What's up, Jessi? She looks cute. Also like she's going to a pool party with a citrus fruit theme. This is not exactly a holiday cover.
I actually really like this cover event though it doesn't make sense. Since it's summery, it makes more sense for Jessi's Gold Medal. One of the better Jessi covers... I guess I like the abstract background too and the color theme.
I think this is one of the better Jessi books, and pretty strong for a pate series book. It feels realistic for a holiday theme... I like that it's NOT exactly a happy book. Holidays can be the most stressful time of the year, and there's a lot of pressure to enjoy it, put a ton of energy into it, and be happy about it. Doesn't matter if you're poor money and/ or time wise, you MUST participate and get gifts for everyone.
I'll talk about the actual book now lol I swear.
Quote from chapter 1: "That’s one thing you should know about me. I’m basically a dance maniac. I jeté from class to class in the halls of Stoneybrook Middle School. I practice walking en pointe in my yard when I’m mowing the lawn in the summer. At meetings of the Baby-sitters Club (a group I belong to), I do stretches and practice pliés."
This is something that kind of bothers me about late series Jessi. This just seems kind of OTT. Maybe I'm being mean idk... I looked up what a jeté looks like, and I just can't see a middle school kid doing this from class to class without getting a bunch of weird looks and bumping into someone (I remember sometimes having trouble even walking normally through the hall after leaving class because of the crowd). I keep forgetting to mention this, because it's come up in several recent books, but it feels sort of... selfish to practice stretches and etc in Claud's room? I mean there are 6 other girls in there lol. I think in #100 her stretches were taking up half the room. Wtf Jessi lol. I think it's just flanderization... early Jessi wouldn't have done this kind of thing. Am I being too nitpicky?
Besides that, there's weirdly barely any mention of ballet... even when Jessi explains her week when Squirt is in the hospital, she doesn't mention ballet practice. This is sort of odd to me. Ballet classes never stop meeting do they? It's not seasonal like baseball, unless I'm totally wrong lol.
The story here is pretty strong, if kind of uncomfortable to read. I feel horrible for the Ramseys and to be honest, I don't really like Aunt Ceceila in this book. I'm not sure if I'm SUPPOSED to like her, but I think her crankiness is OTT (plus she gives shopkeeps problems, which... as a cashier, I find hard to sympathize with). She definitely seems like a stick in the mud. John's comment about her being a guest was uncalled for, although I have to say that it might have been a heat in the moment kind of thing. I think he was right to tell her to loosen up with the kids.
I don't blame Jessi for Squirt getting hurt. She did unbuckle him (and should have known better), but AC, the adult, should never have allowed this in the first place. Tbh I'm surprised that the Ramsey parents weren't angrier with her (and John even admits he's partially to blame by telling her to loosen up... um, she should have known that a BABY'S safety comes first). The fighting afterwards and the stress of visiting Squirt is kind of stressful to read, but it feels necessary. Does that make any sense at all?
Reading about the accident was kind of tough for me. I know Squirt survives, but even so, I got kind of choked up when Jessi yells her baby brother is hurt. For some reason, I needed a break after reading that chapter. I guess that means it's pretty well-written.
I liked reading about Kwanzaa. I was worried it'd be a little dull (going more on the educational side), but it's written just right imo. I have to say that reading about the festival preparations and the play were my least favorite favorite parts... Lerangis wrote this one, and I think he tends to write kids pretty obnoxiously. Especially the beginning of the play... it's basically a bunch of, "EEEEEEIIII HONK!" or something along those lines. Argh. Also, where is Becca's stage fright? She's nervous in the beginning of her speech, then gets over it quickly (not saying she can't have character development, but it needs to be organic and make sense).
Kristy irked me in this book. Her comment about Kwanzaa excluding other races rubbed me the wrong way. I'm very glad the other BSCers corrected her on this comment. She barely does anything else in the book until the Kwanzaa festival, whe she insists on including a BSC flier with the festival guide. I'll include this passage because I think it's better than summarizing it, it's SO annoying:
"From the front row I heard Kristy whisper, “Mention the Baby-sitters Club!”
“This play is based on a traditional African-American folktale from the South,” I continued, “traced back to the late nineteenth century. The kids you’re about to see have worked very hard. I’d like to thank them, and also the members of the Baby-sitters Club for their help —”
Kristy stood up. “Our number is on the flier!”
“And now,” I shouted, before Kristy could say another word, “I present your narrator, Becca Ramsey!”
Kristy. Shut. The. F***. Up. Not everything is about you or even the BSC. Ugh, I've said this before, but on re-read, she is my least favorite (I like all the other sitters just fine, although I personally cannot relate to Shannon at all).
Okay, something positive: Mallory is the greatest best friend in this book. She surprises the Ramseys with a Christmas tree, offers to babysit Becca (who had the flu) on Christmas so everyone else could visit Squirt in the hospital, and is altogether supportive. Mal does not get enough credit. She's definitely my favorite, possibly tied with Abby.
This is a good one. I think at least a 7.5/10. The are some obnoxious parts, but it's very strong otherwise. I really like the more family-oriented books, and the Ramseys are very close. The conflict feels realistic to me.