#105 - Stacey the Math Whiz

Timeline
Winter of their 7th repeat

Plot
Stacey is very good at math, in case you didn't know. So good, in fact, that she tutors one of the BSC charges who sucks at it. Also, she's so good that she is constantly being asked to be on the Mathletes team at SMS. She finally gives in. She's so good.

In the meantime, her dad randomly appears in Stoneybrook. Turns out that he has lost his job, so he buys a new car and decides to spend all this time with Stacey. He calls himself "New Dad" and vows that he is done being a workaholic. He is around, but he is also very demanding and doesn't bother asking if Stacey wants to do things, he just demands.

The Mathletes are super stars, and end up at the state tournament. Stacey's dad buys her concert tickets on the same night of the first tournament (its a best of three thing) and at first Stacey says she can't go to the tournament bc she doesn't want to hurt her dad's feelings. But then she decides fuck it, and tells her dad she can't go. He agrees, and comes to the tournament. They win, and the team wants to go out to celebrate. Stacey immediately calls the BSC and invites them too. But then her fucking dad demands her and her mom go with him, so she ditches all her friends and goes with him, where he tells them he got a new job and has to miss the rest of the state finals. She is disappointed and frustrated and takes it out on her friends. They call her on it, Stacey cries and then they all hug.

SMS ends up winning the state championships, and Stacey has like the highest score of all time. Her dad disappears again.

Oh, also, Claudia is tutoring the kid that Stacey doesn't have time to tutor anymore, and of course because this is Stoneybrook, the whole town is obsessed with math now, so the kids have a math fair. And Claudia ends up being an amazing tutor because her brain works like a nine year olds.

Takeaways
These books are so ridiculous with how whatever the babysitters are doing, the entire town becomes obsessed with it too. A math fair?

Stacey's dad sucks. And why would he buy a new car when he 1. doesn't drive a car because he lives in New York, and 2. just lost his fucking job

Best Character
Claudia, who is terrified to tutor but does it anyway and is amazing at it

Worst Character
Stacey's fucking dad

#104 - Abby's Twin

Timeline
January of their 7th repeat

Plot
The eighth grade girls all get tested for scoliosis. All the girls are okay except Abby and her sister, Anna. They have to go to a specialist, where it turns out Abby is okay, but Anna has a curved spine and needs to get fitted to wear a brace for the next few years. Abby feels terrible and decides it is her job to make Anna feel better about things, even though Anna makes it very very clear she wants to be left alone to deal with this on her own.

The subplot of this book is that the BSC is planning a winter festival to help the neighborhood get through the winter blues. Abby immediately volunteers Anna to help, and Anna is super annoyed. Then Abby goes clothes shopping for Anna, but only buys clothes that Abby would like. Anna is super annoyed. Then Abby creepily goes and gets the exact same haircut as Abby. Anna is SUPER annoyed. They finally have it out in the hallway at school and stop speaking.

It looks like the winter festival isn't going to work out bc there is no snow, but then, of course, it starts snowing the day of. They hold it and it's amazing. Then Anna comes to the festival and the twins make up. The end.

Takeaways
Abby is so annoying in this book. She takes Stacey with her to buy the clothes for Anna, and Stacey keeps telling her it's not stuff Anna would like, but she won't listen.

Also, Abby keeps awkwardly asking Anna if she can try on her brace.

I already knew so much about scoliosis because of the book Deenie by Judy Blume.

Can't these babysitters ever just relax? They seriously have to hold a winter festival?

Best Character
Anna is probably the best, because she has to deal with this health issue and her sister is super annoying and dumb about it, and she doesn't lose her cool until far into the book.

Worst Character
Freaking Abby and her straight spine.

#103 - Happy Holidays, Jessi!

Timeline
Christmas of their seventh repeat

Plot
It’s Christmas time again, and for the first time in seven years Jessi’s family is going to celebrate Kwanzaa. The BSC knows nothing about it, so Jessi, an 11 year old, decides to hold a community Kwanzaa event to teach people.

In the meantime, Aunt Cecilia is being a huge bitch. So Jessi’s dad finally loses his shit on her and tells her to stop being such a controlling tyrant in his house. She takes the kids to the mall and Squirt is in the backseat throwing a fit, so for some ridiculous fucking reason AC tells Jessi to unhook his car seat. Which she does. And of course that’s the exact moment she gets rear ended and Squirt ends up on the floor of the car, blacked out. He ends up in the hospital for over a week. The whole family brawls about it.

Then Kwanzaa comes. Of course the festival is a huge success, and the family finally talks everything out over Kwanzaa dinner. The end.

Takeaways
Aunt Cecilia is such a bitch. I do not understand why she is allowed to act like that or live in their house.

