Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2006 14:12:10 GMT -5
I was surprised not to see a thread for this book (I hope I didn't miss it!). I just read it for the first time, and -- even though I was inexplicably looking forward to for snark purposes -- I was surprised at how much I really enjoyed it! I'm not crazy about Mallory (her books usually bore me), but I was so into this one.
It might be true that I have a bit of a thing for boarding school stories in general, but if it's true that they were considering a spin-off, I'm sad it didn't happen. I would definitely read them.
I also liked how even though Mallory's story ended up with a pretty clean ending, her roommate didn't get "solved" in the course of the book. Also, gotta love how there was a nearby boy's only boarding school. Bring on the boyfriends!
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starrynight
Sitting For The Kuhns
The Royal Diner of Pizza Express
Posts: 4,004
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Post by starrynight on Sept 13, 2006 18:46:08 GMT -5
I loved this one, too. I would totally have wanted to go to Riverbend, if it existed!
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Post by booboobrewer on Sept 13, 2006 22:18:26 GMT -5
Her classes sounded pretty nice, especially the global studies one and the writing for the stage one. I thought Mal was too easy on Alexis. I would get pretty  if my unstable roommate had read my journal and tore up my care package. Mal just seemed mildly annoyed. |
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starrynight
Sitting For The Kuhns
The Royal Diner of Pizza Express
Posts: 4,004
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Post by starrynight on Sept 14, 2006 11:26:49 GMT -5
ITA....well, me as I am now would have told someone or gotten mad if there were problems. When I was 11, I might have reacted like Mallory did, especially when Alexis did her manipulative, everything-is-your-fault stuff. I've had friends like that, and I usually ended up apologizing for things I didn't do.
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lisa
New To Stoneybrook
Posts: 201
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Post by lisa on Sept 16, 2006 5:26:45 GMT -5
This book was pretty good, expecially considering how close to the end of the series it was, and some of the other ones from the same time. I think I even found myself enjoying the subplot  |
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Post by aln1982 on Oct 1, 2006 14:56:41 GMT -5
What was the subplot in this one? I haven't read it for a while but will have to reread as I remember liking it pretty well.
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wanderingfrog
Sitting For The Arnolds
Official BSC Archivist
Posts: 2,552
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Post by wanderingfrog on Oct 2, 2006 15:26:41 GMT -5
I think the subplot in this one was the Pike kids arguing about who should share bedrooms with whom, now that there are only seven of them, but I might be wrong.
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lilafowler
Sitting For The Johanssens
Posts: 1,163
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Post by lilafowler on Dec 23, 2006 17:38:41 GMT -5
I agree with the poster who said this was pretty good for a later BSC book! I wasn't as annoyed by everyone as I was while reading some of the other books I went through as I gorged myself on new BSC books las night.
I was very surprised that Alexis and Mallory didn't work out their problems. It was more realistic that way, but decidedly un-BSC.
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jen
Sitting For The Johanssens
Posts: 1,156
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Post by jen on Dec 24, 2006 2:35:38 GMT -5
I want to see another Mallory-at-Riverbend book, to see how things worked out with sharing a room with Jen, and how Mallory actually is when she isn't surrounded by her family or the BSC. It's alluded to in the FF series, but Mallory-as-an-individual has a more forceful personality, and she seemed to grow up a bit at Riverbend.
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digigirl02
Junior Sitter
The P is for Princess
Posts: 698
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Post by digigirl02 on Dec 25, 2006 0:35:36 GMT -5
I agree. It nice to see Mallory maturing.
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Post by aln1982 on Jan 6, 2007 20:15:25 GMT -5
This one should have been called “All About Mallory Pike.” Not that I didn’t enjoy it because I liked almost every part of what was included. Just didn’t feel like a “real” BSC book because it mostly focused on Mallory. I notice that with a lot of the later books. I really like the earlier ones with the festivals, community activities, and multiple babysitting chapters and subplots. I did like reading about Mallory at boarding school even though I miss her being part of the BSC. It seemed like a pretty intense place for 6th grade but then again, the girls in the series don’t seem their age either. It also seemed a little too focused on writing and “creativity” but don’t get me started on new educational techniques….
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jen
Sitting For The Johanssens
Posts: 1,156
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Post by jen on Jan 7, 2007 0:35:51 GMT -5
Hey, I never noticed that, aln1982, but you're right - the later books *are* more focused on individual sitters rather than the group as a whole. Jessi's Big Break, All-New Mallory Pike, Stacey's Movie, Kristy at Bat... Foreshadowing the decline of the club, perhaps?
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alula
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 406
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Post by alula on Jan 8, 2007 5:10:30 GMT -5
Actually, I was thinking the other day that in general, the later books are really not as good at depicting the girls just hanging out doing friend-stuff: sleepovers, hanging out at the mall, getting ready for dances, whatever.
And I'm often wary of trendy educational fads as well, aln1982, but at least this place actually focuses on WRITING, which, based on the general quasi-illiteracy I see so often, I hope it can't be that bad. But then, maybe I'm just a softy where dorky Mal is concerned--I kind of love the bit where she's all excited about talking about CLASSES during lunchtime, because I know exactly how she feels, but I didn't find myself actually around people interested in learning until college. (Interested in grades, yes, but not learning).
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Post by aln1982 on Jan 9, 2007 10:49:05 GMT -5
I agree alula about writing being important and a focus on it being a nice change from usual illiteracy. I liked Mal talking about classes during lunch - that is soooo me! And no one is more into learning than I am  I love writing and love school - school work is fun to me. I just kind of got a sense from Riverbend that they used some of the new "focus on creativity and only creativity" methods (I'm not going to get into my thoughts on that here  but I might be wrong. Just the mood I was in when I wrote that post. |
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Post by greer on Jan 9, 2007 12:42:01 GMT -5
While most of the classes sounded pretty good--french, etc.--the riverbend "math" class sounded like BS to me. Baking muffins? Going to a bank? How in the world is that going to lay the foundation for algebra, trigonometry, etc.?
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if my unstable roommate had read my journal and tore up my care package. Mal just seemed mildly annoyed. 
I love writing and love school - school work is fun to me. I just kind of got a sense from Riverbend that they used some of the new "focus on creativity and only creativity" methods (I'm not going to get into my thoughts on that here 
but I might be wrong. Just the mood I was in when I wrote that post. 
