Original Publication Date: 2000
Ghostwriter? Yes, Ellen Miles. Also, special thanks is given to the helpful staff at Central Vermont Adult Basic Education.
Synopsis:
Now that Jeremy and Stacey have broken up, Claudia's wondering whether Jeremy has (or maybe still has?) feelings for her. She doesn't have too much time to worry about it, as she and Erica Blumberg are busy helping with an English as a Second Language class. They're assigned families to talk to so that the immigrants can learn American English as it's spoken by native speakers. Claudia's family is from Japan, and she has a good time helping them out with different things.
Jeremy gets pushed back to the front of Claudia's mind pretty quickly when she finds out that there's going to be a dance for Valentine's Day. She decides to write him a note asking him to go with her. Worried she might spell his name wrong, she addresses the note "To a good friend" and slips it his locker. Well, she puts it a locker. Alan Gray's, to be precise. He finds her after reading the note, and before Claudia can explain the mistake, he tells her the note was the nicest thing anyone's ever written him, how special he thinks she is, how much it means to him that she's noticed how he's trying to act more mature, and that yes, he'd love to go to the dance with her. And Claudia realizes that there is more to Alan than the class clown, and decides to give him a chance. He shows her that he can be very thoughtful and sweet. Cary Retlin, who's friends with Alan, cautions Claudia not to lead Alan on or take advantage of the fact that he likes her, and Claudia promises to be careful. She surprises herself at the dance, when she ends up dancing with Jeremy and realizes she'd rather be dancing with Alan. Now that she's gotten to know him, Claudia discovers she really likes him!
Established or continued in this book:
The Girls (and Logan):
Claudia candy: Snickers bars in her sock drawer, Gummi Bears behind her books, M&Ms under her mattress, peanut M&Ms and pretzels under her bed, Combos, Raisinets
Erica Blumberg calls Claudia on the Kishi's main phone line rather than using Claudia's number. Maybe she tried Claudia's number but got no answer...still, it seems weird for Claudia to get a call NOT in her room without mentioning having her own line.
Claudia's very perceptive that she shouldn't go on too much about her concerns regarding Jeremy when talking to Erica, realizing that Erica has her own things on her mind (she's still searching for her birth parents).
Claudia and Stacey finish patching things up.
With the Alan Gray development, Claudia and Stacey are tied at thirteen apiece for the highest number of crushes BSC members have had (although Stacey's dated more of her crushes than Claudia has).
Their Families: nothing new.
The Club (and clients):
In the last book, Claudia couldn't attend the going-away party because she was sitting for the Rodowskys. This book starts with her at that sitting job.
SMS:
New-to-us student: Stephanie Boxer (7th).
PSA Time: nothing stood out.
Misc:
My copy of this book was once bought at a West Virginia bookstore named Paperback Palace.
The funny bone is actually a nerve, so no, you can't really break it. You can hurt it, of course.
Another Valentine's Day!
The numbers:
Starting 8th grade: 12
Halloweens in 8th grade: 6 (plus one in seventh)
Thanksgivings in 8th grade: 5
Winter holidays in 8th grade (that BSC members celebrate in the plot of a book, not just reference): Christmas-6, Hanukkah-2, Kwanzaa-3
Valentine's Days in 8th grade: 6
St. Patrick's Days in 8th grade: 1
Summers after 8th grade: 12
BSC Fights: 13
SMS Staff and Faculty: 69
Students (other than the BSC): 218: 123 8th graders (not including Amelia Freeman, who is deceased), 31 7th graders, 48 6th graders, 16 unspecified. Baby-sitters' Winter Vacation tells us that SMS has about 380 students.
Clients: 38 families
Types of candy in Claudia’s room: 151
Crushes:
Stacey-13
Claudia-13
Dawn-5
Jessi-3
Mallory-3
Mary Anne-2
Kristy-2
Abby-0
6/25/13
Stacey and the Boyfriend Trap (FF#6)
Original Publication Date: 2000
Ghostwriter? Yes, Suzanne Weyn.
Synopsis:
Through a variety of coincidences, several of Stacey's former crushes and boyfriends are going to be in the area at the same time: Ethan, Robert, Toby from Sea City, Pete Black, Sam Thomas, Mr. Ellenburg, and of course Jeremy is around, too. Most of them are helping with a teacher's going-away party; Toby happens to be in town on the same day the party is scheduled and Ethan drops by for a visit while looking at a nearby art exhibit. All the guys end up at the party for various reasons. One good thing about the party: it finally allows a conversation between Claudia and Stacey that leads to their making up.
Back to all the guys. Seeing Stacey around so many ex-boyfriends makes Jeremy realize that he and Stacey have very little in common, especially compared to the other guys. They break up, but Stacey isn't too upset about it, because she realizes that Jeremy was right. The party goes well, and after it, Stacey and her mom give Ethan a ride to the train station so he can get back to New York. He and Stacey talk, and Stacey sees that maybe of all the guys, he's the best one for her.
Established or continued in this book:
The Girls (and Logan):
Claudia candy: none mentioned
Stacey orders shrimp cocktail, but I'm almost certain that an earlier book mentioned she can't have the cocktail sauce due to her diabetes.
Stacey says she and Ethan aren't old enough to drink coffee, but they have before...plus, 13 and 15 isn't that young for someone to drink coffee once in a while. So I've heard; I still don't like it and I'm almost twice Ethan's age.
Their Families: nothing new.
The Club (and clients): nothing new.
SMS:
I'll have to subtract a teacher from my SMS roster: Mr. Zizmore is moving to Houston, where his wife has secured a job with NASA. But the number stays the same, since Mr. Ellenburg is hired to replace him.
Robert seems to not be completely back to his old self, which seems reasonable if he was suffering from depression. Unfortunately, clinical depression isn't something you recover from instantly.
PSA Time: nothing stood out.
Misc:
When Stacey tells the readers about Toby, she explains how she met him one summer, they broke up the next, then he went after Mallory the next summer. Thanks to the repeating cycle of the books, those last two summers are the same ones, taking place before eighth grade (and in the case of the latter, after eighth grade).
College and the military aren't mutually exclusive. In fact, ROTC has some great scholarships for people interested in military.
The numbers:
Starting 8th grade: 12
Halloweens in 8th grade: 6 (plus one in seventh)
Thanksgivings in 8th grade: 5
Winter holidays in 8th grade (that BSC members celebrate in the plot of a book, not just reference): Christmas-6, Hanukkah-2, Kwanzaa-3
Valentine's Days in 8th grade: 5
St. Patrick's Days in 8th grade: 1
Summers after 8th grade: 12
BSC Fights: 13
SMS Staff and Faculty: 69
Students (other than the BSC): 217: 123 8th graders (not including Amelia Freeman, who is deceased), 30 7th graders, 48 6th graders, 16 unspecified. Baby-sitters' Winter Vacation tells us that SMS has about 380 students.
