Penny Lane
Sitting For The Arnolds
The Girl With Colitis Goes By
Posts: 2,888
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Post by Penny Lane on Feb 11, 2008 8:34:46 GMT -5
What is up with the cover? Mary Anne is wearing mens clothing, I have no idea who that little boy is, and what is up with the animal cage? I have never been to a zoo where the animal could reach out and grab you. Nor one where they put a nice gold plated sign up for a traveling exhibit. .... no wonder their are protesters, if you judge by the size of the cage on the cover. But I can't get over how bad they made Mary Anne look. Also, isn't Jessi supposed to be taller then M.A.?
Oh well, the book was still good. I liked seeing the BSC interact outside of the BSC. I also liked the mystery, it wasn't painfully obvious on the second page of the book. I wish Mary Anne, Howie, and Alan would have stuck with their original project -- I can't believe they wouldn't have been marked down for just studying a cat for a weekend.
The project was kind of weird for jr high -- it seemed like a lot of work for everyone.
I liked that they touched on the issues that zoos face, without being preachy. There are good zoos -- ones that work with animals natural habitats and try to keep the animals happy -- and there are bad zoos, out for a profit. It sounded like this one was kind of in the middle, like it didn't have enough money to expand the tiger cage -- I like how they pointed out that pacing around in the cage is typical of unhappy animals. But this zoo also seemed to care a lot about putting the chimps in their natural surroundings.
Once again, on the sharing a soda thing -- I had forgotten before that they all had separate straws. Not a big deal to me, and probably would have done the same.
Logan was nice at the beginning, but then was kind of a jerk with the whole alan thing, and making a big deal about winning. It's a school project. I think the teachers should have offered extra credit to all the kids who did their project on a zoo animal.
I still haven't gotten over how immature and petty Kristy was. She was really jut kind of obnoxious when she was dealing with Stacey. Right now, it kind of seems like everyone but Kristy really wants Stacey back, at least as a friend.
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Post by aln1982 on Feb 11, 2008 17:41:37 GMT -5
Oh I didn't say I liked him. ;D I know. I know your feelings on Logan differ from mine. ;D I was saying that in addition to agreeing with you, I liked him a lot in this one. I think it's Matt Braddock on the cover, in response to your last post, Penny Lane. At least that's who I've always imagined it was. ;D
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Penny Lane
Sitting For The Arnolds
The Girl With Colitis Goes By
Posts: 2,888
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Post by Penny Lane on Feb 11, 2008 17:45:53 GMT -5
^Yeah, I figured that out about after I posted it. I mean, the kid is making a sign at the gorilla and Matt did go to the zoo and do that. ... I'm sometimes a little slow ;D Poor kid, his mom made him wear high waisted jeans and women's shoes. ;D
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Post by aln1982 on Feb 11, 2008 17:56:32 GMT -5
^ I think this awful cold freezes my brain, too. ;D Hope you didn't have to drive anywhere near I96 yesterday, Penny Lane. My uncle saw a 50 car pileup yesterday my aunt had a terrible time driving to work in Downtown GR this morning....
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Rie
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 1,998
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Post by Rie on Feb 14, 2008 5:34:27 GMT -5
I think it's Matt Braddock on the cover, in response to your last post, Penny Lane. At least that's who I've always imagined it was. ;D Same here!
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Post by aln1982 on Mar 16, 2008 16:11:08 GMT -5
Just read this one again and loved the subplot as always. Also enjoyed the comedy with Alan and Howie and the interaction/tension with Logan. I seemed to actually get into the "mystery" more this time, too. Usually, I think I lose focus before that point (I have a short attention span ;D) because I never realize it but this one is really long (or at least it seems like it). Anyone else notice that?
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Rie
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 1,998
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Post by Rie on Mar 17, 2008 1:41:26 GMT -5
What is up with the cover? Mary Anne is wearing mens clothing It matches her face. ;D Oh I didn't say I liked him. ;D I know. I know your feelings on Logan differ from mine. ;D I like Logan too,Aln.
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inconstant heart
Sitter-In-Training
wind is wading on the floor, we won't be lovely anymore...
