Original Publication Date: 1995
Ghostwriter? Yes, Jahnna Beecham and Malcolm Hillgartner
Synopsis:
The book opens with Kristy's stepfather pushing himself hard at work and at home and a vague sense of forboding. Then Watson has a heart attack. They call it mild, but from how careful he has to be and how long he's in the hospital it seems more serious. He takes his doctor's orders seriously and cuts waaay back on work and eats much healthier. Then goes overboard being a stay-at-home dad, and Nannie moves out when she perceives she's no longer needed (nice passive-aggressive ploy Nannie!). When people decide to actually talk to each other instead of assuming things and getting ticked off, things smooth over quickly, Nannie moves back in, and Watson and the family figure out a schedule that works for everyone.
Also, the Marshalls start to make a habit of springing extra kids on their sitters, too many for one sitter to safely handle (and without extra pay, too). Since it would never occur to the BSC to simply TALK to Mrs. Marshall and tell her it's a safety concern, it becomes a big deal until Mrs. Marshall understands how the club works: more than four kids = more than one sitter.
Established or continued in this book:
The Girls (and Logan):
Claudia candy: Mallomars
There are a lot of references to older books, especially in chapter two, that confirm past events (like how Mallory wants to be an author and one time won an award for writing).
Their Families:
Nannie can do high-kicks in time to music. I'm pretty sure she has hip surgery later, so these are her spry days.
I really don't understand why Karen and Andrew's custody arrangement has to be so very strict. It seems like they're flat-out forbidden to go to the other house when they're at one. Lisa and Watson seem to get along pretty well. Is a visit here and there really going to screw things up that much? Then again I don't have much experience with divorce, so what do I know?
The Club (and clients):
Shannon's back to associate member status, since Dawn's home and Shannon's French club is gearing up.
SMS:
Carlos Mendez, who was rumored to be dating Mary Anne when she had her makeover but turned up at a dance with Sabrina Bouvier, is now dating Susan Taylor, another eighth grade girl (one of the fashionable ones who complimented Mary Anne's new look).
PSA Time:
Common heart attack signs for men:
Chest pain, especially lasting more than five minutes
Shortness of breath, usually preceding chest pain
Dizziness or light-headedness
Cold sweat
Common heart attack signs for women:
Pain in arms (especially left), shoulder blades, back, neck, and/or abdomen
Pain in jaw and throat that radiates up from the chest, similar to the feeling of being strangled
Nausea
Overwhelming and unusual fatigue
Misc:
I don't think I've ever been to a hospital with visiting hours as restricted as the ones in the BSC-verse. Even when I visited a friend's dad after his brain surgery.
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 (Hanukkah is also mentioned, but no one in the BSC celebrates it)
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
1/27/12
Here Come the Bridesmaids! (SS#12)
Original Publication Date: 1994
Ghostwriter? Yes, Peter Lerangis
Synopsis:
Dawn's dad is getting married to Carol...the same weekend that Mrs. Barrett is marrying Franklin DeWitt! Some sitters will be at each wedding (Claudia, Kristy, and Mary Anne fly to California), so Dawn suggests they all keep journals of what happens. That way, they can share the stories of the weddings. What hijinks await? Well...
Dawn is excited to be a bridesmaid with Mary Anne at the wedding, as well as being excited about the addition to her family (maybe less though). She's also nervous about passing her final exams for the school semester, because she has to in order to re-enroll at SMS: she's returning to Connecticut on Christmas Day. Carol helps her study and she passes.
Stacey has grown close to the Barrett-DeWitt clan during Dawn's absence, and is asked to fill in for a bridesmaid who had to cancel.
Jessi gets tapped to play a mall Santa. But she's BLACK! Of course, despite her worries, she pulls it off.
Mallory agrees to take some kids caroling with Ben Hobart and to help watch kids during the Barrett-Dewitt wedding, and then realizes they're at the same time. She calls Ben to cancel and he gets ticked off. After they both calm down, they reschedule and have a blast.
Mary Anne has conflicting feelings about her stepsister's dad's wedding. She's excited for the wedding and happy for the new family, but thinks the venue (a beach) is going to make things tricky. Then she gets a shock when Dawn informs her she's a bridesmaid, complete with unflattering dress. Then she finally reconciles that fact, and finds out that Dawn never cleared that with her dad or Carol so the "offer" has to be rescinded, leaving Mary Anne feeling hurt. Things get resolved pretty quickly, though.