Clients: 38 families
Types of candy in Claudia’s room: 150
Crushes:
Stacey-13
Claudia-12
Dawn-5
Jessi-3
Mallory-3
Mary Anne-2
Kristy-2
Abby-0
Ghostwriter? Yes, Suzanne Weyn.
Synopsis:
Through a variety of coincidences, several of Stacey's former crushes and boyfriends are going to be in the area at the same time: Ethan, Robert, Toby from Sea City, Pete Black, Sam Thomas, Mr. Ellenburg, and of course Jeremy is around, too. Most of them are helping with a teacher's going-away party; Toby happens to be in town on the same day the party is scheduled and Ethan drops by for a visit while looking at a nearby art exhibit. All the guys end up at the party for various reasons. One good thing about the party: it finally allows a conversation between Claudia and Stacey that leads to their making up.
Back to all the guys. Seeing Stacey around so many ex-boyfriends makes Jeremy realize that he and Stacey have very little in common, especially compared to the other guys. They break up, but Stacey isn't too upset about it, because she realizes that Jeremy was right. The party goes well, and after it, Stacey and her mom give Ethan a ride to the train station so he can get back to New York. He and Stacey talk, and Stacey sees that maybe of all the guys, he's the best one for her.
Established or continued in this book:
The Girls (and Logan):
Claudia candy: none mentioned
Stacey orders shrimp cocktail, but I'm almost certain that an earlier book mentioned she can't have the cocktail sauce due to her diabetes.
Stacey says she and Ethan aren't old enough to drink coffee, but they have before...plus, 13 and 15 isn't that young for someone to drink coffee once in a while. So I've heard; I still don't like it and I'm almost twice Ethan's age.
Their Families: nothing new.
The Club (and clients): nothing new.
SMS:
I'll have to subtract a teacher from my SMS roster: Mr. Zizmore is moving to Houston, where his wife has secured a job with NASA. But the number stays the same, since Mr. Ellenburg is hired to replace him.
Robert seems to not be completely back to his old self, which seems reasonable if he was suffering from depression. Unfortunately, clinical depression isn't something you recover from instantly.
PSA Time: nothing stood out.
Misc:
When Stacey tells the readers about Toby, she explains how she met him one summer, they broke up the next, then he went after Mallory the next summer. Thanks to the repeating cycle of the books, those last two summers are the same ones, taking place before eighth grade (and in the case of the latter, after eighth grade).
College and the military aren't mutually exclusive. In fact, ROTC has some great scholarships for people interested in military.
The numbers:
Starting 8th grade: 12
Halloweens in 8th grade: 6 (plus one in seventh)
Thanksgivings in 8th grade: 5
Winter holidays in 8th grade (that BSC members celebrate in the plot of a book, not just reference): Christmas-6, Hanukkah-2, Kwanzaa-3
Valentine's Days in 8th grade: 5
St. Patrick's Days in 8th grade: 1
Summers after 8th grade: 12
BSC Fights: 13
SMS Staff and Faculty: 69
Students (other than the BSC): 217: 123 8th graders (not including Amelia Freeman, who is deceased), 30 7th graders, 48 6th graders, 16 unspecified. Baby-sitters' Winter Vacation tells us that SMS has about 380 students.
Clients: 38 families
Types of candy in Claudia’s room: 150
Crushes:
Stacey-13
Claudia-12
Dawn-5
Jessi-3
Mallory-3
Mary Anne-2
Kristy-2
Abby-0
6/20/13
Maggie Diary 3 (CD#13)
Original Publication Date: 1999
Ghostwriter? Yes, Jeanne Betancourt.
Synopsis:
Maggie's doing well with her eating habits, thanks to the support of her friends and therapist. Note that I didn't say "and family" there. Her dad is still obsessed with being the best, her mom is still drinking way too much, and her brother, while he cares about Maggie, is just a kid. Maggie's happy she at least has her friends, who are honest and real and not concerned with how they look to the rest of the world, especially when her parents are about to be hosting a screening party for the movie Maggie's dad is working on. The actors Maggie's met are always "on" and never just act like real people. Except this one fifteen-year-old actor at the party...a particular up-and-coming teenage heartthrob, Tyler.
Maggie ends up getting to know him pretty well, and even goes out with him a few times. She's overwhelmed with the press shows up to one of their dates and she ends up with her picture in the paper, but that ends up translating into Vanish being in the movie and some of band's friends--including Sunny, Dawn, Ducky, and even Jill--being extras. Maggie gets pretty nervous about all the publicity, but her therapist helps her work through it. Plus, she gets to know Tyler even better. She goes back and forth a bit wondering whether he's for real or not. When he shows up at the animal shelter where Maggie volunteers, he demonstrates that yes, he is sincere. Maggie decides that she wouldn't mind getting to know him better.
Established or continued in this book:
The Girls (and Ducky):
It's nice to see Maggie recovering gradually, showing that serious issues like eating disorders aren't instantly fixable.
Their Families:
Maggie's mother's name is Eileen.
PSA Time: nothing stood out.
Misc:
This book starts in mid-April, about a month after Sunny's third diary ends, and goes until almost the end of May.
This is the last book narrated by Maggie.
My copy of the book was once the property of the Oakville Public Library (looks like it's a library in Ontario) and was stamped "Iroquois" for some reason. Maybe it has something to do with the Baby-sitters' Summer Vacation super special.
The numbers:
Starting 8th grade: 9
Halloweens in 8th grade: 6 (plus one in seventh)
Thanksgivings in 8th grade: 3
Winter holidays in 8th grade (that BSC members celebrate, not just reference): Christmas-3, Hanukkah-1, Kwanzaa-2
Valentine's Days in 8th grade: 3
Summers after 8th grade: 10
BSC Fights: 11
SMS Staff and Faculty: 67
Students (other than the BSC): 209: 119 8th graders (not including Amelia Freeman, who is deceased), 26 7th graders, 47 6th graders, 15 unspecified. Baby-sitters' Winter Vacation tells us that SMS has about 380 students.
Clients: 37 families
Types of candy in Claudia’s room: 130
Crushes:
Stacey-12
Claudia-10
Dawn-5
Jessi-3
Mallory-2
Mary Anne-2
Kristy-1
Abby-0
Ghostwriter? Yes, Jeanne Betancourt.
