#130 - Stacey's Movie

Timeline
May of 9th repeat

Plot
Stacey and Kristy are both in a film making class at school. Kristy's group does a project where they record the kids of Stoneybrook and she is grouped with Alan Gray. Kristy, of course, is a psycho and takes over and is completely rude to Alan. She also tries to make the kids "act funny" and they get annoyed with her, along with the other babysitters.

Stacey's group is interviewing middle schooler's about their innermost thoughts and feelings. They end up getting some really real answers from their classmates - like Jessi feeling weird being one of the only black kids in Stoneybrook, MaryAnne being angry with her mother for dying, Alan Gray feeling like no one will ever take him seriously. Even Stacey ends up talking about her parents fighting and eventual divorce.  MA and Stacey are worried about how they will be portrayed, but the film ends up being amazing.

Takeaways
Stacey's boyfriend has always been 15, but in this book he is 16. So he gets to age but no one else does?

Kristy is pretty much the worst in this book, again, and Abby tells her as much. It's kind of hilarious. She writes in the club notebook how terrible Kristy is.

Best Character
I think Jessi is the best character in this book - she finally says all the things she has probably been thinking for years, and Stacey is all hurt that Jessi doesn't feel like she fit in, but she is just like meh...it's the truth, deal with it Blondie.

Worst Character
Just Kristy, She is such a monster sometimes.

#124 - Stacey McGill...Matchmaker

Timeline
November of 9th repeat

Plot
There is a new BSC client in town. He has two children, and Stacey gets assigned to the job. His name is John, and he is an author. When Stacey's mom comes to pick her up, sparks fly. Pretty soon, Ms. Stacey's Mom and John are dating. Stacey is elated.

You know who is not elated? Joni, John's oldest daughter. She is nine, and she is not ready for her dad to start dating. She is pretty convinced her mom will come back, even though she completely deserted the family to go be a model. Joni starts pulling all sorts of tricks with her dad to keep him away from Ms. Stacey's Mom.

Stacey and her mom host Thanksgiving, and it doesn't go well. Joni has kind of a meltdown at dinner, but the worst part was things didn't seem to be vibing with John and Ms. SM. He doesn't offer to help with dishes, SM is clearly not impressed with his parenting, and when she drives Stacey to the train station the next morning to go see her dad, she lets Stacey know she is going to break up with him. Stacey is pissed, but then her boyfriend Ethan tells her she needs to be on her mom's side. So she goes back to Stoneybrook, hears the news that the breakup is done, and goes over to their house to give the kids gifts and tell them she still loves them.

There is no real subplot, the other babysitters are barely mentioned. Except Mallory is going to visit a boarding school a long ways away because she hates SMS.

Takeaways
Stacey says something about how her dad had a quiet Thanksgiving, but she thinks he misses the big loud family Thanksgiving. I feel like Stacey doesn't really know her parents at all.

Like...she is obsessed with this John guy for her mom. She really barely knows him. And they've only been on like three dates and all of a sudden the families are merging for Thanksgiving?

One of Joni's tricks is that she deletes the chapter of the book John is working on. Like....I would for real give my kid up for adoption if she did that.

There is really nothing to this book except this relationship that fizzles out in like two weeks.

Best Character
Mrs. McGill, because she doesn't just settle for John. She knows she deserves Mr. Right.

Worst Character
I don't even know - I suppose Joni because she is a world class brat, but it seems weird to give worst character to a confused 9 year old. So instead I will give it to her mom - like, she GAVE UP her two kids to go be a model? Get a clue, lady.

#119 - Stacey's Ex-boyfriend

Timeline
May of 8th repeat

Plot
Robert broke up with Stacey several months ago for his friend Andi. Their relationship didn't last very long, but Stacey is still with the guy she met and started dating after Robert dumped her. His name is Ethan and he lives in New York, so Stacey sees him a few times a month. She is really happy, but Robert is in a noticeable weird funk. He has kind of given up on everything - his friends, his school work, his family - he even quits the baseball team right before their championship game.

Stacey runs into Robert's little sister, who yells at Stacey and says it's her fault that Robert is in a depression. So she goes completely overboard trying to "fix" Robert. She tries to become his best friend, and Robert will let her in for awhile but then he would get pissed and push her away. Finally Stacey calls into a radio show therapist and asks for help, and the therapist tells her she needs to get an adult involved. Stacey tells that to Robert, who gets pissed, but then he shows up at Stacey's house in the middle of the night, sobbing, begging for help. They call his baseball coach, who helps Robert a lot. He finally seems to be getting better. Stacey and Robert go to the spring dance, as friends, and they declare that they love each other as friends.

The side story is there is a strawberry patch that opens in Stoneybrook, and of course all of Stoneybrook is obsessed with it. Kristy and the BSC throw a Strawberry Festival and of course the entire town came and it is the biggest success in the entire world.

Takeaways
These baby-sitting club books are getting pretty deep lately.

It was pretty clear that Robert was going through a depression, and I can't believe Stacey didn't catch on sooner. She just kept telling him to snap out of it.

Her parents are also pretty patient with her, considering she decides at a moments notice to go to NYC for the day. Also, it's kind of weird that a 13 year old is in a long distance relationship.

