Stacey's Big Crush (RS#65)

Original Publication Date: 1993

Ghostwriter? Yes, Peter Lerangis

Synopsis:

Stacey has (another) crush: Mr. Wesley Ellenburg. Did you catch the "Mr."? Yeah, he's teaching her math class for the last few weeks of the school year as part of a student-teacher program. According to Stacey, he likes her back, too. There's only a nine-year age difference; what's the worst that could happen?

Fortunately, Stacey is wrong; he's just a nice guy (who has NO IDEA how inappropriate his actions seem). But she's so smitten, that she doesn't see this, and thinks there's actually a chance at something. She's practically convinced herself they're going to get married when she's out of college. He finally has to disabuse Stacey of the idea that he likes her, which she takes pretty hard. But, even though she's upset, at least she believes him and doesn't pine away for him once she realizes the truth. Sadly, Stacey kind of messes things up with Sam Thomas in the process, too.

Meanwhile, Mary Anne and Dawn have their neighbors' baby goat, Elvira, stay with them during the neighbors' vacation. Hilarity ensues.


Established or continued in this book:

The Girls (and Logan):

Claudia candy: Kits-Kats, Mallomars, "health store" cheese puffs (they're made with "cheese substitute" which Kristy rightly points out seems unhealthy), pretzels in her desk drawer

Stacey loves the smell of lilacs.

Stacey and Sam have been drifting apart, and she doesn't really consider him her boyfriend anymore, even at the beginning of the book.


Their Families:

Stacey mentions that her dad sends alimony and child care payments on time, which is good, but seems like an odd detail to note.

Again, the implication that Richard Spier only loosened up because of getting remarried. Mary Anne was out of pigtails well before that.

Stacey calls Dawn's mom Mrs. Schafer, but I'm pretty sure she took Richard's last name. Sharon has curly, blonde hair, by the way.

Stacey's dad attended Wesleyan.


The Club:

According to Stacey, the BSC fills "almost every" request for a sitter. I don't recall them ever turning anyone down before, but I guess it happens?

Charlotte Johannsen's dad is an engineer.


SMS:

Stacey initially thinks the new teacher's name, Mr. Ellenburg, sounds nerdy. I think of Ellensburg, WA, but I'm much closer to that than she is. There is a good chance that later when the BSC does its cross-country trip (the fourteenth Super Special) she'd pass through it on I-90.

8th grade students: Maria Jonatis, Amanda Martin


PSA Time:

If any of you ever work or volunteer in a position of authority with minors (teacher, coach, whatever), don't just give out rides randomly to kids one at a time. Emergency situation, sure, but just because? Even if you don't mean anything by it, do you know how terrible that looks? You just don't want to put yourself in that sort of situation. The only times I would give rides to just one athlete at a time when I was coaching were rides for my younger brother.


Misc:

This copy was bought used for $1.75. Charlie could afford it after two days of driving Kristy to BSC meetings!

Apparently, you can get a master's degree at Stoneybrook Community College and it has dorms. Mr. Zizmore states that Mr. Ellenburg is in the master's program...but then Mr. Ellenburg himself claims to be a senior getting his B.A.?


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): 98; 65 8th graders, 2 7th graders, 18 6th graders, 12 unspecified

Clients: 29

Types of candy in Claudia’s room: 73

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