh thick pure maple syrup, and <i>not</i> eaten the snow, they would have almost ended up with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple_taffy" target="_blank">maple taffy</a> haha</li>
<li>I never go anywhere without a travel-sized toothbrush, at minimum 2 books, some granola bars, extra socks, extra underwear, a shawl, a flashlight and a lighter, and a bajillion other things, so if I had been in Dawn or Stacey's shoes, I would have been great haha</li>
<li>Quint is crazy. Wtf. Even <i>now</i> I'd be hard pressed to try to find directions to walk somewhere in a new town during a snowstorm, let alone at age 11! I'm dying to know how far the dance school was from the train station. If it's anything like my city, Quint could have been walking for a good 30 minutes! If not more!</li>
<li>Unless the coffee shop owner lived above the coffee shop, and unless the power was <i>still</i> out and milk and things were on the verge of spoiling, why the fuck would he open up the shop and give away a feast of free foods? How did he know that there were people stranded at the dance school? No one would have blamed him if he had just ignored them and gone on his way!</li>
<li>I don't know if I would have trusted Mr Schiavone. I mean, I don't have to worry about diabetes, so it would just be a matter of staying warm for me. But yeahhhhh... just because he <i>said</i> he had a family in a house just up the street didn't mean he necessarily did. I remember being really scared for Stacey the first time I read this book, even though I knew that 1) these books would never get <i>that</i> dark (at the time, I hadn't read the one about drunk driving or child abuse or depression or anything) and that 2) the only ones that would potentially go that way would be the Mystery ones, so yeahhhh....</li>
<li>Now, maybe it's because my house doesn't have 9 people in it... but even when I "really need" to go grocery shopping, I still have plenty of food in my house. I mean, nothing I could make a meal out of or that I would particularly want to live on, but definitely enough so I'm not starving. Boxes and boxes of crackers, a few cans of vegetables, soup and tuna (actually, I could live on soup), rice cakes... even without the staples like bread, eggs and milk, I'd be okay!</li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
Cassiopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859199140639142481noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557311404719688711.post-76953565392843153812017-01-05T08:53:00.000-05:002017-01-05T08:53:12.056-05:00BSC Mystery #2: Beware, Dawn!<ul>
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<b>Tagline:</b> Someone is out to scare Dawn!<br />
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<b> </b><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
When Dawn starts getting threatening notes and odd phone calls while she's baby-sitting<b>, </b>she doesn't know what to do. The notes are signed "Mr. X", and they're beginning to get scary. Normally, she would tell the other Baby-sitters, but this time is different.<br />
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<blockquote>
The kids at Stoneybrook Elementary are having a Sitter of the Month Contest. The Sitter of the Month has to be someone who is in control - someone whose jobs always go smoothly. Dawn doesn't want to blow her chances of winning. But what if she's in real danger?</blockquote>
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Alright, it is time for our second mystery! This one opens up with Dawn baby-sitting for the Hobarts. She reflects on how much she likes baby-sitting; how it's super duper awesome and how every kid is different and she knows how to get along with every kind of kid. While she's reading with the youngest one, Johnny, the older two Hobarts, James and Matthew, are playing with kids from the neighborhood, including Mel and Zach, who are still teasing the boys. Dawn, not impressed, reports back to Mrs Hobart at the end of her sitting job. Mrs Hobart is disappointed, vowing to talk to Zach's and Mel's parents.<br />
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Dawn is later baby-sitting for Kristy's younger siblings. While there, Dawn learns about the Sitter of the Month contest. The charges have decided to get together and put together a contest awarding the girls. Mrs. Newton is going to help oversee it all, and then they're going to publish the winning baby-sitter's picture in the newspaper. Dawn, wanting to win of course, decides to be the bestest best baby-sitter, and puts in an extra effort with the kids.<br />
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Soon word spreads around to the other baby-sitters about the contest, and of course they all start talking about how much it would mean to them to win it. The girls reflect that while they would love to win, they shouldn't get overly competitive because being competitive has never worked out in the end for them. Trying to keep things in perspective, Dawn vows not to campaign; she just wants to be the best baby-sitter possible.<br />
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That is easier said than done. Dawn's next baby-sitting job is for the Prezziosos. Dawn's trying her best to be super patient, but Jenny's getting on her nerves. At first Dawn encourages Jenny, who is just trying to be a good big sister, but eventually Dawn banishes Jenny to the playroom. While Dawn's finishing up getting Andrea ready for bed, the phone rings. When Dawn goes to investigate, Jenny told her that nobody was on the phone. Dawn lets it slide, and she and Jenny have a pleasant evening together, until Jenny has to go to bed. Shortly afterwards, the doorbell rings. Nobody's there. Intrigued, Dawn opens the door a crack, just to make sure. There, she finds an envelope that has a note made out of cut-out letters: YOU'D BETTER WATCH OUT! YOU'D BETTER NOT SHOUT! I'M COMING TO GET YOU! MR X. Dawn's shaken up, but decides that she better not let anyone know, lest it ruins her chances at becoming Sitter of the Month.<br />
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At her next baby-sitting job, Dawn's at the Rodowskys. Again, the doorbell rings, and instead of a person, there's another note. This one says: I'M WATCHING YOU. Unfortunately for Dawn, the Rodowsky boys see it, and it frightens them. Dawn manages to convince them that it's just a boy from school, pulling a prank, and eventually gets them settled down and in bed. Remembering what had happened the last time the sitters were plagued by <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/01/bsc-2-claudia-and-phantom-phone-calls.html" target="_blank">mysterious prank phone calls</a>, Dawn calls the Gray household to put Alan Gray in his place. However, Dawn discovers that Alan is out of town at a basketball game with his father, so it can't be him. At this point, Dawn starts to worry.<br />
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We eventually learn that Jessi gets a visit from Mr X. She's sitting for her siblings alone at night, and because of the Sitter of the Month contest, she lets Becca watch a scary movie. Becca gets frightened, and they have to turn it off and eventually Becca goes to bed. While Jessi is relaxing, she gets a knock on the door. There, she finds a bouquet of beheaded roses, with a note that says: BEST WISHES FROM YOUR SECRET ADMIRER. So now Jessi's really nervous and on edge, and it's at that moment that Becca wakes up from a nightmare, and Jessi's parents and aunt come home. Jessi figures she's blown her chances at being the Sitter of the Month.<br />
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Mary Anne and Mallory are sitting for the Pikes when they get a visit from Mr X. The note that time reads: DO YOU LIKE YOUR HAMSTER? IF YOU DO, YOU'D BETTER KEEP AN EYE ON HIM. Like with the Rodowskys, the kids end up seeing the letter, and of course it sends them in a panic. Mary Anne and Mallory spend the whole evening trying to calm them down, and keep an eye on Frodo the hamster, since the kids insist on holding him the whole time (resulting in him getting loose a few times). Mary Anne and Mallory talk about it, and decide that there's no point in bringing it up to the rest of the Club: it wouldn't do anyone any good. However that night, Dawn hears scary noises in her <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/02/bsc-9-ghost-at-dawns-house.html" target="_blank">secret passage</a>, and ends up running to Mary Anne's room. Mary Anne blurts out that it must be Mr X, which gets Dawn to admit that she too has had encounters with Mr X. They talk about it, and admit that they haven't said anything because of the Sitter of the Month contest. They further conclude that since Mr X hasn't actually done anything, there still really isn't a point in bringing him up.<br />
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Kristy then sits for the Korman kids on Friday the 13th, and it's set up for us readers to expect her to get a visit from Mr X, but every "weird" thing that happens ends up having an explanation. At the next Club meeting, Kristy admits that she's embarrassed that she let the whole "Friday the 13th" superstition get to her head, and that she acted all spazzy when Mr Papadakis from next door came by. Dawn accidentally expresses her relief that it wasn't Mr X, resulting in the cat coming out of the bag, and all the girls admitting that they've had run ins with Mr X. Except for Kristy. Since Kristy has no idea what's going on, the girls fill her in on the weird notes and things.<br />
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At some point, Dawn briefly suspects Kristy of being Mr. X. Out of all the girls, Kristy's the only one to have not received any notes or phone calls. When Claudia inquires as to why Kristy hasn't gotten any notes, Kristy dismisses it blithely, saying that Mr X probably just hasn't gotten around to her. Dawn thinks that perhaps Kristy is being so competitive about the Sitter of the Month contest, that maybe Kristy is trying to sabotage the other girls. Dawn eventually suppresses the idea, but the fact remains that Kristy is indeed the only sitter not to have received any threats.<br />
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Claudia's next sitting job is for Charlotte Johansson. While they're reading on the couch, they get a visit from Mr X, who smears baked beans on the back step, making it look like vomit. As Claudia cleans up, she reflects that none of these problems happened before the Sitter of the Month contest, and that somehow, the two must be related. Claudia just doesn't know why or how.<br />
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Finally, Dawn is baby-sitting for Jamie Newton. She suggests going outside to play, more specifically on his swing in the backyard, because she knows that that's a favourite of Jamie's. Jamie is excited, but then quickly says that he wants to stay in the front yard. Dawn then suggests that they go for a walk, and Jamie lets it slip that he promised Mel that they'd stay home. At Dawn's prompting and prodding, Jamie admits that Mel has been doing secret baby-sitting checks for the Sitter of the Month contest. Dawn then determines that for some reason or another, Mel must be Mr X. Sure enough, they stay home and Mr X visits them.<br />
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The girls then decide to lay a trap for Mel. They tell everyone they meet over the course of the week that Dawn's going to be home alone, baby-sitting for a cousin. Richard and Sharon really do have plans that evening, and then they pretend that Mary Anne does too. In reality, the whole Club is going to be hiding, waiting for Mel come. They figure that he'll use the secret passage to scare Dawn, so on the big night, half of the girls sneak into the barn and catch him on that end, while the other half catch him from inside Dawn's room. They're all set to take his picture so that they can have cold hard evidence against him, and make sure he's good and caught. However, it all happens so fast, and when they find and trap Mel, they realize he's just a scared little boy. Dawn quickly lets go of her anger and doesn't tell him off. Instead, Dawn and Kristy just take him home.<br />
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On the way home, Mel confesses to everything. Dawn asks him why he did it, and he says it's because the Club got him in trouble for teasing to Hobarts. He doesn't see why it's such a big deal, but Kristy points out that bullying <i>is </i>a big deal, and that he needs to stop. Mel says that that's what his father had said, and that his parents were really angry at him and had grounded him for it, which means he'll be in even more trouble now, more so than usual. Mel says that his parents are going to send him to a psychiatrist, and it's clear that he's terrified. Kristy explains that a psychiatrist is just a doctor for your feelings, and that a psychiatrist will talk to Mel and help him figure out why he feels a certain way, and what he can do to feel better. Mel is relieved: he had thought a psychiatrist was going to punish him. So Dawn and Kristy tell Mel's parents everything, and Mel's father walks them around the block, explaining that he'll make sure Mel gets the help he needs.<br />
