31: Karen's Bully

[Kylie90210]

Please discuss this book here.

[sweetvalleygirl99]

I actually liked the subplot where Amanda came back more than the main plot, with Bobby being a bully. My favorite part was when Amanda came back and looked around at her old house (now the Kormans' house) and freaked out about everything, like when they took out the fountain and the tennis courts to make a garden (though I found that one stupid) and how Amanda and Hannie were at each other's throats.

[anna]

I really like this book. I too, don't care much for the Bobby The Bully thing either. but i love the Amanda Coming back to S.B to visit Karen. Those Kormans must have lowerd the Price value of the house

[Kylie90210]

Yeah, Bobby was kind of boring, and he was so mean to Andrew! Although the underwear bit was funny,

[tiff85]

I loved the suplot as well. Bobby was so mean to Karen! I felt bad about the underwear. I liked the way Karen stood up to him in the end. She sure had some guts!

[wenonah4th]

You knew HAnnie and Amanda would have a tiff, the way they hadn't liked each other in the earlier books.

[Kylie90210]

Amanda always reminded me a little of Pamela. I think its realistic that Hannie and Karen don't always like the same people.

[morbiddadestiny]

melody looks like jerri blank in one of the illustrations here

[lilafowler]

^I reread this book just because of that comment.

I didn't see the resemblance between Melody and Jerri Blank, but Karen's Bully was a good reminder of why I liked the Little Sister books as a kid. Once I started reading the BSC, I quickly forgot how much more sympathetic (and flawed!) Karen is in her own books. I just wanted to give her a hug a couple of times in this book, as opposed to the backhand across the face I get the urge to give her during most of her BSC appearances. "My Baby Minnie Mouse underwear. It is the most embarrassing underwear I own. I wear it because Nannie gave it to me, and I love Nannie." and the whole Chinese takeout exchange ("It is my new favorite food.") were actually adorable, and I was genuinely amused by Karen sassing Bobby ("Get real, Bobby. I mean, Robert" and a "said Robert" after the next thing Bobby said).

The Little Sister illustrations are so bad. They all look unfinished!

[scrounge]

^^In some of the earliest books the illustrations aren't full pages. They're half page or even smaller sprinkled throughout the text, and they look a lot more natural and fit in a lot better than full page illustrations with scribbles or blank space at the top or bottom.

I also really liked Amanda's visit. I wish she hadn't moved away so early in the series, because it was nice for Karen to have a friend who was a little different than her other friends and had some flaws.

[booboobrewer]

I like Amanda in LS and her interactions with Karen and Hannie, so will have to read this one soon!

[anzuhana]

I liked reading about Amanda's visit and her interactions with Karen and Hannie. I liked that Karen stood up to Bobby in the end.

[virgoscorpio]

I probably wouldn't have liked this book if I read it when I was little, simply due to the fact that my name is Robert and I used to go by the nickname Bobby as a kid (and I wasn't a bully). So, the fact that I have the same name as Bobby Gianelli probably would have bothered me.

I thought it was funny how Bobby says to Karen, "I thought you might want to know that I am going to movew into my new house in five days. So you better watch out, Karen. In five days I will be living on your street. Five days."

Karen responds by saying, "I can count." LOL

I also liked how Amanda Delaney makes another appearance in this book.

[virgoscorpio]

I see the Jerri Blank thing.

Also, how come it took Karen a while to realize which underwear was Bobby's? lol

[scrounge]

I wish Amanda's family had never moved away. The Kormans are boring and weird. Amanda was difficult at times but at least she was never boring. So every time I read this book I tend to agree with Amanda that Melody's family ruined the house. The fabulous fish fountain, taken to the dump? I mean come on, at least try to resell that thing.