“What we talked about could have filled pages”…..BSC Super Special # 11: The Baby-sitters Remember

Memory Reaction

I always considered this a “special” Super Special – because the original copy I got had a gold cover that was different from all the other ones. I think it also came with a BSC necklace…. that I am pretty sure I still have. Not out or anything, and I certainly don’t wear it, but it is saved in a box of mementoes somewhere.

Revisited Reaction

This book is a little different then most Super Specials because, instead of the girls taking turns as narrator, all the Kristy chapters are lumped together, then all the Claud, etc. Each section is like a mini book with the flashback of one girl. So, they are not really connected, except each one is a flashback. Because of that, I am writing it up a little differently then usual.

The basic set-up is that everyone at Stoneybrook Middle School has to write an essay over the summer about their vacations. The BSC talks about how it is a dumb assignment, and start throwing out more interesting questions. They settle on thinking of their “most vivid memory”, and the rest of the book is each girl’s (and Logan’s) flashback.

Kristy

Kristy’s most vivid memory is about her first baby-sitting job. Because this is Kristy, so of course it would be about baby-sitting. It happened when she was ten and her mom’s sitter for David Michael cancelled at the last minute. Charlie and Sam couldn’t watch him, so Kristy begged her mom to let her do it. She did, and then Kristy was super-nervous about doing a good job. But, of course it all went well, Kristy baby-sat more and more, and a monster was born.

• Kristy is old enough to not have a sitter at age ten (even before she watches David Michael), but when she turns 13, all the kids in Stoneybrook magically still need sitters at ten?

• Kristy says if she were a teacher she would assign essays and tell the kids they can write any length they want. I don’t think that is really a good idea. Aside from the fact that she will have to read them – any job where you have to write in the real world, involves writing to a specific length. It is an important skill.

Stacey

Stacey’s story is about when she first got diagnosed with diabetes. It basically is a detailed version of the summary she gives in The Truth About Stacey – she starts being really thirsty, she wets the bed at a sleepover, she goes to a doctor and finds out she is a diabetic. It is very dramatic; her friends turn against her blah, blah, blah. So, she is happy to move to Stoneybrook a year later.

• Ooh, so there is one error from this book and The Truth About Stacey.

• Laine is totally Regina George. Or Blair Waldorf. She calls her and her friends “the group,” makes rules for the group, and even gives a hard time to whoever is late.

Claudia

Claudia’s memory is from when she was in first grade and already hated school. But she did like to draw pictures with crayons. So, when she gets a first-grade homework assignment of drawing a self-portrait, she decides to draw a colorful butterfly. Her art teacher basically calls her an idiot for this, which leads to Claudia crying to Mimi. Mimi then awesomely goes back to school to talk to the teacher, and tells her Claud was being metaphorical and understood the assignment better than anyone, and that she had no right to stomp on Claud’s creativity. So, the teacher apologizes.

Claud claims Mimi really understood what she did, but you never know with Claud. But, it is still pretty bad to tell a little kid they are dumb for a picture they drew, so I still think Mimi is awesome. So anyway, Claud says this is when she decided to be an artist.

• Janine has always been able to top Claudia with insults. Six-year-old Claud tells her she probably can’t even draw a house, and Janine is all, “Why would I want to do that?”

• I can’t tell if Claudia’s drew a butterfly because she just wanted to use all her crayons or because she was actually thinking that abstractly as a kid. Regardless, her teacher shouldn’t have insulted it.

Jessi

Jessi’s memory is about when Squirt was born. Jessi didn’t want a new sibling, which is probably standard for nine-year-olds (her age at the time). She doesn’t want to say it out loud cause it might jinx the baby (her mom had a couple miscarriages before this pregnancy). So, she just pouts a lot. Then her mom has the baby, and he cries a lot. Jessi is the only one who can get him to stop, and she falls in love with her brother (not in a gross way).

• Jessi’s description of her hometown makes it seem like she lives in Mayberry or a fifties sitcom or something. Seriously, she talks about how everyone sat on their porches and talked to the neighbors every night, and how all the adults watched each other’s kids, etc.

• Nine-year-old Jessi freaks at the idea of packing a bag for her mom to go to the hospital. Her biggest concern? How much of that “big underwear” she should pack. It makes me rethink my image of Mrs. Ramsey

Logan

Logan’s memory is basically the events of Logan Likes Mary-Anne, but from Logan’s point of view. Which makes it even less interesting than most Logan chapters. The only things of note are, Logan was totally stalking Mary Anne. Seriously. He spies on the BSC and finds out they need more sitters and so he makes a point of sitting next to them at lunch and joining the club. The rest of the chapters are really a replay of book 10.

• When Logan’s family moves, his parents insist on driving to show the kids the country. But all they do is drive in circles to go through different states: Kentucky Ohio to West Virginia to Pennsylvania, to New Jersey to Connecticut. They don’t stop or anything. They just drive through for the sake of setting foot in different states. What is the point of doing a route like that if you don’t even stop anywhere?

