#112 - Kristy and the Sister War

Timeline
October of 8th repeat

Plot
Kristy gets a semi-permanent job sitting for Shannon's two younger sisters, because Shannon is always busy with extra-curriculars, the mom has decided to go back to school, and the dad is a busy business man. The girls, however, are pissed about being ignored by their family, but are mostly mad about Shannon's dismissal of them. Kristy helps them come up with ways to help Shannon get stuff done so she has more time for them, but they just mess things up and Shannon gets mad. So instead, they decide to ruin her life with pranks and mean jokes. Which causes Shannon to get even more mad. Things are very, very bad, and then Kristy suggests they write two letters - one to Shannon and one to their parents - explaining their feelings. They do, and everything ends up working out.

In other news, Stoneybrook is having a "All Stoneybrook Middle School Dance" for all of the middle schools to get together. Claudia is still dating Mark, and tries to set Kristy up with his friend, but it is not a love connection.

Hearing about this dance, of course the kids in Stoneybrook want to copy, so they have an All Elementary School Dance and of course the BSC are chaperones.

Takeaways
There isn't a lot to this book.

I don't understand why Kristy didn't suggest the letter, or at least talking to their family, earlier.

Kristy mentions a lot in this book that she doesn't think Mark is good enough for Claudia. That is sweet.

Kristy somehow ends up eating dinner with the Kilbourne family a bunch of times, and it's super awkward bc they are all fighting with each other and the dad just keeps jumping up to answer his beeper.

Best Character
Probably Kristy, because she honestly tries to help the entire Kilbourne family.

Worst Character
I would say the Kilbourne dad because he is the worst one in the family but the girls are really just mad at the mom and Shannon. And of course he shows up at the little kid dance at the last minute and gets treated like a goddamned super hero.

#111 - Stacey's Secret Friend

Timeline
September of 8th repeat

Plot
Stacey is part of the pep squad, and she and another girl, Barbara are making a huge jaguar (that's their mascot) for the football games. A new girl, Tess, literally crashes right into it and destroys it. She offers to help fix it, as she is pretty artsy and smart. They take her up on that offer. While walking the broken pieces to wherever they are storing it, Tess runs into Alan Gray and covers him in paint or something. He gets unnecessarily pissed and decides to destroy her. He decides to call her a pig, because she wears all pink, is taller and larger than everyone else, and has a turned up nose.

Stacey decides it's her responsibility to fix Tess. She offers to give her a makeover, and tries to change everything about her. Tess is reluctant to change, and Stacey gets annoyed bc why can't Tess just take her advice? Stacey convinces her to join the pep squad, and at the first meeting she attends they all decide to change the mascot and vote on it at the next football game. They hold up pictures of animals that are options. Stacey is holding up the pictures, and she didn't know that someone had changed out the picture of the pig with a picture of Tess. Tess is obviously upset, and runs out of the stands, only to fall and break her ankle and sprain her wrist. Stacey offers to ride in the ambulance with her, but Tess tells her to go away and that she's not her friend. She then goes to her house to see if she is okay and she sees pictures of Tess in pictures at her old school in Paris where all the girls are wearing all pink. Tess basically tells Stacey to get lost.

Stacey is upset because she was soooo nice to Tess, but then her friends tell her that she actually wasn't very nice. Stacey feels awful, then she hears that the boys in her class are tricking Tess by making her think she is going on a date with a popular football player, but really they just want to get her to a restaurant called Hog Heaven to take embarrassing pictures of her. The BSC and Tess get together and trick the boys before they can trick them, but throwing paint and ketchup on them and taking a picture, then threatening them with the picture. Tess forgives Stacey and all is well.

The subplot in this book is that Jackie and Nicky are acting weird and secretive, and it ends up it's bc Jackie is scared of some bullies and asks Nicky to be his bodyguard.

Takeaways
I am pretty sure this is the first time we learn the SMS mascot is the jaguar. Also, I am pretty sure kids can't just vote to change a mascot - it's a pretty big deal. Why don't they have the same mascot as the high school?

The big prank to get back at the boys is pretty lame. Throwing paint and ketchup on them? I mean, that's embarrassing but why would a picture of that be blackmail enough for the boys to just back down?

It is ridic how involved and concerned these girls are about why Nicky and Jackie are acting weird.


Best Character
All of the BSC members except Stacey, because, for the first time ever, they are friendly to a newcomer and ask Stacey to invite Tess to sit with them at lunch, but Stacey says no bc she doesn't want to be seen with her.

Worst Character
It's a tie between Stacey, who think she is so impressive Tess should just blindly listen to her, and the boys who try to trick her. That is MEAN.