Best Character
I mean, obviously Stacey who tries so hard to help even though she is getting no where - and this guy dumped her, so she really had no reason to want to help him.

Worst Character
I would say Robert's family, because WTF. They should maybe be paying more attention to their kid rather than just saying "that's how teenagers are".

#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.

#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

#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.

#94 - Stacey McGill, Super Sitter

Timeline
Valentine's Day of their 6th repeat

Plot
Stacey is a New York girl at heart. Did you know that about her? She LUVS NYC. She is going to spend a weekend with her dad, and is all excited about what they are going to do so she is talking to Robert about it. He is like meh....not really into the city. So rather than just accept that not everyone LUVS NYC, Stacey decides she will take Robert into the city and take him to a play to show him how magical the city is. She decides she will take every sitting job she can so she can earn enough money to take Robert out for a night on the town (as 13 year olds).

At the next BSC meeting, a new client, Mrs. Cheplin, calls. She wants a sitter for every single school day, 315p-530p. The sitter would need to meet her two kids, Adam and Dana, at the bus and walk them home, and then take care of them until she gets home at 530p. Also, she will expect some housework to be done. Kristy is like no way, we aren't tying a sitter up every single day, and we aren't housekeepers. But Stacey convinces her to let her do it. She goes to meet with Mrs. Cheplin, who is kinda bitchy about how young Stacey is, but agrees to let her try. She brings up the housework thing again, and Stacey tries to explain that she will be there for the kids, not to be a maid, but then Mrs. Cheplin tells her she will pay her a ton and Stacey agrees. Mrs. Cheplin agrees to try this arrangement out for a week.

So Stacey works her ass off for a week. The kids are fine, except Dana has diabetes too and she uses it as an excuse to get out of shit she doesn't want to do. Stacey doesn't fall for it and literally pokes her finger to test her blood sugar, which is always fine. After one week, Mrs. C. decides another two week trial period is necessary. Stacey starts blowing off everyone in her life for this job. She is trying to raise money to take Robert out, but she is completely ignoring him. The list of chores start getting longer and longer, so long that Stacey can't get everything done in two hours, in which Mrs. Cheplin is a huge fucking bitch. Stacey wants to quit, but is obsessed with the money. Finally one day, Dana isn't faking it and Stacey has to find a ride to a doctor. She does, but when she gets home Mrs. C is already there, and she is a complete lunatic that her housework isn't done. Stacey snaps back and explains that Dana was sick, and Mrs. C kind of apologizes but not really.

Finally Stacey realizes enough is enough, and she quits. Mrs. C is a bitch about her quitting and calls her immature. Stacey apologizes to Robert and explains what she was doing.

There is also a side story of Logan wanting to buy MA a ring for Valentine's Day, and he takes Kristy with him to pick it out. Some of the kids see this happening, and they tell all the other kids, so they start being mean to Logan and Kristy bc they are having an affair behind MA's back. It all works out.

Takeaways
That is the longest plot synopsis I have ever written. I basically rewrote the book.

What the fuck is wrong with Mrs. Cheplin? She was pissed bc Stacey is only 13 - did you do no research on the BSC before you called? Also, at one point her chore list is TWO PAGES LONG. She could have done half those chores in the time it took her to write them all out.

One of the chores is "put stamps on envelopes". Are you fucking kidding me?

I understand that works for two hours every day is a lot for an 13 year old, but Stacey's life like falls apart bc of this job. She has to sleep for 12 hours on the weekends. I feel like maybe she needs to get a grip.

Best Character
Kristy, because she was right. Stacey never should have taken that stupid job.

Worst Character
That dumb bitch Mrs. Cheplin

#87 - Stacey and the Bad Girls

Timeline
Summer, after their 5th repeat.

Plot
Stacey still is not in the BSC. She is still hanging out with Robert all the time, and her new group of friends are basically his. There are five girls she is hanging out with, but one, Andi, is her closest friend in the group. However, she is leaving for a few weeks so Stacey is sad, but excited to get to know the other four girls. She has a lunch to say goodbye to Andi, and the other girls come too. They take note that Stacey has an empty house to herself, and start coming over daily. Mrs. McGill gets annoyed bc they are leaving messes and eating all the food, and tells Stacey to get a goddamned job. Stacey agrees and starts searching. She reaches a bunch of dead ends, and then her mom suggests she go to the department store where she works and interview for a job in the daycare area. Stacey interviews and gets the job. Her new friends start coming to the store every day, waiting for her to get off. Then they walk around the store, but they never buy anything.

One day, they ask Stacey to buy them stuff using her discount. She feels weird about it, but does it. The next day they pay her back and then take her to lunch. They say it's her commission. She is confused, and they explain they returned all the items and got the full refund, so they made money. Stacey is SO PISSED but then she gets over it because they tell her that their favorite band is having a concert on Saturday and they are all going to go stand in line to get tickets. Well....Stacey ends up standing in line alone and buying all of their tickets. She is SO PISSED but then she gets over it because she is so excited for the concert.