Synopsis:
Maggie's doing well with her eating habits, thanks to the support of her friends and therapist. Note that I didn't say "and family" there. Her dad is still obsessed with being the best, her mom is still drinking way too much, and her brother, while he cares about Maggie, is just a kid. Maggie's happy she at least has her friends, who are honest and real and not concerned with how they look to the rest of the world, especially when her parents are about to be hosting a screening party for the movie Maggie's dad is working on. The actors Maggie's met are always "on" and never just act like real people. Except this one fifteen-year-old actor at the party...a particular up-and-coming teenage heartthrob, Tyler.
Maggie ends up getting to know him pretty well, and even goes out with him a few times. She's overwhelmed with the press shows up to one of their dates and she ends up with her picture in the paper, but that ends up translating into Vanish being in the movie and some of band's friends--including Sunny, Dawn, Ducky, and even Jill--being extras. Maggie gets pretty nervous about all the publicity, but her therapist helps her work through it. Plus, she gets to know Tyler even better. She goes back and forth a bit wondering whether he's for real or not. When he shows up at the animal shelter where Maggie volunteers, he demonstrates that yes, he is sincere. Maggie decides that she wouldn't mind getting to know him better.
Established or continued in this book:
The Girls (and Ducky):
It's nice to see Maggie recovering gradually, showing that serious issues like eating disorders aren't instantly fixable.
Their Families:
Maggie's mother's name is Eileen.
PSA Time: nothing stood out.
Misc:
This book starts in mid-April, about a month after Sunny's third diary ends, and goes until almost the end of May.
This is the last book narrated by Maggie.
My copy of the book was once the property of the Oakville Public Library (looks like it's a library in Ontario) and was stamped "Iroquois" for some reason. Maybe it has something to do with the Baby-sitters' Summer Vacation super special.
The numbers:
Starting 8th grade: 9
Halloweens in 8th grade: 6 (plus one in seventh)
Thanksgivings in 8th grade: 3
Winter holidays in 8th grade (that BSC members celebrate, not just reference): Christmas-3, Hanukkah-1, Kwanzaa-2
Valentine's Days in 8th grade: 3
Summers after 8th grade: 10
BSC Fights: 11
SMS Staff and Faculty: 67
Students (other than the BSC): 209: 119 8th graders (not including Amelia Freeman, who is deceased), 26 7th graders, 47 6th graders, 15 unspecified. Baby-sitters' Winter Vacation tells us that SMS has about 380 students.
Clients: 37 families
Types of candy in Claudia’s room: 130
Crushes:
Stacey-12
Claudia-10
Dawn-5
Jessi-3
Mallory-2
Mary Anne-2
Kristy-1
Abby-0
6/13/13
Kristy Power! (FF#5)
Original Publication Date: 1999
Ghostwriter? Yes, Ellen Miles.
Synopsis:
Kristy and Cary Retlin are assigned to interview each other for a class biography project. When interviewing Cary's brothers, Kristy snoops a bit at Cary's journal and reads something that indicates Cary did something that forced his family to move away from their previous home in Illinois. She accidentally admits to Cary that she read his journal, which obviously ticks him off. Turns out that it was actually notes about a work of fiction Cary's writing, but he let Kristy feel bad about it because he was still upset that she invaded his privacy.
Related to the project is a list of fiction books from which students are read and report on. Some of the titles are controversial, and some parents are up in arms trying to get the teacher (a sub) removed from the school. He's temporarily suspended, but eventually reinstated. Kristy makes an impassioned speech at a community meeting about what a great teacher he is, which seems to be the reason for the book title.
Established or continued in this book:
The Girls (and Logan):
Claudia candy: Mallomars
All the members of the BSC, past and present, are reunited at the end of the book at a party, even Shannon and Logan.
Their Families:
I find it ironic that Mrs. Kishi speaks against book banning, since she won't allow Claudia to read Nancy Drew books (although I am fond of the fan theory that the Kishi parents only pretend to be against the books to make the forbidden fruit and therefore encourage Claudia to read them secretly).
The Club (and clients): nothing new.
SMS:
Mr. Morley is subbing for Mrs. Simon, who's on maternity leave. She had her baby a month or month and a half early; Kristy assures us that the baby and mom are fine.
New-to-us students: Merrie Dow, Jessica ? (8th)
New-to-us teacher: Ms. Breer (English department head)
So, I guess the teachers at SMS aren't unionized? It seems like Mr. Morley gets suspended pretty quickly. Maybe because he's a sub...I don't have much knowledge of how teachers' unions work. Still seems weird that SMS doesn't really stick up for him.
PSA Time:
Since this takes place a public (and therefore government-run/sponsored) school, it was entirely accurate to cite the First Amendment of the US Constitution. But a lot of times people cite it inappropriately, like claiming the right to free speech in a private forum when other private people are telling them to be quiet. In the US, the government can't tell you shut up, but a private individual can (and even in the case of the government, there are laws about inciteful speech, slander, etc).
Misc:
One of the books on the controversial list is Steinbeck's The Red Pony. I read it once with high expectations since I like Of Mice and Men, but was majorly disappointed in the ending. Then I found out that the copy I'd read was missing the last chapter.
Kristy hosts a Christmas party. This is the sixth time Christmas has been celebrated since the BSC started eighth grade.
Oh, of course the parents who want to ban books are religious. I'm very observant about my religion (and have some conservative viewpoints as well), so it bugs me how over-the-top the portrayals are in this book. My parents are the same way, and they never said "No" to any books, or movies, although a couple times they said "Not yet." And for good reason; I wasn't ready for some graphic scenes in a handful of books or movies when I was in elementary school. That's the same way it'll be with my kids: if the books or movies have graphic scenes, then I want them to be old enough to not be too horribly disturbed by them. It'll only be about whether the child is mature enough for the content, not whether the content fits with my beliefs. And I'll never petition for those books or movies to be removed from anywhere. Not everyone who goes to church is close-minded.
(I edited the above to add "never" to the second-to-last sentence. That was a massive typo, and thank you to commenter Anonymous for pointing it out !)
The numbers:
Starting 8th grade: 12
Halloweens in 8th grade: 6 (plus one in seventh)
Thanksgivings in 8th grade: 5
Winter holidays in 8th grade (that BSC members celebrate in the plot of a book, not just reference): Christmas-6, Hanukkah-2, Kwanzaa-3
Valentine's Days in 8th grade: 5
St. Patrick's Days in 8th grade: 1
Summers after 8th grade: 12
BSC Fights: 13
SMS Staff and Faculty: 69
Students (other than the BSC): 217: 123 8th graders (not including Amelia Freeman, who is deceased), 30 7th graders, 48 6th graders, 16 unspecified. Baby-sitters' Winter Vacation tells us that SMS has about 380 students.
