courtky10
Sitting For The Johanssens
Posts: 1,125
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Post by courtky10 on Jun 24, 2008 17:22:09 GMT -5
Piano, tap, violin, singing...I think there were others. I think Ann was obsessed with the name Randi...I see this name pop up in several books. Myriah says it's one of the names her parents considered for Laura before she was born. There's a counselor named Randi in Summer Vacation. I think one of Mrs. Barrett's bridesmaids is named this in Here Come the Bridesmaids. I never really noticed that before, but now that you've pointed it out, I've started seeing that name everywhere.
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starlett2010
Junior Sitter
It's been YEARS but I'm back!!!! :)
Posts: 696
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Post by starlett2010 on Jun 24, 2008 17:33:51 GMT -5
Ann's obsessions get very old. I'm so tired of reading I love Lucy, Wizard of Oz, Parent Trap, Odd Couple, etc. references in books! And I find her plugs for other children's books/authors rather tiresome as well, although sometimes I like them. For instance, I think there's a book where Kristy is babysitting Karen and reads her Ramona the Pest. I thought that was cute and very appropriate since Karen acts somewhat like Ramona!
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Post by sparklymouse on Jun 24, 2008 17:57:52 GMT -5
^I liked the idea of mentioning other books and authors. It was a little bit of reality in the books. At one point I was going to start writing down the titles because I thought it'd be cool to have a list of Ann's recommended reading, but of course I never follow through with any of my ideas. I remember thinking the author that Mary Anne's group researched in Mary Anne Misses Logan was a real person and couldn't figure out why I couldn't find any of her books. It would have been awesome for a real author to make a cameo in BSC!
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Post by booboobrewer on Jun 24, 2008 18:55:14 GMT -5
I'll bet Ann enjoyed namechecking her BFF Paula Danziger in MA Misses Logan The creation of Megan Rinehart probably confused a lot of readers, because she was lumped in with real authors like Judy Blume, Robert Cormier, etc. There's a list of all the real books that are mentioned in the series in the complete guide.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jun 26, 2008 19:41:00 GMT -5
I'm surprised that no one has said divorces or single parents! The only 3 club members that didn't have either in their family were Claudia, Mallory, and Jessi.
You can tell that she likes big families. I think she mentions it in the back of the books, too.
She also likes things to be to the extreme. For example,
Kristy is the shortest person in 8th grade.
Janine is a true genious.
Watson is a true millionaire.
The Thomas-Brewer house is a mansion.
All the sets of multiples mentioned are identical.
Claudia is a junk food addict.
It seems like she really likes ghosts, witches, halloween, and haunted houses.
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Post by candykane on Jun 26, 2008 22:12:38 GMT -5
I also liked it when real books were mentioned. Often they were books that were award-winners, or books that are considered kid's classics. I remember Dicey's Song, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, Freaky Friday, the horse books by Marguerite Henry, and Little Women all being mentioned, to name a few. And of course Claudia loved her Nancy Drew! Wouldn't have been funny if one of the sitters was really into reading, say, Sweet Valley Twins books?
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Post by sparklymouse on Aug 25, 2008 16:34:50 GMT -5
Has Chicago been listed yet? I just noticed that Karen's little house family moved there for 6 months, Mr. Barrett moved there after his divorce, and Sharon Spier's cousin lived there. Pick a new city, Ann. It's a big country.
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Post by sweetvalleygirl99 on Aug 25, 2008 17:33:45 GMT -5
I actually liked all the Chicago references because I live about 20-30 minutes away from there . I liked how she was so accurate with places and things (like taking the El Train and going to The Museum of Science and Industry), especially in the LS book where Karen goes to visit her Little House Family in Chicago.
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Post by wenonah4th on Aug 26, 2008 6:16:28 GMT -5
It just wouldn't be the same if she'd picked Des Moines, kwim? (No offense to any Iowans- just trying to be funny.)
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supprazz
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,106
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Post by supprazz on Sept 13, 2008 11:45:14 GMT -5
I'm too lazy to read through everything, but here goes:
Hard Rock Cafe Disney World (and movies) Ice Cream I Love Lucy Rock and Roll music Michael Jackson author signings and school presentations Merry-Go-Round Space-themed dentist's office Lobsters Anchovies Alligators
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Post by cokiemason on Oct 24, 2008 2:43:54 GMT -5
I didn't read though all the pages so I dont know if these were mentioned but speaking of Wizard of Oz, in onf of the LS books, when Karen is auditioning for choir she sings "If I Only Had A Brain" (oh, Karen, how accurate you were!). And I read some where that Ann named Abby and Anna Lucy and Ethel until the 'name the twins' contest was over.
And multiples were a definite obsession... Stoneybrook is NOT that big! They have the Pikes, the Arnolds, the Shillabers, the Hoyts, the Salems (the last two weren't mentioned in more than one book, I think, but still...). I know maybe 3 sets of twins... and they AREN'T all identical! *gasp*
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Post by wenonah4th on Oct 24, 2008 6:00:30 GMT -5
There might be 5 sets of twins (although more likely they'd vary in age more- a pair in high school, a pair of babies, etc) but you're right, they likely wouldn't be all identical. I know the Pikes are triplets, of course!
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Post by cokiemason on Oct 24, 2008 15:56:21 GMT -5
Those are just the ones I can think of off-hand. I'm sure there has been more, as side characters. Come to think of it, I think there was identical twin boys in the Battle of the Bakers. And weren't those horrible kids that Mrs. Marshall left the girls to babysit twins? Maybe they were just close in age... Wasn't there twin cousins of someone? Jamie Newton maybe?
New title for a book "STONEYBROOK AND TOO MANY MULTIPLES!" Thank God Ann stopped writing before Jon and Kate Plus 8 came out, otherwise we might be seeing some sextuplets born in the 'Brook.
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Post by wenonah4th on Oct 24, 2008 16:22:38 GMT -5
I don't think JAmie's cousins were twins.
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Post by sparklymouse on Oct 24, 2008 17:25:28 GMT -5
I had three sets of identical twins in my grade plus a guy who had identical twin older brothers and identical twin younger sisters. I didn't think the Stoneybrook twins were weird at all.
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