#110 - Abby the Bad Sport

Timeline
August before 8th repeat

Plot
This book was booooring.

Okay, so it's still summer and Abby is playing on a unified soccer team, so it's like half Special Olympic kids and half non-Special Olympic kids. Abby pretty much immediately loses "her" starting position to a Special Olympic kid, Erin, who does a really good job at it. Abby gets moved to defense, and she is PISSED bc that position does a lot of work but gets no glory or kudos for it. She ends up starting a fight during a game with Erin, and they both get benched.

So basically Abby is a huge B to her team, her friends and her family. Her family plans a trip to Long Island to finally see her father's family and his grave. He died four years ago. Abby refuses to go.

Finally, she realizes how awful she is being, apologizes to everyone and finally feels like she is a part of the team.

The babysitting sub plot is that, of course, all the kids in Stoneybrook get obsessed with soccer and come to every game, and then raise money to buy the team tshirts.

Takeaways
One thing that was super annoying in this book was - how does Abby (the book is in her voice) know everything that is being said when she is not around? Normally this happens, where even though it's like a Dawn book, but somehow she knows every single thing that happens at MaryAnne's babysitting job. But it was so weird and awkward this book, where Abby is playing soccer but somehow knows every whisper and head nod that happens in the stands.

Also, no kid in the history of kids is THAT interested in a sporting event where they watch every single second of the game. NO WAY.

Also, when Abby is fighting with her family, she excuses herself to go do homework. Um. School is not in session yet.

Abby seriously has a worse ego than Kristy. She cannot believe the coach is fawning all over her and freaking out about how she's the best player to ever play soccer.

Also, it's kind of weird how a person is THAT obsessed with a sport.

Best Character
Kristy, because she is finally the one to call Abby out on her shitty behavior.

Worst Character
OBVIOUSLY Abby. I don't think I like that character very much.

#109 - Mary Anne to the Rescue

Timeline
Summer before 8th repeat

Plot
Dawn is coming home for the summer, and when the entire BSC is waiting for her at the airport, some guy chokes on his food. Sharon saves his life. The BSC realizes how truly inept they were in the case of an emergency, so they decide to take a first aid class.

During the class, MaryAnne hates everything and cries about everything. She almost faints. She dreads going. Also, Logan tells her that he is being sent away to boarding school, so they are both very upset about that. Basically the summer sucks. In true BSC universe fashion, since the BSC is interested in learning about safety, so is the entire town, so there is a Emergency Drill exhibit in town that the BSC volunteers at. Dawn volunteers MA to be the "bleeding out victim" so MA is covered in fake blood. She is super pissed at Dawn, so she finally stands up for herself. Dawn tries to blame MA for not speaking up, but then they both apologize to each other.

After that, Dawn and MA are babysitting for a bunch of kids at a pool, and one of them jumps in the deep end and starts drowning. MA jumps to action and saves the kid's life. That's when she realizes that when the going gets tough, she acts. She tells Logan he needs to do the same thing, and stand up for himself to his parents about this boarding school idea.

So he does (with MA's help) and everything ends up fine.

Takeaways
Why in the fuck would any parent want to send their kid to a boarding school when the kid gets good grades and is very active in his community? Stupid.

MA CRIED ALL THROUGH THIS BOOK. Even when she was saving the kid, she said tears and pool water were running down her face.

Dawn is seriously the worst. She volunteers MA to be bleeding out even after MA said she didn't want to do anything but watch. She lectures people about their food choices ALL THE TIME. DAWN GO TO CALIFORNIA AND STAY THERE.

Best Character
I guess I will say MaryAnne, since she literally saved someone's life this book. But she seriously annoyed me with all the crying.

Worst Character
I just want Dawn to go away and not come back.

#108 - Don't Give Up, Mallory

Timeline
May of their 7th repeat

Plot
Mallory basically has two plots in this book:
1. She is in a new class about children's literature, which she should be pumped about, but the teacher is super young and super hot and is a baseball coach, so he favors the boys quite obviously. Rather than try to get involved, Mallory pouts and won't even try. The teacher notices and asks her for a meeting, which she refuses.
2. Mallory is secretary of the 6th grade, and their grade always does a fund raising type event to give something to the school. Mallory does some research and finds that the class from like ten years ago raised $1000 for a library lounge, which doesn't exist. Ends up the school used those funds to fix the roof.

So Mallory goes all bad ass bitch on both of these situations. She goes to the principal and basically demands the money back - he agrees to give the money back only if the current class can raise $1000 as well. After that she feels powerful, so she goes to her teacher and tells him he is acting sexist. He is offended, but then realizes she is right and apologizes.

