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The Baby-Sitters Club #11
Kristy and the Snobs
Kristy's mom got married again last summer and now Kristy and her family in a new neighborhood. The kids aren't very friendly. In fact, they're... well, snobs. They criticize Kristy's clothes. They make fun of the Baby-sitters Club. And worst of all, they laugh at Louie, Kristy's pet collie, who's going blind. Nobody does that and gets away with it!
Kristy's fighting mad-- and she's not going to put up with it much longer. If anybody can beat a Snob Attack, it's the Baby-sitters Club. And that's just what they're going to do.
Kristy's fighting mad-- and she's not going to put up with it much longer. If anybody can beat a Snob Attack, it's the Baby-sitters Club. And that's just what they're going to do.
145 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1988
About the author
Ann M. Martin
926 books2,847 followersAnn Matthews Martin was born on August 12, 1955. She grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, with her parents and her younger sister, Jane. After graduating from Smith College, Ann became a teacher and then an editor of children's books. She's now a full-time writer.
Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.
Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.
Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.
After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...
Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.
Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.
Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.
After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
March 21, 2020
Creo que este ha sido mi favorito de la serie hasta ahora.
November 1, 2021
BSC number 11 sees Kristy finally meet some kids from her new rich neighbourhood. Except all the kids are snobs who go to private school and have $400 cats. We also experience the death of a beloved pet. I think that these books do a decent job of bringing the subjects of grief and loss to a younger audience pretty well. It's dealt with sensitively and in a way that children can understand without laying it on too thick, and while a lot of these plots have aged pretty badly, sometimes there are a few that still stand the test of time.
Shout out goes to newly single Mr Schafer who clearly doesn't want Jeff to come back to California because he's enjoying playing the field without the kids there. And to Stacey for just being her general bad ass self.
Shout out goes to newly single Mr Schafer who clearly doesn't want Jeff to come back to California because he's enjoying playing the field without the kids there. And to Stacey for just being her general bad ass self.
December 26, 2019
:-(
Once again, Ann Martin has buried the lede in her choice of title for this book. In Claudia and Mean Janine , she told a story about two sisters dealing with their grandmother's stroke and recovery. But the title refers only to what amounts to a B-plot about Claudia's stubborn refusal to think outside her own experience and act like a nasty bitch to her sister.
This book is.... nearly identical, if I'm being honest. In it, Kristy decides she hates her new rich neighborhood and everyone in it, so she acts like a nasty bitch to some girls she decides are snobs without giving them a chance to be anything else. The girls (who really are snobs) act very much like Janine did and get their revenge with the toolset they have. In this case, it is increasingly lame pranks that set Kristy fuming like ordering a pizza to the house she is babysitting in. The whole drama is weak, and it is clear at the outset that the whole point of the novel is to show that Kristy (who totally started it) and the girls can find common ground.
The common ground comes from the *actual* plot of this book, which is when Kristy's family dog gets really sick with some sort of brain issue, and the whole family is dealing with the fallout of caring for a disabled pet and possibly losing him. John Michael (is that his name?), Kristy's little brother, is taking it especially hard.
I don't know why Martin expects us to care about Kristy's stupid little problems (what other type of problem has Kristy ever had?) when there is a touching and well-formed story going on about a family dealing with the specter of loss. In a lot of ways, this book is the best that The Baby-sitters Club has been so far. But you can't have a Kristy book without Kristy being Kristy. I would much rather have removed her from the equation entirely and just read "... and the Snobs," a novel about tragedy, love, family, and death.
I remember when we lost our family dog. She was a golden retriever named Brandy, and she just got old. On the night I came home from college for winter break, she suddenly had a seizure. We got her to the hospital, and it turns out there was a brain tumor that a recent test hadn't detected. There was nothing for it, we had to put her down that night.
We all gathered in a room with her where she was laying on a metal table with her head resting in some sort of breathing cone. When she heard our voices, she got agitated and started to fret and struggle -- she was scared but didn't have a lot of energy to fight. So we said our goodbyes and took my sister outside the room while they did it. She really didn't need to see it happen.
From start to finish, the whole experience couldn't have been more than two hours. It was a blessing, really, especially after reading this story about a dog's slow descent. The Thomas' dog couldn't walk properly, couldn't do stairs, wasn't eating... at least Brandy had a good last day doing what she liked.
Like John Michael, this was hardest on my little sister. She was older than he, but at the time she essentially had a child's view of death and hadn't had any experiences that would help her process it. But we were there, and she got through it.
Maybe that's why this story resonated with me so much. I even found it lovely when the snobs -- themselves dog owners -- showed up to support Kristy and her family. It's written as a twist, but you and I know they were fine people all along.
I said that Ann Martin buried the lede, but now I'm thinking that was a genius move. Who wants to pick up a book about strokes or dogs dying? But conceal these themes into books about lighter universal topics like sibling rivalry or Kristy being a bitch, and you can get kids what they want while helping them engage with these mature topics.
I can't wait for the next book, Claudia and the New Girl where Claudia makes a new friend in the first 10 pages and spends the next 100 exploring Marxian dialectical materialism!
*************************************
Homework: Choose ONE of the following:
1) Snuggle with your dog or cat or someone else's dog or cat, and tell it you appreciate it.
2) Be a bitch to someone you barely know and let me know how that works out for you.
<< #10: Logan Likes Mary Anne
#12: Claudia and the New Girl >>
Once again, Ann Martin has buried the lede in her choice of title for this book. In Claudia and Mean Janine , she told a story about two sisters dealing with their grandmother's stroke and recovery. But the title refers only to what amounts to a B-plot about Claudia's stubborn refusal to think outside her own experience and act like a nasty bitch to her sister.
This book is.... nearly identical, if I'm being honest. In it, Kristy decides she hates her new rich neighborhood and everyone in it, so she acts like a nasty bitch to some girls she decides are snobs without giving them a chance to be anything else. The girls (who really are snobs) act very much like Janine did and get their revenge with the toolset they have. In this case, it is increasingly lame pranks that set Kristy fuming like ordering a pizza to the house she is babysitting in. The whole drama is weak, and it is clear at the outset that the whole point of the novel is to show that Kristy (who totally started it) and the girls can find common ground.
The common ground comes from the *actual* plot of this book, which is when Kristy's family dog gets really sick with some sort of brain issue, and the whole family is dealing with the fallout of caring for a disabled pet and possibly losing him. John Michael (is that his name?), Kristy's little brother, is taking it especially hard.
I don't know why Martin expects us to care about Kristy's stupid little problems (what other type of problem has Kristy ever had?) when there is a touching and well-formed story going on about a family dealing with the specter of loss. In a lot of ways, this book is the best that The Baby-sitters Club has been so far. But you can't have a Kristy book without Kristy being Kristy. I would much rather have removed her from the equation entirely and just read "... and the Snobs," a novel about tragedy, love, family, and death.
I remember when we lost our family dog. She was a golden retriever named Brandy, and she just got old. On the night I came home from college for winter break, she suddenly had a seizure. We got her to the hospital, and it turns out there was a brain tumor that a recent test hadn't detected. There was nothing for it, we had to put her down that night.
