#7 Claudia and Mean Janine

[booboobrewer]

Let's get some discussion going about this one...

Do you consider Janine "mean" in this book? Why or why not? Which sister can you identify with more?

Which part is your favorite? Least favorite?

Have you ever experienced any kind of sibling rivalry?

[candykane]

No, I don't consider Janine to be the mean one. As an adult reading the book, it's much easier to see that she isn't. Reading it as a kid, you're told repeatedly that she is and all the reasons why, and the reader is obviously supposed to sympathize with Claudia. But Claudia is pretty nasty to Janine in this book.

Favorite parts are the playgroup, Louie's bath, and the abundance of outfit descriptions.

Least favorite is Mimi's stroke. It's very sad and all the hospital visits remind me of visiting two of my grandparents in the hospital years back. I could relate.

My sister and I are too far apart in age - 10.5 years - to have ever had any sibling rivalry.

[wenonah4th]

Definitely don't think Janine's really mean. She shows off with her vocabulary at the beginning, for certain, which isn't terrihbly nice but that's abou the worst of it.
I love the waffles!

I'm an only childn, so that's not applicable.

[Lila]

I identified with Claudia a lot because I've been the "stupid" one constantly in my life. Or "the bad one" and my father always pitted my brother against me and constantly would remind me "your brother is younger and has better grades than you, stupid!" I had a lot of school troubles and I was skipped ahead because i could read but i couldn't do any of the work and when i read, i could read words but not comprehend. my dad refused to believe that and would say stuff like "you just refuse to apply yourself becaues you are stupid" or really hurtful things llike that.
Even in school i hated when people showed off how "smart" they were so when Janine would act like a smart-ass know it all I wanted to sock it to her.

I don't really have rivaly towards my brother (God only knows how that happened! The way my father acts, you'd think i'd hate him)

When i was a kid i used to hate CLaudia. She used to anger and frustrate me becaues she's stupid and her family loved her. THey didn't treat her like a useless retard or make her feel stupid all the time. Claud felt stupid herself, but her family never made her feel stupid like my dad acted when i was a kiddo.

[lee1982]

I personally don't think Janine is mean per-say, However she just doesn't know how to talk to Claudia, she wants to it seems but when she does she gets frustrated and therefore in Claudia's mind she's mean.

I personally identify with Claud in this book because I was the kid who didn't do well in school at 13 I had alot going on in my life at the time (suicide of a close family friend), so my grades went down and I felt stupid.

My favorite part of this book was definitely the Bathing of Louie!!! It was fun to picture the kids chasing him while he was soaking wet lol.

MY least favorite was definitely Mimi's stroke. That would b a huge blow to anyone. It was definitely a sad moment in Claudia's life.

As for sibling Rivalry....I could write a book. My sister and I are only 2 years apart but I'm the oldest and thought it was annoying she always got away with things that I couldn't...lol

[sarish]

^I always felt that way too, however my 'siblings' were really my nieces so sometimes I was able to get rid of them. My oldest niece is two years younger than me and I remember severe jealousy issues with her. My mom would treat her so differently because she was the granddaughter, but then I always felt like my sister would treat me almost the same (in terms of punishments, etc) because she was 17 years older than me. I was always in competition with my niece and we fought constantly! Luckily with age that leveled out and now we are the best of friends.

I agree with Claudia and Janine just really not knowing how to communicate with each other, but wanting to. My favorite part of their relationship was when they shared candy in Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls and actually talked like they were sisters. I really feel like they were jealous of each other, Claudia of all the positive her parents showed Janine and Janine because of Claudia having more of a social life and having a talent outside of books. Poor kids.

[shannon86]

I don't see Janine being the mean sister that Claudia portrayed her to be. Janine seems nice and shy, as for Claudia she seems rather pushy, mean and full of herself. I love every scenes of this book, specially the tea scene with Mimi and Mary Anne.

[polaris]

Ya re-reading this I felt sorry for Janine, I know she talked funny at times but I always thought she made an effort to talk to Claudia and took an interest in what the BSC were doing, whereas Claudia would usually avoid her or not listen to her or yell at her for using big words.

While I sympathise with Janine on the sister side, I did feel bad for Claudia when she feels guilty about Mimi's stroke.

I think my favourite part of the book is Mimi's tiny pizza and her refusal to call them mini because minnie is a mouse

I have one older sister we got on mostly okay when we were young though we used to fight as well, we're a lot closer these days. I'd like to think that Claudia and Janine would have a closer relationship when they are older.

[wiggir13]

I really like Janine. She reminds of myself in high school - nerdy and socially awkward. Luckily I sort of grew out of it - at least the socially awkward part but I'm still a nerd . I think Janine was just connecting with Claudia the only way she knew how and Claudia was just being a normal yr old. I do think as the series progressed there relationship changed and I agree with polaris that I think they would have been much closer as they got older.