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Post by candykane on Aug 26, 2008 8:59:37 GMT -5
I wished they hadn't moved back to New York, but I'm happy that Stacey and her mom came back to Stoneybrook. Stacey is my favorite and I was sad when she left. I remember thinking it was really cool that she still got her own BSC book (#18) while still in NYC.
I bet Stacey still wouldn't see her dad a whole lot if they were all still living in Stoneybrook post-divorce. Mr. McGill was a workaholic and would likely be commuting to NYC for his job. Which reminds me of another thing from "Good-Bye, Stacey:" Claudia asked Stacey if it was possible for her family to stay in CT and for Mr. McGill to commute, and Stacey said no because it was too far. I think I read in one of the other books that the train ride from Stoneybrook to NYC took about two hours.
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swizzles
New To Stoneybrook
Claudia Kishi ruels ok
Posts: 83
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Post by swizzles on Sept 12, 2008 3:06:17 GMT -5
i love this book, mostly because it reminds me of the australian outback (i was reading it in the back of a van whilst on summer holiday with the family, in kakadu, australia). plus, i love their garage sale and their party (but agreed: it was weird to have it so kid-focussed). i love how dawn makes some planters and mary anne (i think) randomly comes up with enough time to knit several items to sell. and claud's brownies... oh i imagine they'd taste amazing... i thought the thing with the pikes and the 'strange' neighbours was bordering on mildly offensive- 'hey, let's further the stereotype about all asians eating dogs or rats'... but i guess Ann may have just been trying to depict typical kids' mentalities... ah, who cares, this book is still made of win.
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Post by candykane on Sept 12, 2008 7:24:50 GMT -5
^ I thought the strange neighbors were French and talked about eating courgettes, which freaked the Pikes out because they thought courgettes meant "children." I see you are from the UK. Did they really change it to Asians eating dogs?
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swizzles
New To Stoneybrook
Claudia Kishi ruels ok
Posts: 83
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Post by swizzles on Sept 13, 2008 2:35:38 GMT -5
wow, that is so strange! im 99% positive that they were asian in my book! i currently live in the uk, but i did grow up in singapore... maybe that's why? but im also pretty sure all our books were imported straight from the USA and into our local 'borders'.... hmmm
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Post by booboobrewer on Jun 6, 2009 15:09:10 GMT -5
I always forget that this is one of my favorite books. It's funny, sad, and I love reading about the yard sale and the Pikes and their Secret Agents game.
The girls make a big deal about giving the money made from the sale back to Stacey and her parents, but they really just bought a ton of toys to give as prizes to all the charges. Nice.
I was disappointed that they didn't announce the final amount they earned from the yard sale.
I learned the word "bristled" from this book (Stacey's reaction to Mrs. P dissing the doll Jenny wants.)
Outfits: at the last meeting Stacey describes what everyone's wearing. Dawn has on a short kilt, an oversized red sweater, yellow socks over red tights, and a red beret. I thought this outfit was so awesome when I was younger--I was unnaturally attracted to socks over tights--but now I realize that, along with her blonde hair, Dawn is pretty much a McDonalds advertisement. I always pictured Mary Anne's clothes looking really cute on her. A navy blue minidress with a pink sash, blue tights, and black ballet slippers.
Claudia says "too bad she can't add" after Kristy makes Dawn the new treasurer. Haha, okay, Claud.
Mr. and Mrs. McGill had cottage cheese, bologna, and oranges the morning of the move to use up what's left in the fridge. Gross. I would have barfed during the car ride. Just eat the oranges. I threw out a practically full jug of apple juice the night before I moved because I just wasn't in any mood to drink it. Nothing could force me to eat bologna in the morning.
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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 Jun 9, 2009 11:40:37 GMT -5
^ Nothing could force me to eat bologna EVER.
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Post by candykane on Jun 9, 2009 12:05:09 GMT -5
^ I agree. I used to like it when I was little, but now...yuck.
I also wish they would have announced the final dollar amount from the yard sale, too. I guess it was left out on purpose, because of inflation.