Clients: 38 families
Types of candy in Claudia’s room: 150
Crushes:
Stacey-13
Claudia-12
Dawn-5
Jessi-3
Mallory-3
Mary Anne-2
Kristy-2
Abby-0
Ghostwriter? Yes, Ellen Miles.
Synopsis:
Kristy and Cary Retlin are assigned to interview each other for a class biography project. When interviewing Cary's brothers, Kristy snoops a bit at Cary's journal and reads something that indicates Cary did something that forced his family to move away from their previous home in Illinois. She accidentally admits to Cary that she read his journal, which obviously ticks him off. Turns out that it was actually notes about a work of fiction Cary's writing, but he let Kristy feel bad about it because he was still upset that she invaded his privacy.
Related to the project is a list of fiction books from which students are read and report on. Some of the titles are controversial, and some parents are up in arms trying to get the teacher (a sub) removed from the school. He's temporarily suspended, but eventually reinstated. Kristy makes an impassioned speech at a community meeting about what a great teacher he is, which seems to be the reason for the book title.
Established or continued in this book:
The Girls (and Logan):
Claudia candy: Mallomars
All the members of the BSC, past and present, are reunited at the end of the book at a party, even Shannon and Logan.
Their Families:
I find it ironic that Mrs. Kishi speaks against book banning, since she won't allow Claudia to read Nancy Drew books (although I am fond of the fan theory that the Kishi parents only pretend to be against the books to make the forbidden fruit and therefore encourage Claudia to read them secretly).
The Club (and clients): nothing new.
SMS:
Mr. Morley is subbing for Mrs. Simon, who's on maternity leave. She had her baby a month or month and a half early; Kristy assures us that the baby and mom are fine.
New-to-us students: Merrie Dow, Jessica ? (8th)
New-to-us teacher: Ms. Breer (English department head)
So, I guess the teachers at SMS aren't unionized? It seems like Mr. Morley gets suspended pretty quickly. Maybe because he's a sub...I don't have much knowledge of how teachers' unions work. Still seems weird that SMS doesn't really stick up for him.
PSA Time:
Since this takes place a public (and therefore government-run/sponsored) school, it was entirely accurate to cite the First Amendment of the US Constitution. But a lot of times people cite it inappropriately, like claiming the right to free speech in a private forum when other private people are telling them to be quiet. In the US, the government can't tell you shut up, but a private individual can (and even in the case of the government, there are laws about inciteful speech, slander, etc).
Misc:
One of the books on the controversial list is Steinbeck's The Red Pony. I read it once with high expectations since I like Of Mice and Men, but was majorly disappointed in the ending. Then I found out that the copy I'd read was missing the last chapter.
Kristy hosts a Christmas party. This is the sixth time Christmas has been celebrated since the BSC started eighth grade.
Oh, of course the parents who want to ban books are religious. I'm very observant about my religion (and have some conservative viewpoints as well), so it bugs me how over-the-top the portrayals are in this book. My parents are the same way, and they never said "No" to any books, or movies, although a couple times they said "Not yet." And for good reason; I wasn't ready for some graphic scenes in a handful of books or movies when I was in elementary school. That's the same way it'll be with my kids: if the books or movies have graphic scenes, then I want them to be old enough to not be too horribly disturbed by them. It'll only be about whether the child is mature enough for the content, not whether the content fits with my beliefs. And I'll never petition for those books or movies to be removed from anywhere. Not everyone who goes to church is close-minded.
(I edited the above to add "never" to the second-to-last sentence. That was a massive typo, and thank you to commenter Anonymous for pointing it out !)
The numbers:
Starting 8th grade: 12
Halloweens in 8th grade: 6 (plus one in seventh)
Thanksgivings in 8th grade: 5
Winter holidays in 8th grade (that BSC members celebrate in the plot of a book, not just reference): Christmas-6, Hanukkah-2, Kwanzaa-3
Valentine's Days in 8th grade: 5
St. Patrick's Days in 8th grade: 1
Summers after 8th grade: 12
BSC Fights: 13
SMS Staff and Faculty: 69
Students (other than the BSC): 217: 123 8th graders (not including Amelia Freeman, who is deceased), 30 7th graders, 48 6th graders, 16 unspecified. Baby-sitters' Winter Vacation tells us that SMS has about 380 students.
Clients: 38 families
Types of candy in Claudia’s room: 150
Crushes:
Stacey-13
Claudia-12
Dawn-5
Jessi-3
Mallory-3
Mary Anne-2
Kristy-2
Abby-0
6/11/13
Actor from BSC TV Series Needs our Help! (Mary's Great Idea/Mary Saves the Day/Mary to the Rescue)
UPDATE
As of August 6, 2013, this fundraiser is closed.
Some of you may have heard that the BSC television series is on Netflix. (I plan to recap those as well, now that I have access to them)
The TV series was fun to watch. I remember thinking that the actors were all doing their best, despite some of the casting choices being odd. But the one who played Kristy was spot-on. That actor, Avriel Hillman, is facing a serious medical condition called avascular necrosis. Basically, there's a problem with the blood flow to her hip and the bones are dying. The usual treatment here in the US is a hip replacement, but that will screw up her mobility and her dance career. There is a treatment available in India using adult stem cells (ADULT, not embryonic; this is no more controversial than bone marrow transplant, another type of adult stem cell transplant, or cord blood donation). The technology doesn't exist in the US yet.
There is a fundraiser here https://www.giveforward.com/
Furthermore, there's a fundraiser over on bsc_snark, spearheaded by a snarker named Mary: if enough of us donate to the cost of the treatment and/or share the information, snark authors are promising more snarks! It's win-win. Information can be found here: http://bsc-snark.livejournal.com/438212.html?view=9260484#t9260484
Anyway, think about it.
As of August 6, 2013, this fundraiser is closed.
Some of you may have heard that the BSC television series is on Netflix. (I plan to recap those as well, now that I have access to them)
The TV series was fun to watch. I remember thinking that the actors were all doing their best, despite some of the casting choices being odd. But the one who played Kristy was spot-on. That actor, Avriel Hillman, is facing a serious medical condition called avascular necrosis. Basically, there's a problem with the blood flow to her hip and the bones are dying. The usual treatment here in the US is a hip replacement, but that will screw up her mobility and her dance career. There is a treatment available in India using adult stem cells (ADULT, not embryonic; this is no more controversial than bone marrow transplant, another type of adult stem cell transplant, or cord blood donation). The technology doesn't exist in the US yet.
