#43 - Stacey's Emergency

Timeline: 
Nothing really mentioned, so we will assume late winter/early spring of their 2nd 8th grade year.

Plot:
Stacey hasn't been feeling well in a long time, and then she goes off the rails with her diet and starts eating candy/chocolate on the daily (she's diabetic in case you forgot). She goes to visit her dad in New York and winds up in the hospital for TWO ENTIRE WEEKS. Basically while her cheating on her diet didn't help anything, it wasn't the main cause for her entire body to break down. They get her blood sugar under control and send her back to Stoneybrook, where she has to be out of school for another week.

Oh, and while in the hospital Stacey's parents hate each other and can't be in the room together. Then Stacey demands they both stay there, and gets all pissed off when they start fighting. So she kicks them both out.

Side story is that Charlotte, her favorite sitting charge, loses her mind bc Stacey is in the hospital and becomes a hypochondriac. But then when Stacey gets out of the hospital she is fine.

Takeaways:
The BSC members take a train to visit Stacey, and the first thing Kristy does is make fun of Stacey for whining. I mean...Stacey is a whiner, but she is also in the hospital and you came to visit her. That just rubbed me the wrong way.

At the beginning of this book, everyone was acting like it was the biggest deal in the world that Stacey was going to New York. Doesn't she do this all the time? I thought she visited her dad often.

Stacey's biggest complaint with the hospital (besides the food) is that no one knew or cared who she was. I realize New York hospitals are much bigger than the ones in Omaha, but when I was in the hospital for an entire week, everyone knew who I was. And not just because I was known as a difficult patient. But because they are in the medical field and patient care if their fucking job.

When Stacey eats chocolate, she acts like my sister Amanda does when she eats hamburgers (shout out to you, Amanda, because I know you're the only person who reads this blog).

Best character: 

Um. Probably Laine, because she visits Stacey in the hospital every day and brings her presents. Also, she keeps the BSC members pretty well informed of everything that is happening. 

Worst character:

Stacey's parents both kinda suck. They can't put their differences aside long enough to support Stacey in the hospital. And Stacey kinda sucks, because she's fucking eating chocolate on the daily but doesn't bother to tell anyone when she feels like she might die. Also, Charlotte, for turning Stacey's illness into something that is all about her. But she's only 8, so I guess she gets a pass. 

#42 - Jessi and the Dance School Phantom

Timeline: 
Nothing is really mentioned, so we can assume it's right after the 2nd Valentine's Day of their 8th grade/6th grade year.

Plot:
Jessi gets the lead role of Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty at her ballet school. Everyone in the class is super jealous of her, but someone takes it a little too far. This psycho hose beast, or "Dance School Phantom" leaves threatening notes, steals Jessi's expensive ballet attire, returns it but destroys it first, and leaves her a thorny rose. It's downright terrifying.

With the help of the BSC, Jessi narrows down her list of suspects to three. Finally, she figures out it is this bitch, Hilary, who hates dancing but her mom makes her do it and she is basically in trouble at home for losing the starring role to Jessi. Hilary apologizes, begs her not to tell anyone and Jessi agrees but holds it over her head to make her behave.

While all of this is happening, the BSC is planning a pet show for the neighborhood kids. All the kids start fighting about whose pet will win, and Jessi comes up with the idea to give all the kids a prize for their pet. Everyone is happy.

Jessi dances her dance, and she kills it.

The end.


Takeaways:
Okay you guys...I legit broke down in tears at the end of the book when Jessi is amazing in her role. Her sister and the BSC bring roses to the stage. It is making me teary eyed now.

I cannot believe how these girls never ask adults for help. You know what I would have down after the first terrifying note? Showed my parents. Who would have made me show my teacher. The end.

I really don't have much else to say about this book. It was mostly about Jessi trying to catch this phantom. She catches her by asking her to make a sign for her, and Hilary pulls out the same marker (calligraphy) as what was used on the notes. It was kind of stupid. Like why didn't Hilary just be all "yeah so? a lot of people have these pens?" Plus, how lucky is it she happened to grab the same marker. I don't know. The whole thing seemed dumb and anticlimactic.

Best character: 

Probably Jessi, because we really didn't spend time with any other characters in this book. And she did make me cry with her beautiful dancing at the end. 

Worst character:

I mean, obviously Hilary, the dance school phantom. But Becca also bothered me during this book, constantly bitching that all she had to enter in the pet show was their hamster. Be thankful you have a pet at all, Becca!

#41 MaryAnne vs Logan

Timeline: 
We've skipped all the holidays and jumped right to February, specifically Valentine's Day - so their second Valentine's Day of their 8th grade year.

Plot:
MaryAnne loves Logan, but lately she's been feeling smothered by him. He always takes the lead and plans all their dates, tries to convince her to ditch her friends/babysitting jobs to hang out with him, etc. On a particularly freezing day when MA just wants to stay inside and read, he randomly shows up at her house so they can go ice skating, build snowmen, make snow angels, etc. MaryAnne begs him to take her home, and he gets all huffy.

She decides they need to chill out so she can think, so she tells him she wants to cool off their relationship for awhile. He gets mad, but has no choice but to do it. So a few weeks go by, and then he calls during a BSC meeting and asks her to babysit on Valentine's Day. She agrees, but when she gets there it's a romantic date night Logan has arranged. She reminds him that she wanted to cool off for awhile, and he's all "we did, that's over now". So MA is frustrated.