• In the car, Logan keeps ripping pictures out of his little brother’s coloring book to color.

• Logan worries that the boys in Connecticut won’t like football. Where does he think he is moving that guys won’t be into sports?

• Logan can’t remember Stacey’s name when they meet. She must have been too sophisticated for him.

Mallory

Mallory’s memory is from when she was ten and wrote a fan letter to her favorite author. In the form letter response, there is a message that the author will be signing books near Stoneybrook, so Mal’s mom agrees to take her. Mal is all nervous and has a speech prepared for the big meeting. When she meets the woman, she is actually brought to tears out of emotion. She claims that’s when she knew she wanted to be an author, but I swear she wanted to be one before then. Also, I am noticing a pattern here…most of these are about a girl realizing what she wants to do with her life.

• Mary Anne tells Mal all about the time she wrote a fan letter to Louisa May Alcott. I thought Mary Anne was supposed to be kind of smart.

• Mal recognizes that she gets a form letter back, but thinks the “handwritten” note telling her about the book signing came from the author herself. Mal, honey, that is what assistants are for.

• Oh, Mallory. She had sent the author her school picture and she tries to wear the same outfit so she’ll be “recognizable.” Even though it is like a dark sweater and this happens in the spring.

Shannon

Shannon’s memory is from the beginning of 8^th grade…which throws in that time warp thing, since now it is summer and she is still in 8^th grade. But anyway, it is all about how some new girl at her school only wanted to have one BFF, so she would attach herself to all the girls in Shannon’s social circle (one-at-a-time). As soon as they do something “wrong” she cuts off all contact.

Shannon is all impressed when she is the chosen one, and almost blows off studying for a test to get in the astronomy club. But she comes to her sense and the new kid moves on. But it made Shannon wary of new kids and that is why she was mean to Kristy at first. Of course, that doesn’t really make sense, since Kristy moved at the beginning of 8^th grade too. So, the timeline is a little fuzzy too. Unless they are saying that this all happened when Kristy already lived at Watson’s but Shannon didn’t meet her until later.

• In eighth grade, Shannon takes psychology, philosophy, and joins an astronomy club. I know it is private school, and she is supposed to be smart, but that is still pretty unbelievable. She is only in 8^th grade.

Dawn

Apparently, telling other perspective of Mary Anne books is really popular, cause Dawn’s story is about her parents getting divorced and moving to CT, where she meets….Mary Anne. Which is kind of a re-telling of Mary Anne Saves the Day.

The part that is original, is about Dawn’s parents having violent fights and then Dawn being a brat about them splitting up. Seriously, she tells her mom that she wouldn’t have wanted to be married to her, and then tells her that she keeps driving people out of her life.

• I kind of want to know more about Dawn’s parents divorce. They tell the kids that they disagree on lifestyles, but Dawn hears one of their fights and it is about how Mrs. Schafer thinks Mr. Shafer is a liar. It is way too bitter for simple lifestyle differences. I think we should have gotten a “Dawn and the illegitimate half-sibling” books.

• Dawn is a brat. And she acts all shocked at the divorce even though all she had thought about for weeks was them fighting.

• Dawn’s mother comes this close to slapping her, but walks away. Then Dawn’s grandmother comforts her even though she totally doesn’t deserve it.

Mary Anne

Mary Anne’s memory is from when she was eight and her father was still hiring tons of annoying baby sitters for her. When he has to go out of town for a weekend, Mary Anne guilts him into letting Claud and Kristy sleep over. The sitter doesn’t let Mary Anne have cookies after school, so Kristy decides to get revenge by playing all these practical jokes. But the sitter just plays it cool and ignores/smiles at the jokes. So, everyone ends up having fun, and Mary Anne talks about how she learned to not always be serious. Then she claims if any of her charges ever played jokes on her, she would laugh it off. Even though, they totally didn’t do that in BSC 19.

• Mary Anne talks about all the sitters she had as a kid....one used to bring her to bridge games with her friends. And that’s the one Mary Anne liked (although her dad didn’t).

• One of the jokes the girls learn is about putting saran wrap over a toilet seat? That’s just disgusting.

• Mary Anne and Kristy think her sitter is the most awful person in the world because she tells Mary Anne to only have an apple as an after school snack (because they are having junk food later). I guess when you’re eight that was a big deal. But just a few years later the BSC is mature enough to say the same thing to kids they sit for.

“Time to saddle up your horse and head back to the corral”…BSC # 54: Mallory and the Dream Horse

Memory Reaction

The main thing I remember from this one is how Mallory gets invited to a party that a girl in her riding class is having…and she goes all by herself. I would never have had the nerve to go to a party for someone I barely knew, when I didn’t know anyone was going to be there. However, I can’t recall if I was impressed or horrified by her.

Revisited Reaction

Mallory’s love of horses has led to her wanting her own horse to ride. Since, that will never happen to a girl with seven siblings, she settles for the next best thing: riding lessons at some stable near Stoneybrook. Mal and Jessi both ask their parents if they can sign up, but only the Pikes agree.