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The girls then celebrate with a sleepover, relieved that their Mr X mystery is solved, and hoping for a better future for Mel.<br />
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There's no subplot in this one, other than the Sitter of the Month contest, which ties in directly to the main plot. At the end, we find out that all the girls won in a 7-way tie. They're all the sitters of the month! Yay!<br />
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<b>Random Thoughts</b> <br />
<ul>
<li>This is one of my favourites. I've really been looking forward to reading this one. Although, I kept getting it confused with another book in the series, where the Club gets notes and they think it's Cokie, but it turns out to be their charges, wanting to surprise them with breakfast, and the girls are all embarrassed cuz they had dressed up in their worst clothing?</li>
<ul>
<li>On a related note: I think my favourite <i>Baby-Sitters Club</i> book in the whole wide world is Super Mystery #2 <u>Baby-Sitters, Beware!</u>. I apparently have a thing for the girls getting stalked and scared out of their minds haha Funny that both this one and that one are a #2, and involve the word "beware!" haha</li>
<li>Also: in hindsight, now that I've re-read this one, there's really not a whole lot to it. Still, I remember as a child being like, "OMG WHO IS MR X???"</li>
</ul>
<li>There is so much continuity in this one. It's like Ellen Miles wanted to prove she was legit by referencing as many books as possible. Or maybe they knew that some people would be caught by the title, and potentially just read this one alone without having read the rest of the series (pretty sure the aforementioned <u>Baby-Sitters, Beware!</u> was my first BSC book ever, due to the title, when I was perusing the shelves at my local library haha), and were trying to entice readers to read the regular series. Either way:</li>
<ul>
<li>Mel and Zach are back from when they first started <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/08/bsc-32-kristy-and-secret-of-susan.html" target="_blank">teasing the Hobarts and Susan,</a> as well Zach having tried to bully<a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/09/bsc-37-dawn-and-older-boy.html" target="_blank"> James into being more aggro</a>, and Mel trying to rip off his own parents when <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/11/bsc-44-dawn-and-big-sleepover.html" target="_blank">trying to fundraise</a>.</li>
<li>When referencing times the girls have gotten way too competitive and let it get between them, they mention both the <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/09/bsc-36-jessis-baby-sitter_25.html" target="_blank">science fair</a> and the <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/04/bsc-15-little-miss-stoneybrooke-and-dawn.html" target="_blank">beauty pageant</a></li>
<li>Also in regards to the prank phone calls, and suspecting that it's Alan Gray, Dawn remembers the time it <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/01/bsc-2-claudia-and-phantom-phone-calls.html" target="_blank">really <i>was</i> Alan Gray</a> haha</li>
</ul>
<li>This is the one where Ben Hobart calls Mallory a "bonzer sheila". I knew "sheila" was slang for girl. You hear that all the time whenever Australians pop up in media. But outside of this book, I had never heard the expression "bonzer sheila". Even as a child, I thought this was made up. I finally thought to ask my Australian friend about this (literally just now), and he has confirmed that "bonzer sheila" does indeed mean a hot girl... but he's also specified that no one under 50 would ever say it haha</li>
<ul>
<li>Although, if you follow that logic... someone who is 50 years old now, would have been 25 years old when the book was published. I could see 25 year olds using slang to describe hot chicks. And following that logic, Ben, being 11 years old, would totes want to use that same slang.</li>
</ul>
<li>The name "Sitter of the Month" implies that this would be an ongoing contest, with each girl having a chance to win each month. But even continuity aside (obviously this is never mentioned in the regular series), the book and the charges imply that this was a one-and-done deal. It should have been a "Sitter of the Week" contest, with someone actually winning and the sitter changing each week. That would have been interesting haha</li>
<li>Man, I never realized how much sitting was done in this book! haha I guess it makes sense, since the mystery is entirely centred around baby-sitting jobs, but it wasn't until I started doing my recap that I realized that pretty much every chapter is someone (Dawn included) baby-sitting.</li>
<li>Part of their trap is a story that Dawn is going to be home alone baby-sitting a cousin from out of town. The girls make sure to tell as many people as they possibly can, hoping that the word would get back to Mel. But with them telling everyone, wouldn't one of the parents eventually bump into Richard or Sharon, and mention how excited Dawn is to baby-sit for her "cousin", thus ruining everything?? Curse my adult logic!</li>
<li>Do we ever hear from Mel again? Is he okay??? </li>
<li>Even though my copy is second-hand (all my copies are now), this one is in really <i>really</i> good shape! It feels and looks brand new (aside from the pages being off-white). It makes me happy haha </li>
</ul>
Cassiopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859199140639142481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557311404719688711.post-42462394922234299592016-12-30T08:53:00.001-05:002016-12-30T08:53:01.925-05:00BSC #49: Claudia and the Genius of Elm Street<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51W322CZ81L._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51W322CZ81L._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="227" /></a></div>
<b>Tagline:</b> How could a <i>seven</i>-year-old make Claudia feel so dumb?<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Little Rosie Wilder is perfect at everything. She can sing and dance, she plays several musical instruments, and her I.Q. is so high, it's off the scale.<br />
<br />
So how did Claudia "C-" Kishi get stuck baby-sitting for Rosie the genius? Because Rosie is so obnoxious, no one gets along with her - not even Claudia's sister, who's a genius, too.<br />
<br />
The Baby-sitters think that Rosie needs to be taught a good lesson. But what Rosie really needs is a good friend... like Claudia.</blockquote>
Claudia is at home, gearing up to watch a documentary on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Warhol" target="_blank">Andy Warhol</a>. She laments having to sit through annoying commercials, especially this one of a little girl spilling chocolate milk on a white carpet. She had tried to tape the documentary to watch at her own leisure, but in typical fashion, messed it up. This prompts Claudia to reflect on how much of a dunce she is compared to her sister. Of course, she doesn't dwell on this too long, as she also points out that she's incredibly artistic. Inspired by the documentary, Claudia runs up to her room to start on a new art project until the Club meeting starts.<br />
<br />
At the meeting, they get a call from a new client: Ginger Wilder, who has a 7-year-old daughter named Rosie. Ginger's mother has come down with an unfortunate series of ailments, so Ginger needs to spend a few days a week helping her. Rosie has a million lessons though, so she can't come along. Mrs Wilder needs a sitter to come over three afternoons a week and essentially just be around and occasionally help Rosie with homework, while her lessons and practice will take up most of the time (the teachers all come to Rosie's place, which makes it easy on both Rosie and Claudia). Claudia is the only one free for most of the days needed, so she gets the job.<br />
<br />
Claudia's first day with Rosie is less than stellar. First she's introduced to Rosie, who seems to be a gifted automaton, barely emoting, and practicing with fervor. Mrs Wilder goes over all of the lessons and things that Rosie has, outlining the schedule for when Claudia comes over. After some intense practicing, Rosie shows off for Claudia, showing her a song-and-tap number she's doing, as well as some violin and ballet. Then she goes to do some homework, which stumps Claudia, prompting Rosie to snort derisively at her. Claudia ends up going home feeling very little.<br />
<br />
Next time, Claudia decides to treat her sitting job as a project, and vows to be cheerful, and furthermore, call Janine when Rosie needs help with homework. Rosie and Claudia help themselves to an after school snack, where Rosie continues to make Claudia feel small. Rosie is already concerned for her health and cholesterol, and while talking, Claudia figures out that Rosie was the little girl from the carpet commercial, prompting Rosie to say that that's her college fund. Claudia knows nothing of nutrition and cholesterol, and she certainly hasn't thought about college tuition yet. Before her lessons, Rosie needs help with science homework, so Claudia recruits Janine. She zones out while the two of them talk science, but when Janine goes to leave, Claudia remarks that not even Janine could relate to Rosie. Rosie goes on to her lessons, while Claudia stays hidden, drawing. As Claudia draws, she can hear the lessons, and she realizes that damn, they're hella intense and that Rosie's teachers are really pushing her. It makes Claudia feel bad for Rosie, especially after the lessons when Rosie is all flush and her voice is all hoarse. Rosie asks to see Claudia's drawings, which sparks some hope for Claudia. However Rosie declines an invitation to sit and draw, instead running away to hide in her room.<br />
<br />
Stacey and Jessi both take a turn at sitting for Rosie, which is pretty awful for both of them. Stacey is forced to read a script to help Rosie do an audition, and Jessi thought she'd be able to bond with Rosie over their love of ballet, but instead has to ask Janine over to help with homework. Rosie questions Janine's intelligence, causing mild-mannered, shy Janine to snap. Rosie then snaps at Jessi, stating that she only wants to see Claudia from now on. At their Club meetings, the girls reflect that Rosie doesn't seem to love all the things she does, that she seems more like an overworked machine than a little girl. This causes Claudia to feel sympathy for Rosie.<br />
<br />
At another sitting job, Rosie is yet again being bratty, asking Claudia things Claudia doesn't know, and then questioning her about it. Finally Claudia snaps and tells Rosie that she won't play her games anymore. So while Rosie continues her homework in silence, Claudia continues to draw. Eventually, Rosie starts drawing, and Claudia notices that Rosie's got a lot of talent. She's about to say something when Rosie's father unexpectedly comes home. Rosie quickly hides her drawings, prompting confusion from Claudia.<br />
<br />
After another sitting job, where Claudia witnesses Rosie's parents treating her like a performer (and themselves like managers) instead of a child, and Rosie having a meltdown, Claudia takes Mary Anne to the elementary school to watch Rosie participate in a crossword puzzle competition. There, the children are horrible to Rosie, but Mary Anne and Claudia manage to cheer her up. Upon returning home, Claudia and Rosie decide to unwind by drawing, only to be caught by Rosie's parents. Rosie's parents chastise Rosie for wasting her time, and Rosie throws another fit and storming off to her room. Claudia decides to talk to Rosie's parents, letting them know how talented Rosie is. Of course, this doesn't quite pan out the way she wants, as it prompts the Wilders to start thinking about fancy art studios and schools and lessons they can start enrolling Rosie in. Claudia realizes now why Rosie hid her art: Rosie figured that her parents would try to turn it into a new career path, and suck all the fun out of it. Claudia tells Rosie that her parents are okay with the art thing, but that Rosie should probably explain to her parents that she's tired of doing everything to the extreme all the time. Eventually, Rosie does, and she cuts back on her activities, settling on the three things she likes best: math club, violin and art.<br />
<br />
