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 Jul 15, 2014 0:50:51 GMT -5
I also felt that the logistics of Claudia's move back to 7th grade didn't seem realistic (although I have no idea how these things work in real life, as this seemed like an unrealistic situation in the first place):
-Wouldn't it seem more likely for Claudia to just switch back to a few 7th grade classes where she was struggling, but overall keep 8th grade status (like stay in 8th grade gym, art, and keep her 8th grade locker)? It seems like some elements of her move would be unnecessary. (But of course then we wouldn't have this story arc, which is the whole point.)
-Is this really how they would have handled it - calling Claudia and her parents to a conference, and springing the news on them? Wouldn't it be more likely for them to talk to the Kishi parents on the phone first? I feel like parents might have some say in this issue, actually.
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Post by Sideshowjazz1 on Jul 1, 2016 4:27:42 GMT -5
This book is the ultimate example of Flanderization in regards to Claudia's consistently low performance in school. I mean, there are good things about it, too. I could really feel the shame and fear of starting with a new group - only due to not being able to keep up with the old group. But to be honest, Claudia doesn't seem like her IQ is above average here. It would explain why she improved so quickly later on, enough to move back to eighth grade, but not how she fell so far behind that they had to move her back a grade in the first place. Also, that scene where Claudia imagines her friends graduating while she's in kindergarten is just really morbid. Not sure if that's the best word to use, but it's disturbing and scary for me.
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andrew
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 353
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Post by andrew on Sept 30, 2016 21:13:50 GMT -5
I usually don't really like Claudia but I liked her, or at least how she was written, in this book ... the book and even Claudia herself seemed willing to admit her flaws despite not being super-apologetic about them.
Sad but believable that Claudia even felt disconnected from Stacey.
A little shocking and not cool but interesting for Claudia to refer to kids just a little younger than her, the 6th and 7th graders (implicitly including Jessi and Mallory, saying it to them), as little brats ... I think a recurring theme in the books is that most of the sitters like little kids as clients because they really look up to them and would like them a lot less if they didn't.
I was generally a good student and able to understood most concepts but I can nonetheless relate to the (probably common) attitude of just cram for the test and then forget it.
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Natasha
New To Stoneybrook
BSC Reread Update: no 115:Jessi's big break.
Posts: 198
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Post by Natasha on Mar 9, 2018 9:24:11 GMT -5
I'm usually (sometimes) a fan of Claudia but her attitude towards schooling really stinks. I really hate the whole "I'm going to be an artist, so I don't need to learn science, maths, English etc. This is Claudia's attitude towards school. It's just an excuse to be lazy and not work hard. I don't believe them when they say Claudia is smart-book smart she is not. And I also believe she doesn't have a learning disability-she's just pure lazy and Rosa finally called her out on it. And to top it off she takes it out on poor Mal and Jessi and they've been nothing but supportive! Jeez.
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Post by booklover85 on Mar 11, 2018 0:10:13 GMT -5
I'm usually (sometimes) a fan of Claudia but her attitude towards schooling really stinks. I really hate the whole "I'm going to be an artist, so I don't need to learn science, maths, English etc. This is Claudia's attitude towards school. It's just an excuse to be lazy and not work hard. I don't believe them when they say Claudia is smart-book smart she is not. And I also believe she doesn't have a learning disability-she's just pure lazy and Rosa finally called her out on it. And to top it off she takes it out on poor Mal and Jessi and they've been nothing but supportive! Jeez. As much as I feel bad for Claud for her sucky situation, it's a bed made lie situation for her. She should have studied at least a little bit and start learning to spell. Claudia, IMO, also should have cut ties to all of her BSC friends since their talk of the "fabulous" eighth grade life is making her so upset. And the other girls' shouldn't have flaunted their perks of being eighth graders in front of Claudia's face. Minus Mal and Jessi, no one came out looking good in this book.
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Natasha
New To Stoneybrook
BSC Reread Update: no 115:Jessi's big break.
Posts: 198
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Post by Natasha on Mar 11, 2018 9:22:26 GMT -5
Claudia's parents were way too lenient on her when they learned she was going to be left back. They've threatened to make her drop out of the club plenty of times and I'm surprised they didn't this time. I think they should have. It might have made Claud wake up and realise school is important. An artist needs school.