So, Mallory starts her classes and sees this white Arabian horse that she loves. She also awkwardly tries to make friends with her classmates, but they all blow her off. After her first lesson she calls Jessi all excited about how great they are, but Jessi is jealous so she kind of ignores Mal. This confuses Mallory, because she isn’t smart enough to figure out why her friend wouldn’t want to hear about all the fun she is missing.

After a couple lessons, Mal falls off her horse. But instead of getting back on, like the expression says, she goes home and cries and her parents take her to the doctor. After this, Mal is always really nervous at class, and feels awkward on the horse. She also gets invited to the party of someone in her class, but stands out like a sore thumb and doesn’t talk to anyone. Eventually Mal tells Jessi that she is miserable, Jessi tells Mal why she was mad, and they make up. Then Mallory has to ride in this horse show where she takes 6^th out of 12^th place. Her parents are excited, and offer to pay for more lessons, but Mal admits that she no longer wants to ride. She still totally loves reading about horses though.

Meanwhile, the younger Pike kids are putting on a talent show and recruiting kids from the neighborhood to be in it. It is about as lame as when the BSC does it, only they laugh at it (in a oh, isn’t it cute way).

Also, Nina Marshall suddenly has a “blankie” that she insists on carrying around with her. This makes it hard to make friends at her nursery school, because even little kids can be clique-ey. Finally, it rips apart in the dryer, and Nina freaks out. Fortunately, Dawn gets the wonderful idea to give Nina small pieces of the blanket to stick in her pocket.

High/Lowlights

• If Nina Marshall had always insisted on carrying her blanket with her, why have we never heard about it before? Wouldn’t it have been in the stupid BSC notebook they all have to read?

• Mallory and Jessi make this big deal out of how to ask their parents about riding lessons. Like, they script out what they will say, plan to do chores first, etc.

• Mal is really a crappy friend. She keeps babbling excitedly to Jessi, without even figuring out why Jessi wouldn’t want to hear about it.

• Nina Marshall had her first day at preschool, and Mrs. Marshall tells Jessi that Nina wouldn’t really talk about. But of course, Jessi gets Nina to open up. She’s a baby-sitter and obviously knows more about kids than a parent!

• I hate when they try and compare Jessi being black to stupid things like carrying a blanket around. Kids at preschool are picking on Nina because of her blanket, and Jessi is all, “I know what it is like to be picked on, people do that to me because I’m black.” There is a major difference between kids teasing each other and out and out racism.

• Mallory thinks she will automatically be friends with her classmates at riding school, and they all ignore her. She actually gives her phone number to all these people, and then is surprised they don’t call her. This includes two guys, and I am thinking they thought she was hitting on them and ran away scared.

• Mal’s parents take her to the hospital after she falls off her horse, and call their family doctor to meet them. Even in the eighties, would a family doctor show up at a hospital on a Saturday? The guy shows up in a golf outfit, so it is not like he was working.

• A girl in Mal’s riding class invites everyone to her birthday party, and Mal goes even though she doesn’t really know anyone and the other people in class already know each other. I have to give Mal credit, because I wouldn’t have done that in middle school – but then she stands around by the punch bowl all night, not talking to anyone.

• Mal doesn’t know what to wear, so she opts for conservative: “A brown-and-gold kilt, a matching gold sweater, and penny loafers.” Mal should give up this dream she had of being cool.

• The girl who invited Mal to the party doesn’t even remember her name. That hurts.

• Mal calls Jessi to blab about how “awful” the party was, and you can tell Jessi wants to slap her or something.

• When Jessi finally tells Mal why she is mad, Mallory can’t believe it came across like she was bragging. She usually isn’t that clueless is she? I think I figured it out, even as a kid.

• So, Mal talks about how there are six kids in her riding class for most of the book, which confused me because I remember it ending with her in 6^th place – and Vanessa telling her that meant she was better than half the class and worse than half the class.

• During the show, Mallory does start saying there are twelve people in the class. It makes me feel good to know I wasn’t totally making things up.

• There is this part where Mal says that Charlotte and Becca refused to be part of the talent show after their experience with Little Miss Stoneybrook. But, um, Becca was not in the talent show. Only Charlotte. And why does the BSC keep being surprised about Charlotte and Becca declining to perform in something?

xxx

“This was definitely going to be the most exciting baby-sitting job I’d ever had”…..Mystery # 15: Kristy and the Vampires

Memory Reaction

This is going to sound stupid…but, I remember when I read this, I was all proud that I could call my town “cooler” than Stoneybrook. Because in this mystery, a TV movie is being filmed in Stoneybrook. But they filmed Welcome to the Dollhouse in my hometown, which was a “real” movie that went to the theaters. So, I thought it was cooler than the BSC. I know, it is sad. I still like to think I was cooler than the BSC, but not for that reason.