We all gathered in a room with her where she was laying on a metal table with her head resting in some sort of breathing cone. When she heard our voices, she got agitated and started to fret and struggle -- she was scared but didn't have a lot of energy to fight. So we said our goodbyes and took my sister outside the room while they did it. She really didn't need to see it happen.
From start to finish, the whole experience couldn't have been more than two hours. It was a blessing, really, especially after reading this story about a dog's slow descent. The Thomas' dog couldn't walk properly, couldn't do stairs, wasn't eating... at least Brandy had a good last day doing what she liked.
Like John Michael, this was hardest on my little sister. She was older than he, but at the time she essentially had a child's view of death and hadn't had any experiences that would help her process it. But we were there, and she got through it.
Maybe that's why this story resonated with me so much. I even found it lovely when the snobs -- themselves dog owners -- showed up to support Kristy and her family. It's written as a twist, but you and I know they were fine people all along.
I said that Ann Martin buried the lede, but now I'm thinking that was a genius move. Who wants to pick up a book about strokes or dogs dying? But conceal these themes into books about lighter universal topics like sibling rivalry or Kristy being a bitch, and you can get kids what they want while helping them engage with these mature topics.
I can't wait for the next book, Claudia and the New Girl where Claudia makes a new friend in the first 10 pages and spends the next 100 exploring Marxian dialectical materialism!
*************************************
Homework: Choose ONE of the following:
1) Snuggle with your dog or cat or someone else's dog or cat, and tell it you appreciate it.
2) Be a bitch to someone you barely know and let me know how that works out for you.
<< #10: Logan Likes Mary Anne
#12: Claudia and the New Girl >>
February 7, 2023
Kristy, in her third BSC book, is here to break my heart. Although, to be fair, I should be blaming Ann M. Martin for ruining my illusion that my childhood dog would live forever.
We babysit Jackie, Archie and Shea Rodowsky, Linnie, Hannie and Sadi Papadakis (with Myrtle the turtle and Noodle the poodle), Myriah and Gabbie Perkins, and Amanda and Max Delaney (snobs: kid edition).
Dawn babysits her younger brother, Jeff, who is having problems, one of which may be the fact that their mother is still dating a man named Trip.
Claudia babysits the Pike kids with some help from Mallory, five of whom have chicken pox. Nicky and Vanessa get bent out of shape over the Bizzer sign. They also have cream cheese and jelly sandwiches, which sounds like a somewhat disturbing combination.
Stacey gets Amanda and Max Delaney to clean up their room in a very non Mary Poppins way.
Claudia fails a spelling test. No surprises there.
Tigger has worms. Poor Tigger.
Stacey has an upcoming doctor’s appointment.
Kristy has to miss a BSC meeting but I can’t even poke fun at her about it because it was about Louie.
Karen talks about Morbidda Destiny and Ben Brewer.
Andrew is a football.
Shannon goes from being one of the neighbourhood snobs to the BSC’s second associate member.
This book gets sadder every time I read it.
Stoneybrook Central Time: Kristy, her mother and brothers moved in to Watson’s mansion several months ago. Dawn’s brother, Jeff, is now ten years old.
Up next: Claudia makes a new friend, which seems to morph the Baby-Sitters Club into the Baby-Sitters Cult.
Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com
We babysit Jackie, Archie and Shea Rodowsky, Linnie, Hannie and Sadi Papadakis (with Myrtle the turtle and Noodle the poodle), Myriah and Gabbie Perkins, and Amanda and Max Delaney (snobs: kid edition).
Dawn babysits her younger brother, Jeff, who is having problems, one of which may be the fact that their mother is still dating a man named Trip.
Claudia babysits the Pike kids with some help from Mallory, five of whom have chicken pox. Nicky and Vanessa get bent out of shape over the Bizzer sign. They also have cream cheese and jelly sandwiches, which sounds like a somewhat disturbing combination.
Stacey gets Amanda and Max Delaney to clean up their room in a very non Mary Poppins way.
Claudia fails a spelling test. No surprises there.
Tigger has worms. Poor Tigger.
Stacey has an upcoming doctor’s appointment.
“Boy, what a lousy, stinky, rotten day”Stacey references The Taming of the Shrew. The Tenth Good Thing About Barney was also mentioned when I was pretending I wasn’t ugly crying about a fictional dog.
Kristy has to miss a BSC meeting but I can’t even poke fun at her about it because it was about Louie.
Karen talks about Morbidda Destiny and Ben Brewer.
Andrew is a football.
Shannon goes from being one of the neighbourhood snobs to the BSC’s second associate member.
This book gets sadder every time I read it.
Stoneybrook Central Time: Kristy, her mother and brothers moved in to Watson’s mansion several months ago. Dawn’s brother, Jeff, is now ten years old.
Up next: Claudia makes a new friend, which seems to morph the Baby-Sitters Club into the Baby-Sitters Cult.
Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com
September 30, 2020
Kristy and the Snobs reveals Ann M. Martin’s cynical view of her audience as being intolerant of ambiguity. The initial characterisation of the Snobs was heavy-handed, as was their eventual complete redemption. That said, the book holds up fine on its own terms. I suppose it is for children, after all.
December 27, 2017
note: upon opening this book, I found written in my cursive handwriting on the title page (circa 4th grade, when I learned cursive and exclusively wrote in it after switching back to print before 5th grade): "great so far!" apparently in the middle of reading this book, I was moved to update my future self about my enjoyment of it.
this book is a huge bummer, fyi. kristy is finally starting to get settled in her new rich kid neighborhood, but her interactions with the neighborhood kids are awful, considering the neighborhood kids wear private school uniforms and boating shoes, and they all have purebred pets and think little of louie the collie mix (i.e. they are snobs). louie is also getting really old and sick. eventually kristy discovers that the neighborhood kids are actually halfway decent, and the baby-sitters club gets a new associate member, shannon kilbourne.
no outfits. if you're here for outfits, just don't read this one. the only described outfits are snobby kids' boating shoes and polo shirts. boring.
highlights:
-the thomases play the song "brother louie" by hot chocolate (or maybe the stories cover of it) for louie, and he howls along with it. I love the idea of louie the collie being super into a mid-tempo funk song about interracial love.
-shannon starts the feud. I mean, maybe kristy does by trying to take shannon's baby-sitting jobs, but she doesn't mean to. shannon is the one who says that the papadakises' house is on fire and then laughs at kristy. I love that when kristy ends up in a prank war, she is not the one who started it, because she is such a mean-spirited prankster in general.
-the chapter where stacey "uses psychology" to trick the delaney snobs into behaving themselves is great. they say they don't want to clean their playroom because they like it messy, so stacey makes it messier until they clean it themselves. she keeps doing stuff like that and then eventually they all play snail together, which is a game that sounds FUN and I want it to not be a blizzard right now so I can go out and play it. here are the rules.
-bummer thing #1: jeff schafer is behaving really badly because he wants to move back to california. turns out his dad is getting used to the bachelor lifestyle and doesn't really want jeff there. being an unwanted divorced kid ten-year-old is rough. this introduces the plot of jeff moving back, which happens sometime soon (though I don't remember in which book).