Mallory and her dad bring a Christmas tree over to Jessi’s house bc they haven’t had time to get one. It was so nice. She also babysits on Christmas Day bc Becca has the flu and can’t go to the hospital to see Squirt.

Again, I can’t get over that as an eleven year old Jessi plans a community event and is taken seriously.

Best Character
Mallory for sure.

Worst Character
Aunt Cecilia obviously.

#102 - Mary Anne and the Little Princess

Timeline
Thanksgiving of their 7th repeat

Plot
For some reason, a princess moves to Stoneybrook. Her parents are very important people who are gone a lot, so the BSC gets called for someone to be a "companion" for the young princess. Not a baby-sitter, necessarily, because her nanny and driver are always around. Mary Anne gets the job. The princess starts to grow on her, but she is pretty snotty and stand-offish, so the kids of Stoneybrook really want nothing to do with her. A bunch of the baby-sitters take her and a bunch of kids (and the nanny, for some reason) to a football game and it doesn't go well.

After that, Stacey, Kristy, MA and the princess (and the nanny and the driver) go on an afternoon trip to New York City. They are supposed to meet the princess's parents for dinner, but they are too busy so they just say hello and then send them on their way. The princess gets super pissed. Plus the nanny is a total blow-hard and doesn't want to walk or do anything fun. The girls ditch her for awhile.

During this entire time, MA's dad has been out of town. Sharon has started referring to herself as Mom with MA and kind of tries to turn her into Dawn. So MA kind of understands misses her parents and also people not just loving her for who she is. So she relates to the princess, and she gets better.

MA has a talk with Sharon, not necessarily about her acting like MA is Dawn, but just about how Sharon has lost a lot people she loves and she's kind of gripping on to MA bc she loves her so much. So that's all better. For Thanksgiving, MaryAnne's dad comes home and they also invite over the princess, the nanny and the driver. And Dawn comes home!

The end.

Takeaways
This book was pretty boring.

The nanny never left the princess's side, yet they needed a babysitter too. It was weird.

By the end of the book, MA was referring to Sharon as Mom. It was kind of nice.

Also, Dawn coming home was a surprise for Sharon, and I legit teared up a little when Sharon saw her.

Best Character
I would say Sharon. I mean, girl has been through a lot. BOTH of her kids ditched her for her ex-husband.

Worst Character
That nanny was pretty insufferable.

#101 - Claudia Kishi, Middle School Dropout

Timeline
Halloween of their 7th repeat

Plot
Claudia sucks at school. I mean, this is her 7th repeat of 8th grade and it is the worst one yet. Not only does she not understand the material in any of her classes, but she doesn't care. Like...she does not have one fuck to give. Except for her art class, of course, which is where she learns about a famous artist who is coming to the local college to teach a course. Her art teacher encourages her to apply, which she does.

On the same day she learns from her math teacher that she really truly sucks and has to have her parents sign her failed quiz, she learns that she made it into the class. She talks to them about school, and also asks for permission to take the art class. They agree to let her, but she has to hire a tutor. They hire Janine's friend, Rosa. Rosa really helps Claudia, but she is still bombing everything. Finally, the principal decides that Claudia has to go back and take 7th grade again.

At first this oddly isn't the worst thing in the world - Claudia is doing really well in her classes, all the 7th graders look up to her, and her art class is going amazingly. But then the principal delivers the blow that she can't go to the 8th grade dance and Claudia gets super depressed. She doesn't even tell anyone in her family or any of her friends about the art show, which she wins 1st place. Then finally she realizes, who gives a fuck if she is one grade below her friends? They still love her. So she gets over it.

The side story is that Jackie Rodowsky is in the hospital still due to his head injury from the last book. Kristy goes to visit him and sees all the sad kids, so she creates a "Hospital Buddy" program with the kids in Stoneybrook. It ends with a Halloween party for all of them.

Takeaways
This is yet another example of a title that makes no sense - Claudia at no point talks or mentions dropping out of middle school.

It seems super stupid that the 6th and 7th graders have an after school Halloween party and the 8th graders get a dance.

Also, since Claudia, Mallory and Jessi can't go to the dance, they get asked to take all the kids in Stoneybrook trick or treating. Where the fuck are the parents? Like NONE of them want to take their kids trick or treating?

When Jackie gets out of the hospital, his mom calls the BSC just to tell them he is out, but she wants him to take it easy for awhile. What is the BSC's answer to that? Throwing him a party.

It is so so frustrating how much of a complete dumbass Claudia is. And she does not even attempt to be better.

Also, this book was so good about bringing up things from the past and being consistent. It even talked about how the BSC breakup just happened, and things are still kind of awkward at meetings.

