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Post by aln1982 on Sept 27, 2007 7:43:33 GMT -5
^ Agree. I was glad to see Mrs. Pike sit him down and tell him that things needed to change. Very realistic, in my opinion.
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Post by sotypical42483 on Sept 27, 2007 10:49:25 GMT -5
I don't know why they were all up in arms about Mr Pike not doing anything, I mean they still had surrogate mom Mallory who did practically everything all the time anyway!
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Post by aln1982 on Sept 27, 2007 16:52:10 GMT -5
^ A dad moping around the house is not a pleasant experience. Even though mine really couldn't do anything because he was recovering from 5 bypass heart surgery, it was still like "Get out of my way and find something to do!" That's what this book kind of reminded me of so I felt like I could relate a bit. Maybe that's why I like it so much. I should put it in my reread pile (which seems to grow constantly ;D)
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Post by Kylie90210 on Sept 27, 2007 21:22:04 GMT -5
^^ Too true Sotypical! I still think Claire could have been left alone to play inside though.
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janey83
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 374
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Post by janey83 on Nov 5, 2007 16:56:37 GMT -5
^ does anyone else think that there had to have been some person named janet that ann disliked? there are two instances of janets terrorizing the BSC, once in this book and another in the truth about stacey. My name is actually Janet (Janey is a nickname), so I hated seeing my name used for a snob's character. Ugh. Anyway, at the end of the book, I was seriously craving one of those hoagies that Mr. Pike brought home for the girls.
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
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Post by macca on Nov 5, 2007 18:12:13 GMT -5
There was also a mean Janet in Sweet Valley - president of the Unicorns!
I thought it was ridiculous how hard-working Mr Pike who worked in a field lucrative enough to be the sole provider of nine people, became a depressed, lazy slob after just a couple of weeks unemployment.
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Post by aln1982 on Nov 5, 2007 20:28:13 GMT -5
^ I didn't find it so ridiculous. I can totally understand where his depression came from since he felt worthless and invalid with being out of work. My dad is a total type A personality, work-a-holic, etc. and when he had to be off for a while after open heart surgery, it was really hard on him. He didn't become like Mr. Pike exactly but my mom did have to say "find SOMETHING to do!" He drove us crazy. ;D So I can really relate to this book, I guess.
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janey83
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 374
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Post by janey83 on Nov 5, 2007 20:38:31 GMT -5
^I think I know what you mean. Like...if you take away something that has been their main focus, then they don't know what to do with themselves, because it's all they know. Mr. Pike didn't know how to stay at home while Mrs. Pike worked, because the idea of him taking care of the house all day was actually foreign to him.
I didn't like that Mallory paid Vanessa to look after Claire. Ummm...didn't they just have that big talk about how to save money by working together? Way to go, Mal.
Plus, I don't think the kids would have been teased. I know that kids can be cruel, but still, unless the kids are broadcasting the news at school (I don't think Mal did, but how did the others at SMS find out??), how would anyone know? I do remember that whenever field trips were going on, the teacher always said that anyone who couldn't pay could see her after class, and I think the school could pay the difference for kids who couldn't go on trips.
I love this book, but I always felt the storyline was goofy -- Mal sitting after school for literally, the RICHEST kids in town while her own family was dealing with an out of work father. Real nice experience for Mallory. At least she could eat oreos and coke at the Delaney's, which were luxuries to her.
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Post by sweetvalleygirl99 on Nov 5, 2007 21:23:03 GMT -5
There was also a mean Janet in Sweet Valley -president of the Unicorns! I was just thinking about that Macca! Anyway, I loved this book, mostly because of the Delaney subplot. I loved it when Amanda and Max took Mal on a tour of their house (basically all white, yikes! ) and their pool parties sounded like fun (I remember really wanting a pool after reading this lol). Too bad the kids were just using them to get into their pool though, I felt sorry for them both .
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Post by morbiddadestiny on Nov 5, 2007 23:47:06 GMT -5
I didn't like that Mallory paid Vanessa to look after Claire. Ummm...didn't they just have that big talk about how to save money by working together? Way to go, Mal. well, to be fair, it's not like the money was leaving the family... i agree though.
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mckay
Junior Sitter
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Post by mckay on Nov 6, 2007 11:31:51 GMT -5
Plus, I don't think the kids would have been teased. I know that kids can be cruel, but still, unless the kids are broadcasting the news at school (I don't think Mal did, but how did the others at SMS find out??), how would anyone know? That always bothered me too. And even if they did know...would kids seriously care?! I mean, Pamela Harding might ;D but I don't see most kids really being aware of the financial situations in their own families, let alone someone else's!
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Post by sotypical42483 on Nov 6, 2007 15:23:44 GMT -5
^Agreed. I love this book, it's one of my faves, but the way the kids were tormented seemed so unrealistic. I still don't understand how the kids at SMS knew about it, and really is Mal the only person they've ever known who's had a parent lose a job?!
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Penny Lane
Sitting For The Arnolds
The Girl With Colitis Goes By
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Post by Penny Lane on Nov 6, 2007 15:46:59 GMT -5
Plus, I don't think the kids would have been teased. I know that kids can be cruel, but still, unless the kids are broadcasting the news at school (I don't think Mal did, but how did the others at SMS find out??), how would anyone know? What usually happens (in small towns) is that someone else's parent worked with Mr. Pike and told their family about the situation. Plus, big layoffs like this would be on the (again, in a small town) so I don't think it's that unreasonable to think that everyone knows about it. However, I would have expected it to be less outright teasing and mocking and more of the embarrassing comments from teachers and even friends. You know, the "do you guys need anything" comments from people who are over involved in other people's lives. I also would have expected some teasing - from a bully or something. I really like this book - when I was younger, I really emphasized with Amanda and Max. It's not easy to make friends, and if you don't really know how, people use you for your stuff all the time. I also like how the Pike kids banned together to overcome their family problem. I liked how Mr Pike used his time off to hang out and make macaroni art with Claire (eventually).
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
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Post by macca on Nov 6, 2007 16:05:05 GMT -5
Yeah, considering how close-knit Stoneybrook was supposed to be, I don't find it that bizarre that the kids knew about it. But the fact that they cared is what I find incredibly weird. Maybe - MAYBE - the bitchy girls in Mallory's class might've made a few snide comments, especially considering Mal was already a dork and the kind of kid to get bullied for any reason.
But a class of five year olds refusing to associate with Claire because her dad was unemployed?! I KNOW how horrible and cruel kids can be, however even in my experience, that is definitely pushing it.
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Penny Lane
Sitting For The Arnolds
The Girl With Colitis Goes By
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Post by Penny Lane on Nov 6, 2007 17:52:22 GMT -5
Yeah, 5 year olds is really weird. Unless it was something like "My mommy said that your daddy was laid off and we shouldn't invite you to Chuck E Cheese with us because you have no money"... even that is kind of weird.
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