Posts: 302
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Post by inconstant heart on Mar 17, 2008 3:24:36 GMT -5
I usually enjoy the mysteries, but this is one I have never been able to like. The subplot is pretty good, mostly because the BSC is actually doing something for a good cause, rather than throwing random parties for their clients. Everything else, though... (I know, I know, I'm posting negative thoughts about the books again, but it's just because I love them so much. Bear with me.) 1. So the 'baddie,' Mr. Chester, is letting animals escape (Obviously pretty discreetly, if not a single zoo visitor noticed him doing it) and he's stupid enough to say he was feeding seals when there would be people there (the seal handlers) to contradict him, even if MA and Logan weren't? 2. The berries Howie and Alan are caught with, to feed the animals, are bad for them. So why have them so close to the cages then? 3. Neither MA or Alan caught on to the fact that Howie said he was watching the bears 'napping in the trees'? How could anyone miss that? It's not like msn, where you can type so quickly people might miss part of the conversation. It's face-to-face! 4. Ignoring the fact that SMS is once again doing a whole grade/whole school project (how realistic is that, really?), what kind of results did they seriously expect if students weren't meant to research, and instead just observe? Did they even visit a zoo before they set the project? Animals in cages, observed for only a few hours a few days a week, are not going to give you much to report on. 5. Those two guys in gorilla suits at the end had suits so real, and acted so like gorillas, that they fooled a man who's been working with animals for fifteen years? This is pretty much all I can be bothered saying. I know the BSC books aren't exactly famed for their realism, but something about this one just rubbed me up the wrong way. Logan and Alan's argument just irritated me. (Probably just because I don't like Logan, so I find any reason to hate on him. ;D) Oh, and adding to the drink sharing discussion upthread: I wouldn't mind sharing drinks like that with my family/good friends (since it is with separate straws) but definitely not with people I barely know/like. I thought it was odd MA would share with Alan and Howie, considering she labels them the 'two most disgusting boys in the eighth grade' or something. Oh, wait... if they hadn't turned out their pockets to buy a shared drink, then their keys wouldn't have been mixed up and MA wouldn't have solved the mystery... I see. ( ;D Sorry for the rant!)
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Post by aln1982 on Mar 17, 2008 10:06:38 GMT -5
^ I thought the drink sharing was weird for the same reason. You make a lot of good points. I think I just try to overlook these in this book because it reminds me so much of a project I once did that it brings back good memories and I want to like it. ;D I do like Logan/Alan, though, as I like both of them and find them both pretty funny (personal preference ;D)
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inconstant heart
Sitter-In-Training
wind is wading on the floor, we won't be lovely anymore...
Posts: 302
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Post by inconstant heart on Mar 17, 2008 10:14:10 GMT -5
^ You've done a project like in the book before? Oohhh. I know I said it's totally unrealistic, but spending a whole bunch of time at a zoo for a school project would be really, really fantastic. ;D What did you have to do for the project? (Did you solve any mysteries while you did it? )
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Post by aln1982 on Mar 17, 2008 16:04:24 GMT -5
^ We actually did do research (quite extensive) before ours. I didn't remember that they didn't in this book because I guess I read it as being like our project - we researched our animals (basic facts, habits, etc) but then had to document their actual actions and analyze how they corresponded to the research. It was a college project and no mysteries for me (boo and bullfrogs) but I got out of going to the zoo by observing my barn cats (to watch their "social interactions" ;D)
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Post by booboobrewer on Mar 17, 2008 16:57:23 GMT -5
5. Those two guys in gorilla suits at the end had suits so real, and acted so like gorillas, that they fooled a man who's been working with animals for fifteen years? Hahaha this really bugged me too.
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Post by aln1982 on Mar 17, 2008 17:44:44 GMT -5
^ Wow. Another thing I must have missed. ;D I think I tune out after the first part and drift off into my memories of my project. ;D
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Rie
Sitting For The Newtons
Posts: 1,998
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Post by Rie on Mar 18, 2008 1:00:59 GMT -5
Hahaha this really bugged me too. Me too. Oh, and adding to the drink sharing discussion upthread: I wouldn't mind sharing drinks like that with my family/good friends (since it is with separate straws) but definitely not with people I barely know/like. I thought it was odd MA would share with Alan and Howie, considering she labels them the 'two most disgusting boys in the eighth grade' or something.. I agree. I don't mind sharing with my family too,even when there's only one straw. I mean,this is your family. You've been with them all these years! No offense,but it's true. Friends can easily leave and betray you. I don't think your family can leave you though,when you've lost all. Oh,you definitely got my point! Alan and Howie. All the members say,that they're disgusting,annoying,etc,etc.. So I don't think MA sharing a drink with them is realistic.
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Post by booboobrewer on Mar 18, 2008 1:02:56 GMT -5
Howie's disgusting? Someone should have told Stacey ;D
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