“I had no idea what a sitting job inew neighborhood would really mean”…..BSC # 11: Kristy and the Snobs

Memory Reaction

For some reason, what really sticks in my head from this one is the funeral they had for Kristy’s dog. And I remember how they made this huge deal out of Stacey using “reverse psychology” and even remind people of it in later books. Because whenever I hear the term, or see an example of it I think of the BSC.

Revisited Reaction

This book starts out a few weeks after Kristy has moved into Watson’s “mansion.” She is predisposed to hate the kids in her neighborhood for being “snobs,” so, she is a little bitchy to them. Of course, they are a little bitchy back, then they call each other snobs and jerks. There is sort of two levels of this conflict – one is the Delaney’s, the snobby kids she has to sit for. The other is Shannon, who ends up joining the BSC.

Shannon is pissed that Kristy is taking her baby-sitting jobs. So, they play some practical jokes on each other and try to ruin the other’s sitting jobs. But, they sort of bond over the fact that Kristy’s dog Louie is sick and gets put to sleep. Shannon ends up giving one of her dog’s puppies to David Michael. He names her Shannon, cause everyone wants to have a dog named after them. After that, Kristy and Shannon become friendly and they ask her to join the club.

Meanwhile, the Delaneys, are acting like a couple of spoiled brats. She calls them snobs, complains about them, etc. Stacey is apparently a mini-psych major and pulls “reverse psychology” on them. That weird them out, and they eventually, they start to behave.

High/Lowlights

• Amanda is really annoying. Every day she talks about how much money her cat costs. You’d think they could make the rich snobs interestingly evil, like Gossip Girl, or something. Talking about a cat is just dumb.

• Shannon always seems to be hanging out with Amanda Delaney in this book….it is kind of random considering their ages.

• So, this is kind of cute. This book is right before Mrs. Perkins had her baby, and Myriah and Gabbie are talking about names they like. Myriah likes Laurie and Gabbie likes Beth…. which seems sweet since they end up naming her Laura Beth.

• The Delaney’s living room is apparently all white. That doesn’t suggest rich to me, it suggests stupidity. Even rich kids can get messy.

• Kristy lets the Delaney’s order her around because she wants the kids to be happy (so their parents keep calling the BSC). But, she can’t really turn around and complain about the kids, can she?

• In this book, Kristy describes Dawn and her family as “semi-vegetarians.” Inconsistent, much?

• Dawn sits for her brother, and they have a fight about him wanting to live in California. So then Dawn waits up until her mom comes home at 1:00 am. That seems pretty late to leave a 10- and 13- year old alone. I guess I never realized how much Jeff’s move to California was built up before it really happened.

• I don’t really think reverse psychology would work….when I was ten, I would say I liked a messy room. If someone came to baby-sit me and tried to mess it up more, I would just go with it.

• Wouldn’t people as rich as the Delaney’s have a maid? Why are they cleaning up after themselves anyway?

• Stacey teaches them to play “Snail” which I remember them playing in later books.

• So, Shannon orders pizza to come to Kristy while she is baby-sitting. Then Kristy tells the pizza guy to send it over to Shannon’s house. And of course, Shannon gets annoyed.

• Kristy orders diaper service for Shannon? Is that like, an actual thing?

• This is ANOTHER book where the Pikes are all sick. Five of them have chicken pox at once. Then during the job, Nicky and Vanessa end up coming down with it as well. And of course, they all eat dinner in their bedrooms cause they are not allowed out of bed when sick. I was five when I had the chicken pox, so I don’t remember that much, but I know I didn’t stay in my room the whole time. I just remember how they didn’t let me go to school on the last day of Kindergarten, and I was totally devastated.

• Are cream cheese and jelly sandwiches really “sick” food? That is what the Pikes all eat while sick. Maybe the Pikes should serve them vegetables some time, instead of always letting them eat whatever they want…it might keep them healthier.

• It is so sad to read about Kristy’s dog dying.

• Kristy really does egg the “snobs” on. At least Shannon. She calls her jerk-face when they talk to her for the first time.

• They drive Louie to the vet’s twice a day to get shots, as a final treatment method. Can’t they be taught to do it? Why drive to the doctor twice a day if you don’t have to.

• They have a funeral for Louie. Kristy thinks it was Watson’s idea, even though Karen tries to claim credit for it. Brat.

• Charlie gets all embarrassed to be digging a “grave” because Karen invited all the snobby neighbors.

• Kristy actually misses a BSC meeting because she is so upset about Louie.

• Shannon talks about how she and Tiffany both baby-sit. Isn’t Tiffany a sittee later on?

• Karen is talking about the ghost “Ben Brewer” and says he roams the halls to get exercise. Then Mary Anne is all, “don’t you mean e-x-o-r-c-I-s-e?” Karen doesn’t get the joke, but wasn’t she always kind of a spelling snob? I know she is young, but I think she would have understood.