Claudia's Portrait

[macca]

I liked this one more than I thought I would. But it totally confirms Claudia's learning disability. Chapter Two descriptions always mention that she doesn't "apply herself" and that Claud could be a straight-A student if she just tried.

Well in "Boo for Fourth Grade" it sounds like Claud worked her ass off, she tried and tried until she was blue in the face and still sucked education-wise. How is that just mere "laziness"?

Her experience at Stamford Alternative Academy wasn't realistic either. Kids are generally pretty resilient (sp?) ... it's unlikely that Claud would've descended into deep depression and a hopeless pit of despair because she was seperated from Kristy and Mary Anne. Plenty of kids have to change schools for any number of reasons and they manage to make new friends and adjust to the situation. Claudia didn't even have MA's shyness or insecurity problems, which made the situation even more bizarre.

Also, the Sea Rose chapter. Who the hell lets a four-and-a-half yr old kid go off on their own? What happened to the ultra-responsible Kristy?!

[ktag]

The depression thing did seem a bit too much. What exactly were they trying to say? Academic adequecy sucks the life out of her? I don't know...just seems more like a kid getting her way, even if it means illiteracy. It was an interesting read though.

Agree about the Sea Rose part. She didn't learn her lesson either, since she did the same thing with Karen on the cruiseship. At least Karen was a little older though. They need to find a different plot to create drama that's not OOC.

[supernatural babe]

I don't think she was dyslexic but she definately had something else that was overlooked. A.D.D perhaps? She did seem to have more of a problem with paying attention/sitting still

Is there really any point in trying to figure out Claudia's problems in school? It's an on going mystery. One minuite she doesn't know the stuff and then when a test comes up she doesn't study until the last minute and still manages to pass a test.

Go back to 7th grade and not struggle at all (although it is possible, i guess)!!

Maybe this girl needs to see a psychiatrist!!


Word on the whole letting a 4 1/2 yr old go off on his own. What were they thinking?


I was quite disturbed by the 'no-one turning up at the birthday party'. I aint one to play the race-card (often)but what is the likely hood of not one of the kids being able to turn up (i guess it could happen)? It would have been a shame if the parents of some of the kids wouldn't allow their kids to come at the party because the kishis' are japanese.

[Deleted]

chelsie said:

I was quite disturbed by the 'no-one turning up at the birthday party'. I aint one to play the race-card (often)but what is the likely hood of not one of the kids being able to turn up (i guess it could happen)? It would have been a shame if the parents of some of the kids wouldn't allow their kids to come at the party because the kishis' are japanese.

I think the distribution of the invitations was the reason no one showed up. The other children in Kristy/Mary Anne/Claudia's class were practically out the door when the girls remembered to hand out the invites. I think there's even a direct line of most kids shoving the envelopes into their stuffed bookbags without opening them. Perhaps the other kids didn't realize what they were for.

I really enjoyed the Sea Rose chapter though. The rest of Claudia's Portrait is pretty forgettable. I liked the interaction between Claudia and Kristy--they had grown up together, but with the BSC books, they never really seemed close. I also liked reading Claudia's apprehension of spending time with the Thomas family.

[ktag]

Yeah, I'm guessing most of the invitations were never opened. Kinda sad how they started thinking Mimi didn't write RSVP on all of them. Hello, she's not that old.

I think she has ADD and dyslexia. She has symptoms for both. But yeah, dead horse.

Was I the only one who thought there was a little class difference here? When they're driving to the motel, they pass all the fancier hotels and go to the crappiest one with no jacuzzis or movie channels. Claudia says "No one else seemed to notice how rundown and plain the Sea Rose was." Then when DM asks for ice cream, Kristy lets him have some cheap ice pop thing, and Claudia has Ben & Jerry's. It was just little stuff that made me think Claud expects better. But she was invited to go on a free trip with another family. What does she expect? Guess it's not as much of a problem after Watson comes along.

[macca]

I agree with slytherin about the party thing. Even if the invitations were poorly distributed, what are the odds of not one person showing up? Surely one or two kids would've opened the envelope or the parents would've been sorting through the kids' schoolbag and came across it.

The story would've made more sense if Claudia had forgotten to hand out the invitations, it came to the day of the party, no one showed up and Claudia found the envelopes still sitting at the bottom of her bag.