-bummer thing #2: louie dies. this is SO ROUGH. I cried a lot reading it just now. I'm sure part of it is because I have a cat who has inoperable brain cancer and it's probably not going to be that much longer before I have to say goodbye to him too. but I think I would have cried no matter what. it is so sad. louie is so loved and just doesn't really know how to live in the world anymore. kristy's mom holds him while the vet puts him to sleep. agghhhh I'm tearing up again now and need to stop writing about this.
-non-bummer thing: the thomas/brewers get a new bernese mountain dog puppy from shannon kilbourne and david michael names her shannon. the first (but definitely not the last!) examples of the name confusion happen in this book.
lots of nitpicks:
-max delaney (snobby baby-sitting charge) is described as wearing docksiders. that's not a thing. sebago makes a boating shoe called docksides (minus the r), and sperry makes a boating shoe called topsiders (with the r, but top instead of dock), and they are very similar shoes, but there are no such thing as docksiders.
-kristy is a doormat with the delaneys because she's scared of making new clients not like her. I call bullshit. kristy is way too much of a tough badass to let those kids treat her the way they do.
-when boo-boo the cat is napping on the leather couch, kristy says, "I swear, that cat always picks the most uncomfortable spots for his naps." really? a couch is an uncomfortable spot for a nap?
-poking fun at karen, kristy jokingly suggests that ben brewer (the ghost) was a "herpitologist" when he was alive. spellcheck, anyone? the word is herpetologist.
two snacks in claudia's room:
-gummi bears in the pillow case
-m&ms (not specified)
-not in claudia's room, but she chews bubble gum at kristy's and a huge bubble pops, getting gum all over her face and hair. it's pretty funny.
this book is a huge bummer, fyi. kristy is finally starting to get settled in her new rich kid neighborhood, but her interactions with the neighborhood kids are awful, considering the neighborhood kids wear private school uniforms and boating shoes, and they all have purebred pets and think little of louie the collie mix (i.e. they are snobs). louie is also getting really old and sick. eventually kristy discovers that the neighborhood kids are actually halfway decent, and the baby-sitters club gets a new associate member, shannon kilbourne.
no outfits. if you're here for outfits, just don't read this one. the only described outfits are snobby kids' boating shoes and polo shirts. boring.
highlights:
-the thomases play the song "brother louie" by hot chocolate (or maybe the stories cover of it) for louie, and he howls along with it. I love the idea of louie the collie being super into a mid-tempo funk song about interracial love.
-shannon starts the feud. I mean, maybe kristy does by trying to take shannon's baby-sitting jobs, but she doesn't mean to. shannon is the one who says that the papadakises' house is on fire and then laughs at kristy. I love that when kristy ends up in a prank war, she is not the one who started it, because she is such a mean-spirited prankster in general.
-the chapter where stacey "uses psychology" to trick the delaney snobs into behaving themselves is great. they say they don't want to clean their playroom because they like it messy, so stacey makes it messier until they clean it themselves. she keeps doing stuff like that and then eventually they all play snail together, which is a game that sounds FUN and I want it to not be a blizzard right now so I can go out and play it. here are the rules.
-bummer thing #1: jeff schafer is behaving really badly because he wants to move back to california. turns out his dad is getting used to the bachelor lifestyle and doesn't really want jeff there. being an unwanted divorced kid ten-year-old is rough. this introduces the plot of jeff moving back, which happens sometime soon (though I don't remember in which book).
-bummer thing #2: louie dies. this is SO ROUGH. I cried a lot reading it just now. I'm sure part of it is because I have a cat who has inoperable brain cancer and it's probably not going to be that much longer before I have to say goodbye to him too. but I think I would have cried no matter what. it is so sad. louie is so loved and just doesn't really know how to live in the world anymore. kristy's mom holds him while the vet puts him to sleep. agghhhh I'm tearing up again now and need to stop writing about this.
-non-bummer thing: the thomas/brewers get a new bernese mountain dog puppy from shannon kilbourne and david michael names her shannon. the first (but definitely not the last!) examples of the name confusion happen in this book.
lots of nitpicks:
-max delaney (snobby baby-sitting charge) is described as wearing docksiders. that's not a thing. sebago makes a boating shoe called docksides (minus the r), and sperry makes a boating shoe called topsiders (with the r, but top instead of dock), and they are very similar shoes, but there are no such thing as docksiders.
-kristy is a doormat with the delaneys because she's scared of making new clients not like her. I call bullshit. kristy is way too much of a tough badass to let those kids treat her the way they do.
-when boo-boo the cat is napping on the leather couch, kristy says, "I swear, that cat always picks the most uncomfortable spots for his naps." really? a couch is an uncomfortable spot for a nap?
-poking fun at karen, kristy jokingly suggests that ben brewer (the ghost) was a "herpitologist" when he was alive. spellcheck, anyone? the word is herpetologist.
two snacks in claudia's room:
-gummi bears in the pillow case
-m&ms (not specified)
-not in claudia's room, but she chews bubble gum at kristy's and a huge bubble pops, getting gum all over her face and hair. it's pretty funny.
October 26, 2018
Kristy Thomas is getting used to living in the same neighborhood as Stoneybrook's elite and it isn't going so well. As she obtains new clients- the Papadakises (Linny, Hannie, and Sari) and the Delaneys(Amanda and Max), an all out babysitting battle between Kristy and another neighborhood girl, Shannon Louisia Kilbourne hears up.
It is also in this book that the BSC learns that Dawn's brother, Jeff is struggling at school and missing his father in California. Probably the most emotionally charged storyline is the Thomas ' beloved Louie dealing with doggy old age.
It is also in this book that the BSC learns that Dawn's brother, Jeff is struggling at school and missing his father in California. Probably the most emotionally charged storyline is the Thomas ' beloved Louie dealing with doggy old age.
October 22, 2018
Kristy is what you would call a “TomBoy” and so living in a boujee neighborhood full of “Snobby” preppy girls isn’t exactly her cup of tea. While managing babysitting, school, and her poor sick dog Louis, can Kristy also become friends with these new snobby neighbors or is she doomed to feel uncomfortable in her own house for good. Loved the ending of this book and the message.