Kristy helps the We ♥ Kids Club plan a surprise going-away party for Dawn. She also gets to feel superior because the W♥KC had nothing planned. She also gets to help Claudia decorate the Christmas tree at the Schafer-Olson home. Lucky! I love decorating Christmas trees. (It's actually the Christmas present that my best friend gives me every year, since she's neutral on the matter. For her January 1 birthday, I undecorate it.)
Claudia is in charge of wedding photography and flowers for the California festivities, having been hired as a consultant to help defray the cost of her plane ticket.
Shannon gets a very brief chapter about watching the youngest DeWitt during the wedding. He escapes for a moment and almost runs up to his dad during the procession, but spends most of the ceremony asleep in a nursery playpen.
Logan helps the Barrett-DeWitt family move, including the DeWitts' piano. (no piano movers in Stoneybrook? Guess everyone's too busy being a lawyer.)
Also: Jeff is nervous that their housekeeper will be fired after the wedding (she isn't), Carol and Jack get in a tiff over what furniture they should each get rid of after she moves in (but her stuff gets stolen and they figure oh well), and Suzi Barrett leaves a trail of cookie crumbs from her old house to her new house so Santa can find her (he does).
Established or continued in this book:
The Girls (and Logan):
Claudia candy: several types of candy mentioned, but none from Claudia's room
So Dawn comes back to Stoneybrook on Christmas Day. She spent three and a half months or a year and three and a half months in California. They're still in eighth grade, but she had summer there!
Dawn's pretty firmly in the "everyone who doesn't do things the way I do is evil" camp now. No more laid-back Dawn.
She's also pretty inconsistent: in her first chapter she snots that she can't understand why people eat slaughtered animals, and during Mary Anne's first one she's thrilled to have flounder for dinner. Maybe it wasn't slaughtered commericially, just showed up dead.
Upon realizing that she's a bridesmaid, Stacey thinks about how in the wedding pictures she'll be "forever 13." That has to be a joke about the time warp.
Dawn and Mary Anne used to be able to share clothes when their parents first married. Now their sizes are different enough that they can't fit each other's clothes comfortably. I could write this off as "Oh, they used just share sweaters and socks" or something, but I remember them specifically switching skirts.
"Not long after I [Dawn] came to CA, Carol and Dad broke up. I think Carol was jealous of the attention Dad was giving me." Selective amnesia there, Dawn? Maybe you forgot an important catalyst? One involving identity theft?
Their Families:
I guess Carol doesn't have much family? You'd think if she had siblings they'd be involved in the wedding. Her family isn't mentioned at all. No parents, nothing.
Hunter Bruno is naturally talented at piano. The Brunos, of course, ended up with the DeWitts' piano...which Logan had to move again.
Jeff, upon being kept up all night by Dawn and Mary Anne's chatter, wishes he could sleep in the barn. Hold that thought until book 131, Jeff.
The Club (and clients):
During the Barrett-DeWitt wedding, Marnie escapes from Mallory and runs up to hold on to her mom, where she remains for the entire ceremony. Say it with me: AWWWW.
SMS: nothing new.
PSA Time:
Bird who eat rice won't die from it expanding in their stomachs (otherwise brids feasting on crops in Asia are screwed). But it is easy for people to slip on, which is why a lot of wedding venues have people throw birdseed. However that can be slipped on as well. Instead you could have people blow soap bubbles from tiny containers (like one of my cousins and I did) or if it's a night wedding, have sparklers (like my best friend--it was awesome).
Down syndrome. Not Down's or Downs. (according to the National Down Syndrome Society)
Misc:
This used book came from "The Library of Nicole Elizabeth G[lastname]", who had pretty pink stickers printed up to mark her books.
Jessi could have asked to play Zwarte Piet instead of Santa if she was so worried about the color of her skin: Zwarte Piet. edited to add: this was meant sarcastically--although Zwarte Piet isn't considered racist in his own country, a character in blackface certainly doesn't work well in the US.
I know a lot of people don't invite kids to weddings. I understand the concern that they're unpredictable and certain venues are less kid-friendly than others, but I don't quite understand why not. We had kids at and in our wedding and that was part of the fun. My cousin's husband ended up watching from the narthex (foyer) with their one-year-old, but I only noticed because they were in the background of a picture. And our two flower girls (ages 2 and 3 1/2) dancing at the reception? Adorable! But to each his own. Basically, to sum up: kids are weddings aren't an automatic recipe for disaster. And if I get invited to your wedding I will double-check that kids are okay to bring, since it's YOUR party, not mine.