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oldhickory
Sitting For The Arnolds
Heather Loves Boys and Gym
Posts: 3,234
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Post by oldhickory on Mar 12, 2018 9:17:01 GMT -5
I'm usually (sometimes) a fan of Claudia but her attitude towards schooling really stinks. I really hate the whole "I'm going to be an artist, so I don't need to learn science, maths, English etc. This is Claudia's attitude towards school. It's just an excuse to be lazy and not work hard. I don't believe them when they say Claudia is smart-book smart she is not. And I also believe she doesn't have a learning disability-she's just pure lazy and Rosa finally called her out on it. And to top it off she takes it out on poor Mal and Jessi and they've been nothing but supportive! Jeez. I agree. To me, this felt like a "you can't fire me, I quit" kind of situation. Claudia was hurt and wanted to be the one making the decision instead of feeling like she wasn't good enough. She wanted to say "I don't need math so I refuse to devote any time to it". I've made comments like that to protect my ego. I'm not proud of it, but it's a coping mechanism.
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Post by booklover85 on Aug 27, 2020 9:35:01 GMT -5
I thought that Claudia was literally going to drop out of school as a kid when I first read the title.
Claudia's parents definitely should have followed through their threats in making Claudia quit the club. Her education was in serious trouble.
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livvy
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 394
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Post by livvy on May 4, 2022 16:30:57 GMT -5
I don't particularly like Claudia at the best of times. But in this book she was insufferable. Truly. After she was put back into the seventh grade she sulked all throughout the book and took it out on Jessi and Mal by calling them immature. It's not their fault she was left back. Geez. She was a pill to everyone just because she couldn't go to some dance. If you ask me Claudia was the immature one acting like a child. This is one of my worst top ten books.
The series goes downhills after book 90 and you can't change my mind.
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Post by oldmeanie on May 1, 2023 11:43:18 GMT -5
This book feels like the opposite of character development tbh. I'm very confused about Claudia's school troubles. In the early books, she did just seem like kind of a lazy student. This is also evidenced by the fact that she got an A- on that math test in #40.
In later books, though, it just seems so clear that she has some kind of learning disorder. She wouldn't get sent back a grade (wouldn't happen, but still) because of laziness. In this book, she really does struggle to keep up, and even massively fails a math test after studying for hours. Tbh, that doesn't seem lazy to me. Or maybe it's just bad writing lol.
I actually sympathize with Claudia's opinion on school a bit. I do think it's ridiculous that she's like, "I'm going to be an artist, I don't need any of this stuff." I will admit that I don't use much I learned from school nowadays. But reading comprehension, spelling, math (cooking... you should be able to halve a recipe, measuring things, and getting a rough idea of how much you're spending when shopping are all important), and yes, some history are all important imo. I do think that schools, particularly here in the U.S., are failing the kids by putting too much emphasis on testing. I 100% did what Claudia did and just kind of forgot everything after I was done (but with the school year, not after each test. And I was actually a really good student starting in high school. I shouldn't have been). I agree with her that it's boring for the most part and I think there are major, major flaws in our schooling system. But I do think she has the wrong attitude about it.
Okay, I agree with her when she's flabbergasted that the other 8th grade BSCers are stoked about the extra work and pressure this "year" (more on that later lol). No way. This would not happen irl. Kids would just be complaining about the extra work (and rightfully so, the amount of homework kids are often assigned is crazy. Most of it is just busy work). Yeah no, the other BSC members are crazy and I agree with Claud lol.
So... this just bothers me so much! I'll just paste the quote here:
“I know what you mean,” chimed in Mary Anne. “It’s like the teachers really expect more out of us this year. I mean, in seventh grade we had a fair amount of homework, but this year you really have to keep up. It’s kind of cool. They’re treating us more like adults, instead of like kids.”
Okay, okay, wait. What is this? It's written as if this is their first run through 8th grade. It is not. They haven't been in 7th grade since 1987. Come on now. This is not how you do a floating timeline! It bugged me even as a kid. Claudia's school troubles are confusing because she should absolutely be used to 8th grade, and I guess this is the explanation? Not buying it. And again, no 13 year old would be happy about extra homework. Even Abby is, and I thought she wasn't wild about school (she is kind of OOC here though. I think Ellen Miles doesn't write her well). Hell, I was a good student and disliked the work (even college, I actually hated college aside from my art classes).