When they get to the concert, the other girls immediately start drinking from flasks/bottles they snuck in. Of course Stacey can't, because of her diabetes, but also she just wouldn't. She is SO PISSED, but gets over it because the band comes on. But since the girls are drunk, they start fights and get loud, so security comes and takes them away. That is when they find a bottle wrapped up in Stacey's sweater. All of their parents get called, and while Stacey's mom acknowledges that she knows Stacey wasn't drinking, she is still grounded for three days. Her mom also asks her to consider not hanging out with those girls anymore.

All Stacey wants to do is be friends with the BSC again. While they are not perfect, all together they are friends she decides she wants to have. She gets a chance to reconnect when Amy, Dawn and MaryAnne's young cousin who is staying with them, runs away. She thinks the department store is a train station, so she goes in there. Stacey recognizes her from conversations she has had with Claudia, so she calls MA and Dawn. That makes her realize she wants to rejoin the BSC. She calls Claudia and asks her to bring it up at a meeting. Claudia does, and they decide to bring Stacey back on a probationary status. Stacey quits her job at the daycare to focus on her BSC work.

Takeaways
Okay 1. those girls would never all be friends with each other. One was a cheerleader, one was a thug, one was like a hippie....they would never. ever ever,

The whole subplot was Dawn and MA's cousin, whose parents were going on a THREE WEEK vacation, was dumped off with people she had never met. No wonder she ran away.

Dawn gets a call from her California best friend Sunny in this book, whose mom has lung cancer from smoking as a teenager. She then whines and cries that she needs to go to California to be with her.  1 - nice PSA on smoking and 2 - nice foreshadowing because I think the next book is called Farewell Dawn.

When Stacey goes back to discuss getting back in the BSC, they are like "um what about Robert?" which shows they haven't really changed and they still consider the BSC to be a cult.

Stacey's mom demands she get a job for the summer - Stacey is 13. It's not even legal for her to work, except to babysit, which the BSC kind of has a monopoly on.

Best Character
Honestly, probably Stacey. She is trying to make new friends, trying to be a good person but those girls are pretty terrible.

Worst Character
Those stupid fucking bad girls.

#83 - Stacey vs. the BSC

Timeline
March of their 5th repeat. Stacey and Robert are planning a "end of winter, welcome spring" party.

Plot
Stacey is starting to outgrow the BSC. This was bound to happen. She is in a pretty serious relationship with Robert, and she is starting to see how immature the BSC members are. She is starting to resent them, getting annoyed with their little comments in meetings and how immature they are out in public.

She also is prioritizing Robert above everything else, including babysitting and the club meetings. All of the members are getting pissed. Dawn seems to take it pretty hard, even going as far as sneaking into a pizza place in disguise to spy on Stacey during a date.

It all comes to a head when Stacey plans a party with Robert, planning on it being at Robert's house. She only invites Claudia from the club, but since it's at Robert's house she thinks she can keep it a secret. However, at the last minute it has to be moved to Stacey's, and of course the club members find out. Dawn and MaryAnne show up at the door, and there is a fight. Claudia gets pissed too and leaves.

The club is also planning a talent show for the kids in Stoneybrook (of course they are) and Charlotte only agrees to do it if Stacey is there to support her. However, it's the morning after the party and Stacey can't stand to face the club, so she skips and Charlotte loses her mind.

Well, as you can imagine, skipping the talent show was the last straw. Stacey goes to the next BSC meeting, and they fight it out. Stacey quits the club, but then Kristy fires her as well.

Takeaways
I'm glad this book was from Stacey's point of view. This book really shows how cultish the BSC had become by this point, and also how immature the rest of the girls were considering they were 13 years old. I mean, in one year they should be getting their permits to drive. Yet Kristy spends an evening in a restaurant sticking straws up her nose and threatening to eat butter.

I don't understand why Dawn had the hardest time and seemed the most angry at Stacey. She was never that close to her? Maybe because Dawn through Stacey was hurting Mary Anne's feelings.

When the party gets moved to Stacey's house, her mom wears a backwards ball cap to look cool.

I have to say, as much as I love the BSC, this book was pretty perfect in that it showed how ridiculous the club is and how immature and stupid they look to the rest of the school. I bet they are known as the losers in school.

Best Character
I would say Stacey's mom. She lets them move a party to her house at the very last minute and then tries very hard to look cool, but not overbearing.

Worst Character
I know you think I'm going to say Stacey, and she is second worst. But the first worst is fucking Dawn, sneaking into a public place where many of her fellow students are, and spying on Stacey like a giant fucking loser.

#76 - Stacey's Lie

Timeline
So it's the end of their 4th repeat of 6th grade/8th grade. Also, the last day of school is in this book, and two weeks later it's the 4th of July. So they must go to school until mid-June? That sucks.

Plot
Stacey still has her boyfriend Robert. She is all bummed because he is spending the summer at this place, Fire Island, and won't be in Stoneybrook. Stacey is excited to have a weekend left with him, thought, before she spends the next weekend with her dad and then Robert leaves after that. But then her dad calls and asks her to move her weekend with him up. Thinking she would still have the next weekend with Robert, she agrees. Then Robert tells her he is actually leaving a weekend early. So Stacey is all depressed and briefly considers blowing her dad off, but ultimately does not.

