The Truth About Stacey (RS#3)

Original Publication Date: 1986

Ghostwriter? No

Synopsis:

The BSC is threatened by the Baby-sitters Agency, a group that finds older babysitters who can stay out later. At first, the Club is in danger, as parents like having the wider variety of sitters. But few of them are responsible and the Agency self implodes.

Stacey also has to deal with her parents' overprotectiveness. They're terrified at the thought of her diabetes causing her serious harm and drag her to all kinds of clinics and doctors, causing Stacey to miss out on school and her social life. While in New York to meet with a doctor who's basically a charlatan, Stacey is able to talk with her parents and, with the help of a competent doctor, she is able to take control of her life more.

This book is okay, but it has never stood out to me.



Established or continued in this book:


The Girls:


Mary Anne still has reading glasses.

Mary Anne "performs" a reading of The Little Engine That Could, complete with funny voices.

Mimi is teaching Mary Anne to knit.

Claudia candy: Lifesavers in a shoebox under her bed, butterscotch candy in her pillowcase, gumdrops (and Saltines) under her armchair. What's with the girls having armchairs in their rooms?

Claudia's role as a peace maker is getting fleshed out. Here, she suggests the Club go ahead with some of Kristy's ideas to compete with the Agency, but save the more drastic ones for later. When Kristy and Stacey are still a little annoyed, she gets everyone excited to decorate their Kid-Kits. She also tries to makes things go smoothly when they talk to Mrs. Newton about whether they can babysit the new baby. She's the peace maker in a few other books. Super Special #1 comes to mind.

Stacey's diabetes symptoms showed up in her sixth grade year, including the horrible wetting-the-bed-she-was-sharing-with-Laine incident. A psychiatrist first suspected diabetes. Stacey practiced giving insulin shots on oranges. She hates that she has to give herself shots because it reminds her that she has the disease.

Stacey has a crush on Pete Black.

Stacey's favorite charge is now officially Charlotte Johanssen.

Stacey has a savings account.

Stacey has taken French since kindergarten.

Kristy really does know a lot about kids. For example, at Jamie Newton's big brother party, she knows to only let the kids eat for a little bit so they don't ruin their appetites, and she comes up with fun games on the spot.



Their Families:


Mimi came to the US when she was 32.

Stacey's parents became overprotective when hit with the double whammy of Stacey's diabetes and the news that they wouldn't be able to conceive anymore children.

Stacey has an Aunt Carla and Uncle Eric who have a daughter named Cheryl, and an Aunt Beverly and Uncle Lou who have children named Jonathan and Kirsten. Stacey prefers the latter family.

Charlie takes David Michael to SHS to watch cheerleader practice because DM likes to learn the cheers. Sure, Charlie, sure.


The Club:

Ah-HA! This is when Kristy starts wearing the visor, during an emergency meeting to discuss the Baby-sitters Agency. It's also the start of Kid-Kits (which I used to bring to sitting jobs).

It's interesting to see Stacey be so gung-ho about the Club.

The Club gets 14-15 jobs a week.

Kristy and Mary Anne both miss a meeting to clean up after Jamie Newton's party.



SMS:


Teachers: no new ones

Students: Janet Gates, Leslie Howard, Liz Lewis, Michelle Patterson (8th grade)



Misc:


Good continuity! In Kristy's Great Idea, the Newtons' baby is due in eight weeks. Here, after Stacey states the club has been in business about two months, the club is expecting the baby to be born any day. The baby is born in the first third of the book (a little girl, Lucy).

Stoneybrook has only one middle school. Hmm...that could be a problem later.

Stacey mentions Allison Ritz. Keep that in mind for Super Special #11.

Charlotte Johanssen doesn't have many friends. Maybe because she's seven and sucks her thumb. Seriously, page 41; look it up.

I wish I had a Polly's Fine Candy store near me. It sounds awesome, if even just for the window shopping.

Stacey wants to make Laine an honorary member of the BSC. Good luck with that one.

By the way, when Kristy calls and claims to be Candy Kane? My mom knew a girl named Cindy Kane.


The numbers:


Fights: 1

Teachers: 4 (3 7th grade, 1 elective)

Students: fifteen 7th graders, four 8th graders

Clients: 7

Types of candy in Claudia’s room: 11 (bubble gum, butterscotch candy, a chocolate bar, gumdrops, jawbreakers, licorice, licorice whips, peanut M&Ms, root beer barrels, salt water taffy, Twinkies, Lifesavers)

Crushes: Claudia-1 (Trevor Sandbourne), Stacey-2 (Pete Black, Sam Thomas)