While all of this is going on, there is also a Memorial Day parade going on in Stoneybrook, and rather than just go as spectators, of course the BSC has to arrange a "marching band" with every kid in Stoneybrook. They are nervous because there are so many kids involved, but of course it goes over extremely well. As does Mallory's fundraiser. However, in her class, she gets her first ever B+. Which she is okay with, because she learned so much about herself during the course of the class.

Takeaways
It took big, gigantic balls for Mallory to go to her teacher and talk to him.

It is kind of bullshit that the principal would only give the stolen funds back IF the current class could raise $1000 as well. You could tell he didn't think it was possible.

These girls have got to calm down. They announce to the world they are doing a Memorial Day marching band, then get all rammy when parents start dropping their kids off to participate.

Best Character
I mean, obviously Mallory wins.

Worst Character
That shady as shit principal, who I assume is short and bald and smokes cigarettes in his office.

#107 - Mind Your Own Business, Kristy!

Timeline
Spring of 7th repeat

Plot
It's spring break, and rather than actually just enjoy the break from school, Kristy decides to hold a Krusher's Klinic with daily practices. She asks the BSC members to help, and really only Abby wants to and she can only do it a few days. She asks Bart, but he's like um...I coach for your only competition, no. Then she just mentions her problem to Charlie, her oldest brother, and he says he will help. He has just broken up with his girlfriend, Sarah, and he doesn't want to deal with his college search yet, so he is looking for a distraction.

It starts off great and Charlie is a great coach. But then he gets distracted by one of the kid's babysitters, Angelina. Kristy doesn't like her, and tries to get him back together with Sarah, which doesn't work. He starts dating Angelina, and starts blowing off the Krushers to be with her. Kristy gets pissed and says he is just like their dad, walking away. Charlie is super hurt and stops speaking to Kristy. He also announces to the team that he has a connection for a former Met's player and he will be coming to be a guest coach.

Kristy has won four free tickets to a concert in Stamford, and before they get into a fight, he tells Charlie he can have two of the tickets. He invites his new boo, and Kristy invites Claudia. They borrow Watson's car to go to the show, and on the way there Angelina convinces Charlie to let her drive. Of course she gets in a wreck, gets pulled over, and they end up missing the concert. She breaks up with Charlie the next day, saying he is a bad influence. She also doesn't apologize to Kristy because they tickets were free, so it's not like she is out any money.

That day is the day the Mets player is supposed to come but of course Charlie falls through on that too. Sarah happened to be at practice that day for some reason and she mentions that the guy is her uncle. She calls him and asks him to come the next day, which he does. Everyone is so excited, and Charlie and Sarah are caught smiling at each other the next day.

Takeaways
Kristy tries to make MaryAnne help her with practice one day. She is such a bully when she wants people to behave a certain way.

But at the same time, Mallory, of course, had to complain about how much she hates sports and refused to help at all.

It's ridiculous that a 17 year old guy would want to spend his spring break helping his little sister coach a bunch of tiny children.

I would literally light that bitch Angelina on fire if she made me miss a concert.

Best Character
I really don't know. Maybe Watson, because he let them use his car, drove Kristy around when Charlie started flaking out, and really his main punishment for Charlie was to "rethink his social surroundings".

Worst Character
That em-effer Angelina.

#106 - Claudia, Queen of the Seventh Grade

Timeline
March of their 7th repeat

Plot
Claudia is back in 7th grade and she is fucking rocking it. She gets nominated for prom queen and wins. Her job as prom queen is, along with her King (this guy named Mark) to plan the 7th grade prom. She soon finds out that means nothing, essentially, but she decides to make it the best prom ever. She plans this huge event, along with fundraising, and at first Mark is incredibly lazy and doesn't want to help, but he comes around. They end up kissing, and then the prom is a smashing success.

Sub story is that the Addison's finally called again after Sean got caught setting fire to a bunch of books and the BSC turned him in (.......this must have happened in a mystery book.......). But now Sean is a major dick bc he hates babysitters. A kid in his class makes fun of him for having a babysitter. But then sneakily Stacey finds out that kid still has a sitter too, and all is well with Sean again.

Takeaways
These books are getting more painful to read.

The BSC members (besides Jessi and Mal) are, of course, huge bitches about Claudia and her new 7th grade friends. They call them "little". These girls seriously are the worst.

One of Claudia's new 7th grade friends, Josh, is so clearly in love with her and she doesn't see it. Or he's gay.

Best Character
Claudia, because she could have taken the easy road and just had the Queen do nothing like years past, but instead she made it the best prom ever.

Worst Character
Kristy and Abby, because they are the meanest about making fun of Claudia's new life. Stacey kind of is a b, but then she admits it's just because she is jealous.