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 (Hanukkah is also mentioned, but no one in the BSC celebrates it)
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
Ghostwriter? Yes, Peter Lerangis
Synopsis:
Dawn's dad is getting married to Carol...the same weekend that Mrs. Barrett is marrying Franklin DeWitt! Some sitters will be at each wedding (Claudia, Kristy, and Mary Anne fly to California), so Dawn suggests they all keep journals of what happens. That way, they can share the stories of the weddings. What hijinks await? Well...
Dawn is excited to be a bridesmaid with Mary Anne at the wedding, as well as being excited about the addition to her family (maybe less though). She's also nervous about passing her final exams for the school semester, because she has to in order to re-enroll at SMS: she's returning to Connecticut on Christmas Day. Carol helps her study and she passes.
Stacey has grown close to the Barrett-DeWitt clan during Dawn's absence, and is asked to fill in for a bridesmaid who had to cancel.
Jessi gets tapped to play a mall Santa. But she's BLACK! Of course, despite her worries, she pulls it off.
Mallory agrees to take some kids caroling with Ben Hobart and to help watch kids during the Barrett-Dewitt wedding, and then realizes they're at the same time. She calls Ben to cancel and he gets ticked off. After they both calm down, they reschedule and have a blast.
Mary Anne has conflicting feelings about her stepsister's dad's wedding. She's excited for the wedding and happy for the new family, but thinks the venue (a beach) is going to make things tricky. Then she gets a shock when Dawn informs her she's a bridesmaid, complete with unflattering dress. Then she finally reconciles that fact, and finds out that Dawn never cleared that with her dad or Carol so the "offer" has to be rescinded, leaving Mary Anne feeling hurt. Things get resolved pretty quickly, though.
Kristy helps the We ♥ Kids Club plan a surprise going-away party for Dawn. She also gets to feel superior because the W♥KC had nothing planned. She also gets to help Claudia decorate the Christmas tree at the Schafer-Olson home. Lucky! I love decorating Christmas trees. (It's actually the Christmas present that my best friend gives me every year, since she's neutral on the matter. For her January 1 birthday, I undecorate it.)
Claudia is in charge of wedding photography and flowers for the California festivities, having been hired as a consultant to help defray the cost of her plane ticket.
Shannon gets a very brief chapter about watching the youngest DeWitt during the wedding. He escapes for a moment and almost runs up to his dad during the procession, but spends most of the ceremony asleep in a nursery playpen.
Logan helps the Barrett-DeWitt family move, including the DeWitts' piano. (no piano movers in Stoneybrook? Guess everyone's too busy being a lawyer.)
Also: Jeff is nervous that their housekeeper will be fired after the wedding (she isn't), Carol and Jack get in a tiff over what furniture they should each get rid of after she moves in (but her stuff gets stolen and they figure oh well), and Suzi Barrett leaves a trail of cookie crumbs from her old house to her new house so Santa can find her (he does).
Established or continued in this book:
The Girls (and Logan):
Claudia candy: several types of candy mentioned, but none from Claudia's room
So Dawn comes back to Stoneybrook on Christmas Day. She spent three and a half months or a year and three and a half months in California. They're still in eighth grade, but she had summer there!
Dawn's pretty firmly in the "everyone who doesn't do things the way I do is evil" camp now. No more laid-back Dawn.
She's also pretty inconsistent: in her first chapter she snots that she can't understand why people eat slaughtered animals, and during Mary Anne's first one she's thrilled to have flounder for dinner. Maybe it wasn't slaughtered commericially, just showed up dead.
Upon realizing that she's a bridesmaid, Stacey thinks about how in the wedding pictures she'll be "forever 13." That has to be a joke about the time warp.
Dawn and Mary Anne used to be able to share clothes when their parents first married. Now their sizes are different enough that they can't fit each other's clothes comfortably. I could write this off as "Oh, they used just share sweaters and socks" or something, but I remember them specifically switching skirts.
"Not long after I [Dawn] came to CA, Carol and Dad broke up. I think Carol was jealous of the attention Dad was giving me." Selective amnesia there, Dawn? Maybe you forgot an important catalyst? One involving identity theft?