There is a fundraiser here https://www.giveforward.com/
Furthermore, there's a fundraiser over on bsc_snark, spearheaded by a snarker named Mary: if enough of us donate to the cost of the treatment and/or share the information, snark authors are promising more snarks! It's win-win. Information can be found here: http://bsc-snark.livejournal.com/438212.html?view=9260484#t9260484
Anyway, think about it.
6/10/13
Claudia and the Friendship Feud (FF#4)
Original Publication Date: 1999
Ghostwriter? Yes, Laura Dower.
Synopsis:
Now we get Claudia's side of the story regarding Jeremy. She felt betrayed because she perceived the situation as Stacey weaseling her way into Jeremy's good graces (...not really) and then really betrayed by some of the nasty things Stacey said during their blow-up fight (that I can get behind more). Anyway, it's November, and they're still not talking to each other. Claudia does feel bad for her part in the fight, and wonders about making up someday, but she's not ready for it, at least not yet. So she's relieved when a sitting job for the Pikes comes up and Stacey says she's busy and can't sit with Claudia (Mary Anne and Kristy are also busy). The BSC ends up having Erica Blumberg fill in (it's not totally out of left field; Erica came to a BSC meeting after the mess in Claudia and the Terrible Truth), and she and Claudia get along really well. They start spending time together and talk about a lot of things, including Erica confiding in Claudia that she was adopted as an infant and wants to search for her birth parents. But Claudia keeps making references to Stacey, and makes Erica feel like she's just a stand-in. Another complication in Claudia's life is that Jeremy wants to be friends, even though Stacey and Claudia still haven't made up yet (a talk with Claudia's aunt does get her considering it, at least).
Claudia and Stacey end up sitting together for the Pikes, and have what starts as a promising conversation, but Claudia realizes that Stacey thinks Claudia is trying to steal Jeremy, and Stacey hasn't really apologized for the mean things she said. They end up back where they were. But Claudia does apologize to Erica, and they go back to being friends. The next day at school, Claudia finds out that Jeremy is now in her English class, and they talk a bit. So Claudia might not be friends with Stacey yet, but she's close with Erica and friendly with Jeremy.
Established or continued in this book:
The Girls (and Logan):
Claudia candy: Oreos in her closet
Mallory sends the BSC a letter saying she'll be home for Thanksgiving and that she has a crush on a boy she met in a writing workshop. That's three crushes for her.
Their Families:
Kristy and her brothers (it's unclear if David Michael was included in this) were invited to spend Thanksgiving in California with Patrick and Zoey. They were asked too late to make the plans, but Kristy is happy that the offer was made at all.
Vanessa Pike takes ballet.
Byron's sort of becoming the odd man out among the triplets.
Jordan is very ticklish.
The Club (and clients):
Kristy contemplates asking Logan to fill in before thinking of Erica.
SMS: nothing new.
PSA Time: nothing stood out.
Misc:
It's Thanksgiving...again.
The numbers:
Starting 8th grade: 12
Halloweens in 8th grade: 6 (plus one in seventh)
Thanksgivings in 8th grade: 5
Winter holidays in 8th grade (that BSC members celebrate in the plot of a book, not just reference): Christmas-5, Hanukkah-2, Kwanzaa-3
Valentine's Days in 8th grade: 5
St. Patrick's Days in 8th grade: 1
Summers after 8th grade: 12
BSC Fights: 13
SMS Staff and Faculty: 68
Students (other than the BSC): 215: 121 8th graders (not including Amelia Freeman, who is deceased), 30 7th graders, 48 6th graders, 16 unspecified. Baby-sitters' Winter Vacation tells us that SMS has about 380 students.
Clients: 38 families
Types of candy in Claudia’s room: 150
Crushes:
Stacey-13
Claudia-12
Dawn-5
Jessi-3
Mallory-3
Mary Anne-2
Kristy-2
Abby-0
Ghostwriter? Yes, Laura Dower.
Synopsis:
Now we get Claudia's side of the story regarding Jeremy. She felt betrayed because she perceived the situation as Stacey weaseling her way into Jeremy's good graces (...not really) and then really betrayed by some of the nasty things Stacey said during their blow-up fight (that I can get behind more). Anyway, it's November, and they're still not talking to each other. Claudia does feel bad for her part in the fight, and wonders about making up someday, but she's not ready for it, at least not yet. So she's relieved when a sitting job for the Pikes comes up and Stacey says she's busy and can't sit with Claudia (Mary Anne and Kristy are also busy). The BSC ends up having Erica Blumberg fill in (it's not totally out of left field; Erica came to a BSC meeting after the mess in Claudia and the Terrible Truth), and she and Claudia get along really well. They start spending time together and talk about a lot of things, including Erica confiding in Claudia that she was adopted as an infant and wants to search for her birth parents. But Claudia keeps making references to Stacey, and makes Erica feel like she's just a stand-in. Another complication in Claudia's life is that Jeremy wants to be friends, even though Stacey and Claudia still haven't made up yet (a talk with Claudia's aunt does get her considering it, at least).
Claudia and Stacey end up sitting together for the Pikes, and have what starts as a promising conversation, but Claudia realizes that Stacey thinks Claudia is trying to steal Jeremy, and Stacey hasn't really apologized for the mean things she said. They end up back where they were. But Claudia does apologize to Erica, and they go back to being friends. The next day at school, Claudia finds out that Jeremy is now in her English class, and they talk a bit. So Claudia might not be friends with Stacey yet, but she's close with Erica and friendly with Jeremy.
Established or continued in this book:
The Girls (and Logan):
Claudia candy: Oreos in her closet
Mallory sends the BSC a letter saying she'll be home for Thanksgiving and that she has a crush on a boy she met in a writing workshop. That's three crushes for her.
Their Families:
Kristy and her brothers (it's unclear if David Michael was included in this) were invited to spend Thanksgiving in California with Patrick and Zoey. They were asked too late to make the plans, but Kristy is happy that the offer was made at all.
Vanessa Pike takes ballet.
Byron's sort of becoming the odd man out among the triplets.
Jordan is very ticklish.
The Club (and clients):
Kristy contemplates asking Logan to fill in before thinking of Erica.
SMS: nothing new.
PSA Time: nothing stood out.
Misc:
It's Thanksgiving...again.