January 22, 2010
definitely not my fave--not when i was a kid & not now. kristy has moved to her fancy new neighborhood, where everyone is rich. one day she's taking louie (the family collie) for a walk when she meets shannon kilbourne walking her purebred bernese mountain dog, astrid of grenville, & amanda delaney, strolling up the sidewalk carrying her $400 persian cat, priscilla. amanda is sure to announce how much the cat cost. later in the book, amanda says that the fountain in her house foyer cost $2000. are the delaneys new money or what? everyone knows it's not classy to announce how much something cost, ESPECIALLY if it was expensive. quite the faux pas, young amanda.
anyway, shannon & amanda look down their noses are scruffy old louie & kristy is pissed. she thinks all these rich kids are snobs, & she lets them know the next morning while she's waiting for her bus to public school. never mind that her parents are paying for her to keep attending stoneybrook middle school even though she's in another school's district now. therefore, i don't know why a bus comes out to pick her up. when i was in elementary school, the levy failed & the school canceled bus service for everyone. wish i lived in a district that could dispatch a bus to a whole separate neighborhood just to pick up one kid. anyway!
kristy starts babysitting for a few families in her neighborhood, including the delaneys & the papdakises. shannon is pissed that someone is infringing on her sitting turf & starts pranking kristy. for example, she calls & says the papadakises house is on fire. which couldn't be less funny. the kids are all panicked & crying. that made me think that shannon was a shitty babysitter, traumatizing the kids like that. she also has a pizza delivered to kristy while kristy is sitting for the delaneys. prank fail. kristy gets her back by ordering diaper service to shannon's house. double prank fail. wouldn't they just cancel the diaper service? kind of pain in the ass, but only for about one minute. i don't get it. i also don't get why the diaper service wouldn't require a deposit. anyway.
let's speed this up: the delaneys are spoiled brats. kristy bungles her sitting job with them, but stacey uses reverse psychology, weirds them out, & gets them to behave. louie is really sick & eventually the vet recommends that he be put to sleep. everyone in kristy's family is really sad. kristy & shannon patch things up somehow (they talk, but i don't really get it) & shannon gives kristy's family a puppy. david michael calls it shannon. the babysitters club invites shannon to be an associate member. she accepts. hugs all around. i almost fell asleep reading this shit. it was boring when i was eight & it's boring now. i really don't like the kristy books.
anyway, shannon & amanda look down their noses are scruffy old louie & kristy is pissed. she thinks all these rich kids are snobs, & she lets them know the next morning while she's waiting for her bus to public school. never mind that her parents are paying for her to keep attending stoneybrook middle school even though she's in another school's district now. therefore, i don't know why a bus comes out to pick her up. when i was in elementary school, the levy failed & the school canceled bus service for everyone. wish i lived in a district that could dispatch a bus to a whole separate neighborhood just to pick up one kid. anyway!
kristy starts babysitting for a few families in her neighborhood, including the delaneys & the papdakises. shannon is pissed that someone is infringing on her sitting turf & starts pranking kristy. for example, she calls & says the papadakises house is on fire. which couldn't be less funny. the kids are all panicked & crying. that made me think that shannon was a shitty babysitter, traumatizing the kids like that. she also has a pizza delivered to kristy while kristy is sitting for the delaneys. prank fail. kristy gets her back by ordering diaper service to shannon's house. double prank fail. wouldn't they just cancel the diaper service? kind of pain in the ass, but only for about one minute. i don't get it. i also don't get why the diaper service wouldn't require a deposit. anyway.
let's speed this up: the delaneys are spoiled brats. kristy bungles her sitting job with them, but stacey uses reverse psychology, weirds them out, & gets them to behave. louie is really sick & eventually the vet recommends that he be put to sleep. everyone in kristy's family is really sad. kristy & shannon patch things up somehow (they talk, but i don't really get it) & shannon gives kristy's family a puppy. david michael calls it shannon. the babysitters club invites shannon to be an associate member. she accepts. hugs all around. i almost fell asleep reading this shit. it was boring when i was eight & it's boring now. i really don't like the kristy books.
November 28, 2020
Ending can sometimes be beginnings. They are sad, but sometimes they bring happiness.
October 31, 2020
A tear jerker but sweet story! Hope to read more of these in the future as this is the last of the bundle for my book club.
July 29, 2016
Kristy's first book since finding a new station in life, thanks to her mother's marriage to Watson. We watch as she finds footing in her new neighborhood with her new wealthy neighbors, who are suprisingly (and worryingly) eccentric. Her new baby sitting charges have no problem spouting off the price of everything they own. (They think their cat has never been sick because she cost $400.) Her fellow neighborhood baby sitters have no problem acting like spoiled sociopaths to punish Kristy for monopolizing the baby sitting trade in their hood. Mrs Porter aka Morbidda Destiny hovers in the background. Karen acts like a manic depressive on cocaine.
Things I remember from reading this as a kid:
Louie the dog becoming sick, and eventually dying. I was pretty cold-hearted about pets dying when I was young. We lived in a rural area and our cats were constantly being picked off by owls and coyotes, so I was used to the death of my pets. However, reading about Louie was so sad because I could see what losing an animal you've had since birth did to David Michael.
Things I've considered since reading this as an adult:
I never before realized that Stoneybrook is so wealthy that there are two private schools: Stoneybrook Day School, and Stoneybrook Academy. I thought there was just one private school in Stoneybrook.
I think the pranks that Kristy and Shannon play on each other are horrible. There is nothing at all funny about telling a baby sitter and the children that you baby sit for on a regular basis that there is a fire in their house. I think you can get arrested, or fined for that, although the idea of a fine probably doesn't faze someone as wealthy as Shannon. This prank seems to border on psychotic behavior, as does the one where Shannon asks Kristy to help her with a crying child, sending Kristy running out the door, only to find there is no crying child. Kristy's prank of having diapers delivered to Shannon's house made no sense either. I'm not sure how this is annoying to Shannon. I can see her parents being confused, and possibly calling the business, and maybe yelling at them for delivering things they didn't ask for. I can see the business losing out on profit and time. Who is paying them for this nonsense? I assume it's not Kristy. In the days before online ordering did businesses just send a bill to the address and hope to get paid? It's horrible that businesses are losing time and money on the bored escapades of two rich brats who hate each other for no reason. Maybe Kristy assumes that the Kilbournes will just pay the bill without thinking about it? The prank with the pizza bothered me in the same way. Why are they harassing local businesses, and trying to get out of paying for something they just ordered arbitrarily?
I didn't realize that this is the book where Jeff turns from an easygoing kid to a monster, because he misses his dad and his life in California. Because this book was written by Ann M Martin and not her ghostwriters, I think this is well done, and the kind of thing was appropriate to draw out over several books. Just because a ten year old acts out doesn't mean that he gets what he wants, and it would take a long time for the adults in his life to figure out something as huge as letting him move back to his father in California. Later on in the series Dawn spends more and more time visiting California until she decides to move back for good, and I always thought her parents were much too indulgent with her. I knew plenty of kids whose parents were divorced and who lived in different states from one of their parents, and there was never, ever a family who just said, "Ok, let's draw up new custody papers," if a kid suddenly wanted to live with a different parent. It seemed ridiculous that Dawn was just able to decide on a whim that she missed California so much that she absolutely had to live there, then come back to her mother, then move back to California. . . if I were her mother I wouldn't have let her bounce back and forth so much. However, Jeff seems to have a different motivation from Dawn's driftless decisions. He is young enough to desperately miss his father, to take his anger out on his peers, and to rage at Dawn because he doesn't know what else to do. If I had to put up with that for a long time, I would consider Jeff's request to live his father full time.
