M# 18 Stacey and the Mystery at the Empty House

Summary

The Johanssens are off to Paris, and they've asked Stacey to look after their house (and Carrot) while they're away. It's a big responsibility, especially since Carrot likes to chew things up while no one is there, but STacey is enjoying herself. At least, she is at first. Then, the odd things start to happen. When Stacey goes to check on Carrot one afternoon, he growls at her. He's never done that before, and even though he calms down when he sees that it's someone he knows, Stacey is still a little shaken up. Then, Stacey finds a glass in the sink on two separate occasions when she's sure she didn't use one. Even though those things could be explained away fairly easily (Stacey thinks she just might have forgotten she used a glass), stuff keeps happening. The coffee pot is warm one morning, and there are some Kleenexes in a wastebasket that Stacey is sure she emptied. Carrot's leash is also hung up in a different place, and the house smells like toast at one point. Stacey tries to ignore all those little things, as creepy as they are, but she can't ignore the woman she finds in the bushes in front of the Johanssens' house. She's just a meter reader, but Stacey lets it slip that she doesn't actually own the house. Later, she sees the meter reader arguing with her husband and business partner. When she gets back after walking Carrot that same day, she notices that the newspaper is missing. That's when Stacey decides to get help from the BSC.

At the next club meeting, Stacey gives the others a rundown on what's happening. They agree that each one of those little events by themselves could be explained away, but when they're all put together, it looks pretty creepy. The girls decide not to take any action, since it doesn't seem like the house has been broken into. The next time that Stacey is at the Johanssens', though, things get even weirder. Her watch, which she'd taken off and left the previous time, isn't where she left it. Then, when she's looking for towels to dry off Carrot after a walk in the rain, she notices a hairbrush in the bathroom with red hairs in it. This discovery totally freaks her out. Not only did that meter reader have flaming red hair, but so does this escaped prisoner that's currently on the run. Stacey quickly gets Carrot back on his leash and runs to Claudia's in a panic.

Claudia manages to calm Stacey down, and they go back to the Johanssens' to take a closer look at everything. They notice something that Stacey didn't see before: there's a vase in the front hall that's been broken. Stacey figures that Carrot probably did it, so she decides to replace it. Claudia isn't so sure that Carrot is responsible, so she suggests calling an emergency meeting of the BSC. The girls decide that Stacey shouldn't be alone in the house anymore, so they work out a schedule so one of them will be with her on each of her visits. They also decide to stake out the house by having a slumber party at Jessi's that Friday (the back of the Johanssens' is visible from the Ramseys'). It starts snowing while they're there, so Claudia and Stacey decide to og and look for footprints. There are none, but there's something else: the vase that was broken is now sitting on the hall table, totally intact.

The next morning, Claudia and Stacey go over the Johanssens' together again. The message pad next to the phone is different than Stacey left it; the pages she used have been turned over, and there's a number written on the next page in handwriting that Stacey doesn't recognize. She calls the number, and it's a recording of train schedules. She gets the others together quickly and they head down to the station, sure they're going to figure out the identity of the mysterious, red-headed intruder. They DO see him down there...meeting the Johanssens as they get off their train. He's a friend of theirs from out of town who had an open invitation to use the house whenever he was in Stoneybrook. He left so early in the morning and came back so late at night that he never crossed paths with Stacey. He was also the one who broke (and later replaced) the vase.

Also, the sitters are planning a sleigh ride for their charges. They need snow to make it happen, though, and for awhile, it looks like it might not. Luckily, the white stuff arrives just in time.

Rating: 2.5

Thoughts and Things

• At one point, Stacey sees Carrot twitching and whining in his sleep like dogs do and kind of panics. The same thing happened to me once. I knew full well that dogs sometimes kick a little when they're "dreaming," but this dog was thrashing around like nobody's business. I seriously thought he was having a seizure.
• By the way...the escaped criminal is caught, and the meter reader and her husband make up after their fight (in case you care).
• Charlotte keeps trying to speak French at the beginning of the books, and she thinks that "thank you very much" is pronounced "mercy buckets." I am totally going to start saying that...
• So Mrs. McGill used to live in Paris and almost married a French guy? Cool.
• Claudia seems awfully excited about the museums in Paris in this book. I always wondered why she didn't really want to go on the Europe trip later in the series. Those playground jobs are NOTHING compared to London and Paris!

