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Post by baseballchica03 on Jan 20, 2007 0:57:39 GMT -5
I usually put off reading the Mysteries until I don't have any other BSC books to read, but I'm running low on them. This evening, I decided to try Mystery #13, Mary Anne and the Library Mystery. The ending actually surprised me. I wasn't expecting that. I was rolling my eyes at the girls for suspecting the librarian over the book banners at first, though. Of course, the most convoluted answer must be the right one!  But the Nicky thing at the end was very cute. I like how it brought up the issue of book banning/burning as well. I know some folks aren't fans of the issue books, but I thought it was handled fairly well in this one. One weird thing, though, is that Jessi randomly decided to do yoga in the middle of BSC meetings. Here are a couple quotes: "Jessi sat on the floor, too, but she wasn't leaning. As usual, she was using the time to keep her legs limber with a series of painful-looking ballet stretches.... She was bent over with her face nearly touching the floor between her outspread legs, so her voice was a little muffled." "Now she was in this really weird position, kind of standing on her shoulders, with her legs back over her head." What is this 'as usual' business? I don't recall that in the regular series. And I realize that Dawn is in CA and Mallory has mono, but is there really all that much room for Jessi to be crawling around the floor of Claud's room, between the mess and all the other girls in there? |
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Post by liss31d on Jan 20, 2007 3:34:33 GMT -5
This book is another blinding example of how idiotic Stoneybrook parents are, comparing with Dawn and the Spirit School War, where they are basically assaulting each other over their kids (who are in middle school) whining about kids not being full of "school spirit" and in Claudia and the First Thanksgiving where they go on a rampage and actually take time to protest on a primary school play being "Un-American"... and now they're on a massive whine about books being dangerous and poisoning the minds of their precious children (great books like Anne Frank and The Outsiders... unbelievable).... yeah these Stoneybrook parents take the time to do this and yet they leave their kids with babysitters 80% of the time Aside from that subject, Sean Addison being the arsonist... God that kid is gonna end up in serious therapy at this rate, burning books because he hates being told to read?? |
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Post by sugarmonkey on Jan 20, 2007 15:08:30 GMT -5
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gabbie
New To Stoneybrook
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Post by gabbie on Jan 31, 2007 11:33:36 GMT -5
The resolution of the book really made me mad. In fact it irritated me so much I asked my Mom to read it to see whether she agrees with me. Sean Addison has major issues and at the end MA's comment about how his parents seem to be giving him plenty of attention seems to me that they just wrote off the whole issue.
I don't know why it suprises me though because Sean Addison had more issues than could be handled in BSC world.
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Post by baseballchica03 on Feb 4, 2007 15:44:11 GMT -5
^^ I totally agree about Sean Addison. I just finished up Abby and the Best Kid Ever, and that kid has some serious problems that nobody is really addressing. Boy needs to be in therapy or something.
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Post by sugarmonkey on May 13, 2007 8:52:27 GMT -5
Has anybody noticed that in this book Ms. Feld (the woman that started work at the library 2 weeks before MA) and Mrs. Ellway (the kids librarian) get switched? First Ellway is the the one MA likes, she is the one running around doing 3 things at once, and is a little frazzled. Ms. Feld is the unfriendly one that MA tries to avoid. Then they get switched. Like Ellen Miles (GW) forgot which was which. That confused me at first and now I find it irritating.
It did say that the Addison family was going to therapy with special counsuling for Sean. Although from what I've read on these boards about other books he's in, it didn't help.
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msstock87
Sitting For The Braddocks
Here Comes The Bride!
Created by Rie.
Posts: 3,618
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Post by msstock87 on May 13, 2007 12:21:45 GMT -5
Has anybody noticed that in this book Ms. Feld (the woman that started work at the library 2 weeks before MA) and Mrs. Ellway (the kids librarian) get switched? First Ellway is the the one MA likes, she is the one running around doing 3 things at once, and is a little frazzled. Ms. Feld is the unfriendly one that MA tries to avoid. Then they get switched. Like Ellen Miles (GW) forgot which was which. That confused me at first and now I find it irritating. I just read this one and I didn't catch it! |
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Post by booboobrewer on Jun 5, 2007 19:34:37 GMT -5
I re-read this one today and I didn't catch that either, so I went and double-checked; in the chapter where Mary Anne first begins work, it's stated that Ms. Feld is the children's librarian and Miss Ellway is the one who's been working two weeks. There's no switching for the rest of the book either.
I liked that a lot too. And all the cheering for Mary Anne and then someone has to hand her a handkerchief! It was a feel-good ending in that aspect, but I agree with gabbie that the comment MA makes about Sean did not wrap things up sufficiently.
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Post by aln1982 on Jun 5, 2007 23:41:07 GMT -5
I always read this one around my birthday (Aug. 7) as that is when I first read it so it is on my summer reading list  I think it is one of my favorites, probably for nostalgic reasons, though I don't remember it very well. I remember thinking, too, that things with Sean weren't wrapped up but they never even seemed to wrap things up with him before the Addisons left town. I don't remember exactly what the plot was with Nickey. Did he hate reading or like it? It's been almost a year since I've read it and I've read almost all the others in between... |
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Post by greer on Jun 6, 2007 6:11:04 GMT -5
He hates it, but then he discovers the joy of reading during the readathon and reads the most books and thanks mary anne. Or something along those lines.
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Post by aln1982 on Jun 6, 2007 7:35:14 GMT -5
^ Thanks. I was thinking it was something like that. I remember liking that subplot and look forward to rereading this one |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2007 13:08:18 GMT -5
I can't pinpoint exactly where it was, as I no longer have any of my books, but I do remember something about Jessi doing stretches and things at BSC meetings in the regular books...but I just chalked it up to the usual stereotyping of characters. I mean, heaven forbid you forget for one chapter which girl likes to do what! *rolls eyes*
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Post by baseballchica03 on Jun 8, 2007 13:25:32 GMT -5
I have noticed it since I posted the original question. But I definitely notice it more in the later books than in the earlier ones. You're so right about the stereotypes.
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Post by aln1982 on Aug 7, 2007 23:24:15 GMT -5
Just reread yesterday and liked it even more than usual. I always like this one (and Clue in the Photograph) mostly for nostolgic reasons, I think, as they were some of the first mysteries I read and owned. I got into this one more than usual this time, the mystery part at least, maybe just the mood I was in since it was storming and we started to lose electricity twice right in the middle of my reading it ;D I am actually kind of glad that it was a kid instead of one of the "suspects" (that sounds awful but I don't exactly mean it like that - just glad it was someone they didn't even suspect).
Sean does have some serious problems.... I won't even go on about him here. I did like the thing with Nicky at the end and was glad he ended up winning. Did it ever say how the matches really got in his pocket? That was one question I had this time.
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Post by sotypical42483 on Aug 9, 2007 12:55:59 GMT -5
Happy late b-day, aln!!!!
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But the Nicky thing at the end was very cute. I like how it brought up the issue of book banning/burning as well. I know some folks aren't fans of the issue books, but I thought it was handled fairly well in this one.
I think it is one of my favorites, probably for nostalgic reasons, though I don't remember it very well. I remember thinking, too, that things with Sean weren't wrapped up but they never even seemed to wrap things up with him before the Addisons left town. I don't remember exactly what the plot was with Nickey. Did he hate reading or like it? It's been almost a year since I've read it and I've read almost all the others in between...
