#27 Jessi and the Superbrat

Timeline: 

Doesn't really say, but school is still in session so we're going to say the end of 6th grade for Jessi and Mal, end of 8th grade for everyone else. 

Plot:

Everyone in Stoneybrook is obsessed with this show on television, PS 162. (I think that's what it's called.) it's a good show, but also one of the main characters is a kid from Stoneybrook, Derek Masters. The Masters family is coming back to town for awhile, and they of course need a babysitter so Jessi takes the job. Derek is nervous about starting school again, and tells Jessi all about this terribly mean boy named John. Jessi works hard at making friends for Derek and it works, pretty soon he has a ton of friends and all is well. He stops talking about John. 

Jessi is also auditioning for a production of Swan Lake. She has to do three try outs, and she starts doubting herself. She tells Derek, and he convinces her that she would be a better model and actress anyway, so forget about ballet. She takes his advice, until she finds out she made it. Then ballet is her first love and all is well again. 

Derek gets a role in a movie, so the family has to move back to California. Jessi and the girls throw him a goodbye party, and Jessi tries to invite John but can't figure out who he is. She asks Derek, who admits he made John up and he was actually being the jerky superbrat. 

Takeaways:
Jessi gets nervous about ballet and thinks she won't get a part in Swan Lake, so she immediately says she doesn't like ballet anyway and wants to be a model. I do that same thing - when I think I'm not going to succeed at something, I claim I wasn't really interested anyway. I am sure a lot of people do this.

There is something kind of creepy about how Jessi keeps saying Derek is her friend. He's like 8 years old. But she is ready to, like, give up her life and move to California with him. 

Best character:
The other baby-sitters really weren't in this book at all. It was very Jessi centered. But I will say the best character is Karen Brewer. Kristy is baby-sitting her, and Karen begs her to meet Derek Masters bc Karen thinks Derek can get her into movies. Kristy refuses, so Karen makes up an entire play about how terrible Kristy is for silencing her talent.

Worst character:
There really isn't a worse character. Jessi gets kind of annoying when she thinks she needs to be a model, but she gets over it relatively quickly. Derek is a brat, but he's 8 and a television star, so that is to be expected. There are some really catty ballerinas trying out for Swan Lake with Jessi, but they don't get parts, so they get their karma. 

 

 

#26 Claudia and the Sad Goodbye

Timeline: 
No real time line mention - I'm assuming end of spring still. They are still in school because Claudia misses a ton of it because of her sad goodbye.

Plot: 
I legit fucking cried through this entire book. I don't even remember really crying as a kid while reading this book.

Claudia's grandma, Mimi, hasn't been doing well since her stroke and things keep getting worse. She has a weird fainting episode at the dinner table one night, so they take her to the ER and she gets admitted. They can't find anything wrong with her, so they send her home. She faints again, goes back to the hospital and dies.

UGHHH.

Also, Claudia and MaryAnne are teaching an art class for neighborhood kids. One of the kids, Cori, gets super attached to Claudia because her parents are always ditching her and they suck. Claudia stands up to her mom and tells her to get her shit together. So she does, and Cori's life is a lot better because of Claudia.

Takeaways:
UGHHH. I seriously could not stop crying through this entire book. I was a mess. I kept thinking about how sad I will be when my grandparents die.

One thing that kind of annoys me about these books is how mature everyone acts. Like - Gabby Perkins is only 2.5, but somehow she can sing, tap dance and take an art class? That is not that much older than my niece Quinn, and there is no way Quinn could just be taking an art class like an adult. Also, Jamie Newton is 4, same age as my nephew, Alex. Jamie is taking the art class and speaks like a grown ass man. I cannot.

Again, I can't emphasize enough how much I cried reading this book.

Also, it mentions how Stacey's parents fight and her dad stays in New York instead of coming to the funeral.

Best character:
Ugh, I don't know.

Actually, it's Janine. When Mimi dies, they just shut her bedroom door and pretend it's not there. But Janine is the one who opens it and kind of forces the family to deal with it, and good thing they did since Mimi had left things for them all in her room. Including an obituary where she listed the DATE AND YEAR OF HER OWN DEATH. Because she knew that.

Worst character:
Mimi, for dying, and destroying my day.

#25 MaryAnne and the Search for Tigger

Timeline: 
No real timeline is mentioned, so we will assume this is like mid-end of May, since the last book was on Mother's Day

Plot: 
MaryAnne is like, scarily obsessed with her cat and for some reason all the neighborhood kids are too. Logan doesn't really get it. He thinks that cat is fine, but gets annoyed when MaryAnne wants to sit outside with all the neighborhood kids and watch the damn cat play. Logan is pretty irritable with MaryAnne through the whole book, actually.

For some reason, though, when MaryAnne has to go across the street to Claudia's, she leaves Tigger outside. Even though she mentions a lot throughout the book how overprotective she is of her cat. So of course, when she comes back, Tigger is missing.

The entire rest of the book involves them looking for Tigger. The piece together $30 as a reward and hang up posters. They get a lead, they think, but it's just some kid messing with them. They pull off an elaborate prank on the kid who is fucking with them, but it still ends up with the same dreary, sad conclusion - Tigger is missing. Because Mary left him outside.

Then one afternoon MaryAnne is babysitting for Logan's brother and sister, and she finds Tigger in Logan's sister's closet. Ends up she found Tigger on the side of the road (MaryAnne's fault) and took him home to prove to her parents she is responsible enough to have a pet, and that it wouldn't affect Hunter, her brother's allergies. She was wrong on all accounts. So was MaryAnne, for leaving her fucking cat outside in the first place.

Oh, and MaryAnne is convinced Logan knew where Tigger was the whole time, and that's why he's been so moody. But really he didn't know, he's just mad about baseball. So they make up.

Takeaways:
This book was seriously so boring. All they do is look for a damn cat the whole book.

I cannot get over the fact that MaryAnne just left this stupid cat outside. If I let my cats outside, they would be fucking gone. #maybeishouldletmycatsout

Logan being all upset about baseball totally reminded me of my high school boyfriend. If he had a bad game, it was better to just avoid him for a few days.


Best character:
The entire baby-sitters club, except for MaryAnne. They all donate money to the reward fund, help MA hang posters, help her search endlessly, and then help her take posters down after Tigger is found.

Worst character:
MaryAnne, why did you leave your FUCKING CAT OUTSIDE?!