The numbers:
Starting 8th grade: 12
Halloweens in 8th grade: 6 (plus one in seventh)
Thanksgivings in 8th grade: 5
Winter holidays in 8th grade (that BSC members celebrate in the plot of a book, not just reference): Christmas-5, Hanukkah-2, Kwanzaa-3
Valentine's Days in 8th grade: 5
St. Patrick's Days in 8th grade: 1
Summers after 8th grade: 12
BSC Fights: 13
SMS Staff and Faculty: 68
Students (other than the BSC): 215: 121 8th graders (not including Amelia Freeman, who is deceased), 30 7th graders, 48 6th graders, 16 unspecified. Baby-sitters' Winter Vacation tells us that SMS has about 380 students.
Clients: 38 families
Types of candy in Claudia’s room: 150
Crushes:
Stacey-13
Claudia-12
Dawn-5
Jessi-3
Mallory-3
Mary Anne-2
Kristy-2
Abby-0
6/7/13
Mary Anne's Big Breakup (FF#3)
Original Publication Date: 1999
Ghostwriter? Yes, Suzanne Weyn.
Synopsis:
Mary Anne finally does it: she breaks up with Logan for real. She'd felt smothered by him, and defined by her relationship with him, thinking of herself as MaryAnneAndLogan instead of Mary Anne. Her friends and family are mostly supportive. Some are surprised since Mary Anne had been dating Logan so long, but others, like Dawn and Richard, note that Mary Anne's changed a lot lately and that she'd been less enthusiastic about Logan recently. Logan's brother and sister are less understanding, although Mary Anne is able to explain to them that she doesn't hate Logan and would like to be friends with him at some point. Some people who are more Logan's friends, like his sports teammates, seem to resent Mary Anne. Some other guys start asking Mary Anne out! (Stacey wants to set Mary Anne up with a new beau right away, too.) She's not ready to date again yet, but is flattered.
Kristy is a bit put out by everything, probably because it's yet another thing changing. She's also torn because she's friends with Logan as well as Mary Anne, and is trying to be nice to both of them. Mary Anne and Kristy have a brief fight when Mary Anne thinks Kristy isn't on her side, but Kristy is just trying not be on any side, and also confused about why Mary Anne broke up with Logan in the first place. Mary Anne realizes that Kristy isn't trying to do anything rotten, and Kristy accepts that while she might not understand Mary Anne's reasoning, Mary Anne did what she had to do.
One night, Logan calls and offers to have Mary Anne watch a movie he's rented, as friends. They have an awkward but okay time, which prompts Logan to wonder why they can't be dating again. Mary Anne remains firm, and after talking with Dawn and Claudia, realizes that she's not sure who she is without her relationships: without her dad, without the BSC, without Logan, who is Mary Anne? Now that she has the opportunity to be on her own a bit, she's excited to find out.
Established or continued in this book:
The Girls (and Logan):
Claudia candy: Pringles and Cracker Jacks in her dresser drawer, potato chips
On the cover, Mary Anne is holding a letter from Logan. You can see parts of it in Logan's blocky, all caps writing and what I can read of it (backward, and around Mary Anne's hand and the book title) is:
"Dear Mary Anne,
I don't know how to say all the things I want to say. We've been through so much together--from the very first moment I saw you, I knew that you would be a gigantic part of my life and you have been. But now I'm not so sure about where we're going. I...you but somehow I...confused....have...spend a...time apart. I hope...understand--I...will (I..."
Claudia helps Mary Anne talk things out right after the break up, and is very sweet to Mary Anne. It's implied that she understands having to face when a relationship isn't working out because of her experience with Josh Rocker. Janine offers sympathy too.
Foul: Mary Anne did NOT meet Logan when she was still required to wear her hair in braids. She got permission to do her hair differently in seventh grade, and met Logan the first time through eighth grade.
Mary Anne doesn't consider Dawn to be one of her best friends anymore. The distance between them has grown to be more than just physical.
Apparently Mary Anne is like me in that she doesn't always run a fever when she's sick. My brothers and I rarely run fevers, and my normal temperature is actually low: 96.5 F.
Mary Anne and Logan think that Robin Williams is the funniest actor.
Their Families:
Mary Anne's family gets the plans for turning the barn into a house approved, and work gets started. The contractor says that with good weather, it might be ready by the new year, which is in about three or four months. That seems unlikely to me...
Kristy helps her family bake a lot of apple pies and pumpkin pies to donate to a homeless shelter. Good idea, provided they've cleared it with the shelter first. Some places probably can't accept home-made goods for liability reasons.
The Club (and clients):
Sort of a more relaxed BSC. The meetings are still as frequent, but Kristy's more relaxed about being on time. Not a lot, though; the meetings are still only 30 minutes long so ten minutes would be a significant chunk of the meeting to miss.
SMS:
Let's assume SMS finishes school between 2:30 and 3:00, which is about right for a middle school. Mary Anne notes that Logan's football practice won't keep him from getting home before 6:00. That seems a little short for football practice. It would probably start a half or so after classes are done for the day, and have a decently long warm up, then a couple hours of actual practice and a cool down, then he'd have to change out of his gear and then walk back home carrying his stuff. That should easily eat up three hours.
PSA Time:
Mary Anne realizes something important: a couple shouldn't be 100% added together. The two members should aim for 100% individually, because if you're only complete when both of you are at the top of your game, what happens when one of you gets sick or loses a job or is going through something difficult?
Misc:
I remember finding a copy of this in a used bookstore when I was in high school, flipping through it, and being horrified that Mary Anne and Logan were officially over. I put the book back on the shelf without buying it (I had stopped reading BSC books around the time the regular series numbered in the 90s).
The numbers:
Starting 8th grade: 12
Halloweens in 8th grade: 6 (plus one in seventh)
Thanksgivings in 8th grade: 4
Winter holidays in 8th grade (that BSC members celebrate in the plot of a book, not just reference): Christmas-5, Hanukkah-2, Kwanzaa-3
Valentine's Days in 8th grade: 5
St. Patrick's Days in 8th grade: 1
Summers after 8th grade: 12
BSC Fights: 13
SMS Staff and Faculty: 68
Students (other than the BSC): 215: 121 8th graders (not including Amelia Freeman, who is deceased), 30 7th graders, 48 6th graders, 16 unspecified. Baby-sitters' Winter Vacation tells us that SMS has about 380 students.
Clients: 38 families
Types of candy in Claudia’s room: 149
Crushes:
Stacey-13
Claudia-12
Dawn-5
Jessi-3
Mallory-2
Mary Anne-2
Kristy-2
Abby-0
Ghostwriter? Yes, Suzanne Weyn.
