starrynight
Sitting For The Kuhns
The Royal Diner of Pizza Express
Posts: 4,004
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Post by starrynight on Jul 17, 2012 11:48:26 GMT -5
Reading this one again, and a couple of things are standing out to me this time around. First of all, Mary Anne's outfits don't sound all that bad. I'm picturing them as cute and feminine - nothing like the dorky stuff she had to wear at the beginning of the series. Also, Claudia got gift cards for her birthday. Pretty those didn't exist yet in the mid 80's.
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Post by ashley868 on Dec 31, 2013 17:32:27 GMT -5
Just read this book for the first time. Like everyone else, I really enjoyed the fact that they actually seemed to act their age. I loved how paranoid Mary-Anne was feeling for her first time baby-sitting, especially since it was for the Pike kids instead of one kid. I think anyone would be intimidated by watching eight kids, even an experienced person. For Mary-Anne who was shy already, and going on her first sitting job, I really enjoyed that part. There was also a part when she was baby-sitting where she felt happy because she felt 'grown up' now. I find that realistic as well. I remember my first time baby-sitting as well, and I remember thinking the same thing and getting thrilled at the idea of the fact that I was all grown up.
I felt Claudia was extremely judgmental as well. I guess it's been a while since I've read the books (I am planning to go through all the books I can now, I started with this one) and I don't remember her being that judgmental to Mary-Anne and Kristy. I guess it makes sense with their first fight. Although I found it odd that she would find Marco Polo so babyish. I know a lot of people, my friends included who played Marco Polo even past the age of twelve. Nobody at all found it strange or babyish. In fact, a few years ago we got bored when we were swimming and played it for old times sake. I can understand Claudia judging Mary-Annes bathing suit, but she should have also realized that Mary-Anne's father also had something to do with it. I get that Claudia is wanting to grow up, but something about her seemed really uptight. I can understand her being turned off about the dolls I was a late bloomer and still played with dolls at twelve, and I got a lot of slack about it from my sister. So that does seem realistic enough to me. I remember my sister threatening to throw out all my dolls one afternoon, because it embarrassed her when she caught me playing with them in the backyard. She was thirteen at the time.
I also hated Claudia for choosing Frankie over her friends and sister, but I did feel bad for her when he dumped her. That was such a cowardly and harsh way to do it. It's like he was really interested in her until he had her meet his friends, and then he was ashamed of the fact that he was dating a 12 year old. I don't find it that unrealistic like some people on here that a 14 year old would like a 12 year old. Maybe it's because I remember a few of the girls in my seventh grade class dating some High School guys. They thought they were all that because they had boyfriends in grade nine. But those girls and guys also grew up together. They'd all known each other since they were little. The girls kicked up a stink because high school kids weren't allowed to come to elementary school (I went to a K-8 school) dances. We had school dances after school, and the girls really wanted to invite their boyfriends.
I don't have too much of an opinion of Kristy and Staceys stories. I really enjoyed them a lot and that's about it. I liked hearing about how lonely Stacey felt before coming to Stoneybrook and I hated Laine, which is unfortunate. I really liked her in Staceys Emergency. I have a hard time believing they become friends again. Maybe it's because I am not the type to forgive easily. It would take me a lot to forgive someone for making basically everyone in the class hate me. I felt bad for Kristy, but I also found her story a bit unrealistic even if I enjoyed it. I never really found her the type to really believe her dad would show up. But maybe it's because of her birthday that changed her in the series. Kristy just doesn't seem like a dreamer to me.
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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 Oct 9, 2015 9:58:47 GMT -5
Bought this book off Ebay and currently halfway through it. I'm loving the Stacey's chapters. I've always wanted to know what happened to her before she met the BSC. I pretty much knew her best friend (so-called) Laine turned against her and so did her other friends.
Claudia annoyed me greatly by always ditching her friends. I guess its realistic enough-best friends who've known each other since they were in nappies and it does happen.
I liked Mary-Anne's chapters and also Kristys.