When she gets to New York, her dad tells her that he is taking two weeks off and wants to take Stacey wherever she wants on vacation. Of all the places in the goddamned world, she picks Fire Island so she can be with Robert. Her dad agrees, and tells her to invite Claudia. So Stacey tells Robert she will be there for two weeks, but doesn't tell Claudia or her dad that Robert will be there. Claudia finds out right away, and if okay with it for awhile but then Stacey basically blows her off several times a day. One night, Claudia and Stacey are supposed to have a best friend night, but Stacey rushes her through it so that she can go meet Robert after. Claudia FINALLY blows up. Stacey goes to meet Robert anyway, and they are walking on the beach when suddenly they see Stacey's father, with his new girlfriend. So now Stacey and her dad are mad at each other for lying.

This happens right as MaryAnne, Shannon and Kristy are coming for the long weekend. Everyone fights and hates on Stacey, and the three girls end up leaving a full day early bc it sucks. Here's the kicker - Claudia is supposed to stay for an entire week longer, but she leaves too. Fuck off, Stacey.

After that, Robert finally realizes the evil that is Stacey and breaks up with her. Girlfriend is having a rough go at it. Her and her father finally apologize to each other, and then Stacey goes to sit on the beach and pout. Robert finds her and they get back together, but he admits to her he can't really trust her after watching her lie to everyone around her.

She goes back to Stoneybrook and everyone makes up.

Also, a weird ass side story is that Mallory and Jessi have a summer job at a daycamp, where Vanessa and Haley get into a huge fight because they are wearing the same swim suit. They are terribly mean to each other, and then Jessi/Mal trick them into making up.

Takeaways
This was the first book I had to buy on iBooks because I don't have a hardcopy of it. I HATE!!

Stacey mentions that Robert is almost as hot as Jason Priestly (fucking heartthrob) and her and Claudia watch a Johnny Depp movie. It's not often that real life pop culture references end up in these books.

Stacey is just a lying, conniving bitch throughout this whole book. I wish Robert would have really broken up with her. I'm also surprised Claudia is so quick to forgive her. I would be PISSED if someone did that to me.

I love how the three girls and Claudia are like "fuck this, I'm out". You know you done fucked up when your friends would rather go home than spend an extra day on the beach with you.


Best Character
Probably Kristy, because when she gets to Fire Island and Claudia fills her in, she wastes not one minute telling Stacey it's all her fault that everyone is mad at her. Stacey paints herself as the victim basically until Robert tells her all she does is lie. Then she is like "oh yeah, I guess I did lie a lot." Fuck you, Stacey.

Worst Character
Fuck you, Stacey.

#70 - Stacey and the Cheerleaders

Timeline
It's basketball season and winter of their 4th 8th grade year.

Plot
Okay, I never read the books this high in the series as a kid, so this is like all new territory.

Stacey get noticed right away by one of the cool guys in school, I think his name is RJ. He throws a snowball and it hits her, and as he goes over to help her up, he asks her out. She loses her goddamned mind. She spends days overanalyzing and thinking about this date, and then she goes out with him and its not a love connection, which she is surprisingly mature about.

RJ is one of the school's star basketball players, which is apparently a huge deal in Stoneybrook. The basketball team and the cheerleaders are THE most coolest kids in school. So cool, in fact, that basically all the teachers treat them like royalty. They are allowed to skip classes whenever they want, they can take tests at different times, and they can half ass assignments.

On the date with RJ, they go to some pizza place afterwards and the entire cool group is there. The girls start being super nice to Stacey and she gets kinda flirty with another basketball player, Robert. After that, the girls are always super nice to Stacey and when a spot opens up on the cheerleading squad, they invite her to try out. She works so fucking hard at it and has Jessi teach her a routine. She is amazing. It's like a hidden talent she never knew she had. Plus her and Robert have started dating and he is amazing. Stacey has this whole new group of friends, plus her besties in the BSC. Her life is pretty awesome. She has even started kind of taking advantage of the perks of being in "the group" (she skips class one day to show the other girls the routine her and Jessi put together) but she feels really bad about it.

Cheerleading tryouts come and she fucking nails it. Then she is in the bathroom and all the cheerleaders come in and she hears them talking about how she came into the group and stole Robert and how she still hangs out with those lame babysitters all the time. But they also say she was the best one who tried out, so it's like a half bitching session. Then it comes time to hear who got the spot...and it's not Stacey. It's some other b. Stacey is upset, and one of the cheerleaders grabs her to tell her they didn't pick her because she was too good and would make them all look bad - but she is smiling when she says it. So Stacey realizes they are all bitches and marches into the cafeteria to tell Robert what happened. Stacey and Robert then march down to the basketball coach's office to tell him that Robert is quitting the team because of the favoritism of the people and how they take advantage of their power at school. Everyone is pretty pissy about it, and the new cheerleader chosen quits because of the drama. The girls extend the offer to Stacey, who then gets to tell them to get bent.


Takeaways
Literally the only people that go to middle school basketball games are the parents of the players. Not the entire fucking town, and games are right after school. Not on Saturday nights. What the fuck.