Best Character
Claudia's parents, for letting her take the art class. I don't know that I would have made that choice as a parent.

Worst Character
Claudia because it is so so so so so so sosososososo frustrating how stupid she is and she doesn't even try.

#100 - Kristy's Worst Idea

Timeline
The seventh repeat just started.

Plot
The new (seventh repeat of the same grade) school year just started and everyone is back from vacations. Kristy wants to do something huge to beat out the festival Abby did while she was president and her idea is horrible. She wants to like hang apples from trees and do a fall festival. No one wants to. Kristy gets extremely butthurt about it, then everyone starts having conflicts with meeting times and she gets even more butthurt. When babysitting Jackie he falls out of a tree and hurts his ankle, so then she feels like a shitty babysitter as well.

That same day there is a meeting where people are late and talking about conflicts with jobs and meeting times. Kristy blows her wad and starts saying super shitty things, which leads to her threatening to just shut the whole club down. What she wasn’t expecting was everyone to tell her that’s a great idea. So they SHUT THE CLUB DOWN.

Three weeks come and go and everyone misses the club but no one is ready to get back together. Other girls in town start taking some jobs. Finally Jackie ends up in the hospital and they all end up there. It ends up Jackie was riding his bike to Kristy’s to apologize for making the club break up when he fell out of the tree.

Kristy calls a meeting and suggests getting back together. They all admit they miss it and get back together.

Takeaways
Kristy is a huge bitch to her friends. Like she says Jessi has to choose between ballet and the BSC when her lessons switch to Friday’s. Um, get over yourself Kristy.

I wonder why this version of 8th grade is so much harder than the previous six.

I have a hard time believing the kids in Stoneybrook really give a shit about the BSC. Like Jamie Newton, a 4 year old, shuns Claudia and Stacey bc he’s mad they broke up.

Best Character
I seriously don’t even know. They are all morons. Maybe Logan bc he calls Kristy out when she’s being a psycho hose beast at the meeting when they all break up.

Worst Character
Kristy because of the way she talks to her friends.

#99 - Stacey's Broken Heart

Timeline
The last few weeks of summer before their seventh repeat

Plot
Stacey and Robert are still seeing each other. She is going to spend a week in New York so she can babysit one of her old clients when the parents get ready for an art show. Robert gets kind of shady right before she leaves - not answering her calls, lying about where he’s going. One of Stacey’s side friends calls to tell her she saw Robert at dinner with another girl. But then the morning she leaves he shows up with flowers and goes with her to the train station so he must love her right?

While in New York, Stacey meets Ethan who is helping with the art show. Then Claudia calls to tell her that Robert is officially cheating with a girl named Andi. Stacey is upset but then like....hmmm maybe this is for the better. She exchanges numbers with Ethan before she leaves.

When she gets home, Andi shows up and Stacey is like it’s fine, he’s all yours. Then Robert calls her and they break up.

Side story is that Kristy is on vacation so Abby is acting president and she’s a complete fucking moron. She changes all the rules and tries to plan a festival in a week. It bombs. Everyone thinks Kristy is a better president even though she’s overbearing and bossy.

Takeaways
I can’t handle how grown up this relationship was when these KIDS are 13.

Stacey’s dad tries telling Stacey she needs to settle down about Robert and she gets all pissy about it. Which just proves she’s not mature enough for this serious of a relationship.

The girl Robert cheats with is one of the girls Stacey was hanging out with when she got kicked out of the BSC. She had since stopped hanging out with them and convinced Robert they were bad girls too. That has to hurt.

Best Character
Claudia. She goes spying on Robert with Stacey, then she’s the one who has to call her in New York to tell her it’s official, he’s cheating. That sucks.

Worst Character
It’s a tie between the cheater Robert and Abby, the worst president ever.

#98 - Dawn and Too Many Sitters

Timeline
Summer after their 6th repeat

Plot
Dawn and Jeff head to Stoneybrook to spend the summer. Right away the BSC learns about a trip to Hawaii, sponsored by the school, that will allow SMS students to go to $500. Non-SMS students can sign up on a waiting list.

They all decide they want to go, and they convince their parents to let them. Even Dawn’s mom, who just paid to fly her daughter home for the summer. The catch is they have to pay for half the trip themselves. They start babysitting like crazy and selling all their shit. Finally, a 4th of July carnival puts them over the top. They all get a spot, even Dawn.

The ten year old triplets and Jeff decide that they want to be Baby-Sitters and ask the girls if they can go in jobs and train. The BSC agrees, but it’s a disaster. The boys act like fucking immature morons and make the jobs harder for the girls. Finally the club decides to fire them, but the boys quit first.

