celaeno
Sitting For The Papadakis's
I have to share a room with Vanessa
Posts: 1,514
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Post by celaeno on Aug 10, 2013 13:22:01 GMT -5
This book has baby-sitting plots for both the main plot and the subplot (in other words, not a good combo). But the book made me realize that, fortunately, usually one of the plots is not about baby-sitting.
This book comes right after Mary Anne and the Library Mystery, and I like that the beginning of this book references lots of the same stuff from that book...like how MA was feeling really down from Dawn being away, Logan being wrapped up in his volleyball tournament, missing Mal, and then signing up for the Readathon.
I read Stacey and the Fashion Victim not long before this one, so these two felt too similar to me - eg talking about how the photoshoots work, talking about how modeling is hard work and not that fun, etc.
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mallorypike
Sitting For The Papadakis's
If I were thirteen instead of eleven, life would be a picnic...
Posts: 1,636
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Post by mallorypike on Jan 7, 2014 18:34:20 GMT -5
Mary Anne and Miss Priss definitely isn't one of my favorite books but it was an all right book. I could do without Haley's temper tantrums, though (and the triplets acting like jerks), though. I felt really bad for Jenny in this book. She was constantly being labelled by the BSC (from a spoiled brat to miss priss to miss mess and so on...). To me, she was a typical four year old who was on the neat and tidy side. I also felt bad for her because she felt like she was being neglected by Mrs. P (I can definitely understand that she was jealous of Andrea). The modeling gigs were cute, but sort of boring (not as boring as the kickball games, though!). I usually like Mrs. P for entertainment reasons but, in this book, she annoyed me a whole lot. She was kind of the mother who neglected her daughter because of model. How rude! (Uh-oh, I just quoted Stephanie Tanner from Full House ). To be honest, I was glad that everybody on the kickball team quit. The triplets were jerks, they didn't deserve to be in charge of the kickball team. However, I had to agree with them that Mallory is only a year older. Honestly, an eleven year old babysitting a ten year old just doesn't work right (they never mention that in Dawn and Too Many Sitters when the triplets and Jeff were babysitting the nine year olds, didn't they?). Still, I think the triplets are too immature to take care of themselves. Poor Mallory! She was sick with mono and she dropped out of the BSC for a small period of time, but she had to be a live-in nanny! I guess we can chalk it up to "Ann Hates Mal"... So this book was okay. Not a book I would reread over and over again. Overall, I would give it three stars.
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Post by zoar3 on Apr 19, 2014 17:57:31 GMT -5
I read this last night for the springy beginning with Claire and the flutterby and robins. The peaceful start to this book sure did not last long! Fighting and more fighting between Adam, Byron, and Jordan and the neighborhood kids. Haley really was aggressive and not very nice when she hurled the ball at Nicky and hurt him. It was a good thing no one else did get hurt because it sure did sound like tempers were flying and the triplets didn't know what to do so they didn't do much of anything. I was glad that at the end the team did work itself out and did like that each player would have a turn at each position. I also felt badly for Mallory. I was proud of Kristy for helping her get back in the BSC with the baby-sitting chart idea. How could Mal's parents could not have realized she was baby-sitting so much? It also sounded like her blood-work and other tests had been coming back fine for a while, too so not as though Mal had just begun to feel better. One thing I also thought of was why Mal couldn't have at least had one weekend sitting job a week. Nothing too long and maybe not with the Rodowsky boys but an hour or two. That might have helped her and her parents to really feel as though she had gotten over the mono. I think the worst part almost was when Claudia (I think it was her) and finished a job with Mal and it was time for a BSC meeting. No reason why Mal couldn't have gone to the meeting! I normally do like the Pike parents most of the time but definitely felt they could have done a better job in this one. Finally, the Andrea/Jenny storyline...I'll just say I appreciated that MA encouraged Mrs. P to help Jenny choose a new outfit at the end so they could spend time together--just Jenny and her mom.
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Post by anzuhana on Aug 18, 2014 9:16:03 GMT -5
Rereading this book, I still felt sorry for Jenny. She just can't catch a break. It was nice that she was happy with her job at the end of the book though, considering how unhappy she was that Andrea was getting all the attention and her (Jenny) previous audition didn't go well.
As for the subplot, it was nice to see the triplets being taken down a few pegs for being jerks.
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Post by CharlotteTJohanssen on Aug 18, 2014 21:20:36 GMT -5
I was happy when Jenny finally did get a modeling gig by the end. This used to be one of my favorite books when I was younger.
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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 Aug 19, 2014 0:57:44 GMT -5
This book made me want to read up on OCD, but my mom wouldn't let me. I think she was afraid I'd develop it or something!
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Post by anzuhana on Aug 19, 2014 7:01:48 GMT -5
^ I have heard that a lot of times when people in psychology read about disorders or medical students read about diseases, they think they have it. Usually, after a while, they stop thinking they that particular problem.
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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 Nov 13, 2014 12:47:37 GMT -5
^ Most Stoneybrook dads are totally unseen, but in the case of the Prezziosos it makes sense to me. I think Mrs P is just way super invested in her kids.
