Kristy's Worst Idea (RS#100)

Original Publication Date: 1996

Ghostwriter? Yes, Peter Lerangis

Synopsis:

Kristy is back from her family trip to Hawaii, and anxious to get back to being BSC president. Perhaps too anxious. A few things went wonky with Abby being in charge, and Kristy goes overboard correcting them. To further complicate matters, a lot of members are finding that the BSC meetings are getting in the way of life: Jessi's advanced ballet class now meets on Friday afternoons, Mallory's taking a writing course that conflicts, etc. And several members are having conflicts with each other. And Jackie Rodowsky gets hurt on Kristy's watch, which she blames herself for. Long story short: the BSC disbands.

How does it go? Jessi and Mallory take it the hardest, after the parents (really, the BSC is offered mediation sessions and outright cash to reform). It isn't long before the other members realized they miss their earnings and the comaraderie. At the same time, a lot of the kids they used to sit for think they're to blame, including Jackie, who tries to bike over to Kristy's to make amends and ends up with a concussion that lands him in the hospital. It all comes together in the BSC reforming, with the understanding that the members will try to keep it a priority but also can be flexible.


Established or continued in this book:

The Girls (and Logan):

Claudia candy: Snickers, Milk Duds, tortilla chips

Kristy brings back little gifts for the rest of the BSC. Mallory gets clip on earrings. Mallory had her ears pierced in her second book, Mallory and the Trouble with Twins. Continuity fail or Kristy fail?


Their Families:

Kristy's the first kid up at her house one day and Watson offers her the first bit of bacon. My toddler just watched Charlotte's Web, in which the daughter is given Wilbur, the runt of the litter, to raise in events that transpose because she woke up early. Funny parallel that I'm sure in unintentional.


The Club (and clients):

I just realized that original four BSC members are in the same spots on this book's cover as on the cover of Kristy's Great Idea: Kristy in the director's chair, Stacey on the floor, and Mary Anne and Claudia on the bed.

Mrs. DeWitt calls for two sitters for Thursday, and a couple pages later Mary Anne and Claudia go to a sitting job for the barrett-DeWitt kids on Wednesday. Could be a an already-booked job, but it doesn't seem like it.

While it was rotten of Kristy and the BSC to blame Mallory when Nicky broke his finger way back when, but I guess you could say that at least Kristy's consistent when she beats herself up for Jackie's sprained ankle. And later Claire gets hurt and Kristy reassures Mallory that it's not her fault, so I guess she's sort of making up for it.


SMS:

School starts for the ninth time.


PSA Time:

Wear a bike helmet when you're biking. Just do it.


Misc:

Kristy tells us how exhausting the trip back from Hawaii to Connecticut was by saying "We started at X time and the flight was this long, then a layover this long, etc" and asks the reader what time they got home. She says she's too tired to figure it out, but whoever owned this copy of the book before I did answered 5:15am the day after leaving HI. (I checked the math; it's accurate)

If I were to take my family on a trip a few weeks before the start of a new school year, I'd get the back-to-school shopping done BEFORE the trip. Maybe that's just me.


The numbers:

Starting 8th grade: 9

Halloweens in 8th grade: 5 (plus one in seventh)

Thanksgivings in 8th grade: 2

Winter holidays in 8th grade (that BSC members celebrate, not just reference): Christmas-2, Hanukkah-1, Kwanzaa-1

Valentine's Days in 8th grade: 3

Summers after 8th grade: 9

BSC Fights: 11

SMS Staff and Faculty: 56

Students (other than the BSC): 183: 118 8th graders (not including Amelia Freeman, who is deceased), 6 7th graders, 43 6th graders, 15 unspecified. Baby-sitters' Winter Vacation tells us that SMS has about 380 students.

Clients: 35 families

Types of candy in Claudia’s room: 120

Crushes:
Stacey-12
Claudia-9
Dawn-5
Jessi-3
Mallory-2
Mary Anne-2
Kristy-1
Abby-0