The subplot in this one is that after watching her documentary on Andy Warhol, Claudia is inspired to do a series of pop-art portraits of her favourite subject: junk food! Eventually the girls decide that Claudia should do an art show, to display her art. They help her to clean out the garage and turn it into a gallery. Because of her newfound talents in art, Claudia invites Rosie to display some of her stuff too. Things start off fairly well, with many neighbours and charges coming to see the art show. Of course, we can't have things go too well, and soon Alan Gray shows up. At first, he just makes "witty" comments to Claudia, but eventually Claudia finds out that he's quickly creating sketches and doodles of crude things and posting them alongside her art. Claudia gets mad and tells him off, sending Alan on his way. Alan's departure is all too easy, as Claudia then discovers that he's left wads of chewing gum all over the place. Kristy vows revenge, and the girls quickly get things cleaned up and settled. Claudia even sells two of her paintings! <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/11/bsc-44-dawn-and-big-sleepover.html" target="_blank">Ms Besser</a>, from the elementary school buys one, as does Kristy's stepfather Watson.<br />
<br />
<b>Random Thoughts</b>:<br />
<ul>
<li>This one is ghostwritten by Peter Lerangis. I've come to notice that he doesn't make Claudia as stupid as the other ghostwriters do. She definitely struggles in school and with retaining knowledge and academic pursuits, but he also makes sure to highlight her artistic endeavors and her general observations and brightness. Case in point: she watches a documentary on Andy Warhol, and while she says that the documentary itself is boring, Andy Warhol isn't, and is actually inspired by his art style.</li>
<li>I remember reading this one often as a kid. I enjoyed it well enough now.</li>
<li>Although, I do have a bone to pick about calling Rosie a "genius". I don't her IQ is ever really mentioned in the book. While yes, she's clearly very bright and has a natural affinity for things, she's mostly <i>talented</i> and disciplined and well-trained. I feel like if she was a "genius" she'd be innovative and creating her own things, or not needing lessons or whatever.</li>
<li>Also: the description on the back of the book totally sucks. Claudia gets stuck with Rosie because she was the only sitter available for the majority of the days the Wilders needed. Also also: the Club never thinks Rosie needs a good lesson. They find her trying, but generally agree that she's probably not very happy and/or is insecure.</li>
<li>Some of what Rosie makes fun of Claudia for is for random trivia, like knowing whether or not foxes hibernate. I was <i>pretty sure</i> upon reading this that foxes don't hibernate, but I dunno if I was willing to fight to the death over it, because I honestly have not had to think about foxes and hibernation since elementary school science. That's why shows like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Are_You_Smarter_than_a_5th_Grader%3F_(U.S._game_show)" target="_blank">Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?</a> piss me off, because it's all dependent on knowledge that is freshly learned in elementary school, but largely unnecessary in real-life. Unless of course, you study foxes and/or animal hibernation habits... or are an elementary school teacher haha</li>
<ul>
<li>In case you were wondering: Foxes do <i>not</i> hibernate! </li>
<li>However, Rosie does criticize Claudia's spelling, which is totally valid. Reading, writing and basic math are all skills that everyone needs, should learn, and should attempt to hone.</li>
</ul>
<li>In a bit of continuity, Claudia references the time when she studied under <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/11/bsc-super-special-6-new-york-new-york.html" target="_blank">Mackenzie Clarke</a>!</li>
<li>I also love how the girls are realistically portrayed in this book. They want to help Claudia with her art show, but bicker and get cranky when making invitations and doing cleaning because it's not fun nor is it going particularly well</li>
<li>Alan Gray is the worst in this one though. The worst. He's why boys suck haha Now I'm all bitter that he and Claudia eventually end up dating... even though that happens a billion years later, after repeating the 8th grade a million times and apparently slowly maturing over these years haha</li>
<li>This book really made me want Doritos and Milk Duds. I want some now. Sadly, the weather is terrible, so I had it in my head to spend the day indoors, being cozy, warm and reading haha</li>
<li>I know Claudia is talented and what not, but how the fuck does she, in the span of like, one month, sketch, draw and paint enough portraits of junk food to have an entire <i>art show</i>?? She'd need at least 6 to make it worthwhile. That's about one a week. And that's being generous. That's also whilst baby-sitting and attending school. Either Claudia did a <i>really </i>shitty job, and everyone is just humoring her, or... no, really, that's the only option. I honestly don't see how it's physically possible for her to turn out a minimum of 6 paintings in a maximum of 6 weeks, whilst still living her life haha god piss and my adult logic and reasoning!!!</li>
<li>I've always wondered what would happen if a sitter was needed during a Club meeting. Because sitting jobs are always vaguely described, you can just kinda pretend that none of the jobs featured in the books happen to coincide with meetings. EXCEPT FOR THIS ONE. Ginger clearly states that she needs a sitter Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, from after school until about 8pm. THAT'S CLEARLY DURING FRIDAY'S MEETING. There's even a chapter where Claudia says it's Friday, she picks Rosie up from school, and then mentions going for a walk together at 6:30! But the fact that the sitting job and the meetings overlap is never addressed!</li>
<ul>
<li>Furthermore: if I was Claudia's parents, I'd be like, "Wtf, no, you can't baby-sit from 3:30 to 8:30pm three days a week. When are you planning on doing your homework??" I mean yes, because of all of Rosie's lessons (that don't involve Claudia having to do anything), Claudia could theoretically do her homework then. But Claudia is notorious for skipping homework or needing help with it, plus her grades are so tenuous to begin with. I would not trust her to use her time responsibly and to stay on top of things. (In fact, us readers know that Claudia spends most of the time drawing!)</li>
</ul>
<li>The Wilders are horrible parents. They've scheduled every minute of this poor girl's life, turning every single talent or interest into a career path, parading her around to auditions and shows and various other things to show her off. I'm not surprised Rosie is the least bit bratty. She's either repeating things her parents have taught her, used to interacting with others only in a performance setting (other children are competition/distractions, adults are to be impressed), or she's incredibly stressed or under pressure. I don't want to say that the Wilders are abusive... but there's definitely something wrong about the way they treat their daughter. I shudder to think how Rosie would have turned out if Claudia hadn't encouraged her to say anything to her parents. Hell, we <i>still </i>don't know how Rosie turns out! For all we know, her parents quickly revert back to their old ways</li>
<ul>
<li>Apparently Rosie is featured in two other books, but they're both books I actually haven't read. But still! Those would still be two books theoretically only "later this year". Again, who knows how they'd be when Rosie was 10 or 13 or 16 or whatever.</li>
</ul>
<li>Apparently the Wilders ask Claudia to become Rosie's art teacher, but much like <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/09/bsc-33-claudia-and-great-search.html" target="_blank">Claudia tutoring Emily Michelle</a>, this never gets mentioned again haha </li>
</ul>
<br />Cassiopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859199140639142481noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557311404719688711.post-17506358083512124902016-12-28T20:56:00.001-05:002016-12-28T20:56:37.495-05:00Random Thought...Haha I was just sitting here, going through my collection of <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/p/baby-sitters-club.html" target="_blank">Baby-Sitter Club</a> books and <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/p/sweet-valley-high.html" target="_blank">Sweet Valley</a> books (got a few I was missing for Christmas), thinking about how this all started. Like, when I first started reading the books. I don't remember what my first Sweet Valley book was (although I know it was one of the <i>Sweet Valley Kids</i> books), but I'm <i>pretty sure</i> my first <i>Baby-Sitters Club</i> book was Super Mystery #2 <u>Baby-Sitters Beware!</u>. It wasn't my first AMM book (I had been reading the <i>Little Sister</i> series for ages by then), but it was my first <i>Baby-Sitters Club</i> book, which then got me reading the rest of the series.<br />
<br />
I remember picking it up because I was perusing the slightly older section of my local library for a change, and the cover and title got my attention. I don't remember my library having the world's greatest selection of books, but it had enough, because I've read most of the <i>Baby-Sitters Club</i> books.<br />
<br />
But that was the public library. I know my school library had a bunch of <i>Baby-Sitters Club</i> books, but oddly enough, my most vivid image of my school library is of the <i>Sweet Valley High</i> shelf. I remember seeing those books (my school library had the larger hardcover library editions) and thinking, "Those are for older kids. Way older than me." haha<br />
<br />
As such, I didn't end up reading any <i>Sweet Valley High</i> books until I was in high school (and by then, I was reading them for shits and giggles and fun frivolous beach reading 'cause I could get them for a 1$ each at the used bookstore near my house). I had read tons of <i>Sweet Valley Twins</i>, and of course, all the <i>Baby-Sitters Club</i>. But not <i>Sweet Valley High</i>. Those were TOO HARDCORE!<br />
<br />
Funny the memories that stick with you hahaCassiopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859199140639142481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557311404719688711.post-90560444704871775352016-12-20T10:22:00.000-05:002016-12-20T10:22:17.575-05:00BSC #48: Jessi's Wish<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51%2BI7XxXnqL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51%2BI7XxXnqL.jpg" width="220" /></a></div>
<b>Tagline:</b> Do wishes really come true?<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
When Jessi volunteers to help supervise the Kids Can Do Anything Club, she meets nine-year-old Danielle. Danielle has a beautiful smile and a great sense of humor. But Danielle is no ordinary little girl. She has cancer.<br />
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Jessi never met anyone like Danielle before. Even though she is very sick, Danielle is courageous and hopeful. She even has two wishes. The first is to go to Disney World. The second is to graduate from elementary school. Jessi knows she has to be strong for Danielle, and so she makes a very special wish of her own.</blockquote>
Jessi's chilling at home, watching her brother Squirt, when Becca comes home from school. She's super sad because one of the teachers who helps to run the Kids Can Do Anything Club (Kids Club) at school is going away for a bit, and the other teacher doesn't think he can run the club alone. That means that the club will have to disband until further notice. Jessi knows how much the club means to Becca, as well as a few other kids, and decides that she wants to help out. She decides to propose to the Club that they should spend the month volunteering on various projects. The girls agree, and with their blessing, Jessi goes and talks to Mr Katz (the remaining teacher) about helping out with the Kids Club.<br />
<br />
At her first meeting, Jessi learns that the kids have just finished up organizing a toy drive for the local hospital. That day, Mr Katz shows them all the letters the kids from the hospital have written to them, thanking them for the donations. One of the letters turns out to be a from a girl named Danielle Roberts, who used to be in the club, but has been spending that school year in the hospital fighting cancer. Danielle writes that she's coming back soon, and although she's bald and looks different, she's excited to see everyone again. The kids are excited, and reasonably subdued, and decide to spend the afternoon writing back to the kids in the hospital.<br />
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Danielle comes back for the next Kids Club meeting. Everyone's excited, but something seems a little off. As Danielle stars talking to them, and telling them what she's been up to, Jessi realizes that it's mostly the third graders hanging around Danielle. Eventually Jessi comes to the conclusion that the older kids, who knew and remember Danielle before the cancer, are frightened of her and for her, seeing her look so radically different from before. But Danielle is just happy to be out of the hospital and keeps her hopes up. As the kids continue to write letters to the hospital, Jessi gets to know Danielle, and wants nothing more than to help her and for her to get better.<br />
