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Post by stolenbooks on Oct 19, 2015 12:18:23 GMT -5
The only good thing about this book was all the food. Seriously, my mouth was watering at the descriptions. Sometimes I read it, just for that!
Honestly, I have a cousin who doesn't have Down Syndrome, but he's behind majorly developmentally. And my aunt is always on him (he's 40 something years old) about how he acts, she makes sure he knows what's appropriate and what's not. Does he need reminding? Sure. But if he had done what Whitney did, there would have been consequences.
I also think having Dawn lie about being a babysitter was a huge mistake.
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andrew
Sitter-In-Training
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Post by andrew on Jul 31, 2016 12:25:36 GMT -5
The most interesting aspect of this book is probably that it came right after #76 and had a much more nuanced view about lying, that it's not a good thing to do but sometimes maybe for the best. It felt not very believable that Clover and Daffodil would just go along with Whitney and then there should have been more explanation by multiple parents that taking them was wrong.
Some of the dates were interesting.
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livvy
Sitter-In-Training
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Post by livvy on May 20, 2022 12:59:56 GMT -5
Why does Dawn eat popcorn when it's considered junk food? In Australia it is anyway.
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livvy
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 394
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Post by livvy on May 20, 2022 13:01:36 GMT -5
And Jack is usually a nickname for John, which is the case with Mr Schafer too. There's a reference in the Bridesmaid book. I think the two John Ramsey brothers is the funniest of all, though. Speaking of names, why are their so many weird double-named characters? John Philip, David Michael, Emily Michelle... I'm sure there's more, just can't think of them now. Not always. My sons often called Jack because his first name is Jackson. After his dad. Anyway there's actually two sub plots. Jack and his serial dating and Natalie Barrett and Franklin getting engaged and house hunting. I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Except Whitney didn't get a talking to from her parents about kidnapping children because that's what she did. I'm very surprised Daff let herself be kidnapped. She's old enough to know better and sure she knew Whitney but not well enough. Hasn't her parents told her about stranger danger or doesn't that exist in America?
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Post by Sideshowjazz1 on Jun 10, 2022 6:33:12 GMT -5
I sort of witnessed someone who had a reverse experience than what you saw, aln. There was this kid in 6th grade that had Down Syndrome. He would be shaking in class, and sometimes it would make a lot of noise. There was this little boy that would always get up and hit him in the back of the head when he made a lot of noise. And the teacher would encourage this by saying stuff like, "see, if you don't settle down, then that's what will happen each time." That is totally abuse. That kid shouldn't have been validated. You can't go around hitting kids who have limited control of their behaviour. There are constructive ways to let a child know their behaviour is distracting and help them develop ways to control themselves. Down Syndrome doesn't stop children from being children. They might take a while longer than a neurotypical child to learn and retain ways to control themselves, but that doesn't mean they can't. Hitting them is more likely to make them act out more. As a note, autism, at least the kind where the child has reasonable verbal communication skills, is the same. They have to learn ways to cope with the world that is designed for neurotypicals and is a bit too intense and unyielding for it. I know I had to. I'm not talking about masking, although that's one that a lot of people are forced to use, but things like leaving a situation or finding a way to lower sensory information (earplugs, sunglasses, etc).
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Post by Sideshowjazz1 on Jun 10, 2022 6:36:33 GMT -5
The only thing I really remember about this one is Whitney dancing around singing made up songs during the outdoor concert. Classical music, I believe. Dawn was all huffy thinking people were disgusted by Whitney because she had DS. I would bet you anything their behavior had nothing to do with anything beyond Whitney ruining their concert experience. That's like a baby crying in a movie theater. Shut it up. To be totally fair, Karina was being horrible to Whitney before she started singing and dancing. It's true she described that as "disgusting", but she treated Whitney like she was contaminated or something before that - looking at her with disgust, telling her to go away while framing it as a suggestion and then stating out that "the scenery" had caused her to lose her appetite, a clear dig at this twelve-year-old who happens to have an intellectual disability. Apart from the dancing and singing, Whitney didn't do anything to incite Karina's behaviour except exist.
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oldhickory
Sitting For The Arnolds
Heather Loves Boys and Gym
Posts: 3,251
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Post by oldhickory on Jun 10, 2022 8:52:36 GMT -5
To be totally fair, Karina was being horrible to Whitney before she started singing and dancing. It's true she described that as "disgusting", but she treated Whitney like she was contaminated or something before that - looking at her with disgust, telling her to go away while framing it as a suggestion and then stating out that "the scenery" had caused her to lose her appetite, a clear dig at this twelve-year-old who happens to have an intellectual disability. Apart from the dancing and singing, Whitney didn't do anything to incite Karina's behaviour except exist. This is nitpicky, but disgusting is such a weird word to use for the dancing and singing, so she definitely meant it at Whitney herself. Irritating, distracting, or inappropriate would have made more sense. It makes it easy for the readers to hate her and sympathize with Whitney, but the whole Katrina chapter was full of weird decisions by the author. Down's Syndrome isn't contagious so Katrina just seemed cartoonish. I don't believe it would happen that way.
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Post by oldmeanie on Dec 15, 2022 19:29:32 GMT -5
I hate to admit it, but I actually like this one. Idk, I guess I like the California books.
The food descriptions in this book are amazing! The dinner at the beginning sounds great (raspberry crisp yummmmmmm) and the famous stuffed tomatoes at the picnic sounds awesome. Weirdly, Jack and Jeff eat hot dogs at the baseball date (I thought they didn't eat red meat? Maybe just Dawn?), and in the last chapter, Jack makes a "tofu-turkey-dog casserole." Not only does that sound truly awful, but Dawn ate it? In her last book she was complaining about chicken carcasses. Oh, well.
I think Whitney's parents dropped the ball by basically lying to her about Dawn being her baby-sitter. And EVERYONE dropped the ball when Whitney took Clover and Daffodil. I don't care that they had a great time at the carnival, that wasn't okay and she was basically awarded for her behavior. Also, wtf, the officer was really like, "That's what usually happens." What?!?! Palo City is... odd.
I actually liked the dating subplot. Jack's dates are ridiculously terrible, but it's entertaining so I can't complain. I don't read the later books for quality lol. Also, Alana the Pain-a is a stupid nickname, sorry not sorry Dawn (although she really was a pain).
Ugh, there was a second subplot with the freaking Barrett-Dewitts. I'm already sick of them lol. They don't get along, they get along, they don't get along again, they get along again. Oy. I. Don't. Care. I'd rather read about Let's All Come In.
I'm late to the game, but after finishing this book, I realized that it was setting up Here Come the Bridesmaids!, which I actually liked more after re-reading. So that's actually kind of cool, I like when the regular series sets up or foreshadows a super special.
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