wanderingfrog
Sitting For The Arnolds
Official BSC Archivist
Posts: 2,552
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Post by wanderingfrog on Jan 13, 2013 12:04:50 GMT -5
I've been coming up empty trying to think of any Stoneybrook clients with 2 boys and one girl in their family. I don't think (other than Logan's family) there were any. We have plenty of 2 girls and one boy, two or more girls, and even a handful of one of each gender but none with more boys. (Kristy's family doesn't "count" because Sam and Charlie are not charges). The Pikes have an equal number of boys and girls, and once Mallory becomes a baby-sitter instead of a charge, there are four boys and three girls to sit for. There are also some families with multiple boys and no girls. The Rodowskys have three boys, the Masterses have two boys, and the Hobarts have four boys, although usually the club only sits for the three youngest. Although sometimes Mal's boyfriend is a sitting charge, because who cares about continuity or even making sense?
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Post by fairy3lf2 on Jan 14, 2013 0:37:04 GMT -5
I find it pretty funny that the BSC books in the 70s - 80s seem to have been the BSC bad girl period! We have, of course, the Stacey and the Bad Girls arc. We have book titles like Mary Anne Breaks the Rules, Jessi's Horrible Prank, and Stacey's Lie. We have Dawn stealing her dad's credit card and running away in Dawn and the We <3 Kids Club. We have Kristy vandalizing school property in Kristy and the Copycat. What a period for the BSC! I never thought about that but it's really interesting. Maybe they were afraid that the series was too "goody-goody" and decided to stir things up a bit. It doesn't seem to have lasted anyway though.
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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 Jan 17, 2013 21:17:25 GMT -5
^ Maybe sales were starting to decline at that point and they thought that being edgy would bring things back up?
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Post by virgoscorpio on Jan 17, 2013 22:52:56 GMT -5
^ I agree with you. I always thought that they wanted that "cool" factor that wasn't really achieved with the babysitting plots. Also, their fan base was getting a bit older, too, so it could have been a good way to keep fans hanging on who felt they were outgrowing the BSC.
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Post by sparklymouse on Jan 18, 2013 0:32:53 GMT -5
I wondered about that. Did they really try to keep the same fans throughout the series or lure new little girls in every few years? (That sounds dirty, lol.)
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Post by zoar3 on Jan 18, 2013 12:21:30 GMT -5
^That's a good question, Sparklymouse. I don't much like either option because of what the later books, particularly mysteries, became. I think originally as I've said many a time Ann figured on 4 every-day girls that the average kid could relate to as well as possibly look up to. For whatever variety of reasons, that began to change, probably for a "wow" factor or so readers wouldn't be bored by "Stoneybrook." Sitting for Jamie or worrying about the "Phantom," just doesn't compare to the "thrill" of Exciting criminal chases and vacation adventures. Sadly (IMO), the later most likely sold more books.
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Post by virgoscorpio on Jan 18, 2013 16:09:05 GMT -5
I wondered about that. Did they really try to keep the same fans throughout the series or lure new little girls in every few years? (That sounds dirty, lol.) I would say both. From a marketing perspective, you'd think that Scholastic would want to do everything possible to keep current fans interested and hope that new ones emerged along the way. Granted, at the time, the books were always somewhere in the YA series section. With the addition of mysteries and Super Specials and such, it would be impossible for any young reader to be at least a little curious. I remember that bookstores had different selections of BSC titles. Usually when the "books of the month" came out, they were placed cover up whereas the other older books were spines out (if that makes sense). I wonder how bookstores got the often random selection they did?
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Post by fairy3lf2 on Jan 19, 2013 2:25:16 GMT -5
I think a big part of Harry Potter being such a phenomenon was the fact that the characters aged and the plots became more mature. If all seven books had Hary and his friends at age eleven and the same tone, the young fans probably would have grown out of them in a few years and seen them as childish. This way the books were able to grow with the readers.
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supprazz
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,106
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Post by supprazz on Jan 19, 2013 8:38:33 GMT -5
^ I also think that happened, because I think most kids that are younger than us born mostly in the 90's and after have different expectations when it comes to books, humour, entertainment, everything compared to our generation...and they think ours sucks though I beg to differ. We have all the Harry Potter books and I tried watching a couple of the movies but I really can't get into them.