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The girls have an informal Club meeting, to catch up with each other on their volunteer work. There, Jessi tells everyone about Danielle, and how Danielle wishes she could go to Disney World. Mary Anne tells Jessi of an organization called Your Wish Is My Command, that works to grant wishes of sick children. Jessi thinks it's a great idea, and looks into it for the Roberts' and lets them know about it.<br />
<br />
Over the next little while, Jessi gets to know Danielle better, especially through Becca, who has quickly become one of Danielle's closest friends. The other 4th and 5th graders are still being weird about Danielle, so she mostly hangs out with Becca and Charlotte (who are 3rd graders). Danielle comes over to play and the girls have all sorts of fun, although Danielle does tire easily and has to take things slow. Jessi and the girls also go to Danielle's place for a BBQ, where Jessi meets Danielle's little brother Greg, who is clearly having a hard time dealing with his sister's illness. It makes Jessi want to send their family to Disney World even more.<br />
<br />
Finally one day, at Kids Club, Danielle gets the news that her wish has been granted, and that her family will be going to Disney World! She'll be missing 3 days of school, and they'll take a plane, and everything will be covered. The kids are so excited that they stop being weird and careful around Danielle. That's when they notice that Danielle's hair is starting to grow back! Everyone is so happy and excited that they neglect the popcorn machine, and a big mess is made. But Jessi and Mr Katz don't care, because again, HAPPY!!!<br />
<br />
We're then treated to a chapter of Becca and Jessi helping Danielle pack, followed by several postcards from Disney World. It seems like everything is working out for the best. The other teacher is due back any day, and Jessi, although excited to get back to baby-sitting, will miss working with the Kids Club.<br />
<br />
However, things take a turn for the worse: one day, Danielle's not in school. She's had a relapse in her recovery, and is in the hospital again. The kids are all upset, and decide to write Danielle letters. Jessi writes her one too, and soon gets a reply. Danielle isn't sure when she can leave the hospital again, but she's hopeful: after all, she got to go to Disney World, so wishes really do come true.<br />
<br />
The subplot in this one is that the girls decide to spend the month doing volunteer work, inspired by Jessi's work. They decide that whoever is free will go to meetings, and they'll just have to be extra careful of scheduling jobs and rely on Logan and Shannon more. For some of the girls, their volunteer work is only mentioned in passing, but others have entire chapters (instead of baby-sitting ones):<br />
<br />
<u>Claudia</u> volunteers to help out with an after-school art class at a community centre. As luck would have it, several of their baby-sitting charges are in the class, including Jackie Rodowsky, Margo Pike and Karen Brewer. The chapter we're treated to is them in the middle of a ceramics lesson. The kids are making sculpture out of clay, which will then be glazed and fired. Karen is making a forest with animals and stuff, and somehow she manages to convince everyone that her sculpture is alive, getting the kids all riled up and stuff. Claudia manages to get her to stop by "expressing sadness" that Karen's sculpture will never be finished, since obviously you can't glaze and fire something that's alive. So Karen quickly retracts her comments and insists that her sculpture is just a sculpture.<br />
<br />
<u>Kristy</u> decides to volunteer at a daycare centre that David Michael used to go to. It runs all day, with an after-school program for older kids. Her chapter is her first day there, where she wanders from room to room, helping out where needed. She helps some of the older kids with their homework, she helps the little kids with some finger painting and snacks, but eventually she ends up with the wee little babies. They're short-staffed, and Kristy finds herself saddled with one baby in particular, Joy. Apparently Joy is very fussy and never settles or likes anyone, so obviously she's in love with Kristy and everyone is in awe of Kristy's baby-powers. Kristy then decides that she'll spend the remainder of the month volunteering in that room, and we hear more about how much she loves Joy.<br />
<br />
<u>Dawn</u> volunteers at the Baker Institute, which is in Stamford. They provide after-school activities, as well as physical therapy, for children with physical disabilities. Dawn rides on the van with other Stoneybrook kids after school. There, she meets a girl named Kendra, who is wheelchair bound because of cerebral palsy. Kendra wants to be a writer, and we're treated to an afternoon of her writing, along with other kids. When Dawn tells Jessi about Kendra, Jessi reflects on how Kendra is completely wheelchair bound and will never get better, but she thinks about what she wants to be when she grows up and long-term goals; whereas Danielle has a chance to make a full recovery and be completely healthy again, but only thinks about making it through elementary school.<br />
<br />
<u>Mary Anne</u> volunteers to help out with some friends of her father's. They have a little boy named Frankie, who has brain damage. Mary Anne helps his parents and his therapists do exercises with him, as well as just generally helping out around the house and with his two siblings.<br />
<br />
<u>Stacey</u> volunteers to mentor kids who are recently diagnosed with diabetes. She's paired up with two kids, an 8-year-old boy named Gordon and a 10-year-old girl named Charmaine. Gordon asks all sorts of questions and is handling things really well, but Charmaine is in total denial. At first, Stacey tries to be a perfect role model for her, but eventually decides to come clean and admit how hard it is for her to follow her diet as well. That changes everything with Charmaine, and she starts taking things more seriously.<br />
<br />
<u>Mallory</u> volunteers with an after-school park program, where the counselors hang out in the park and organize games and activities for the kids.<br />
<br />
<b>Random Thoughts:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>I love how this is <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/04/bsc-16-jessis-secret-language.html" target="_blank">another</a> <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/06/bsc-22-jessi-ramsey-pet-sitter.html" target="_blank">example</a> of Jessi just doing something because she wants to, and having her own ideas. Yeah, she wants to run it by Kristy and the girls to see what they think, but I get the feeling she would have done something even without their approval. I mean, really, the only thing she's running by them is the idea that they <i>all</i> do some volunteer work. I think if they had said no, she still would have done her own thing.</li>
<li>Kristy in the later books would never suggest that the girls take an entire month to do some volunteering! haha</li>
<li>Fun fact: sometimes I end up covering for the visual arts teacher at school, and for some reason, I've ended up covering several lessons during the ceramics unit over the years, so I've actually become decently versed in how to do ceramics. The school even has a small kiln, so the students' work gets glazed and fired too! My first year there, I made a small sculpture from some leftover clay. I then missed the end of the unit, but the students glazed my sculpture for me. Sadly, it never got in the kiln. Probably for better: I didn't crosshatch one section when attaching it to the main part, so it didn't end up sticking so well, so it kinda fell apart after some time =( haha</li>
<li>Even with getting to skip the line, there is no way they were able to do Disney World in just 2 days. Then again, it's better than nothing. I wonder what they saw. They probably just went to Magic Kingdom and Epcot, and had like, a special meet-and-greet dinner. Fuck, now I want to go back to Disney and eat their food. They've got awesome food. (Mostly because I don't have to prepare it haha)</li>
<li>I know Danielle is the focus of another book later in the series, but between this one and that one, do we ever hear about her again? Is she mentioned in passing in any of the other Jessi books? I really want to re-read the other Danielle book <i>now</i>, just to see what Jessi has to say. You'd think with Danielle being such great friends with Becca, we'd hear about her more.</li>
<li>The volunteering thing was only supposed to be a month, with Jessi herself doing Kids Club for like... 6 weeks? AMM keeps starting chapters with "one day" or "later that week" and other vague things, so it makes it feel like so much time passes!</li>
</ul>
<br />Cassiopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859199140639142481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557311404719688711.post-84646465628119054432016-12-15T11:15:00.001-05:002016-12-15T11:16:53.774-05:00BSC #47: Mallory on Strike<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Tagline:</b> How could Mallory ever get tired of baby-sitting?<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<br />
Mallory couldn't imagine not being in a big family like hers. There's always someone to do things with, and she likes to help take care of her younger brothers and sisters.<br />
<br />
But now Mallory's working on an important writing project, and she needs peace and quiet. So why won't everyone leave her alone? Nicky needs help tying his shoes, Claire wants a sandwich, and soeone has to break up the fight among the triplets.<br />
<br />
Mallory feelings like a baby-sitting <i>slave</i>.<br />
<br />
And there's only one thing to do: This Baby-sitter is going on strike!</blockquote>
<br />
Mallory is at school and is sitting in a special creative writing class. She's especially happy and excited because her teacher just announced a special writing contest that will culminate in a celebration called Young Author's Day. It's in 4 weeks, and Mallory knows she just has to win! She wants to win the Best Overall Fiction for the Sixth Grade category. Mallory rushes home, intending to get all of her homework done and out of the way that afternoon, so that when she gets home from her Club meeting, she can dedicate the whole weekend to coming up with the perfect story.<br />
<br />
Things quickly go awry for Mallory though. Upon getting home, she discovers the triplets terrorizing Claire, who for some reason is under the impression that their mother is kidnapped. Mallory gets the boys to go outside, but then has to take Claire around to find their mother. Instead, they find Margo, who has gotten into all the make-up. Mallory manages to hand Claire and Margo off to Vanessa, but no sooner has Mallory sat down before Nicky comes bursting into her room, having lost their pet hamster Frodo in the house. Mallory helps him search, and the next thing she knows, it's 5:15 and time for the Club meeting. Feeling overwhelmed, Mallory heads to the meeting, having not done any of her homework. There, she has to turn down a 4-Saturday job with the Hobarts, because she wants to be able to concentrate on her writing. Mallory feels like she's letting the Club down.<br />
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Mallory's weekend doesn't get any better. She wakes up especially early, with the intent on finishing all her homework and then spending the rest of the weekend working on her novel. Two hours later, she's all finished, just in time for breakfast. She helps her mom to serve the family, and then kicks Vanessa out of their room so she can work. However, her parents soon need her to help baby-sit for half an hour while they go check out a yard sale. Although they are true to their word and are only gone for half an hour, the rest of the day doesn't go much better for Mallory. She's constantly disrupted and disturbed, never having more than half an hour at a time to settle in. 6 hours later, all she has to prove for her efforts is a single sentence.<br />
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At school, Mallory feels awful because she hasn't gotten much done on her story. Her teacher seems disappointed as well, making Mallory feel worse. She decides to set up a schedule for herself, allotting specific time for homework and specific time for writing. Unfortunately, she keeps getting interrupted and doesn't much get to adhere to the schedule. Finally, it's Friday afternoon, and to Mallory's delight, she's left alone all afternoon. She gets a solid 2 hours of writing done, but loses track of time and is late to a Club meeting. After turning down two jobs, the Club asks her what's wrong, and she explodes, explaining that she's really stressed, under pressure and doesn't have enough time for her writing. The Club is sympathetic, although Kristy expresses displeasure at Mallory having turned down jobs. This makes Mallory feel even worse.<br />
