Logan Bruno, Boy Baby-sitter (RR#2)

Original Publication Date: 1993

Ghostwriter? Yes, Peter Lerangis

Synopsis:

Apparently, SMS has several "bad boys" who are in some sort of gang. They call themselves the Badd Boyz, appropriately enough, and rumor has it they commit theft and other crimes on a regular basis. Logan thinks it's just the image they like to present, but has generally stayed away from them. Recently though, the leader of the group, who calls himself T-Jam, has been asking for homework help and sticking for Logan against another classmate who constantly teases Logan. So, Logan hangs out with the Badd Boyz from time to time. They seem like nice people, just a little rough. But it turns out that they're just using Logan for a cover while they shoplift: people trust Logan and are easier to distract when he's around, and less likely to suspect him or the people he's with.

At first Logan doesn't tell because he thinks he'll be in trouble too, for being with them. The Badd Boyz buy his silence with tickets to a heartthrob's concert that Mary Anne has been dying to see. Turns out they were stolen from a seventh-grader, and when Logan finds out he confesses to Mary Anne. They return the tickets and Logan goes with his parents to the police. The gang is broken up, and (of course) Logan isn't in trouble. All is well again.

The elementary school has a bully problem too, some kid named EJ. The kids go for strength in numbers and overcome the bully who--SHOCK--is A GIRL.


Established or continued in this book:

The Girls (and Logan):

Claudia candy: Milky Way bar, caramels in a shoe box, Lorna Doones (YUM), walnut fudgie bars

Apparently, Logan's best track event is the hundred YARD dash. The anachronism hurts.


Their Families: nothing new.


The Club:

Mary Anne double-books Jessi for a sitting job, but the error is quickly realized (that twice that's happened, by the way).


SMS:

Students: Janet Gates (who, if she's the same Janet Gates from RS#3 as commenter Laura noted, was held back!), Theodore James, Dennis Malek, plus four members of the Badd Boyz we only know as Ice Box, G-Man, Jackhammer, and Butcher Boy (8th), Anne Kennedy (7th)


PSA Time:

So, Becca and Charlotte decide to mix up some poison to deal with their bully, using whatever they find under the sink. How long do you think it'll be before they mix bleach with ammonia? Or maybe they'll mix salt with something that has chlorine. Why is Stacey allowing this?


Misc:

Seagulls don't exist. They're just gulls. For example, there is a bird called a California Gull but there isn't one called a California Seagull.

For those of you following along at home, check out page 44, the ideas the Arnold twins come up with for dealing with their bully. One of them is to bring a bomb to school. Obviously this was before 1999...


The numbers:

Starting 8th grade: 4

Halloweens in 8th grade: 2 (plus one in seventh)

Valentine's Days in 8th grade: 2

Summers after 8th grade: 3

BSC Fights: 8

SMS Staff and Faculty: 32

Students (other than the BSC): 106; 73 8th graders, 2 7th graders, 18 6th graders, 12 unspecified

Clients: 29

Types of candy in Claudia’s room: 77

Crushes:
Claudia-8
Stacey-8
Dawn-5
Jessi-3
Mary Anne-2
Kristy-1
Mallory-1