macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
|
Post by macca on Mar 7, 2006 20:56:49 GMT -5
For some reason, I loved this one when I was little. No idea why, Jessi was THE most annoying brat. "I don't need a sitter, I'm a sitter myself!" - um, so she's available to provide full time childcare for Squirt, eh? And she was horrible to Jackie Rodowsky in the subplot, when she completely took over his science fair project. I couldn't help feeling sorry for the miserable, downtrodden little fella.
It struck me as weird that Jessi and Becca were "naughty" enough to play all sorts of nasty, messy pranks on Aunt Cecelia, but Jessi couldn't possibly disobey the Dictator by going to the BSC meeting when she'd been forbidden. Also, the whole "poor black family" issue was thrown in for good measure, when Aunt Cecelia explained that she was strict because blacks have to work harder to "prove" themselves to society. FFS!
|
|
|
Post by spazgirl on Mar 7, 2006 21:07:13 GMT -5
This book really brings out the Jessi hate from deep deep in my soul. Whiny whine whine. And it all could have been easily handled if she had just talked to her parents about it instead of trying to prove how "adult" she was by short sheeting Aunt Cecelia's bed. Her behavior on Jackie's project was horrrrrrible. I was hoping he'd be able to pull it together by the time the science fair rolled around, but Jessi had ruined everything.
If I were Jessi I would've gone to the meeting. I don't think her parents would have been mad, seeing as Aunt C was being unfair.
|
|
macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
|
Post by macca on Mar 8, 2006 1:52:09 GMT -5
Jessi always had a phobia about speaking to her parents. Remember in Dance School Phantom, when she had stuff stolen, suffered a sprained ankle and received threatening letters daily, but didn't speak to her parents because she didn't want to "worry" them.
|
|
jen
Sitting For The Johanssens
Posts: 1,156
|
Post by jen on Mar 8, 2006 5:38:56 GMT -5
Oh, she was horrible to Jackie in this!! Not a fan of this book. It seems like Jackie even told her a few times that she was taking over the project, or hinted that he really didn't know anything, but she didn't listen. Great baby-sitting there, oh wonderful baby-sitter.
|
|
|
Post by hitzpink on Mar 8, 2006 16:51:35 GMT -5
Ugh, Jessi was so annoying in this book. Whining about how she's too grown up for a sitter, while she's filling her aunt's slippers with shaving cream. WTF, Jessi?
|
|
|
Post by sparklymouse on Mar 9, 2006 22:55:44 GMT -5
I just remember that when I was Jessi's age I had no idea what a dictator was, but she knew and was teaching her 8 year old sister too. This book bugged me cause there was nobody to root for. Aunt Cecelia was annoying as hell and was often too strict and unreasonable. Jessi's parents made the decision to move a not very close relative into their house full time without talking things over with their kids or giving them any warning at all. It would be really uncomfortable to suddenly have someone you don't know very well living in the bedroom next to yours. And of course Jessi sucked too. Plus I realized that since Stacey used to live in that house it meant that her 1 kid family bought a place with at least five bedrooms, and why the hell would they need a house that big?
|
|
macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
|
Post by macca on Mar 10, 2006 0:09:06 GMT -5
I think we were supposed to root for Jessi in this book, we were supposed to agree that Aunt Cecelia was a pain in the ass and that Jessi had every right to feel indignant when her parents had organised a babysitter for her at the ripe old age of eleven.
The Ramsey family didn't seem particularly close. Why didn't Jessi feel that she was entitled to discuss her concerns with her parents?
|
|
jen
Sitting For The Johanssens
Posts: 1,156
|
Post by jen on Mar 10, 2006 4:23:26 GMT -5
Well, she said it was because she didn't want to worry her parents about it, since her mum had just started a new job.
|
|
macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
|
Post by macca on Mar 10, 2006 4:53:10 GMT -5
In which case, why did Jessi and Becca feel it was appropriate to short sheet Aunt Cecelia's bed, put honey in her hairbrush and shaving cream in her slippers? Ordinarily, an Aunt Cecelia type would've discussed such behavior with the parents, which undoubtably would've worried them more than Jessi just explaining she felt uncomfortable with the arrangement.
Ugh, I really shouldn't try to analyse these books too much! But it's just so much fun!
|
|
|
Post by buffykay70 on Mar 10, 2006 6:31:48 GMT -5
i actually felt a bit sorry for jessi in this book, aunt cecilia was sort of a strict b*tch. but they shouldnt have played those immature trickes on her too.
and jessi was annoying with the whole jackie r/volcano thing. control freak
|
|
macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
|
Post by macca on Mar 11, 2006 0:41:53 GMT -5
I can understand feeling sorry for Jessi - Aunt Cecelia was a bossy old cow, but the stupidity of Jessi's "I don't need a sitter, I am one!" overrode my sympathy a bit.
|
|
|
Post by aln1982 on Mar 11, 2006 10:39:23 GMT -5
I haven't read this one for a while so will have to reread before saying too much. From what I remember, I agree that Aunt Cecelia is a jerk. I really don't like her. I think she is a real pain in Happy Holidays, Jessi (I think that is what it is called) even though she does seem to feel bad after she gets in the accident that hurts Squirt. I really thought "it's about time" when Mr. Ramsey got mad at her in that one.
|
|
macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
|
Post by macca on Mar 11, 2006 18:52:57 GMT -5
To me, it always seemed weird that a not-terribly-close extended family member moved in with the Ramseys. She wasn't even a grandmother, which although unusual these days is not unheard of. I know Aunt Cecelia's husband had just died recently, but the woman came across as a senior citizen, not a forty-something yr old.
|
|
lilafowler
Sitting For The Johanssens
Posts: 1,163
|
Post by lilafowler on Mar 12, 2006 17:46:54 GMT -5
Plus I realized that since Stacey used to live in that house it meant that her 1 kid family bought a place with at least five bedrooms, and why the hell would they need a house that big? Everyone in Stoneybrook seems to have a den, which I've always assumed could serve as a bedroom, if necessary. Maybe it was a den when the McGills lived there, and a bedroom when the Ramseys moved in? Topic: I love how Jessi thinks Aunt Cecelia is being unreasonable for still holding a grudge about Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey leaving Jessi in charge of her siblings for a weekend. If I had a younger sibling stupid enough to leave an eleven-year-old in charge of a baby and an eight-year-old, I wouldn't let him forget it, either!
|
|
macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
|
Post by macca on Mar 12, 2006 18:32:09 GMT -5
^ word on the whole grudge thing.
Jessi's parents were insanely neglectful, leaving three CHILDREN (because, whether Jess likes it or not, she's still a child) home alone while they took a weekend vacation. However, I think we're supposed to agree with Jessi that the arrangement was entirely reasonable and Aunt C was just over-the-top strict when she was disgusted by it.
|
|