Stacey's Book

So...all SMS 8th graders have been given the assignment to write their autobiographies. Stacey is up first.

The Early Years

Stacey's first clear memory comes from when she was three, and her family moved from Greenwich Village to the Upper East Side. Next comes preschool, where some other kid put his muddy boots on top of Stacey's copy of Eloise in her cubby (she ends up friends with that kid later on). Mr. and Mrs. McGill take Stacey to the Palm Court in the Plaza Hotel for her 4th birthday, and everyone in the restaurant (including Luciano Pavarotti) sings "Happy Birthday" to her. After the meal, Stacey runs around the hotel pretending to be Eloise, and finally, her parents take her for a carriage ride.

When I Was Five

Stacey's now in kindergarten, and she's just getting to be good friends with Laine Cummings. She's also obsessed with Cinderella, so when her mom (a Macy's employee at that time) signs her up to ride on the Cinderella float in the Thanksgiving Day Parade, Stacey is thrilled. She tells all of her little friends that she's going to be on tv. Just as her float is entering Herald Square and the presence of the tv cameras, Cinderella's crown falls off. Stacey reaches down to pick it up, and doesn't appear on tv at all. When she finds out that no one could see her, she worries that the other kids at school won't believe that she was even IN the parade. Luckily, Cinderella gave Stacey her crown after the parade, so Stace at least has that much proof.

When I Was Eight

Stacey and Laine aren't really allowed to walk around the city on their own, but there's this little store nearby where the girls are allowed to go alone when they want ice cream. They go one day, and without their parents' permission, walk a little bit further than they should to look in some other stores. They decide to get an apartment together, and the list they made of stuff they would need includes such useful items as a giant red crayon and a gumball machine. Not long after, Stacey's mom has news for her. Stacey is sure that her mom is going to tell her that she and Laine are going to be allowed to get their own place right then, but that's not it. Mrs. McGill and Mrs. Cummings have enrolled their daughters in a 6 week ballroom dancing class. Neither girl wants to go, so they ditch. They spend the first class in the cloakroom, laughing at the other kids and the goofy stuff they have to do. During the next class, though, they get a little adventurous. They head out to Madision Avenue, and get some candy at a deli. They go to Park Avenue as well, but neither of them find it all that interesting. They make it back to the dance school by the end of class. They successfully ditch two more dance classes, but things don't go so well during the one that follows. They decide to go to FAO Schwarz, but since it's so far, they take the bus. Traffic is so bad that they have to turn around and go back without even seeing the store, and they end up half an hour late. The police are there, and the girls are in major trouble. Not only that, but they're forced to see the dance class through to the end.

When I Was Ten

Stacey's family takes a vacation to Pine Island, Maine. It's really rustic there, and Stacey doesn't expect to have a good time. There's only one other girl there her age, Mara O'Connell, and they don't exactly get along at first. Then, Mara and her family help the McGills out of a jam when Mr. McGill falls and kreaks his ankle. Things are better between Stacey and Mara after that, and they end up having a good time together. They promise to write, but neither one of them ever does.

When I Was Twelve

Stacey is living back in New York again, and she's invited Claudia for a visit. Stacey goes out of the way to show Claud a good time, but Claud seems cranky and bored. Stace starts to think that her best friend doesn't really want to be her best friend anymore, but Claudia is just feeling bad because she doesn't think she belongs in Stacey's new life in New York. She's afraid Stacey doesn't need or want her anymore, since she's got so many great friends in the city. Stacey confesses that her "great friends" in the city really aren't so great, and that she's missing Stoneybrook. The girls patch things up just in time to have a nice day together before Claudia goes back home.