Claudia going BACK to seventh grade just wouldn't happen. I think at most, she would have had to take some seventh grade classes but still be considered an 8th grader. They wouldn't put her back a grade then put her back in 8th grade the same year. So dumb.
I guess this is just messy writing. I also wanted to read more about the art class (which I somewhat agree that the Kishi parents shouldn't have let her take. But in text it does provide her withan outlet, so... but it would have to be that OR the BSC, not both), but honestly, it's barely there. She wins first prize in the show at the end, and while that's cool, we don't really have much to root for because there was no buildup to it. I do feel bad that Claud didn't invite her friends and family to see it right away. That makes me so sad for some reason.
The rest of this book is kind of depressing. I kind of feel bad for Claud, but at the same time, her attitude doing a 180 just because of being unable to go to the dance (kind of ridiculous tbh. Ridiculous that she had to change her locker as well) is hard to sympathize with. Then calling the 7th graders babyish... that's probably realistic, but it doesn't come across well when Mal and Jessi are in 6th.
I do feel for her when she has a different lunch period than her friends... that happened to me in middle school (I was in 7th and taking a class with 8th graders), and it sucked.
The hospital subplot was nice, but it's not developed much.
Overall, kind of a bummer to read with an honestly dumb premise, as well as being poorly written. This one is like a 4/10 to me. It would've been lower, but it's not boring at least.
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Post by booklover85 on May 2, 2023 15:06:52 GMT -5
The premise of this book is a complete disaster from beginning to end. If the author wanted Claudia back in seventh grade, just have her repeat it instead of moving her ahead in Kristy's Big Day.
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Post by oldmeanie on May 3, 2023 11:52:48 GMT -5
The premise of this book is a complete disaster from beginning to end. If the author wanted Claudia back in seventh grade, just have her repeat it instead of moving her ahead in Kristy's Big Day. Agreed. They did this too late. It makes no sense and is inconsistent with earlier books. It doesn't make Claud look good either, since she's been in 8th grade for almost a decade lol. She should have it down by now!
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Post by booboobrewer on May 3, 2023 18:01:08 GMT -5
“I know what you mean,” chimed in Mary Anne. “It’s like the teachers really expect more out of us this year. I mean, in seventh grade we had a fair amount of homework, but this year you really have to keep up. It’s kind of cool. They’re treating us more like adults, instead of like kids.” I gotta admit, I was a Mary Anne. In 8th, my advanced classes seemed fun and challenging from the start and the teachers were cool and did expect more of us. It seemed to me that Mary Anne, Stacey, and Mal in particular probably took advanced classes (though it was never mentioned) and were probably genuinely eager about the work. Of course, when I read the “this year” part, I was like yeah, no.
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Post by oldmeanie on May 4, 2023 20:53:01 GMT -5
“I know what you mean,” chimed in Mary Anne. “It’s like the teachers really expect more out of us this year. I mean, in seventh grade we had a fair amount of homework, but this year you really have to keep up. It’s kind of cool. They’re treating us more like adults, instead of like kids.” I gotta admit, I was a Mary Anne. In 8th, my advanced classes seemed fun and challenging from the start and the teachers were cool and did expect more of us. It seemed to me that Mary Anne, Stacey, and Mal in particular probably took advanced classes (though it was never mentioned) and were probably genuinely eager about the work. Of course, when I read the “this year” part, I was like yeah, no. I can see some of them being excited, especially Mary Anne like you said (I think in Stacey's case, only about math really), but not all of them, especially not Abby. Most kids would be annoyed with the extra work (myself included tbh). Yeah... the "this year" thing bothers me so much! Lol. I'll keep a lookout to see if there are any more references to it being a new school year. I guess I've seen shows like Bob's Burgers do things like this, but it gets a pass for absurdity imo. Maybe the BSC should too lol.
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livvy
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 394
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Post by livvy on Aug 20, 2023 5:49:18 GMT -5
Makes me wonder how bad she'll go on high school. It's tougher than middle school by far. She'll probably repeat a grade more than once and she'll just graduate.
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