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Post by Sideshowjazz1 on Apr 23, 2018 21:51:56 GMT -5
You know, I would've liked this book a lot more if it had better continuity. For example, one of the girls in Laine's little group was called Naomi. She wasn't in the original books and there was never any Naomi mentioned. Stacey mentioned plenty of girls in "The Babysitters Remember" who were in that group. Why didn't they appear instead? The only one that really got any mention besides Laine was Allison Ritz, the new girl that spread the bedwetting incident (when Stacey tried so hard to befriend her). Similarly, all of Stacey's charges in her building are never mentioned again. I mean, I know Stacey didn't live in the same place, but when her dad moved across town, she still sat for the Walkers, for instance. None of her charges in this book were ever mentioned in the series. Also, a minor point, but I notice Stacey meets Mary Anne briefly before joining the club.
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LovelyDay
New To Stoneybrook
just a sweet girl
Posts: 137
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Post by LovelyDay on Aug 31, 2019 21:01:20 GMT -5
I’m going to be blunt and say that I didn’t like this book very much. It seemed out of style for the BSC books. There was also problems with continuity that others mentioned...but then again, that’s nothing new for this series.
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livvy
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 394
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Post by livvy on Dec 8, 2022 0:59:54 GMT -5
Poor Watson. Kristy was such a brat to him. It's not his fault that her father ran out on them but she's taking it out on him anyway! Her mother is allowed to date. She doesn't need Kristys permission either. And why was so obsessed with the idea of her father coming to her birthday dinner? He didn't remember her previous birthdays so what made this one any different? It sounds to me like Kristy idolised her dad even though he walked out on them. br] And I was really surprised that Richard allowed Mary-Anne to go to a boy/girl swimming party?! He just allowed her to be a baby sitter. Sure Claudia's parents might have been gone but there were boys there. Maybe he didn't know?
And what was a sixteen year old boy doing at a twelve year olds party? He was also coming onto Claud and that was disgusting. She's barely a teenager! Couldn't he find girls his own age? Ew. I mean in Australia a male 16 year old dating a 12 year old girl is a big no no. Not sure about the law in America.
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Post by oldmeanie on Oct 28, 2023 16:53:08 GMT -5
Poor Watson. Kristy was such a brat to him. It's not his fault that her father ran out on them but she's taking it out on him anyway! Her mother is allowed to date. She doesn't need Kristys permission either. And why was so obsessed with the idea of her father coming to her birthday dinner? He didn't remember her previous birthdays so what made this one any different? It sounds to me like Kristy idolised her dad even though he walked out on them. br] And I was really surprised that Richard allowed Mary-Anne to go to a boy/girl swimming party?! He just allowed her to be a baby sitter. Sure Claudia's parents might have been gone but there were boys there. Maybe he didn't know? And what was a sixteen year old boy doing at a twelve year olds party? He was also coming onto Claud and that was disgusting. She's barely a teenager! Couldn't he find girls his own age? Ew. I mean in Australia a male 16 year old dating a 12 year old girl is a big no no. Not sure about the law in America. Frankie was 14, about to go to high school. Still a weird gap, but not *as* bad. There are lots of good things in this book and some things that bothered me. I really like Mary Anne and Kristy's friendship here... it is so sweet. This book is the best depiction of their friendship. I really liked that this book detailed a couple of lines from KGI: the dolls (they were Alma's, which explains why MaryAnne was so hurt by Claudia's retort in KGI) and Patrick forgetting Kristy's birthday. I liked that Stacey was ready to leave New York behind and that this book shows the Bradford Court girls growing apart (well, Claud really). Overall, it's well written. It kind of feels cozy? I don't know how to describe it. Simpler times perhaps. But they all seem kind of unsettled at the same time, like they really want things to change. Poor Kristy. Patrick really is a trash heap of a person. This book said he remarried though? Was Zoey his third wife? Also, aww, hi Louie! I liked Mary Anne going on her first sitting job ever. And Richard making the 2 sitter rule. It feels consistent with his character. I'm so glad to see Mimi again! I love her. Other than that, I think Claud's story was my least favorite. I just could have done without it, idk. And it irks me that she missed Kristy's birthday. There are some inconsistencies that bother me. The Walkers aren't mentioned in New York (although maybe I'm wrong and they actually only appear when Stacey moves back), Stacey and Claudia don't run into each other, Jenny Prezzioso makes an appearance (I thought she debuted in #4), and as much as I like the explanation of the dolls, didn't Mary Anne not know much about Alma until the Secret in the Attic? Idk. I thought it was well-done and felt early BSC. Somehow it's not a favorite, though. I think it gets a 7.
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