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Post by virgoscorpio on Aug 22, 2012 21:04:14 GMT -5
Mallory and Jessi going was completely unrealistic. For my 8th grade graduation trip, my class went 3 hours away - to the city I happen to live in now - away to see a play. A PLAY! It was The Lion King. Despite being a good play, after-the-fact I realized how sheltered my Catholic school actually was seeing as other kids from different schools (I found out when I went to high school and university) went to different provinces or countries! Waaah for Catholic school oppression.
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valuemeal2
Sitter-In-Training
California Girl!
Posts: 295
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Post by valuemeal2 on Dec 7, 2013 3:03:26 GMT -5
This book really seems like it serves no other purpose than to set up for the European super special. I always thought it was lame that they didn't ALL go to Europe (because isn't that the point of super specials? It was bad enough that they didn't ALL go to Hawaii, but only like half of them went to Europe and it hardly felt like a BSC book at all), especially for $400!! I remember being blown away that the Europe trip was not only cheaper than Hawaii, but that cheap to begin with! Although I guess if I think about it, Connecticut is much closer to Europe than Hawaii. (I'm from California, where Hawaii is a relatively easy five hour flight away-- Europe is a huge ordeal and takes at least 10 hours of flying)... but still.
And yeah, what's up with these super fancy school trips? Hawaii? Europe? Salem? A ski resort in Vermont? I went on three school trips in middle school-- in sixth grade we went to the Egyptian museum 20 minutes away, in seventh grade we went to the SF zoo (an hour away), and in eighth grade we went to the local amusement park, 15 minutes away. We did have "trip out" programs in elementary school, that took place on in-service days and you signed up and paid a deposit and all that, but even so, the farthest we ever went was two hours into the mountains to play in snow one winter.
The Sea City in the backyard subplot was cute, although at this point in the series I'm really sick of how the Pike kids are pretty much the only ones anyone ever sits for, and they get crazier and crazier. I miss the Perkins and the Newtons and even Jenny Prezzioso.
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Post by virgoscorpio on Dec 7, 2013 12:31:38 GMT -5
Remember when Jessi and Mal could barely go to NYC but they could go to Europe!?
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valuemeal2
Sitter-In-Training
California Girl!
Posts: 295
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Post by valuemeal2 on Dec 10, 2013 2:25:39 GMT -5
^Seriously! WTF?
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Post by Honeybee on Dec 11, 2013 0:05:22 GMT -5
^^ That is crazy. Mallory & Jessi, can go to Europe, but couldn't go to NYC.
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Post by sparklymouse on Dec 11, 2013 17:32:51 GMT -5
Europe was a school trip with chaperones and was probably a once in a lifetime opportunity for many of the students. NYC was not any of those things.
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Post by helsieboo on Dec 22, 2013 14:14:50 GMT -5
Europe was a school trip with chaperones and was probably a once in a lifetime opportunity for many of the students. NYC was not any of those things. I thought this. Although a whopping TWO chaperones from SMS. Seriously, wtf? For 50 kids?! Everything about this book drives me mad. I want to grab Ann M Martin and tell her how little she knows about us and we are not stereotypes, damnit!
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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 Dec 22, 2013 21:06:48 GMT -5
^ I was pretty disappointed when none of you ran around wearing tweeds and constantly using cheesy British slang.
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Post by helsieboo on Dec 23, 2013 12:38:56 GMT -5
Tally-ho!
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wanderingfrog
Sitting For The Arnolds
Official BSC Archivist
Posts: 2,552
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Post by wanderingfrog on Dec 28, 2013 20:06:55 GMT -5
Europe was a school trip with chaperones and was probably a once in a lifetime opportunity for many of the students. NYC was not any of those things. I thought this. Although a whopping TWO chaperones from SMS. Seriously, wtf? For 50 kids?! That's a good point. It's an insane lack of supervision, even with a couple of parents chaperoning, too.
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celaeno
Sitting For The Papadakis's
I have to share a room with Vanessa
Posts: 1,514
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Post by celaeno on Apr 8, 2014 23:34:48 GMT -5
I get amused when there are lines like these in the books:
Gee Mary Anne, you make it sound like this is something that has been going on for years or something...
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celaeno
Sitting For The Papadakis's
I have to share a room with Vanessa
Posts: 1,514
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Post by celaeno on Apr 13, 2014 20:20:11 GMT -5
Some comments: -Like some of the others have said...wow, the British characters. The Kents apparently did not even know what a hamburger was (at Victoria's party, they serve burgers without buns) -Also, Victoria talks about how she's going to miss all these great American television programs...like The d*ck Van d**e Show. Oh Ann. -Yeah, the stuffed animal sale seems pretty unrealistic. I'm willing to buy lots of things from thrift stores, but I feel kinda like I need to hold my breath just walking by the stuffed animal section. It seems like a holding pen for germs. -The title of this book is kind of misleading. It would have been more accurate to call it "Kristy Is Being a Jerk to All the Other Sitters". Everyone else was mostly cool. -I like how this book (and Dawn and Too Many Sitters) were set ups to Super Specials. It makes the Super Specials feel more special, instead of just coming out of the blue. Overall, I enjoyed this one.
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Post by greer on Apr 13, 2014 20:48:28 GMT -5
After living through bed bugs, I'd never buy something like stuffed animals used. Although I guess in this case, you were buying stuff from people you know, since it was limited to the BSC client families, if I'm remembering correctly.
And yeah, I can only imagine how our UK BSC readers felt at the entire Kent storyline and how they were depicted. Cringe-o-Rama.
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Post by sparklymouse on Apr 14, 2014 7:48:38 GMT -5
You can buy stuff brand new and have it infested with bed bugs. I agree though that it's not really necessary to buy used stuffed animals from a thrift store. I have a garbage bag full of old stuffed animals that I'm not even particularly attached to that I can't get rid of because I know they'll wind up in a dumpster if I do. Clearly I've watched Toy Story too many times.
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mallorypike
Sitting For The Papadakis's
If I were thirteen instead of eleven, life would be a picnic...
Posts: 1,636
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Post by mallorypike on Apr 22, 2016 19:44:06 GMT -5
I've had a copy of this book but never read it so today I read it. It was better than I'd thought it'd be. It was OK for a late BSC series book. I thought Kristy was totally rude and controlling as usual. I liked that Dawn acted cool throughout the situation. Usually she's the opposite. Jessi and Mal were pretty cool, too, but they're usually calm and level-headed in BSC fights. I could see why the BSC got in a fight. Competition is real even with friends. I liked the subplot about Victoria. I like Victoria. It's cute how American she wanted to be and how against British she is. She was kinda bratty and selfish about Mary Anne not spending enough time with her. Um, MA has other responsibilities to do in her life! But I felt bad for Victoria when she had to move. The mall trip and the party was entertaining. Karen and Victoria seemed to be good friends. I really should read MA and the Little Princess. That's where Victoria is introduced, right?
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