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Post by zoar3 on Jan 21, 2012 12:34:21 GMT -5
As I said on page 7 of this thread, there are defintely garage sale in CA; LA even. My family who very much lived in CA (last time I checked the Valley neighborhood we lived in when I was 17 was considered in CA )had a huge garage and yard sale one year. I say both because part of the "sale" was literally in the garage while other things, were on a blanket in our front yard. I still wish I could have another chance to not sell some of what I did (lots of children's books). Since and before we've/I've had much smaller sales. Since I've never lived anywhere other than in CA, (except for my birth in NY), I think I can safely say, those "sales" also took place in CA. Greer, you are so right. Ann's "knowledge" of CA= She certainly had little insight into Disneyland (true experience of going there in terms of wait times and lines even in the 80's) or "Palo" City which was supposed to be a suburb of Anaheim. The "real" Anaheim should only be that nice and have clean beaches.
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Post by wiggir13 on Sept 16, 2012 16:16:04 GMT -5
Does anyone have any feelings about the kids drawings that are in the book. I tried my best to figure out which dumb drawing went with which kid but no luck. I mean I know they are no Claudia's, but geez they are terrible.
I still think the bed sheet with paint is so dumb too! I wouldve thrown it away real quick, but I guess it's the thought that counts.
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Post by zoar3 on Sept 16, 2012 17:09:27 GMT -5
^Lol, now I'm alternately scrutinizing the drawing for clues while turning back a couple pages to see what kid's were there. Pikes, Jamie, Myriah and Gabbie,Charlotte, Buddy and Suzi, Jeff, David Michael, Andrew, and Karen, Nina and Eleanor, Amanda and Max, Linny and Hannie and Jenny, oh I forgot the 3 Rodowsky boys. This is completely a guess! First page from left to right (top to bottom): Barretts and Perkins. DOWN to the bottom left corner: Pikes, Brewers (Long narrow), and someone with very haunted arms sticking out at the bottom. Second page starting with the house with 4 windows all in a row. Jamie or Jeff? To the right Linny and Hannie. Middle (Right of Jamie/Jeff and next to the Brewers) the Delaneys (cat and fountain gave that one way). Maybe the girl on the swing is Charlotte? I have no clue who is supposed to be by the fish pond. The "creature" looks like a cat and there are only 2 alien-looking kids...if there were 3 it maybe could be Archie, Jackie, and Shea. I tried!
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Post by candykane on Sept 27, 2012 18:41:13 GMT -5
I still think the bed sheet with paint is so dumb too! I wouldve thrown it away real quick, but I guess it's the thought that counts. Wasn't it described as a "dripping" bedsheet? So...they'd slapped the paint on about ten minutes before giving it to Stacey? Unless the "drips" were dried on.
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Post by virgoscorpio on Feb 13, 2013 3:32:27 GMT -5
My Popa was so obsessed with garage sales that, when he retired, we got him a personalized license plate that said GRG SLS. Stacey's business card was actually pretty sophisticated, especially for that time! This book made me realize all over again that it sucks when you're a kid and you can't have a say in big decisions like moving. Even before they told Stacey they were already looking at apartments and had contacted schools, so things were done way before she had any idea. It would have been nice to have a chapter that featured some SMS friends, even a small party like in Logan Likes Mary Anne. I think the book could have used some extra meat in it (no offense, Dawn )
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Post by wenonah4th on Sept 2, 2013 13:57:32 GMT -5
I was surprised that the lemonade episode was this book; I didn't think that had stuck in my memory so much!
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Post by candykane on Jan 18, 2014 23:09:42 GMT -5
I felt like rereading an old favorite today, so I chose this one.
I loved that the entire Kishi family met Stacey at the door when she ran back to Claudia's to tell her she was moving. Mrs. Kishi even offered Stacey a cup of tea. That whole scene to me showed that the Kishis really liked Stacey a lot and would truly miss her.
I also liked that Claudia wrote Stacey a thirteen-page letter to read in the car on the way to NYC. Writing notes to your friends seems very quaint in today's world of texting. It took me back to my own school days when a friend of mine and I would exchange notes in the hallway between classes. We always folded them up into little triangles so they'd be pocket-sized.
I looked up the address that was on Stacey's "business card" to see if it was a real address and it is! The real 14 W. 81st St. looks pretty nice on Google street view, and it's right across from Central Park.
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Post by booboobrewer on Jan 19, 2014 0:15:18 GMT -5
Can you imagine reading Claud's writing for 13 pages? Haha.