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Natasha
New To Stoneybrook
BSC Reread Update: no 115:Jessi's big break.
Posts: 198
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Post by Natasha on May 7, 2017 9:24:28 GMT -5
I really liked this one. Jenny's one of my favourite characters and a book about her is always good. I didn't care much for the sub plot though because I can't stand the triplets at the best of times. It was good to see them taken down a peg or two though! Adam and Jordan are such clones of each other, I can never tell them apart on the covers. I assume that's Jordan wearing the whistle and Byron is the one furthest away? Who's the blonde? It can't be Vanessa, she has brown hair so I'm guessing its Haley.
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Post by oldmeanie on Dec 3, 2022 13:21:36 GMT -5
This one was alright. It has an inconsistency on page 1, saying Nicky is 9, so that's a good start lol. Another possible inconsistency: Mary Anne says that Jessi has dance class three times a week. Unless she's rehearsing, she only has them Tuesdays and Fridays (still think that's sort of weird).
I like Jenny, but this book is kind of weird. Mary Anne gives us her backstory, saying they called her "Miss Priss" and that she improved. That's just... not how I remember it. Until this book, I don't think that "nickname" is mentioned at all. The BSC just thinks she's a spoiled brat and groan when Mrs. P calls. None of that here. It's just weird. Also, I feel bad for Jenny here. She goes from seeing her mom and sister all the time to barely seeing them at all. Of course she's acting out. Maybe later in life she'll bond with Mr. P more.
I don't care much for the triplets. They're the most obnoxious Pikes (I like everyone else in the family). I do think it makes sense that they feel they don't need sitters, especially if Mal or Jessi are sitting for them. I mean, they're only a year older than them, I'm shocked that this wasn't an issue before. I like the idea of the kickball team, but honestly, it was dreadful to read about the constant fighting. And wtf was up with Haley?
Normally I like the Pike parents, but omg do they annoy me here. Basically making Mal a nanny. Wtf are they even doing that's making them need a sitter like every day? It's ridiculous. She was originally supposed to be home to rest, but now they're just booking her to babysit every day. Not much resting, is it? It definitely feels like they're taking advantage of her. I'm glad Kristy's idea of showing them the chart worked. Glad Mal is back at the end of this book.
There's this weird quote on Chapter 10 when Mary Anne calls Dawn for advice:
"She sounded as if she were just down the street and I remembered what it used to be like, before she left for California, before our parents got married, and before we moved into the same house and became stepsisters, when we were just best friends."
I wonder if she kind of misses it? The simpler times I mean.
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Post by fernmariposa919 on Mar 7, 2024 14:57:08 GMT -5
The Pike parents are infuriating. They treat Mallory like a live-in nanny. I could understand if Mallory was five or six years older than the triplets, but she's only one year older than them! She's an eleven-year-old! She's still a child for God's sake! (But don't tell that to her!) They always expect her to watch her younger siblings. Why not ask the triplets? They are capable of watching them too. And I agree with the triplets: it's so stupid that they have to have baby-sitters (and usually it's Mal and Jessi who are only ONE year older than them, but act like they're 30 or something).
I know Mal went to boarding school because she was being bullied at SMS, but, honestly, I think she left home because she was getting sick of her parents taking advantage of her all the time!
Didn't the baby-sitters only get one evening off when they went to Sea City with the Pikes? I can't exactly remember, but it felt like John and Dee were going to places by themselves every single day and not giving a crap about their kids while this was supposed to be a family vacation. They are the worst!
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Post by sparklymouse on Mar 7, 2024 18:42:51 GMT -5
I'm sure Mallory was helping out with her siblings since she was at least Vanessa's age. I wonder what happened to make the next 4 kids after her be so helpless.
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Post by oldmeanie on Mar 10, 2024 19:50:33 GMT -5
This never stood out to me as a kid, but yeah. I understand them expecting Mallory to help out, but ALL the kids should be helping. The triplets could be doing their part. I can't remember which book, I think it was Mallory on Strike? BYRON spills a drink and Mrs. Pike asks Mallory to clean it up. Ridiculous. He's 10, he should clean up after himself. Even Claire should (at least learning how to).
The triplets (minus Byron) are going to end up like my BIL, just expecting others to clean up after them all the time. Ugh.
There is a thing about the oldest child having a ton of responsibility, but it does get to a ridiculous level with Mal. Maybe Riverbend was a good idea after all lol. I do think that Charlie's chores in Kristy's Book were a little OTT, so maybe it's a weird thing Ann/ the ghostwriters believe.
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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 Mar 11, 2024 9:20:10 GMT -5
The pessimist in me thinks it's because Mallory's a girl, not that she's the oldest. If the triplets were girls and one of them spilled a drink, or even if Vanessa did, I think most parents would expect them to clean their own messes.
There are way too many women taking on an unfair share of work and men who play dumb to get out of it. The Pikes are raising three of those boys, plus one boy who will need therapy for how his brothers treated him.
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