Synopsis:
Mary Anne finally does it: she breaks up with Logan for real. She'd felt smothered by him, and defined by her relationship with him, thinking of herself as MaryAnneAndLogan instead of Mary Anne. Her friends and family are mostly supportive. Some are surprised since Mary Anne had been dating Logan so long, but others, like Dawn and Richard, note that Mary Anne's changed a lot lately and that she'd been less enthusiastic about Logan recently. Logan's brother and sister are less understanding, although Mary Anne is able to explain to them that she doesn't hate Logan and would like to be friends with him at some point. Some people who are more Logan's friends, like his sports teammates, seem to resent Mary Anne. Some other guys start asking Mary Anne out! (Stacey wants to set Mary Anne up with a new beau right away, too.) She's not ready to date again yet, but is flattered.
Kristy is a bit put out by everything, probably because it's yet another thing changing. She's also torn because she's friends with Logan as well as Mary Anne, and is trying to be nice to both of them. Mary Anne and Kristy have a brief fight when Mary Anne thinks Kristy isn't on her side, but Kristy is just trying not be on any side, and also confused about why Mary Anne broke up with Logan in the first place. Mary Anne realizes that Kristy isn't trying to do anything rotten, and Kristy accepts that while she might not understand Mary Anne's reasoning, Mary Anne did what she had to do.
One night, Logan calls and offers to have Mary Anne watch a movie he's rented, as friends. They have an awkward but okay time, which prompts Logan to wonder why they can't be dating again. Mary Anne remains firm, and after talking with Dawn and Claudia, realizes that she's not sure who she is without her relationships: without her dad, without the BSC, without Logan, who is Mary Anne? Now that she has the opportunity to be on her own a bit, she's excited to find out.
Established or continued in this book:
The Girls (and Logan):
Claudia candy: Pringles and Cracker Jacks in her dresser drawer, potato chips
On the cover, Mary Anne is holding a letter from Logan. You can see parts of it in Logan's blocky, all caps writing and what I can read of it (backward, and around Mary Anne's hand and the book title) is:
"Dear Mary Anne,
I don't know how to say all the things I want to say. We've been through so much together--from the very first moment I saw you, I knew that you would be a gigantic part of my life and you have been. But now I'm not so sure about where we're going. I...you but somehow I...confused....have...spend a...time apart. I hope...understand--I...will (I..."
Claudia helps Mary Anne talk things out right after the break up, and is very sweet to Mary Anne. It's implied that she understands having to face when a relationship isn't working out because of her experience with Josh Rocker. Janine offers sympathy too.
Foul: Mary Anne did NOT meet Logan when she was still required to wear her hair in braids. She got permission to do her hair differently in seventh grade, and met Logan the first time through eighth grade.
Mary Anne doesn't consider Dawn to be one of her best friends anymore. The distance between them has grown to be more than just physical.
Apparently Mary Anne is like me in that she doesn't always run a fever when she's sick. My brothers and I rarely run fevers, and my normal temperature is actually low: 96.5 F.
Mary Anne and Logan think that Robin Williams is the funniest actor.
Their Families:
Mary Anne's family gets the plans for turning the barn into a house approved, and work gets started. The contractor says that with good weather, it might be ready by the new year, which is in about three or four months. That seems unlikely to me...
Kristy helps her family bake a lot of apple pies and pumpkin pies to donate to a homeless shelter. Good idea, provided they've cleared it with the shelter first. Some places probably can't accept home-made goods for liability reasons.
The Club (and clients):
Sort of a more relaxed BSC. The meetings are still as frequent, but Kristy's more relaxed about being on time. Not a lot, though; the meetings are still only 30 minutes long so ten minutes would be a significant chunk of the meeting to miss.
SMS:
Let's assume SMS finishes school between 2:30 and 3:00, which is about right for a middle school. Mary Anne notes that Logan's football practice won't keep him from getting home before 6:00. That seems a little short for football practice. It would probably start a half or so after classes are done for the day, and have a decently long warm up, then a couple hours of actual practice and a cool down, then he'd have to change out of his gear and then walk back home carrying his stuff. That should easily eat up three hours.
PSA Time:
Mary Anne realizes something important: a couple shouldn't be 100% added together. The two members should aim for 100% individually, because if you're only complete when both of you are at the top of your game, what happens when one of you gets sick or loses a job or is going through something difficult?
Misc:
I remember finding a copy of this in a used bookstore when I was in high school, flipping through it, and being horrified that Mary Anne and Logan were officially over. I put the book back on the shelf without buying it (I had stopped reading BSC books around the time the regular series numbered in the 90s).
The numbers:
Starting 8th grade: 12
Halloweens in 8th grade: 6 (plus one in seventh)
Thanksgivings in 8th grade: 4
Winter holidays in 8th grade (that BSC members celebrate in the plot of a book, not just reference): Christmas-5, Hanukkah-2, Kwanzaa-3
Valentine's Days in 8th grade: 5
St. Patrick's Days in 8th grade: 1
Summers after 8th grade: 12
BSC Fights: 13
SMS Staff and Faculty: 68
Students (other than the BSC): 215: 121 8th graders (not including Amelia Freeman, who is deceased), 30 7th graders, 48 6th graders, 16 unspecified. Baby-sitters' Winter Vacation tells us that SMS has about 380 students.
Clients: 38 families
Types of candy in Claudia’s room: 149
Crushes:
Stacey-13
Claudia-12
Dawn-5
Jessi-3
Mallory-2
Mary Anne-2
Kristy-2
Abby-0
6/3/13
Stacey vs. Claudia (FF#2)
Original Publication Date: 1999
Ghostwriter? Yes, Suzanne Weyn.
Synopsis:
Just as Stacey's feeling upset about how little she gets to see Ethan, a new boy arrives at SMS: Jeremy Rudolph, from Olympia, WA (just a little south of me!). Then Stacey and Ethan break up. This is also at the same time that Stacey realizes Claudia has a crush on Jeremy...and so does she. Trying to be a good friend, Stacey sets up a date for Claudia and Jeremy, but even after that, Jeremy asks Stacey out. Stacey wants to accept, and talks to Claudia. Claudia is understandably hurt, and also very surprised because she thought Jeremy liked her. She does go overboard though, accusing Stacey of stealing her boyfriend when she and Jeremy haven't actually been dating, and Stacey reacts to this, causing a fight. Claudia tells Jeremy that Stacey and Ethan's break up is really more of a cooling off, which is how Ethan seems to view it ("We were on a break!" -Friends), so while what Claudia says is true, it's still underhanded. The fight continues, with Stacey putting down Claudia's intelligence ("brainless...can't even spell, [and] was held back a grade") and Claudia retorting with pointing out that Stacey's nothing special ("ten million other people live in [New York] City") and so on. Then Jeremy asks Stacey out again, and a little bit before he arrives to pick her up, Ethan stops in for a surprise visit, still thinking they're just on a break. Soon the break up is official though, and Stacey heads out with Jeremy, wondering at times if she and Claudia will mend their friendship.