Their Families:
I guess Carol doesn't have much family? You'd think if she had siblings they'd be involved in the wedding. Her family isn't mentioned at all. No parents, nothing.
Hunter Bruno is naturally talented at piano. The Brunos, of course, ended up with the DeWitts' piano...which Logan had to move again.
Jeff, upon being kept up all night by Dawn and Mary Anne's chatter, wishes he could sleep in the barn. Hold that thought until book 131, Jeff.
The Club (and clients):
During the Barrett-DeWitt wedding, Marnie escapes from Mallory and runs up to hold on to her mom, where she remains for the entire ceremony. Say it with me: AWWWW.
SMS: nothing new.
PSA Time:
Bird who eat rice won't die from it expanding in their stomachs (otherwise brids feasting on crops in Asia are screwed). But it is easy for people to slip on, which is why a lot of wedding venues have people throw birdseed. However that can be slipped on as well. Instead you could have people blow soap bubbles from tiny containers (like one of my cousins and I did) or if it's a night wedding, have sparklers (like my best friend--it was awesome).
Down syndrome. Not Down's or Downs. (according to the National Down Syndrome Society)
Misc:
This used book came from "The Library of Nicole Elizabeth G[lastname]", who had pretty pink stickers printed up to mark her books.
Jessi could have asked to play Zwarte Piet instead of Santa if she was so worried about the color of her skin: Zwarte Piet. edited to add: this was meant sarcastically--although Zwarte Piet isn't considered racist in his own country, a character in blackface certainly doesn't work well in the US.
I know a lot of people don't invite kids to weddings. I understand the concern that they're unpredictable and certain venues are less kid-friendly than others, but I don't quite understand why not. We had kids at and in our wedding and that was part of the fun. My cousin's husband ended up watching from the narthex (foyer) with their one-year-old, but I only noticed because they were in the background of a picture. And our two flower girls (ages 2 and 3 1/2) dancing at the reception? Adorable! But to each his own. Basically, to sum up: kids are weddings aren't an automatic recipe for disaster. And if I get invited to your wedding I will double-check that kids are okay to bring, since it's YOUR party, not mine.
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 (Hanukkah is also mentioned, but no one in the BSC celebrates it)
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
Portrait Collection: Stacey's Book
It's 5:00 in the morning, but my 14-month-old daughter thinks it's the perfect time to play. While she chases the cats around the living room and (I hope) gets tired out, why not update?
Original Publication Date: 1994
Ghostwriter? Yes, Jeanne Betancourt
Synopsis:
The eighth grade has been given an autobiography assignment, and this is Stacey's report. She divides it into sections:
The early years: A lot of things are confirmed in this book, like the existence of Stacey's comfort item, a teddy bear named Goobaw. Stacey also mentions vivid nightmares and a fancy fourth birthday party during which the whole restaurant sang happy birthday...including Pavarotti, who was eating there.
When I was five: Stacey gets to be in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade on the Cinderella float (her mom works for Macy's). She misses her chance to be on TV because when the float goes by the cameras, the wind blows Cinderella's crown away and Stacey leans to catch it. But she gets to keep the crown!
When I was eight: Stacey and Laine take a ballroom dance class but ditch most of the sessions, taking the bus around NYC instead. In addition to traditional ballroom dances, she learns the foxtrot and the lindy, which I thought were for swing music...? (Edit: but I have learned are valid for ballroom)
When I was ten: Stacey and her family take a back-to-nature vacation on a remote island without phones or grocery stores or much else. She's not thrilled with the prospect, and doesn't get along with a girl her age (Mara) who lives there, but then Stacey's dad breaks his ankle and Mara helps with the emergency. Stacey and Mara end up friends, but don't keep in touch. Stacey also has her first sitting job there, for about an hour for Mara's little sister while her parents and Mara go to the hospital.
When I was twelve: or thirteen...this chapter takes place after Stacey moved back to NYC, which was in eighth grade. And after the BSC visit from Stacey's Mistake. FAIL. Anyway, it's about Claudia coming for a visit. Claudia's out of sorts, and Stacey finally gets it out of her that she's upset because of how much she misses Stacey. After that, they're able to enjoy the visit.
Established or continued in this book:
The Girls (and Logan):
Claudia candy: understandably, none is mentioned
The BSC gives Claudia old and broken jewelry for her to create new things with. I guess that's where she gets some of her surprisingly-vast supply.