<br />
She then has a job with the Barretts, something that had been scheduled before the writing contest was announced. The kids are driving her crazy and while she's trying to help out Marnie (who's only a baby), Buddy and Suzy knock over a bag of flour in the kitchen. Which wouldn't be too bad, except before Mallory can really stop them, they decide to mop up with water, creating a bigger mess. Then Suzy lets the dog in, and it's more than Mallory can handle. She tells them that enough is enough, she'll clean up the mess. While she's doing that, Buddy asks if he can ride his bike, and Mallory says sure, as long as he takes the dog with him. Then Suzy takes Marnie away to go clean up. Just as Mallory is getting a handle on things and putting stuff away, she hears a cry from outside. Buddy's gotten tangled up in his bike, and has cut the bottom of his foot. Turns out that since Mallory wasn't there to supervise and tell him instructions exactly, Buddy decided to go bike riding without any shoes. In the moment, Mallory handles it well, and Mrs Barrett soon returns, but overall Mallory feels terrible for being such a bad and irresponsible baby-sitter.<br />
<br />
Enough is enough. At the next Club meeting, Mallory asks to be demoted to associate member. If Kristy won't let her, then she'll outright quit. The Club is flabbergasted, and the girls all try to talk Mallory out of it. She won't budge though. Mallory is at the end of her rope, and it's time she starts taking a stand! Kristy tells Mallory to take time off for the next two weeks (which is when the writing contest is over), and says that if after the writing contest is done and everything has settled, if Mallory still wants to quit, they'll let her. Mallory agrees, and heads home from her last meeting for awhile.<br />
<br />
It's Saturday again, and there's only one more week left to finish her story. Mallory is all set for a day of work, when she realizes that she probably won't get much (or any) done. She then decides to go on strike. She tells her whole family off and locks herself in her room. Her parents, true to their word that they won't disturb her, then hire Mary Anne and Dawn for a last minute baby-sitting emergency. When Mary Anne goes to check on Mallory, she finds out what happened, Mary Anne points out that although striking worked that day, Mallory's parents still don't really know how Mallory is feeling. She encourages Mallory to speak to her parents.<br />
<br />
So Mallory does. She tells her parents how she feels stressed and taken advantage of. Her parents apologize and decide to give her an entire day to herself: a Mallory Appreciation Day. Since Mallory made so much progress on her story, she decides to take the day immediately. The next day, she and Jessi head to the mall. They spend the whole morning there (2 hours to be exact) and then get lunch, go to a movie, and eat ice cream sundaes. At the end of it all, Mallory is feeling much better, and is even missing her siblings.<br />
<br />
Finally, the big day has arrived. It's Young Author's Day, and the middle school is host to all sorts of guest speakers and workshops. Mallory has a blast, and of course wins first place in the Best Overall Fiction for the Sixth Grade category. Everything is perfect. To make it all up to her siblings, she takes them on their own special day, and all is right in the world. Mallory decides that she could never ever quit baby-sitting.<br />
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There's no subplot in this one. Instead, the chapters of baby-sitting are dedicated to the Club sitting for Mallory's siblings, and reflecting on Mallory's situation. Jessi has to look after Margo and Claire while Mallory goes to the orthodontist, and the rest of the kids go shoe shopping. Margo and Claire are mad at Mallory because she won't play with them and is crabby. Jessi tries to get them to work out their feelings, but it ends with them making a mean play about Mallory, which obviously upsets her.<br />
<br />
At some point Kristy gets a chapter, where she feels like she gets a taste of what Mallory must face. She was planning on going shopping with Mary Anne when her parents suddenly need her to baby-sit due to an emergency. It's raining outside, and the kids are all cranky. David Michael invited a friend over, and Kristy is less than pleased to now be stuck with <i>five</i> kids. However, his friend's parents aren't too pleased to find them at home without an adult, and decide not to let him stay. They instead invite David Michael over. However, since this friend is new, and Kristy knows that their parents haven't met him or his parents, she decides that it'd be best not to let DM go over either. This sets him off and he storms up to his room. The remaining three kids aren't much better, with the cat eating their lunch and Andrew dropping a glass and shattering it. Suddenly, Kristy feels a lot more sympathetic to Mallory's plight.<br />
<br />
<b>Random Thoughts:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>This one has TWO ghostwriters! Jahnna Beecham and Malcolm Hillgartner</li>
<li>Right in the beginning, Mallory describes her family (herself included!) as having <a href="https://www.google.ca/search?noj=1&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=chestnut+brown+hair&oq=chestnut+brown+hair&gs_l=img.3..0l10.1172303.1175032.0.1175444.19.14.0.4.4.0.240.1677.0j7j3.10.0....0...1c.1.64.img..6.13.1461...0i67k1.lEUqzPUEPDs" target="_blank">chestnut brown hair</a>! From what I can tell, that's a dark brown with some reddish overtones. Definitely a brown, and not a red. Then why is Mallory always drawn and described as a redhead???</li>
<li>Mallory's parents are horrible. They just take advantage of her. It's not even like she wants to be left alone to hang out with friends. As we know, before she <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/03/bsc-14-hello-mallory.html" target="_blank">met Jessi</a>, she didn't even <i>have </i>any friends! She said she never needed them/got a chance to know them because she was always so busy with her family!</li>
<li>That being said, I don't know why Mallory didn't just go to the school library or the public library right after school. She could've gotten 2 hours of solid, uninterrupted work time in. It's not like her parents could be like, "No! You have to come home and fix Nicky's finger and play with Claire, and make a snack for Margo, and mediate the triplets!!!" Even they would realize how ridiculous that sounded. It's easy to lose track of how many random and meaningless tasks they're asking of her when they do it in the moment when she's around. I mean, it wouldn't have solved anything in the long-run, but as a short-term solution, there's merits.</li>
<li>I hope the writing contest was opened to the whole school. They made it seem like only the writing club would be participating, and that's only 10 members! I'd like to think that there's a writer out there who's better than Mallory, but doesn't have the time or patience or need for the club haha </li>
<li>I find it hard to believe that the Pikes would let Mallory cut up their family photos to create a collage for book cover. I know that with the negatives, you can get re-prints done, but I remember as a child my parents being super strict about family photos. We always got doubles of everything, and anything I wanted to take to school or use for a school project, it had to be a photo we had a double of, and even then, I had to take very good care of it and not do anything permanent to it. I'm definitely glad that digital photos exist now, so I can print and re-print photos all I want for all my art project needs haha</li>
<li>I'm glad that Kristy was able to sympathize with Mallory, but one inconvenienced afternoon is nothing compared to what Mallory puts up with. Mallory's family is <i>always</i> 6 younger siblings, and they live in a regular-sized house, where everyone has to share rooms. Kristy's family may be large, but they live in a mansion, where everyone gets their own bedroom, even Karen and Andrew who only live there some of the time. Furthermore, even with Karen and Andrew around, Kristy only has 4 younger siblings, and most of the time, it's really only 2. The rest of the household is older, meaning there's always 5 people to share in the child-rearing duties. That's 6 baby-sitting aged people (Kristy plus her older siblings, plus the adults) for at most 4 children. As opposed to Mallory's family, which is 3 baby-sitting aged people for 6 children.</li>
<li>This book, plus a few comments from one of my students, plus some new reviews on an old fanfic I wrote a few years ago, really make me miss writing. Maybe in the new year I can set up a schedule and get back into it. I need time to read, to write, to crochet and to run haha</li>
<li>I know they say to write what you know, but Mallory's story is a bit too on the nose: it's about a girl who feels neglected by her parents. Her older sister is an academic star, but her younger brother is a troublemaker, leaving her caught in the middle. Oddly enough, it does sound exactly like the kind of novel you'd find in an elementary school library haha</li>
</ul>
Cassiopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859199140639142481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557311404719688711.post-56513910581427814802016-12-10T08:50:00.000-05:002016-12-10T08:50:16.994-05:00BSC Mystery #1: Stacey and the Missing Ring<br />
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<b>Tagline: </b>Stacey has to find that ring - or business is over for the Baby-Sitters Club!<br />
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Stacey is <i>shocked</i> when a new family accuses her of stealing a valuable ring from them when she was baby-sitting. Stacey would never take anything from anyone! </blockquote>
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Even worse for the Baby-sitters, the Gardellas are threatening to tell their other clients about the missing ring. </blockquote>
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Will everyone in Stoneybrook think the Baby-sitters are stealers? Not if Stacey can help it. She's going to find out what happened to that ring!</blockquote>
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The book opens up with Stacey having a nice Saturday with her mom. Her mom makes Stacey her favourite breakfast, blueberry pancakes, and then they spend the morning cleaning the house. They're listening to her mom's favourite songs, and generally having a great time. So great a time, that Stacey decides now's the time to broach a sensitive subject: Stacey wants a ring. But not just any ring. She wants a real ring. Real jewelry. Of her birthstone. The only problem is, Stacey's birthstone is a diamond. Understandably, Mrs McGill is upset and refuses to buy Stacey a diamond ring. Their morning soured, Stacey then goes to the mall with the Club.<br />
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At the mall, Stacey drags her friends around to the jewelry store, and again expresses a desire for a diamond ring. Stacey expects friends to all be on her side, but they're all skeptical of any of them owning such an extravagant item. Stacey's a little miffed, but lets it go. Overall, the girls all have a great time at the mall.<br />
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A few days later, a Club meeting, the girls get an exciting call: a new client! Mrs Gardella has a regular nanny, but she's currently out of town on a family emergency, so Mrs Gardella needs a baby-sitter to come over a few nights to watch their baby. Stacey gets the first job.<br />
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Stacey gets there and immediately is charmed and befuddled by the Gardellas. They're clearly super rich, with a nice house and fancy things, but they're also really friendly and down to earth. Mrs Gardella answers the door in an evening gown, wearing diamond earrings and a diamond necklace, but is very welcoming, even picking up the cat, despite getting covered in cat fur. The thing that throws Stacey off the most is the fact that they talk about their dog (Bird) and their cat (Mouse) more than their actual baby (Tara). Stacey meets the dog and the cat and all their dietary and care instructions long before she actually sees the baby. Soon, the Gardellas leave for their dinner party, and Stacey is left alone. It's a pretty easy night for Stacey, and she's happy for the money.<br />
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The next morning, Stacey is awoken by her mom at her bedroom door. Being Saturday morning, Stacey is less than pleased at being disturbed at the crack of dawn. She tells her mom to go away, but her mom tells her that it's Mrs Gardella on the phone. Immediately, Stacey wakes up and starts worrying about Tara, and then Bird and Mouse. Mrs Gardella is confused, and immediately tells Stacey that no, everyone is fine. It's her <i>jewelry</i> that isn't. Mrs Gardella goes on to explain that while she was putting on her jewelry last night, she forgot to put on her diamond ring. Now it's missing. She continues, saying that she's sure that Stacey didn't mean any harm, that Stacey probably was just trying it on, or wanted to show her friends, but now it's time for Stacey to return the ring.<br />
