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Post by ashley868 on Jan 7, 2014 2:24:11 GMT -5
Claudia really was mean in this book, Janine wasn't. The one part I thought was pretty bad was when Janine got home from school, and Claudia was baby-sitting Jamie and Lucy. Janine started to play with Lucy and Claudia flipped out on her because she didn't ask about Mimi but talked about school. Claudia asked her how school went, and then Claudia was irritated when Janine explained that she'd called the hospital. She even came close to hitting Janine. Claudia has a bit of a temper, I've never noticed that before but now that I am re-reading the series I am noticing it more and she overreacts to things. Janine did not do anything wrong.
Also, like everyone else said they were pretty mean to Jenny. They thought it was good that she was scared of Louie. A lot of small children are scared of dogs. I know I was. And there was also a part where Karen was mean to Jenny and instantly hated her. Karen's reaction to Jenny was simply uncalled for. Jenny did nothing 'bratty' at that part. Karen even started to mimic her. I was kind of surprised in a way considering Karen is a little girly as well. Maybe not to the extremes that Jenny is, but she certainly does have a girlishness to her. I'd understand it better if Jenny had been prissy or her supposed 'brattiness' but she wasn't. Kristy introduced Karen to Jenny, and in my opinion Karen was the brat. Then she tried scaring her on purpose by telling her to watch out for the monster (apparently Andrew) as she walked away. And then later, Claudia actually used Andrew as a way to get Jenny to do what they wanted just because she was scared of him. I really don't understand their hatred for that little girl. She's not that bad, not even close. They definitely exaggerate some things in these books. Janine is a good example, Jenny is another and I know there are more things.
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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 Jan 7, 2014 2:51:01 GMT -5
This book should have definitely been called Janine and Mean Claudia. Good gosh, Claudia was such a b*tch! I'll bet Janine would have never almost hit Claudia. Janine always seemed like a great big sister, though. I liked their relationship after Mimi died. I loved the play group subplot. Mallory was so YOUNG. I remember she was so excited to tell the BSC that she taught the kids how to cross the street safely. I never thought Jenny was acting like a brat. She was just a little girl who was dressed in fancy clothes, liked quiet activities, and was scared of dogs. Sure, she yelled when she didn't get her way but she's FOUR, for god's sake!!!
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Post by ashley868 on Jan 7, 2014 3:14:05 GMT -5
You know I kind of wonder if Kristy had said anything to Karen about Jenny before they met. I am not always a big Karen fan, but isn't she normally nice to other kids? The worst she does is scare them with her stories, and I think usually she has a good reason to dislike another kid. Like they provoked her or something. Has she ever just been mean to kid when it was completely uncalled for before? I just found it kind of odd, especially since Jenny was younger. I know she does have kids she doesn't get along with like Pamela, and she is really judgmental about Natalie.
I thought the part about Mallory was cute too. I'd forgotten about that. I think she was really trying to show the older girls how good with kids she was. I think even then she probably secretly wished to be part of the BSC and she was so happy to be included in the day camp. I wonder if that part was hinting to us that she would join the club later.
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Post by Honeybee on Jan 7, 2014 20:38:02 GMT -5
This book should have definitely been called Janine and Mean Claudia. Good gosh, Claudia was such a b*tch! I'll bet Janine would have never almost hit Claudia. Janine always seemed like a great big sister, though. I liked their relationship after Mimi died. I loved the play group subplot. Mallory was so YOUNG. I remember she was so excited to tell the BSC that she taught the kids how to cross the street safely. I never thought Jenny was acting like a brat. She was just a little girl who was dressed in fancy clothes, liked quiet activities, and was scared of dogs. Sure, she yelled when she didn't get her way but she's FOUR, for god's sake!!! What chapter when Mallory told the BSC she taught the kids to cross the street safely?
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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 Jan 7, 2014 21:17:01 GMT -5
This book should have definitely been called Janine and Mean Claudia. Good gosh, Claudia was such a b*tch! I'll bet Janine would have never almost hit Claudia. Janine always seemed like a great big sister, though. I liked their relationship after Mimi died. I loved the play group subplot. Mallory was so YOUNG. I remember she was so excited to tell the BSC that she taught the kids how to cross the street safely. I never thought Jenny was acting like a brat. She was just a little girl who was dressed in fancy clothes, liked quiet activities, and was scared of dogs. Sure, she yelled when she didn't get her way but she's FOUR, for god's sake!!! What chapter when Mallory told the BSC she taught the kids to cross the street safely? I checked Claudia and Mean Janine...and it was chapter 6.
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Post by Honeybee on Jan 7, 2014 21:58:49 GMT -5
What chapter when Mallory told the BSC she taught the kids to cross the street safely? I checked Claudia and Mean Janine...and it was chapter 6. okay, thank you. I'll read that chapter again.
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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 Jan 7, 2014 22:38:50 GMT -5
You're welcome, Buttercup.
