Wednesday, October 22, 2008

“We’re going to get Tigger back. The Baby-sitters Club can do anything.”….BSC # 25: Mary Anne and the Search for Tigger

Memory Reaction

I remember a scene in this book where Mary Anne and Logan are sitting outside of her house because her dad wasn’t home, but that is really all that is coming to me. I mean, I remember the end, that Logan’s sister had Tigger, but none of the real details about it.

Revisited Reaction

This book is really about Logan being an ass. I know the title suggests it is about Tigger, and the stupid cat does disappear, but really, the basic plot is about Logan being an ass. It is not even one of those times where he is a jerk and every one claims he is nice, Mary Anne actually complains about it.

But anyway, the action starts when Mary Anne leaves Tigger outside while she goes to a BSC meeting and he disappears. The BSC helps Mary Anne search, but Logan is all, “what’s the big deal?” Then later, Mary Anne says it is the worst thing that ever happened and he just tells her she’s overreacting. (And okay, he is probably right about that, but he could still be more sympathetic). Then when the neighborhood kids come around to help with the search Logan rolls his eyes and complains about being “overrun with kids.” That is actually kind of funny, but also kind of jerky behavior.

The BSC puts up fliers announcing a fabulous $30 reward. So of course, the only one who pays attention to it is a little kid who pretends he took Tigger. He sends a lame “ransom” note and tries to con Mary Anne out of some cash. The BSC tricks him into confessing, but Mary Anne is really just upset that their only lead didn’t pan out.

Anyway, after several days Mary Anne is sitting for Logan’s siblings and his little brother won’t stop sneezing – then she realizes his sister has been keeping Tigger in her closet. Mary Anne is pissed off, cause she thinks Logan knew the whole time. So, she tells him off and he gets mad. Then she apologizes and Logan says he was a jerk because he has been having trouble with the baseball team and was taking his problems out on her. He doesn’t actually apologize for being a jerk, he just makes excuses. And his bratty little sister doesn’t even get in trouble for catnapping Tigger, because…she only did it because she hasn’t made friends. So the BSC sets up a play date for her with Charolette Johanson.

High/Lowlights

  • In this book, Mary Anne says that her dad and Dawn’s mom both date other people, but I don’t remember her dad ever dating others. Dawn’s mom did, but not Mr. Spier.
  • God, I was so Mary Anne as a kid. Her dad has a rule that Logan can’t go in the house when he isn’t home. And even though she knows her dad would never know if Logan did go into the house, she just can’t bring herself to break a rule. It is kind of like when I couldn’t bring myself to put temporary streaks in my hair at summer camp.
  • Logan asks Mary Anne why she is so quiet, and she says she is thinking about how her dad treats her like a baby. Logan is all, “Again?” I’m telling you, he is a total dick.
  • Charlotte Johanssen says in this book she doesn’t have a pet, but I know she has a dog named Carrot in other books. I am not sure when he first appeared, so maybe it is not a continuity error.
  • Poor Hunter Bruno (Logan’s brother). He is not allowed to have anything in his room – no carpet, no curtains, no bedspread, very few toys – all because they want to keep it “dust free.” Have they never heard of allergy medicine? The poor kid.
  • According to Kristy there is only one thing to do when you find out someone’s pet is missing. What? Have an emergency meeting of the Baby-Sitters Club. Obviously.
  • The BSC makes a flier with pictures of Tigger, and Kristy’s mom goes to her office on a Saturday night to copy them. I know Kinkos was probably not real popular back then, but wasn’t there someplace in town with a copier? The library or something?
  • I wonder how many copies/paper Mrs. Thomas has stolen from her company with BSC fliers over the course of the series.
  • Claudia draws a picture of Tigger on the flier. But here is the dumb part: Mary Anne gives Claud a photo of Tigger to base the drawing on. But if they have a photo…why not put that on the flier?
  • Okay, this is ridiculous. Claudia is impressed that Gabbie and Myriah Perkins can sing an Elvis song. The reason? For years Claud had thought his name was “Elbow Presley.” Elbow isn’t even a real name. WHY would she think that? Claud is so, so very dumb.
  • Mary Anne decides that if Logan knew about Tigger being in his sister’s room they “couldn’t be friends anymore.” Good thing it turns out Logan was just a jerk without knowing about where Tigger was. Cause that means she can stay with him.
  • Mary Anne actually stands up to Logan temporarily, and tells him off. Then she apologizes for it later. Wimp.

