Abby's Portrait

[aln1982]

Just reread Abby’s Book and loved it as always. I really feel for her, especially with her dad dying and how her mom didn’t deal with it well at all. I also thought some of the other things that she faced must have been hard, even just being a twin. The color thing was awful and I can’t believe their parents went along with it without question. I don’t think I would have made my kids do that. I always enjoy reading more about Abby’s family and wish there would have been more books that gave as much insight into Abby as this one.

[greer]

I think we get a surprising amount of insight about abby's family, considering how few books she has. So many of her books focus on her extended family. I think we know more about hers than any other.

[aln1982]

^ We did get a lot about her family but sometimes I wonder if it just seems that way because there were so few Abby books and the percentage of those dealing with her family was high. Extended family, though, is a lot more developed than others like the Pikes, though. You're right. Maybe this is because she has so little in terms of immediate family. (Though I wish the books would have developed things with her dad's death - especially her reaction in MA and the Memory Garden)

[aln1982]

I couldn't stop thinking about this book this morning. The weather was really bad and the roads are always awful for my dad to drive to and from work so all I could think about was him getting in a wreck. Before he left, I made sure I left him a nice note - "just in case." The part about Abby's dad dying really effects me and scares me. It also makes me a lot more concious of being nicer to my dad because I know Abby can remember the last things she said to hers.
Fortunately, my dad made it to and from work safely. ;D

[mckay]

One thing I liked about Abby's dad's death (oh that sounds horrible...) was that they didn't dramatize it up with their having had a big fight or something before he left the house. It was just a normal day. The BSC can get into cliche territory once in a while, and this particular deviation from the norm was great, IMO.

[aln1982]

^ Agree. That's what worried me about things with my dad. I kept thinking "would I want the last words to be - 'g'night dad'?"

[shannon86]

I own Mary Anne's Book, Kristy's Book and Stacey's Book. I also have Claudia's Book in French version. Abby's Book is my absolute favorite BSC Portrait Collection.

[sarish]

I liked Abby's book. I liked that one of the babysitters procrastinated, but still did well! I have all of them but Mary Anne's and they all seemed to have started theirs way early. It was sad that her mother never caught their dads kiss. I was glad that it was like every other day, because that is usually how unexpected deaths happen. The girl illustrated didn't look like the Abby I imagined. Actually the girl illustrated looked a LOT like a girl I went to middle and high school with. I was glad to have met their dad though. He seemed like a wonderful father.

[aln1982]

^ This was my favorite portrait. I also was sad about her mom not catching the kiss and agree about unexpected things and Abby's dad being great. I really enjoyed gaining more insight into Abby since she seems to really guard her inner self in the other books.
I seem to remember the others all procrastinating, too, but maybe I'm thinking of different books or maybe I'm just thinking of this because I'm usually the opposite of a procrastinator. ;D (until I get on here..... ;D)

[booboobrewer]

I like that Abby procrastinated, I can really relate

[lyricalangel]

^Me too ;D

[aln1982]

For some reason, I was thinking some of the other girls procrastinated, too, or was that a different project?

[starlett2010]

I loved Abby's book because it was so realistic!

[courtky10]

Abby's Book is my favorite out of the Portrait Collections. I liked learning about her and Anna, and I felt sorry for her when her dad died.

[shannon86]

That's definitely my most favorite Portrait Collection. I love Abby's Book a lot, glad to own a copy of it.