I'm sorry, but again, middle school cheerleading would not be this highly competitive, nor would the cheerleaders get to choose their replacement. The team advisor or coach would. This is not Bring it On, Ann.

The obvious favoritism  of these students would also never fly. Ever. Adults, especially teachers, are not going to deal with the huge egos of student athletes. ESPECIALLY in middle school. Give me a break.

And no 14 year old boy is mature enough to give up his elite spot at the top of the school jsut because it's "not fair".

This book is pretty foreshadowing, because I know down the line Stacey gets kicked out of the club bc she becomes a "bad girl". She mentions a few times that the BSC is pretty embarrassing, and hanging out with sixth graders is pretty immature. At one of the (Saturday night) basketball games, Jessi is hoping the game goes into overtime so she is allowed to stay up late. I mean, my nephew is in 5th grade and he goes to bed at like 830p, so I guess I get it.

Best Character
I mean, obviously it has to be Robert because he is like the most mature middle school boy in the world. And also Jessi, because she basically gets Stacey to be the best cheerleader in middle school.

Worst Character
Those bitchy little cheerleaders.

#65 - Stacey's Big Crush

Timeline
Spring of their 3rd 8th grade year. It's time for the SMS Spring Dance!

Plot
Stacey's math teacher announces in class one day that a student teacher from the local community college will be coming in to teach for three weeks. Stacey is disappointed because she loves her math teacher and assumes the student teacher will be a huge lame ass. However, color her surprised when she walks in and a Tom Cruise lookalike is standing there! She instantly falls in love and starts being RIDICULOUS. She only wears dresses she thinks he will like (his name is Wes Ellenburg, by the way). She adds "jokes" to her homework so she doesn't seem like a nerd. Then Wes acts like a blind moron and not only asks Stacey to stay after school and help him get organized, but also he drives her to the BSC meeting.

After that Stacey completely goes off the deep end and writes him a LOVE POEM. Which she hand delivers and then waits for him to read in front of her. He is awkward and tries to just be like "yep, nice poem." He is kind of standoffish for a few days, but then he gets all excited when he finds out he's getting a good recommendation and tells Stacey and is all like "this is a big secret" so then she feels all important again and thinks there is a chance for them.

Sam Thomas asks her to the spring dance and she turns him down because she thinks she is going with Wes. At the dance, she asks Wes to dance and he says yes (?!?!?!?!!?!?) but then when the music changes to a slow song she is all "oh good, a slow song, let's rub up against each other" and that's when he is FINALLY like "Okay, Stacey, you are fucking 13 and I am 22. Not going to happen." So she is all heart broken.

While all of this is happening, Dawn and MaryAnne are goat sitting for their farmer neighbor. They make a welcome sign, make a goodbye sign, take it on babysitting jobs and cry when it leaves - did I mention this is a FUCKING GOAT?

The end of the book is just Claudia and Stacey, walking home from the goat goodbye party, being sad.

Takeaways
Stacey puts jokes in her math homework. What the fuck.

Wes is literally there for like three days when he is "so unorganized" and needs help. Nope.

I cannot handle the girls and this fucking goat. 1. The goat can't read your signs. 2. YOU CANNOT TAKE A FARM ANIMAL ON BABYSITTING JOBS!! I cannot believe they think it's okay to do this. 3. It's a fucking goat! Goats are gross.

There is so much wrong with Wes's schooling that it drives me actually crazy. Now, I may be sensitive to this because I work in higher ed. But several things...1. Wes is supposedly getting his masters in education. At a community college. Community colleges typically offer two-year associate degrees or certificate programs. 2. Wes would not be student teaching if he were earning a masters degree. He would have done that in his undergrad. 3 Now, at one point in the book it says Wes is recieving his masters degree, and then a bit later it says he is finishing up his Bachelors. Okay. Well, whichever degree it is student teaching it would have been for an entire semester, not for three weeks. 4. While student teaching, it's pretty rare that the actual teacher would just disappear.

Best Character
Dawn and MaryAnne's parents, for allowing a fucking goat to stay at their house.

Worst Character
That fucking disgusting, good for nothing, smelly ass goat.

#58 - Stacey’s Choice

Timeline
It is AUTUMN! Which means they skipped the whole summer and we are now at the beginning of their third 8th grade/6th grade year.

Plot
Stacey is living the typical "child of a divorce" life. Her and her mom live in Stoneybrook and her dad lives in New York. Her mom is working part time and trying to find a full time job. Meanwhile, her dad calls her and asks her to come to New York in a few weeks because he just got named vice-president of his company and they are having a huge dinner and banquet. Stacey buys a new outfit and is so freaking excited for her weekend in New York. 

Then her mom faints at a job interview and gets rushed to the hospital. It ends up she has pneumonia and Stacey loses her GD mind. She skips school the next day to take care of her mom, and then she sets up an entire schedule so her mom is never alone for a minute. THEN she decides she can't go to New York, and she calls her dad and tells him to find another date. He gets very sad and his voice breaks and he tells her she is all he has. And she's like "well maybe if you weren't such a workaholic, you would have relationships." BITCH.

