magentanation
Sitter-In-Training
The girl with colitis goes by
Posts: 424
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Post by magentanation on Jul 13, 2007 18:40:03 GMT -5
This was one freaking boring book! It took me about a week to get through it, because I found it hard to care very much about the "mystery." Not to mention that they totally lifted the whole "Omg the paintings were painted over!" thing from Mallory and the Mystery Diary. I kind of enjoyed the subplot with the kids in the Kaleidoscope Room (I probably spelled that wrong). I thought it was cute when Abby told Corrie Addison that her paintings were as good as Pele, and Corrie thought Abby had insulted her, lol. ;D So, what do you all think of this book?
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Post by aln1982 on Jul 13, 2007 23:16:14 GMT -5
I remember liking this one pretty well but am getting ready to reread and will have more thoughts than. Also recognized the similarity to Mystery Diary with the painted over paintings. The mystery in this one was only so-so for me so I'm not even sure why I liked it, especially since I didn't care all that much about the subplot. Art never interests me. Did like Corrie thinking Abby had insulted her and enjoyed reading about Abby trying to do the "art" stuff. It's been a while since I've read this one, though, so I can't really even remember what else I liked about it. Who was the family involved? I'm thinking another "throw away", which I can't stand, but I always get these characters confused with the Stanton-Chas.
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magentanation
Sitter-In-Training
The girl with colitis goes by
Posts: 424
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Post by magentanation on Jul 14, 2007 10:12:52 GMT -5
The family in this one was the Maddens, and yeah they were throwaway characters. Also, if this Grandmother Madden had been a relatively famous local artist, I find it very hard to believe that Claudia would have never heard of her before this book. I mean, this is CLAUDIA we're talking about.
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Post by aln1982 on Jul 14, 2007 16:33:17 GMT -5
^ Never thought of that with the grandma, but you're right. If there is one thing Claudia knows, it is artists (that one reason I am convinced she could learn things if she tried and cared) Too bad they were throwaways as I remember liking them pretty well.
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blossom114
Sitting For The Papadakis's
Posts: 1,504
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Post by blossom114 on Jul 14, 2007 19:12:51 GMT -5
You knwo I actually think I read this one last year when I was in a library browsing through old BSC books that they had. I never actually owned it but I tihnk i remember reading it. Dont ask me what it was about, it didn't stick with me... kind of like the lighthouse mystery I vaguel remember reading it... (there was somethinga bout a lighthouse wasn't there?)
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Post by aln1982 on Jul 18, 2007 23:37:15 GMT -5
Just reread and always remember liking this one more than I really do. The stuff with the kids is pretty cute but I just can't get into the mystery. I always combine this book in my mind, I think, with Secret Society because of the same theme of the BSC helping get a house or building fixed up. The mystery isn't bad in this one, I just never care much about the art stuff, I guess. And I didn't care one way or another about the clients. Wish they wouldn't have been "throwaways" but people we actually knew. I do like the ending and the slight element of "danger" with Claud being locked in the closet and there are several good parts with the kids but the main plot isn't one of my favorites at all.
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wanderingfrog
Sitting For The Arnolds
Official BSC Archivist
Posts: 2,552
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Post by wanderingfrog on Jul 31, 2007 14:12:13 GMT -5
I actually would have liked the main plot very much if the solution to the mystery wasn't the same as in Mallory and the Mystery Diary, and I agree that it's unrealistic that Claudia never would have heard of Grandmother Madden before.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2007 12:41:45 GMT -5
I haven't read this book and don't even own it but I play Josh Rocker at an rpg. Could anyone tell me if he makes an appearance in this book? I know this one's during the time that Claudia's dating him, but he seems to be forgotten in some books from that time. So is he, or any of the 7th grade friends, in this one?
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Post by aln1982 on Sept 9, 2007 16:34:23 GMT -5
^ I don't think so but I might be wrong since I haven't read for a while. I don't remember him in it, though, so if he is, I don't think he is mentioned much. Maybe someone else knows for sure, though.
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Post by booboobrewer on Jan 20, 2008 5:59:32 GMT -5
I just finished this one...I liked it all right. Especially the chapters with the kids painting, and how Corrie's picture of ballet dancers prompted a Degas comparison from Mary Anne And Jimmy and Goldie! Since I adore cats I thought it was so sweet how much Jimmy loved her.
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Post by aln1982 on Jan 20, 2008 9:04:35 GMT -5
^ Was Jimmy the little boy they sat for? He always sounded cute. What ever happened to that family? I hate it that the mystery book clients disappear.
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Post by greer on Jan 20, 2008 11:20:59 GMT -5
i think they were only there while they were getting the house sorted out
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alula
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 406
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Post by alula on Jan 20, 2008 14:44:16 GMT -5
For some reason, the actual descriptions of the art in this book kind of bugged me. I don't know if it was "Grandmother Madden" heavy-handed "Grandma Moses" thing that irritated me, or what, although I think I remember being kind of "eh" at Claudia's explanation of folk art. This is what happens when you take too many art history classes. (Also, I get that she's thirteen, and I also get that it's needed for the plot, but Claudia's insistence that Grandmother Madden simply couldn't have destroyed her paintings kind of bugs me, because yes, artists have totally done that, even if you haven't experienced it at thirteen, Claudia.)
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Post by aln1982 on Jan 20, 2008 17:04:26 GMT -5
^ Agree that it definitely could happen with artists destroying their own work. Claudia probably just didn't want to believe that her favorite artist would do something like that. Rose colored glasses. ;D Of course, I know nothing about art. I didn't even know there were multiple art history classes available. ; D Were they electives or degree requirements? I never even made it into Art 101. ;D
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Post by booboobrewer on Jan 20, 2008 18:17:26 GMT -5
For me, a couple of the art history classes I've taken were fine arts requirements, but after that I chose to take some as electives, just because they were enjoyable. I even considered making art history my major at one point Jimmy was the lil boy they sat for, aln. I thought he was a cute kid. And I had sort of a crush on his father, Mr. Cook, while reading He was described as good-looking but what I liked was that he was really grumpy/standoffish to the sitters for most of the book. It was different from the ordinarily really pleasant parents...
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