Publication date: 2023
Ghostwriter? No, the text copyright is for Ann M. Martin
Illustrators: Katy Farina, with color by Braden Lamb
Synopsis:
Karen is about to turn seven, and all she wants for her birthday is for everyone in her family to be together.
That is, her mom and stepdad AND her dad and stepmom AND Andrew and her other siblings and Nannie. Her mom and dad don't talk much anymore, and the rare conversations tend to devolve into fights. What if... could Karen find a way to get her mom and dad talking, and maybe they could get married again?
Karen knows the fastest way to get her mom and dad to talk is for them to come together over a problem. So she makes problems: when she gets hurt at school, she secretly calls her dad to pick her up while the school nurse calls her mom. She pretends to be a selfish monster over her birthday, forcing her parents to call each other.
Of course, it's not going to work. With help from Nannie and Seth (her stepdad), Karen is finally able to tell her mom and dad what's bothering her. They don't give her any false hope, but do acknowledge that at least as long as they're raising Karen and Andrew together, they need to communicate effectively. And they need to remember that Karen and Andrew are only seven and four--they're going to need help navigating the divorce and remarriages and complicated (though loving) families. When Karen's mom and stepdad arrive to pick her and Andrew up from her dad's house, they actually come inside and chat a little. It's not the party Karen wanted, but for a few minutes, her WHOLE family is under one roof.
Continuity related to BSC books:
Emily Junior, the rat, is now part of the (Little House) family.
Misc:
Martin dedicates this book to "the Fultons--Pam and Jim, Andrew and Patrick." Farina dedicates it to "my grandma, who gives the best hugs and makes the best pasta."
Instead of the party Karen was hoping for, she gets a fancy dinner at her mom's house, and a day at the circus with the Big House family and some friends, plus cupcakes at school. She does have fun, but it's so understandable that she'd want her family to be able to all be together.
It will never not be weird to see a smartphone in BSC media.
Andrew, with Seth's help, makes Karen a rat maze for Emily Junior. It's a very thoughtful present, and Karen's favorite of the ones she gets.
I distinctly remember the whole scene with Karen peeking at her presents. I've done it, too!
Of all the Little Sister books I remember (I didn't read all of them), this one made me feel for Karen the most. She and Andrew are the only links between two families, and they want to have the people they love together--but those two families don't exist in the same circles. Karen can certainly be annoying, but in this book I just want to comfort her.
