#116 Abby and the Best Kid Ever

Summary

There's big news in Stoneybrook: the McNallys are moving to Stoneybrook. That means that Lou McNally, aka the Worst Kid Ever, will once again be a BSC charge. The Papadakises call the BSC to get a sitter for Lou and her brother, Jay, while their aunt and uncle unpack some of their stuff, and Abby is the lucky winner. She's not exactly excited; she never met Lou, but she's heard a million stories, and she's expecting a pretty difficult time. Imagine Abby's surprise when she doesn't find a terror waiting for her. Instead, Lou is polite, calm, and seemingly very, very worried about making a good impression. She freaks out when her dog jumps on Abby, and when she drops a glass of water on the floor. This new behavior continues on the day the movers are supposed to come (Abby is there that day, too). Lou is eating a bagel with jelly on it, and she slops some of it onto her shirt. No one but Lou is bothered by it. Later, she goes out of her way to be helpful to the movers, but only ends up getting in the way. So, Abby (along with Stacey and the Rodowskys) take Lou and Jay over to SES, where they find a kickball game in progress. Abby is happy to see Lou join in, but as soon as she gets a little bit of dirt on her, she's out.

In other news, Abby has a big Black History Month project planned, and she's got kids (including Lou) involved. She knows she wants the project to be about the Underground Railroad, but doesn't really know how to structure it. Eventually, she decides to do a documentary-style video about the U.R., and have the kids play the different parts. Lou still seems to be on the fringes of things, so Abby pulls Jay aside to talk to him. He tells her that Lou is afraid that she'll get sent away if she isn't perfect. In spite of this new piece of information, Abby kind of goes off on Lou later about being to uptight. She tells Lou that she needs to lighten up....and Lou takes it to heart, at least temporarily. She wreaks havoc on one of Abby's filming sessions for her project, but by ther next time Abby sits for her at home, she's back to being Ms. Perfect. Then, she drops a dish, it breaks, and Lou flips out. She's convinced that she's going to be sent away. Luckily, her aunt and uncle walk in just then and set her straight.

Subplot: the Addisons are moving away (to Seattle!!!). Sean is convinced that all the BSC members hate him and are glad to see him go, so they feel that it's their job to convince them otherwise.

Rating: 1.5

Thoughts and Things

• This book was really boring.
• I don't like Lou, and I'm surprised that so many people apparently wrote in wanting another story about her.
• I can't believe no one figured out that Lou was acting the way she was out of fear.
• Lou's brother, Jay, is 11, and the BSC is hired to sit for him. He should meet Tiffany Kilbourne and Ben Hobart.
• If I were in the BSC, I'd be throwing a party if Sean Addison was leaving and I didn't have to deal with him anymore.