Shannon's Story

[macca]

I enjoyed this one, although not heaps to say about it. Was shocked when Shannon deliberately failed her French test and surprised that nothing more came of it, other than the fact that she didn't go on the school trip to Paris - you know, I expected the truth to come out in the end or something.

Shannon also had a very "mature" way of speaking - mom looked as if our meeting was some weird indulgence of base desires etc. Don't know many 13 yr olds who speak like that. It was also unusual to see a married couple in BSC Land who have problems but are not divorced.

Shannon seems like a sweet girl and from her perspective, she seemed closer to the girls in the BSC than when one of the main characters was narrating. But I thought it was funny how on the back cover it said Mrs Kilbourne is basically running Shannon's life! - usually parents actually DO have some impact on their 13 yr old daughter's lives. Just because most Stoneybrook parents were strangely oblivious and indifferent, when one parent plays an active role, it's considered a problem!

[jen]

I really liked this book! I wish we had more books from Shannon's POV. I loved the mother-daughter softball game in this, except one thing confused me: when they first discussed, it said that the BSC members would play on the mums' team, because of numbers, but then when they discuss numbers again (and in the actual game), the BSC play on the kids team. Or is it just Kristy that plays? And the rest of them are selling refreshments or something?

[buffykay70]

is this book good? worth buying off ebay? i like shannon and would like to read more about her too.

[macca]

^ I thought it was good. The idea of a Shannon book was uninteresting to me at first, because we hear from her so rarely, but she's a great character and this book is enjoyable.

[Amalia]

I don't remember Kristy playing. I think she was just the captain that kind of coached the kids. But she might have played. I dunno. If she did, I think she was the only one that did. Wait Shannon played. I think she had to fill in for the parents since Maria was playing. Don't know about rest.

Yeah, it's a good read.

[jen]

Shannon filled in for her mum, and I thought they mentioned at a meeting what teams the BSC would play on... Kristy was definitely captain of the kids team, but I don't know if that means she played or not. Actually, now that I think about it, wasn't Claudia and Mallory in charge of refreshments? Hmm... Must reread.

[aln1982]

I liked this book since Shannon is one of my favorite sitters. I wish there were more about her. Any chance there will be more BSC books written? I know there are the "Friends Forever" but I don't like those nearly as well as the originals. I enjoy reading about the babysitting.

[Amalia]

Can a ghostwriter, or someone, revive the franchise or would Ann get all mad and stuff? I mean, she really shouldn't since ghostwriters were the ones that "helped her with the [later] manuscripts."

As for Sharon's mom getting the ol' birthday card for her mother's day gift, I would have liked to see her hit him. Just out of the blue, a swift, graphic act of violence, slashes through the once innocent land of Stonybrook.

[macca]

I'd love Ann (and NOT her ghostwriters!) to start writing the BSC books again, although she never would (at least, I'm pretty certain).

It appears as if she wrote Dawn, Diary Three and Sunny, Diary Three of the Cali Diaries series and they are both exceptional, particularly the latter. Ann is a talented writer.

[Amalia]

I agree. Writers who continue a series are not as good as those who begin them because it was they're idea in the first place and they understand the most about it because of that. I heard Ann is moving up to writing more-adult novels. ?? I don't know if that's true though. I've only seen one in the library (in the adult fiction section).

[ktag]

They did say the BSC would play on the mom's team, but they never actually did. Kristy coached the kids, Claud and Mal did refreshments and the rest baby-sat for the little ones. Though Shannon played.

I think Mrs. Kilbourne and the school administrators suspected Shannon failed on purpose. Mrs. Kilbourne was surprised Shannon didn't say something if she didn't want to go to Paris, and when she got back they had that talk about spending time apart.

Another Mother's Day surprise? Do they ever do anything for Father's Day?

Definitely nice to see what Shannon's life is like since we almost never get a chance to normally.

[lovelylemontree]

I think Mrs. Kilbourne and the school administrators suspected Shannon failed on purpose. Mrs. Kilbourne was surprised Shannon didn't say something if she didn't want to go to Paris, and when she got back they had that talk about spending time apart.

I got the impression they suspected, too. I wish someone had called her out on it, or at least strongly implied that they knew what she did. There's just not much said about her failing other than, "Oh, well, no Paris then. Sorry."

Do you think the Kilbournes got a refund on the money they paid for Shannon's trip?

Mrs. Kilbourne's such a ditz. I really hated her in this book. Good Lord, get a hobby. At least when Mrs. McGill was unhappy and bored she went shopping.

Another Mother's Day surprise? Do they ever do anything for Father's Day?

Is Father's Day ever even mentioned?

[lilafowler]

Is Father's Day ever even mentioned?

I remember Stacey buying her dad a marble Civil War themed chess set or something like that for Father's Day in Stacey's Lie.

The part that stuck out in my mind is that she mentions carrying it home in the basket of her bicycle, and I imagined Stacey's Choice-cover-Stacey (you know, with the teeth) riding a little kid's bike with the streamers on the handlebars.

[digigirl02]

I enjoyed this book, I liked Tiffany's garden and the mother-child softball game, especailly when Mrs. Brewer said. "You know if we let the kids win, we'll never hear the end of it." Was Karen and Andrew at the game?

[digigirl02]

I would have liked to see her hit him. Just out of the blue, a swift, graphic act of violence, slashes through the once innocent land of Stonybrook.

Yeah, I did feel bad for her mom though.