Rating: 3.5

Thoughts and Things

• The "When I Was Twelve" chapter should technically be titled, "When I Was Thirteen." Stacey's move back to New York happened during 8th grade, and she was definitely thirteen then.
• Someone in BSC land really likes the name Mara. First, there was Mara, the oldest of the kids living in the mall. Then there was Mara Semple, a classmate of Jessi's in Jessi's Horrible Prank, followed by the Mara in this book.
• The Portrait books aren't half bad; I'm glad I've gotten to that point in the series!
• Those pictures of Stacey in the "When I Was Twelve" chapter? Eeesh. Especially the one on page 160.
• Stacey gets an A on her autobiography, in case you were wondering. :)
  

#80 Mallory Pike, #1 Fan

Summary

Mallory's English class has been assigned a huge project. They're supposed to think about a career they're interested in, and come up with some sort of written project centered on that career. Mal knows she wants to write about being a writer, but she's having trouble coming up with a project. Since she wants to write for kids eventually, Kristy suggests she write a play and have the Kids Can Do Anything Club at SES perform it. Mallory loves the idea, and she's sure her teacher will, too. Imagine her surprise when Mr. Williams asks Mal to stay after class to talk about her project proposal. He doesn't feel that it's really career-oriented, and that Mal probably won't learn anything about being a writer just by putting on a play with the kids.

Mallory is pretty bummed when she gets home from school that day, but her mood quickly changes when she sees the mail that's waiting for her. She'd written her new favorite author, Henrietta Hayes, not long before that, and Ms. Hayes had already written back! Mallory's excitement is short-lived, though, when she reads the letter more carefully and realizes that it's just a form letter. She notices that the letter is postmarked Stamford, which gives Mal a new idea for her project: she's going to compare and contrast the life and experiences of Henrietta Hayes with her own life. Mal quickly writes another letter, explaining her project and asking for a real response. It doesn't work; she gets another form letter. Mallory writes a third time and gets yet another form letter. Does Mal give up? No; she looks up Ms. Hayes' address in the phone book and decides to pay her a visit. Mallory is pretty nervous about just walking up to her house, but she sucks it up and goes. Ms. Hayes invites her in, apologizes for the form letters, and even offers her something to drink. She even agrees to help Mal with her project, and when the interview is over, she offers to hire Mallory as her assistant for the next couple of weeks. Mal accepts.

Meanwhile, the Kids Club is pretty excited about working on Mal's play. At least, they are at first. Mallory has become convinced that every author HAS to write from their own life, so the play she writes is based heavily on the Pike family. Well, sort of: everyone but Mal ends up looking bad, and Mal writes herself as the long-suffering angel of the family. The other Pike kids are understandably NOT happy, and their friends who are acting in the play are on the verge of quitting. Mal convinces them to stay, until her mother has a chance to see the play. If Mrs. Pike thinks the play is insulting, then she'll let them quit. Mallory is confident that her play will pass the "mother test".....but it doesn't. Mrs. Pike suggests a rewrite, but not only does Mal not think the kids can learn a new play in only a week (Jessi points out that they don't know all their lines from the original one at the point), but she doesn't want to write an untrue play and make herself into a liar.

Mal's Henrietta Hayes project is going pretty well, but her teacher thinks she needs more biographical information. Mallory heads to the library, and Mrs. Kishi shows her the file she keeps on Ms. Hayes (the library has them for all local writers). Mallory is pretty surprised and dismayed by what she learns; Ms. Hayes' life doesn't at all match up with the lives of her book characters. Mal feels betrayed, as if her favorite author has been lying to her all along. The next time that Mallory is working for her, she bascially calls her a liar and tells Ms. Hayes that she's not being fair to the readers. Obviously, Ms. Hayes is mad. She suggests that Mal look up the meaning of the word "fiction," and then retreats into her study. Mal leaves Ms. Hayes a note, saying that she won't be returning to work and that she was wrong about how much she could learn from the job. What a brat! Mal eventually realizes that she was WAY too harsh on Ms. Hayes, and goes to her house to apologize. They talk things out, and Ms. Hayes helps Mal to see that good writing can be autobiographical, but it doesn't have to be.