<br />
That's right: Mrs Gardella is accusing Stacey of stealing her diamond ring. Stacey immediately defends herself, but Mrs Gardella isn't convinced. Furthermore, she thinks it's her duty to let other people know that the Baby-Sitters Club is full of thieves, and to warn their other clients of this. Stacey is completely numb and doesn't know what to say or do.<br />
<br />
Despite the weird coincidence of a diamond ring disappearing right after Stacey mentions wanting one, her mom is immediately on her side. The Club decides to hold an emergency meeting about the situation, and the other girls are also sympathetic to Stacey's plight. They discuss what to do, but eventually decide that there's nothing they <i>can</i> do, and that they'll have to sit tight and see what happens.<br />
<br />
Over the course of the next few meetings, things are quiet. Their phone isn't ringing as much as usual, and when it does, it's mostly clients looking to cancel. Things are looking grim, and Claudia, needing money to make up for her splurging at the mall at the start of the book, is starting to get frustrated. She's baby-sitting for the Prezziosos (a job she lined-up before the missing ring fiasco), when things seem to take a turn for the worse: the Prezziosos return early. Turns out they were at a dinner party, and they ran into the Gardellas. Mrs Gardella starts telling Mrs P. about how the Club isn't trustworthy, and Mrs P, her mood ruined, decides to just leave. Of course, this means Claudia's job is cut short. Pissed off, she heads to Stacey's to vent and hang out.<br />
<br />
At least, that's what Stacey thinks she's there to do. However, it soon becomes apparent that Claudia is there to scope out Stacey's room and jewelry to look for the missing ring. Stacey is upset at the idea that her very best friend now suspects her. She decides it's time to take drastic measures. At their next meeting, Stacey decides that if they can't change Mrs Gardella's mind, maybe she can do something to make it up to her: Stacey decides to call her up, and offer her free baby-sitting services until the cost of the ring is paid off. For some reason, Mrs Gardella goes for this, but under the stipulation that the first time Stacey comes back, it's under strict supervision. So Kristy gets roped in for the sitting job.<br />
<br />
At the job, things go well and it's easy sailing for the girls, just as it was when Stacey first sat. They put Tara to bed, and settle in for an evening of just chilling and playing with the animals. They throw all sorts of toys and treats for Mouse, who "kills" them, and then takes them to a secret hiding spot. The girls follow him, and discover a whole cache of toys! They retrieve them and start the game over. Only this time, Mouse takes them to a different hiding spot. Again, the girls follow him and surprise, surprise, they find the diamond ring!<br />
<br />
When the Gardellas get home, Stacey and Kristy show them Mouse's hiding spot. Mrs Gardella is extremely grateful and apologizes to the girls. The girls are just happy to have everything all cleared up, and ask that Mrs Gardella contact their other clients and tell them the truth. Mrs Gardella then admits that she's been so busy, she hasn't had a chance to contact their other clients; running into Mrs P at the party was total luck.<br />
<br />
Sure enough, it turns out just to be a coincidence. At their next Club meeting, the phone is ringing off the hook, with various clients having been sick or out of town. Mary Anne even realizes that she had a note about some of them in the Club notebook! The Gardellas' nanny comes back, and the Gardellas let the Club know that they won't be needing their services anymore. The Club is happy: they wouldn't want to sit for them anyways. Claudia apologizes to Stacey, and everything is back to normal!<br />
<br />
There wasn't much of a subplot in this one, nor red herrings, nor other suspects. There's a brief mention of a burglar being in the Stoneybrook area, but other than a chapter of Jessi baby-sitting for her family and being paranoid, the girls don't seriously entertain the idea that the Gardellas were robbed.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Random Thoughts:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Yay!!! Our first Mystery!!! I loved the Mystery series as a child =)</li>
<li>And another one by Ellen Miles </li>
<ul>
</ul>
<li>That being said, I neither loved nor hated this book. On a scale of 1-10, I'd give it a 6 or so, tipping it slightly in favour. I have fond memories of the beginning of the book, the part about cleaning the house and blueberry pancakes particularly. I was looking forward to reading this.</li>
<ul>
<li>I also now really want blueberry pancakes. And I don't even particularly like pancakes =/// haha </li>
</ul>
<li>However, now that I've re-read it, there were a few things about it that bothered me</li>
<ul>
<li>For instance: why would the Gardellas ever agree to let Stacey sit again? For all they know, she really <i>had</i> stolen the ring, realized how much trouble this was causing her club and friends, and then offered to sit again for free, just for the chance to put back the ring and be like, "SEE?? IT WAS THERE THE WHOLE TIME!"</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Also: why the hell would you ever get Stacey a real diamond ring? Why would she think this was appropriate? When I was her age and younger, I was obsessed with my birthstone (amethyst), so I had amethyst on every single thing. Except you know what? It was probably just fake purple gemstones. And not once did I ever think of owning real jewellery with real purple (but non-amethyst) gemstones. I hope her parents buy her something with cubic zirconium haha</li>
</ul>
<li>I like how apparently the girls had lined up a job to sit for <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/05/bsc-19-claudia-and-bad-joke.html" target="_blank">Betsy Sobak.</a>.. but then the job got cancelled! I never realized how much that girl was mentioned. I guess it's because we never actually see the girls baby-sit for her again?</li>
<li>Why the fuck wouldn't the McGills just get Stacey a cubic zirconium ring, or some other fake white gemstone. She doesn't know! Something like that could easily be like, 50$. Sterling silver and cubic zirconium. It'll look great! Seriously. I know I literally just mentioned this, but it's on my mind! This whole book could have been avoided if they'd just done that on the sly and not let her know! haha</li>
<li>I really hate how much the book covers give away. As I was writing my recap, I realized, "Damn, I've written a ton already, and I'm only just getting to the missing ring <i>now</i>!". </li>
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Cassiopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859199140639142481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557311404719688711.post-7845527104232040642016-12-05T08:50:00.000-05:002017-01-09T09:45:23.683-05:00BSC #46: Mary Anne Misses Logan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/518222MJHAL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/518222MJHAL.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
<b>Tagline:</b> Nothing beats your friends. But even so...<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
It was good for Mary Anne and Logan to break up for awhile. Mary Anne has had some time to herself, and she's been having lots of fun with her friends. But now Mary Anne can't help it. She misses Logan.<br />
<br />
When she and Logan are both assigned to study their favorite author, Mary Anne thinks this is the perfect, most romantic way for them to get back together again. Until Cokie Mason, Mary Anne's mortal enemy, decides to <i>steal</i> Logan from her.<br />
<br />
Mary Anne vs Cokie: Who will Logan choose?</blockquote>
It's Thursday afternoon, and Mary Anne misses Logan. She spends the whole afternoon recapping her life and <a href="https://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/10/bsc-41-mary-anne-vs-logan.html" target="_blank">summarizing her break up with Logan</a>, before moving on to more pressing matters: a grade-wide group project about authors. MA doesn't particularly like group projects, and she's even more stressed since she could be paired up with <i>anyone</i> from the eighth grade. All in all, MA is pretty miserable.<br />
<br />
The day comes to find out their groups and who they're studying. At first, MA is delighted to see that she'll be studying Megan Rinehart, her favourite author. She gets excited for the project, but is soon crushed to see that her group is Miranda Shillaber, Pete Black... and Logan Bruno! She likes Miranda and Pete, but MA isn't sure she can work with Logan. Things get worse though, when it soon becomes evident that Miranda can't stand Pete. Upon meeting, the group is silent and awkward. They're soon rescued by Cokie Mason, who manages to convince her English teacher that she really wants to study Megan Rinehart, which leads Miranda to switch out. Poor MA now has to deal with Cokie and Logan, with only Pete as support.<br />
<br />
Things go from bad to worse, as it quickly becomes evident that Cokie only wanted to switch to the group because she wants to hit on Logan. She doesn't know anything about Megan Rinehart, doesn't care to do any of the work, and spends all of their group meetings flirting with Logan. MA misses Logan fiercely, and is all awkward around him. Soon, Cokie starts derailing things further, constantly bragging about going out with Logan every night. It's apparent that neither her nor Logan are doing any work, although Logan has at least read most of the books already.<br />
<br />
So Pete and MA take charge. The group had decided that they were going to read 4 contrasting books by Rinehart (a serious, a comedy, a mystery and a collection of short stories), then each were going to take a book and see how it relates to Rinehart's personal life and biography. When it becomes clearer and clearer that Logan and Cokie aren't working, Pete and MA decide to do their sections for them. Things come to a head though when their principal has an announcement for the school: the day the projects are due, three of the authors studied were coming to school and the groups who studied them would be presenting in front of everyone. One of the authors? Megan Rinehart, of course!<br />
<br />
Logan quickly goes into panic mode, and realizes he's effed up. He's done his part, but he knows that it needs work, so he calls up MA to get her help. At first MA is incredulous, thinking that he wants her to do it for him (which she already did), but soon realizes that he wants to make sure it matches what she and Pete did. Over the next couple of days, they work really hard and pull through together. MA is exhausted, but happy.<br />
<br />
It's the day of the assembly, and MA is nervous. But Logan squeezes her hand, and reassures her that everything will be okay. They get called to the podium, and one by one, they present their assignment to the school. It quickly becomes apparent that Cokie didn't do any work. Her section consists of reading the dust jacket cover of the book she was supposed to cover. Cokie makes a fool of herself and runs off, Pete, MA and Logan get signed copies of Rinehart's latest book, and everyone's happy.<br />
<br />
As thanks for the last minute help, Logan takes MA out for dinner. There, they discuss their feelings and their break-up. MA asks about Cokie, and Logan admits that while it was nice going out to sports games and concerts (stuff that MA doesn't typically do), he overdid things with Cokie, and his grades and life started to suffer. He didn't really like her, and was just using her to get over MA. MA admits that she misses Logan, and they decide to get back together again. Yay!<br />
<br />
The subplot in this one involved the Kormans. They recently moved across town, into the Delaney's old house. The older children, Bill and Melody, aren't used to living in such a huge house. They're frightened by the sheer size of it and all the hiding places there are. Eventually, their imagination runs away with them, and they end up inventing a Toilet Monster, who they subsequently become afraid of. Over the course of the book, the girls take turns baby-sitting them, trying to get them to overcome their fear of the Toilet Monster. In the end, it seems to work.<br />
<br />