Stacey was born at 1:30 am. My youngest nephew was born four days ago at 1:50 pm.
She took her first steps at ten months.
Stacey's been to Ireland and the island of St. Thomas.
Their Families:
Since you (and Stacey) know looking back that Stacey's parents divorce, you can see signs, like Stacey's dad sneaking his briefcase to the remote island vacation, breaking a promise to her mom.
The Club (and clients):
Because of her vivid childhood nightmares, Stacey likes to keep clients' houses quiet when the children are asleep. That way she can hear them cry out if they do. In just a few books Stacey will forget this rule while sitting for Jamie Newton (in Stacey vs the BSC).
Apparently Marilyn Arnold asks for things by saying "You've got to or I'll go crazy out of mind." I don't think that ever comes up again.
SMS:
Stacey gets an A on her report.
PSA Time:
Snakes aren't poisonous (unless you were to get sick from touching or eating one). When an animal has to purposely inject its toxin into you, as through biting, it's venomous. Venom=vicious poison=passive.
Misc:
MTV still played music videos when Stacey was a kid (specifically those by Madonna and Sting).
Sure, you can eat the guts of lobster, but EW. Especially when you're not expecting them...
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 (Hanukkah is also mentioned, but no one in the BSC celebrates it)
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
Original Publication Date: 1994
Ghostwriter? Yes, Jeanne Betancourt
Synopsis:
The eighth grade has been given an autobiography assignment, and this is Stacey's report. She divides it into sections:
The early years: A lot of things are confirmed in this book, like the existence of Stacey's comfort item, a teddy bear named Goobaw. Stacey also mentions vivid nightmares and a fancy fourth birthday party during which the whole restaurant sang happy birthday...including Pavarotti, who was eating there.
When I was five: Stacey gets to be in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade on the Cinderella float (her mom works for Macy's). She misses her chance to be on TV because when the float goes by the cameras, the wind blows Cinderella's crown away and Stacey leans to catch it. But she gets to keep the crown!
When I was eight: Stacey and Laine take a ballroom dance class but ditch most of the sessions, taking the bus around NYC instead. In addition to traditional ballroom dances, she learns the foxtrot and the lindy, which I thought were for swing music...? (Edit: but I have learned are valid for ballroom)
When I was ten: Stacey and her family take a back-to-nature vacation on a remote island without phones or grocery stores or much else. She's not thrilled with the prospect, and doesn't get along with a girl her age (Mara) who lives there, but then Stacey's dad breaks his ankle and Mara helps with the emergency. Stacey and Mara end up friends, but don't keep in touch. Stacey also has her first sitting job there, for about an hour for Mara's little sister while her parents and Mara go to the hospital.
When I was twelve: or thirteen...this chapter takes place after Stacey moved back to NYC, which was in eighth grade. And after the BSC visit from Stacey's Mistake. FAIL. Anyway, it's about Claudia coming for a visit. Claudia's out of sorts, and Stacey finally gets it out of her that she's upset because of how much she misses Stacey. After that, they're able to enjoy the visit.
Established or continued in this book:
The Girls (and Logan):
Claudia candy: understandably, none is mentioned
The BSC gives Claudia old and broken jewelry for her to create new things with. I guess that's where she gets some of her surprisingly-vast supply.
Stacey was born at 1:30 am. My youngest nephew was born four days ago at 1:50 pm.
She took her first steps at ten months.
Stacey's been to Ireland and the island of St. Thomas.
Their Families:
Since you (and Stacey) know looking back that Stacey's parents divorce, you can see signs, like Stacey's dad sneaking his briefcase to the remote island vacation, breaking a promise to her mom.
The Club (and clients):
Because of her vivid childhood nightmares, Stacey likes to keep clients' houses quiet when the children are asleep. That way she can hear them cry out if they do. In just a few books Stacey will forget this rule while sitting for Jamie Newton (in Stacey vs the BSC).
Apparently Marilyn Arnold asks for things by saying "You've got to or I'll go crazy out of mind." I don't think that ever comes up again.
SMS:
Stacey gets an A on her report.
PSA Time:
Snakes aren't poisonous (unless you were to get sick from touching or eating one). When an animal has to purposely inject its toxin into you, as through biting, it's venomous. Venom=vicious poison=passive.