Stacey's mom is like chill, go to New York, so Stacey decides to go, but for less than 24 hours. She basically gets into town, goes to the dinner, calls her mom every ten minutes, then makes her dad leave the party early. Then makes him get up at 430am to take her to the train station. And is confused when he is annoyed.

When she gets back to Stoneybrook, she realizes that she completely fucked up her "mom schedule" and there were like three people scheduled at once. Then she realizes she's not so great after. She decides to plan a "best dad ever" dinner to make it up to her dad. 

Also, the side story in this book is that all the kids in Stoneybrook spend all their money buying cheap shit out of the back of magazines. Then they realize it's cheap shit and try to sell it to suckers in town. No one buys anything, but they basically pay them quarters and dimes to get off their doorstep. 

Takeaways
Stacey is ridiculous in this entire book. Like, I know her mom is sick, I get it. But seriously. Stacey spends like two entire weeks just sitting in her mom's room staring at her. 

Somehow, even though Mrs. McGill skips a second interview with some huge department store because she is sick, she gets the job. 

The most annoying thing about this entire book is that Stacey is THIRTEEN. Her dad could have been like no, fuck that, you are coming here for the entire weekend. Why was Stacey determining when a grown ass man has to leave his own party?

Best character
Mrs. Pike comes over all the time to take actual care of Mrs. McGill (because Stacey sucks at it) and then gets up at the asscrack of dawn to pick Stacey up at the train station when she insists on getting back at 6am.

Worst character
Stacey is insufferable throughout this entire book. Also, the picture below features my new Apple Watch. 

#51 - Stacey’s Ex-Best Friend

Timeline

Valentine’s Day, second 8th grade year

Plot

Laine calls Stacey to brag about her week long middle of February school break (wtf is that?) and she’s basically a big bitch on the phone - she has a 15 year told boyfriend named King, she has all these magical options for her break, she calls Stacey “Anastacia” bc it sounds more grown up...but for some reason Stacey still begs her to come spend her break week in Stoneybrook. Laine never really agrees but Stacey kind of steamrolls her and all of a sudden she is in Steoneybrook. 

The visit is a disaster. Laine is a huge fucking bitch, she makes fun of everything about Stacey, the BSC, Stoneybrook and all the kids at SMS. It all comes to a head at the Valentine’s Day dance, where Laine is with Pete Black but she treats him like dog shit. Stacey blows up, Laine blows and then Laine gets on a train to go back to NYC early. Stacey writes her a break up letter and returns her part of their best friend necklace. 

Also, the girls plan a Valentines Day party for their kids, and it goes off well. 

Takeaways

Laine is such a fucking bitch in this book. I can’t believe it takes Stacey so long to blow up at her. 

There really isn’t much more to say about this book. 

Oh,except I still can’t believe how often these girls do “events” for their babysitting clients. 

Best character

Stacey, because she acts 13 and tries to make it work with Laine but it just doesn’t. And after she leaves she apologizes to everyone on her behalf. 

Worst character

Obviously Laine. What a bitch. 

#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. 

#35 - Stacey and the Mystery of Stoneybrook

Timeline: 
Well the last book was summer time, but they are already back in school. There was no talk about the first day of school, so I guess they are just back in 8th grade again. That was a fast summer.

Plot:

There is an old house in Stoneybrook that is being torn down. Everyone thinks it's the biggest deal in the entire world, except Stacey who thinks everyone is lame for caring so much.

The club gets a call from the Johansen's, and they need someone to take Charlotte for an entire week when they go to help Charlotte's grandpa recover after surgery. Stacey takes the job (it was only offered to Stacey or Jessi, and Jessi is mysteriously gone for this entire book).

So Charlotte gets to Stacey and she's a giant baby about her parents leaving her (I mean, she's only 8, so I guess that's about right. She seems much older than 8, though. All the kids in these books seem much older than they really are. I mean, Gabbi Perkins is only 2.5 but she can memorize songs from musicals? Okay.) To distract her, Stacey takes her to the old house so they can look around it. They both get the creeps and see a bunch of weird shit - fire, faces, a swarm of flies. They both have nightmares that night. They become obsessed with the house, and get the rest of the club obsessed too. Kristy and Claudia do some research and discover the house (and most of that neighborhood) was built on a cemetery. Then they find the previous owner, who is now in the nursing home, and they go talk to him. He tells them all kinds of stories about how haunted the house is.

The day the house is officially being torn down finally arrives, and everyone from Stoneybrook goes to watch. While Stacey is standing there, she sees fire. For some reason, she just has to go back to the nursing home to talk to the guy. She literally just dumps Charlotte off with Claudia and sprints to the nursing home, only to find the guy has died. He left her a letter, though, telling her everything he said was bullshit and the house isn't haunted at all.

Charlotte goes back home, and they never speak of the house again. The end.

Takeaways:

This book was SO WEIRD. At the end, all of the weird things were explained - the "fire" they saw was a guy using a blow torch, the faces were said guy, the "flies" were actually bees.

Kristy, Charlotte, Claudia and Stacey all go to the nursing home to talk to the guy. But when Stacey goes back, the letter is only addressed to her. Why did she get the letter?