Mal ends up rewriting her play, and the new version is much gentler than the old one. The audience, including Henrietta Hayes, seems to like it, and Mallory gets a fantastic grade on her project.

Rating: 1.5

Thoughts and Things

• The audience may have liked Mal's play, but it sound AWFUL to me. Also, where does she get off making herself look like such a saint in the first version she wrote?
• Um, Mallory? Writing three letters and then going to someone's house when you don't get the answer you want isn't determination, it's stalking.
• I'm surprised Mrs. Pike didn't stop Mallory from taking off for Henrietta Hayes' house. You think a parent would have some sense of appropriate boundaries when it comes to stuff like that, and Mrs. Pike was right there when Mal announced where she was going.
• Almost everything about this book irritated me; Mal was annoying, her stupid play was annoying, her disorganization when she worked with the elementary school kids was annoying, and the cover is annoying. Seriously; Mal looks like she's pushing 40!
• I must be losing my mind, but I could have sworn that this book was written by Nola Thacker, especially considering how many references to past books are in it. It's actually Suzanne Weyn, though.

M#17 Dawn and the Halloween Mystery

Summary

It's almost Halloween, and Dawn is out shopping with Carol. Dawn is done first, and as she's waiting in the car for Carol, she hears a commotion in a nearby store. Someone wearing a clown mask runs out, followed by a clerk from that store who yells that they've been robbed. The clown robber jumps into a nearby black Chevy Cavalier and drives away. Dawn is questioned by the police about what she saw, and about whether or not the "clown" saw her (he didn't). Dawn's pretty terrified by the experience, and bummed that the fact that robber wasn't caught. The Palo City parents have decided that it will be too dangerous for their kids to go trick or treating with a criminal on the loose, so they've instituted a curfew until he's caught.

Dawn is talking over the robbery with the other members of the We Love Kids Club, and they decide they need to catch the crook. Their first stop is the little variety store that Dawn had been shopping in before the robbery happened. It isn't the same place that was robbed, but they carry a lot of Halloween stuff, and Dawn thinks they might carry the kid of mask that the robber wore. They don't, but the salesperson points Dawn and the others towards another store that's only open during Halloween. The clerk there tells the girls that all three of those masks that they had in stock had been sold, and he describes the buyers: one was a high school guy with long, brown hair who left on a skateboard, one drove away in a van from a nearby flower shop, and one was a woman. Right away, the girls decide that the woman doesn't fit as a suspect, so they concentrate on tracking down the two male suspects. The guy at the flower shop bought the mask for his daughter, and it doesn't look like he borrowed it beforehand to rob any stores. The high school guy, turns out to be one of the nicest kids going: he does charity work, helps old ladies and pets cross the street, picks up litter, etc. The girls decide that he's probably not guilty, either, and they're left without any more leads. Actually, not quite: the car that was used in the robbery had a bumper sticker on it from a local fast food place, so the club decides to stake it out and see who comes and goes. The cashier is a blond woman who looks a bit older than most fast food workers (about 35), and the girls mention that they're looking for a boy who drives a black Chevy with a bumper sticker from the restaurant. The cashier tells them that the bumper stickers are free to all customers, so it would be hard to narrow it down based on that. The girls order sodas (no way any of them are eating hot dogs, which is what they serve there), and wait as long as they can to see if anyone suspicious comes in. The only weird thing that happens, though, is that the cashier keeps staring at them. Hmmmm.....

Dawn has been sitting for Erick and Ryan DeWitt a lot lately, and they've got a new friend. His name is Timmy Ford, and he and his dad have just moved in across the street. Timmy is nice, but really shy, and he's having some family problems. His mom isn't in the picture at the moment, and his dad is at work a lot. They're having money problems, too, and Timmy doesn't even think he'll be able to attend the We Love Kids Club Halloween party that's being held in place of trick or treating. Dawn (and the salesperson at the aforementioned variety store) help him put together a cheap costume, so Timmy can look forward to Halloween right along with his new friends. Since the robber hasn't been caught, it looks like the We Love Kids Club Halloween party will be the only celebrating they do that year. In fact, there's actually been another robbery.

