macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on May 3, 2006 20:05:38 GMT -5
Yet another BSC to the Rescue book! But it wasn't SO terrible, a tad unrealistic here and there, but generally enjoyable. I liked reading about the kids over-zealous efforts, donating all their parents best things without permission. Even the Pike backyard carnival was fun to read about. Can't believe all their activities and organised events are always so successful, but that's the BSC I guess.
Unrealistic moment? When Dawn called Ms Besser (whom she'd never met) at home, explained that she was Jeff Schafers older sister (whom had only been in Ms Bessers' class a few months) and the response was "oh, HELLO Dawn! How ARE you?" as if a call from Dawn was a reasonably common, if unexpected occurrence.
Since the book mainly focused on the Zuni fundraising efforts, the title was a bit misleading. The sleepover seemed a reasonably minor event in the book. But it was fun to read about.
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jen
Sitting For The Johanssens
Posts: 1,156
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Post by jen on May 4, 2006 7:07:30 GMT -5
I really liked this book! My favourite parts were the description of the pizza and the pancakes at the sleepover. I don't even like pizza or pancakes that much, but description of food always seems to be my favourite thing in any book.
I liked all the different baby-sitting, fundraising scenarios in this one too, like the yard sale and the talent show. And Keisha Ramsey makes an appearance!
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inge
Junior Sitter
Posts: 767
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Post by inge on May 4, 2006 12:00:39 GMT -5
This book was a bit unrealistic, but well, aren't they all. Also I thought it was weird how the BSC were the first to come up with the idea of helping these kids. Where were they from in the original series? In the Dutch series they're from Indonesia, but that's probably another stupid made up thing. I thought it was great how devoted the kids were, even if that meant donating their parents' stuff
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Post by sparklymouse on May 4, 2006 18:08:44 GMT -5
I think they were from New Mexico. In BSC in the USA the Brewer RV drives through and sees their hometown which I thought was a nice surprising bit of continuation.
For once I didn't think the organized event (the sleepover) sounded unbelievable. My jr. high did one once only in was called a "lockin". It wasn't a sleepover, it was an all night party at the school. I imagine it'd be a bit harder to have one with younger kids. Didn't they only have to call one kid's parents to come and get them early? That's pretty impressive. And businesses in small towns donate stuff all the time if they get acknowledged in the newspaper, so that was pretty believable too.
When Jeff was spazzing out at school in Little Miss Stoneybrook...and Dawn, Dawn had to go to his school one day and pick him up. She talked to someone. Was that Ms. Besser or the principal or some other teacher? She'd met someone at that school before.
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Post by hitzpink on May 4, 2006 18:29:58 GMT -5
I thought the BSC randomly organizing this huge fundraiser was totally unbelievable. Plus, it bugs me when people/events suddenly pop out of nowhere just for the sake of one book. We don't really ever hear about the Zuni penpals after this book. They could at least throw in a "Charlotte was working on a letter to her Zuni penpal when I showed up to baby-sit that afternoon" every once in awhile. But it was fun to read about the kids donating their parents' suits and caviar and fancy chocolates and stuff. And jenlovesmorelli, I agree, I love reading about food in the BSC books for some reason.
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on May 4, 2006 18:34:40 GMT -5
When Jeff was spazzing out at school in Little Miss Stoneybrook...and Dawn, Dawn had to go to his school one day and pick him up. She talked to someone. Was that Ms. Besser or the principal or some other teacher? She'd met someone at that school before. It may have been Ms Besser, I'll have to double check that. Even so, it didn't seem likely to me that Ms Besser would have such an immediate recollection of Dawn Schafer and be asking about her so enthusiastically as if she'd been lying awake at night worrying about her welfare ;D Every time I read those books, I feel hungry. And the descriptions of Claudia's junk food make me crave chocolate worse than usual!! Considering how devoted the kids were to helping them, you'd think there would have been more random mentions of the Zuni kids before Super Special 14... which was some surprising continuity for the BSC.