Stacey brags about how she knows psychology because she read a magazine article called, "Getting What You Want: Dealing With Difficult People the Easy Way". Then she does some kind of pseudo reverse psychology with the Delaney kids to get them to stop being brats. I don't think what she did is strictly reverse psychology, and it's actually weird that the kids fell for it. In my experience, this type of thing doesn't work well, and it certainly wouldn't turn bossy, bratty kids into happy, cooperative kids over the course of one afternoon. I seem to remember in later books that some of the baby sitters tried to use this tactic with varying degrees of success on other BSC charges. I do like that this baby sitting technique doesn't always work.
Louie's demise and death was much sadder than I remember it being, but I thought it was very well done. It was honest, and heartfelt without being over the top. It's too bad that Kristy had to have her dog die to realize that her neighbors were nice people, but that's the way it goes sometimes. It's only now when I read the books that I realize what an incredibly generous thing it was for the Kilbournes to agree to give one of their purebred puppies to Kristy's family. These days a purebred puppy would probably cost upwards of $1000.
I found this book to very inconsistent with some of the BSC policies that they obsess so much over later. For one thing, Kristy is nuts about taking on new baby sitters just a few books later when Mallory and Jessi join, and her reluctance to add unapproved sitters to their roster is a theme that pops up in other books. I don't understand why she is fine with letting Shannon join the BSC after those dangerous pranks she played on Kristy while she was baby-sitting. That is not a harmless, funny prank. If Kristy is so nuts about hiring professional sitters, then she shouldn't have allowed Shannon to join the BSC, even as an associate member. Also, Shannon makes a big deal in this book about how her sister Tiffany baby sits too. Tiffany is eleven, which is the same age as Mallory and Jessi, so I guess in Stoneybrook that's an appropriate age to baby sit, although I would never hire an eleven year old to watch my kids. However, later in the series, the baby sitters often baby sit FOR Tiffany, and no one seems to remember that she was angry at Kristy too, when she thought she was stealing her baby sitting jobs. And why does she need a sitter when Mallory and Jessi do not? Even supposing her parents decide that she shouldn't baby sit for the neighbors anymore, why isn't OK for Tiffany to be in charge of Maria (who's eight, and really shouldn't be left alone) while her parents are out?
Things I remember from reading this as a kid:
Louie the dog becoming sick, and eventually dying. I was pretty cold-hearted about pets dying when I was young. We lived in a rural area and our cats were constantly being picked off by owls and coyotes, so I was used to the death of my pets. However, reading about Louie was so sad because I could see what losing an animal you've had since birth did to David Michael.
Things I've considered since reading this as an adult:
I never before realized that Stoneybrook is so wealthy that there are two private schools: Stoneybrook Day School, and Stoneybrook Academy. I thought there was just one private school in Stoneybrook.
I think the pranks that Kristy and Shannon play on each other are horrible. There is nothing at all funny about telling a baby sitter and the children that you baby sit for on a regular basis that there is a fire in their house. I think you can get arrested, or fined for that, although the idea of a fine probably doesn't faze someone as wealthy as Shannon. This prank seems to border on psychotic behavior, as does the one where Shannon asks Kristy to help her with a crying child, sending Kristy running out the door, only to find there is no crying child. Kristy's prank of having diapers delivered to Shannon's house made no sense either. I'm not sure how this is annoying to Shannon. I can see her parents being confused, and possibly calling the business, and maybe yelling at them for delivering things they didn't ask for. I can see the business losing out on profit and time. Who is paying them for this nonsense? I assume it's not Kristy. In the days before online ordering did businesses just send a bill to the address and hope to get paid? It's horrible that businesses are losing time and money on the bored escapades of two rich brats who hate each other for no reason. Maybe Kristy assumes that the Kilbournes will just pay the bill without thinking about it? The prank with the pizza bothered me in the same way. Why are they harassing local businesses, and trying to get out of paying for something they just ordered arbitrarily?
I didn't realize that this is the book where Jeff turns from an easygoing kid to a monster, because he misses his dad and his life in California. Because this book was written by Ann M Martin and not her ghostwriters, I think this is well done, and the kind of thing was appropriate to draw out over several books. Just because a ten year old acts out doesn't mean that he gets what he wants, and it would take a long time for the adults in his life to figure out something as huge as letting him move back to his father in California. Later on in the series Dawn spends more and more time visiting California until she decides to move back for good, and I always thought her parents were much too indulgent with her. I knew plenty of kids whose parents were divorced and who lived in different states from one of their parents, and there was never, ever a family who just said, "Ok, let's draw up new custody papers," if a kid suddenly wanted to live with a different parent. It seemed ridiculous that Dawn was just able to decide on a whim that she missed California so much that she absolutely had to live there, then come back to her mother, then move back to California. . . if I were her mother I wouldn't have let her bounce back and forth so much. However, Jeff seems to have a different motivation from Dawn's driftless decisions. He is young enough to desperately miss his father, to take his anger out on his peers, and to rage at Dawn because he doesn't know what else to do. If I had to put up with that for a long time, I would consider Jeff's request to live his father full time.
Stacey brags about how she knows psychology because she read a magazine article called, "Getting What You Want: Dealing With Difficult People the Easy Way". Then she does some kind of pseudo reverse psychology with the Delaney kids to get them to stop being brats. I don't think what she did is strictly reverse psychology, and it's actually weird that the kids fell for it. In my experience, this type of thing doesn't work well, and it certainly wouldn't turn bossy, bratty kids into happy, cooperative kids over the course of one afternoon. I seem to remember in later books that some of the baby sitters tried to use this tactic with varying degrees of success on other BSC charges. I do like that this baby sitting technique doesn't always work.
Louie's demise and death was much sadder than I remember it being, but I thought it was very well done. It was honest, and heartfelt without being over the top. It's too bad that Kristy had to have her dog die to realize that her neighbors were nice people, but that's the way it goes sometimes. It's only now when I read the books that I realize what an incredibly generous thing it was for the Kilbournes to agree to give one of their purebred puppies to Kristy's family. These days a purebred puppy would probably cost upwards of $1000.
I found this book to very inconsistent with some of the BSC policies that they obsess so much over later. For one thing, Kristy is nuts about taking on new baby sitters just a few books later when Mallory and Jessi join, and her reluctance to add unapproved sitters to their roster is a theme that pops up in other books. I don't understand why she is fine with letting Shannon join the BSC after those dangerous pranks she played on Kristy while she was baby-sitting. That is not a harmless, funny prank. If Kristy is so nuts about hiring professional sitters, then she shouldn't have allowed Shannon to join the BSC, even as an associate member. Also, Shannon makes a big deal in this book about how her sister Tiffany baby sits too. Tiffany is eleven, which is the same age as Mallory and Jessi, so I guess in Stoneybrook that's an appropriate age to baby sit, although I would never hire an eleven year old to watch my kids. However, later in the series, the baby sitters often baby sit FOR Tiffany, and no one seems to remember that she was angry at Kristy too, when she thought she was stealing her baby sitting jobs. And why does she need a sitter when Mallory and Jessi do not? Even supposing her parents decide that she shouldn't baby sit for the neighbors anymore, why isn't OK for Tiffany to be in charge of Maria (who's eight, and really shouldn't be left alone) while her parents are out?