On Halloween, Dawn is on her way to a sitting job when she notices the gate to the Fords' backyard sitting open. She goes to close it, and notices some footprints in the yard that match the ones left by the robber (the type of sneakers leaves a very distinct mark). She doesn't think much of it, since lots of people have that type of shoes, but when she passes by the Fords' garage, she stops in her tracks. Inside is a black Chevy Cavalier, complete with a bumper sticker from the hot dog place. Dawn puts two and two together, and figures out that Timmy's dad MUST be the robber. She hurries across the street to the DeWitts and tells Mrs. DeWitt what she suspects. They call the police, who take Timmy's dad into custody.

Since the robber has been caught, the Palo City parents decide that trick or treating can go ahead as planned. Dawn is in charge of taking Clover and Daffodil Austin, and Stephie Robertson around, and all three girls are having a blast. Dawn is a little creeped out, though; at one point, she thinks she sees someone creeping around through backyards. She figures Halloween is just getting to her, so she puts it out of her mind. Then, as they're passing the Fords' house on the way home, she's sure she sees someone back there digging. Not only that, but the mystery person is wearing an all black outfit and a clown mask. That's exactly what the robber was wearing when Dawn saw him. She rushes the kids over the to DeWitts and tells Mrs. DeWitt what's going on. The police had already determined that Timmy's dad wasn't the robber (he had a solid alibi for the time of the first robbery), so Dawn is mystified about who it could be. When the police arrive and umask the clown, it's Timmy's mother, aka the lady from the hot dog place. Guess they shouldn't have wrote off the idea of a female robber, should they?

Back in Stoneybrook, the DeWitts and Barretts are househunting. The parents find one that would be perfect for the family, except for one thing: it's in Greenvale, not Stoneybrook. The kids don't really want to leave all their friends, or their school, so they eventually agree on a house not far from SES. It's smaller than the Greenvale one (and sounds much less awesome, if you ask me), but the kids would rather have a smaller house in Stoneybrook than have to move.

Rating: 2.5

Thoughts and Things

• It really surprises me that Dawn, of all people, wouldn't consider that the robber could be female. I would pick her as being totally into equality.
• If I were Dawn, I would have been more scared of the clown mask than the fact that the person inside it had just robbed a store!
• "A clown is my friend. A clown will not bite me and throw me in the basement...."
• I like that this one took place at the same time as the last book, but it would have been nice if either book had referenced the other in some way.
• Dawn dresses as Pippi Longstocking for the WLKC Halloween party. She must have used a lot of wire and hairspray to get her hair to stand out to the sides like that. Plus, she must have had to walk in to rooms sideways!

#79 Mary Anne Breaks the Rules

Summary

Jake Kuhn is still pretty depressed over his parents' divorce. Mary Anne thinks it might help him to have a guy around, so she invites Logan over to play with him while she's sitting at the Kuhns' house. It seems to do the trick; Jake is much happier, and Mrs. Kuhn compliments Mary Anne on the change in Jake's mood. Mary Anne tries to tell her that it's actually Logan who's helped Jake, but Mrs. Kuhn doesn't give her a chance. Logan continues to visit Jake, and Jake continues to enjoy the new friendship. Then, Mrs. Kuhn comes home early one day and finds him there. She's not happy that Mary Anne invited her boyfriend over, and Mary Anne doesn't want to tell her the truth. She thinks doing so will offend Mrs. Kuhn.

Mary Anne heads to a BSC meeting right after that, and before she can confess what happened, Mrs. Kuhn calls the BSC. She's pretty mad, and the other members of the BSC aren't exactly happy, either. As usual when a member screws up, the club is sure Mrs. Kuhn is going to tell all their clients and the BSC will go out of business. Also as always, the club seems to get far fewer calls in the days following Mary Anne's little mistake, and Mary Anne feels awful. Then, Jake and his mother show up on Mary Anne's doorstep one day. Jake had explained everything to his Mrs. Kuhn regarding Logan, and she wants to apologize to Mary Anne. They straighten everything out, and BOTH Logan and Mary Anne are invited back to the Kuhns'.