I also remember reading it more recently (when I must have been feeling nostalgic) and thinking that the reference to the press was way too much for a TV movie. But now that I think about it, some TV movies to get a lot of press.

Revisited Reaction

So, the set up is that they are filming some lame TV movie in Stoneybrook. One of the leads is Derek Masters, Stoneybook’s own “TV star” who shows up every few books. There is also some hunky teen heartthrob that everyone is in love with. Now, so far it is not so unbelievable. But, don’t worry, the ridiculousness stars soon. Mrs. Masters calls the BSC because Derek needs someone on set with him every day, and his parents don’t want to do it. Now, the part about Derek needing a guardian on set makes sense, because there are labor laws about child actors. But by definition, the guardian usually has to be someone OVER 18! I mean, really. A 13-year-old would still need a guardian themselves. So can one watch Derek? Argh.

But anyway, Kristy ends up with the job, and the book pretends Jessi isn’t the ones who is supposedly closest to Derek. Claudia ends up with a similar job for Derek’s little brother, which is even more ridiculous because he is four. What kind of set lets a four-year-old run around without their parents? But regardless, Kristy, Claud, and various BSCers get to spend their summer hanging around a movie set.

At first things go okay, but Derek has a few minor accidents (breaking a lamp and stuff) that are written off as him being a klutz. But then the accidents get a little more serious (the harness for a stunt being tampered with) and Kristy finds a threatening note in Derek’s trailer. The BSC starts to investigate, but really don’t do as much “detective work” as in the other books. They just talk about people on set who would want to hurt Derek. The main suspects are the hunky teen actor and his manager, both of whom are annoyed that Derek is getting more attention in the movie. Eventually, Kristy figures out that the accidents are caused by this girl who is in love with the teen hunk. She was mad that Derek looked like a better actor. Kristy stops things just before Derek rode off in a limo with cut breaks. Yes, it is that melodramatic.

We still get a happy ending though, because the girl gets treatment and the movie is finished and gets great reviews, blah, blah, blah.

High/Lowlights

• Kristy talks about how much she admires her mom for not falling apart when her dad left. I like when they let Kristy get into her family history, it gives her more depth.

• Kristy says the BSC counts the Masters as “regular clients” because they have a house in Stoneybrook. I think they count them as regular clients because they think it sounds cool to say they sit for an actor.

• The Masters need someone everyday for Derek and occasional days with his brother. Mary Anne can tell from the record book that Kristy is free for Derek (really? Kristy has no jobs at all?) and that Claud can sit for Todd (the brother). My question is, how does she know Claud can do it, when they don’t have a list of days she is needed? I hate plot holes like that.

• Kristy says Stacey never complains about being a diabetic. I guess she never read any of the Stacey books, huh?

• Kristy just shows up on the set looking for Derek and is able to walk right in. No security, nothing. Maybe this is why the movie has crazy fans sabotaging the set. These producers might want to invest in a little thing called security guards.

• Did Kristy really not know that movies are filmed out of order? I am trying to remember when I learned that, but I am sure it was before I was 13.

• So the movie is called Little Vampires. The only thing stopping me from calling it the most ridiculous vampire story ever, is that I just discovered the Twilight books.

• So Derek trips during a scene because the crazy fan put oil on the floor. And the director is all, “we have to reshoot this, but can’t do it now.” That makes NO sense. Wouldn’t they be doing multiple takes of each shot anyway? It would take a few minutes to get one more take of Derek walking out of the room. Doing it later adds hours to the process. Sorry. I studied video production, so when I see it portrayed so badly, I go crazy.

• Claire Pike is scared of vampires, so they have her dress up like a witch (cause witches are scarier than vampires). Again, they just let this little girl in costume walk around the set.

• Awe, Charlotte is “playing detective” and following the teen actor. She ends up walking right onto the set and the director yells at her. I feel her embarrassment. Although, I will ask again. Where the hell is security?

• Mallory gets to be an extra in the movie, which boosts her self-esteem a little.

• Kristy uses the line, “That’s the sixty-four thousand dollar question?” and no one gets it. Kristy only repeats it because Watson said it, and doesn’t know where it is from. I feel old. And I wasn’t even alive when that show was on.

• Cokie Mason hangs out on the set all the time and throws a party for all the actors. The only people who go are the crew members and the child actors. But honestly, I have a hard time believing even those people would attend some random teenager’s party.

• Kristy actually feels bad for Cokie when no one good shows up at the party. That’s…out of character. But then everyone gets food poisoning from her food, and she hates her again.

• When the movie finishes filming in LA, Dawn gets hired to watch Derek. Of course.

• The last chapter is a “scrapbook” of articles/press clippings about the movie. Some of them include references to Derek as someone girls are flipping over. But he…is eight. I think it is supposed to be from some teen magazines, but even so, that is just wrong.

“How could I not explore my own personal secret passage?”……BSC #9: The Ghost at Dawn’s house

Memory Reaction

I remember almost nothing about this book. I remember Dawn had a secret passage that she finds in this house, but I don’t think that is based off my memory of this specific book. I just know about it because it is mentioned in every Dawn book, and probably most of the non-Dawn books. The only thing I really can place being in this book is that Nicky Pike finds the passage first. But again, I think they mention that info in a lot of later books.