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Post by zoar3 on Mar 9, 2014 17:21:30 GMT -5
I reread this fairly quickly last night to move onto sunnier and happier books about Sea City. Claudia really was so horrible to Janine. I wanted to hug Janine and thank her for trying to make conversation with Claudia even when turned away. During the breakfast scene, despite snide remarks about Janine's computer class, when she and Claud are finishing up their meal, J still takes the initiative to ask Claudia about how Kristy's move will affect the BSC. ITA with Afton and everyone else who has said that Janine wasn't speaking so formally to put down Claudia or make her feel bad, that was just how Janine spoke. Janine probably didn't have a whole lot of down or fun time to just talk with her peers, whether that was by her choice or how things were, we might never know but it does make me sad. The true "meanie mos" in this book were Claudia's parents. Not once do we read about either of them inviting Janine to do anything with or for the family or let her know they want her involved. I did enjoy Claudia's talk with Janine near the end when Claud suggests that if Janine can't tell her parents she feels isolated from the family than she should show them she wants to be more involved by helping with dinner, etc. I think that was a great idea and understand where Claud was coming from but it still made me feel sad that Rioko and John were more concerned about their eldest daughter becoming a Physicist than Janine herself. I do wonder if before Claudia was born Mimi and Janine were closer. I loved that Jamie was pretty much the star of the sub-plot and it was sweet when he on his own decided not to pour punch on Lucy. Mary Anne could have taken a lesson from him that way in #4. I will always wish seventh grade had lasted longer and/or that the BSC stories had centered around only the Bradford Court neighborhood longer. I understand that once Kristy moved it made sense to introduce families out there. I just much prefer the neighborhood-y feel and closeness between the girls especially Kristy and Jamie and even Claudia and Jamie and Mrs. Newton to the less personal relationships with client parents later down the road. Anyway, off, as Stacey said, for some "surf, sun and fun" in Sea City.
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Post by greer on Mar 9, 2014 17:53:55 GMT -5
^i think maybe the Kishi parents just sort of saw Janine a certain way. I think the Kishi parents were some of the best in the BSC, and they had a lot of good moments where we saw the whole family in action. I think maybe they just thought, and I think they say as much in the book, that Janine was very busy and they didn't want to keep her from that. I also think she may have trouble expressing her emotions, whereas Claudia is very expressive, and they may take her lack of expressing her feelings as her being ok with something.
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Post by zoar3 on Mar 9, 2014 18:07:45 GMT -5
I agree about Janine having trouble expressing herself, Greer. That was what she and Claudia talked about at the end. My least favorite book in the series is "Claudia and the Terrible Truth" because it comes too close to home. However, I absolutely loved Rioko and how protective she was of Claudia and also that she and John immediately took action to get Mrs. Nicholl's and the boys to a safer place. I will also always like how John lent Claudia his camera in Clue in the Photograph and wish we had gotten to read about the two of them talking photography. I just meant that to me, John and Rioko don't often come across as open or friendly...maybe approachable is the better word...as say Seth or even very early Elizabeth (when we got to read about Kristy's mom talking to Kristy before bed in KGI).
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Post by greer on Mar 9, 2014 18:34:47 GMT -5
I do like the scene in, I think, The mystery at Claudia's House where John and Claudia are gardening together, and Mrs. Braddock drops by with homemade bread.
I'm pretty sure you don't like Friends Forever, but there is a lot more family stuff in that series.
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Post by zoar3 on Mar 9, 2014 19:20:00 GMT -5
^Oh yeah thank you for reminding me of that. I will look forward to reading that when I get there. It seems like the dad's were into gardening. Watson, of course, and I think even Seth at one point did some type of gardening? Stacey's dad gardened I believe in the very book I'm going to read tonight about Sea City. You're very right about the Friends Forever, I really don't care for those books. I know that I am one of the only members who does prefer reading about the charges and the neighborhoods to the more dramatic stuff. Maybe one of these days I'll give them another read. Anyway, thank you.
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supprazz
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,106
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Post by supprazz on Mar 11, 2014 21:09:45 GMT -5
I also thought Claudia instigated Janine so much more than the other way around. I feel Janine is the type who's naive and studies so much that though she has study buddies, maybe her social skills aren't always like Claudia and her friends, and when she corrects people the way she does, she doesn't intentionally do it to come off self-righteous as she does, she's just naive in that way though book smart. Another good example of being naive is when Claudia said she could have just said she stopped off for pizza after the library instead of admitting to lying when she was hiding she was dating Jerry.
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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 Jul 5, 2014 1:14:39 GMT -5
I reread this one earlier today, and I ran across a logistical issue that I don't think we've ever discussed. The book opens about a week after #6, and it's more than halfway through before the Thomases move to Watson's. How in the world did Watson and Elizabeth handle their...overnight time? Did Watson live at the Thomas house? Did Elizabeth just leave her kids there and stay at the mansion? I'm fine with them not living together before the wedding, but after, even for a little while? I can't see them doing that.
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Post by candykane on Jul 7, 2014 7:27:23 GMT -5
^ Never noticed that before! I remember now that Kristy said "We can't have the play group at my house - we'll be moving soon."
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