Meanwhile, there's a haunted house war going on in Stoneybrook. One group of sitting charges sets up a gross haunted house with help from Alan Gray, and one group sets up a funny one with help from Logan.

Rating: 2.5

Thoughts and Things

• It's been well-discussed that Mary Anne should have just asserted herself and told Mrs. Kuhn the truth from the beginning, but...Mary Anne should have just asserted herself and told Mrs. Kuhn the truth from the beginning. :)
• Poor chubby Jake...couldn't Hodges at least drawn a coat on him that fit well?
• This book is classic Lerangis...lots of stupid puns and comments about vomiting.
• More discrepancy between the 11 year olds in Stoneybrook: Tiffany Kilbourne is going trick or treating as a ballerina, when Jessi and Mallory have been too old for trick or treating for awhile now.
• I went trick or treating through middle school; I was short, so I could get away with it. :)

Shannon's Story

Summary

It's been established that Shannon doesn't have the greatest home life, and this book gives us a deeper look into exactly what the problems are. Her dad is always off playing golf or at work (maybe he and Ed McGill should make friends?), and Shannon, Maria, and Tiffany are always off doing the own things. Shannon doesn't even feel like her family is one cohesive until, but a bunch of people who just happen to live in the same house. Mrs. Kilbourne is the only one who seems to have any time for anyone else, but she's taking it to the extreme. She's WAY too involved in Shannon's life, and has been bossing her around like she was still a little kid. She also goes to Maria's swim meets and spends way more time talking to the coach than any of the other parents. There's also a ton of tension between the Kilbourne parents; Mr. K. even forgets Mother's Day, and gives his wife an emergency gift that he'd had in his office at work for times when he forgets special occasions...complete with a birthday card. Lucky for Shannon, she can escape to school, school activities, and the BSC pretty much all the time.

Speaking of school, Shannon is super excited about the trip to Paris that her French class will be taking right after school ends. All of her friends are going, and they've been practicing their French nonstop (pommes frites, anyone?). Then, disaster strikes; Mrs. Kilbourne has accepted an offer to be a chaperone on the trip! Shannon is really unhappy. She was looking forward to the week away from her mom, and now that won't be happening. Shannon decides that there's no way she's going on the trip if her mother is, so what does she do? Purposely flunk her French final. That brings her average down below where it needs to be to qualify for the trip, so there won't be any Paris for Shannon. She tells her friends that she just didn't study hard enough and choked, and they seem to believe it. Her mother doesn't, though, but she doesn't seem to get that she herself is the reason Shannon flunked that test.

Mrs. Kilbourne puts Shannon in charge of the house and the younger girls during the day while she's gone. At first, handling everything is a challenge, but Shannon pretty much gets the hang of it after a few days. Then, she gets bored, and finds herself bossing her sisters around and trying to get involved in their lives in EXACTLY the way that Mrs. Kilbourne had been doing. Shannon starts to understand her mother a little better, and when she gets back from Paris, they have a talk. Mrs. Kilbourne admits that she's been feeling lost, and Shannon suggests that she get a job. Mrs. Kilbourne had been thinking the same thing. Life isn't perfect for the Kilbournes, but things run a little smoother.

Rating: 3

Thoughts and Things

• I found myself really into all the Kilbourne family drama, but totally bored by anything BSC-related. I wish there had been more Shannon books. Maybe even a separate series, a a la California Diaries?


• Who thinks that Tiffany will end up growing something a little more interesting (and a little less legal) than vegetables and flowers in her garden in a few years?


• The difference in the way that 11 year old Tiffany (sitting charge) and 11 year olds Jessi and Mal (sitters) are treated is really obvious in this book.


• This one was published out of order, I think. It's May in this one, but it was fall in the previous book and will still be fall in the next few books. It's almost like it was written around the same time that the Logan books were, but held back until this point in the series.


• I totally understand that Shannon wanted that Paris trip to be "hers," but there's no way I would have given up a trip to Europe just because my mom was going, too. Shannon could have always done what Stacey did in SS#15 and try to stick with groups that were led by other chaperones.
• I take back what I said about Ed McGill and Mr. Kilbourne being friends; they'd be too busy working to hang out!