Takeaways
When I saw this was a Dawn book I was so annoyed. Thank God she was in Stoneybrook almost the whole time.

Stacey says “what am I, chopped liver?” And Dawn explains that Stacey picked up that expression in New York...nope.

I can’t believe how immature the boys act on the sitting jobs and I don’t understand why this stupid arrangement didn’t get cancelled right away.

Also, Dawn continues to be the most selfish person alive. As soon as she gets to her moms she is begging to leave again.

On a side note, $500 for a trip to Hawaii, and that includes airfare and hotel? Nope.

Best Character
Kristy and Mallory, because even though they can’t go on the trip, they still help the girls raise money.

Worst Character
The boys for thinking they could be Baby-Sitters when they are still little jerky ten year old boys.

#97 - Claudia and the World's Cutest Baby

Timeline
May of their sixth repeat

Plot
Claudia’s Aunt Peaches has a baby girl. She is named Lynn, after Claudia’s middle name. They also ask Claudia to be the godmother. As soon as they get home, Claudia goes into hyper manic behavior, constantly hanging out, correcting Peaches on her parenting skills, staying for dinner, etc. finally Peaches has a mini meltdown and tells Claudia she needs some space. Claudia does not take it well and she storms out of the house.

It’s perfect timing because Claudia is leaving for a class trip to Philadelphia. She spends the weekend in the city and this girl from her class, Melissa, is always hanging out her. Since this girl is not in the BSC, she obviously can’t be allowed in so Stacey, Abby and Claudia are all annoyed with her. Melissa convinces Claudia to leave the group to go to a museum and they get lost. Then they get in trouble and Claudia lashes out at her. On the bus ride home, melissa apologizes for being a pest, and somehow Claudia makes the connection that she was also a pest to Peaches. She calls and apologizes and everything is fine.

The side story is pretty lame - the Arnold twins see a documentary on how to make a horror film and decide to make their own.

Takeaways
It’s crazy how blind these girls are to how their know it all parenting skills might be off putting to actual adults. Like Claudia didn’t think Peaches and her husband would make it the weekend without her.

I want to go to Philadelphia and run up the Rocky stairs.

I don’t know why it was just okay for Claudia to go to Peaches house every day. At 13 she never has to tell her parents where she is going? Like her mom should have just said no, you aren’t going, you’re being annoying leave them alone.

It’s so annoying to me that they took a school trip to Philadelphia and spent the afternoon in a fucking mall.

Best Character
Peaches, for giving birth at the beginning of this story and not snapping on Claudia for quite awhile. I would have freaked on her on day one.

Worst Character
Probably Claudia for being stupid about how stupid she was acting. And also being mean to a girl who just wants to be friends with her.

#96 - Abby's Lucky Thirteen

Timeline
Spring of their sixth repeat

Plot
Abby and her twin sister, Anna are preparing for their Bat Mitzvah. Abby is super stressed and she bombs a math test because of it. Her mom sides with Abby and goes to the school and yells at her teacher. Abby continues on her merry way, preparing for her BM, playing soccer, babysitting and ignoring math. So of course she’s not ready for her next math test. Some kid offers her a study guide for three bucks, which she happily pays for and then studies it all night. When she gets the test the next day, she is shocked to see she didn’t buy a study guide, she bought a copy of the test!

When she gets her test back, she misses one question - and unfortunately so do five other people in her class. And they all missed it in the same way. Her teacher accuses them all of cheating and suspends them all for three days. Abby goes back to the classroom later and tries to tell her the truth but she doesn’t buy it. Abby doesn’t want to tell her mom she’s suspended so she just hides out, but her mom catches her on the last day. She gets grounded for a month, but her mom wants to talk to the teacher again.

The next day Abby catches Mary Anne buying a “study guide” from the same kid, so they both go to the teacher to explain. The teacher believes them this time. Abby feels better and her BM goes off beautifully.

The side story in this book is that all the neighborhood kids are grounded from their televisions, so they all start acting out their favorite tv shows.

Takeaways
I realize it’s probably disrespectful to call a Bat Mitzvah a “BM” but that’s a lot to type out and I’m on my iPad.

Abby doesn’t even tell the BSC about her suspension because she says they “aren’t that close”. Interesting.

I love that the kids all got grounded from their TVs. So they have to actually play. Now kids get grounded from their electronics and have to just watch tv.

I don't understand how a teacher can decide to suspend a group of students for three days. Doesn't something like that need to come from the principal?

Best Character
Probably Mary Anne because she’s incredibly shy but goes to the math teacher and explains what happened and stands up for her and Abby.

Worst Character
That dick who sold them both a copy of the test and lied about it.