Charlotte stays with Stacey for a week, and she gets sick. Stacey plays a ton of games with her, including teaching her how to play War (worst card game ever, there were so many other games she should have taught her) and the board game Clue. Two people playing Clue? That would suck. I don't even know if it's possible?

Claudia goes to the library and gets the name of the guy who used to live in the house. She then asks her mom "how can i find out if someone who used to live in Stoneybrook still does live here?" and her mom was like um the phone book? Duh, Claudia.

The girls call an EMERGENCY meeting to discuss the house. WTF. A weird haunted house that none of them can do anything about is important enough to cause for an EMERGENCY meeting to be called?

Best character: 
I honestly don't know. This book is weird. None of the other babysitters are really in it except Kristy and Claudia. Like MaryAnne is pretty non-existent, I guess because she is scared of everything anyway. And Jessi is literally out of town for the whole book.

So I guess best character would be....the old guy who used to live in the house. He completely lies to the girls, then dies, but leaves a note saying JK. That's hilarious.

Worst character:
Again, I don't really know. I guess Stacey was kind of a snot about the house, and then she was the one who got the most obsessed with it.  I guess Jessi is the worst because she's not even around for anything?

#28 - Welcome Back, Stacey!

Timeline: 

Again, doesn't say, so we can assume spring of their 8th grade year. They are still in school and when Stacey moves back to Stoneybrook, she jumps back into 8th grade again. So she was gone less than a school year. 

Plot:
Stacey's parents are battling it out lately, and finally decide to get a divorce. This means that Stacey needs to decide which parent she is going to live with - her dad is going to stay in New York, and her mom is trying to decide where to live - if Stacey wants to live with her, she is going back to Stoneybrook. If not, she will pick some other small town somewhere else.

Stacey hems and haws and writes pro/con list, and then finally decides on Stoneybrook. Obviously.

That's really all that happens in this book. 

Takeaways:
Stacey's dad "sleeps in his office" often. Nope. He "sleeps at his girlfriends".

I did really feel for Stacey during this book. That's a really tough position for a 13 year old to be in. But I was really happy she chose Stoneybrook - her reasons for going back were far less snobby than her reasons for staying in New York. Plus, I kind of got the feeling that her dad would be fine without her, and her mom really needed her. 

Best character:
Even though Laine turns into a huge B later in the series (spoiler alert), she was the best in this book. Stacey cannot make up her mind, and Laine never really pressures her to stay. And on the day the McGill's are all moving, she comes and brings them breakfast, and then just stays throughout the entire day to see them off. Very touching. 

Worst character:
I don't think there really is a worst character in this book - maybe the McGill's, for getting divorced in the first place?

#18 - Stacey's Mistake

Timeline: After Halloween, but before Thanksgiving during their 8th grade year.

Plot: Stacey has been living in New York for awhile now and hasn't seen her friends yet. Her parents, along with all the parents in the building, are having a big meeting to solve the problem of homelessness in their neighborhood, and all those parents need baby-sitters. Stacey invites all her friends up for the weekend so they can take care of all the kids.

However, her friends are disasters. MaryAnne is an expert on New York and can't stop quoting facts and figures to everyone she sees. Dawn is terrified of the city and acts like a moron. Claudia is jealous of Stacey's New York best friend, Laine, and picks fights with her. Kristy isn't really any different than she normally is, but she gets on Stacey's nerves too. Everything comes to a head after a party that Stacey throws at her apartment so that her New York friends can get to know her Connecticut friends, and it's a fucking nightmare.

After that, Stacey calls a truce because they all have to babysit the next day. They take ten kids to a museum and to Central Park, and by the end of the day they are all best friends again. Then Laine calls and wants to make up, so she takes them all to dinner and a broadway play in a limo.

Then the next day the girls leave.

Takeaways: 
Claudia takes a huge suitcase with her and everyone is all annoyed. But Stacey takes it a step further and freaks out because it has wheels. What the fuck, Stacey, Most suitcases have wheels, you mutt.

Stacey is a pretty huge bitch to her friends during the beginning of this book. She just gets super annoyed with them and thinks they are so immature. I wish this didn't make me hate Stacey this much. Like - when Laine comes to her apartment, she gets rammy and weird because Laine is dressed so grown up and looks at least 19. Claudia looks cool, but not grown up and could only pass for 15. Seriously. They are 13. They should look 13.

During the morning, Stacey is laying in bed thinking about how all of her friends are annoying and have problems, but none of them are HER problems so they all need to just deal with it. Why did AMM write her to be such a bitch?

Then, during the day, Stacey acts excited about seeing something and Claudia is like "wow, it's nice to see you actually get excited about something" and that's the first inkling Stacey has that maybe her friends are annoyed with her, too.

Best character:
I am going to give this award to the McGill's because they let four girls take over their apartment, allow Stacey to throw a party, and deal with their squabbling all weekend long. They just keep disappearing together (to go out to breakfast, to go on a walk), which is weird since (spoiler alert) they are divorced in ten books.

Worst character:
You probably think I'm going to give this one to Stacey....and you are right.

#13 - Goodbye, Stacey, Goodbye!

Timeline:
Again, no specifics were mentioned. No dances coming up, no holidays mentioned. So I guess we have to assume this is still October-ish of their 8th grade year.