Revisited Reaction

Okay, this is an early book, and Dawn hasn’t lived in Stoneybrook that long, so she hasn’t searched the house fully for her precious secret passage. That is what she spends this book doing, including a search with the rest of the BSC. At first she only succeeds in scaring herself. Then one day she is sitting in the barn, and she falls through the floor into the passage.

Once she finds it, Dawn still keeps scaring herself. She keeps finding “weird” things in the passage, and they are different every time. Like, on day there is a key on the ground and the next day there is a pile of peanut shells, etc. She becomes convinced it is a ghost leaving/taking all these objects. Because, you know, she is an idiot who still believes in ghosts at the age of 13. (And even if she believes in ghosts I would think she should wonder why a ghost would be eating so much junk food…I think most ghost stories say spirits don’t need to eat, or can’t eat).

Then Dawn reads this book on the history of Stoneybrook, and she finds a story about some dude disappearing between his house and his barn. Dawn decides this MUST be her house, and the guy that vanished MUST be haunting the passage. When Dawn talks about this in later books, I always thought the book Dawn she read that story in actually referenced her house. But it doesn’t, it just says a house in Stoneybrook with a barn.

Meanwhile, whenever anyone sits for the Pikes, Nicky runs off and doesn’t come back for hours. He is sort of allowed to do this, but it still makes Dawn worried. She realizes that he might be in the passage (I don’t know how she figures this out, but she does). She checks it out, and of course, Nicky is in the passage. He admits that the stuff Dawn kept finding was his. But she still thinks the passage is haunted, because she hears noises at night. I can’t image any other reason a 200-year-old house would be making noises….but that’s Dawn for you.

High/Lowlights

• Dawn talks about how on her recent flight to California, Jeff saved all the little packets of salt and pepper, etc. in a barf bag. I just thought it was cool because in the first Super Special, Dawn tells Karen and Andrew to use the barf bag for the same purpose.

• Claudia gets a hollow book to hide her junk food…I remember her using that all the time in later books.

• It has got to be really weird to sit for the people who moved into your old house…especially if it is only a couple weeks after you moved. Anyway, Kristy has to do that when she sits for the Perkins.

• It is kind of weird how sometimes Jeff is old enough to stay home alone, and other times he gets a baby-sitter. I guess that is more normal though…I was allowed to stay home alone in the afternoons before being allowed to at night.

• Ha. Kristy calls Karen out on how she always changes what part of the house Ben Brewer haunts.

• Bratty Dawn doesn’t tell anyone she found a secret passage because she wants to keep it to herself.

• Dawn talks about how her mom dates a lot of people…I know some people try to get right back out there after a divorce, but in the BSC world, her mom remarries in about a year. There doesn’t seem to be enough time to play the field and still get serious enough about someone to get married.

• I totally remember this part. Dawn’s mom goes out with a guy name “Trip” so she calls him the Trip Man. I think she talks about him in other books or something.

• Dawn and Jeff are both idiots. Or deprived or something. They find an ice cream cone in the secret passage. It is a sugar cone, which is what you get at most ice cream parlors (At least ones that I have been to). But Jeff thinks all ice cream cones are “flat and airy looking.” Meaning wafer cones, I guess. Dawn decides it must be an “old-fashioned cone.” But seriously, I worked for two summers at Baskin Robbins, and never heard anyone think a sugar cone was old fashioned.

• Of course, later Nicky says he bought an “old-fashioned” cone from an ice cream truck, so maybe Ann M Martin is the idiot. But either way, it annoyed me.

• This has what I think is the first mention of Cam Geary, that actor Mary Anne is obsessed with.

• Since when do the Pikes pay extra for the BSC to do chores?

• Dawn tries to move her furniture in front of the secret passage to keep the ghost from coming in. Her mom laughs at her, because, if you believe in ghosts you usually assume they can get through walls.

“I felt like talking to Dawn made me an official member of the BSC”………BSC # 90: Welcome to the BSC, Abby

Memory Reaction

I liked Abby when she first joined. I think it was nice to have a fresh perspective on everything. He books were the only ones that felt “different” and like I was actually not reading the same thing over and over. If I actually read more than one or two of her books, I probably would have ended up hating her though, I can see how she would be grating.

This was also around the time I gave up the books, so I was probably getting bored because they were too easy for me, and not necessarily because of the repetition.

Revisited Reaction

Okay, this is Abby’s first book. She was introduced in the one before it, so is already in the club. She is just getting used to it. I guess in a way it is like Dawn’s first book, because Abby also has to deal with Kristy having issues with her.