Finally, she decides enough is enough. So she asks him to go to the park, and she dumps him.

Also, Jenny Prezzizo's mom is having a baby, and Jenny is a huge brat about it until the baby is born, and then she is obsessed with her sister.

Takeaways:
It's weird how MA is such a follower, but she gets mad when Logan plans everything for her.

Also, it's kind of creepy that Logan wants to "show everyone what a great couple they are" when they are ice skating. It's just weird for an 8th grade boy to care about "showing" people what a great couple he and his 8th grade girlfriend are.

Best character: 

I don't even know. I guess MA because she finally stands up for herself?

Worst character:

There really isn't a worst character. Logan is kind of overbearing, but then he cries when he gets dumped so that's sad. I guess I will say Jenny, because she's quite the little b word about her new sister coming. 

#40 - Claudia and the Middle School Mystery

Timeline: 
No real timeline is mentioned, so we will assume between Halloween and Thanksgiving of their second 8th grade year.

Plot:
Claudia has a math test coming up and it's a big one. Janine has been helping her study and Claudia feels good about it. She takes the test and when she gets it back, she earned a 94%! Say what?!

After class her and another girl, Shawna Riverson, get called up to the front. Turns out they both got the exact same grade and got the exact same questions wrong in the exact same way. One of them cheated. Shawna instantly is like "not it" and the teacher lets her go. With Claudia's shitty school history, obviously it's her, right? She doesn't really say anything and leaves.

The principal calls her parents, who kind of believe that Claudia cheated and then Janine is like "aw hell no." Claudia, Janine and the BSC girls make it a goal to prove Shawna is the cheater. Claudia even overhears Shawna in the bathroom with her bitchy friends admitting she cheated. So now they just have to prove it.

They break into Shawna's locker, find an incriminating note, but realize they can't do anything with it. Claudia does some dumb shit in class, making herself look like a moron and trying to get Shawna to admit it, but of course she doesn't. Finally Janine has had enough and goes to the principal herself. The principal and the teacher decide to let Claudia retake the test, which she does and scores even better. Then the teacher confronts Shawna, who just loses it and admits to everything. Problem solved!

The other plot is that the Pike triplets break another window playing ball but won't fess up as to which one did it. Mallory has them re-enact the event, they see that it's really all of their faults, and their parents unground them and take them out to celebrate their ungrounding.

Takeaways:

Why was it just okay for the teacher to take Shawna's word for it? He should have either given them both F's or made them both retake the test that minute.

The Pike triplets break a window and won't rat each other out. Mallory has them re-enact it. I don't think they point was that they couldn't remember who did it, I think it was that they didn't want to rat on each other. The whole thing was stupid. And the stupidest part? Their parents took them out to celebrate after they finally were like "it's all of our faults".

Janine is like the best big sister ever.

Claudia got two parties after she passed the retake. 

Best character: 

Janine!!

Worst character:
Duh, obvi Shawna Riverson is a fucking bitch.

#39 - Poor Mallory

Timeline: 
In the last book, it was Halloween. Now it's warm enough for Mallory to be at the pool everytime she babysits Amanda and Max. Maybe it's just a really warm October?

Plot:
Mallory's dad gets laid off from his job. The family is all worried about money, so the six kids start coming up with ways to help with the family finances. The BSC gives Mallory all the jobs she can handle, including a ton at the Delaney's, who live in Kristy's neighborhood. They are super rich and snobby, and have a pool.

The problem at the Delaney's is that they always have a bunch of "friends" over to swim, but when Amanda and Max get sick of swimming and want to do other things, the "friends" are like "fuck this, I'm out" and they just leave, hurting the Delaney's feelings.

Meanwhile at the Pike's, Mal's dad starts off seriously job hunting, but then falls into a bit of a "I'm gonna stay in my pajamas, watch tv and drink all day" phase. Mallory starts to worry, but then Mrs. Pike comes home and lays the hammer down. The next day, Mr. Pike is elbow deep with a craft project with Clair. Then Mallory starts to worry even more, that maybe her dad wants to just stay at home and then the family will be poor forever.

Meanwhile, at the Delaney's, Mal and Amanda come up with a way to "test" the bitchy kids who are using Amanda for her pool. Amanda invited a bunch of kids over but says now they can't swim if a babysitter is in charge. The non-friends don't show up. Problem solved.

Also, Mr. Pike gets a job. Problem solved.

Takeaways:
I love when Mallory walks about her dad being at home, in his sweats, with a "glass of something." Um, Mal, it's whiskey.

I was laid off for almost 8 week back in 2008. I remember how annoyed I would get when everyone would ask me about the job hunt. Yes, I am still looking. I'm always looking. It's all I ever think about. Now gtfo.

I want a house with a pool SO BAD.

I love how all the Pike kids panic and try to make money. Mal baby-sits, of course. The triplets start a company and do odd jobs for people. Nicky makes does a paper route and makes more money than almost all of them. Claire and Margo do like a lemonade stand thing, and Vanessa styles girls' hair on the playground and calls herself Miss Vanessa.

Best character: 

Mrs. Pike because she has to hold everyone together when Mr. Pike goes off the rails. Also Mallory, because she was a really good big sister during this time. 

Worst character:
I mean, obviously Amanda and Max's bitchy friends who were using them for their pool.