No time line was mentioned, so I assume it's near Fall of their 2nd 8th grade/6th grade year.
Jessi's mom has decided to go back to work, and Aunt Cecilia's husband just died, so what a great time for Aunt Cecilia to come live with Jessi's family! Right? NOPE. Jessi and Becca don't like her because she's bossy and overbearing. So, before she even moves in, they pull some pranks - short sheet her bed, put shaving cream in her slippers, put fake spiders in her bed - they make a whole list of shit to do to her.
So she comes, and they were exactly right - bitch ain't cool. She tells the girls what to eat, how to dress, when to do to bed - she completely takes over as a parent, and a pretty terrible one at that. Jessi comes home late from a babysitting job, and Aunt Cecilia won't let her go to her BSC meeting. Jessi's parents seem to be completely absent and fine with Aunt C raising their children.
While all this is happening at home, the elementary school is having a science fair, and Jessi is helping Jackie Rodowsky. Well, helping isn't the right word - Jackie wants to make a working volcano, and Jessi just does it for him. And she does all the research and then gives him a speech to memorize. She doesn't even let him make his own sign for the table, she does it. Kristy also helps David Michael, Stacey helps Charlotte and Mallory helps Margo, but they are all normal about it and let the kids do the work.
Jackie loses at the fair when he can't tell anyone anything about his own project. Then Jessi realizes what she has done and how overbearing she was, and how she was acting just like Aunt Cecilia. So she begs her parents (who for some reason went to the fair) to go home so they can talk, and Jessi FINALLY tells them all the problems with the aunt. So then they call the Aunt in, they have a family conference and everything is fine. Aunt Cecilia tells about the pranks, but then tells the parents not to punish them. Then she pranks them back. Everyone magically loves each other. The end.
So she comes, and they were exactly right - bitch ain't cool. She tells the girls what to eat, how to dress, when to do to bed - she completely takes over as a parent, and a pretty terrible one at that. Jessi comes home late from a babysitting job, and Aunt Cecilia won't let her go to her BSC meeting. Jessi's parents seem to be completely absent and fine with Aunt C raising their children.
While all this is happening at home, the elementary school is having a science fair, and Jessi is helping Jackie Rodowsky. Well, helping isn't the right word - Jackie wants to make a working volcano, and Jessi just does it for him. And she does all the research and then gives him a speech to memorize. She doesn't even let him make his own sign for the table, she does it. Kristy also helps David Michael, Stacey helps Charlotte and Mallory helps Margo, but they are all normal about it and let the kids do the work.
Jackie loses at the fair when he can't tell anyone anything about his own project. Then Jessi realizes what she has done and how overbearing she was, and how she was acting just like Aunt Cecilia. So she begs her parents (who for some reason went to the fair) to go home so they can talk, and Jessi FINALLY tells them all the problems with the aunt. So then they call the Aunt in, they have a family conference and everything is fine. Aunt Cecilia tells about the pranks, but then tells the parents not to punish them. Then she pranks them back. Everyone magically loves each other. The end.
Takeaways:
Jessi's handwriting is so annoying.
This book makes no sense on so many levels. One, Jessi is not an overbearing asshole, Kristy is. It makes no sense that she would act that way with Jackie. And Jessi always talks about how close she is with her parents, yet she can't be like "hey, Aunt Cecilia is being an asshole, can you talk to her?"
There is one creepy part, when Aunt C goes into Jessi's room and tells her she needs to start wearing her hair differently. It was very Flowers in the Attic, when the grandma chops off the granddaughters hair.
The Pike kids make an actual working library with all of their books. Fucking awesome.
Best character:
I would have to say Mallory. I think Mallory is my secret favorite sitter. Margo wants to be in the science fair and asks Mal to help her, and Mal is all "I'll help, but I'm not doing it" and Margo makes some ridiculous project involving Barbie dolls and the moon. But Mal is like, whatever, she's having fun and learning.
Worst character:
I mean, Jessi is an asshole thoughout this entire book. She is mean and bossy to Jackie. She doesn't even attempt to be mature about her aunt. And then at the end all of a sudden everything is fine? And she also does not look like an 11 year old on that book cover.
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