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Post by virgoscorpio on Jan 19, 2014 0:20:05 GMT -5
I looked up the address that was on Stacey's "business card" to see if it was a real address and it is! The real 14 W. 81st St. looks pretty nice on Google street view, and it's right across from Central Park. This got me thinking. I wonder why Ann chose to include some addresses and why she picked those exact places? Perhaps they were old addresses, or ones in her neigbhourhood, or buildings she wishes she lived in?
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Post by greer on Jan 19, 2014 6:35:34 GMT -5
I looked up the address that was on Stacey's "business card" to see if it was a real address and it is! The real 14 W. 81st St. looks pretty nice on Google street view, and it's right across from Central Park. This got me thinking. I wonder why Ann chose to include some addresses and why she picked those exact places? Perhaps they were old addresses, or ones in her neigbhourhood, or buildings she wishes she lived in? Maybe she walked around, trying to imagine if Stacey/Laine/etc. would live there. I do like how Ann usually chooses real places for her NYC scenes.
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Post by candykane on Jan 19, 2014 9:41:28 GMT -5
Reading Claudia's handwriting for 13 pages would give me a headache, ha.
I also like Ann's use of real places for NYC scenes. I looked up the Dakota to see how far it is from Stacey's apartment. It's a ten-minute walk. I had thought of the scene in #28 where Stacey ran over to see Laine when she heard her parents fighting, and wondered if it was realistic that she could get there so fast.
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Post by zoar3 on Jan 19, 2014 11:55:06 GMT -5
^What about Jessi's? Thank you for taking the time to look up the places, Candykane. Often times BSC places feel (by now for sure, after so many reads and discussions on them) real to me but it is very cool to know some truly do exist. That is sweet how all of the Kishis met Stacey at the door. I often feel as though Claud's parents are very formal and distant, not all that involved with Claud so that scene sounds very nice. After I finish Kristy and the Mother's Day Surprise and maybe also KIMCC Snow War (I'm enjoying some of the carnival books right now) maybe I'll read about Stacey's move. IIRC, the yard sale had some funny moments.
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Post by candykane on Jan 19, 2014 15:35:24 GMT -5
^ Jessi's is probably even worse. She at least spells things correctly, but all those loops and giant "tails!" I skim over all her notebook entries.
I love looking up places the BSC visits to see what's real and what's not. I've always loved looking at maps, and Google street view is lots of fun for virtual travel. I also tried looking up the "Blue Pan Coffee Shop" which Stacey said she'd be able to see from her new bedroom window, but I couldn't find anything. Either Ann made it up or it doesn't exist anymore. The Last Wound-Up store Stacey went to in #28 (and I think they all went there in SS#6) is a clothing store now.
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Post by zoar3 on Mar 14, 2014 18:03:26 GMT -5
^I think this is my favorite part of the whole book, so funny. I also love how Claud drew a snail with "a house on its' back," although it was moving. This on page 66, btw. I hope it will bring a smile to all of you, too. Pre-divorce Ed, most of the time, came across to me as a good guy and dad. I know initially Stacey was super excited at the news of going back to NY. I also understand that before Ed and Maureen told Stacey, it sounded like everything (job transfer, talking to Stacey's old school) had already been accepted/put into motion. It would/could have been interesting had Ed and/or Maureen tried to find work in Stoneybrook. I also still would have enjoyed if Maureen had been pregnant (or if the McGills had chosen adoption) and she and Ed did stay (happily) married. What a different storyline that could have made for: a 13 year old BSC member with a baby sibling.
The triplets' Spy game was funny to read about, although I did feel badly for their neighbors. :/ I just had the thought its too bad SA's wasn't remembered because Stacey and her mom end up moving into this very house. I could see the triplets asking to check for signs that their old neighbors had been spies. I also enjoy the yard sale chapters and the party. The end when Stacey invites Mal to come to a BSC meeting so she can see how the club works really made me wish all the more Mal had had a book without Jessi. In this book, (Stacey's move) all the BSC members agree that while Mal is younger than they are, she definitely has experience. I think if #14 had focused more on Mal and as said long ago, memories of her being a charge (and even helper like in #7 and Sea City) the BSc (I would hope) would have been a whole lot nicer, to her. Also, we might have gotten to know Mal better. As for Jessi, I'm not always a big fan of her but I know that's mostly because I'm not into ballet and sometimes she isn't too good a friend to Mal, either. But if she had joined separately from Mal, the writers might have had to keep her as more of a character instead of "the dancer," and had shown us at least one interaction between the Ramsey and Johanssen adults.
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Post by Honeybee on Mar 14, 2014 18:27:57 GMT -5
I even look up the address on goggle map. The apartment does look nice. Very close to Central Park. But, if she wanted go to the bridge cross New Jersey. She'll have to get a taxi cab or on subway there. Then ride the rest of the way, with a taxi cab.
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