It was just little stuff that made me think Claud expects better.

I totally noticed that as well. I thought it was going to be the plotline of the story and we'd all learn a lesson about how hard Elizabeth works to provide the basics for the kids.

[booboobrewer]

I doubted the party situation too. I was always like, wouldn't a parent wouldn't at least go through their kid's backpack and find the invitation? It sure didn't help that none of them even said the cards were FOR a b-day party, but it just seemed unlikely (and pretty sad) that not one classmate would RSVP or come.
And speaking of class differences, it was either Sam or Charlie that gave Claudia their old train set as a gift. She notes that not every gift given to her was brand new - thoughtful, yes, but not new. So there you have the Thomases definitely coming to the party, but giving her their old toys as presents.

Always found Claudia's portrait pretty boring (the Tooth Fairy story, anyone?) but I did like the Sea Rose chapter and anything where Mimi was her kindly, understanding self. Aww, I just luv Mimi.

[jen]

I never noticed that class difference thing! But yeah, I can see that. Though I thought the reason Kristy let DM have a Frozfruit thing was because it was healthier, and Claudia was being her typical junk-food-loving self.

[macca]

^ yeah, I thought Kristy was trying to be all mature and responsible by only allowing DM to have the Frozfruit.

[sotypical42483]

I thought Claudia's Book was okay. It's hard to get into though, cause I just don't like Claudia very much. Her school issues are annoying. I didn't mind reading about her being at the new school, and I felt bad for her because she was clearly very depressed about it.

I did really like the Sea Rose bit. I love reading "random" pairings of BSC girls - pairings that aren't Claud and Stacey, MA and Kristy, Mal and Jessi, or Dawn and MA. It was cute to see how Claudia and Kristy bonded on their vacation. But yeah, a big WTFFFF to letting DM run off on his own. It was super cute though when she was Kristy was screaming at him and DM is just like "oh, are my ten minutes up?" heh.

The b-day party thing made NO sense to me. There is NO WAY not even ONE kid came across his invitation. Did no one clean out their backpack after school was out for the summer? Did no one remember "oh, Claudia/Kristy/MA shoved an envelope in my hand, wonder what that was?" Not buying it. And MA is so cute, practically crying because Claudia's birthday was ruined for a whole ten minutes or whatever.

Its kinda cute how they brought the whole butterfly self-portrait thing back in a brief mention.

[buffykay70]

maybe the kids in the class just didnt like claudia and didnt want to go to her dumb circus party, hahaha.

i do like claudia though but her mopey chapter when she had to go to that special school was pretty boring.

[macca]

buffykay70 said:

i do like claudia though but her mopey chapter when she had to go to that special school was pretty boring.

I didn't find it boring, just completely unrealistic. Children have to change schools all the time for any number of reasons and are generally pretty resilient, not falling into an ongoing black pit of despair. The behavior wasn't TOO far-fetched for a MA-like character, unable to stand being removed from her comfort zone, but we're lead to believe Claudia was bubbly, outgoing etc. It seems completely unlikely to me that she wouldn't have adapted to the new situation eventually.

[sotypical42483]

I liked reading about depressed Claudia. I don't know why. Now I'm thinking it's possibly because I just really CAN'T STAND HER.

Now I feel mean.

[macca]

^ hehehe, fair enough.

A lot of things in this book were far fetched, particularly the party invitation thing. I refuse to believe that NOT ONE kid would turn up if they'd been given invitations.

[aln1982]

macca said:

^ hehehe, fair enough.

A lot of things in this book were far fetched, particularly the party invitation thing. I refuse to believe that NOT ONE kid would turn up if they'd been given invitations.

I few months ago, I would have agreed with you. But in July, this actually happened to a little girl who I know. I asked her if she had a good 12th birthday and she got really sad and said "no. I had a party, invited a whole bunch of girls and no one came. Not one person showed up but one girl did come to drop off the present, so they did know when it was. It was no fun at all." Granted, she is a very annoying child (has ADD and is a bit on the slow side) but not a bad kid. I felt so bad for her so I just kept thinking about her when reading Claudia's Book. Sad that no one would be courteous enough to at least make up a good excuse.