<b>Random Thoughts:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>I definitely didn't own this one as a child, but I did own <a href="https://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/10/bsc-41-mary-anne-vs-logan.html" target="_blank">#41</a>, which was one of my favourites, so this one was always one that I longed for. I did end up reading it, having borrowed it from my friend, but I think I only got to read it once or twice. Not nearly as often as I would have liked. I'm very excited to be reading this now, because although I remember the overall plot, I don't remember the details.</li>
<ul>
<li>Huh. Turns out there really isn't much to this one. And even before re-reading this one, I already knew that the cover did <i>not</i> happen in the book</li>
<li>And again, I don't read the synopsis on the back of these books before doing my re-read. This synopsis is highly inaccurate. Although she misses him, MA doesn't try to get back together with Logan, and she dreads having to work with him. </li>
</ul>
<li>I somewhat vaguely remember the Kormans, but I totes forgot that they had moved into the Delaney's old house. When the fuck did that happen??</li>
<ul>
<li>Alright, a bit of research tells me that it happened in <i>Little Sister</i> #19, <u>Karen's Good-Bye</u>, which came out a couple of months before this one.</li>
</ul>
<li>I like the continuity that Miranda doesn't like Pete. I think the bra-snapping incident happened when they were in grade 7 still.</li>
<ul>
<li>Also: for some reason, I always picture the Shillaber twins as looking like <a href="http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Sherri_and_Terri" target="_blank">Sherri and Terri</a> from <u>The Simpsons</u>, only older and not dressing identically anymore. On that note, I always picture Sherri and Terri as not having purple hair, but that it being stylized/representative of them being half-East Indian or some other Middle Eastern ethnicity. Thus, I always picture the Shillaber twins as slightly brown (but not <i>too brown</i>, since if they were full Middle Eastern, you know that would've been a big deal for white bread Stoneybrook haha)</li>
</ul>
<li>You can tell that AMM wrote this one, because Jessi's love for telling jokes is back.</li>
<li>I find it funny that of all the girls, Claudia is the one who thinks of adult authors, naming Danielle Steel and Stephen King. Again, you can tell that AMM wrote this one because Claudia's actually fairly bright in this one.</li>
<li>Also: for all the famous authors referenced in this one, it's weird that the one that MA is studying is a fictional one.</li>
<li>AMM makes it a point to note that Mallory was <i>not</i> sitting anywhere near Jessi at the Author Day assembly. Wtf does it mean?? WHY DOES THIS GO NOWHERE? WHY DON'T WE SEE MORE OF JESSI AND MALLORY AT SCHOOL???</li>
<li>As someone who is highly academic and hates having to pull dead weight on group projects, it pleases me to see that Cokie's manipulations and schemes didn't pan out.</li>
<ul>
<li>...the nerd in me also really likes this project and wants to do it myself. </li>
</ul>
<li>I kinda ship MA and Pete after this book, but I ship her with Cary Retlin more haha</li>
<li>I like that Logan has obviously changed and has improved since their break-up. During that book, he tried getting back together again with her, without even considering her feelings. In this one, Logan asks MA what she wants to do.</li>
</ul>
Cassiopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859199140639142481noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557311404719688711.post-26255265679921169252016-11-30T08:49:00.000-05:002016-11-30T08:49:02.446-05:00BSC #45: Kristy and the Baby Parade<br />
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<b>Tagline:</b> Babies on board!<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The Baby-sitters just <i>love</i> little babies. So of course Kristy has the great idea of entering a float in the Stoneybrook Baby Parade.<br />
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All the girls have to do is round up a bunch of adorable babies like Squirt and Emily, dress them in costumes, and plop them on a float. Easy, right?<br />
<br />
Wrong. The float looks like a big orange blob, the costumes are hideous, and the babies won't stop crying!<br />
<br />
S.O.S. - the Baby-sitters' float is about to sink!</blockquote>
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This book doesn't have a whole lot of plot to it. Despite it being the title, the Baby Parade isn't even a focus for awhile. The book starts off with Kristy baby-sitting for her siblings and seeing the ad about the Parade in the newspaper. She looks over at her adopted sister, Emily Michelle, and decides the Emily is just super cute and that Kristy should enter her. She doesn't get any further into that idea though.<br />
<br />
Instead, we're fast-forwarded to the Club meeting, where the girls' field a phone call from Mrs Prezzioso. Mrs P says that now that Andrea is becoming more roly-poly and active, she wants to start leaving her home with a baby-sitter. The catch? She wants the girls to take an infant care course before they can start sitting for her. The girls all think it's a great idea, and immediately sign up for it at the community centre.<br />
<br />
The girls then spend the next four weeks taking this infant care class. It's all pregnant women with their husbands, so it's kinda weird for the girls to be there, but everyone agrees that it never hurts to know more about babies. The girls of course prove their worth, Kristy being one of only two people in the class to get a perfect score. Even though Kristy has been certified as an expert, she's still not too sure if she's ready to handle the real deal.<br />
<br />
So it's now a month after the novel began, and Kristy has a regular job sitting for the Prezziosos. She's to sit for two afternoons a week for about a month. It's here where the Baby Parade finally comes up again. Mrs P has decided that she wants to enter Andrea in the individual stroller division, and she wants Kristy's help with it. Kristy isn't sure she'll have time, plus she still wants to enter Emily, and worries it'll be a conflict of interest. At a Club meeting, Kristy brings it up with the other girls, and the other girls get all excited about all the babies they could enter. That's when Kristy gets her brilliant idea: the Club should enter a float, and then that way all the babies could participate. Kristy could even help and still have time to help Mrs P, without feeling conflicted.<br />
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Right away, they're hit with snags. The girls can't decide on a float theme! Each girl has a terrible idea, and the rest of the Club tears each idea down. Eventually they decide to do "Old Woman in a Shoe". However, after that, no one really talks to each other. They each go their separate ways. Mallory is in charge of costumes and gets a great deal on some cheap fabric. The problem is, it's bright pink. Which wouldn't be too bad, except that Stacey has decided to mix up an orangey-red colour for the shoe. Claudia is building the shoe out of chicken wire, and is having problems putting it all together. Come the day of the parade, the float is a disaster: it's not very shoe-shaped, Stacey didn't mix enough paint, so not only is it a clashing orangey-red, but it's also very splotchy, and then Mallory has only just been able to make all the costumes on time, but they're hideous and look like clown suits.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Kristy's got her hands full with Andrea and Jenny P. She's put together a "royal carriage" out of Andrea's stroller, since Mrs P decided that the theme would be "Queen Andrea". However, Jenny is super-jealous and wants to be in the parade herself, even though she's too old. Kristy is stressed, and worried that if Andrea doesn't win, Mrs P will blame her.<br />
<br />
The day of the parade doesn't go much better for the Club. The float is a disaster, Kristy is dressed as the old woman and is embarrassed, Charlie Thomas is mortified to be driving the float around, the rest of the girls (who were supposed to be dressed like children) don't match, and the babies are crying. The Club ends up getting mad at each other, and storming off in a huff. At least for Kristy, Mrs P and Andrea win first prize in their division!<br />
<br />
Kristy later thinks back on the experience, and realizes that instead of working together, each girl had their own idea of how the parade and float should go, and forged ahead without consulting each other. They all meet up and apologize, citing the parade as a good learning experience.<br />
<br />
There really isn't much of a subplot in this one. I suppose Kristy helping Mrs P was supposed to be a subplot, but it really tied in well with the main plot, so yeah.<br />
<br />
<b>Random Thoughts:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>I don't remember particularly liking this one. I know I definitely owned it when I was younger, and read it a bunch of times, but yeah. I feel like I was rather indifferent. Doing my read-through now, I definitely was not looking forward to it. Why waste my time with it when I could be reading more interesting ones?? The story in this one was really basic and boring, so I decided to nitpick it and write about the random details.</li>
<li>Why wouldn't the girls have taken an infant/baby care class before now? Won't Mrs Newton be like, "OH I SEE, I GUESS YOU JUST DIDN'T CARE ABOUT LUCY!"? haha </li>
<li><b> </b>I love how the Baby-Parade is only held every two years. It explains why we haven't heard of it before, and why we'll never hear about it again haha</li>
<ul>
<li>I also love how Kristy starts off dismissing the Baby Parade as silly and stupid... but then ends up going totally crazy for it. It's like seeing Kristy's character progression from the start of the series to the end, all wrapped up in one paragraph haha</li>
</ul>
<li>I love how Dawn's technique for dealing with temper tantrums is to tuck the child into bed and then talk to them quietly until they're calmer. I'd like to see how well that would actually go over. Granted, I could see it working in a few scenarios or with a few children, but I'm seeing it fail far more than succeeding haha </li>
<ul>
</ul>
<li>Nice bit of foreshadowing in this one. Since I didn't particularly read the books in chronological order as a child, I never realized that we're introduced to the Salem twins in this one, who Mary Anne deals with in #52.</li>
<li>I always find it weird when Kristy notices guys, but I like it. Here, she becomes briefly smitten with the infant class's instructor's partner. Kristy notes how handsome he is, and how she tries not to stare. She even admits that after four weeks of the class, she still had a crush on him. That is, until she meets his kid. Suddenly, he's firmly in the "father" category, and that makes Kristy's crush on him disappear. I'm with you there, Kristy haha</li>
<li>There's a continuity error here: Jessi doesn't know what "colicky" means, but later on (like, three years later), there's Super Special #11 has an entire chapter with Jessi and how Squirt was a colicky baby.</li>
<li>Haha I just realized that I'd been skimming past the pages describing the Club members, and for the first time, my attention was called to it: Kristy mentions that it was nice seeing Mary Anne and Logan together again, and I was like, "Whoa, wait, aren't they <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/10/bsc-41-mary-anne-vs-logan.html" target="_blank">broken up</a>??" Turns out Kristy had detailed that whole saga during both the description of the members and the Club itself haha Kristy just liked seeing them get along.</li>
<li>lol there's a chapter with Jessi baby-sitting for her siblings, and she says that Squirt loves Sesame Street, especially "this little guy Elmo, who isn't on very often." Oh how the times have changed haha</li>
</ul>
Cassiopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859199140639142481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6557311404719688711.post-7289468727064663712016-11-25T08:48:00.000-05:002018-06-24T08:20:37.278-04:00BSC Super Special #6: New York, New York!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Tagline:</b> They're not sleeping till they see all of it -<br />
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<i>We </i><i><b id="docs-internal-guid-28d27f15-24dc-3c5a-a878-2212c390f1a4" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">♥ </span></b>NY!</i><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The Baby-sitters have always wanted to be sophisticated New Yorkers like Stacey. Well, now here's their chance: Stacey has invited them all to the city for a vacation!<br />
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In between shopping and seeing the sights, the Baby-sitters manage to have plenty of excitement. Jessi meets a boy ballerina, Claudia and Mallory take fancy art lessons, and Kristy makes a special friend. Dawn eats her way through the city, and Stacey and Mary Anne have a baby-sitting mystery!<br />
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-28d27f15-24dc-3c5a-a878-2212c390f1a4" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