December 18, 2022
Kristy and the Snobs
It starts with Kristy thinking about how much she hates snobs. That morning she has her first encounter with the snobs. When she wakes up, she notices that Louie (their old collie)’s paws are cold. Then her brother David Michael calls attention to how Louie is limping.
Kristy’s bus is late and while she’s waiting 3 private school girls come up to her and ask her is she one of Mr. Brewer’s new kids and the one sending out the flyers. Then they condescending tell her outfit is “cute”. Kristy in return tells them they look like snob clones. If this was written in 2021, I beat they’d all have fake body parts.
Kristy gets a job from clients in her new neighborhood -the Papadakis who have 3 kids (Linny 8, Hannie, 6 and Sari 2).
Louie accidentally walks into a table so Charlie, David Michael, and Kristy take him to the vet. The vet tells them Louie’s eyesight is deteriorating and he has arthritis. She gives him some pills but basically says he doesn’t have long.
Kristy and Charlie pick up on this. David Michael is oblivious. Kristy takes him for a short walk like the vet instructed and runs into one of the blonds and a little blond out walking their well-groomed pets.
The older girl says her name is Shannon and the younger girl’s name is Amanda. Shannon then insults Louie and says he smells. Kristy calls her a snob and Shannon calls her a jerk. (Louie should have been promptly peed on Shannon’s shoe).
The Papadakis kids want to put on a pet fashion show for Myrtle (turtle) and Noodle (poodle). Kristy finds out that Shannon sometimes sits them and she has two sisters Tiffany (who’s outside) and Maria. The kids seem to like Shannon but not Amanda and her brother Max.
Shannon calls Kristy and fakes her out with a fire, and Kristy gets back at her by having a diaper service deliver to her house for two weeks.
Maryanne throws Gabbie a tea party because Jamie upset her because she and Myriah are more involved with getting ready for their sister than he was with Lucy.
Kristy sits for Amanda and Max and they boss her around like she’s the maid. David Michael comes over with Louie and says he’s not well. Delany’s make fun of him and Kristy sends him home.
Then Shannon calls and says she’s at the Papadakis’s and Sari won’t stop crying but when Kristy gets there it’s another prank. Shannon then “thanks” her for pushing her out of her sitting jobs.
Dawn’s brother Jeff has been homesick for California. While she’s sitting him, Jeff accidentally spills his dinner and then goes off on Dawn telling her they treat him like a baby. The only one who doesn’t is his Dad and he hates it here. Mrs. Schaffer later has a talk with his Dad, but Dawn can’t hear what’s being said. Why is she dating Trip (forgot about him)? I thought she was at this point dating Richard.
Dawn breaks down at the meeting because her Dad didn’t sound excited to take Jeff (they convince her he was just taken off guard). Kristy breaks down because when called to eat Louie can hardly stand and then has an accident.
Stacey has to sit for Delany’s and because they’re contrary and want to do the opposite of what u ask them to, she agrees with them, in turn making them do what you wanted them to do in the first place. Then she teaches them a game called Snail (similar to hopscotch).
While watching the Delany’s, Kristy gets a pizza delivery but sends it over to Shannon. Shannon and Tiffany show up and threaten to throw it in Kristy’s face. Kristy then tells them she’ll throw it in Astrid’s face (their dog) and he’ll be pepperoni-mounted and for some reason this makes them all laugh. They all have pizza and Shannon asks Kristy about the BSC. Kristy is impressed that Shannon doesn’t play when Max tries her.
Claudia and Mallory babysit all the Pikes who have chicken pox and run them back and forth all night demanding this and that while ringing bells and triangles.
Louie falls down the basement steps and as a last resort the Dr. suggests injections two times daily. Louie then loses control of his back legs and drags himself into a table leg. Then the stove. So the Dr. says they’ll have to put Louie down. David Michael spends the night with Louie in the family room on his last night.
Kristy, David, Mrs. Brewer, and Watson take him the next day. Then they throw him a funeral. Shannon, Tiffany, Hannie, Linny, Amanda, and Max show up. Shannon tells Kristy she’s sorry Louie died.
Shannon offers Kristy one of Astrid’s puppies and David Michael accepts the puppy but says she’ll never be Louie.
The BSC invite Shannon (the person) to be a member and she says she’s too busy. So they invite her instead to be an associate member.
My Thoughts:
Umm... Why do the Pikes only have one “portable” television with EIGHT KIDS? What does Mr. Pike do again? I know. I know. Eight Kids. Priorities. But surely, he can get a couple for each gender’s room. Shannon and Kristy’s prank war was CHILDISH! I blame Shannon. I thought she was supposed to be the “mature, sophisticated” one. The Pizza one was pretty harmless, but the fire one. What if one of the kids in the rush to get out the house would have tripped, fell, and hurt themselves? What if something would have gotten knocked over or broken in a rush to get outside? So many things could have gone wrong. What if KRISTY would have called the fire department herself and then when they got there *NOTHING*. Then she would have had to look crazy and when it hit her that it was a prank she would have had to explain to them why they wasted their time coming out. And I was the fireman (woman) I would have been pissed. The most touching thing tho was about Louie, And I’m not even an animal lover. How freaky is it that my mom had 2 collies that looked just like Louie and I think one of em (either Chico or Rico) had to be put down for arthritis? I felt GUTTED for Louie because since November I’ve had a form of arthritis (bursitis) and let me tell you. IT IS NO JOKE! TALK ABOUT PAIN! But Louie must have been in BAD SHAPE because I got an injection and just one worked for me. And my eyesight also isn’t the greatest so I sympathize. Louie just held a soft spot with me for some reason. He reminded me of this old, dog, that used to hang around my grandparent’s house that saved my life by jumping in front of some vicious dogs that sneak around the side of the house and were about to jump at me. RIP LOUIE! You’ve probably by this point made good friends with our dogs Chico, and Rico. Oh, and I looked up the song “Brother Louie” sounded NOTHING like I thought it would.
Rating: 7
It starts with Kristy thinking about how much she hates snobs. That morning she has her first encounter with the snobs. When she wakes up, she notices that Louie (their old collie)’s paws are cold. Then her brother David Michael calls attention to how Louie is limping.
Kristy’s bus is late and while she’s waiting 3 private school girls come up to her and ask her is she one of Mr. Brewer’s new kids and the one sending out the flyers. Then they condescending tell her outfit is “cute”. Kristy in return tells them they look like snob clones. If this was written in 2021, I beat they’d all have fake body parts.
Kristy gets a job from clients in her new neighborhood -the Papadakis who have 3 kids (Linny 8, Hannie, 6 and Sari 2).
Louie accidentally walks into a table so Charlie, David Michael, and Kristy take him to the vet. The vet tells them Louie’s eyesight is deteriorating and he has arthritis. She gives him some pills but basically says he doesn’t have long.
Kristy and Charlie pick up on this. David Michael is oblivious. Kristy takes him for a short walk like the vet instructed and runs into one of the blonds and a little blond out walking their well-groomed pets.
The older girl says her name is Shannon and the younger girl’s name is Amanda. Shannon then insults Louie and says he smells. Kristy calls her a snob and Shannon calls her a jerk. (Louie should have been promptly peed on Shannon’s shoe).
