Mary Anne's Portrait

[supprazz]

Richard is really a gentleman awww

I liked the tea party story, and wanted to make those invitations that sounded like so much fun to make, with the shiny squares.

The ballet one was nice too, they were all good

This book makes Mary Anne very likeable, though she doesn't always come off that way, especially in the Dawn books.

[sillybillygoogoo]

I just read this book, and I have some observations and questions:

-Does Mary Anne's haircut look weird on this cover to anyone else but me?

-What did MA's mother die from? It said she was "Sick" in the book. I always assumed she died in childbirth. Does it say anywhere? Where does the series tell more about her?

- I once failed an eye exam on purpose as a kid, in a very Mary Anne fashion. Funny that kids never think if the doctor does give them glasses, they won't be able to see out of them.

-Claudia was the most adorable looking kid, especially in Kristy's portrait.

[greer]

Alma died of cancer.

[supprazz]

Claudia was adorable in her own portrait as well when she had on the Circus outfit, when in the dentist's chair and studying at the alternative school

[bsclover18]

I liked the Ballet chapter.

[tiff85]

To me, Richard always seemed a too uptight about Mary Anne's upbringing. I'm glad Mary Anne stood up to him in the end and was able to have a little more freedom.

[charlottejohanssen]

Mary Anne's portrait is probably one of my fave BSC books. I love reading about Mary Anne and Richard's father/daughter relationship, he seems like a great parent. The ballet chapter was also really cute.

[zoar3]

Aw, Richard was such a sweet Dad early on. I wish Richard and MA had continued their Sunday night dinners or simply spent more time together one on one without Dawn and Sharon. I do have to admit to wanting to hug Sharon for the way she immediately offerred support to MA when they (R and S) found MA sitting on the stairs all choked up over baby book.

I also enjoyed reading about Kristy and MA. Darn MA for basically replacing Kristy with Dawn.

The school situation, so very dumb on the Ghosties parts. I re-read Claudia's and Kristy's books. K's doesn't mention teacher names but C's does. Here's all the discrepencies.

MA's Book: Preschool-3rd Grade MA, K, and C all in same class. It does not mention the name of their preschool or K teacher.

1st: Mrs. Frederickson (yeller)
2nd: Mrs. Jeffries, who MA liked a lot.
3rd: Did not say.

*4th K and C are in class 4A=Mr. Adams. MA is in class 4B=Ms. Elison

Claudia's Book: Also does not list a name for the girls' preschool teacher.

Kindergarten=Mrs. Kushel
1st: Doesn't say
*2nd: Mr. Eccles (C really likes him). K and MA together in another class.
3rd: Mrs. Colquiet (LOL at that name) (No K)
4th: Ms. Jameson (K in her class for FIRST time since 1st grade)

ITA with the over doing it with the Iowa chapters--too much. I just did not get into them much at all.

Was Jessi ever told that MA, K, and C had taken ballet? I don't think she was, just curious. Lol not that I care much for the Jessi/ballet stuff in general just as I said was wondering.

[celaeno]

I just finished rereading this one and...wtf is up with Mary Anne's secret past? I haven't read Mary Anne and the Secret in the Attic, so maybe knowing the story in greater detail would change my opinion, but it seemed like the writer didn't even try to make this a plausible plot. "Mary Anne, your grandparents loved you very much, which meant they would be sad to see you only once or twice a year. So we figured it would be better if you never, ever saw them. Ever. And so we also figured it would be better if we let you think they were dead."

(By the way, my copy of this book is signed by Ann. It's from when I went to one of her book signings when I was ten.

[booboobrewer]

Yeah, the story is outlined in more detail in the mystery for sure. I always found the behind the scenes stuff in the portrait interesting, though, because in Secret in the Attic she only writes about what a great time she's having in her letters home.

[celaeno]

Sept 17, 2009 16:07:30 GMT -5 booboobrewer said:

I always found the behind the scenes stuff in the portrait interesting, though, because in Secret in the Attic she only writes about what a great time she's having in her letters home.

So in Secret in the Attic she seemed like she enjoyed visiting her grandmother, and then they changed it in the Portrait so that she hated it at first???

[booboobrewer]

I don't think it was changed, I think we just read about it uncensored and in more detail. We see what really occurred during the visit, the bad as well as the good.

[supprazz]

I liked the relationship between mary anne and her dad too, it wasn't strict and overprotective like the earlier books portrayed at all. I also liked hearing about bsc members other than jesse doing ballet, cause I wanted to do it at their age too.

I want to try the blackberry jam!

[anzuhana]

Mary Anne's baby pictures are so adorable. I liked reading all the chapters but the chapter that I liked the best was about Mary Anne being in Iowa with her grandma. I also liked reading about the relationship between Mary Anne and Richard. Richard seemed like a really good dad to Mary Anne and he didn't seem strict.

[wiggir13]

I really loved this one and I never really like MA. I just love the relationship she had with her dad. When she mentions his smell I cried b/c I have a watch of my grandmothers in a swatch of fabric that smells just like her still after all this time.