Is New York as good as they've always dreamed?<br />
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-28d27f15-24dc-3c5a-a878-2212c390f1a4" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
<i>You bet!</i></blockquote>
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<b>Super Special Gimmick:</b> Because Claudia's the catalyst for them all going to New York, she wants to keep a journal/record of their entire trip. She says she's going to illustrate it later.<br />
<i> </i><br />
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The girls apparently have another two-week vacation, and Claudia has learned of some professional art classes that you can just sign up for and take whenever you want in New York City. She decides that she wants to spend her two weeks taking them, and stay with Stacey at her dad's place. Stacey's dad then says that any of Stacey's friends are welcomed, and the next thing you know, the whole Club is going!<br />
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<b id="docs-internal-guid-28d27f15-24dc-3c5a-a878-2212c390f1a4" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>
<u>Claudia</u> is of course taking art classes. She's very excited, because she'll be studying with McKenzie Clarke, a real professional artist. This is the first time she's taking such a formal and serious art class, and one outside of Stoneybrooke. She's disappointed though, because Mac doesn't seem to like her, and only ever has criticisms for her work, such as telling her to slow down and stop being sloppy. Eventually, Claudia finds out that the reason why he was so critical of her work is because he can see that it's good; Claudia is clearly talented, but she needs to hone that talent with focus and discipline. Claudia ends up leaving feeling better about herself and everything.<br />
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<u>Mallory</u>, who has <i>never</i> taken an art class, decides to sign up with Claudia. She wants to draw cute round things and animals and become a children's book illustrator one day, and thinks maybe taking a few art classes and lessons might help. She's dismayed to find that she's out of her league, especially compared to Claudia, but Mac encourages her and is nice. Claudia of course, hates this, and is then angry with Mallory for most of the book. Mallory decides that she's not cut out to be an <i>artist</i> in the sense that Claudia is, but that she's happy with her art abilities and that it's good enough for what she does want in life. Mallory really doesn't get much of a plot, other than to highlight Claudia's.<br />
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<u>Jessi</u> meets Quint in this one! I have no idea why, but for some reason, I thought she had met him during the regular series, at a dance school or whatever. (Although now that I think of it, I'm pretty sure I'm thinking of #115 <u>Jessi's Big Break</u>, and I know for sure she met him long before that...) Anyways, Jessi spends a lot of time with the girls going around New York, but also gets an opportunity to watch a performance of ballet. There, she meets Quint Walker, a boy dancer. Quint is apparently pretty talented (despite only taking one class a week) and is interested in auditioning for Julliard. However, the boys in his neighbourhood are jerks and tease him, and Quint isn't sure if he can handle the pressure and taking more classes. He invites Jessi to his place to watch some movies and goes on another date with Jessi. Through her encouragement, he decides to audition after all. He gets in, of course. He also gives Jessi her first kiss!<br />
<br />
<u>Dawn</u> is terrified of New York, even more so than <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/04/bsc-18-staceys-mistake.html" target="_blank">last time</a>, despite clearly having survived her last trip. She spends the first few days of the trip in Mr McGill's apartment, only leaving when the group is going out as a whole. At first, Kristy takes pity on her, but even that dries up fast. Then one day, Dawn is surprised by a knock on the door. It's a boy from the apartment below. His parents know Mr McGill, who had mentioned that his daughter would be in town. Obviously Dawn is not Stacey, but Richie doesn't seem to mind. Richie recently broke his foot and is bored out of his mind. For the first few days, he simply visits Dawn, and they sit on the fire escape and talk. Richie can't believe that Dawn is too scared to properly experience New York. That weekend, Richie gets his foot checked, and a walking cast put on. He then takes Dawn out for a day on the town, where they sample all sorts of authentic cuisine and check out the different neighbourhoods and cultures of the city. Dawn loosens up and realizes that despite the large crime rate, there's a lot of great things about New York too.<br />
<br />
<u>Kristy</u> early in the week, finds a dog in Central Park. She sneaks it back into Laine's place (where she, Jessi, Mallory and Mary Anne are staying), and tries to keep it secret, convinced that she'll be able to keep him when she gets back home. Of course, she can't, and soon Mrs Cummings discovers Sonny. She says that Kristy has the rest of her trip to find Sonny a home, or else Mr and Mrs Cummings were going to take care of it. So Kristy puts up flyers, and eventually Sonny goes to a 9 year old boy and his family who promise to take really good care of him.<br />
<br />
<u>Stacey</u> and <u>Mary Anne</u> land themselves a baby-sitting job, watching the two kids of British diplomats who were staying in Laine's building. At first, they have lots of fun taking Rowena and Alistair around the city, being completely charmed by their accents and demeanor. Eventually though, they start to notice that they're seemingly being followed by a man in a rain hat and sunglasses. Initially, Stacey and Mary Anne think they're going crazy, but eventually too many sightings lead them to believe that it's true. Since the children belong to diplomats, the girls then start to think that the kids are going to be kidnapped for ransom and all sorts of other theories. Eventually, the girls come clean to the Harringtons. The Harringtons laugh and confess that the children have a bodyguard, Bill, and that's who the girls have been seeing around. They wanted to give their children a break from constantly being under scrutiny, which was why they didn't tell Stacey and Mary Anne about him, and why he'd been wearing the hat and sunglasses.<br />
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<b>Random Thoughts:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>This one was also one of my favourites as a kid. I read it over and over. The copy I now own comes from one of my best friends, who coincidentally was purging her room of belongings at the same time that I was trying to recollect the series.</li>
<li>This one also does not have the illustrations I remember, instead having what looks like hand-drawn drawings. I could have sworn that <i>all, </i>if not<i> most</i> of the Super Specials had illustrations the way the <i>Little Sister</i> series did. Am I going crazy??</li>
<ul>
<li>Although this one has an explanation: they're supposed to be Claudia's illustrations</li>
<li>Fun fact: they're actually provided by AMM's father!</li>
</ul>
<li>I'm sad that neither the Fine Arts League of New York, nor McKenzie Clarke, appear to be real. I always like it best when the Super Specials put in some real things into the details. Especially since, you know, it's NEW YORK CITY!!! </li>
<li>I find it weird that Mr McGill is all, "Any of Stacey's friends are welcomed to come and stay!" but then they all let the entire Club come at once, housing half of the girls at Laine's, which is apparently on the other side of the city. This just sounds weird to me.</li>
<ul>
<li>The Cummings (including Laine) are pretty cool for putting up with 4 girls they don't even know. Laine has only met Kristy and Mary Anne like, twice. And I don't think she'd ever met Mallory or Jessi before. I can't see myself letting random people stay at my house for two weeks. AND THEN THEY BRING A DOG??? Clearly the Cummings are crazy. </li>
</ul>
<li>Stacey mentions that the petting zoo in Central Park only costs a dime per person, and that it <i>always </i>will haha I just looked it up. Unless I'm looking at the wrong thing, it costs 7$ for children and 12$ for adults now haha</li>
<li>Longtime fans and readers will know that the BSC uses their own brand of lingo, <i>dibble</i> (short for "incredible", I believe) and variations of it being the most common one. This one had <i>chilly</i>. I know they've used it before, but omg, it's rampant in this book in particular. I don't ever want to read about something being "chilly" ever again. Unless they're talking about ice cream haha or the weather</li>
<li>Oooooh embarrassing: I didn't realize how much this book affected me as a child. Whenever I sing "New York, New York!", I always sing "what a wonderful town!" because of Mary Anne in this book. Stacey interrupts her, and tries to correct her, but Mary Anne retorts that she'll sing it her way if she wants. If prompted and I thought about it, I would probably remember that the proper lyrics are "it's a helluva town!" I definitely don't gasp and do a double-take whenever I hear the song on the radio or TV or movies. But I also definitely by default sing it wrong now. Because of Mary Anne.</li>
<li>Just how professional are these art classes Claudia and Mallory are taking? They sound pretty loosey-goosey to me, being all drop-in/drop-out, take what you want kind of thing. They just happen to be headed by a professional artist. He doesn't really seem to teach them anything though.</li>
<li>Jessi watches a performance of <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/07/bsc-27-jessi-and-superbrat.html" target="_blank">Swan Lake</a> and another one of <a href="http://revertigobooks.blogspot.ca/2016/04/bsc-16-jessis-secret-language.html" target="_blank">Coppélia</a>. She mentions having danced in the latter, but not the former.</li>
<li>Of course Jessi would not only meet a male dancer, but an African-American one at that! Can't have inter-racial relations going on!</li>
<li>It makes sense that Mac would be so nice to Mallory: she's just 11 years old and is clearly passionate and giving it her best shot! I'm super nice to students who try their hardest and I do everything I can to encourage them. Plus Mac has a daughter, so he probably figures, "Omg little girl alone in NYC for the first time, I better keep an eye on her!"</li>
<li>I'm pretty sure Quint is too young for Julliard full-time, but I wouldn't be surprised if they had some sort of "casual" classes for younger people who are looking to get serious and go on to be professional. I think full-time Julliard students study there as post-secondary education (or as high school seniors, looking to complete their GED). Quint would be simply attending really hardcore classes, but still going to a regular middle school during the day.</li>
<li>Man, I know I must have re-read this one at some point in high school (and thus after 9/11), but it was only this time that I noticed that they make reference to the World Trade Centre:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Mary Anne was giving herself her own tour. "World Trade Center," I heard her murmur. 'Two towers, one hundred and ten stories each..."</blockquote>
<ul>
<li>You know, for someone who is always described as such an individual, Dawn sure changes quickly to impress a guy. Richie manages to convince her to eat a piece of chocolate! haha</li>
<li>When Mary Anne is worried that someone is out to get the kids, she claims to have a hold on Rowena tighter than Arnold Schwarzenegger. I lol at the reference!</li>
<li>Feeling really down about her apparent lack of artistic talent, Claudia refers to herself as an eighth grade failure. Oh Claudia... if you only knew... haha</li>
<li>How come the British people in this series are always diplomats or pseudo-royalty? They're always very polite and posh and sophisticated and charming. Where are all the lower/middle-class folks? The wankers and the blokes and the chavs and the people you'd see going on a pub crawl? haha although I suppose as children, they wouldn't really be those things... but you know, children who aren't wearing matching little sailor suits and constantly polite. I want to see some British monsters! haha</li>
<li>Stacey and Mary Anne wait too effing long to mention anything to the Harringtons. If I thought someone was following me and the kids around, I would have let it go one day... wait to see if it continued the second day... and then mentioned it on the third day. The girls ended up waiting til their last day to mention anything!</li>
<ul>
<li>On the flip side, the Harringtons are irresponsible for not mentioning anything at all in the first place. </li>
</ul>
</ul>
Cassiopeiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10859199140639142481noreply@blogger.com4