Plot:
Well, clearly from the title, Stacey is out. Her dad's office is closing, and he's being transferred back to New York.
So...basically the book goes like this: Stacey's parents tell her they are moving in like a month. Stacey is happy about it, then sad, then happy, then sad. Back and forth, forth and back, until the end when they finally leave.
Oh, and McGill's have collected a ton of shit, and they have to get rid of it all because it won't fit in their new apartment. So they let the BSC members have a garage sale, and then, for some absolutely ridiculous reason, they let the girls split ALL THE MONEY. So then the girls use that money to throw Stacey a goodbye party with all the kids they babysit for.
Oh, and at the very end Stacey tells the club members that she is officially the "New York" branch of the BSC. And the girls talk about how Mallory would maybe be a good addition to the club.

Takeaways:
Dude - why did the McGill's let the girls keep ALL the money? It makes no sense. I can see some of it, but ALL OF IT? Also, I'm sorry, I know Stacey was all like "my goodbye party was amazing", but seriously? A goodbye party with a bunch of kids? Why not throw a cool goodbye party with all their friends? (Oh, wait...they don't have friends other than each other.)

Also, let's talk about this yard sale - it was a pretty massive event, what with all the McGill's shit that needed to be sold, plus Claudia made brownies, MaryAnne knitted a bunch of shit, and Dawn sold spider plants (whatever the hell they are) - but like, are the people of Stoneybrook stupid? One person asked to buy the shutters off the house. One person wanted to buy their car. One person asked to buy the folding tables. GIVE ME A BREAK.

I don't really have any other takeaways, because besides Stacey  flipping back and forth on if she was happy or sad, nothing really happened.

Best character:
Oh, one other thing happened. Kristy is babysitting her siblings and all the kids in her neighborhood are there, too, and Morbidda Destiny invites them all over for lemonade. Kristy makes them all go, and she is really nice to Morbidda and realizes she is just a lonely old woman. So Kristy wins this week.

Worst character:
No one really stands out in this book, so no one gets named worst this week. Yay!

#8 - Boy-Crazy Stacey

Timeline: 
This book takes place at the beginning of August, before their 8th grade year. At the end of the book, Stacey mentions there are two weeks before 8th grade starts.

Plot: 
MaryAnne and Stacey are mothers helpers for the Pike family during a two week trip to Sea City. The entire BSC is separated during this two week period, with Dawn in California visiting her dad, Claudia on vacation in the wilderness somewhere with her family, MaryAnne and Stacey are with the Pikes, and Kristy is in Stoneybrook bonding with her new family.

During the two weeks, Stacey becomes a bit of a prude whore. She meets a lifeguard, Scott, and thinks they have fallen in LUV. (She spells "love" as "LUV" during the entire book. It's not stupid at all.) Anyway, this lifeguard is 18 years old and clearly he knows Stacey is obsessed with him, so he uses her as a errand girl. Stacey thinks that because she is running and grabbing him sandwiches and sodas all day, that he LUVS her back.

Anyway, since she is spending all her days chasing sodas for Scott, MaryAnne is PISSED at her. She is making MA do all the work and it is irking her off, even though she has met another mother's helper (a boy) to help her with her mother helping.

MaryAnne and Stacey kind of make up and spend a night on the boardwalk (where the hell is this Sea City place?) and Stacey sees Scott kissing another girl on the beach. She loses her goddamn mind, calls in sick the next day and mopes and pouts until she meets another guy, and then she kisses him in and falls in LUV again.

Takeaways:
There is so much ridiculousness in this book.
1. The BSC is going to be separated for exactly two weeks, but they all act like they are going to be gone for months and months. They seriously cry during their last "party" (which is everyone sitting in Kristy's room). Like cry. Actual tears.
2. When they get to Sea City, Stacey thinks the house is old fashioned and the room given to her and MaryAnne "isn't her taste." Rude, Stacey.
3. When Stacey meets Scott, she introduces herself as "Stacey McGill. Thirteen years old. Formally of New York City." Okay, Stacey, we get it. You're from New York, and that makes you better than everyone else.
4. When Stacey and MaryAnne are on the boardwalk, before Stacey sees Scott making out with that girl, she is trying to decide on a present for him, and seriously considers getting him a tshirt that says "Stacey + Scott = LUV". Like...she thought she was in a real relationship with this guy! WTF!

This book is where I learned about sunburn remedies. MaryAnne gets fried on the beach and all the Pike kids bring her different things to help her feel better.

At the party before they all leave, Kristy tells MA and Stacey to write "Club Notebook" entries via postcards every day they are gone. Annoying. But then Dawn is all "Well I might babysit at home, so I will send entries too." First of all, stop babysitting on vacations. Second of all, no one cares about your California kids, Dawn.

Best character: 
I've got to go with Mr. and Mrs. Pike this time. They have been taking their huge family to this Sea City paradise for years and years, and normally it's just them in charge. I'm glad they finally wised up and brought along a couple of babysitters so they could do their own thing. Because they are literally never with their children during this entire book. Which I suppose would be the best way to be on vacation when you have eight fucking kids.

Worst character: 
Obviously Stacey is a complete moron in this book, so she wins.