Misc:
MTV still played music videos when Stacey was a kid (specifically those by Madonna and Sting).
Sure, you can eat the guts of lobster, but EW. Especially when you're not expecting them...
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 (Hanukkah is also mentioned, but no one in the BSC celebrates it)
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
1/11/12
Stacey and the Mystery at the Empty House (M#18)
Sorry it's been so long since the last post! General busy-ness, and I found out that I'm invited to a baby shower twelve days before the event and that the mother is carrying twins! On a related note, I've discovered I can knit a baby blanket in three days.
Original Publication Date: 1994
Ghostwriter? Yes, Ellen Miles
Synopsis:
Stacey is house- and dog-sitting for the Johanssens while they're away when she starts to notice strange things happening, almost as if someone else has been in the house. Conveniently, there's also an escaped convict on the loose who Stacey thinks might be frequenting the house. It turns out to be a family friend who has permission to stay there. He'd left a note, but Carrot (the dog) ate it.
Also, the BSC arranges for a sleigh ride for the kids and it snows just in time for it to be magical.
Established or continued in this book:
The Girls (and Logan):
Claudia candy: Starbursts
No big revelations here, just confirmations of things like Kristy not liking the SMS lunch, Claudia being artistic, Mary Anne being sentimental, Shannon being smart, etc.
Their Families:
Watson's been a bit of a workaholic lately (can you say "foreshadowing"?).
It's heavily implied that Jessi's family celebrates Kwanzaa.
The Club:
The Kuhns are Jewish.
SMS: just a mention of gross lunch food and Alan Gray.
PSA Time:
The Johanssens do a good job of making it look like their house isn't empty. Another easy thing to do is a get a timer or two to have lights go on and off automatically. (A few chapters later: oh, they do have a timer)
Misc:
There's a brief appearance by a female letter carrier in this book. I know "letter carrier" is the proper term, but I still like to joke about the "fe-mail man." And
if I ever work for the Post Office, which I would actually probably enjoy, you can bet I'll call myself that.
I'd think all the red-heads in this story were too much of a coincidence, but there's a church I go to sometimes that only seats about 150 people and usually 10 or so of them have bright red hair.
The Kuhns' description of the origins of Hanukkah skip over the whole "war" and "desecration of the temple" bit that necessitated the re-dedication of the temple. On purpose because the Kuhn kids are young, or because the target audience of the BSC is young?
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 (Hanukkah is also mentioned, but no one in the BSC celebrates it)
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
Original Publication Date: 1994
Ghostwriter? Yes, Ellen Miles
Synopsis:
Stacey is house- and dog-sitting for the Johanssens while they're away when she starts to notice strange things happening, almost as if someone else has been in the house. Conveniently, there's also an escaped convict on the loose who Stacey thinks might be frequenting the house. It turns out to be a family friend who has permission to stay there. He'd left a note, but Carrot (the dog) ate it.
Also, the BSC arranges for a sleigh ride for the kids and it snows just in time for it to be magical.
Established or continued in this book:
The Girls (and Logan):
Claudia candy: Starbursts
No big revelations here, just confirmations of things like Kristy not liking the SMS lunch, Claudia being artistic, Mary Anne being sentimental, Shannon being smart, etc.
Their Families:
Watson's been a bit of a workaholic lately (can you say "foreshadowing"?).
It's heavily implied that Jessi's family celebrates Kwanzaa.
The Club:
The Kuhns are Jewish.
SMS: just a mention of gross lunch food and Alan Gray.
PSA Time:
The Johanssens do a good job of making it look like their house isn't empty. Another easy thing to do is a get a timer or two to have lights go on and off automatically. (A few chapters later: oh, they do have a timer)
Misc:
There's a brief appearance by a female letter carrier in this book. I know "letter carrier" is the proper term, but I still like to joke about the "fe-mail man." And
if I ever work for the Post Office, which I would actually probably enjoy, you can bet I'll call myself that.
I'd think all the red-heads in this story were too much of a coincidence, but there's a church I go to sometimes that only seats about 150 people and usually 10 or so of them have bright red hair.
The Kuhns' description of the origins of Hanukkah skip over the whole "war" and "desecration of the temple" bit that necessitated the re-dedication of the temple. On purpose because the Kuhn kids are young, or because the target audience of the BSC is young?
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 (Hanukkah is also mentioned, but no one in the BSC celebrates it)
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
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