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Post by zoar3 on May 18, 2010 18:02:01 GMT -5
"I would be thrilled, too, if I had to put up with Dawn all the time and then I found out she was leaving. Heck, I'd help her pack. I'd pay for her plane ticket." ^Still so very true, three years later Wanderingfrog! Good to know someone else on here thinks as highly of Dawn as I do, lol. Back to this one, I, also loved when Stacey said she wanted to graduate with Claudia. I wonder if by this book AMM already knew the Series would be lasting (at least for one more trip through 8th Grade) and that was part of the reason why Mr. McGill did not commute or find another job. If he had, it would have drawn more attention to graduation. I really wish the McGills had not moved also. What's weird is as I re-read the Series for the millionth time, (well maybe 4th or 5th in order) I admit to liking Ed more and more. He seemed like a good guy and Dad. Once they moved Ann shifted him into deadbeat jerk McGill to get rid of him or something. I get the impression that the 3 McGills were close at this time, just seems OOC for that to all change. So is that girl next to Dawn supposed to be Charlotte? Charlotte related note, this book was one of the only times Charlotte was 8 and in 4th Grade as she should have been throughout. Other thing, is and I don't in anyway intend to dismiss Char/Stacey's friendship. I loved reading about it. That said, did anyone else think Stacey signing her note (in the book) as Charlotte's favorite baby-sitter was a little rude or at the very least off..? I thought they meant more to one another than that. Although, other than briefly in #3, when exactly until this point, did we "see" Charlotte and Stacey becoming close? Throughout the Series aside from a couple phone calls by Stacey, the only time they, spend time together is when Stacey is baby-sitting! Anyway, I liked the yard sale, too. BTW, we do have them in CA! to Dawn.
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Post by anzuhana on Jul 22, 2010 17:29:44 GMT -5
I wasn't upset when I read that Stacey was moving back to NY, mostly because I knew that she would return to Stoneybrook. I loved Stacey's candy fantasy. I liked the garage sell. I'm surprised that people wanted things inside the house.
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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 23, 2010 12:36:47 GMT -5
They never actually tell the amounts that they earn from their little projects. They didn't announce how much the Zuni fundraiser made in #44 either.
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Post by zoar3 on Jul 23, 2010 15:41:55 GMT -5
I thought it was very annoying that the amount raised for the Zunis but especially during the Readathon was never announced. In the former, the whole darn story was about each individual fundraiser, with emphasis on earning the most dollars possible for the cause. If at the Gym, Dawn? or whoever did not say something like "Wow we surpassed whatever goal we had thought" or something to that effect, omitting the amount might have been less obvious but it wasn't. The latter, on Page 140.
Ms. Feld consults with the volunteers who had been counting the money. Then she turned back to the audience. "This is wonderful!" she said. "I know you'll all be proud and happy to hear that we raised even more money than we had expected to. We'll be able to buy quite a lot of new books." She announced the figure, and everybody applauded and cheered.
How difficult would it have been for Ellen Miles, the Ghostwriter, to make up a final figure?! It bothered me less not to know how much per book each kid earned than not to have any clue as to the outcome. At least if in a future book, some of the books bought would have been mentioned, okay, but as all of you know, other than in Abby and the Best Kid Ever, "The Readathon" was never heard of again!
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Post by wenonah4th on Sept 10, 2010 14:05:35 GMT -5
I'd say it might be to avoid dating the books, but enough does that anyway. I did notice the same practice in a Nancy Drew!
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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 Sept 25, 2010 22:01:03 GMT -5
^ That's what I always thought; once they realized that the series would have some staying power, they needed to make sure that the books would still make sense five or ten years (or twenty....) after they were published.
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Post by wenonah4th on Sept 27, 2010 14:42:30 GMT -5
And yet they had all those pop cutlutre references that really do date them.
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Post by zoar3 on Sept 27, 2010 15:02:53 GMT -5
I see your point but still wish at least one of those books had mentioned an amount.
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