macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on Oct 13, 2006 22:41:32 GMT -5
Okay, I'm not sure if there's a thread for this book already (if there is, feel free to bump it!)
I dreaded reading this one because it looked boring for some reason, but it was actually very interesting! A lot of it was meaningless to me (not being American, I don't really know the "traditional" story of Thanksgiving let alone the more-PC one, but this book did teach me a few things!)...
Funny points:
- is this the first book where Mallory is described as STURDY?!? ;D
- JESSI couldn't believe how narrow-minded and ignorant people could be? JESSI? The girl of the shunned OMG BLACK family in Stoneybrook was surprised that Stoneybrook parents were prejudiced?
- The term "indians" for Native Americans is offensive? I knew it wasn't the preferred term anymore, but I didn't realise using the word was considered absolutely outrageous (again, not being American, these things are new to me)
- A little third grade Thanksgiving play inspires swarms of protesters and picket signs? Don't these people have anything else to think about?
- WTG ABBY! Quite the little activist!
- What are the odds of EVERY SINGLE BSC member's Thanksgiving plans falling through? Still, the big family dinner at Watsons was nice and the food sounded heavenly.
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Post by sugarmonkey on Oct 14, 2006 16:51:23 GMT -5
I know that Native American is suppose to be more pc. A lot of indians though just call themselves indians. I enjoyed this book as well. I did like the protesting stuff, although I think it was blown out of proportion.
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Post by liss31d on Oct 15, 2006 12:45:24 GMT -5
The parents of Stoneybrook are ridiculous though. Most of them leave their kids with babysitters 75% of the time and yet they care so much on go on a rampage about stupid things . It was a kids' play! I'm not American, but I have done American history and the Stoneybrook parents must be a little disturbed that they're denying that those things didn't happen. I'm disturbed that they picketed and protested at a kids' play, right in front of the kids! The fuss was laughable in Dawn and the School Spirit War, the parents getting their knickers in a twist over that and fighting about pyjama days and saying that kids will do drugs if they let them get away with not doing school spirit month ;D Also in another book, some parents went on a mental about burning books that they thought were filthy and corruptive for their precious children... yeah great literature like The Diary of Anne Frank, To Kill a Mockingbird and The Outsiders... Stoneybrook folk, despite the fact that they looked after sick neighbours and provided casseroles for people 24/7 are a tad disturbed that they actually make the time to protest at kids' schools... next thing you know, the Stoneybrook parents will be dressed in white hoods with torchlights, galloping on horses through Bradford Court... I bet there was already a book on that, 'Jessi and the KKK' or something, it wouldn't surprise me
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on Oct 15, 2006 19:53:01 GMT -5
I remember that, it was the FF book, Kristy Power - one of my favorites. From sites I've seen online, there IS a banned books issue in the US, one of them being Anastasia Krupnik by Lois Lowry!! The banned list also features practically everything by Judy Blume, of course Nice logic, idiots... about as sensible as saying Harry Potter will turn people to the dark side because he's a *GASP!* wizard!!!
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lilafowler
Sitting For The Johanssens
Posts: 1,163
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Post by lilafowler on Oct 15, 2006 21:41:22 GMT -5
OT, but when I was a sophomore in high school, every book we read in my English class had been banned by a district in the United States. I remember one of my friends was bored to death by The Grapes of Wrath and wondered who had been able to understand the entire thing well enough to deem it offensive. And on the last day of classes we read The Lorax, just to go with our ~omg banned~ theme.
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jen
Sitting For The Johanssens
Posts: 1,156
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Post by jen on Nov 5, 2006 21:51:50 GMT -5
I loved this book! I loved the politics, and the characters, and the Thanksgiving dinner at the end. I even liked how Claudia admitted at the end that their play wasn't actually that good when not performed by cute 3rd graders. This book leaves me with warm and fuzzies.
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on Nov 6, 2006 5:28:03 GMT -5
I loved this book! I loved the politics, and the characters, and the Thanksgiving dinner at the end. I even liked how Claudia admitted at the end that their play wasn't actually that good when not performed by cute 3rd graders. I was really surprised by that - very realistic and honest.
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jen
Sitting For The Johanssens
Posts: 1,156
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Post by jen on Nov 6, 2006 7:32:40 GMT -5
Yeah, unusual for a BSC book to admit that they aren't perfect.
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Post by sotypical42483 on Jan 2, 2007 12:18:42 GMT -5
I really wanted to read more about the big Thanksgiving dinner rather than the dumb old play. Although the play did sound kind of cute (the original one) and I agree the parents were RIDICULOUS. Screaming out "UN-AMERICAN" and crap, WTF? Calm down, psychos. I loved Abby in this book. Way to be outspoken and stand up for yourself I did think the students gave it too easily though. They tried to be understanding of these psycho parents when really they should've done their play as planned imo!
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wanderingfrog
Sitting For The Arnolds
Official BSC Archivist
Posts: 2,552
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Post by wanderingfrog on Oct 9, 2007 8:57:14 GMT -5
I just reread this one, and I also really liked how Claudia admitted that their original play wasn't really that good without the cute third-graders in it. My favourite part was the chapter before the big Thanksgiving dinner, where the BSC, Sam, Charlie, Janine, and Anna are looking after all of the kids while the adults cook. I liked Sam making the origami turkey and Kristy looking at him in utter surprise, and when Claudia tells Dawn to hold Squirt and then does a double-take, because Dawn was supposed to be in California. I'm not much of a Dawn fan, but I really like her showing up and surprising the BSC in this book.
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Post by liss31d on Oct 9, 2007 11:07:59 GMT -5
I just reread this one, and I also really liked how Claudia admitted that their original play wasn't really that good without the cute third-graders in it.
That's true. If you write a play for a specific age range to perform, it will rarely look right if actors out of that age range are in it as it contradicts the original intention.
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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 Oct 9, 2007 13:14:32 GMT -5
I really need to stop reading threads about books that involve good food when it's not quite lunchtime yet. Needless to say, the dinner was my favorite part of this book but I actually enjoyed the whole thing. ITA that the parents were silly and a little ignorant for calling the play un-American. It's a third grade play, for Pete's sake!!!!
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Post by aln1982 on Oct 9, 2007 16:16:30 GMT -5
^ Totally agree about the play, starrynight. This one really bugs me so I don't reread it except around Thanksgiving time I probably will. Does it have good food descriptions, though? I might have to reread it just for that. ;D I also do remember liking the thanksgiving dinner that they all have together as I wish the families of the BSC would do more things like that with everyone being involved instead of just the girls.
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macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on Oct 9, 2007 16:41:51 GMT -5
Okay, refresh my memory. Was this the one where some of the parents compared banning the play to taking drugs? I know that happened in one of the books, can't remember if it was this one.
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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 Oct 9, 2007 16:46:34 GMT -5
^ Totally agree about the play, starrynight. This one really bugs me so I don't reread it except around Thanksgiving time I probably will. Does it have good food descriptions, though? I might have to reread it just for that. ;D I also do remember liking the thanksgiving dinner that they all have together as I wish the families of the BSC would do more things like that with everyone being involved instead of just the girls. I can't remember how precise the food descriptions are, but I have agood imagination, so I can see the food in my head. That's enough for me!
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