#71 Claudia and the Perfect Boy

Summary

Claudia really, really wants a boyfriend. She wants one so much that after she sees Mary Anne and Logan getting all gooey with each other after school, she runs right up to her room and starts hugging herself. Is that what they called it back in the 90's? Anyway, Claudia decides she needs to make a list of all the qualities she wants in her perfect guy so she'll recognize him when he comes along. Here's the list, spelling mistakes not included:

• handsome


• muscles (not too many, not too few)


• taller than me


• funny (extremely)


• athletic
  
• sensitive


• easy to talk to (a good listener)


• interesting (lots to say)


• artistic


• good dresser


• good speller (willing to correct mine)


• not critical


• crazy about me

Stacey spends that night at Claudia's, and Claudia confesses about the list. She and Stacey decide that SMS needs a personals column in their school newspaper, and Claudia goes to Emily Bernstein (I spelled it right this time!!!) the following Monday and suggests the column. Emily loves it, and Claudia is now the official author of "Claudia's Personals."

Claudia is worried about getting enough letters to fill her column, but she didn't need to worry at all. In fact, there's TOO many! Not only does Claudia have to pick and choose the best ones to use, but she has to edit those down quite a bit. She's alos scanning all the letters for her own perfect match, and in the first batch, she finds two possibilities. She prints the letters, just to be fair, but makes sure her responses are among the first that the guys will get. One guy turns out to be none other than Alan Gray. Claudia doesn't particularly want to date him (at least, not yet), so she lies and says she knows another girl who's crazy about him, and she'd be betraying that girl if she went out with him. The second ad is from a guy named Brian Hall, who Claudia knows by sight only. They meet for lunch at the Rosebud, but the date doesn't go well. They don't really have anything to say to each other, and even though he's nice enough, Claudia knows he's not right for her. Back to the drawing board...

"Claudia's Personals" has made the SMS newspaper more popular than ever. They've had to order more copies of the paper, and Claudia even has a second column now. It's called "Claudia Advises," and it came about when Claud started to notice that certain people sounded like they were made for each other from what they wrote in their ads. So, Claudia is now a matchmaker. Too bad she can't match herself up with anyone. She answers a third letter, from a guy named Rock who doesn't even go to SMS. He ends up having some kind of Asian fetish, plus a tattoo that Claudia doesn't exactly love, and he calls her a chick. Date #4 is with Kurt, who plays video games for an hour after their movie date. Claudia then places her own ad, but it doesn't get the kind of responses she wants at first. Then, one comes through from someone who sounds just perfect. The trouble is, he doesn't include any contact information with his letter, so Claud has no way of getting in contact with him. He sends a second letter telling her that he'll reveal himself at the right time, which just makes Claudia more and more frustrated. That's when Stacey confesses that SHE was the one sending the letters. She just wanted to make Claudia feel better, but it backfired; Claud ends up mad. They make up pretty quickly, though, and Claud figures that it might be best to put her man hunt on hold for the time being.

Also, the Barretts have to get rid of Pow because Marnie is allergic to pet dander. Suzi and Buddy are understandably upset by this, but when the Pikes agree to take him, it makes things a little better.

Rating: 3

Thoughts and Things

• I'm totally with Suzi and Buddy on the whole Pow thing. There are ways to get around allergies, and Pow HAD been with the family longer than Marnie. I'm mean....


• This book was published in 1994, and I find it hard to believe that Claudia didn't know how to use a computer for writing purposes, and didn't know what a spellchecker was. I turned 13 in 1994, and I'd been using computers in school since I was 8, if not younger.


• In the beginning of the book, Claudia is wearing a pink and yellow outfit, but later on, she says she doesn't look good in pink. Okay then.


• Am I the only one who finds it weird that both Claudia and Jessi wrote for the school newspaper, but Mallory the writer apparently never did?


• If this book were written today, Claudia would totally have started an internet dating site for teens, not a newspaper column. I wonder how they'd keep the creeps out, though?

Finally, Sadako was kind enough to give me a blog award! As part of it, I need to list 10 things that make me happy (in no particular order):

1. Christmas
2. Dogs

3. Celtic Thunder (http://www.celticthunder.ie/)

4. Knowing that people are actually reading this blog!

5. Getting a really good night's sleep

6. London (I would SO move there...)

7. Making a batch of cookies that turns out really, really well

8. My hair, when it behaves itself (don't worry, that's my only shallow one!)

9. Having a clean apartment

10. Snow, in moderation

Now, I need to nominate 10 blogs to receive this award. For some reason, Blogger won't let me post the picture of the award, but if you're curious, you an go to Dibbly Fresh (find the link in my "Other Fun Blogs" section) and get the picture there.

1.childrenofthenineties.blogspot.com - Very nostalgic!

2.mytravelrambling.blogspot.com - The BSC got a mention in the most recent entry.

3. blog.stoneybrookite.org - Greer doesn't update all that often, but when she does, she's always got something thoughtful to say.

4. postsecret.blogspot.com - Same as the books; updates every Sunday.

5. overheardinpdx.blogspot.com - People say the weirdest things....

6. bscag.blogspot.com - Another chronological readthrough, but more scholarly than mine. :)

7. 13readingat30.wordpress.com - Good stuff!

8. stoneybrooksmscafe.blogspot.com - More good stuff!

9. whatireadbackthen.blogspot.com - Good variety of book reviews.

10. thedairiburger.com - This is actually where I found most of the links to YOUR blogs!