celaeno
Sitting For The Papadakis's
I have to share a room with Vanessa
Posts: 1,514
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Post by celaeno on Aug 7, 2009 13:13:57 GMT -5
I'm guessing this is a pretty unpopular book, considering this was the very bottom thread in the mystery forum, and it also has the least replies of any of the mysteries.
I just finished this one, and I don't feel like I have anything particular to say about it. I did like the setting for this one. Salem seems like a very realistic field trip destination for 8th grade public school students in Connecticut as opposed to, say, Hawaii or Europe. Salem is realistic, but it also makes for a good setting.
I liked that the cover is actually a very accurate rendition of a scene in the book! I think this might be the cutest Mal has looked on a cover.
One thing bothered me about this book. Jessi and Shannon babysit for the Pikes, who are pretending to use magic. The sitters, like, almost immediately feel the need to "have a talk" with the kids to remind them that magic isn't real. What the hell? I understand that someone needed to say something later in the book (when Jordan was really convincing his siblings that he was ruling over them with his magic skillz), but that early in the book, the kids were just innocently playing pretend. I guess different people have different opinions on these things, but it really bothered me that the author decided to have Jessi and Shannon give their "talk" almost immediately after they set foot in the Pikes' house. Kids aren't stupid, and most kids can pretend without becoming delusional. That's what the Pike kids were doing - just playing pretend magic. I don't understand why the author felt there was some kind of danger in letting the kids play that way.
Speaking of heavy-handed teaching - the author had the sitters talk, like, every other page about how unfair the Salem witch trials were, and how they paralleled with modern problems about bullies. Good grief, we got the message the first ten times you mentioned it.
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celaeno
Sitting For The Papadakis's
I have to share a room with Vanessa
Posts: 1,514
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Post by celaeno on Aug 7, 2009 13:27:21 GMT -5
Oh - and I realize I'm double posting - but I remembered another thought that crossed my mind when I read this book. It's a kinda odd thing to mention, but I wanted to share it anyway.
Does anyone else think it's odd that the baby-sitters are never shown sharing beds? The only reason that this crossed my mind is because the last few books I've read have dealt with trips, where the BSC are sleeping in different places.
-The first that brought this up was Super Mystery #1, Baby-sitters' Haunted House. I thought it was odd that the BSC and their charges were put in a wing of the house that just so happened to be SO HUGE that the BSC members each got their own room. They then decided to share rooms, after being scared by the hauntings. Instead of sharing beds, they slept on the floor (eg Dawn slept on the floor in Claud's room, while Claud stayed in her bed). Why wouldn't they have shared a bed? When I think about an ancient mansion (that probably had dirty, musty floors crawling with spiders and millipedes), there's no way I would have slept on the ground. And if I had been in the same situation, where I was an eighth-grader and I thought the house was haunted? My friends and I wouldn't have cared if the beds were twin beds - we would have been in the same bed.
-Then in Super Special #13, Aloha Baby-sitters, the students get put three to a room (two sleep in separate beds, one sleeps on the couch).
-And in this book, there are two students to a hotel room (two separate beds).
I know this is an odd thing to bring up, but it just seemed so weird to me. I went on several trips in school where we stayed in hotels, and EVERY time, they put four students in a room (with two double beds). I know SMS seems to be a wealthy school, but seriously, I don't think any school would splurge so that students each get their own bed!
The only time I can think of any of them sharing a bed was when it was a plot point - Stacey wetting the bed while sharing it with Laine in Baby-sitters Remember.
Has anyone else noticed this?
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Post by booboobrewer on Oct 13, 2009 19:44:23 GMT -5
I bought my own "pet pumpkin" the other day. It clips on and has flashing red eyes. I get way too many ideas from the BSC
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alnmom
Sitter-In-Training
Posts: 340
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Post by alnmom on Oct 14, 2009 6:32:26 GMT -5
I bought my own "pet pumpkin" the other day. It clips on and has flashing red eyes. I get way too many ideas from the BSC Afton would have loved this, she's probably enjoying yours right now
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Post by featherearrings on Oct 14, 2009 7:49:17 GMT -5
I never read this book, but I want to now. I work in Salem. I never noticed the bed sharing issue, but you're so right! I went on a trip to Baltimore several years ago with a bunch of friends (about 25 of us went) and I ended up sharing a bed and I was in my 20's and paying for part of the room!
