12/31/11

Secret Santa

Original Publication Date: 1994

Ghostwriter? Not that I can tell

Synopsis:

The BSC members draw names for a Secret Santa exchange (Dawn mails hers from CA). Rather than tangible or easy gifts, they put down what they wish for. They also get a child's letter to Santa, from Eliza who asks for her runaway sister to come home.


Kristy wishes she didn't have such a big mouth. Mary Anne is her Secret Santa, and she knows what Kristy really wants: a Christmas card from her father.


Mallory wishes to be remembered forever. Logan fulfills her wish by having a tree planted in her name, with a plaque by it so people will know.


Claudia wishes to do something meaningful for someone. Mallory writes a really sweet letter to her that all the work Claudia did for Eliza was meaningful.


Shannon wishes for a better sense of humor. Jessi gets her a joke book and props from the McBuzz catalog (no picture, though).

Stacey wishes she could be in New York City at Christmas. Claudia paints her a mural of the scene (even though it would be perfect for a picture, there isn't one).

Mary Anne wishes for a real letter, not a form letter, from Cam Geary (probably the easiest of these, but still pretty hard!). Dawn gets to make up for needlessly lying to Mary Anne in the last letter book by sending Cam Geary a blank card, already stamped and addressed. It works!


Jessi wishes to be able to dance in the New York City ballet. Shannon has a poster made up with Jessi listed as prima ballerina.


Logan wishes for three more wishes. Stacey cleverly gets him a wishbone, a penny, and a four-leaf clover (but no letter to take a picture of).

Dawn wishes for her BSC and WKC friends to be better friends with each other. Kristy works with Sunny to make a scrapbook of all Dawn's friends, and gets to know her better in the process.


Eliza gets the few small toys she asked for plus some other fun things, and the BSC sends a letter to her parents to tell her about her main wish. It turns out that Jennifer has been living with her uncle in another CT city, so she's safe but not really talking with her parents. Claudia tracks her down and it's able to be arranged that the sisters see each other Christmas Eve.


Established or continued in this book:

The Girls (and Logan):

Claudia candy: none

nothing new.


Their Families:

Becca still believes in Santa (at 8, that's realistic).


The Club: nothing new.


SMS: nothing new.


PSA Time: nothing comes to mind.


Misc:

The traditional NYC sights that Stacey mentions are real, at least according to my Modern Marvels: Christmas Tech DVD I bought from the History Channel.


The numbers:

Starting 8th grade: 7

Valentine's Days in 8th grade: 2

Halloweens in 8th grade: 4 (plus one in seventh)

Thanksgivings in 8th grade: 1

Christmases in 8th grade: 1

Summers after 8th grade: 7

BSC Fights: 9

SMS Staff and Faculty: 47

Students (other than the BSC): 165; 101 8th graders, 6 7th graders, 42 6th graders, 15 unspecified

Clients: 31

Types of candy in Claudia’s room: 97

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

4 comments:

kangamasf said...

I have this book. It's a pretty cool idea for a book. When I looked through the envelopes for the first time, lots of glossy star-shaped confetti slid out of one envelope because I was on my knees with the book on my legs. I don't know where the book is to check but I think the envelope was from Mary Ann to Logan.

SJSiff said...

Yes, you're right. I forgot about the confetti and it fell on the floor when I opened that letter. I think it's supposed to come with two halves of a friendship necklace (the sisters share it) but my copy was used. I should buy one and stick it in the book.

Laura said...

I've never read this book before (and usually don't read posts about books I haven't read yet) but I couldn't help myself this time.

All the gift are cool but I was the most touched by Logan's gift to Mal, that was really sweet.

SJSiff said...

Yeah, Logan did a really good job. Stacey's was also pretty clever; getting good luck charms for Logan to wish on when he wished for three more wishes.