Kristy and the Snobs (RS#11)

Original Publication Date: 1988

Ghostwriter? No

Synopsis:

Kristy hasn't gotten to know her new neighbors at all, but from the brief interactions she's had with them, they're snobs. She babysits for some brattish ingrates, who Stacey helps turn around eventually. She also has some tension with a girl her age, who accuses Kristy of stealing the neighborhood's babysitting jobs. They pull pranks on each other and make rude comments to each other before finally realizing that they can be friends. Of course, the girl is Shannon and she becomes as associate member of the BSC, rather than full time as she has lots of activities.

This book is also incredibly sad. I still tear up when reading about Louie the Collie's decline and how they Thomases eventually have to have him put down. Ann M. Martin wrote that story arc really well.

Louie's death helps to cement Kristy and Shannon's friendship, though. Shannon gives Kristy's family one of her dog's puppies, which David Michael names Shannon.


Established or continued in this book:


The Girls:

Claudia candy: Gummi Bears in a pillowcase, M&Ms

Kristy hates cabbage, blood, squirrels, snobs, and, in callback to RS#1, people who chew with their mouths open.


Their Families:

David Michael is a slowpoke.

This is the book in which Jeff starts wanting to move back to California.

Apparently this is when Karen gets really bossy, insisting that the funeral for Louie be done in a certain way. This would have been a good time to nip that in the bud, huh?


The Club:

New clients: Papadakis family (Linny-8, Hannie-6, Sari-2, pets Myrtle the Turtle and Noodle the Poodle), Delany family (Amanda-8, Max-6, Priscilla the purebred cat). The Papadakis kids don't like the Delany kids and vice versa.

Kristy and Stacey ring the bell to go into Claudia's house for the meeting...huh. I could have sworn they just come in.

Associate member #2!

The Bizzer Sign is back, and the seven younger Pikes have chicken pox...which means Mallory had it when she was a year or younger? My younger brother had it when he was one, but that's because older brother was 11 and brought it home from school.

Kristy misses another meeting. She's missed the most so far of any member!


SMS:

School starts at 8:30 (precisely, Kristy is compelled to point out).

Stoneybrook's two private schools are Stoneybrook Academy and Stoneybrook Day School. With Kelsey, another public school, that's four schools serving Stoneybrook.


PSA time:

Well, Kristy, in a way writing "Xmas" is the same as writing as "Christmas" since XP is a symbol for Christ, those being the Greek letters Chi and Ro. So it's fine, especially if you superimpose the P over the X, as is done in said symbol.


Misc:

Myriah Perkins wants to name her new sister Laurie and Gabbie likes Beth. Given the character of Rosie Wilder we're introduced down the line, I can't help but wonder if this is a reference to Laura Ingalls Wilder, whose husband called her Beth.

When I first read this book as a kid and came across the parenthetical question "(What, no phone in the bathroom?)" I didn't realize it was a sarcastic statement. I thought Kristy's family had a phone in the bathroom. I also think BSC books taught me write too many things in parentheses.

Okay, I think I figured the insanity with Tiffany Kilbourne being a sitter and a sittee: she's seen WITH Shannon on a sitting job, not alone. I think she helps Shannon rather than sitting on her own.


The numbers:

BSC Fights: 2

SMS Staff: 7 (3 7th grade, 2 8th grade, 1 elective, 1 vice-principal)

Students: twenty-three 8th graders

Clients: 16

Types of candy in Claudia’s room: 21 (bubble gum, butterscotch candy, a chocolate bar, cupcakes, Ding-Dongs, Doritos, gumdrops, Gummi Bears, Hershey's kisses, Ho Hos, jawbreakers, licorice, licorice whips, peanut M&Ms, regular M$Ms, pretzels, Ring Dings, root beer barrels, salt water taffy, Snickers, Twinkies, Lifesavers)

Crushes: Claudia-1 (Trevor Sandbourne), Mary Anne-2 (Alex, Logan Bruno), Stacey-4 (Toby, Pete Black, Scott Foley, Sam Thomas)