The Papadakis kids want to put on a pet fashion show for Myrtle (turtle) and Noodle (poodle). Kristy finds out that Shannon sometimes sits them and she has two sisters Tiffany (who’s outside) and Maria. The kids seem to like Shannon but not Amanda and her brother Max.
Shannon calls Kristy and fakes her out with a fire, and Kristy gets back at her by having a diaper service deliver to her house for two weeks.
Maryanne throws Gabbie a tea party because Jamie upset her because she and Myriah are more involved with getting ready for their sister than he was with Lucy.
Kristy sits for Amanda and Max and they boss her around like she’s the maid. David Michael comes over with Louie and says he’s not well. Delany’s make fun of him and Kristy sends him home.
Then Shannon calls and says she’s at the Papadakis’s and Sari won’t stop crying but when Kristy gets there it’s another prank. Shannon then “thanks” her for pushing her out of her sitting jobs.
Dawn’s brother Jeff has been homesick for California. While she’s sitting him, Jeff accidentally spills his dinner and then goes off on Dawn telling her they treat him like a baby. The only one who doesn’t is his Dad and he hates it here. Mrs. Schaffer later has a talk with his Dad, but Dawn can’t hear what’s being said. Why is she dating Trip (forgot about him)? I thought she was at this point dating Richard.
Dawn breaks down at the meeting because her Dad didn’t sound excited to take Jeff (they convince her he was just taken off guard). Kristy breaks down because when called to eat Louie can hardly stand and then has an accident.
Stacey has to sit for Delany’s and because they’re contrary and want to do the opposite of what u ask them to, she agrees with them, in turn making them do what you wanted them to do in the first place. Then she teaches them a game called Snail (similar to hopscotch).
While watching the Delany’s, Kristy gets a pizza delivery but sends it over to Shannon. Shannon and Tiffany show up and threaten to throw it in Kristy’s face. Kristy then tells them she’ll throw it in Astrid’s face (their dog) and he’ll be pepperoni-mounted and for some reason this makes them all laugh. They all have pizza and Shannon asks Kristy about the BSC. Kristy is impressed that Shannon doesn’t play when Max tries her.
Claudia and Mallory babysit all the Pikes who have chicken pox and run them back and forth all night demanding this and that while ringing bells and triangles.
Louie falls down the basement steps and as a last resort the Dr. suggests injections two times daily. Louie then loses control of his back legs and drags himself into a table leg. Then the stove. So the Dr. says they’ll have to put Louie down. David Michael spends the night with Louie in the family room on his last night.
Kristy, David, Mrs. Brewer, and Watson take him the next day. Then they throw him a funeral. Shannon, Tiffany, Hannie, Linny, Amanda, and Max show up. Shannon tells Kristy she’s sorry Louie died.
Shannon offers Kristy one of Astrid’s puppies and David Michael accepts the puppy but says she’ll never be Louie.
The BSC invite Shannon (the person) to be a member and she says she’s too busy. So they invite her instead to be an associate member.
My Thoughts:
Umm... Why do the Pikes only have one “portable” television with EIGHT KIDS? What does Mr. Pike do again? I know. I know. Eight Kids. Priorities. But surely, he can get a couple for each gender’s room. Shannon and Kristy’s prank war was CHILDISH! I blame Shannon. I thought she was supposed to be the “mature, sophisticated” one. The Pizza one was pretty harmless, but the fire one. What if one of the kids in the rush to get out the house would have tripped, fell, and hurt themselves? What if something would have gotten knocked over or broken in a rush to get outside? So many things could have gone wrong. What if KRISTY would have called the fire department herself and then when they got there *NOTHING*. Then she would have had to look crazy and when it hit her that it was a prank she would have had to explain to them why they wasted their time coming out. And I was the fireman (woman) I would have been pissed. The most touching thing tho was about Louie, And I’m not even an animal lover. How freaky is it that my mom had 2 collies that looked just like Louie and I think one of em (either Chico or Rico) had to be put down for arthritis? I felt GUTTED for Louie because since November I’ve had a form of arthritis (bursitis) and let me tell you. IT IS NO JOKE! TALK ABOUT PAIN! But Louie must have been in BAD SHAPE because I got an injection and just one worked for me. And my eyesight also isn’t the greatest so I sympathize. Louie just held a soft spot with me for some reason. He reminded me of this old, dog, that used to hang around my grandparent’s house that saved my life by jumping in front of some vicious dogs that sneak around the side of the house and were about to jump at me. RIP LOUIE! You’ve probably by this point made good friends with our dogs Chico, and Rico. Oh, and I looked up the song “Brother Louie” sounded NOTHING like I thought it would.
Rating: 7
November 29, 2022
Read via audio (narrated by Brittany Pressley).
December 27, 2022
Did not expect to cry over this one
March 17, 2020
4 stars. This one was so sad and I remember it upsetting me terribly as a child. LOL. I hated this one because of what happened to Louie but again, grown up loved this one. This series is just so delightful and even though this one made me sad even now it was still a fun read.
August 10, 2016
This one kind of annoyed me because the rich girls were such clichés. They were invented to be hated, and didn't act like actual rich people. (Rich people don't usually tell you how much their cat cost. Rich people are usually kind of oblivious about money because they've never had to worry about whether something's expensive; they just get it.) Poor Kristy is now in this neighborhood of people who don't accept her sort of dirtbag tomboy way of dressing and the non-purebred-ness of her old, sick dog. Shannon, Kristy's main enemy for this book, is one of the rich girls who gives her crap, and before they even had anything to fight about they hated each other. But since they both babysit and Kristy's arrival is competition for Shannon, she starts doing sick things to her while she's babysitting and I actually think in real life she would get in trouble for stuff like that. (Especially when she faked that one of the houses Kristy babysat at was ON FIRE! That's something you can have the cops called on you for. It's not a prank.) And of course when something sad happens in Kristy's family, Shannon turns into not such a bad person after all and shows her human side for once. Kristy actually ends up accepting her and letting her and her friend become associate Baby-Sitters Club members.
July 7, 2020
While I actually started reading around age 3 (thank you, my Granny's Dick and Jane books!), this series is what I remember most about loving to read during my childhood. My sister and I drank these books up like they were oxygen. I truly think we owned just about every single one from every one of the series. We even got the privilege of meeting Ann M. Martin at a book signing, but of course little starstruck me froze and could not speak a word to my biggest hero at that time. Once in awhile if I come across these at a yard sale, I will pick them up for a couple hour trip down memory lane, and I declare nearly nothing centers and relaxes me more!
December 5, 2021
It took me longer than expected to finish this, for some reason. For the most part it's the same with the graphic adaptation, complete with the filler scenes involving the Perkins and the Pikes (one notable difference was the fancy cat cost $400 in the OG and $4000 in the adaptation).
One thing that I also noted was Kristy's thought about how Louie didn't have a choice in being killed, but unfortunately like a lot of things in this series that could've been an interesting development, it was quickly swept under the rug. (Unrelated, but I also think it should be RIP.)