Established or continued in this book:
The Girls (and Logan):
Claudia candy: Ring Dings, potato chips
Mary Anne and Stacey have a conversation centered around whether noticing that a boy they're not dating is good-looking is a sign of anything.
Their Families:
Stacey's mom likes going for jogs.
The Club (and clients):
At the end of Everything Changes, the BSC had considered cutting down on the number of meetings, but this book establishes that meetings are still Monday, Wednesday, Friday and at the usual time.
Abby's departure from the BSC hasn't affected her friendships with the members; she still eats lunch with them and hangs out with them.
SMS:
New students: Rachel Griffin (really an old student returning to Stoneybrook), Jeremy Rudolph (8th).
School's back in session. Again.
School lunch at SMS costs $1.65.
I question the SMS social studies department. The girls don't know their state capitals? (Jeremy is from Olympia, WA. I learned state capitals in grade school.)
PSA Time:
Aspirin is not recommend for children or teenagers, because of a possible link between it and the development of Reye's Syndrome, which can be deadly. Tylenol and Ibuprofen are vastly superior choices. My kids' pediatric dentist recommends Ibuprofen because you need to take several dozen times the regular dose to be in danger.
Misc:
Long-distance relationships can sometimes work (my brother and my sister-in-law spent a while in different states during college but have been married five years now), but this is book is right that it's especially hard for teenagers.
The numbers:
Starting 8th grade: 12
Halloweens in 8th grade: 6 (plus one in seventh)
Thanksgivings in 8th grade: 4
Winter holidays in 8th grade (that BSC members celebrate in the plot of a book, not just reference): Christmas-5, Hanukkah-2, Kwanzaa-3
Valentine's Days in 8th grade: 5
St. Patrick's Days in 8th grade: 1
Summers after 8th grade: 12
BSC Fights: 13
SMS Staff and Faculty: 68
Students (other than the BSC): 215: 121 8th graders (not including Amelia Freeman, who is deceased), 30 7th graders, 48 6th graders, 16 unspecified. Baby-sitters' Winter Vacation tells us that SMS has about 380 students.
Clients: 38 families
Types of candy in Claudia’s room: 149
Crushes:
Stacey-13
Claudia-12
Dawn-5
Jessi-3
Mallory-2
Mary Anne-2
Kristy-2
Abby-0
Ghostwriter? Yes, Suzanne Weyn.
Synopsis:
Just as Stacey's feeling upset about how little she gets to see Ethan, a new boy arrives at SMS: Jeremy Rudolph, from Olympia, WA (just a little south of me!). Then Stacey and Ethan break up. This is also at the same time that Stacey realizes Claudia has a crush on Jeremy...and so does she. Trying to be a good friend, Stacey sets up a date for Claudia and Jeremy, but even after that, Jeremy asks Stacey out. Stacey wants to accept, and talks to Claudia. Claudia is understandably hurt, and also very surprised because she thought Jeremy liked her. She does go overboard though, accusing Stacey of stealing her boyfriend when she and Jeremy haven't actually been dating, and Stacey reacts to this, causing a fight. Claudia tells Jeremy that Stacey and Ethan's break up is really more of a cooling off, which is how Ethan seems to view it ("We were on a break!" -Friends), so while what Claudia says is true, it's still underhanded. The fight continues, with Stacey putting down Claudia's intelligence ("brainless...can't even spell, [and] was held back a grade") and Claudia retorting with pointing out that Stacey's nothing special ("ten million other people live in [New York] City") and so on. Then Jeremy asks Stacey out again, and a little bit before he arrives to pick her up, Ethan stops in for a surprise visit, still thinking they're just on a break. Soon the break up is official though, and Stacey heads out with Jeremy, wondering at times if she and Claudia will mend their friendship.
Established or continued in this book:
The Girls (and Logan):
Claudia candy: Ring Dings, potato chips
Mary Anne and Stacey have a conversation centered around whether noticing that a boy they're not dating is good-looking is a sign of anything.
Their Families:
Stacey's mom likes going for jogs.
The Club (and clients):
At the end of Everything Changes, the BSC had considered cutting down on the number of meetings, but this book establishes that meetings are still Monday, Wednesday, Friday and at the usual time.
Abby's departure from the BSC hasn't affected her friendships with the members; she still eats lunch with them and hangs out with them.
SMS:
New students: Rachel Griffin (really an old student returning to Stoneybrook), Jeremy Rudolph (8th).
School's back in session. Again.
School lunch at SMS costs $1.65.
I question the SMS social studies department. The girls don't know their state capitals? (Jeremy is from Olympia, WA. I learned state capitals in grade school.)
PSA Time:
Aspirin is not recommend for children or teenagers, because of a possible link between it and the development of Reye's Syndrome, which can be deadly. Tylenol and Ibuprofen are vastly superior choices. My kids' pediatric dentist recommends Ibuprofen because you need to take several dozen times the regular dose to be in danger.
Misc:
Long-distance relationships can sometimes work (my brother and my sister-in-law spent a while in different states during college but have been married five years now), but this is book is right that it's especially hard for teenagers.
The numbers:
Starting 8th grade: 12
Halloweens in 8th grade: 6 (plus one in seventh)
Thanksgivings in 8th grade: 4
Winter holidays in 8th grade (that BSC members celebrate in the plot of a book, not just reference): Christmas-5, Hanukkah-2, Kwanzaa-3
Valentine's Days in 8th grade: 5
St. Patrick's Days in 8th grade: 1
Summers after 8th grade: 12
BSC Fights: 13
SMS Staff and Faculty: 68
Students (other than the BSC): 215: 121 8th graders (not including Amelia Freeman, who is deceased), 30 7th graders, 48 6th graders, 16 unspecified. Baby-sitters' Winter Vacation tells us that SMS has about 380 students.
Clients: 38 families
Types of candy in Claudia’s room: 149
Crushes:
Stacey-13
Claudia-12
Dawn-5
Jessi-3
Mallory-2
Mary Anne-2
Kristy-2
Abby-0
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