#78 Claudia and Crazy Peaches

Summary

There's big news in the Kishi family: not only are Russ and Peaches (Claudia's favorite aunt and uncle) finally having a baby, but they're moving back to Stoneybrook! Since their new house won't be ready for month, they're invited to stay with the Kishis. Claudia is really excited about both the move and the new baby; she even asks Mary Anne to give her knitting lessons so she can make a blanket for her new cousin.

At first, Claudia loves having Peaches around. They go shopping for baby stuff together, and then decide to go to the movies on the spur of the moment. Claud is more than happy to put off doing her homework to spend time with her aunt...at least at first. Then, it starts to happen all the time. First, Peaches wants to cook a gourmet dinner for the Kishi family, and she wants Claudia's help with the grocery shopping, planning, cooking and serving. Then, Peaches needs Claud to look at baby catalogues with her, and to help her with pre-natal excersises. Claudia's worried about her grades, but she just can't say no to Peaches. The last straw comes late one Friday night, when Peaches wakes Claudia up at 11:30pm and asks her to go for a pizza. They go, but don't leave a note for the Kishis. When they get home, Claudia's mother is up and FURIOUS. The bulk of her wrath is directed at Claudia, about not only leaving in the middle of the night without leaving a note but for her slipping grades as well. Claud finally snaps; she yells that she's trying to keep up with her homework, but that every time she tries to sit down and study, Peaches needs something. Claudia runs off to her room without giving anyone a chance to reply.

Things are cordial but tense between Claudia and Peaches after Claudia's outburst, but Peaches doesn't really stop asking Claud to do stuff with her. Peaches can see that Claudia is stressed out, and calls her a "sulky teenager" and tells her to get over herself. After that, Claudia doesn't even want to finish the blanket she started, but Mary Anne encourages her to keep working on it, even though she's mad at Peaches. After all, the blanket is for the baby, and Claud isn't mad at him/her.

Claudia eventually realizes that she's not being a particularly good friend and niece to Peaches, so she comes home from a sitting job, intending to apologize. When she gets there, she finds the house empty except for a sad Janine. Mr. and Mrs. Kishi and Russ and Peaches are all at the hospital; Peaches had a miscarriage. Claudia feels awful; she's sure her outburst made Peaches so upset that she los the baby. When Peaches comes home from the hospital the next day, Claudia apologizes to her. Peaches assures her that it's not her fault, and that those things just happen sometimes, as sad as it is. Claudia shows her the blanket she'd been working on, and tells Peaches that she'll save it for the next baby.

Subplot: the BSC has just started sitting for Natalie Springer, who has friendship issues. She doesn't seem to have any her own age, and she clings to the members of the BSC instead. The club comes up with ideas to help her make friends, but when they watch Natalie interact with other kids; it's obvious why she can't make any friends on her own. Natalie is bossy and demanding, and tends to get shut out of activities because of it. The girls come up with some ways of helping Natalie overcome her bad friendship habits, and by the end of the book, she's bonded with Becca and Charlotte.

Rating: 2.5

Thoughts and Things

• The company that helps Peaches and Russ move into their new house is Bohren's Movers. Kristy wore a Bohren's t-shirt way back in #7. There's some continuity for you!


• I had to have pizza for dinner last night after reading this book.


• When Claudia first tells Mary Anne that she wants to make a blanket, Mary Anne tells her that a blanket is too tough and that she should try booties instead. I don't know much about knitting, but wouldn't a blanket actually be easier? After all, you have to knit booties into an actual shape; a blanket is just square. Maybe someone out there who knits can set me straight....


• When Claud tells the BSC about Peaches' pregnancy, they all decide they're going to help her by taking her for walks, playing classical music for the baby, and speaking French to it. Do they really think a pregnant woman that most of them don't even know is going to want the help of a bunch of 13-year-olds?


• Are Peaches and Russ supposed to be rich? It seemed like Peaches spent an awful lot of money in this book...