macca
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 2,084
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Post by macca on May 28, 2006 6:22:22 GMT -5
So far, this is the ONLY book in the series that plays on the "poor MA's mother is dead" issue for easy sympathy and cheap tear-jerking moments. But, I have to say, it worked. Who couldn't feel for that poor six yr old girl was laughed at when she suggested bringing her dad to the Mother's Day tea party, which lead to a horribly awkward situation.
Also, how weird that MA deliberately failed the eye test and then ended up needing glasses after all? Aren't we lead to believe that MA was easily able to read the letters and was deliberately reading them incorrectly? So if she hadn't deliberately failed the eye test, she'd have read the the chart perfectly and they wouldn't have ever discovered that she needed glasses? Strange.
But my favorite chapter was MA in Iowa with Verna Baker. I think it seemed fairly realistic. Although what was with MA going on a date with a "boring boy"? It was only briefly mentioned, but still. What happened to Logan?
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ktag
Junior Sitter
Posts: 694
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Post by ktag on May 28, 2006 15:18:27 GMT -5
I guess she just thought she could read the chart perfectly, but was really seeing the wrong letters. That might explain why the teacher was so confused when she supposedly only missed one letter (and corrected herself) on one of the lines. But she just needed reading glasses, so would the testing be the same?
I liked how Kristy threatened to beat up Alan Gray for laughing at MA, and also how he backed off when she explained about MA's mother.
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Amalia
Sitting For The Braddocks
Her Original Point of View
Posts: 3,664
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Post by Amalia on May 28, 2006 23:48:24 GMT -5
Why did seeing April wear glasses make MA want them, anyways? I got the impression that it had partly to do with April's ability to socialize well, and the only difference between April and her were glasses, so she thought that would make her more popular as well. But didn't she say in one of the books that she doesn't like being the "center of attention?"
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on May 29, 2006 10:29:11 GMT -5
Maybe she thoght having the glasses would give her the confidence to be the center of attention.
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Post by bscfan24 on May 30, 2006 1:33:49 GMT -5
^^that's exactly what I was thinking.
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Post by fairy3lf2 on Apr 4, 2007 11:28:03 GMT -5
Also, how weird that MA deliberately failed the eye test and then ended up needing glasses after all? Aren't we lead to believe that MA was easily able to read the letters and was deliberately reading them incorrectly? So if she hadn't deliberately failed the eye test, she'd have read the the chart perfectly and they wouldn't have ever discovered that she needed glasses? Strange. That actually kind of happened to me. My eyesight deteriorated so slowly that I didn't even notice it. In grade six, I didn't think I needed glasses but wanted them anyway so I told my parents I thought I needed them. Of course, it turned out I actually did. If I didn't want glasses, who knows how long I would have gone without them? Now I hate my glasses and almost always wear contacts. |
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Post by sotypical42483 on Apr 4, 2007 12:02:31 GMT -5
I loved MAs portrait. I thought it was SO cute that she wanted glasses so badly. She'd be really cute in glasses, imo. I haven't read this in a while, but yeah I was really surprised that she was going on a date with that guy in Iowa. And doesn't she write Dawn a letter and tell her not to tell Logan about it?! Nice, Mary Anne.
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magentanation
Sitter-In-Training
The girl with colitis goes by
Posts: 424
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Post by magentanation on May 6, 2007 1:04:52 GMT -5
I like this book, which is surprising because I usually don't like Mary Anne all that much. The baby pictures of her at the beginning are so cute. I feel bad for her during the whole Mother's Day tea party thing.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 16, 2007 8:33:15 GMT -5
I like this book, too. I thought it was really well-written for a BSC book. I was shy as a kid so I could relate to the early chapters when she doesn't want to tell her dad about the awkward situations she's in.
The "boring guy" date is discussed in more detail in Mary Anne and the Secret in the Attic--they make a lot of changes to the story in the Portrait Collection, but it's the same visit. Although it still makes no sense that she would go on a date with another guy when Logan is waiting faithfully at home.
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magentanation
Sitter-In-Training
The girl with colitis goes by
Posts: 424
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Post by magentanation on May 16, 2007 8:47:54 GMT -5
Oh, I dunno. Mary Anne gets around, as we can plainly see in Mary Anne and Too Many Boys.  |
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Post by aln1982 on May 16, 2007 23:59:17 GMT -5
^ha ha. I've mentioned this before, I think, especially for MA being so "shy"  I just read this one while on vacation and liked it pretty well. I especially loved Richard and MA's relationship and thought he was a great dad. I like the part where he takes her home from the recital. I also enjoy how Kristy always stands up for MA and felt really sorry for her with the Tea Party and several other times in the book. Like the other portrait collection books, this one gave me a lot of insight into MA. A few final things I noticed and liked were how nice Sharon was to MA (I really wish she would give Sharon more of a chance to be a "mom) and thought it was sweet how Alan seemed to feel bad for being a jerk and teasing MA for wanting to bring her dad to the tea party after he found out that she didn't have a mom. Reinforces my opinion that he's basically a nice, goodhearted guy. I don't think this was my favorite portrait book but I liked it a lot. |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on May 17, 2007 8:16:53 GMT -5
I didn't object so much because it was out of character but because going on such a date (and her behavior in Too Many Boys) would mean an immediate break up in the real world. Especially in middle school! If you had a boyfriend, you didn't go on dates with other guys--ever!
aln, I agree that Richard seemed like a really good parent in this one.
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Post by Karen Brewer on Jun 10, 2007 20:54:04 GMT -5
There's just something about glasses.....I once deliberately failed an eye exam as well, and now I couldn't get by without glasses or contacts. I just ordered this book from Amazon. Can't wait to read it.
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Post by sugarmonkey on Aug 30, 2007 10:38:23 GMT -5
I liked learning more about more about Richard's personality. He doesn't seem so uptight in this book. Maybe he just got really strict when MA started to get older. (AAAAAA!!!! PUBERTY! REIGN HER IN!)
I could've done with out all the ballet chapter's. One would've been enough. I loved how Kristy brought Richard backstage and he ended up taking MA home and not making her perform. I kind of wish that the two of them had stayed and watched Kristy and Claudia perform.
I wasn't surprised that MA dated the kid from Iowa. She was bored and far away from Logan. She had gotten around in Sea City to, so I wasn't too shocked. Maybe MA thinks I can get away with it because she's so "shy, sensitive, a good listener and such a wonderful friend" that she thinks she can slack of on the loyalty once in a while.
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Post by Karen Brewer on Aug 30, 2007 20:09:42 GMT -5
^I agree about Richard's strictness. I imagine that raising a little girl is probably easier than raising one who's about to become a teenager.
I also loved how Kristy stood up for Mary Anne, when he teased her about wanting to bring Richard to the tea party. . Raising her fists and saying she was going to have a talk with Alan Gray with them. ;
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