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andrew
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 353
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Post by andrew on Apr 25, 2016 18:35:19 GMT -5
I really liked this, Mary Anne is usually great and especially when she gets into trouble. Lerangis wrote her (pretty similar to AMM), Logan and Kristy quite well. Also nice that in this one Kristy got to be a little goofy and Claudia serious, albeit more for laughs. The interaction among the kids, especially Jake and Buddy's blowup and then quick apologies, was really good.
It's interesting to think that in most of the books the sitters randomly, suddenly go over to other sitters also with clients, no problem, but I can see why there would be more dislike when a visitor was a boy. Also the sitters usually take the initiative in suggesting how the kids should change their lives so it was nice to finally see acknowledgment that parents might dislike infringing on them although in the end Mrs. Kuhn was actually glad.
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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 Jul 2, 2017 9:07:03 GMT -5
I found this whole book pointless. If only Mary Anne told Mrs Kuhn about Logan and the reason why he was there while she was baby-sitting it would have saved a whole lot of drama.
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LadyDru
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 373
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Post by LadyDru on Aug 22, 2017 17:38:48 GMT -5
The entire misunderstanding about Mary Anne having her boyfriend over was dumb and could have been avoided..such a relief when it was resolved. However the subplot was soo cute and I died laughing at the sitting job where Patsy and Laurel were playing with Herman the skeleton, when they insisted on making Herman some outfits..and Haley being Madame Leveaux..the first meeting in the book was hilarious too when Stacey thought about using the treasury money to buy a suede jacket teasingly..also when Kristy tried to call the meeting to order and everyone just munched on the candy..was so funny when Claudia said baah when Kristy told the other girls they looked like goats.
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Post by Sideshowjazz1 on Mar 4, 2018 2:12:01 GMT -5
My problem wasn't with Mary Anne not explaining things to the Kuhns. It was the way the other girls treated her. They knew that she'd done something that was actually thoughtful and nice. In fact, having a male influence like Logan would probably help Jake's development as a person - it helps for children to have both a male and a female influence while they grow up, and it doesn't necessarily have to come from a parent.
My point is, Mary Anne EXPLAINS to the other girls why she asked Logan over, and they're all like "We understand, but you still shouldn't have done it", and then whenever she's free for a job, one of them jumps in and insists she'll take it, like they think she'll disgrace the club if she ever babysits again. WTF, BSC? Then when things get cleared up, they're all like "You totally did the right thing, and we're sorry we acted like you'd committed a terrible crime. Do you want this job?" Way to make yourselves look like hypocrites.
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livvy
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 394
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Post by livvy on Apr 12, 2022 5:30:04 GMT -5
Mary Anne should have asked permission to have Logan over. After all she's baby sitting and the kids are her responsibility. Also it wasn't her house. I don't blame Mrs Kuhn for being mad.
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Post by oldmeanie on Jan 3, 2023 15:12:18 GMT -5
Omg. This book is laaaaaaame. At least it's a quick read- I didn't have anything better to do anyway.
The main "plot" seriously only takes up like 3 chapters honestly, and it's really stupid. I know Mary Anne is afraid of confrontation, but I don't know why she didn't tell her why Logan was over to begin with. Then the BSC, particularly Kristy, are unnecessarily cruel to her. Kristy is a freaking nut case in this book. "Damage control," admitting that MA DOESN'T actually break any rules and saying she should make one (seriously), ugh. It's so dumb and somehow OTT while being boring.
The subplot could have been cool, but it's Lerangis at his most obnoxious. For some reason, with the way he writes baby-sitting chapters, it's in one eye and put the other for me. Just a lot of onomotopoeia, like everyone is shouting everything and just making animal noises. I did like the plot twist with Alan Gray at the end, especially since he's mentioned earlier. That's pretty cool. As a horror and Halloween fan, I really wish I could say I love this subplot, it's just obnoxious af to read.
I do have to say that I did laugh when Mary Anne thinking Mrs. Kuhn was going to do a citizen's arrest when she came to her door. It's just so in character for Mary Anne and I can totally relate to thinking like that.
I did like the pizza date early on, and the Chez Maurice fail was pretty funny. Only thing is I have no idea how 8th graders can afford to eat at a fancy restaurant, then go out for pizza. Only in the Brook.
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