Kristy and the Copycat (RS#74)

Original Publication Date: 1994

Ghostwriter? Yes, Nola Thacker

Synopsis:

Kristy decides to join the SMS softball team and is one of only four new players to make the cut (I would expect that the team has 15 players, tops). In order to be accepted by the team, Kristy and the other three are subjected to hazing: they must vandalize a school shed or the other players will force them to play badly so as to get them kicked off the team.The girls are intimidated enough to go ahead with it, and the next morning are horrified to learn that the shed burned down after they left and a witness to the fire was badly hurt and is hospitalized in critical condition. Kristy wants to confess, fearing that the matches two of the other girls used to light the cigarettes ignited the flammable paint. Before she works up the nerve to confess, it the people who started the fire confess so Kristy...gets away with vandalism.

You may be wondering what any of this has to do with a copycat. That's a subplot with Karen wanting to be thirteen and shadowing the older BSC members.

What do I take away from this? Hazing is stupid and Karen's annoying no matter what she does.


Established or continued in this book:

The Girls (and Logan):

Claudia candy: Gummi worms, pretzels, and an ice cream cake (to celebrate Kristy's making the team)

Kristy at least tries to remember the lesson she learned about over-scheduling herself in Kristy for President. She has Stacey and Claudia take over the Krushers during her softball season, but I have a hard time believing that a middle school sport isn't more demanding than a grade-school one coached by a thirteen-year-old.

Mary Anne's height is inconsistent. Sometimes she's really short like Kristy, sometimes she's grown a few inches, sometimes she's back to be being really short.


Their Families:

In this book, Karen and Andrew's mother calls for a sitter, rather than Watson pawning his kids off on the rare weekend he sees them.


The Club:

Official Club Time is kept by Kristy's watch in this book, rather than Claudia's clock.


SMS:

Students: Bea Foster, Coreen ?, Marcia ?, Tallie ? (8th), Tonya ? (7th), Dilys ? (6th).

Coach Wu seems to work at the school aside from coaching judging by her being there in the morning, so one more tally mark for SMS faculty and staff.


PSA Time:

These books seriously misunderstand carb-loading. Eating a lot more of any kind of food than you usually would within 12 hours of your workout isn't going to help. It is a good idea to be sure your body has enough caloric energy to do what it needs to, but consistency and actual athletic training should play a part.


Misc:

Really, Kristy, you don't teach your softball team about strike zones? I understood those really early on and I didn't play except one season of T-ball.

There's a bit with Kristy in need of new baseball shoes because her cleats are worn down, but not wanting to break in new shoes blah blah blah. The cleats on baseball shoes are replaceable, like track and field spikes.

I've grudgingly accepted that the BSC books have trouble with the difference between "we" and "us" but this book actually confuses "you're" with "your." *twitch*

In true BSC fashion, I have named the kitten after a person, one of the ones who found him: Joel.


The numbers:

Starting 8th grade: 6

Valentine's Days in 8th grade: 2

Halloweens in 8th grade: 3 (plus one in seventh)

Thanksgivings in 8th grade: 1

Summers after 8th grade: 6

BSC Fights: 8

SMS Staff and Faculty: 41

Students (other than the BSC): 141; 101 8th graders, 5 7th graders, 20 6th graders, 15 unspecified

Clients: 29

Types of candy in Claudia’s room: 94

Crushes:
Stacey-11
Claudia-8
Dawn-5
Jessi-3
Mallory-2
Mary Anne-2
Kristy-1