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Post by anzuhana on Oct 14, 2009 7:53:52 GMT -5
Did you name your pumpkin Cornucopia like Abby did? ;D
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sarish
Sitting For The Papadakis's
Posts: 1,618
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Post by sarish on Oct 14, 2009 9:19:37 GMT -5
Oh - and I realize I'm double posting - but I remembered another thought that crossed my mind when I read this book. It's a kinda odd thing to mention, but I wanted to share it anyway. Does anyone else think it's odd that the baby-sitters are never shown sharing beds? The only reason that this crossed my mind is because the last few books I've read have dealt with trips, where the BSC are sleeping in different places. -The first that brought this up was Super Mystery #1, Baby-sitters' Haunted House. I thought it was odd that the BSC and their charges were put in a wing of the house that just so happened to be SO HUGE that the BSC members each got their own room. They then decided to share rooms, after being scared by the hauntings. Instead of sharing beds, they slept on the floor (eg Dawn slept on the floor in Claud's room, while Claud stayed in her bed). Why wouldn't they have shared a bed? When I think about an ancient mansion (that probably had dirty, musty floors crawling with spiders and millipedes), there's no way I would have slept on the ground. And if I had been in the same situation, where I was an eighth-grader and I thought the house was haunted? My friends and I wouldn't have cared if the beds were twin beds - we would have been in the same bed. -Then in Super Special #13, Aloha Baby-sitters, the students get put three to a room (two sleep in separate beds, one sleeps on the couch). -And in this book, there are two students to a hotel room (two separate beds). I know this is an odd thing to bring up, but it just seemed so weird to me. I went on several trips in school where we stayed in hotels, and EVERY time, they put four students in a room (with two double beds). I know SMS seems to be a wealthy school, but seriously, I don't think any school would splurge so that students each get their own bed! The only time I can think of any of them sharing a bed was when it was a plot point - Stacey wetting the bed while sharing it with Laine in Baby-sitters Remember. Has anyone else noticed this? I think in Dawn's Family Feud, that Dawn and Mary Anne were going to have to share a bed? I'm not positive, but then they got all mad at each other and Mary Anne ended up sleeping in her father and Sharon's room. I always enjoyed sleeping in beds with other people. Even in twin beds. It might be because of how often my nieces would spend the night when I was younger and we would always sleep in my double bed together (all three of us). It made it feel sooo sleepover-y I guess, and I still enjoy it. Even now that I'm bigger and have a twin bed, there is a trundle underneath that we set up right next to mine for when I have friends stay the night. Maybe I'm just weird.
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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 Oct 14, 2009 13:11:19 GMT -5
They share beds in SS#1, too. I can't remember if it was on the ship or in the hotel in Disney World, but there were only two beds in the room that Dawn, Claudia, and Kristy were sharing. They traded off so each got a bed to themselves one night.
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Post by booboobrewer on Oct 14, 2009 13:39:31 GMT -5
Did you name your pumpkin Cornucopia like Abby did? ;D No name yet
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Post by anzuhana on Nov 25, 2009 20:07:22 GMT -5
I think the reason this is my favorite super special mystery is because it's a bit cliché. After all, they go to Salem to learn about the Witch Trials while Halloween is around the corner and a mystery pops out that involves a supposed curse on the Witches Eye. This book makes me want to go to Salem, especially during Halloween.
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msstock87
Sitting For The Braddocks
Here Comes The Bride!
Created by Rie.
Posts: 3,618
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Post by msstock87 on Nov 25, 2009 22:41:09 GMT -5
^I always wanted to go to Salem as well. Reading this book makes me want to go there during the Halloween season as well.
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Post by zoar3 on Jul 30, 2011 19:06:07 GMT -5
Guess I'm in the minority for not overly liking this book. There definitely were many hilarious moments such as Mary Anne being attacked by the black wig and Mal flipping over the mystery notebook. I also liked how sweet Jordan and his brothers were to Claire at the end. I have always wished their characters had been developed beyond "Byron=more sensitive and (sometimes) quieter than his 2 brothers." I really liked when Ms. Garcia said she was going to take a picture of Nadia and MA in their costumes. Nadia should have been made a client. Speaking of "costumes," I wouldn't have minded seeing those of both the BSC and the kids in Stoneybrook.
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oldhickory
Sitting For The Arnolds
Heather Loves Boys and Gym
Posts: 3,234
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Post by oldhickory on Aug 1, 2011 13:53:18 GMT -5
i had a suitemate who looked just like stacey does on this cover. i dislike her as much as i dislike stacey, so it's okay.
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Post by wiggir13 on Aug 3, 2011 11:21:37 GMT -5
I didn't really like this one either. I would have loved to hear about more of the places in Salem as that is why I typically like when the BSC travel b/c I love hearing about other places.
I am in the minority I see in not liking the pet pumpkin. I thought it was really stupid and annoying that Abby kept talking to it (but maybe that it because I don't really like her much).
I find it silly that Cary Retlin could somehow rig a door in a museum that was locked up for a crime scene. Come on now - he can't be that smart? I did enjoy that Kristy and Alan worked together to scare him.
Why does every town have a Halloween parade? Is this common the Northeast?
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Post by zoar3 on Aug 3, 2011 15:14:24 GMT -5
^I didn't like the pet pumpkin either, Wiggirl. I do often get cheapy souvenirs on trips though like snowglobes, rubber duckies, or baseball hats.
I thought it was ridiculous that we were supposed to believe Cary managed to do so without being noticed by security or anyone else!
Aw, I liked the Stoneybrook parade. I certainly never (in my memory) in elementary or junior high ever participated in such an event. But then again this is LA not rural CT.
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