macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on Apr 7, 2006 23:00:12 GMT -5
They should've titled this one JESSI'S BLACK
I have to say, I learnt a lot from this book. Kwanzaa was just something I'd seen on calendars and never paid much attention to, I had absolutely no idea what the holiday was all about, who celebrated it, the traditions, culture etc. So this book was an educational experience, if nothing else.
I really liked "Daddy" in this book and his continuous smackdown of Aunt C. Although I couldn't help feeling it was a bit much when he said "you are living in this house as a guest" - um, no. She's actually providing you with free, full-time childcare. However, aside from that little hiccup, I really enjoyed reading about the Ramsey family. For some reason, Aunt Cecelia cracks me up!
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Post by aln1982 on Apr 8, 2006 7:41:45 GMT -5
I also liked Daddy in this book and learned what Kwanzaa was. Never considered it a holiday that everyone could celebrate but after I read this book, I found it something fun to do after Christmas and had my family start observing some of the "days". Didn't much care about the plot other than the "educational" aspect of it but still read it every Christmas.
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jen
Sitting For The Johanssens
Posts: 1,156
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Post by jen on Apr 12, 2006 6:56:48 GMT -5
I didn't like this book that much... I liked learning about Kwanzaa, but where on earth did all the black families come from?! Wasn't that a point that Jessi makes in every book? That there are so few black people in Stoneybrook? And suddenly... There are black people! Why didn't they interact more in earlier books? Why do we never see these black charges ever again?!?
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on Apr 12, 2006 17:22:46 GMT -5
The black people were apparently from Kristy's neighborhood (notice they were all rich and from nuclear families unlike practically everyone else in the series?!) and had either live-in extended family or nannies who had gone away for the holidays or something. For once, they did briefly explain why the black kids had never been around before, but it was still weird, because as you say, they're always making a big deal of the lack of black in Stoneybrook.
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lisa
New To Stoneybrook
Posts: 201
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Post by lisa on Jul 23, 2006 4:56:11 GMT -5
What didn't this book have? It made sure we were aware that Jessi's black, it had the kids saying "Just because the character's a girl it doesn't mean a boy can't play it", It had Kristy trying to be a control freak, and it had a carnival/festival organised by the Baby Sitters. Oh, and Peter Lerangis wrote it. Even more bonus points for that.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2006 11:04:52 GMT -5
I thought Kristy's comment about Kwanzaa being racist because its only for African-Americans was a good one, because I'd always wondered the same thing. The rest of the BSC gets all up on her about that comment, but I mean, I'm sure its occured to lots of people. You can join religions and celebrate Christmas or Chanukah or whatever, but you can't just become black.
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Post by sugarmonkey on Jul 23, 2006 16:46:48 GMT -5
I've heard from a few sources that you don't have to be black to celebrate Kwanzaa. It's suppose to be a community thing. Granted it's for the African-American community, but I've heard that anybody is welcome.
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on Jul 23, 2006 23:21:15 GMT -5
I thought Kristy's comment about Kwanzaa being racist because its only for African-Americans was a good one, because I'd always wondered the same thing. The rest of the BSC gets all up on her about that comment, but I mean, I'm sure its occured to lots of people I was actually very surprised that such an issue - reverse racism -was raised in a series as PC as the BSC. That said, though, I don't think Kwanzaa sounds particularly racist, I mean, it's not like people are excluded. Although if there was a holiday dedicated to celebrating white culture alone, you can imagine the uproar.
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lilafowler
Sitting For The Johanssens
Posts: 1,163
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Post by lilafowler on Jul 24, 2006 14:05:36 GMT -5
I've never read this one, but I remember something about Squirt getting hit by a car? Did that happen in this book? Can you really hit a 1-year-old with a car without, well, killing it? Er, him?
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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 Jul 24, 2006 14:18:30 GMT -5
He wasn't hit by a car. Aunt Cecelia, Jessi, Becca and Squirt were on the way home from shopping (I think) when Squirt started to fuss in his carseat, so Aunt C. gave the girls permission to unbuckle him since they were almost home. Trouble is, their car got hit in an intersection and Squirt went flying out of his carseat, hitting his head.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2006 23:35:53 GMT -5
I just bought this book yesterday and was surprised that I enjoyed it so much. I also liked Jessi's dad arguing with Aunt Cecelia - she really needed someone to do that, I think. And I liked seeing all the family time. I don't think we get to see a whole lot insight into Jessi's family throughout the series, so this was a welcome glance.
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on Jul 25, 2006 5:54:21 GMT -5
^ ITA! For a Jessi book, it was surprisingly enjoyable.
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lilafowler
Sitting For The Johanssens
Posts: 1,163
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Post by lilafowler on Dec 26, 2006 17:50:14 GMT -5
I finally started this book today. About a third of the way through, I realized it was actually the first day of Kwanzaa, so that's kind of a neat coincidence. Anyway, Peter Lerangis needs to not use ballet terminology if he does not understand it -- there are some lines at the beginning where Jessi rises en pointe while doing chores in her kitchen. So does she just walk around in pointe shoes all the time? Or does she not actually have human feet, just rectangular blocks at the end of her legs??? Don't fret, Peter, writing about young ballerinas may not be your bag, but you can still do a great deluded thirteen-year-old.
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jen
Sitting For The Johanssens
Posts: 1,156
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Post by jen on Dec 27, 2006 5:30:29 GMT -5
I finally started this book today. About a third of the way through, I realized it was actually the first day of Kwanzaa, so that's kind of a neat coincidence. Anyway, Peter Lerangis needs to not use ballet terminology if he does not understand it -- there are some lines at the beginning where Jessi rises en pointe while doing chores in her kitchen. So does she just walk around in pointe shoes all the time? Or does she not actually have human feet, just rectangular blocks at the end of her legs??? Don't fret, Peter, writing about young ballerinas may not be your bag, but you can still do a great deluded thirteen-year-old. *laughs* That last line in that quote is the best line I've read all week.
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lilafowler
Sitting For The Johanssens
Posts: 1,163
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Post by lilafowler on Dec 28, 2006 13:58:48 GMT -5
LOL, I guess I've just never gotten the love some others in the fandom have for the books ghostwritten by Lerangis. It kind of annoys me how his style of writing is so obvious :X I don't think I could pick out who wrote a BSC book if it were any other ghostwriter, or possibly even AMM herself, but PL's books, with all their acronyms and weird jokes, practically have a sign on every page that says "PWM -- that's Pete Wrote Me!"
Did you guys know he and Ann are the same age?! We should totally set them up on a date.
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