The problem starts when Abby has a bad asthma attack while baby-sitting. She has to go to the hospital to get oxygen, but she recovers quickly, and Kristy covered the end of her sitting job. Unfortunately, this totally freaks Kristy out because if it happens again, it could be…bad for the kids? Bad for the club? I mean God forbid, someone isn’t 100% perfect. Abby is all, it is not a big deal, it rarely happens, but Kristy still is worried. It’s dumb cause really, anything can happen and the important thing is that Abby could deal with an emergency. But, whatever. Kristy pretty much gets over it by the end, but they don’t really explain why.

The subplot is kind of tied in with all this – there is a fundraiser going on in Stoneybrook to raise money for the schools’ arts program. Of course, the BSC has a booth. And of course, all their clients have booths. So, on their sitting jobs, they all help the kids set the booths up. Abby also tries to get her mom and sister to start a booth as well. They agree, but are not as enthusiastic about it as Abby. She basically does all the work herself (baking to sell cakes and cupcakes).

Meanwhile, Anna and Abby are slowly unpacking their stuff. They come across a box of stuff that belonged to their dad (who died), and get all emotional. They don’t want to make their mom sad, so they hide the box. Then on the day of the fundraiser, Abby’s mom gets stuck on a train because of an accident, and Abby think she might have been hurt. But, she wasn’t, and when she gets home the family bonds. You know the drill. Then the twins pull out the “dad box” and they all have a happy/sad conversation about how it is important to remember their dad.

High/Lowlights

• Kristy is helping her siblings make “pasta jewelry,” and Abby asks if it is rigatoni. Kristy can’t believe Abby knows the names of the different pastas. I can…I think most people at least know the standard ones. But maybe I just eat too much Italian food.

• Abby tells us how she doesn’t think Stacey is really sophisticated because of when she quit the club. I….don’t think that is the reason. But I admire her ability to think for herself.

• Abby doesn’t think Shannon (the person) should be flattered that the Thomas’s dog is named after her. I pretty much feel the same way about that.

• The Papaddakis kids have pets named: Pat the Cat, Myrtle the Turtle, and Noodle the Poodle. They actually say the full names like that too. “Did you see the trick Pat the Cat did? Did you feed Noodle the Poodle?” That has to get annoying.

• Abby is surprised that everyone in the club called her to see if she was okay after the asthma attack, cause she doesn’t know them that well yet. I wonder if that says more about Abby or about the BSC.

• Is asthma really that big a deal? I knew people who had it as a kid and never thought anything of it. Kids in school who had it, just carried around inhalers and sometimes got to skip gym.

• Watson rents carnival rides and hires people to run them for the fundraiser. Nice that he is putting his money to good use, but if he wanted to give that much, wouldn’t it have been easier to just donate money?

• Wow, Abby and Anna talk about how they are writing letters to their friends from Long Island. Actually letters, not e-mails. That alone makes this book seem so outdated.

• When did a farm start to exist in Stoneybrook? The Arnold twins get an idea to borrow this goat from a neighbor with a farm so people can take pictures with it. And they just walk to this farm and ask the woman who lives there if they can borrow the goat. She agrees, and comes to help out, but it still seems rude.

• Why are none of these parents helping out with booths? It is all these little kids and their baby-sitters doing everything. Do they even care?

• Everything at the fundraiser is priced really cheap. Like, thirty-give cents for a cookie, $1, for a photo, etc. How can they make enough money to fund an arts program in multiple Stoneybrook schools at those prices?

• I can’t believe Abby’s family moved to Connecticut when Abby’s mom works in NYC. According to this book, that is a two-hour train ride. Which means her door-to-door commute must be longer than that. Why do that to yourself – especially as a single mom? It is not like there are no nice areas closer to the city.

• See, I can get some continuity errors – some ghostwriters probably didn’t read the other books and clearly, no one did any editing. But this book just has a plain error. Abby hears someone talking about the 11:45 train derailing. Then she immediately says, “What happened to the 12:45 train, my mom was on it.” They are like one line apart. How can you even write a page with a mistake like that?

• They talk about her mom having a cellular phone, and wondering why she didn’t use it to call. They don’t try to call her, and it turns out she didn’t even have it with her. Wow, a time when it was rare to have a cell, that people didn’t carry them around 24/7? Again, something that totally dates the books.

By the way, do people like Abby books? I have done less of them then the others, just because there are not as many of them. I can try and hunt some down if people want to read about them.

“You know…I have never been hit in the face with a pie.”…….BSC # 19: Claudia and the Bad Joke

Memory Reaction

Whenever I think of this book, I think of my friend who got hurt falling off her swing set when we were in third grade. She didn’t break her leg like Claudia does in this book, she got a concussion and was out of school for ages. But I always associate the two in my mind.

I also remember that in later books, they claimed that Claudia’s leg hurt when it was going to rain because of this injury. Every once in a while they would have her lying down with her foot propped up at a meeting, and saying that it was a weather prediction.

Revisited Reaction

The BSC has a new client, Betsy Sobak, and Claudia is the first one that gets to sit for her. Claud is a little wary, because it turns out that the BSC wasn’t like the mafia yet -- they knew other kids baby-sat for Betsy and don’t get upset. But these other sitters refuse to watch Betsy anymore because she is an annoying brat who likes to play practical jokes.