14 comments:

BananaBomb said...

You're right about Carrot. On page 40 of #3, Stacey says, "Carrot is the Johanssens' schnauzer."

I'm more impressed that a five year old and a two year old know lyrics to a song that isn't "Puff the Magic Dragon."

Anonymous said...

Carrot appears in book 3, so that's just a goof.

I actually kind of felt for Kerry here - specifically, her saying that Mary Anne left a baby kitten outside to wander around alone! Shit, I wouldn't have given him back to an owner like that. Just because you have issues with your dad treating you like a baby doesn't mean your kitten is begging for independence.

nikki said...

Wouldn't Mary Anne's mother dying and leaving her half-orphaned be the worst thing that has ever happened to her? Really MaryAnne, losing your kitty is worse than that?????

zanne said...

Why did Mary Anne leave Tigger outside anyway? Yeah, good point--if they had a picture of Tigger, why not just use that?! ha!

Elbow Presley? Come on. It seems like they go out of their way to make Claudia so stupid. Her awful spelling always annoyed me.

Sada said...

Hunter can't have a BEDSPREAD? Does he just sleep on, like, a wooden board?

BSC Snarker, aka Kristen said...

Mary Anne's lame excuse for leaving Tigger outside was that he was having fun and didn't want to go in. I hope she treats the kids she baby-sits for better than that.

Anonymous said...

Actually, even though Logan's kind of an ass in this one, this is probably the only book in which he acts like a real 13-year old boy would. They are made of "so what's the big deal?"

colleenn said...

I love how the five-and-a-half- and two-and-a-half-year-olds are smarter than Claudia (even though Myriah and Gabbie totally don't act anywhere near their ages). "Elbow Presley" doesn't even make any sense... such bad writing, and this was was when Ann M. Martin was still writing them herself, right? Probably right around when she switched to ghostwriters, but I thought I read once that she wrote 1-30 on her own.

Anonymous said...

This book always stood out in my mind because it came out after the "Name your favorite BSC member". Whoever chose the favorite member got an "autographed" book from AMM. I remember opening the mailbox one day and there was a package for 10 year old me, and when I opened it up and found the book I thought I was hot stuff. I carried it with me everywhere for a while.

Elbow Presley always cracked me up :)

Anonymous said...

i was surprised to see logan act more typical 13 year old here than in the others.xD.
i hated it how at the end he is so offended and stuff, though. like you didn't give her enough reasons, douche!
i think mary anne should have made him suffer longer.

sarah said...

Charlotte Johanssen says in this book she doesn’t have a pet, but I know she has a dog named Carrot in other books. I am not sure when he first appeared, so maybe it is not a continuity error.



it is carrot was in the second book Stace was babysitting Charlotte and there is a power failure they hear i noise in the basement so they head for the door and carrot was the noise so freakin carrot is a stupid continuity error

Sue said...

I did the same thing as you at summer camp. Chickened out when all the other girls dyed their hair cause I was worried my parents would yell at me.
It's been a year since then. My hair has now been red, pink, black, blonde, and green, in addition to its natural brunette.

Sara919 said...

My heart went out to Mary Anne. As someone who lost her cat when I was just a couple years older, I can relate. Luckily my cat just got into the neighbors basement when they were moving in and they heard him a couple days later. I hated that Kerry didn't really get into trouble for kidnapping somebody's pet! Even after she discovered he belonged to her brother's gf, she still didn't do anything. Bitch. And she says took good care of him, but I don't see any evidence of this. Where was his little box? Was he going in the box he seemed to be living in and most likely where he also slept and ate? Did Kerry at least let him out so he could get exercise? I'm not getting why everyone thought she took such good care of a cat she stole. And she's rewarded for it with a new pet ? WTF?

Marianna E said...

I honestly have never heard of a kid who can’t have curtains or a bedspread because they’re allergic to dust. I do know of families who don’t have carpets or rugs in their house because the kids are allergic, but not bedspreads or curtains!