u4me
Sitting For The Papadakis's
Posts: 1,655
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Post by u4me on Apr 5, 2011 17:58:50 GMT -5
I don't know why, but everytime I read the title to this book, I read it as, "The Secret of Suzanne." It's obviously Susan, but I've always thought Suzanne had a better ring to it in the title.
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Post by zoar3 on Apr 6, 2011 15:49:42 GMT -5
Page 55, Original Cover
I'm posting this because I wonder if Kristy was hinting that there are other kids the BSC Members don't like? Or some they like (probably the case, we just don't know it) better than others? It's the phrase "we like almost all our sitting charges" that has me wondering. What do you ladies think?
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Post by sparklymouse on Apr 6, 2011 18:47:04 GMT -5
Of course they liked some kids more than others. You really think Bobby and Alicia Giannelli were on the same level as Jamie and Lucy Newton? No way. I think there were times when some of the girls would groan when Mrs. Rodowsky called, too. They all seemed to like the 3 boys, but not everyone liked to deal with Jackie.
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Post by zoar3 on Apr 6, 2011 20:13:53 GMT -5
^Good point and very true about Jackie. It just seemed like the BSC's constant negative reaction to a Jenny sitting call was the most obvious and therefore this comment of Kristy's stood out.
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Post by candykane on Apr 9, 2011 15:12:24 GMT -5
The only other regular clients I recall the BSC not liking were the Delaneys, but their dislike seemed to be short-lived once they got to know them a little better and knew how to deal with them (like Stacey and the reverse pyschology). Too bad they got replaced with the boring Kormans...the Delaneys were more interesting to me.
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Post by zoar3 on Apr 9, 2011 16:33:17 GMT -5
^They sure were. I, too, wish the Delaneys had not moved. Back to this book, a couple for the "underdeveloped relationships" thread, I wish James Hobart and Kristy had interactions after this one and that either one of them asked the Felders how Susan was doing.
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Post by wiggir13 on May 4, 2011 9:12:55 GMT -5
I think Kristy is getting a bad rep here for this book. I'll be honest at 13 who would really have a clue about autism unless it affects you personally. Also, if the only experience you had with special needs kids was seeing the ones at school, then that was definitely a warped view!
I found it interesting in this book how Kristy says Susan's mom just wants to get away. I don't know if Ann meant that to make her look bad or if she included it to try and make us understand that living with someone with a disability can be very hard. I think that she deserved some time off! My grandmother had alzheimers and lived with us and when I went away from college I would come home on the weekends so that my mom could get out. I was afraid she would go crazy without time away!
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Post by candykane on May 6, 2011 8:36:45 GMT -5
I don't think Ann meant that to make Mrs. Felder look bad; I think it was probably to show how hard it is to take care of someone with a disability. Even though Susan was at home for just a short time period I can see why Mrs. Felder would want to get a sitter so she could run errands by herself.
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Post by zoar3 on May 6, 2011 10:40:37 GMT -5
I agree that Mrs. Felder just needed a break for a few. I also think the wording did hint at the other--Mrs. Felder wanted to "escape."
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oldhickory
Sitting For The Arnolds
Heather Loves Boys and Gym
Posts: 3,258
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Post by oldhickory on May 6, 2011 14:47:10 GMT -5
even though they didn't intend for it to sound like kristy was putting mrs felder down, that's how i always interpreted it. for me it was the wording (mrs felder always needed to escape, just wants to get away) coupled with the fact that kristy thought they were taking the easy way out by sending susan away to school.
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Post by wiggir13 on May 6, 2011 17:08:46 GMT -5
I felt like Kristy thought the mom was bad anyway because she was sending Susan away and not trying etc....Funny how at the end though Kristy saw what the real deal was.
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Post by zoar3 on May 6, 2011 17:57:12 GMT -5
^I agree that until near the end, Kristy did not think highly of Mrs. Felder. I wonder what if anything she thought of Mr. Felder? I mean did she think he wanted an out, also. I know Kristy did not meet him until the very end. We also know that a lot of the male adults in Stoneybrook are either "bad" in some way or take second fiddle to their female counterparts. I always wish Hope had eventually been born and that their had been further bonding between James and Kristy.
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Post by wenonah4th on May 7, 2011 14:08:35 GMT -5
It may just be that we don't see Mr. Felder because of when Kristy's working there. It's late afternoon but before he'd be home, more than likely.
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Post by zoar3 on May 7, 2011 18:06:42 GMT -5
^That is probably exactly the case.
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Post by wiggir13 on May 7, 2011 20:19:21 GMT -5
What I found weird was that when she did meet Mr Felder, she opened up to him about how she felt about Susan going to another school and how she now understood. It seems as though she saw him as the good guy and Mrs. Felder as the bad.....a first for a BSC family!
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