ktag
Junior Sitter
Posts: 694
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Post by ktag on Jun 4, 2006 3:46:49 GMT -5
Mr. Pike was pretty bad in this book. Way to take it out on the kids.
I wish they'd distinguish between being fired and being laid off, which Mr. Pike was. It's a big difference.
Why did the kids at school even care?
I didn't understand the Delaney thing. Most of the same kids who bailed on them earlier suddenly learned manners and didn't mind not swimming anymore? Doubtful.
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fluffy
New To Stoneybrook
Posts: 180
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Post by fluffy on Jun 4, 2006 6:36:42 GMT -5
One of my favorites. I remember this one for the lavish descriptions of the Delaneys' house and for some strange reason, the food descriptions. (I've been hanging out on the food thread.) Amanda Delaney was a great character, very layered for a BSC charge. I like how Ann blurred things- was she a stuck-up brat or a misunderstood...brat? It's a shame that she and her family were moved away. In a Little Sister Book.
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on Jun 4, 2006 7:09:48 GMT -5
Ugh, so much about this book bugged me (but it was entertaining nevertheless)
For one thing - I believe this is the book that bombarded us with DIBBLE! Claudia was the Queen of Dibbledom, according to Chapter Two. What dorks!
I'm not one to ever doubt how cruel kids can be, but even I admit it's EXTREMELY unlikely that each and every Pike kid was shunned, tormented and bullied just because their dad was made redundant. Come on. Even the five yr old kids in Claire's class rejected her because of it. Completely ludicruous and unrealistic.
Also, Mr Pike was an idiot (but I think it was another example of Ann's man issues). The guy was a successful lawyer, singlehandedly supporting ten people, yet he turns into a couch potato bum who can barely drag his ass out of bed after what? Two weeks unemployment or something.
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lilafowler
Sitting For The Johanssens
Posts: 1,163
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Post by lilafowler on Jun 4, 2006 17:54:18 GMT -5
^^^ITA about it being ridiculous that Claire's friends would stop playing with her. I can buy the triplets being teased because they couldn't go on a class trip, even if that is horrendously rude and beyond the propriety even I knew as a ten-year-old, but when I was in kindergarten? All I ever talked about with my friends was, like, the newest Barbie. Did Claire volunteer this information to her friends? If so, would they even know enough to care? Stupid.
The title of this book is really awful and really hilarious.
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on Jun 4, 2006 18:28:02 GMT -5
If they were generally well-liked, popular kids though (and because they were triplets and therefore "special", I think that's a reasonable assumption) it seems unlikely, particularly since there were three of them and kids are more likely to single out only ONE person to pick on.
If they were the type of kid to get bullied, I could buy it. For instance, the fact that Mallory was teased over it comes as no surprise (although at that point in the series, she wasn't a victim of bullying) because they'd use any excuse to torment and ridicule her.
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Post by greer on Jun 4, 2006 21:44:02 GMT -5
^plus, my school had money set aside for kids who couldn't afford things like field trips.
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ktag
Junior Sitter
Posts: 694
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Post by ktag on Jun 4, 2006 23:09:50 GMT -5
I don't understand why Mallory had to pay Vanessa to watch Claire so she could do her homework. I thought they were all trying to do their parts in saving money. Vanessa can't play with her sister for a couple hours without being bribed?
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Amalia
Sitting For The Braddocks
Her Original Point of View
Posts: 3,664
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Post by Amalia on Jun 5, 2006 0:49:40 GMT -5
I've always wondered what kind of "odd jobs" the triplets did?
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Post by lovelylemontree on Jun 5, 2006 1:03:58 GMT -5
This was one of my favorite BSC books as a kid. I loved the end where the BSC prank calls the girls who bullied Mallory. But let me tell you, in Real Life, people do not have any tolerance for the pig farm call.
How long did the unemployment actually stretch on? I'm thinking it was only about a month. His depression would be realistic had he been unemployed for much longer. I've had friends whose fathers have lost their jobs and after months of not finding work became frustrated and simply stopped searching. But after only a few weeks? Buck up, Mr. Pike.
That explains it! I've always wondered about the Delaney's move. There are no details in the Complete Guide or the BSC books. It's just, "Oh, the Delaney's moved."
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jen
Sitting For The Johanssens
Posts: 1,156
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Post by jen on Jun 5, 2006 5:57:53 GMT -5
I've always wondered what kind of "odd jobs" the triplets did? They painted Mrs Schafer's lawn chairs. Yeah, I know, WTH? Heh, I totally did not get the pun in the title until about a year ago. I'm slow.
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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 Jun 5, 2006 16:58:43 GMT -5
I don't remember that people's parents being out of work was cause for teasing when I was a kid. I wasn't even really aware of it when that kind of thing happened, and I doubt I would have shunned anyone even if I had been. My family was pretty poor and no one ever made fun of me for it!
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on Jun 5, 2006 20:20:51 GMT -5
^ when I was in high school, a couple of the poor kids were bullied over it, but they were the types to be bullied anyway. A lot of other families didn't have much money and the kids were left alone.
The dad losing his job for a couple of weeks, however, does not classify as poverty-stricken. Even in my experience, I can't imagine a kid being tormented and shunned because the dad didn't have a job for a while. Makes no sense at all.
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Post by buffykay70 on Jun 5, 2006 21:42:36 GMT -5
hmm, it just seems weird to me that the whole pike family lived on Mr Pikes wages, laywer or no, how much could he possilbly make??
but i liked this book, it was interesting and i dont mind mallory as much as other people do, hahah though i hate when she whines about her braces and glasses.
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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 Jun 6, 2006 10:53:52 GMT -5
I had ugly glasses when I was growing up, and I STILL whine about it when I see the pictures.
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Post by sotypical42483 on Jun 7, 2006 12:06:05 GMT -5
ooh I LOVE this book! It was always one of my favorites. I felt bad for Amanda and Max when all the kids were just using them for their pool. Those kids were mean. And remember when Claire was stranded at school? LOL. Poor thing I thought it was cute how all the Pikes came together and tried to earn money, Vanessa with her hair styling, lol.
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