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jen
Sitting For The Johanssens
Posts: 1,156
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Post by jen on May 5, 2006 5:51:26 GMT -5
Yeah, I was pleasantly surprised to see them again in SS14! They even got the names right and everything! And remembered which baby-sitter it was who was so involved in it (someone commented that Dawn would kill them if she found out they were in the area and didn't stop).
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on May 5, 2006 20:39:37 GMT -5
^ wow, that's amazing continuity for the BSC! And that far down the track, too. I guess they can get it right sometimes.
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Post by lovelylemontree on May 6, 2006 2:54:44 GMT -5
The only thing I remember about this book is how in the beginning, all the Pike kids were reading their letters to everyone. If I'd been their penpal, I would have been pissed! How about a little privacy and discretion, kids?
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on May 6, 2006 5:51:55 GMT -5
^ oh I remember that too. Although I got the impression it was more of a "school assignment" arrangement where the letters were more public. It seemed more about the whole Zuni culture "learning experience" than being actual friends with these kids.
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fluffy
New To Stoneybrook
Posts: 180
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Post by fluffy on May 6, 2006 8:00:34 GMT -5
The PC-ness of this is awesome: And word on the food descriptions!
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on May 6, 2006 19:16:10 GMT -5
I don't know if that was PC-ness or just a typical BSC "conversational" comment. But either way, it didn't make sense. The term "sister schools" is implying the schools are female, not the children participating in the activity. I wish Ann wasn't so hung up on gender issues.
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Post by sugarmonkey on Jul 1, 2006 16:12:23 GMT -5
Dawn talked with Jeff's teacher when she had to lug her BSC charges to the school after Jeff got in trouble. (Was that in Dawn and the Impossible Three?) But then when the BSC arrives at SES for the assembly announcing the fundraiser Ms. Besser (notice Ms. not Miss or Mrs?) says something like "you must be Dawn, you look just like your brother." They had met before, and with the familiarity Ms. Besser displayed to Dawn on the phone this comment seemed weird.
I also noticed at the end when the sleepover is over with it says that Buddy Barrett gets picked up by his parents. Specifically, the Barretts. Um, the Barretts are divorced, so only one parent would be picking him up.
I liked Hayley Braddock's Madam Leavoux. And how she "foretold" in her letter to her pen pal the great things that would happen for the Zuni's . I thought it was cute how the pen pal let on that she knew it was Hayley in the P.S. at the end of her own letter.
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on Jul 1, 2006 22:31:13 GMT -5
I thought it was Little Miss Stoneybrook... and Dawn. She had to take Myriah and Gabbie Perkins in a wagon with their "beauty parlor"
I'll have to double check those details though.
When Dawn spoke to Ms Besser on the phone, it sounded as if she HADN'T ever met Dawn, had only heard about her from Dawn's mother (which made the familiarity weird). Yet another inconsistency.
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lisa
New To Stoneybrook
Posts: 201
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Post by lisa on Jul 2, 2006 8:08:52 GMT -5
Dawn talked with Jeff's teacher when she had to lug her BSC charges to the school after Jeff got in trouble. (Was that in Dawn and the Impossible Three?) But then when the BSC arrives at SES for the assembly announcing the fundraiser Ms. Besser (notice Ms. not Miss or Mrs?) says something like "you must be Dawn, you look just like your brother." They had met before, and with the familiarity Ms. Besser displayed to Dawn on the phone this comment seemed weird. I liked Hayley Braddock's Madam Leavoux. And how she "foretold" in her letter to her pen pal the great things that would happen for the Zuni's . I thought it was cute how the pen pal let on that she knew it was Hayley in the P.S. at the end of her own letter. It was Claudia and the New Girl where Dawn had to go to the school to meet with Ms. Besser...wouldn't have picked that book, but hey. Madame Leavoux gets some continuality as well...Hayley dresses up has her in te haunted house some of the kids make in Mary Anne Breaks the Rules. Althought I thought there was a third time where that was bought up again.
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