One thing that I also noted was Kristy's thought about how Louie didn't have a choice in being killed, but unfortunately like a lot of things in this series that could've been an interesting development, it was quickly swept under the rug. (Unrelated, but I also think it should be RIP.)
March 22, 2017
I didn't love this one as a kid, but really enjoyed it this time around. It's so sad we lose Louie, but this book is about swallowing your pride and getting to know people who you have judged at face value.
December 31, 2021
This will be my last book of the year. I wanted something quick and light to wrap up the year with. I'm super sensitive and emotional when it comes to animals, so little did I know this book would have me crying over the family dog.
October 15, 2012
I like this book and I agree that Shannon and Amanda are snobs. But in the end Shannon becomes part of the BSC!
August 9, 2020
Kristy hasn’t always been one of my favorites in the BSC series. This book didn’t necessarily change my opinion. Man, the subplot with her dog though.. :(
All in all, I’m loving this series again. They honestly could write about the girls doing their taxes and I’d cr riveted.
All in all, I’m loving this series again. They honestly could write about the girls doing their taxes and I’d cr riveted.
Read
December 30, 2020Spoiler alert - Louie the dog dies in this one. V sad.
April 6, 2021
3,5 tähteä.
Tässä kirjassa kohdataan omia ennakkoluuloja ja surraan perheenjäsenen sairautta. Pieni kirja isoista asioista.
Tässä kirjassa kohdataan omia ennakkoluuloja ja surraan perheenjäsenen sairautta. Pieni kirja isoista asioista.
June 10, 2021
3 ★
Qué bonito es volver a leer estos libros, no ha sido mi favorito pero ha estado entretenido 💕
Qué bonito es volver a leer estos libros, no ha sido mi favorito pero ha estado entretenido 💕
October 5, 2023
I would rate it 3.2 stars. (this is a spoiler) although, it was quite sad how the dog died.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
March 28, 2017This book was about a girl named Kristy. Her mom has gotten married a few times and is now getting married again. Since her mom is getting married again, they are going to live in a new neighborhood. The people in that neighborhood are not very nice people. Kristy likes to call those people snobs because they act like them. The snobs talk about her clothes, make fun of her friends, and what really bothers her is when they criticize her dog because he is going blind. Kristy is hopeless, what will she do?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2022
Before I get to my actual review, a quick disclaimer: Ever since I learned that Netflix was reimagining one of my favorite childhood book series, I had decided that I would be embarking on a re-read of this series, reliving a series of books that helped to shape me into a voracious reader. I am so excited to embark on this travel back in time. I don't expect to be mentally stimulated -- I mean, I'm not exactly a pre-teen middle-schooler these days -- but I make no apology for choosing to enjoy this series from the perspective of adulthood. Don't expect me to have any sort of psychoanalyst or feminist sermonizing on the appropriateness of the situations or the effects on a young girl reading these books; there's plenty of that to go around already. I'm here for the nostalgia and the meander down memory lane.
**********
I recall, back in the day, that I was a bit unenthused about this book. When I would make one of my many regular pilgrimages through this series, this was one that always made me groan a bit. I don't know if it was the topic of death or the snobby girls making me feel uncomfortable. Regardless, I was curious to see what my verdict would be from the vantage point of adulthood.
What I liked about Kristy and the Snobs:
::sob:: Louie - One of the things that made me feel meh about this book as a child. Maybe it's my more mature perspective on death. Maybe it's that I've had a pet of my own now. Maybe it's just that I appreciate how much feeling these scenes were written with. All I know is I felt them in a different way than I did when I read this book, lo, these many years ago.
Kristy's self awareness - I really appreciated that Kristy was able to admit that maybe she'd been quick to judge. Aren't we all, at least from time to time? The reminder is a helpful nudge.
The chicken pox brigade - The pox-y Pikes has long remained one of my favorite sitting events in this series. I wonder if it stuck with me because chicken pox seemed such an unknown for me, as when I was first reading these books, I was yet to experience their misery? (I think I was in sixth grade at first read? And I didn't get them until two years later.) I know that to this day, I sympathize with poor Margo, though.
What I didn't care for:
Dawn and Jeff - This is a pretty minor beef, but it felt like these scenes were a bit melodramatic. Or maybe it's just that Dawn irritates me and I want to find reasons to nitpick her presence.
What left me conflicted:
The pranks - These kids are far more creative with their pranks than I ever could have been. If I were a prank sort of person. But I'm not because my heart is too soft for that sort of behavior. However, I distinctly remembered wanting to kick Shannon in the knee for what she pulled while Kristy was sitting for the Papadakis family, and reading it again, the sentiment has not changed. In fact, it made me want to do it even more, understanding the scope of what she did, and no, I don't care that she is perpetually a middle-schooler and I am now a grown adult.
I ended up liking this one more now than I ever did then. For one, it actually made me blink back tears on more than one occasion. It also made me laugh right out loud, despite the fact that I'm about 35 years past the target audience. I am hereby awarding an additional star to my original rating, upping it from three to four.
**********
I recall, back in the day, that I was a bit unenthused about this book. When I would make one of my many regular pilgrimages through this series, this was one that always made me groan a bit. I don't know if it was the topic of death or the snobby girls making me feel uncomfortable. Regardless, I was curious to see what my verdict would be from the vantage point of adulthood.
What I liked about Kristy and the Snobs:
::sob:: Louie - One of the things that made me feel meh about this book as a child. Maybe it's my more mature perspective on death. Maybe it's that I've had a pet of my own now. Maybe it's just that I appreciate how much feeling these scenes were written with. All I know is I felt them in a different way than I did when I read this book, lo, these many years ago.
Kristy's self awareness - I really appreciated that Kristy was able to admit that maybe she'd been quick to judge. Aren't we all, at least from time to time? The reminder is a helpful nudge.
The chicken pox brigade - The pox-y Pikes has long remained one of my favorite sitting events in this series. I wonder if it stuck with me because chicken pox seemed such an unknown for me, as when I was first reading these books, I was yet to experience their misery? (I think I was in sixth grade at first read? And I didn't get them until two years later.) I know that to this day, I sympathize with poor Margo, though.
What I didn't care for:
Dawn and Jeff - This is a pretty minor beef, but it felt like these scenes were a bit melodramatic. Or maybe it's just that Dawn irritates me and I want to find reasons to nitpick her presence.
What left me conflicted:
The pranks - These kids are far more creative with their pranks than I ever could have been. If I were a prank sort of person. But I'm not because my heart is too soft for that sort of behavior. However, I distinctly remembered wanting to kick Shannon in the knee for what she pulled while Kristy was sitting for the Papadakis family, and reading it again, the sentiment has not changed. In fact, it made me want to do it even more, understanding the scope of what she did, and no, I don't care that she is perpetually a middle-schooler and I am now a grown adult.
I ended up liking this one more now than I ever did then. For one, it actually made me blink back tears on more than one occasion. It also made me laugh right out loud, despite the fact that I'm about 35 years past the target audience. I am hereby awarding an additional star to my original rating, upping it from three to four.
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