Shannon's Story

[anzuhana]

^ I took Spanish in high school and I don't remember such a trip being offered at any time. In college, there were trips to other countries and you could earn credits in that foreign language and other subjects, like history or maybe archeology.

[sparklymouse]

I took Spanish too. They never took trips, but the French classes did. It was for jrs/srs, and they only went ever other year since most people wouldn't be able to go both years. (One of my siblings went, the other didn't want to take the required French 4 class to be eligible.) Unlike Shannon's class, who sounded like they were going to make it a yearly ritual.

[anzuhana]

Why did the French classes have the trips but not the Spanish classes?

[sparklymouse]

^A couple of reasons, I think. The French teachers were a guy from Switzerland and his (American) wife. It was a joke (but probably true) that he liked to organize school trips when he needed to go back to his homeland and handle whatever. (On the trip my sibling went on, they went to France, Switzerland, Belgium, and I believe northern Italy.) He was killing two birds with one stone, I guess. The Spanish teachers were all from WI/MI, so they didn't have that motivation to go anywhere.

Also, Spanish was the much more popular language to take at that school. There may have been 30 eligible French students to 100 eligible Spanish ones. Nobody was going to organize an international trip with that many potential minors.

This was all 10-20 years ago, so who knows. Maybe things have changed.

[wenonah4th]

Our German teacher regularly took a group to Germany & our Latin teacher regularly did Italy. The French & Spanish ones were less frequent, as I recall.

[oldhickory]

^ it's awesome you had so many different options! and with the chance to go overseas i would have taken every class. i think it is so beneficial when kids in language classes get to travel and hear native speakers.

[wenonah4th]

For myself, I didn't go on those, but i took part in a choir that toured several European cities. Our choral dirextor has been one of the directos for that tour for years,

[zoar3]

I would have much preferred reading about how each sitter spent mother's day either with their mom or in MA's case their dad--someone they thought of as a mom or a good friend. This could be in part because I still wish "First Thanksgiving," had focused more on the families and their time together at the dinner than on the boycotted play. Even though I felt Jessi's "Gift-a-thon" idea came out of left field, I did enjoy reading about Maria and Tiffany interacting with some of the BSC's regular charges since I don't think that ever happens again. ETA: I just remembered their was some mixing of charges at the "All-Kids Dance" in "Kristy and the Sister War." Tiffany and Maria even "fought" over Jordan Pike

My own memories of JHS are so awful I can't envision wanting to go on a week long trip with class-mates. I would have much preferred a trip with my Grandma--the person I will always think of as mom. I can understand Shannon wanting the vacation--independence--to herself, I just think she could have been a little more tactful.

[sparklymouse]

I understand Shannon not wanting her mom there because I have always been very particular about my people from different parts of my life not mixing. I just wouldn't skip a trip out of the country because I couldn't handle it though.

[zoar3]

^Or "failed" French, probably. I don't fault a young 13 year old for wanting to be "parent" free for a week in Paris, especially if Mrs. Kilbourne was the only parent chaperone. Do we know that, btw? I ask because if so, then that would make her stick out more. I just still don't fathom why not one adult was suspicious of Shannon's suddenly failing and even why her own mother never asked what was going on, even in general. Yes, I do feel Shannon was rather rude to her mom. I get that is typical young teen behavior and that certainly things at home were not going ideally for Shannon at the time. I just think "Nola" should have done a better job of telling us "Shannon's Story," by actually sharing more about her instead of all "I will fail French to avoid my mom in Paris." For all Shannon knew, her mom might have decided to stay home, then where would she be?

[wiggir13]

I really like this book b/c it is really my relationship with my mom. I don't consider myself a spoiled brat, but my mom was suffocating when I was in hs. I do feel like they could have talked it out, but then again I certainly didn't want to.

I would have gone to Paris though!!!

[supprazz]

I totally understand the suffocation bit

[supprazz]

I'm almost 20 years older than Shannon and just went through something similar. Mom went to Paris, but I didn't join. I had a week to myself and enjoyed the space so much though I missed her too.

[andrew]

I'm not a big fan of Shannon generally but I could relate to her in this book, how little things from a parent (using a little kid nickname, getting unwanted clothes, thinking you're not studying) can be aggravating. The mom somehow not knowing about/forgetting about/disliking her going to club meetings was definitely thought-provoking, indicating the mom was quite selfish and only took interest in Shannon's life as it related to her but I guess it makes sense that a parent would feel 3 times a week + traveling was too much especially if baby-sitting wasn't productive.

[starfire13]

I want this book so bad. I have never seen it. I never got to read it as a child, and now that I'm hunting down the books to rebuild my collection, I have still get to see it.