So, of course, Claud shows up and Betsy instantly starts making jokes. It ends when she tricks Claudia into sitting on a broken swing, which leads to Claud breaking her leg. Betsy didn’t mean for her to get seriously hurt – she is not portrayed as a psychopath, just annoying. But, Claudia has to be in the hospital for awhile (to have the leg in traction), then stay home from school for a couple more weeks. This sucks, cause Claud needs all the school she can get. It also makes Claud worry that she might get injured again while baby-sitting and then not be able to be an artist…so we are supposed to think she is seriously considering quitting the club. But obviously she won’t because if Claud left the club, they wouldn’t have a place for meetings.

Meanwhile Mrs. Sobak has a lot of nerve, because she keeps calling the BSC for jobs. And they keep going, because they have decided to “declare a practical joke war” on Betsy. Cause getting revenge on little kids is such mature, good baby-sitting. At first this is a complete failure, because their attempts at pranks are lame, and Betsy has seen them all before. Then, Kristy gets help from Sam, and makes a fool out of Betsy in a movie theater. So, Betsy apologizes and Claud decides to stay in the club.

High/Lowlights

• In this book they are still claiming Jessi doesn’t want to dance professionally.

• At the beginning the girls are at this slapstick film festival, and Kristy talks about how much she wants to wear food. It’s a little weird.

• They end up at the film festival because Logan called Mary Anne and told her about it. Then she called the rest of the BSC. I bet Logan was thrilled about that.

• I still can’t believe Claudia can tell Kristy that she knows other kids who baby-sit without Kristy hiring a hit man.

• This is a weird little bit. Claudia tells us how Dawn often stays at her house for dinner after BSC meetings because her mom is working late and Jeff is back in CA. I wonder if that was supposed to be real drama or character development or something that got lost as the ghostwriters took over.

• Betsy’s outfit sounds like something Claudia would wear. “A very snazzy pair of red pants that were held up by red suspenders. Under the suspenders was a blue-and-white striped T-shirt. The legs of her pants ended in cuffs, and on her feet were running shoes tied with purple laces.” Seriously, a total Claud outfit.

• However, Claud’s actual outfit includes: “the shirt was one I’d made myself. I’d taken a shirt of my dad’s, painted it, and sewn sequins all over it.”

• The BSC still have meetings in Claud’s room while she is in the hospital. The Kishis are WAY to nice.

• Claudia is a total mean girl in this book. Her roommate in the hospital has a broken elbow and had surgery on it. Then Claud makes fun or her for crying, and she keeps calling her a baby (not to her face, just in the narration), and thinking it is not a surprise that a girl that cries doesn’t have as many visitors as her.

• The Pikes get on board the “playing practical jokes” band wagon, which is really annoying. Jessi and Dawn get them back by….pretending they see an elephant on the loose in the yard. Yes, it is as lame as it sounds.

• When Claudia gets home from the hospital, her homeroom teacher arranges a phone call so everyone in the class can say hello. That…seems awkward. But maybe I am just thinking that cause I hated everyone I went to school with in 8^th grade.

• These bitches make Claud pay dues for the meetings she missed while in the hospital.

• Claud gets tons of flowers and visits from BSC clients. I can’t really imagine that happening in real life. I mean, I can see the flowers, but not the visits.

• According to Mallory, Mrs. Sobak doesn’t think her daughter does anything wrong when she plays jokes that lead to people breaking limbs. Stoneybrook is the capital of bad parenting.

• Dawn is obnoxious. The Pike triplets want to make sundaes for everyone (as an excuse to play a joke on Nicky). Dawn is all annoyed because she has to put sugar and unnatural ingredients in her body. God, the horror of someone making you eat ice cream. If it is that bad, don’t eat it.

• So, the girls are talking about how great the BSC is to try and get Claud to stay in. They bring up the trip to Disney World, then add a note that Mallory and Jessi look left out because they weren’t in the club then. But, um, Mallory was still on the trip. Hell, her family was the reason for it.

• Kristy tells Betsy she shouldn’t play jokes because they embarrass people. I think…that is not the most important reason.

• Do kids really have such screwed up sense of time when they are 8? Claud goes back to school three weeks after the accident. When Kristy tells Betsy about this, Betsy and all, “but she broke it months ago!”

“This was nothing like my first ballet class”….BSC # 55: Jessi’s Gold Medal

Memory Reaction

I totally wanted to be a synchronized swimmer after I read this book. At least, I think this book is what led to it, since it was around the same time. I tried to sign up for classes at the YMCA, but I didn’t rank high enough after their swimming test and had to take lessons first. Then, by the time I reached the appropriate level, I had sort of lost interest in getting up early on Saturday to go swimming.

Revisited Reaction

This book takes place during the summer Olympics – the 1992 ones going by the date it was published. Anyway, SMS is also having its annual Sports Festival. Interesting that it is called annual, but it never showed up in other books.

Jessi’s gym class is doing a swimming unit and when she takes her test for placement in the classes, this synchronized swimming coach sees her and is so awed by how graceful she is, she invited Jessi to join her team. Jessi is paired with another girl Elsie, who is a great swimmer but not so graceful. They figure they are a good match because Jessi is graceful, but sucks at swimming. The pair is competing in the sports festival, and they are really nervous because they are the worst in the class.

Everyone keeps telling Jessi how they know she will win the competition, because she has done so well with dancing before. But Jessi and Elsie are actually horrified at how much they suck because they are used to doing so well at dance and swimming respectively. So, they spend hours of extra time practicing, and at the festival, they win first place. They both decide to quit the team anyway, because they don’t want to work that hard at being good. Because you shouldn’t do things if you aren’t naturally good at them, I guess.

Meanwhile, there are a couple subplots going on.

1) Jessi decides that since everyone is Olympic crazy, the BSC should throw a mini-Olympics for the kids they watch. It is pretty dull, Charlotte Johanssen and Becca refuse to participate but have fun watching. Andrew Brewer can’t win anything, because he is four, but he gets a prize for trying hard. Etc.

2) Kristy challenges Alan Grey to some obstacle-course/race at the festival. They bet a week as a personal slave. Kristy wins, so Alan has to do all the grunt work at the mini-olympics. I would really like to see what would have happened if Alan won. Remember…he has the hots for Kristy.

3) Mallory acts super-lame. She doesn’t want to compete in the festival, because as we all know she hates sports. For some reason her friends are all: “You don’t want to be in the festival? Why not? It is all in fun.” They do this to Mary Anne too, who ignores them. But Mal tries to pretend she sprains her ankle to get out of doing anything. Only, she really sprained her ankle while doing so.

High/Lowlights

• I totally remember this part: Mme Noelle’s saying that hoses sweat, gentlemen perspire, and ladies “glow.”

• Would an eleven-year-old really be guest in the lead of actual ballets? Like Swan Lake or Sleeping Beauty? When I was eleven, my ballet class had a recital every year, but it wasn’t an actual show. I’m sure Jessi’s class is supposed to be more intense, but I can’t see the youngest kid in class getting that many lead roles.

• See, Jessi’s dad does pick her up from class.
  

• Becca’s bathing suit was plain white, so she colored it with markers. What kind of kid gets a plain white bathing suit?

• Jessi wants her parents to get a pool and when they say it is too expensive, she offers them her baby-sitting money. Right, Jessi.

• Claud outfit: “Pastel-green, cuffed shorts; a wild Hawaiian shirt tied at the waist, with vibrant colors that picked up the green; and sandals with crisscrossing ankle straps to her knees.”

• I can’t believe a middle school class would have a swimming unit. Especially if there is no pool at the school. Mal and Jessi had to walk a good five minutes to get to the community pool. Then they still have to change. How long is their class that they have time to do this?

• Also, I doubt the school would be allowed to leave campus to go use a pool – my high school was right next to our town pool, but we were never allowed to go there because of various liability issues that exist if a teacher takes kids off school property.

• Mallory is so embarrassed by her bathing suit, that she hides behind Jessi the whole time. Why would she bring a bathing suit she thought looked babyish? She claims she wouldn’t have done it if she knew the boys were going to be able to see her, but wouldn’t she have worried about the girls too? They are the ones more likely to insult her taste in fashion.

• Would a swim test really make people do the dog paddle? I always thought that was a “bad” way to swim, and while it would keep you afloat, you should be taught “real” strokes. I mean, you didn’t see Michael Phelps winning a medal for his awesome dog-paddle, did you?

• In the sports festival, Dawn enters the javelin throw. Her reasoning is that no one knows how to do it, so she won’t be the worst in the class. Again, would middle school have something like that?

• What is wrong with these girls? Charlotte Johanssen does want to be in the mini-Olympics. So, Stacey tricks her and Becca into having their own races, then says, “so isn’t this fun? Are you sure you don’t want to do the Olympics? Then Charlotte feels bad because she thinks Stacey is mad at her.

• When Kristy hears Charlotte doesn’t want to enter, she can’t believe it. Has she met Charlotte?

• Mary Anne calls Charlotte to tell her she isn’t being in the sports festival, so Charlotte shouldn’t feel bad about not being in the mini-olympics. Charlotte actually convinces Mary Anne to sell refreshments at the festival. Meanwhile, poor Mal still can’t admit she doesn’t want to do it.

• Of course Jessi gets to choreograph the swimming routines.

• Claudia enters a “backwards race,” and I am pretty sure she only did it to show off her outfit: “Electric pink track shorts with a turquoise racing stripe, a matching top with cut off sleeves, brand new high-top track shoes with no socks, and floral print suspenders.”

• I can sort of see Jessi not wanting to keep swimming, because she wanted to save her energy for ballet. But I really think she just didn’t like being naturally good at something.